Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Perfect Spring Accessory

Although last month may have marked the beginning of spring, it hasn't quite felt that way in Michigan; however, the temperature is slowly rising and flowers are finally in bloom. So what better way to kick off the season than with a fresh burst of color in your wardrobe. That's why we're rocking these gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, tie-dye scarves by Brightly Twisted.

The eye-catching scarves are hand-made and Zack McKeever, who works as a designer for the brand, says that there is no real limit to the range of ways you can wear their products.

"The right piece from Brightly Twisted will be the most versatile accessory you own," said McKeever.

A wonderful addition to almost any outfit, we suggest keeping it simple and wearing one of the scarves with a pair of jeans and white t-shirt. This chic but effortless look is a staple for anyone's wardrobe, especially for ladies.

Hot Jam: Give a Little



After performing their newest single "Give a Little" on Dancing with the Stars this week, we have our fingers crossed that Hanson is again on the rise. The infectious, soul pop/rock direction of their latest album Shout It Out is proof that this band is versatile and insanely talented. Above is Hanson's music video for "Give a Little"; it's so fun you may have to get up and dance.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Movie Review: Water for Elephants

Though many may hate me after this remark but it's like my friend said as we left the theater, "Who knew Robert Pattinson could act?" That same friend was, of course, referring to the actor's latest flick Water for Elephants and the sheer quality of it in comparison to the Twilight saga. Let's be honest, though, how hard is it to look amazing next to Ms. Reese Witherspoon? Twilight film jokes aside, Water for Elephants is an excellent love story/period piece set with the backdrop of an odd American pasttime — the circus. Based off the New York Times bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, the film had excellent material to work from and was classic entertainment from start to finish. If you're looking for action or something fast-paced, this is definitely not the flick for you; but if you love animals, you love to see the bad guy go down and you love love, we recommend it highly.
Best on-screen moment: When Rosie the elephant pulls her stake out of the ground, walks across the tent, drinks lemonade, walks back and puts her stake back into the ground.

Sustainable, Wooden Watches

If you haven't already discovered, we love watches and we love all things "green." So, naturally, what we're about to share makes us all giddy inside.

Los Angeles-based company WeWOOD has found a way to "rediscover nature" through their line of sustainable watches and has since become an emblem of eco-luxury and design. WeWOOD aims to ensure customer confidence in its brand, maintaining a philosophy of "One Watch – One Tree – One Planet."

The watches range from $119 to $139. Shop the collection HERE.

Get the Look: Dakota Fanning

In this dreary, rainy weather, we're taking a note from Miss Dakota Fanning for our latest "get the look" series. Check out some great finds below (FYI, those are the exact cargos she has on!).

Jacket Lightweight Utility in green, Gap, $80
Pashmina Scarf Journee Collection (faux) in white, Target, $20
Handbag Chapel Hill Satchel by Etienne Aigner, eBags, $96
Cargo Jean Battled Houligan in smoked topaz, J Brand, $260
Combat Boots Kimberly by Type Z, Zappos, $65

Album Review: Femme Fatale

We all know her. Many of us love her. And some of us hate her. But none of us can deny that the woman knows pop music and is a force to be reckoned with throughout the entertainment industry. Here name? (As if it needs stating) Britney Spears. Spears' latest effort, like all of her albums, takes pop music to the next level and remains ahead of its time. With seven of the 12 tracks hailing from hitmakers Dr. Luke and Max Martin, Femme Fatale was almost guaranteed to bring it ... and that it did. From the club-thumping lead single "Hold It Against Me" to the Eurodisco-inspired (and Ke$ha penned!) "Till the World Ends" to pretty much every other track, Femme Fatale is the first Britney album we've loved from start to finish (well, there may be one or two tracks in there we could do without); a great way to kick off (fingers crossed) summer.
Most notable tracks: "Trouble for Me," "Gasoline"

Monday, April 18, 2011

Quote of the Day: April 18

"I get hugged a lot, which is fun. Mostly it’s all good, positive energy that comes to me. I like people. And at the end of the day, we’re all just people, you know? We’re all just going through it."

Reese Witherspoon, actress and mother, on being a public figure to Vogue.

Ever Wonder Where Movie Titles Come From?

Well ... most derive straight from the movie itself. The below video proves this theory by speedily glimpsing at scenes from 80 different flicks as the characters reveal them.

Make Your Mac Even Cooler

Maison Binoclette is the product of two artistic professionals' obsession with the very objects they do all their work on: their Mac computers.

The result? A collection of affordable decal "glasses" for Apple computers

Buy any of the chic designs for around $8.50 HERE.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Movie Review: Scre4m

Ah, the Scream franchise continues, a true classic in the horror genre made even better by the fact that in each flick characters point out horror conventions. Sometimes its hard to tell whether the audience is laughing at or with the Screams but this newest installment brings back everything audiences love about Wes Craven's masterpiece series. When it comes to horror, we don't like to give too much away but we will say that Scre4m brings a hot young cast, classic franchise characters, big twists and turns, and plenty of gore. So ... what's your favorite scary movie?
Best on-screen moment: Gale (Courteney Cox) goes back inside a party to check on her camera and Dewey (David Arquette) is able to watch her attack as it happens.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

Sick of boots but not ready for sandals? Us too. Check out some of our favorite flat-shoe ideas below (featuring one of the hottest footwear trends this season - animal patterns!)


1. Wham by Robert Clergerie
If you love the classic oxford look, as we do, this style by Robert Clergerie is perfect. We love the "hole-y" detail and think classic white has the potential to look good with almost anything. Purchase the pair for $550 HERE.






2. Osborn X ALTER
Obviously, we just can't seem to get enough of oxford shoes. These styles are a result of the collaboration between footwear company Osborn (think TOMS Shoes) and Brooklyn retailer ALTER. Three versions of the Osborn shoe designs are available through ALTER's site for $175 each. Shop the collection HERE.






3. Kenya stripe TOMS
Finally, always a VIM favorite, TOMS Shoes has come out with yet another style we just can't say "no" to. The Kenya-inspired collection is available for both men and women for $69 per pair and just screams "African safari." And that ain't bad. Purchase the style HERE. **NOTE: TOMS also has a fabulous new spring collection available here.**

Thanks for Coming Out!

All of us at VIM Magazine wish to thank everyone who came out to support our organization and especially to help Japan on Thursday, April 7 at our Fashion For Japan fundraiser. We were able to raise quite a bit of money for the cause and could not be more thrilled. Below is a miniature gallery of images taken throughout the evening by VIM photographer Abbey Moore. (For the full gallery on our Facebook page click HERE.)

A special thank you goes out to our co-host for the evening, Todd (TJ) Duckett, as well as everyone at Club RUSH/Harper's of East Lansing for all their help throughout the evening.








Monday, April 11, 2011

Quote of the Day: April 11

"“Some of our memories are shared. We don’t know what actually happened to whom. One of us was stung by a bee, but we can’t remember who, because we both felt it.”

Mary-Kate Olsen, business mogul, on her relationship with twin sister Ashely to Vogue.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Ecko Launches Fashionable Scrubs Lines

This one's for all the future doctors, nurses and veterinarians at Michigan State:

koi design, LLC recently teamed up with global fashion company Mark Ecko Enterprises to design two bold lines of scrubs for medical professionals everywhere: Ecko UNLTD. (for men) and Ecko Red (for women).

Whoever said hospital attire isn't sexy definitely just got proven wrong.

Check out the full collection HERE.

Michigan-filmed 'Answer This!' to screen at Capital City Film Festival

Filmed in Ann Arbor, the new comedy flick Answer This! will be showing at the first-ever Capital City Film Festival (which runs next week, April 14 through 17) on Sunday, April 17.

If you recall from VIM's Fall 2010 issue (see: Michigan: Hollywood's New Hot Spot), the movie follows the life of a University of Michigan graduate student who finally begins to figure his life out when he enters a citywide pub trivia tournament with his friends. Answer This! stars Chris Parnell (TV's Saturday Night Live), Christopher Gorham (TV's Ugly Betty) and Arielle Kebbel (John Tucker Must Die) among others and also marks the first time U-M has lent its name to a film.

To buy tickets to the screening, click HERE.

For the entire calendar of events check out the Capital City Film Festival website.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Quote of the Day: April 4

"I got into [books like The Stinky Cheese Man...] because I didn’t like fairy tales when I was younger. I found a lot of fairy tales scary. They really didn’t sit well with me."

Amanda Seyfried, actress, on fairy tales to Interview Magazine.

VIM Hosts 'Fashion for Japan' to Benefit Relief Effort

Come to Club RUSH this Thursday (April 7) and help VIM and former Detroit Lion Todd (TJ) Duckett raise money for Japan disaster relief.

Check out (and RSVP to) the Facebook event HERE!

Keira Knightley for Coco Madmoiselle



Actress Keira Knightley has recently generated a lot of buzz due to her starring in the above short film (advertainment) for new Chanel fragrance Coco Madmoiselle in addition to the release of the campaign's print ads. Check out what all the fuss is about above!

Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld Designs Limited Edition Coke Bottles

For all you fashion and Diet Coke lovers out there (like me!) this is some big (and pretty cool) news.

Seventy-seven year old Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has come up with his own haute couture spin on Diet Coke bottles. The limited edition packaging will feature Lagerfeld's signature silhouette and stray from Coca-Cola's standard red design color, instead incorporating a hot pink. Lagerfeld has been quoted saying, "... As everybody knows, I drink Diet Coke and nothing else, night and day."

The bottles are expected to hit shelves this June along with an accompanying advertising campaign that will feature models Coco Rocha, Heidi Mount and Jeneil Williams.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Quote of the Day: April 1

"Well, so long as I can have one for the dartboard at home, I'm happy to oblige."

Prince Harry, of the United Kingdom, on having his photo taken to British GQ.