Explore the Art of Scent: Sephora Sensorium

If you live in NYC and happen to be a fragrance monger, then you will definitely be intrigued by an unusual sensory experience which has temporarily taken residence in the Meatpacking District — Sephora presents  "Sensorium: Lucid Dreams from the Sensory World." With fragrances provided by Firmenich, one of the world's most famous perfume houses, the pop-up location is made up of six fragrance encounters that explore the mind's stimulus reaction to scent. The exhibit is specifically designed to delve deeper into the profound effects that scent has on our mood and memory, as well as to introduce us to one-of-a-kind fragrances that have been engineered exclusively for this experience. Just imagine a day with lovely smells and cognitive stimulation.

Sensorium opened Oct. 7 and is running until Nov. 27. You can visit Sephora's event sitehere for more information regarding times and the location of the event.

Text Lauryn Stone
Source: Sephora

Street Style: Polka Dots

I have been seeing a lot more feminine style on the streets of New York City. 1950s inspired sundresses seem to be very popular. I found this fashionista in the east village. She is wearing a lovely polk-a-dot dress from The Reformation.

I love the clean white with the small back dots, it doesn't overwhelm you like some dotty patterns. The exposed zipper adds a modern touch to an otherwise retro silhouette. This girl was a lot of fun because she posed like a 1950s housewife for the picture. Maybe it's time for us all to pull out some circle skirts and pay homage to that era?

NYC Street Style: Opposites Attract

Living in New York City I am constantly surrounded by style and stylish people. Everyone uses the sidewalk as if it is their own personal runway, it is amazing how nice someone will look just to get groceries.

This trendy pair were spotted in SoHo. I loved how the two had opposite styles and were shopping together. One girl was in a more casual menswear inspired ensemble, high waisted denim shorts complete with suspenders and a fun graphic tee. The other girl was in a feminine floral dress topped off with a lovely pale pink necklace. Something about their contrasting styles make me really like these girls outfits a lot more than if they were separate. I wonder what they bought on their shopping spree!

Text Taryn T. 

Fair Deal

For those currently frolicking around NYC right now (hopefully in places with plentiful air conditioning) there’s a fantastic new shopping experience to be had in a little lot on the corner of Essex and Hester Streets. It’s the fledgling Hester Street Fair, where on Saturdays you can expect to find anything from vintage designer clothes to horchata-flavored ice pops. The market offers 30% food, 60% clothing and 10% crafts and jewelry, so there’s something for everyone.

The idea for a multi-cultural, über-local LES street fair came from MTV News correspondent SuChin Pak, her brother Suyhun, and Ron Castellano (co-designer of Santos Party House), who made a proposal to the co-op in control of the Hester St. lot. There are plans for more indie boutiques to take part, not to mention the future addition of Union Square farmer’s market produce, and the fair is slated to continue every Saturday until December.Go check it out, and keep an eye out for street style photographers snapping the fashionable fair-goers. http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/

By Molly O'Brien

Notes on Nightlife

Are you obsessed with NYC nightlife? Do you like your gossip to be as witty as it is informative? Manhattan-based writer Molly Young has begun chronicling the goings-on at hotspots like Le Bain and the Thompson LES hotel, offering lingerie model sightings and quips about the musical choices of hipster DJs, all with a distinct literary feel. Young, who has previously written for everyone from Vice to n+1 to More Intelligent Life (and who maintains a wonderful blog of her own) manages to capture the high-voltage mood of the New York party scene while remaining detached enough to keep her observations accurate and objective. For example, at a fragrance release party: “Beyond the girlie scrim of activity—the Givenchy dress blowing in the wind, the models dancing to Justin Bieber's ‘Baby’—there are in fact men ordering manly drinks, quietly absorbing the view and ignoring trays of mini-desserts.” Young takes something fascinating and makes it even more so; if you like party reports done with a critical eye, make sure to check out her column on the Details website.

by Molly O'Brien

Model Watch Monday: Rory Torrens gets close and personal with CHAOS

British Male Model Rory Torrens hangs with CHAOS Magazine, literally. Rory shot with photographer Gavin Thomas for the summer Model Watch, out this July. We thought we'd give you a little sneak peek into our model watch for the next issue. We feel Rory definitely needs to be on your radar.

Rory arrived to the CHAOS shoot with energy and really delivered with a ton of personality and a very fun vibe, something we definitely like! Quite the jokester and not afraid to get silly, crazy, and wild in front of the camera; we could have shot him for days!

Rory is signed with Major Model Management in NYC, M and P Models in London, and Success Models in Paris. We definitely think this one has a bright future. After all, he's already had his face plastered all over Topman.

Check out Rory's profile and get to know him a little better this summer when we release the summer issue, July 2010.

Until then, cheers mate! ;)


Image shot by Gavin Thomas, in Brooklyn