Archive for the ‘eBay Insider’ Category

Celebrity fashion stylist Annabel Tollman—who counts starlets Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Simpson, and Michelle Trachtenberg among her many Hollywood clients—is also a major eBay addict: “I’m constantly shopping the site when I’m supposed to be concentrating on something else,” she says. Recently, she found a way to justify her addiction. Tollman is teaming up with the online marketplace to launch Fashion Voice, a new hub featuring shopping tips from a variety of top stylists and fashion experts.

It turns out celebrity fashion stylist Annabel Tollman—who counts starlets Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Simpson, and Michelle Trachtenberg among her many Hollywood clients—is also a major eBay addict: “I’m constantly shopping the site when I’m supposed to be concentrating on something else. My old assistant was forever getting mad at me, telling me to stop procrastinating when I was on eBay!” she says.

Recently, she found a way to justify her addiction. Tollman is teaming up with the online marketplace to launch Fashion Voice, a new hub featuring shopping tips from a variety of top stylists and fashion experts, including Britt Bardo, Estee Stanley, Rebecca Weinberg, Kate Young and eBay’s own Karen Bard and Constance White. Tollman is also kicking off a series of videos packed with styling tricks and shopping pointers to help curate eBay’s 19 million daily fashion offerings. Her first video, “What’s Your Vintage Era” features Tollman’s advice on how to find and wear vintage fashion, using style icons through the decades as inspiration. 

Here, Tollman took time to share vintage shopping strategies as well as her must-have list for spring.

The Inside Source: You identified Old Hollywood Glamour as a favorite trend on the eBay fashion site, choosing a gorgeous shimmery cocktail dress and chain mail bag (pictured above) as your picks. What was the process you used to find those items?

Annabel Tollman: Well, I never really know exactly what I’m looking for as I’m shopping, but that said, there are certain keywords that I love, like “lace”, “floral”, and “sparkly”. So if you search for “cocktail dress” and “sparkly” you’re going to get a ton of options. I also like to refine by era. My two favorites are 1920-1938 and 1947-1964.

TIS: What is it about those particular time periods that appeals to you?

AT: I feel like the way that they used color and pattern in the Depression era was so refined. I love the amount of detail that went into the clothes. I also like the idea of faded glory—this stuff adds a bit of romance to everyday. People had fewer clothes, but they were handmade pieces. You don’t find that level of detail on clothes today—or at least the ones that I can afford! If you walk into the Dior boutique now, you’ll find exquisite pieces, but a dress might be the price of a car.

In terms of the ’50s, I love the femininity and frothiness of the clothes—and the exuberance. The nipped-in waist and full skirt is a silhouette that really works for me. You have to watch it though, because some of the bright prints can start to look a little kitschy.

TIS: Any styling tips for making vintage work?

AT: You can’t go head-to-toe vintage or you’ll look like you’re wearing a costume. Balance something frothy with something tougher to make it feel more modern. Two of my closet staples are a great army jacket and a great leather jacket, which instantly bring down the fanciness of whatever else you’re wearing and make any outfit look cooler.

TIS: What are the things you search for (and buy!) over and over again?

AT: I collect evening bags full stop. For me, they’re one of those things that really transform an outfit. Plus, they’re usually not terribly expensive and they make amazing gifts. A lot of my evening bags get around a bit—they tend to go out on the red carpet with my clients! I also love paste jewelry, which can look so sweet in hair, on a bag, really wherever.

TIS: Buy It Now vs. Auction?

AT: While bidding on an auction can definitely be exciting, if I want something, I want it today.

TIS: Any secrets for scoring hidden gems?

AT: Just keep going. Shopping eBay isn’t linear process; it’s more like navigating a spider’s web, so once you starting clicking around, hitting “More Like This,” or checking out what else a vendor has, you can find so much more. Start with something you like and then just keep on delving deeper. And if there’s a specific seller you like, make sure to add them to your favorites, since clearly they have a good eye and good sources.

TIS: What’s on your eBay shopping list right now?

AT: I’m always looking for Alaia, though I tend to wear his little wool dresses with tights in the winter. Now it’s all about cotton sundresses from the ’50s, which come to the knee and cover up a multitude of sins. I can never get enough party dresses. I love the Miss Hannigan look—kimonos and negligees and that sort of thing. I actually found a beautiful silk negligee recently for layering and belting with a tank dress. It’s perfect for summer when you want to slip on something easy. And I’ve also been buying a lot of 20′s and 30′s crepe tea dresses lately.

Tollman shares more specifics—and styling tricks—from her eBay wish list.

clockwise from top left:

Vintage 1950’s Kenneth Tischler Cotton Sundress (buy it now price, $149) “Love the divine peach color and the V at the front of this one. Wear it with a flat gold sandal and a tan clutch. This is the perfect summer dress to throw on and dash out the door.”

Christian Dior Vintage Silk Day Dress from the Early 50’s (buy it now price, $925) “I mean, just heaven. I would wear it with beautiful antique diamond or paste earrings—very delicate and pretty.”

Vintage Purple Deco Lace Dressing Gown (buy it now price, $899) “I know Saint Kate of Moss got slammed for wearing a robe, but luckily, you don’t have to deal with paparazzi! I would wear this over a tank and jeans for Mary-Kate Olsen cool.”

 Vintage 40’s Floral Pink Bias Cut Nightgown (buy it now price, $149.99) and Vintage 30’s Satin and Chantilly Lace Bias Cut Nightgown (buy it now price, $74) “I’d put a tank top underneath and wear these as dresses.”

Vintage 80’s Black Leather Motorcycle Jacket (buy it now price, $159.99) “I like that this leather jacket is so short. Sleeves always look better pushed up on any sort of jacket. I would put this over a ball gown or pretty dress, or wear it over a heather grey sweater and jeans. It’s your 24/7, 365 [days per year] jacket.”

Vintage 50’s Cotton Sundress (buy it now price, $249) “This dress is heaven. I don’t usually wear black in the summer, but this could be very sophisticated with nude accessories. I love the shape of the top and the straps.”

Emily Hsieh is a freelance writer and editor in New York City who has contributed to publications including Lucky, Allure, InStyle, and People.

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Making earth-conscious choices for your children and pets can improve their health and the health of the planet. Fortunately, there is a virtual “green market” out there of innovative products that prove you can make small, environmentally-conscious changes with a big impact. Want proof?.

There are more ways to go green than simply with your own clothes, habits and home. Making earth-conscious choices for your children and pets can improve their health and the health of the planet. Fortunately, there is a virtual “green market” out there of innovative products that prove you can make small, environmentally-conscious changes with a  big impact. Want proof? Check out our picks.

The Inside Source Editorial Director Meredith Barnett confesses that she only started going green when she became pregnant and considered the importance of keeping her new baby healthy and leaving him with a  more sustainable planet. Plus, she knows that setting a green example will instill good habits in her children from the start.

Green toys and clothing are often made from organic, sustainable or reclaimed materials and are artisan-crafted instead of mass-produced.  You can make a green move by choosing these types of products. Or, since the greenest items is the one that already exists in the world, you can go green by purchasing pre-owned items at sites like eBay’s Green Shopping Hub. By extending the life of existing products, you can keep trash out of landfills and reduce waste and energy consumed by manufacturing new merchandise.  Plus, you’ll save money—a major added bonus since kids grow out of their toys and clothes so quickly.

Eco-friendly baby skincare is another category we’re keen (and green!) on—especially for babies’ sensitive skin. Since over 60 percent of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body, we look for organic and all-natural products because they boast higher levels of natural nutrients and antioxidants than and have fewer irritants than regular products.

KEEPING KIDS EARTH CONSCIOUS

clockwise from top left: Green Toys Recycling Truck made from recycled milk bottles (buy it now price, $18.99), Green Toys Tea Set made from recycled milk bottles (buy it now price, $21.94), Mini Rodini 100% Organic Cotton Parrots Tee Dress ($48) Little Twig Baby Shampoo made with organic ingredients (buy it now price, $7-$12)

More product ideas: Toys and Clothes from Sweet William (look for brands including Mini Rodini, Clover, PopUpShop, and Nico Nico), Under the Nile Veggie Crate ($30), Earth Mama Angel Baby Skincare Products, California Baby Skincare Products

ECO-FRIENDLY FIDO

Today’s pets are serious consumers—of food, cleaning products, toys and treats. Fortunately, there are great eco-friendly choices out there for Fido and Fifi. 

Here are a few tips: Look for a doggy bed that’s not only durable, but also made of recycled materials; choose toys that are recyclable or made from recycled or organic materials; and find treats and food that are natural or organic. 

West Paw Dog Bed made of 100% recycled filler (buy it now price, $50-$150), Simply Fido Organic Pet Toys (buy it now price, $15-$20) 100% Recyclable Orbee Ball (buy it now price, $7-$15)

More Product Ideas: Harry Barker Pet Waste Dispenser made from recycled plastic and using biodegradable bags ($8), Waste Dispensers from Whole Foods Market, Toys and Treats from EarthDoggy

Check out these great green resources from eBay:

Green.ebay.com: eBay’s new green shopping hub, giving consumers access to millions of pre-owned, sustainable and resource-saving products available on eBay.

eBaygreenteam.com: The hub of eBay’s Green Team community, where nearly 200,000 buyers, sellers, and employees share tips, stories, and resources on how to buy, sell, and live greener every day.

WorldofGood.eBay.com: eBay’s marketplace for People and Eco Positive products where consumers can see the impact of their purchase on every “view item” page.

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“I’m not a collector; I’m more of a hoarder. I go on kicks,” says Erdem Moralioglu, the recent winner of the British Fashion Council/Vogue Design Fashion Fund prize, when asked to define his collecting style. “You want the complete set—it’s an insatiable kind of thing.”

“So are you loving that chartreuse glass thing you bought at the flea market in Marche St. Honore?” I ask the young British fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu, when I reach him by phone in London. He laughs, recalling the French dealer hawking this particular object: “It’s like a large bonbon jar. It was one in a million, remember? A very rare, amazing find!”

I first met Moralioglu (a master of the refined, flower-printed frock who has just won the prestigious British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund prize), when I interviewed him this past February during London Fashion Week, and our freewheeling conversation somehow landed on the subject of collecting. (Was it my vintage 1940s reindeer sweater that prompted the discussion?) I found out in short order that 1) Moralioglu goes regularly to the monthly dealers’ market at the Kempton racetrack, which he describes as “hardcore” since it requires leaving London at 5 am because the whole thing closes up by noon. (I went to this once, and if you decide to go—bring cash! The ATM didn’t take my card, which almost cost me the Norah Welling South Sea Island doll I had my eye on.) And 2) He was going to be in Paris the same time as I was and was dying to do a little flea marketing together.

Now that I’ve returned to New York and Erdem is back in England, I’ve called him to ask him reflect on his collecting style. “I’m not a collector; I’m more of a hoarder. I go on kicks,” Moralioglu explains. “You want the complete set—it’s an insatiable kind of thing.” Though he insists that his interests lie mostly in printed matter—“I’m bookish and paperish”—how does that explain the chartreuse glass jar, and the hours we spent in the freezing cold bargaining for it a few weeks ago? And what about the two half-naked art deco bathing beauty figurines he bought at the Vanvas market in Paris, where he told me gleefully that he had license to buy anything, no matter how large, since he was showing his collection in France and would be trucking it all back to London anyway? 

Moralioglu may have shown some restraint during our Paris escapade (he did not end up schlepping home an armoire or a copper bathtub, though he did indulge his penchant for paper ephemera, snapping up a copy of a turn of the century magazine called Belle Époque) but he has hardly slowed down in the intervening weeks. When I ask what he has been up to lately, he says that he recently became obsessed with the 1970s male style guides by Charles Hix, and that, true to his collecting style, he has gone on eBay and amassed a whole roster of these tomes—works with titles like Looking Good and Man Alive.

So this Hix guy is what you’re into now? “Oh, no, I’m over him, completely over him.  I’ve moved on to [photographers] Bruce Weber and Duane Michals. I just bought a Weber book on eBay, but I don’t have it yet—I’m having it sent to my friend in Williamsburg, since I’ll be in New York in a few weeks.”

Moralioglu is nothing if not consistently resourceful when it comes to getting his finds home.  “The best things I ever found on eBay were these Robin Day molded plastic ‘60s chairs—amazingly beautiful! I bought four of them for like nothing, but then I had to hire a van to get them down [to London] from Wales.”

Though Moralioglu’s design studio is mostly decorated with this style of industrial furniture from the ‘60s and ‘70s—much of it found at the Kempton market in the UK—there is also room for a bit of Victoriana, namely a diorama, roughly two by three feet, of a taxidermy bat eating a pheasant. “There’s red dripping from its teeth! A vegetarian in my office wants it thrown out, but I refuse to remove it,” he says.

We arrange to spend a day exploring Manhattan’s sadly dwindling roster of antique markets when he’s in town in late May. He tells me he’ll be searching for vintage family albums. “I bought a German album with all these photos and cut-outs, and another album of a sailing family from the 1920s. And then I bought an auction lot made up of old family photos, just random persons from the turn of the century to the 1920s. They’re faded out around the edges, with free-floating faces in the middle. They’re amazing and inspiring!”

Well, Moralioglu is certainly all over the place—bonbon jars, plastic chairs, bathing beauties, photo albums, dead bats? When I ask if there is a connective tissue running through these disparate if heart-felt collections, he thinks for a moment. “They’re food for the brain… brain food! They’re just the things that are going to make the penny drop.”

Shop eBay Like Erdem

Seats of Power

1. 60s-70s Retro Robin Day Hille Stacking Chairs (buy it now price, $304.94)

Man Tailored

2. Man Alive by Charles Hix & Stephen AuCoin, 1984 (buy it now price, $6.48)

Bird Watching

3. Taxidermy Victorian Era Stuffed Birds, Late 1800s (buy it now price, $1,500)

Hit Album

4. Large Family Photo Album, 1920s, Nebraska, Wyoming (buy it now price, $60)

Water Sport

5. Bathing Beauty (winning bid, $26.02)

Erdem Runway and Celebrity Images

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Fifteen or so years ago, Mickey Boardman, the Creative Director of Paper magazine and a fashion front-row fixture who favors lime green Lacoste polo shirts topped with a bejeweled necklace and a glitter cardigan, fell in love with a woman. She was Queen Marie of Romania, and Boardman became besotted when he read her biography, The Last Romantic, by Hanna Pekula.

And thus began a sprawling collection of royalty books and memorabilia.

Fifteen or so years ago, Mickey Boardman, the Creative Director of Paper magazine and a fashion front-row fixture who favors lime green Lacoste polo shirts topped with a bejeweled necklace and a glitter cardigan, fell in love with a woman. She was Queen Marie of Romania, and Boardman became besotted when he read her biography, The Last Romantic, by Hanna Pekula. And thus began a sprawling collection of royalty books and memorabilia.

“I just thought her life was so amazing!” explains Boardman (who is perhaps better known by the moniker Mr. Mickey), as we sit chatting in his downtown Manhattan apartment, which has avocado abstract printed wall paper, orange polka-dot curtains, floor-to-ceiling Ikea bookshelves to hold royalty books, and a glass-fronted Heywood Wakefield cabinet in the kitchen for treasures like a King George VI biscuit tin.

“I just fell in love with Marie; she was so pretty and happy and upbeat! She was so famous, she’s even mentioned in Auntie Mame.”

“Hey Mickey!” I wonder. “Isn’t this the same Marie that Dorothy Parker immortalized with the lines ‘And love is a thing that can never go wrong, and I am Marie of Romania?’”

“Yes, Baby Lynnie, that’s her!”

OK, full disclosure: Boardman is one of my closest friends, even though, when it comes to monarchies, my sympathies are firmly on the side of the revolutionaries who bounced most of these nudniks out on their crowned heads. But enough about me. Why does Mr. Mickey love these sycophants and worthless creeps, anyway? (Ok, I don’t say this out loud; as I said, he’s a dear friend.) But I do ask him what exactly makes him spend his free time scouring palace gift shops and royalty websites for out-of-print books and commemorative dishware?

“I love history. I love people who are glamorous, fabulous and well dressed! Pioneers and leaders in their fields!” he replies, describing an infatuation that over the last decade and a half has resulted not only in an accumulation of tomes and trinkets, but also in real-life adventures like the Nicolas and Alexandra tour of St Petersburg organized by the Imperial Russian Historical Society.

Boardman’s royalty collection

But it all started with the books.  “I was at the Strand every weekend,” Boardman says of the sprawling New York bookstore that specializes in rare and out-of-print books. “The people that work there don’t know what they have; it made me crazy.” Even so, if you go all the time, miracles can happen. One day, high on a shelf accessible only by a library ladder, Boardman spied volume one of Marie’s Story of My Life, which he had been searching for, for like, forever.  “It was like a light from heaven!” he recalls.

Alas, other coveted volumes have remained elusive. Case in point: A Romanoff Diary by Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna. “Her heirs won’t let it be reprinted,” he says sadly. Once it was tantalizing within reach—for sale on eBay and languishing in the under $25 category. Mr. Mickey, feeling cocky, left a bid of $120 and took a shower. When he emerged, the auction was over and he was outbid at $123. “I curse hygiene to this day.”

Boardman’s collection has since expanded from books to plates, paintings, porcelain and even paperweights. The first non-book royalty item Boardman remembers purchasing was from the long-vanished flea market on Grand Street in Soho. “I found a dish commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s 1958 visit to America,” he says.

Another favorite item, a special 300-page issue of the Spanish magazine Hola celebrating the 25th anniversary of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia that Boardman bought in Madrid, has been lost in the shuffle of his hectic life. He’s searching for a replacement copy on eBay, and he’s gone so far as to contact the people at Hola. But so far, do dice. Still, he can content himself with his Crown Princess Martha of Norway plate found at a flea in Copenhagen and his Queen Juliana and Prince Bernard of the Netherlands beaker that turned up at Toronto antiques fair.

“This is the kind of bust I love,” Boardman tells me, gently fondling a statue of the head of the emperor Frederick III of Germany. “He only ruled 99 days; he had throat cancer. He was for total democracy. The trouble with a lot of royalty re-creations is, a lot of the busts are not so hot; they’re just made of resin.” He disappears into the bedroom, then trots back with another head in his hands. “This is Augustus the Strong of Saxony, and it’s Meissen porcelain. I bought it in Dresden. I had to pay like over $100 for it.”

But Boardman doesn’t bathe all his royal subjects in unqualified adulation. Though he loves his Victor Emmanuel III wall hanging, he is forced to admit that, “actually he was kind of an a-hole, he collaborated with Mussolini.” Are the dicey politics of the former King of Italy the reason that this item now decorates a spot directly behind Mr. Mickey’s commode? “Oh no! Actually, I think it adds a little dash of pageantry to the bathroom.”

Shop eBay Like Mickey Boardman

1. Volume Two of Mr. Mickey’s Favorite Book

The Story Of My Life -V. 2 Queen Of Roumania Marie (buy it now price, $25.39)

2. Russian Dressing

Russian Print Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna Romanov Tsar (buy it now price, $24.99)

3. Dish Network

Prince of Wales Edward VIII 1930s Naval Dish (starting bid, $1.50)

4. Mugging for the Cameras

Paragon Bone China Souvenir Mug of Prince Charles Boy (starting bid, $4)

5. Going For the Bronze

Spain Royalty King Juan Carlos I Bronze Medal 1975 (buy it now price, $30)

**Images provided by Boardman**

Lynn Yaeger is a fashion writer who contributes frequently to Vogue, Travel & Leisure, the Sundance Full Frontal Fashion site and the New York Times T magazine. She lives in an unrenovated circa 1925 apartment in downtown Manhattan, a space that she shares with far to many vintage reindeer sweaters, 1920s coats, and well loved dolls that last saw action in the First World War.

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dd

TRENDS
1) The Inside Source readers are obsessed with trends–what’s in, what’s out and what’s up-and-coming–and you are certainly the go-to resource. In “Nina’s Notes/101 Ideas” in the April Issue of Marie Claire, you mention light and earthy bags in retro boxy shapes, unexpected florals, flashes of nude, military, raffia, clogs, gingham and way more as some of the hot trends for spring. Which trend are you most excited about for this season?
For Spring I am very excited about the resurgence of military looks. From Rag+Bone to Balmain and Marc Jacobs, the military cargo pant is definitely the new go-to item.
 
2) What will we see you personally wearing for spring–what will be your personal spring style uniform?
 I have to say I am inspired by the Minimalist trend for myself. I cannot think of a better way to start off the decade than with a clean slate! Some of my favorite designers who demonstrated “less is more” are Phoebe Philo at Celine, Stefano Pilati at YSL, and Helmut Lang.

3) What trend are you most excited to see go?
I can’t say I have ever been a fan of head –to-toe dressing. There are so many great options out there and resources to mix and match and create your own style!

4) The rest of us are still on spring, but the fashion world is already thinking about fall! Can you give us a glimpse into some of your favorite falls trends and where you saw them (i.e. which designers/shows)?
 It was so refreshing to see a season with REAL winter pieces! From chunky knits to thick coats I didn’t know where to look first! I loved that it was a season of outerwear, from the detail-oriented to the minimalist. Reed Krakoff and Burberry had some amazing shearling coats, Prada made some beautiful ladylike jackets with a twist, capes were big at Philip Lim and Vena Cava, and Tory Burch showed a new twist on the military parka with leather inserts and fur lining.
 

5) What’s an upcoming trend that will surprise us?
*The thigh high legwear!  Alexander Wang had a thick ribbed legwarmer version that covered the shoe, and Prada showed a folded down knit and velour knee sock with ruffled detail tucked into ladylike heels.
 
GREEN
6) As you well know, starting April 7th in honor of Earth Month, eBay will be auctioning off more than 30 items and experiences donated by staffers at Hearst magazines, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Nature Conservancy.  One of the prizes donated by Marie Claire–which we’re sure will be a huge hit–is the chance to meet you and to receive a personal tour of the Marie Claire fashion closet. What’s the most surprising thing a visitor might see there?
They’ll have to come and see for themselves! It’s a well oiled machine…

7) Another prize includes a copy of your books–The Little Black Book of Style and The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own. (The latter is a very green concept indeed, as it indicates that you can build a wardrobe out of pieces that will last a lifetime!) We already know about the LBD and the perfect white shirt. What is an item with the kind of longevity that might surprise us? Maybe something that didn’t even make it into the book yet it something you turn to again and again?
People would be surprised to hear what an advocate of belts I am! If you have a really great belt it can really add something to an outfit, either high on the waist, over a blazer or cardigan, or even to break up a LBD! It’s also a great way to get something iconic from a designer without blowing your yearly rent budget.

Based on the “30 Better Buys” roundup in the MC April issue, it’s clear that there is a” virtual green market” of options out there that are at once stylish and eco-friendly. How have you seen the fashion world embrace the concept of “green” in recent years?
I think as an industry, we have really come together with a common goal. From the huge increase in “eco-friendly” brands, to the growth of charities and auctions related to environmental awareness, we have really made an effort to prioritize the concept of “green.” Take for example Christie’s first ever “Green Auction” taking place this year on Earth Day; it is a perfect instance of the fashion (and art) world coming together to raise awareness and finances for environmental non-profit organizations.

9) Project Runway, where you are a judge (not to mention a main attraction), often features challenges in which contestants are assigned to give new life to something–again, a very green concept as it reduces the use of resources, limits manufacturing waste and keeps items out of landfills. Contestants have re-purposed everything from items found in grocery store aisles to goods purchased in NY’s flower district to spare car parts. What is the most interesting thing you’ve seen re-purposed? (Could be anything from a Project Runway example to a company that makes new sweaters out of recycled cashmere to a friend who has turned an old vase into a fabulous new lamp stand.)
This season’s hardware store challenge was truly eye opening; the use of paint trays, garbage bags, nuts and bolts was really amazing! But I have to say, my favorite would still have to be the Corn Husk dress in Season 1.

eBay

10) Are you an eBay shopper? If so, what do you shop for on the online marketplace? Any favorite eBay search terms?
 *lets skip

11) What is your favorite eBay purchase of all time?
 *lets skip

12) Many of the fashion folks we’ve interviewed for The Inside Source are major collectors–of everything from Basalt Wedgwood to reindeer sweaters to vintage beer cans. What do you collect? If you’ve ever purchased something for a collection on eBay, please elaborate!
*lets skip

13) We’d love for you to share your eBay wish list with us. Please pick 5 items you are searching for on eBay right now and let us know why you picked them. Please provide links if possible. Or, provide generic items (i.e. “a Holmegaard vase”) and we can find the exact items.

Ebay is great for out of print fashion books. Thankfully so many people know how to take care of their books and they sell them in pristine condition as a perfect addition to my library!

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Stuck in Palm Beach because of a weather emergency, the irrepressible Simon Doonan, the Creative Director of Barneys, and his life partner, the quirky potter-slash-entrepreneur Jonathan Adler, get on the phone to gab with Lynn Yaeger about collecting.

“What’s great about plates is, you can wash them! I’m very prissy. I like a collectible you can Windex. That gives me beaucoup de joie!’ says the irrepressible Simon Doonan, the Creative Director of Barneys, when I catch up with him by phone to ask him about his collecting habits.

Doonan is stuck in Palm Beach because of a weather emergency, but that’s ok because 1) his life partner, the quirky potter-slash-entrepreneur Jonathan Adler, is right there with him and 2) this unforeseen delay means they have even more time to explore the thrift shops on Dixie Highway, where, Doonan says, “We have found so much groovy stuff over the years. What did we find there, Johnnie?” he calls out, and I hear Adler in the distance answer,  “Weird ‘60s paintings, totally freaky stuff!” Not to mention some of those super-cleanable vintage dishes.

Doonan became so obsessed by a group of 1970s plates issued by artist Leroy Neiman and depicting a variety of clowns (“One of them looks like Leigh Bowery,” he tells me) that he has managed to fully assemble three sets, one for each of his and Adler’s residences in Palm Beach, Manhattan, and Shelter Island.  “I actually found a lot of them online. There are five in the series, and I found the first at the 26th Street Market [in New York]. Then, I became so obsessed it set off an eBay frenzy! They make you feel good! They’re better than a dose of Zoloft!”

When pressed as to what he’s buying right now, Doonan says he loves Liberty of London floral prints—so much so that he is considering the purchase of a pair of Liberty of London for Target bicycles, a collectible of the future if ever there was one. “We could ride around Shelter Island on them! I hope people won’t throw rocks at us.”

Plates and bikes notwithstanding, Doonan denies being a fanatical collector. That definition, he cheerfully confides, describes his Johnnie, who takes the phone and admits that he is tooling around on eBay even as we speak.  “I tried for a long time to kick it—it was a bad addiction. But now I’m back.” As for his other half, Adler claims that Doonan’s hands are hardly clean when it comes to compulsive collecting: “We’re both on the hunt for a bit of butch man-tiquing.”

Adler is full of good advice when it comes to the general rules of accumulation: he knows you may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the object of your dreams. And he insists that you must be rigorous in vanquishing those amphibians: “You have to not be afraid of throwing stuff out.” So what is Adler hunting for these days? “A lot of Gemma Taccogna—she was a cool Mexican chick who made groovy paper mache heads.  Anna Sui has a ton of her stuff.” Does Adler have a ton too?  “I have about 10. I need to crank it up. I hope I buy them all before this article comes out!” What else?  “I find that Blenko glass is a great a space filler. Any awkward space, just add a bunch of colored glass.”

Suddenly Doonan chimes in that oh, they forgot to tell me, they also collect something called horological collages. “I think I cornered the market on vintage car collages made from old watch parts.” Somewhere in the back of my brain there is a trace memory of this sort of thing hanging on a den wall in Massapequa where I lived (and happily left) many decades ago.” Not only are Doonan and Adler collectors of these, er, works of art, but they are also scholars of the genre. “A lot of them were made by a British dude from the ‘60s called Kersh.  And also a guy called Ken Broadbent,” Doonan elucidates. “They’re mostly British. I have about 50.” Is it a problem, displaying 50 horological collages?  “It’s all a problem, a huge problem,” Adler adds in.  “But they’re cute! They’re mostly eight by ten inches, but we have a really big one that’s like five feet wide.”

Just before we hang up, Adler shares with me one more poignant category of collectibles he is searching for. “I’ve actually bought back a lot of my own stuff. I just found a vase that I made in the late ‘90s. When you make stuff all the time, you sometimes don’t treat it as reverently—you’re on to the next thing. It’s great to find your own old stuff.”

And herein may lie the key to his whole collecting philosophy:  “I make stuff for a living, I pour my heart into it. So I’m always looking for stuff by people who bring the same inspiration and passion to their work as I bring to mine.”

Shop eBay Like Adler and Doonan

1. Heading for Adler’s collection?

Vintage Gemma Taccogna Pin Cushion Papier Mache Head (starting bid, $59.99)     

2. A thousand clowns

Leroy NEIMAN Royal Doulton PIERROT Collector Plate (buy it now price, $49)

3. Garden variety

Liberty of London Target Bike ladies cruiser (current bid, $600)

4. Glass menagerie

Vintage Clear Crystal Blenko 6 1/8″ Glass Ash Tray (buy it now price, $23.99)

5. Dude, where’s my car?

UNIQUE L. KERSH COLLAGE-ROLLS ROYCE COUPE 1930 (current bid, $9.99)

6. China syndrome

Jonathan Adler Duckling Vase (buy it now price, $60)

Photo of Adler and Doonan by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Barneys

Lynn Yaeger is a fashion writer who contributes frequently to Vogue, Travel & Leisure, the Sundance Full Frontal Fashion site and the New York Times T magazine. She lives in an unrenovated circa 1925 apartment in downtown Manhattan, a space that she shares with far to many vintage reindeer sweaters, 1920s coats, and well loved dolls that last saw action in the First World War.

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I am counting down the days to the birth of my first child, but I don’t want baby’s room to be covered in cartoons or bathed in pastels. Here’s how to design a stylish nursery that can transition as your child grows older. These ideas will help you save money and stay chic, even with a little one in your midst.

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140 characters may not seem like a lot to begin with. Now, take those 140 characters and use them to organize a massive charity event across 200 plus cities and online, where an eBay auction features donations from celebrities who Tweet.

140 characters may not seem like a lot to begin with. Now, take those 140 characters and use them to organize a massive, one-day charity event across 200 plus cities. For the second year in a row, Amanda Rose will be doing just that. Rose is the founder of Twestival, a one-day charity event that uses Twitter to mobilize people and resources to raise money for charity. While last year’s event raised more than $250,000 for the global water non-profit Charity Water, this year’s Twestival, which takes place on March 25th, will be in support of the education-based charity Concern Worldwide. eBay has joined the festivities this year in the form of an auction featuring donations from celebrities who Tweet.

According to Rose, Twestival got its beginnings in the form of a charity-oriented Tweetup—an event where people who Tweet come together in-person—at a local pub, in 2008. “I took the idea and ran with it, and less than two weeks after the original idea came my way, we had a canned-goods drive [with over 250 people in attendance] and raised over 1,000 British Pounds for a local charity,” she says. After the success of the first mini-Twestival, Rose, who wrote her dissertation for her Master’s in Communication about Twitter, decided to expand the event. “The initial idea was a one-day, one-cause event in cities around the world, sort of like a Live Aid scenario. Within a week I had a 100 cities sign up. And so it began!” she told us.

Flickr images from Twestival including the Twestival SF DJ Chicken

Flash forward to 2010. This year, Rose expects about 200 cities to participate in countries around the world, including Russia, South Korea, South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and more. Twestival events, which will occur on March 25th, include concerts, art shows, DJ’ed parties, bowling events and more. Rose uses Twitter to engage and connect local organizers and attendees. She tells us, “People from each city tend to start sending messages around like, ‘Can anyone put together a map for the event?’ and a local artist will reply and say, ‘I can do that!’ You see the discussions happening organically and it is fantastic. After not too long, you have an entire city-wide event organized via Twitter. In our case, we have hundreds of cities across the globe doing this for one main cause.”

Rose chose Concern Worldwide as this year’s charity because she wanted to support education and believed in the grassroots work the organization has been doing around the world for the past 40-plus years.

For individuals who can’t make it to a Twestival event, there are lots of ways to get involved. The event will be live streamed, starting in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii. “We also have something called Twestival FM,” Rose says. “We’ve invited artists from around the world to donate their music on our website. The Twestival FM page looks like a map, so you can locate where each artist is around the world and download songs. Last year, we raised $5,000 [through this channel] and hopefully this year, we will surpass that number!”

Then, of course, there is the eBay auction, which runs from March 16th through 26th and features signed items from chef Jamie Oliver, actress Alyssa Milano, and rock band The Counting Crows; the opportunity to meet NBC Anchor Ann Curry and tour NBC Studios; a behind-the-scenes tour of Wine Library TV and more. “Probably my favorite item right now is from [singer] Imogen Heap,” Rose says. “She is a huge advocate of social media. The lucky winner of her auction item will be able to request a song that she will record live at her upcoming concert in Melbourne, Australia, which also happens to be the night of Twestival. The lucky winner will not only get the master track of their requested song, but will also be given the recording by Imogen Heap herself during a private outing with the artist.” The eBay auction page features a  live stream of all the Twestival comments as well as Twitter feeds from the auction donors. “Everyone knows about eBay, but to feel closer to whom your donor is, to actually connect with them via Twitter is really fantastic. Additionally, having an online auction with eBay enables people to donate to the cause if they can’t attend an event,” Rose says.

Lexi Green is a Brooklyn-based design, fashion, and shopping writer. She is currently a Master’s Degree candidate at Pratt Institutes’s environmental sustainability program.

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Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams are the co-founders of In Good Company Workplaces, a New York-based company that supports women entrepreneurs, not only be providing them with a physical workspace, but also by offering educational opportunities and networking events to help build a business. In a marathon interview/browse-athon, Lancaster and Abrams, whose shopping savvy is as impressive as their business acumen, shared their personal shopping lists, as well as their must-have tools for a successful early-stage entrepreneur.

Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams, In Good Company Workspaces

Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams are the co-founders of In Good Company Workplaces, a New York-based company that supports women entrepreneurs, not only be providing them with a physical workspace, but also by offering, according to Lancaster, “access to colleagues, collaboration, and educational programs to help build a business.” Among those programs: inFocus, an in-depth, month-long focus on a specific entrepreneur, for which I’m honored to be the featured participant for the month of March. As I’ve gotten to know Lancaster and Abrams over the past few months in preparation for the InFocus program, I’ve been impressed both by their business acumen as well as by their savvy shopping skills, particularly on eBay, where both are frequent shoppers.

In a marathon interview/browse-athon, Lancaster and Abrams shared their personal shopping lists with me, as well as their must-have tools for a successful early-stage entrepreneur.

Amy Abrams’ “Shopping Again” Shopping List

With a masters in counseling psychology (a degree that Lancaster shares), Amy Abrams has been helping people launch business for most of her professional career. A master at productivity to begin with, the fashion lover wanted to see how much more she could accomplish by taking her beloved shopping habit out of the equation (eg. what more she check off on her endless to do list with the time and money she’d save if she skipped the Diane von Furstenberg sample sale)? So she presented herself with the ultimate New Year’s Resolution challenge: In what she named her No Shopping Experiment, Abrams decided not to shop from January 1st through April 8th, her birthday. Though she ended up throwing in the towel a bit early, because, she says, “as it turns out, I missed shopping, as it is a creative outlet for me to see what is out there,” she nevertheless made it for almost a full two months.

Now that Abrams is shopping again, she was more than happy to shop eBay with us. A longtime eBay lover, she tells us of her her favorite eBay purchase, “I saw a woman on the subway who had the most gorgeous bag. She said she purchased it years ago. I looked on eBay for a few months and found it. It was a limited edition bag, so it was very rare. A woman was unloading a big collection and the tags were still on! It was amazing and I got it for a great deal. I love it and smile every time I wear it, thinking of how I scored it!” Here’s what Abrams has her eye on right now.

1. Deco Assuit Shawl (buy it now price, $319)

“I purchased a shawl like this when traveling in Argentina. It is amazing. I receive zillions of compliments every time I wear it. They are very rare but worth the splurge. They make any outfit feel like a million dollars.”

2. Antique Gold Bracelet with Rubies (buy it now price, $499)

“I love, love bangle bracelets. And I am a total sucker for rubies.”

3. Gold, Turquoise and Pearl Locket (buy it now price, $591.89)

“Lockets: love, love them. They are amazing and make wonderful gifts too!”

4. Art Deco Platinum and Diamond Earrings (buy it now price, $1,900)

“My most favorite style of jewelry is Art Deco. It is so stylish, timeless and often uses a bezel setting, which I love. When I was getting engaged, my husband took images of jewelry that I liked on eBay that was all art deco style and gave them to the designer, who made me an engagement ring with rubies and diamonds in the art deco tradition. In case my husband is looking for gifts to add to my Art Deco collection, here is something to add to my wish list.”

5. Japanese Antique Sewing Box (buy it now price, $180)

“Vintage wooden sewing boxes are so cute and great for storing jewelry or other treasures.”

6. 1960s Schwinn Tandem Two Seater (buy it now price, $299)

“And what I would really, really love…”

Adelaide Lancaster’s Baby Nursery Wish List

Given that Lancaster and I are expecting our first babies within a few months of one another, I couldn’t resist asking her to share her baby shopping list. While she usually uses eBay to stock up on sporting equipment (“there is no better place to buy golf clubs,” she says), she’s changed her focus of late to stylish nursery decor. “Kids’ style-wise I’m not really into cartoon-y cutesy or pink,” she says. “I would really like the nursery to go with the rest of the house, be something that is appropriate for at least two years (our proposed move date) and generally be a room that makes me happy to be in and look at. It should have pieces that I wouldn’t mind having elsewhere in the house.”

1. Pair of Room & Board Club Chairs (winning bid, $510)

“We are starting with a white crib, white bookcases, cream colored rug, and brown and cream floral curtain. So I’m really looking for accent pieces that help tie everything together and make it feminine but not girly. (We just found out that we’re having a girl.) We need a great white upholstered chair and this one from Room & Board is fabulous.”

2. Dwell Studio Crib Sheet (winning bid, $12)

“Anything Dwell Studio is just adorable and though they are pink, I like these sheets because of the shades used. The style is modern and pretty.”

3. 1919 Vogue Magazine Cover Poster (starting bid, $9)

“I would love to frame vintage Vogue magazine covers, along with vintage Barbie prints and travel posters, for over the changing table.”

4. Eloise (winning bid, $14.75)

“Without giving too much away about the name (hint, hint), I have bid on this original copy of Eloise!  Hope I get it.”

5. New Wicker Storage Basket (buy it now price, $24.99)

“White wicker baskets for the white bookshelves.”

6. New Jellycat Stuffed Bunny Rabbit (buy it now price, $14)

“I love the Jellycat plush animals and had a special stuffed bunny as a little girl, so this is a must. “

The Entrepreneur’s Secret Secret (Shopping) Weapons

The physical space at In Good Company Workplaces is wildly different from the stereotypical “office space.” Exposed brick walls, sleek white workstations, and lots of flowers, open space and glass contribute to “productivity and communication and relationship-building” among entrepreneurs who use the space, says Lancaster. “It was important that it was professional but not stuffy, and feminine but not girly.” Here are Abrams’ and Lancaster’s equally stylish picks for entrepreneurs on the go.

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Of all the fashion capitals, London produces the most daring fashion. So naturally, the trends that come off the London Fashion Week runways are usually the most progressive of the season.

Mark Fast & Mary Katrantzou (Photo by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage)

Balenciaga Kaffiyeh Beaded Dress (winning bid, $2,036.99)
 
 

 
Marni Golden Silk & Wool Patchwork Tank Top (buy it now price, $269)
 
 
 Robert Cordero is editor at JC Report, an influential online global style publication, where he also works on the new media company’s business development and marketing initiatives.
 

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