Lady Prospects

Designer Natasha Ulyanov’s fashion collection will be presented on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at the Champagne Fashion Brunch to be held at La Prima Donna restaurant, 163 West 47th Street, in New York City’s famous theater district. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and the show starts at 1:00 p.m.

The timeless elegance of Natasha Ulyanov’s fashion designs springs from her juxtaposition of  European heritage and American confidence. Born in London and raised in Moscow and New York, Natasha has a cosmopolitan perspective on the philosophies of various cultures on beauty and sophistication. Natasha took her cue for fashion design from her experience in visual arts and oil painting, having studied at the Greenwich Academy and having her work published in Art World magazine. Taking art to the next level of turning it into a living expression, Natasha immersed herself into the world of fashion design, graduating from New York’s acclaimed Parsons School of Design and later working with designers Alice Roi, Carolina Herrera, Badgley Mischka, J Mendel and Valentino. Motivated to launch her own line, her first signature collection was inspired by the ever-stylish Audrey Hepburn and was shown at New York’s Guggenheim Museum as part of the most-visited exhibit in the history of the museum entitled “Russia”.

Natasha Ulyanov continues working to become an influential force in the fashion industry, giving those who wear her designs a new form of expression. Her ageless sophistication and attention to detail and shape bring out the wearer’s inner beauty.

“With the participation of Ms. Ulyanov in the upcoming Champagne Fashion Brunch it all comes together in one place,” says producer Andres Aquino, “Flavor, taste, ambiance, culture and couture. You have delicious Tuscan cuisine, fine champagne, fashion from a Russian designer and a Dominican designer, jewelry from South African and Austrian designers, beautiful models, exquisite makeup and hair styling and an audience from three continents as well as press and stylish music. This is a unique forum where designers connect directly with high-end consumers in an elegant relaxed atmosphere in the Times Square area right in heart of New York City.”

The two major features that set Nike Air Jordan shoes apart from other sneakers were in the design of the shoe itself, and in the logos printed on the shoes.  The earliest shoes, released in 1985, were a leather base in both high top and low top varieties.  They were the first shoes to carry the winged basketball that would come to be known as one of two Nike Air Jordan standard logos.  This logo would appear on three versions of Nike Air Jordan Shoes, printed on either the side near the ankle or on the tongue of the shoe.  When the fourth version was introduced in 1987 the logo was changed to what was dubbed the ‘jumpman’ a picture of a basketball player going up for a slam-dunk.  This logo appeared on many places depending on the particular shoe.  Sides, tongue and sole were all fair game for logo placement and the jumpman appeared on all.

The most unique feature of the Air Jordan line though was in the Nike Air technology.  This allowed for a design that brought extra air into the sole of the shoe, creating a better cushion for the foot of the wearer.  All of the Air Jordan shoes had this technology, but it became much more visible in the later lines.  In these designs a squeezable shoe ‘pump’ was installed into the tongue of the shoe.  By pressing the pump a customer could change the firmness of the fit of the shoe, adjusting this for personal preference and maximum comfort.

Everyone wants brand name accessories, especially in the trendy fashion circles.  Many of us have been tempted to buy one of those Louis Vuitton replicas, but we surely wouldn’t want to be seen carrying it around.  I think you all know my stance on replicas and knock-offs.  In my little world, they are simply unacceptable.  Fashion is my life, and the market in replicas undermines the stability of the industry I have grown to love.

For the price conscious shopper, there are other alternatives available.  A number of the major department stores have started to carry designer accessories and handbags, at greatly discounted prices.  While there are some that believe that high fashion is the exclusive domain of the wealthy, it is my opinion that fashion should unite and not divide.  The love of fashion can and will continue to bring people of common interest together.

I recently went upstate for a weekend to visit some friends and family, and I was thrilled to discover a factory outlet for Coach.  I picked up three amazing handbags at very reasonable prices, and I intend to go back sometime soon.  To be honest, I was amazed to see a company like Coach with a discount outlet.  I have spent countless hours exploring their flagship store on Madison Avenue, and from I could tell the outlet store had almost the exact same inventory.  At discounted prices, no less!

Upon returning home, I did some research on sales figures for Coach.  It turns out that the discount outlet I had just visited earns almost as much revenue as the flagship store in NYC.  In 2005 this particular outlet store earned over 20 million dollars, and they are projecting earnings over 25 million for the current year!  These are astounding figures, in my humble opinion.  Why aren’t other designers pursuing the discount market?

As women today, it’s all too easy to let our sensuality wane. After all, we have demanding careers, kids who need our love and attention, and a million errands to run and chores to do. The intimate relationships we have with our husbands or boyfriends often take a backseat to the activities that make up our life. It doesn’t take much, though, to rediscover our sensuality and reignite our passion – some sizzling hot lingerie will do the trick almost every time.

You don’t have to be Shirley of Hollywood or memorize the Kama Sutra to add some spice to your love life. You really just need a bit of time, some privacy, and some sizzling hot lingerie.

Time

No one ever has enough time, so you have to make it a point to carve out some time for you and your husband to be together. If you don’t have kids, it’s relatively easy to set aside one night a month for “date night.” If you do have kids, well, that’s why grandparents were invented. A sleepover at grandma’s, your sister’s house, or a good friend’s house will give you and your mate an opportunity to have a leisurely evening, night, and morning alone. That should rekindle the flames!

Privacy

Privacy is paramount when it comes to a successful date night. That means more than tucking the kids away at a relative’s house. It also means a commitment to spending the evening without interruption: an agreement to not answer the house phone, turn off your cell phones, and resist the temptation to sneak off to check your email. If you don’t think that’s possible, consider spending the night at a local hotel. You may only be a few miles from home, but it will give you the psychological space to truly relax and enjoy yourself.