La Vie RT

Inspiration: Bleached Denim

While working on the Spring 2013 collection, I was thinking a lot about road trips —- the freedom, the legend —- and thought of the movie Easy Rider. Big open skies, wisps of clouds and a carefree way of life all brought to mind bleached denim. As a girl who experienced the 80’s firsthand, I have experience with bleaching… seems like back in those days nothing was more uncool than a stiff brand new pair of dark jeans so I’d destroy them with bleach. I love this bleached denim dress —- for me it’s a “cool girl” look and an effortless one at that.

We also have a jumpsuit and a pair of shorts for Spring which I love because they are fashion forward yet wearable —- more cool than crazy. For these pieces, we bleached these by applying the bleach with a paintstroke technique. We also have denim pieces in more structured shapes like a peplum jacket and a moto vest —- these we used the more traditional denim process with heavy washing and abrasion. Look out for more denim pieces on the way: we have a white denim jacket for Summer which was bleached, abraised, and mixed with leather.

Rebecca Taylor Denim

drawing of Rebecca by her 6 year old daughter, Zoe

Rebecca’s Beach Getaway Essentials

Leopard printed bag from Head Porter, a striped St. James top, army mechanic pants, Moscot sunglasses; Neutrogena total sunblock, a rich Bobbi Brown moisturizer and extreme party mascara, Nars pink nail polish and lip gloss, Astier de Villate eau de cologne, vintage Victorian lace tops, Pedro Garcia sandals, a bandana, a versatile dress like the beaded collar floral print dress, sketchbooks, my iPad mini with books and music, and a few bottles of wine shipped ahead of time to the destination.  A perfect vacation for me includes spending time with family, relaxation, new experiences and fantastic food.

See more Getaway Essentials

Travel Tips: Beauty

Veteran Beauty Editor Eva Chen shares some of her tips for maintaining a beauty routine on the go:

Korres Lip Butter in Quince —- In a pinch, I’ve used this lip conditioner as a blush before. It’s a lovely deep rose that sheers out wonderfully to give cheeks a soft flush. Plus, as a lip product, its buttery-smooth texture can’t be beat.

Amorepacific CC Cream —- Once you’ve had a foundation shatter or explode in your makeup bag, you’ll always want to travel with a tidy compact, like this one from Amorepacific. Their new CC Cream compact provides sheer coverage and SPF—a fantastic multi-tasker.

Nars Lipstick in Heat Wave —— From jet-lag-weary undereye circles to a plane-rumpled outfit, this lipstick is the perfect flaming orange-red and distracts from a multitude of sins. Pair it with a sleek top knot and no one will be the wiser.

Sultra mini hairdryer —- There’s nothing worse than a feeble hotel room blowdryer that has as much force as a three year old blowing bubbles. This hairdryer is small but packs a serious punch.

Diptyque Mini Candle —- These candles ensure that it smells like home anywhere I go. They also make my suitcase so deliciously scented I’ve actually had TSA agents (a typically surly bunch) comment on the fragrance when they examine the contents of my bag—which, sadly, is something I seem to be jinxed with.

Cleanwell Hand Sanitizer and Wipes —- I am That Crazy Girl on the airplane maniacally wiping down the armrests, buttons and headrest before touching anything. It’s a total compulsion—but once you see how grimy the wipes get (shudder), you’ll start doing it too!

Shiseido mask —- There’s no better time to take care of your skin than when you’re sitting all alone in London/Paris/Milan/Tokyo/etc, with wild jet lag. I take the time to thoroughly cleanse and apply a mask. Shiseido’s White Lucent is a perennial favorite because of their travel-friendly packaging and the glowy aftereffects.

L’Oreal Elnett —- Bonus item—because I can’t live without it. It’s the perfect hairspray: strong but sensitive (by ‘sensitive’ I mean that it brushes out perfectly so you don’t have gloopy-feeling hair afterwards). Every beauty maven’s must-have.

Eva Chen

Aline Weber: Wonderful World

It’s such a pleasure to work with Aline … a beautiful woman with an optomistic view, eclectic tastes, and a generous spirit.

Hope There’s Someone

Image by Pakayla Biehn

You Should Take Care

Magic in the Metro

How beautiful is this metro station, and how nice it is to have architectural and artistic delights in the most everyday of places: The Metro Station. This one is in Naples Italy. Image via Getty Images.

The Most Impressive Underground Railway Stations in Europe