Miley Cyrus stopped by the Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue today to promote her new memoir (what is 16 too young to write one of those?) "Miles to Go". In the book Miley tells of being bullied when she was younger, as well as reveals the secret to multi-platinum fame.
This new book from Martin Lindstrom comes along just at the right time. Set for release tomorrow, Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
By gauging neurotransmitters in the brain of more than 2000 volunteers from around the globe, scientists rated the effectiveness of certain types of sensory branding. The volunteers were shown ads, logos, commercials, and products through the course of the study and the scientists measured their responses to them.
One of the conclusions of the study that will certainly cause a firestorm in some offices - logos alone don't work very well.
Buyology attempts to answer these questions: How much do we know about why we buy? What truly influences our decisions in today’s message-cluttered world? An eye-grabbing advertisement, a catchy slogan, an infectious jingle? Or do our buying decisions take place below the surface, so deep within our subconscious minds, we’re barely aware of them?
Filled with entertaining inside stories about how we respond to such well-known brands as Marlboro, Nokia, Calvin Klein, Ford, and American Idol, Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
Lindstrom visited the Today Show this morning with a preview: (note if the viewer fails to load, please refresh the page).
Order Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
Really, he is a master. With more career shifts than this week's stock market index, Isaac Mizrahi knows how to market through a storm.
He's become a master on Facebook - reaching out to his followers in a way that's so personal and flattering that even a fan from Ohio feels like a fashion insider. And that's really the key these days, especially when you have a haute couture image, with a proletariat label.
He's come out with a new book, How to Have Style (about $19 at Amazon.com) that is accompanied in true Mizrahi mode with an innovative series of videos, shot right in his workroom. The videos are informative but friendly enough that it seems like the talented designer will call you on the phone at any minute to get your thoughts. Here's one below, but there are 180 more to see ... and when you're done, be sure to join his community where members make a glamorous profile page (ala MySpace but without the teen angst) and share fun ideas, fashion news and more. Now if we could just bottle his energy and optimism and spread it across the country!
She's been smashing SNL records on the weekends and taking the sit-com world by storm at her day job. Not to mention those fab American Express commercials.
Now Tina Fey has been tapped to write a book of wit - a project that will reportedly bring in about $6 Million to the funny gal's already burgeoning bank account.
Read more about it on Bloomacious.com.
For years I've worked on my farmhouse in Connecticut. Trying this and that color, cushion and window treatment. I get it to where I think it looks pretty good, and then wham! Domino Magazine arrives in the mail, thoroughly crushing my delusions of a unique, stylish design. Design is hard, man. But just as they take away, they also give.
Domino launched their latest branded design book last night at this month's cover-girl's home in Los Angeles. Kelly Wearstler (shown above with Domino EIC Deborah Needleman, Mollie Sims, and Cameron Silver) hosted the fete at her amazing house in the hills.
Guests included Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, Elizabeth Banks, Mollie Sims, Lake Bell, and Arianna Huffington.
Cocktails were sipped, tiny food noshed on, and most importantly the camera snapped away to capture the moment and the glamorous glitteratti.
The book itself (oh yeah, that thing) is a lovely room by room guide that offers palettes, patterns, and shapes for the DIY designer. You can pick yours up on amazon.com for about $21
Super model Carol Alt was literally handing out copies of her book at the Joanna Mastroianni show. Or at least it made for a fabulous photo op!
The book is a semi-autographical, fictional account of a young girl's launch into the world of modeling.
Carol talked to the New York Daily News about her motivation for the book:
"I said there's only one reason
I would do this book, it has to teach girls. ... Some people come here and instead of standing up for themselves, they feel they have to go along with whatever's happening in order to get a job or be famous."
"I wanted discussion," Alt continued, "because it's such a different time in modeling today. These girls come; they last one season; they're completely used up and dried out and sent back home. That's not how to make a life. I want a girl to come in knowing full well what she's getting into and being able to deal and make decisions that will create a career."
Read more about "This Year's Model" on the NYDailyNews site and then jump over the Amazon to get it for about $11.
This 4th of July, with so much in flux for our still fledgling country, perhaps a look back is one of the best ways to mark the day. I personally, am a history buff, so this choice is natural for me. One of my favorite authors, David McCullough, makes history enjoyable, palatable and salient.
Through his works, which include the books 1776 and John Adams, we can reflect upon the political foundation our country and political system was built on. We have a lot to consider this election year, and no choice should be made before taking into consideration the mistakes of the past.
As McCullough himself would say, "You can't be a full participant in democracy if you don't know our history." and my favorite, "History is about the mystery of time."
In this 2 minute clip, McCullough discusses a little more about this notion.
Oh us Americans, we're so laid back when we appear for book signings.
Here's our own Ivory Snow baby Brooke Shields just standing there and smiling as she appeared at Barnes & Noble in New York yesterday to promote her book Welcome to Your World Baby.
No costumes or oddball sight gags. Remarkable, the contrast between this image and an interesting children's book launch and bizarre photo opp recently that came out of the UK ... that one included a porn star and a large pink fish.
Note: Brooke dressed her daughter Grier in our client Hand Picked Pumpkin's cute baby clothes when she was younger.
When I first saw this photo I thought someone had hired a stripper to promote a children's book. (Now that's a take we have yet to see).
Turns out it's just little 'ol Katie Price (aka Jordan the British Playboy model - not quite a stripper) launching her new series of children's books 'Mermaids and Pirates' at Waterstones, Harrods today in London.
I will say, she's well covered up in her fuchsia mermaid costume (I thought mermaids always wore green!), but there's just something so un-children's-book like about Katie (and I suppose this is the primary reason we're all posting images of her on websites across the globe). I understand that Katie/Jordan is all the rage in Europe, with millions of hyper dedicated fans - licensing this and that (most of us have no clue who she is over in the US BTW).
Anyway, the kid's books are apparently semi-autobiographical to make the photo op even more humorous -the stories feature a blonde mermaid called Katie and a pirate called Peter (her real life hubbie). Oh those crazy Brits!
I've been musing over this NYT's Modern Love essay for the past couple days.
The article, entitled "A Valley of Misery between peaks of Joy" discusses the happiness arc of people around the world.
To paraphrase the article:
"...researchers had compiled data on two million people from around the world and determined that the average earthling’s happiness chart was in the shape of a U, with the trough representing the decades-long downer of middle age and the narrow tips being twin emotional highs of youth and old age.......when it comes to tales from my fellow mid-lifers, I most often find myself reading about regret and claustrophobia, fantasies surreptitiously indulged, old flames cyberstalked...."
Come on now, really? My Mother always told me that life begins at 40, but I believe it doesn't get going these days till 50. Personally, my 20's were a continuous scramble to come up with rent money while trying to get through college, internships, and an insatiable appetite for going to clubs. (My excuse is the scientific fact that human brains aren't fully developed until late 20's). That was no happiness peak for me...
So who are these miserable mid-lifers? Oh, naturally, the ones trapped in bad, or at least boring, marriages the article goes on. Which leads me to a point I'd like to make, tomorrow being Valentine's Day and all. When the temptation to stay in a bad relationship gnaws at you, with the rationale that being alone on Valentine's Day is somehow worse than being with someone that's really not right for you, shake yourself out of it. Think of the day as a celebration of avoiding regret and claustrophobia....
A lovely box of chocolates from the world famous Knipschildt Chocolatier and a copy of the visually indulgent Marie Antoinette is a great way to enjoy V-day, with or without a significant other.
BTW, this Fritz Knipschildt Chocolatier fellow makes his chocolates much as they do in 
the film Chocolat, (another great V-day film) with spices, ginger, chile peppers, and if you want to spend the big bucks, real truffles (those are a $250 a bite treat that topped Forbes most expensive chocolate list recently).
His little works of art can be found at Dean & Deluca, Whole Foods, Balducci's and online.
Knipschildt also operates Chocopologie, a chocolate cafe (!!!!) and retail store in Norwalk, Connecticut. Are you serious??? Sounds like my new second home and a place that will be very busy tomorrow.
BTW - the New York Times Modern Love is hosting a college essay contest that looks exciting. All you 20 something kids working your way through your first happiness peak should get your 2000 words in before your decades long mid-life crisis sets in.
