Michael Kors gets a (swanky) new address

Michael Kors has plenty to celebrate these days. In addition to recently tying the knot with longtime partner - and creative director for Kors' brand - Lance LePere in a private ceremony, the Project Runway judge just signed a 10-year lease on a new, covetable address to add to his handful of Manhattan store outposts: 610 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10020. That puts him next door to the Armani Exchange flagship store - 5th Avenue and 20th Street, between 49th and Channel Gardens - to be precise.

The newly acquired store in Rockefeller Center officially opened its doors September 3, making it Kors's largest flagship store to date. The space has 15-foot ceilings and is roughly 7,000 square feet - 4,500 square feet on the ground floor and a little less than 3,000 square feet underground for office space and storage - which is more than enough room for the designer to lay out an impressive array of his products. In fact, the store is so massive it has an entire room set aside just for his jewelry and popular line of watches. Kors has been quoted as referring to this room affectionately as, "my Harry Winston".

The jewelry room in Kors' new Fifth Avenue flagship store

The store mirrors the aesthetic of many of his locations - bright lighting, white marble floors with zebra skin hide and dark wood accents - and will carry ready to wear from the Michael Michael Kors line, accessories and Kors Michael Kors collections.

A look at just a few of the accessories carried in the new Michael Kors Fifth Avenue flagship store

“The opening of my lifestyle flagship boutique at Rockefeller Center is an extremely humbling and exciting reality,” Kors said in a statement. “As both a designer and a native New Yorker, what could be more incredible than a store in the heart of the city at Rockefeller Center?”

Robin Abrams of The Lansco Corp agrees. "Rockefeller Center is one of the most heavily trafficked tourist locations with a broad customer base," Abrams said. She believes the owners of the Rock Center, Tishman Speyer Properties, would not rent to the designer if he wasn't on par with the neighboring retailers. "Kors will benefit both from the merchants south of them and the luxury corridor north of them, which has very few vacancies and is one of the few corridors that has increased in terms of rental prices."

According to the Real Estate Board of New York's fall 2010 rental report, Kors could be paying anywhere from $2,100 to $2,500 per foot.

"We’d always come ice-skating here, me very badly and grabbing the railing," the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award told WWD. "I celebrated my 30th birthday at the Rainbow Room with a fake surprise party that I wasn't surprised by." Kors planned to celebrate the flagship store opening by shutting down 49th Street for Fashion’s Night Out with a special performance by the Rockettes.

The store's location used to be Kenneth Cole's flagship store, which closed its doors earlier this year. Sadly, this makes the eighth full-priced location for Cole to close.

Just last year Kors opened a store on Bleecker Street, which used to be occupied by Olive & Bette's. In addition to all the buzz surrounding his newly opened New York locations, Kors is also rumored to be considering a space on Los Angeles' Robertson Boulevard as well as the Peninsula Hong Kong. By the end of spring 2011, the Michael Kors brand will operate approximately 175 freestanding stores worldwide.

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Dear Shopping Savage...

Dear Shopping Savage,

I need your help with my wife's style. We've been married for 10 years now, both approaching our 40's, and earlier on in the relationship she had a great sense of style. After having two kids, she started to dress more "conservatively" as she puts it. I thought it was because she was insecure about the baby weight, but even after she got back down to her old size, she still dresses dowdy. I know that she has a broader fashion sense and I wish she would tap back into it, but I can't seem to pull her back out of her shell. Any suggestions?

Signed,

Husband of Safe Styled Wife

------------

Dear H.O.S.S.W.,

Your wife, like most women, has gone through quite a few transformations in the past few years. To you, she may seem a bit "dowdy" but it sounds like her perspective has shifted to putting her families priorities first - yours included.

Maybe your wife feels like she has a lot on her plate, what with getting the kids ready for school, getting herself ready for work, getting you out the door and making sure that all of this goes off seamlessly. She's probably found a routine that works but may have gotten stuck in it, which is where you come in. If she's up before you to make sure the kids are getting their day started, fixing breakfast and any of the other hundred things mom do without breaking a sweat, offer to pitch in. Maybe you should try your hand at taking on the morning tasks a few days during the week so that she has more time to think about getting dressed. Hire a babysitter and bring "date night" back into your routine so she'll have an excuse to get dolled up again.

Even encourage her to have a "girls night out" every so often so she can really let her hair down and run around like she may have in her "Sexier in the City" days. Vacations are always nice ways to recharge old batteries too, for both of you. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant; maybe just a weekend away while your in-laws or friends watch the kids (i.e. free childcare) while you and your wife go someplace to get back to your old selves.

The woman you knew and fell in love with is still there, she's just buried underneath all the new responsibilities and pressures of being a triple threat: wife, mom and career woman. Helping her to remember to focus a little more on her needs will get her back to her old self - and old style - in no time.

Have a fashion question? Need sartorial advice? Email me: Dwaun@shoppingsavage.com

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This Trend Just In: 2011 MTV VMA Red Carpet's Best - and Worst - Dressed

This past weekend, MTV aired its 2011 VMA Awards, causing many age-groups to tune-in for what could now be classified as another awkward awards show full of live moments, some good and some cringe worthy. But before anyone knew all of this, there were many varied reasons to tune in: for the performance line-up, to see who won the once coveted "moon man" awards or for what the celebrities chose to wear upon arrival. Keeping in line with that, today's trend post will try to focus on the "black carpet" looks. Some were good, some were great and some were just...well, you'll see.

The Best

Demi Lovato sparkled in this silver low-cut Mandalay minidress, Christian Louboutin platforms and full of body-and-bounce loose curls.

Once you get past the cube adorning Katy Perry's colorful Christian Dior ensemble, you can see how the geometric patterned-outfit is on trend with color blocking and mixing, yet matching, patterns.

Beyonce wore this beautiful bright and flowy one-shouldered Lanvin gown with bold statement jewelry and platform heels.

Her best accessory by far that evening had to be her growing baby bump that she highlighted on the carpet.

She later hit the stage in this purple-sequined Dolce & Gabbana tux.

Beyonce's former Destiny's Child group-member Kelly Rowland also dazzled upon her arrival in this Falguni & Shane Peacock dress, made up of a mix of feathers and leather. She accentuated the look with tasteful - yet ample - cleavage and Christian Louboutin peep-toe stilettos.

Adele has become a household name with her soulful voice and wore this custom Barbara Tfank dress with a triangular embellishment along the neckline. Her "kicky" bouffant and heels add height and balance to her look.

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi actually looks as pulled-together as she may ever get in this cleavage enhancing gilded strapless gown which she accentuated with sparkly gold heels and jewelry.

Britney Spears gets a pass in this zig-zag pattered, thigh-grazing Moschino romper, but where fault is found is in the open-toed patent-leather platform boots. They're (literally) one step away from the strip club.

Zoe Saldana keeps things short and to the point in this barely there black Barbara Bui dress with a metallic bodice and leather-edged cap sleeves.

Barbara Bui also designed her ankle-strap, python platform heels. Absolutely superb.

Newly-married Kim Kardashian is "back to work", wearing this KaufmanFranco silver-beaded gown that's not only cleavage-y but the sheer back panel heightens her, umm, "ass"ets. Did Mr. Humphries approve this look before she left the house?

Life without Ashlee Simpson seems to 'suit' Pete Wentz well, as he arrived looking clean shaven and eye-liner free in this quite dapper slim gray suit and pointy patent-leather shoes.

Taylor Lautner's teen-heartthrob days will continue to beat strong so long as he continues to wear outfits as simple as a blazer, unbuttoned-to-there Henley shirt, skinny jeans and boots. The look is appropriate for the event, and for his 'Team Jacob' fans.

Justin Bieber takes a risk, but wins in this pairing of red skinny jeans, tuxedo jacket and leopard-print sneakers. He accessorized with glasses (that seemed more for function than fashion), a YSL brooch, gold chains and get this, a real snake!

Joe Jonas also seemed to get the fitted black blazer memo, but decided to one-up his celeb friends by bedazzling the lapel. He paired it with a white shirt but then added blue jeans (that he presumably got from a female fan) and black shoes. It works for Joe though...

The Busted

Both of Katy Perry's outfits for the night were interesting, but this 'Memoirs of a Forgotten Geisha' look is a bit too faux-oriental for taste. The Asian-inspired Atelier Versace mini-dress with matching parasol looks gimmicky, not to mention matching her pink, strappy Jimmy Choo heels with her new pink hued 'do.

'Rainbow Bright' is rolling over in her animated grave as Deena Cortese of 'Jersey Shore' fame decided to not only taste the rainbow, but dress herself in its likeness. Once she's done with this dress there is a drag queen out there that would love to wear this for a gay pride event...or not.

Liz Lee is the star of MTV's "My Life as Liz" which must be a cover for her true career as the lead singer in a grunge band. That's the only explanation for why it looks like she got dressed in the back of a van, turning this simple tie-dyed sheet into a makeshift dress and would also explain why she couldn't find her heels.

Skylar Grey may be talented vocally but this look is confusing visually. First, there's the mock-neck-sleeveless-almost-mid-drift sweater-thing that's the most off-putting of crusty-mustard. If that's not bad enough she then paired said top with the most chic prison-striped pants she could find, complete with a wallet chain. Her platform boots are cool, but at this point, they're too little too late.

Lil' Mama is no stranger to being called out on her wacky fashion, but this dress isn't half bad. What is bad is that wig borrowed from the set of a 1970's blaxploitation film and those wedges with a wedge missing.

Katie Holmes seems to be trying to relive her 'Joey Potter' days in this lace-topped Azzedine Alaia dress, but the stance, nor the dress (or those shoes!) are working in her favor. At least she came to the event looking better than she did in this post.

Ne-Yo gets props for always trying to reinvent the 'gentleman' look, but this shimmery, umber-hued Prada top, paired with a shirt buttoned ALL THE WAY UP (sans tie) with an old-school fedora and oversized sunglasses are not as "dapper" as he'd like us to believe.

Even as her alter ego, Jo Calderone, Lady Gaga can't stay off the bad end of the red carpet dressed list. The look is simple enough, but the dingy-looking Uniqlo T-shirt, Brooks Brothers pants and Dior Homme jacket just look like she stepped off the stage from an off Broadway production of "Jersey Shore Side Story".

Rapper Kreayshawn has somehow found a way to pay homage to both Mickey Mouse and Amy Winehouse in this sequin-splattered frock that she finishes off with red Nikes. This look is definitely in need of 'Rehab'.

JoJo makes a serious 'no no' in this leather corseted dress that would have been fine, except for the unfortunate mistake she made of attaching two Hefty bags of trash to either side of her. Guess it makes it that much easier to toss after the show.

There is compassion for Jessie J's broken foot, but none for this glittery showgirl outfit. Ke$ha must be pissed she stole half her sparkle stash to jazz up her would-be somber bodysuit, flesh-toned tights and crutches.

This Roberto Cavalli gown ages 18-year-old Miley Cyrus almost beyond recognition. Besides the fact that it seems too dressy for the event, she looks like a girl playing dress-up in her mother's clothing. The Lorraine Schwartz choker and up-do seal the idea that this outfit will one day be appropriate for her...just not for another decade.

Selena Gomez must have thought it was Halloween when she decided to wear this lacy Julien Macdonald gown, gold Brian Atwood pumps and Judith Leiber clutch. If she would have waited just a little longer to wear this she would have made a phenomenal Elvira.

And here's the best of the worst for last. Nicki Minaj is known as much for her gimmicky costumes as her rapping skills, but this is taking it a tad too far. It looks like she just woke up from a 'Hello Kitty' slumber party that was in the path of a SARS outbreak.

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Savage Style

Blazer - Zara, Dress - c/o Target, Shades - Fred Flare, Watch - c/o Timex, Belt - Goodwill, Shoes - Converse

Jessica Quirk should be seen as an inspiration for many fashion bloggers. The What I Wore site creator started her site in May 2007 and decided to take it to the next level, turning her passion into a career. And it would seem her pursuits have paid off, as Quirk has been featured in numerous publications and recently published a book chronicling her relatable 'girl-next-door' sense of style.

Tee - Plato’s Closet, Trench - c/o LOFT, Shorts - via swap with CaliVintage, Bag - Lancel, Shoes - c/o Pierre Hardy for GAP

Shades - Fred Flare, Necklaces - 1) Vintage; 2) c/o LOFT Spring ‘10, Dress - J.Crew, Jacket - c/o Mavi, Watch- c/o Timex, Shoes - Jessica Simpson via T.J. Maxx

Scarf - vintage, Tee - Breton, Pants - GAP c/o LOFT, Shoes - Marshall’s

Dress - c/o ModCloth, Necklace - Corvus Noir, Tights - We Love Colors, Booties - ModCloth, Bag - c/o Coach

Dress - ModCloth, Belt - Beacon’s Closet, Shoes - No. 407b, Bag - bought in alley in Hong Kong

Jessica had this inspirational message for anyone wanting to break into fashion:

"I get my fashion kicks out of this blog. I do and make things on the side that let my creativity really come out. I make my own life fashionable, instead of relying on [a] job to make that happen. If you want to be involved in fashion just get out there! Start a blog, cultivate your own personal style and surround yourself with inspiration. If you don’t have a design degree apply to be in the sales department or even the receptionist. Intern!! Its the best way to network and get your foot in the door! Start an online store! Be your own boss. Have fun and get into it. Make the path you want to take. Good Luck!"

Necklace - ShopMamie, Blouse - c/o ROXY, Jeans - c/o Mavi, Flats - Marshall’s, Bag - c/o Coach, Shades - Urban Outfitters

Jacket - ModCloth, Blouse - American Eagle, Leggings - Target, Shoes - Steve Madden, Bag - bought in alley in Hong Kong

Dress - Marshall’s, Coat - Marshall’s, Belt - UNIQLO, Tights - c/o ModCloth, Shoes - Payless

Button Down - c/o Tory Burch fall ‘10, Skirt - Thrifted; Beacon’s Closet, Belt - Vintage, Shoes - House of Harlow, Bag - Vintage; Goodwill, Necklace - Jess LC

Shades - Beacon’s Closet, Blouse - Penguin, Necklace - Jess LC, Belt - Urban Outfitters, Skirt - Anthropologie, Shoes - c/o LOFT

The message seems clear and fairly consistent across the board no matter who you ask about breaking into the fashion industry. Persistence, perseverance and patience pays off. It also doesn't hurt to have a unique quality about you. Some call it an "it" factor and in Jessica's case, its most definitely her "quirk" that's bolstered well for her.

Shades - Fred Flare, Necklace - Elma Blint, Top - Tulle c/o ModCloth, Skirt - Vintage, hemmed from Goodwill, Watch - Timex, Shoes - Jessica Simpson via TJMaxx

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