Nothing to do? Why not meet someone at the MET. Catch The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, closing August 9th. It examines the changing ideal of beauty from 1947 to 1997 and the people that helped project them. This riveting exibit features photography, video and articles of clothing from Yves Saint Laurent to Versace. Go on a sunny day to see Roxy Paine on the Roof:Maelstrom, a 130 foot by 45 foot stainless steel sculpture that looks like a tree on steroids. Ok maybe not exactly. There’s plenty else to see including Michelangelo’s First Painting. If none of this tickles your fancy, feel free to pout in the room full of Monets’. I mean, really, how many brillant works can you have in one building? … I guess that’s why they put one of the roof.

Here are a few photos of The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, courtesy of the special exhibitions page.

Cristobal Balenciaga (French, b. Spain 1895-1972)
Day dress, 1955-56

Gianni Versace (Italian, b. 1946-1997)
Evening dress, spring/summer 1991

Bert Stern (American, b. 1929)
Twiggy in Yves Saint Laurent, Vogue, March 15, 1967

If a diva is the female version of a hustla then Marquita Loving, owner of Beauty MarQ, is one bad chick.  Housed in Baltimore, Beauty MarQ encompasses all aspects of fashion from make up to styling, and recently designing clothing. This self made fashion mogul is “making you pretty from head to toe” as her motto says. 

We met Marquita doing a recent blog for Cut & Sewn called “A Shopper’s Diary” and fell in love. So we caught up with her to find out a little more, here’s what she had to say.

Crystal: How and when did you first get started in the industry?
Marquita: I got started in the beauty/fashion industry by just loving Fashion. I love making people look pretty. I started doing hair professionally in 2005, makeup in 2007 and making clothes for others this year. Nevertheless, before going to school for it all, I always had the passion for it and the drive to become a fashion mogul.

With so many titles, how do you do it all?
It is not hard at all. I kind of juggle them all around. For one event, a client might need me to make them a dress and do their make up and so on. I think that you have to enjoy doing it all to make it work and I absolutely love to do it all, right down to the little details.

What were some obstacles you faced starting your own company?
One of the major obstacles I am facing even now is that I do not drive. It’s really crazy because most people my age drive everywhere I just chose not to. Other than that, everything else kind of flows together because I don’t need help from a financial provider for my business.

How would you personify a Beauty MarQ client?
A Beauty MarQ client is everyone. If you need my service, I am here to help. All ages.

How do you see your career progressing in the future?
In the future, I see my career expanding. Beauty MarQ is not just a business, it’s my brand. This company is everything that I am plus more. I see my clientele growing all over the world.

And finally in keeping with tradition, if you could write anything on a t-shirt, what would it be?
LOVE LIFE (heart) LIVE FASHION

Marquita doing what she does best.

Products of Beauty MarQ.

The streets of New York City don’t tell a tale of economic crisis. Walking through mid town you’d think there’s a fat fed check sitting in your mail box (oooh and maybe the neighbors’ too). Big apple fashion addicts were out shopping for, well, everything. Some laugh in the face of recession while others are clinging to their blue suede shoes in hopes of buying the bag to match. Either way they were out and about finding something to quench their apparel thirst.

This group of Baltimore natives hits the stores at least once or twice a week in search of stand out accessories. They say the item flying off the shelves is sunglasses. I mean, look at theirs, it’s obvious they know where the good ones are.

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Forget about carrying an MP3 player, losing it, or dropping it; well at least for men. Now you can listen to your favorite tunes on a tie clip. … Yeah, I said that too. Designer Jin Woo Han knows that life should be simple, convenient and, most importantly, have constant background music. A tie clip with an LCD screen, play/stop buttons, flash memory and earphone jack pretty much encompasses the idea. Just don’t forget to take out your earphones at the office.

Thanks SwipeLife for the in.

Through all the spitting up, pooping, and crying kids somehow remain the beacon of all things adorable. Striving to preserve the “Aww!” and “How precious” responses of a puppy eyed public, moms dress their little ones in equally cute threads. So what message would proud moms plaster on their bundles of joy? Some admit they’ve thought about it before. If nothing else a t-shirt can inspire the sense of humor some mommy’s lose amongst the diapers and baby wipes.

Ashley, mom of Teddy prefers “Poop Happens” a spoof off of a popular adult phrase. Or “I Might Barf” a warning for the rest of the world at her sons’ habit.

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If this isn’t the cleverest way to introduce a new piece of clothing I don’t know what is. Maybe I’m just biased because they’re dancing. As for the pants in mainstream fashion, you be the judge. Europe has been voting Hammer pants into every realm of fierceness for months, but what’s the verdict in the good ole U.S.A.? After all, who better to judge than you stylish of Cut & Sewn?..

 If you’re not ready for all that, try out the Harem pant. It has a similar cut but with less volume, and less bust-a-move incentive.

Silence & Noise Harem Pant

Your grandfather had the pocket-watch (Don’t Call it a Comeback nominee) and grandfather clocks (obviously). Your mom had Swiss-Army watches and the metal-banded, beginner-bling Rolex. Your annoying sister had the Casio calculator watch. You, what do you have? They say size matters, and in some cases, smaller is better. This is one of those cases. You, lucky you, have the ring watch.
Fashion is always calling for accessories like purses, necklaces, and shoes, but who wants to wear a silly key on a chain or Kanye’s new hideous Louis Vuitton shoe? These ring watches are rings and on top of that, they’re watches. That’s two birds, one ring. It’s the most practical thing you can put on your finger, outside of maybe a bottle opener ring, but that won’t tell you what time happy hour even starts.

Major thanks to Julia Davis for this illustration

Scenario: You’re in Hong Kong. You want to call your boy, Vladimir Putin in Moscow, right now, to tell him about a secret Matt Miller concert that may not have happened yet in New York. Your grandpa Morty, mom Carol, and sister Gertrude didn’t have the technology to answer that, but you do. Just throw on your rings and you’re more than set.
This is why I submit the ring watch as the first entrant to “Don’t Call it a Comeback,” our returning to the spotlight trend tracker.

This watch is from TokyoFlash. TokyoFlash has tons of sweet watches, including one that uses LEDs to provide the background for the unlit time. Not only are they bling blang metal bands, but they’re obviously purely LED watches, with three ways of telling time, including binary (For realz). Only in Japan comes something this ridiculous and creative at the same time. From Geekologie.

Clipse, a hip-hop duo the Cut & Sewn crew likes has had quite the busy month. Putting out a fly new clothing like called Play Cloths and the Road to Till the Casket Drops mixtape is quite the achieving group.

My highlights of the mixtape include use of the Swagger like Us track a la Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Yeezy, and T.I. for their own hot song (S.W.U.) Also enjoyable songs are Addiction and Feds Taking Pictures. Check out the mixtape here.

Play Cloths, their new line is street wear. Coming in with nice tees and hoodies, check their gear. Below will likely be their signature shirt as it’s already sold out, but my favorite is the Big Wheels tee.