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Thursday, May 24, 2012

FASHION

Blogger Babble: The Pleat

The Pleaters

The Pleaters, clockwise from top left: Desiree Marr, Julie Chen, Samara D'Auria and Tiffanie Graham

We’ve been following blogazine The Pleat since it launched last September, and we’re smitten with the manifesto: “serious fashion, not fashion taken too seriously.” The “Pleaters,” as they call themselves, are Julie Chen, Samara D’Auria, Tiffanie Graham and Desiree Marr, a group of seasoned fashion magazine editors who honed their expertise at publications including Glamour, Lucky, Jane, Elle Girl and Life & Style Weekly, and, as a team, work to inspire but never intimidate their audience.  Their beautifully laid out blogazine site is easy to navigate and replete with helpful style ideas, eye candy and shopping options that inspire but never intimidate. Profiles of It-Girls, Models-Off-Duty and the Pleaters' favorite bloggers intermingle with up-to-the minute coverage of designers and fashion trends, on and off the runway. We adore thei whimsical Nostalgia page and can’t get enough of the incredible steals in the DEALicious section.

The Pleat blogazine crew met while living in New York and working for Life & Style Weekly, headquartered in New Jersey. “The concept of the site came about during our carpools!” recalls Julie Chen.  We checked in with Julie and Desiree Marr, one half of the Pleat team, to learn more.

The Inside Source: Where and how did you begin your careers in the fashion industry?  

Julie Chen: I decided I wanted to be a fashion editor after watching "MTV's House of Style." Cindy Crawford was the host, and she spent an episode shadowing two fashion editors from Harper's Bazaar. They covered some fashion shows and talked about trends, played with some clothes—I made up my mind that was the job for me! Little did I know it was going to be way harder than that. I think I was 11. During my senior year at [the Fashion Institute of Technology], I started working as an intern for the fashion department at Jane. My first job was closet girl at Glamour, where I was in charge of ordering hangers and garment bags. The rest is history!  

Desiree Marr: I wanted to be a journalist but have had a potentially unhealthy obsession with fashion ever since childhood (when my yearly highlight was back-to-school shopping at the Esprit outlet). However, I never thought about combining the two until Tim Gunn inspired me to apply to Parsons on the first season of "Project Runway"! I was accepted after I wrote an essay stating my intentions to become the next Diana Vreeland. While attending, I interned at Conde Nast Traveler and Details. Following graduation, I started out briefly as the glamorous closet girl at Teen Vogue and then Lucky. The rest is history for me as well! I ran into Tim Gunn shortly after I moved to New York and thanked him for giving me the courage to follow my dreams. He probably thought I was nuts.
 

 

The Inside Source: We love that The Pleat blogazine site is so democratic, with coverage of fashion trends from "$5 to $5000" and design inspiration coming from the “runways of Paris…to the suburban malls of Middle America.” How important is that blog concept to you and why?  

Julie Chen:  The four of us don't care so much about the label on item. If it looks good, it looks good. I think The Pleat reflects how women dress today—high and low, vintage and new all mixed up. I used to work as a babysitter for this woman in New York who went out to a big gala in a beautiful, super expensive Tuleh dress . . . but with purple, Lucite Steve Madden pumps! She looked great. High-end designers sign on for limited edition lines with mass-market brands such as Target and H&M and it totally works.  

Desiree Marr: The truth is, like the majority of the population, I am not rich and cannot afford most of the pricey designer pieces. Thank god style is not defined by price. There are women out there buying tacky stuff, who mistakenly think they look great because of the amount charged to their black AMEX. On the flip side, I have a friend who only shops at the Salvation Army and has the fiercest style around. Nowadays, even if you only wanted to buy designer pieces, online sample sales and auction sites like eBay make paying full retail unnecessary.
 

The Inside Source: You study street style, the fashion runways and everything in between, but what style icons or periods do you return to for fashion inspiration time and time again? 

Julie Chen: I love looking at the wealthy women in Slim Aaron’s photos from the '50s thru the early '80's. Stevie Knicks. Stylist Catherine Baba. Cliché, but Chloe Sevigny. The '70s and early '80s Connecticut preppy ("Ice Storm" to "Who's the Boss"). '70's Halston. And Nan Kempner.  

Desiree Marr: Julie is way classier than I am! Joan Collins and every character on "Dynasty" in a white faux fur stole and giant shoulder pads. Jem and the Holograms and especially the Misfits. Cindy Mancini from “Can't Buy Me Love.” I love the entire menswear movement and think there is nothing sexier than a woman who can wear a suit, preferably a YSL Le Smoking. Fictionally, Auntie Mame. Currently Cate Blanchett and Diane Kruger. But it’s perhaps my grandma who is the best dressed woman I know. Granted you have to love sequins, metallic purses (with matching shoes of course!), all shades of purple, piled on jewelry and chopsticks poking out of your giant updo, but who doesn't?

 

The Inside Source: What fashion trends are exciting you for Spring 2011? 

Julie Chen: I sound like a scratched CD, but the '70s!!! I like the floatier, looser, less structured shape of the clothes, high waistlines and lower hemlines.  I like that bags are staying structured with longer shoulder straps, and skirts are simpler and longer.  

Desiree Marr: I can't believe I am saying this, but I am kind of looking forward to minimalism. I am starting to get a bit tired of the over-embellishment (especially studs and chains), the animal prints, the constant layering and complicated dressing. Anything streamlined that is unfussy and chic sounds good to me!


The Inside Source: Is there a dream piece from a 2011 Spring fashion collection that you are coveting right now?  

Julie Chen: I would like the entire Fendi spring runway show. Or at least a bag and a pair of shoes. 

Desiree Marr: Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte's hand-carved wood platforms are detailed and elaborate, yet still maintains a slight boho, '70s-style sense of ease. They remind me of the faux wood paneling in my grandparent’s home, combined with trees from Santa Cruz, alongside the brown retro print from my parent's old couch.
 
 

The Inside Source: Are there smaller clothing collections or fashion designers really exciting you at the moment? 

Julie Chen: I kept seeing this amazing dress around my neighborhood. Two of my friends had it; they told me it was by Electric Feathers. Also love this new swim and resort line by Laura Woodard from Blue Stripe PR.  It's called Salty Seas.  

Desiree Marr: They aren't exactly small designers but my friends, Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs from Cushnie et Ochs, truly blow me away. For being so young, their craftsmanship, maturity and sense of restraint is unheard of. I guarantee they will be competing with the larger design houses in no time. I am also obsessed with many talented Australian designers, including Zimmerman, making their way to U.S. shores. Also love any bag designed by Olivia Harris and I am beyond picky about bags.

 

The Inside Source: What are five fashion pieces that you've kept in your wardrobe for years or simply can't live without? 

Julie Chen: I have a pathological buying problem with
1. Chambray shirts.
2. Trench coats.
3. Plain grey sweatshirts
4. Striped sailor shirts (last count I had 9 versions, plus a dress).
5. A rotating cast of floaty, super feminine, '70s chiffon dresses that never get thrown out.
 

Desiree Marr:

1. Leather jackets are a staple. I swear you can throw a motorcycle jacket over anything and instantly appear chic (and slightly edgy).
2. Anything disco-y, glittery and sequined as if I am headed to a party... because you never know when you might end up at one, so you better be ready!
3. Blazers of all kinds, be it slouchy, tailored, boyfriend, you name it. Including vintage YSL and Givenchy bought on eBay.
4. Costume jewelry, especially cocktail rings that are big and bold! (I don't even own a genuine gemstone)
5. Ankle boots in every shape, color and material. The higher the better. I trip in flats and can run in heels. Seriously.

 

The Inside Source: What we can look forward to in the coming year from The Pleat blogazine?  

Julie Chen: We'd like to be more service oriented to our readers in terms of fashion or shopping advice, and will eventually be incorporating short videos on the site.  

Desiree Marr: Julie has a great idea to show readers how to create a cute wardrobe for every day of the week using very few pieces: like 10 pieces = 1 week of dressing. Also look for some tried-and true postings where we test out figure-fixing products and other less traditional fashion items, such as sneakers that tone you up or bras that enhance your bust size by two whole cups. Do they really work? Also, we’ll explore ways to wear some of the crazier pieces on the runway in the real world.

Julie Chen tells The Inside Source that when she regrets not buying something retail and “obsesses over the item forever,” eventually, she finds herself “stalking it on eBay.” Disiree Marr proudly states that she’s been “shopping eBay longer than anyone I know.” It’s even on record from her days at Lucky.
Both Chen and Marr love finding discounted upscale beauty products on eBay. They gave us a peek at their current obsessions. Disiree Marr claims that searching for her picks was difficult “because I kept stopping to bid on stuff!”

Chen's Picks

  • New Essie Perky Purple Nail Polish

    New Essie Perky Purple Nail Polish

    (buy it now price, $12.99)

    "I freaked out when I found out this electric purple color had been discontinued. It's very '80s YSL to me."

  • Sassy Magazine

    Sassy Magazine

    (buy it now price, $16)

    "My best friend in 5th grade had an older sister; I'll always have fond memories of the excellent read."

  • Boiled Wool Bonnie Cashin Skirt

    Boiled Wool Bonnie Cashin Skirt

    (buy it now price, $189.99)

    "eBay is amazing for vintage finds like this Bonnie Cashin skirt . . . the foremother for Reed Krakoff!"

  • New Kenneth Jay Lane Leopard Necklace

    New Kenneth Jay Lane Leopard Necklace

    (buy it now price, $56)

    "I don't mess around when it comes to jewelry. It's either none or big and one toe over-the-line into tackyville."

  • Brian Atwood Platform Pumps

    Brian Atwood Platform Pumps

    (buy it now price, $499.99)

    "I've been obsessing over these black pumps with super skinny straps. I saw them on a girl while riding the subway. Now I can stop."

  • Vintage Trench Coat

    Vintage Trench Coat

    (buy it now price, $96)

    "Uh oh. . . eBay is the perfect place for me to indulge in my trench addiction."

Marr's Picks

 



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51a0b9a9-335c-41a0-8a45-c80c02e5ddf4 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:53:00 PST Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:53:00 PST
Marlene
comment-post

Found your site after looking for where Julie Chen may have found that fabulous red sweater she wore on the show on January 11th. It was a fabulous length and love the cowl neckline. It was beautiful...and would love to add one to my wardrobe. Hope you can help.

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