Fashion and clean clothes go hand in hand. So it’s no surprise that Downy and Gen Art joined forces for an online collaboration.
Downy chose three emerging designers – – Khary Septh, Jerry Tam and Chicago’s Lara Miller – – to create three pieces inspired by Downy’s new line of liquid fabric softeners, Simple Pleasure Radiance Collection.
At discoveringradiance.com, users can create mood boards (a collage representing their mood and thoughts) that — along with the three new fabric softener scents (Amethyst Myst, Turquoise Frost and Pink Opal) – – will serve as inspiration to the fashion designers.
Consumers have until the beginning of April to create their mood boards, and then users will have an opportunity to vote.
The winning designer will choose the mood board that best inspired him or her, and the creator of that board will win a trip to the 2009 People’s Choice Awards, where the winning fashion design will be featured on the red carpet.
Although Q thinks the contest sounds like fun, we were curious about the new fabric softener. We tried a creamy capful of Amethyst Myst during the rinse cycle for our darks. The softener left a lingering flowery (slightly perfumey) scent on our clothes.
A 41-ounce bottle costs $5.49 at major grocery stores.
–Kelly Haramis
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A decadent seat
Within the next few months, a check from the government will land in the mailbox. Because the purpose of the economic stimulus package is to get Americans spending, why not buy something you really don’t need but totally want?
The Cupcake Chair from Jellio is 19 inches high and looks like a delicious, puffy cupcake. The shell, shaped like a cupcake wrapper, is made from polyurethane and comes in nine colors. The seat is a rubber cushion molded to resemble frosting and is available in four colors.
It has a 24-inch diameter on top and costs $900; available only at jellio.com.
–Emilie Le Beau
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Fashionistas’ latest fix: Designer water bottles
With so much effort devoted to what goes on the body, it’s logical that the high-fashion crowd would be particular about what goes into their bodies. So in addition to tiny portions of food and diet pills, they can now add couture Evian.
What makes this water couture? Does it drip from Karl Lagerfeld’s brow? Is it extracted from Parisian models’ tear ducts? Nope, it just comes in a decorative glass bottle, specifically the Christian Lacroix-designed “Pret-a-Porter” 2008 Limited Edition Bottle.
This haughty H2O can be purchased at local Neiman Marcus stores or at evian couture.com. (It should not be confused with LaCroix sparkling water, which can be purchased at gas stations.)
At $15 a pop, the 750 milliliter Evian makes Chicago’s 5-cent bottled-water tax seem like a drop in the bucket.
–Chris McNamara
