February, 2010

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Jenna Lyons, the Creative Director of J.Crew – a job millions of women would love to have

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Jenna in her crazy-looking office

My favorite clothing brand is J.Crew, and I’ve noticed over the past two years that their Creative Director, Jenna Lyons, has been getting a ridiculous amount of publicity. As the Creative Director, Jenna is responsible for J.Crew’s aesthetic look and appeal. She has also appeared to become their unofficial spokeswoman through a large number of appearances in fashion magazines and through “Jenna’s Picks,” J.Crew items she regularly recommends featured on the website. Her work is apparently paying off since Michelle Obama has admitted to being a fan and J.Crew is very much revered among almost every young (and older) woman I’ve spoken to.

Last fall 2009, Jenna received a special bonus of $1 million, according to a filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Ms. Lyons’s design aesthetic has been credited for the recent success of the New York clothing company. Stronger-than-expected sales in October prompted J. Crew last week to nearly double its outlook for fiscal third-quarter earnings to between 54 and 59 cents a share, up from 30 to 33 cents a share. J. Crew’s casual styles-embellished T-shirts, frilly blouses and chunky jewelry-have been widely copied in the mall apparel space.”

Jenna has a pretty amazing job deciding what the next hottest thing from J.Crew should be – check out some of the videos below of her in action!

ABC News: A Day in the Life of Jenna Lyons

Jenna at work on the Spring/Summer 2010 collection

Watch the video for this here

Btw, below is a dress from the 2010 collection that I am simply in LOVE with – the Delphinia Gown modeled by ballet dancer Ellen Bar. It looks very Rodarte-like, and this pic is quite possibly one of the most beautiful modeling shots I’ve ever seen. I think the dress would actually be too big on me (sucks that I’m only 5’3″) but I’m looking forward to trying it on when it hits stores!

J.Crew Delphinia Gown modeled by Ellen Bar

Posted in Film Clips, Strong Women in Media | No Responses »
Tags: ABC News, Creative Director, financial bonus, J.Crew, Jenna Lyons, Jenna's Picks, Michelle Obama, Spring/Summer 2010 collection, Wall Street Journal

Sandra Bullock’s character in Forces of Nature was modeled after me, no question about it

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck in Forces of Nature

There’s this great movie Sandra Bullock did eleven years ago called Forces of Nature. I remember very distinctly seeing the trailer for this on TV when I was around 11, and finally got the chance to see the film several months ago.

First off, it’s a Sandra Bullock/Ben Affleck movie that didn’t do particularly well at the box office. I think it was because the movie looked a little strange (it had very muted color tones and I think that turned some people off) and the story wasn’t terribly special in any way. Despite those shortcomings, I really liked the movie because I liked Sandra’s character and her infectious, crazy energy.

She’s very much a free spirit in the movie and causes Ben Affleck’s character to question the path he’s taking in life. But despite her easygoing attitude, we learn that her happy-go-lucky nature is a cover for a much more complex individual. Sandra’s character actually reminds me quite a bit of myself – I may appear a little larger than life, or “slightly insane” as my best friend Losmeiya likes to say, but there is definitely more than meets the eye. I’m always trying to make people laugh and at ease so that they feel comfortable around me, but there’s a very serious side that others may not expect.

I think this was also a great role for Sandra because it’s age-appropriate. Sandra always looks much younger than she really is, and although she was in her mid-thirties when this was made, could have easily passed for someone ten years younger. Since then, she’s graduated from the young ingénue figuring out her place in the world into more mature roles. One of the most recent highlights is of course her performance in The Blind Side as a tough but nurturing mother.

It’s a shame Forces of Nature was overlooked – Sandra really gives a fantastic performance.

Posted in Film Clips, Movie reviews, Trailer Shout-out | No Responses »
Tags: Ben Affleck, doppelganger, energetic, Forces of Nature, free spirit, Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side, young ingénue

Dear Chelsea: our personalities are so similar I think E! should give me a talk show next

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Chelsea Lately

I recently caught some episodes of Chelsea Lately hosted by female comedian Chelsea Handler and absolutely LOVE HER AND HER SHOW.

I think Chelsea is hysterical and love how she doesn’t hold back on anything – she’ll say whatever’s on her mind, no matter how un-PC it may be. She does a great job pointing out the absurdities in celebrity culture and isn’t afraid to make fun at herself and what she does for a living. I also think it’s great that she’s thriving in the “late night television” world, an industry typically dominated by male hosts.

I’m not surprised she’s a success – Chelsea has a ton of energy, is naturally hilarious, and very fast on her feet. She reminds me of myself so I think it’s only natural that E! gives me a talk show next.

Check out some of her interviews below:

On Letterman – I get the feeling Letterman is impressed by how sharp she is

Chelsea interviewing Adam Lambert – Lambert seems like such a sweet guy!

Chelsea spoofing Living Lohan – Ha, “Cody, just get out of the room okay, until I can figure out how to make some money off of you”

Posted in Film Clips, Quotes, Strong Women in Media | 1 Response »
Tags: Adam Lambert, Chelsea Handler, Chelsea Lately, David Letterman, E! Network, late night TV, Living Lohan

Katie Holmes is a college recruiter’s dream in Stephen Gaghan’s 2002 film “Abandon”

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Katie Holmes and Zooey Deschanel at a career fair

Smart, beautiful, well-spoken students at a top university - a recruiter's dream

Smart, well-spoken, beautiful students at a top university - a recruiter's dream

Several years ago, I watched a Stephen Gaghan film called “Abandon” starring Katie Holmes and Benjamin Bratt. The reviews for this film were very negative and the trailer is absolutely ridiculous – it makes the film look like a straight-up action thriller.

Despite the criticism, I really liked this film because of the character Katie Holmes portrays – she’s a college senior on the verge of graduating from a top university and has to simultaneously complete her thesis, ace her exams, and go through a grueling interview process to land a top job. Despite the fact that Katie (SPOILER ALERT!) doesn’t turn out to be who we think she is, her character is very smart, well-spoken, and possesses an inner strength that will no doubt propel her to the top career-wise. I really liked watching the scenes where she was interacting with recruiters, interviewing, or focusing on her studies because it’s an ideal image of “collegial success.”

My favorite scene from the film was an interview she did with McKinsey & Company. Roger Ebert liked it as well – “Watch the way Katie Holmes handles that interview with the high-powered corporate recruiters. It could be used as a training film.” I couldn’t find a video clip of the interview so here is the dialogue below:

Interviewer: Tell us about a problem you’ve encountered.

Katie: My guidance counselor tried to keep me from applying to good schools. I thought she was my friend. She said she understood me and that I would be happier staying close to home, junior college or secretarial school. She hated me.

Interviewer: What action did you take?

Katie: I invited a senator who attended college here to speak at our school.

Interviewer: And what was the result?

Katie: I got a strong letter of recommendation from a U.S. Senator, was accepted early decision and they gave me lots of financial aid.

Interviewer: And what did you learn from this experience?

Katie: Truthfully?

Interviewer: Of course.

Katie: Mrs. Castleman was a sneaky bitch. It was the first time I was betrayed by someone I trusted. I looked up to her. I didn’t come close to understanding the depth to which she resented me. I learned that people who help me, who invest in me become my partners, and my success is their success; that relationships are symbiotic. I learned responsibility based on others’ faith in me. I hope to be able to pay some dividends to those investors.

LATER ON, A CONVERSATION BETWEEN KATIE AND A FRIEND REGARDING THE INTERVIEW:

Amanda: Did you really call some lady a bitch?

Katie: Slight exaggeration.

Amanda: They saw sixty people and liked exactly two – you and that North Korean girl who speaks 8 languages.

Katie: They said that?

Posted in Movie reviews, Quotes | No Responses »
Tags: Abandon, Benjamin Bratt, college recruiter, job interview, Katie Holmes, Roger Ebert, Stephen Gaghan, top university, Zooey Deschanel

Cornell University 2010 San Francisco Jr/Sr Networking Brunch

Monday, February 1st, 2010

I was one of the student hosts for the Cornell University 2010 San Francisco Jr/Sr Networking Brunch this year and had a fantastic time there. These events are hosted by women alumnae in their homes to provide a forum for graduates and current junior and senior women to discuss a wide range of topics related to life after Cornell.

Heather Madland, the President of the Cornell Alumni Association of Northern California, helped to organize this and we had brunch at J.R. Schulden’s beautiful home in Oakland. Check out some of the pics below: