

I have been chillin in the snow at the 2010 sundance film festival in park city, utah this past week. met a ton of very cool entertainment peeps and got gifted with some very cool gifts. KSINO's gibson guitar lounge was the hit of main street. the twitter house was a ton of fun and adrien grenier's talk on twitter was eye opening. chefdance held at harry o's in celebration of the boys and girls club of america was delicious and super fun and the son of the babylon, the film we saw yesterday was heartbreaking. thank god we had the dreamy cloud sake at shabu to wash away the pain.
style expert jess zaino gives grown up girls & guys the scoop on new york city style and hollywood dreams
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
sundance state of mind
Thursday, January 21, 2010
hair there.


in anticipation of the big sundance trip, I've decided to go loooong. and by long, I mean add extensions and about seven inches of length to my hair. after a short search on facebook, my roomie and hair stylist extraordinaire, meg d. of salon V fame in the east village on 7th and ave A. came to the rescue. we bought the hair and the locks st hairlocks.com and went to work. meg slaved over my head for five hours?!?! adding 200 individual pieces to my head. if you're in nyc and thinking of extensions or even not in nyc but need a professional that does a bang-up job, holler at meg d. she'll hook a sister up.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
hot lips houlihan

jess recently penned this great piece on stylecaster.com reviewing the iconic red lipstick. read it here.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
coffee crush

I'm in love with oslo coffee on bedford in williamsburg. I had this thing going with starbucks every morning and although they treated me right, I don't always support the things the company supports. so I moved on. and found my main source of juice. oslo makes you straighten up and fly right. a small cup in the morning with a dash of skim keeps me going through mid-afternoon and never skitzes me out. it delicious. it nutritious (well, that I am not sure of but it rhymes). if you're in BK, don't miss the chance to sip this sweet dream.
Monday, January 18, 2010
silver is the thing at the golden globes

if u watched the golden globes last night you'd see that silver is the color of the season. from the presenters to the winners, many of the ladies were draped in sparkly silver from head to toe. if you've got an event coming up, consider this metallic moment in time.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
thread count

as a woman of Italian-American descent, my facial hair grows dark. and quick. gross, I know. but that's the way my cannoli crumbles. I get my lip and eyebrows waxed every two weeks to prevent looking like dominic the donkey. I did a six month series of laser hair removoal and nada. nothing honey. hair grew back in two months. this past week in nyc, I came across a beauty epilation that may change my life forever: threading. threading is an ancient method of hair removal which originated in India. artists use a pure, thin, twisted cotton thread which is rolled over untidy hairlines, moustaches and so on, plucking the hair at the follicle level. it hurts but dayum girl, it looks good. and lasts. which is most important. I'm sold. for now.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
the interlopers

my very talent friend patrick terry is amongst a magician, an actor and an all around nice guy, a talented freekin' producer!! he recently adapted a story for film that he stars in (talk about talking the bull by the horns... or the rabbit out of the hat) entitled the interlopers. check out the website, join their facebook and show some love. it's all you need.
Monday, January 11, 2010
pretty in pink

JZ is headed to the sundance film festival, baby!! from january 22 - 27, I will be producing video shorts for KSINO.COM and styling the celebrities as part of the green lodge upcycling with the stars event. like a good trendsetter, I've already written up my list of things to bring with and I can tell you I will most definately be sporting the juicy couture nail polish in hot pink on my nails. perfectly pink for a stylish snow bunny!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
a jetsetter love letter

dearest norwood, it was such a pleasure to meet you the other night. I love your location and the layout and design are sooo pretty to look at and be in. I don't even mind the membership requirement. almost like a cooool country club for the nyc boho chic set. reminds me of the country club I dreamed of belonging to when I was a teenager. the owner alan is a hospitable dream and the scene is so very. call me.
Friday, January 08, 2010
(T)aking (C)are of (B)usiness

Elvis Presley would have celebrated his 75th birthday today, so music lovers, take a moment to hail The King. Side note: If you've ever seen my forearm tat, the lightening bolt that reads TCB, you'll now know where it came from. Happy Birthday, Elvis. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
J(ess) brand

I. am. obsessed with J Brand Blue Label Curvy Fit Cigarette Jeans paired with the very trendy and of the moment, bootie. Sexy and lengthening. Cool with a vintage tee and Boyfriend cardiagan.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
I Heart Your Book.

I am obssessed with the newest style tome to hit the shelves. Amanda Brooks' I Heart Your Style is a cool and kitschy style bible for the style-savvy girl. It receieved a review from Ms. Anna Wintour so you know this is gonna be good.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
rainbow cookies!!!

it's christmas eve!! which means my sister, the urban grocer, is in from switzerland and whipping up my grandma's passed down recipe and my holiday favorite, rainbow cookies!!! she baked the batch you see pictured this morning. yumm!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
the coolest store in america

2009 has afforded me a bit of travelling the states. I can tell you from hard experience, that the cooolest store in all of america is the john varvatos store at the hard rock hotel in las vegas. my goodness is it cool. 3,000 square feet where music and style groove. most weeks they clear out the inventory and host concerts there. and the employees smoke cigarettes. too cool for school. plus, they've got incredible design and product to match. rock on.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
the forecast calls for smooth skin

I am obsessed with beauty products, so I figured why not write all about 'em and share it with you in a very stylish format. I am now writing beauty reviews for stylecaster. want to know which face cream best keeps the wrinkles away? click here for my first piece.
Monday, November 23, 2009
red and green

red and green are familiar colors of the holiday season so its no surprise that they are the leading nail polish trends right now. debuting on the paris runways was the emergence of the chanel jade polish, a minty green polish that looks more like split pea soup then glam polish. I say skip the green and go right to the cherry red pop of essie's lollipop. a perfect stocking stuffer or pressie for friends when tied up in ribbon with nail file, clippers and cuticle oil.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
parlour tricks

where can you get a massage, a new 'do, freshly made ice cream and tattoos all in one fell friday swoop? at the 20th installment of ryan mcginness' 50 parties party, parlour night, of course. beauty props from this beauty expert as the girls were rocking n' rolling early 1950 updo's with a punk twist that made it feel like prom. lucky for us, there was the freshly made ice cream offered in the ice cream parlor of the burnt sugar and pumpkin spice variety to accompany the urban innocence of friends getting fucked up at a friday night house party. yumm. me and maaj waited on line for tattoos, of which ryan chose some of his choice images for guests to permanently parade around. never made it to the front of the line but met some lovely (and tall - hi karen and mamie) new friends along the way and saw many of ryan's friends get their tattoo cherry popped. mazel. made our way out as the party was winding down and michael hearst packed up his theramin. can't wait for next week when our t-day leftovers will be put to good use.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
arsenic and old lace

everybody who is anybody is wearing leggings or stockings or some variation of the look. take a step up to sexy (and trendy) with a very flirty pair of lace leggings like the ones pictured. perfect with heels, high top chuck taylors with an oversized sweatshirt or better yet, this seasons best boot. be bold and get lace-y , lady.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
uniquely uniqlo

ever since M. got a hot pair of jeans that show off his incredibly hot bum, I've been jonesing for a good pair myself. I have recently fallen in love with the very cool japanese brand, uniqlo. situated on broadway in downtown new york city, they have soft and wearable v-necks for guys for $4.90 so you can imagine the collection they carry for girls. ooooo child, I picked up a pair of deconstructed straight leg skinny's that are medium waisted, alleviating my muffin top and lifting my ass. G*d, I love these jeans. check out the site, the store and run, don't walk to get your hands on a pair of anything from this affordable, trustworthy and trendy brand.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
stoop sale this saturday

What do u get when you mix a celebrity stylist and a celebrity organizer? A totally f'n awesome stoop sale...
This Saturday, November 7
8AM - 3PM
395 Adelphi St. btween Greene and Fulton
Ft. Greene, Brooklyn NY
DESIGNER RE-SALE, VINTAGE, ACCESSORIES, DESIGNER SHOES, NEW BEAUTY PRODUCT, FURNITURE, MUSIC, BEDDING, RUGS, KITCHEN WARES and a WHOLE LOT MORE!!!
C to Lafayette stop
Most trains to Atlantic Ave. stop
Come on by, say hello and pick up some cool sh*t, don't ya know. Pass it on to your Flea Market friends. Cheap-o prices on quality stuff
shiny choos

shoe designer jimmy choo has finally made his debut at H&M. fabulous shiny shoes at fabulously small prices. one thing is to be said for these "tight" times, they've got some unbelievable items to offer that wouldn't readily be available for the real folk. walk tall, stiletto sisters.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
costume design

in preparation for challoweenie, I stopped by kmart in penn station to pick up a good costume. there are a lot of fab parties this weekend to hit and I must ensure that me and the man are working the holiday. I came across a gorilla hot costume for kids that was 1/2 priced. after trying on the gorilla gloves, I figured the 3 yr. olds + costume would surely fit my sweetie. I was right. upon coming home (after a very fun night with wendi who is visiting from l.a.), M. tried on his costume with much success. and what we found was even cooler and trendier. the freekin' gloves rock. more than michael's gloved hand. more than madonna's laced fingers. M. is rocking the gorilla glove and I highly recommend you getting on this gorilla train. oo oo. ah ah.
O.C.D(e-clutter).

I am obsessed with the brother p-touch. I label most available spaces. I make my bed the second I am up and put my foot on the floor. even the pic I posted is bugging me out. and I don't think it helps that this morning when my sweet as sugar bfriend made a delicious and beautiful breakfast for me, all I could think about was that the linen cabinet he pulled the breakfast napkins out of was open. some call it O.C.D. some call it being super organized. I like the latter. don't want to be considered a type-A, high-maintenance neat freak? have my super organized, type-A friends do the work for you.
hot cross buns

my roomie meg d. who is a fabulous and trendy hairstylist at salon V in the east village came home the other day with a loose side bun. if she's doing it, you know its the rage. and if you're in nyc want her to style it for you, hit her up here. tell her trendster sent you.
Monday, October 19, 2009
style high club

I have traveled. a lot. planes, trains and automobiles, I have done it. I tend to get quite comfy when I am travelling, kicking off the ol' manolos and opting for bare feet instead. today, something happened that changed my view of this forever. I am wearing some very high heel, thigh high boots. on my five hour flight from JFK to las vegas, I decided they were too high maintenance to take off, so I left them on... and to my surprise, kept my feet comfy and warm the whole ride. rather then having my feet fall asleep, something about the angle of the heel made my ride quite comfortable and pins and needles free. fabulous.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
support my girl sheila frank. support style.

Please join SEAM COLLECTIVE, as we host Forté , a groundbreaking charity fashion show, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan next Wednesday night, October 21st.
Your ticket purchase will help raise money for a worthy cause, with 50% of all ticket sales benefiting Gilda's Club NYC, a nonprofit organization that creates welcoming communities of free support for everyone living with cancer.
The night will debut a never-before-seen collection by Project Runway finalist and Forté's headlining designer, Kenley Collins, as well as the Spring/Summer 2010 collections of Marissa Erskine, Elizabeth Rynish, and Sheila Frank.
REDUCED TICKET PRICES - Standing - $35, Seating - $45
Open Bar
Doors open at 7pm for cocktail reception. Show begins at 8pm.
A Silent Auction at the event will benefit Gilda's Club NYC.
PLEASE NOTE: ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED.
To purchase tickets to the event, please go to:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/78564
Press interested in covering the event please RSVP to
rsvp@polinafashion.com with your credentials for complimentary press passes.
Location: Metropolitan Pavilion North, 110W 19th street. Between 6th & 7th Avenue.
Friday, October 16, 2009
cozy vs. cute

as nyc welcomes another fall season, is it more important to be cozy or cute? I live in sweats and comfy joie cashmere sweaters when I'm chillin with my man at home but can't get anough of short dresses when we hit the town. problem is, it's getting cold out there?! what comes first? the cute or the cozy...
grape escape

if u haven't heard, purple is the thing this season. make sure to pick up a juicy piece to compliment your wardrobe, be it a purple dress, purple leggings or if you really want to on trend, rock the purple bag.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
won't you take me to... cougar town?

I'm a 33 year old female. my bfriend is a sexy 27. does that make me a cougar? I headed to my new pal and renowned artist ryan mcginness's 50 parties, party no. 13, cougar town to find out. upon arrival, I was given a pamphlet provided by website, single and the city that listed what cougars would be on the prowl in attendance and what cubs were there to take the babe bait. the graduate was playing on the wall and a sexy 1970's telly savalas spun on the record player. under the disco ball lights, I met with a hottie of a 40+ hot mama, carmella, who was from brooklyn, was married twice and loved to smoke. over pink cosmos, she told me her youngest lover was 24 and it was the boy toys that kept her looking and feeling young. that, or the sparkly, slinky black micro-mini she was sporting. after a bit o' party research, I learned that a cougar is typically eight years her lover's senior, so although I don't qualify as a cougar with my younger man, I say here's to you mrs. robinson.
ksino loves lacey

I've currently been consulting with a brand new menswear line that will rock your world and shatter style forever. ksino is revolutioning how gamblers dress for their game. redefining an industry. we've been doing a ton of fun vidz (produced by yours truly that you can find here) and yesterday we signed the hottest girl in the game, lacey jones. make sure to stay tuned and be a friend on facebook. are you in?
pocket full of pencey

my boy matt, who runs hotspot, the eldridge, amongst other various fabulous nyc places just picked up a cute line of women's clothing to outfit his female concierge's at da club. pencey fuses hipster-chic, lower East Side style with a refined, yet sophisticated upper west side look. It is a favorite with fashion icons katy perry, lindsay lohan, rihanna and molly sims, and matches simplicity and style.
pencey is sold in high-end boutiques across the globe in such stores and can be found on shopbop.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
smokin' style

September, 2009 - HOLLYWOOD, CA- SmokeStixx is pleased to announce the launch of America’s first set of customized decals for cigarette packs. Primed to become America’s newest fun fashion accessory, casual or regular smokers can now personalize cigarette packs to reflect their personality or mood. SmokeStixx decals come in a variety of colors and designs. Each SmokeStixx sticker is specially dye cut to adhere to the dimensions of every standard brand package, turning that old pack of cigarettes into an interesting conversation piece. With new motifs launching every month, cigarette consumers can constantly stay ahead of the “pack.”
janice dickinson loves my bfriend!




What a night! The red carpet was rolled out for our Kick-Off to NY Fashion Week party at The Eldridge in celebration of The Boyfriend Shirt for SEW and hosted by supermodel, Jamie Rishar. We had tons of celebrity friends show up including Kid Cudi and Lizzy Grubman and even had a special appearance made by Miss Janice Dickinson who fell in looooove with our Boyfriend Shirt. She even convinced her own BF to swing by the shop and pick up a couple for her. Now that’s a good Boyfriend.
kick-off ny fashion week with my boyfriend
Saturday, September 05, 2009
in living color
take a look around - lots of purples, reds and fuschia's. pick it up.
Monday, August 24, 2009
it's all in the eyes

I'm all about pharmacy chic. a quick pop in to any local duane reade, rite-aid, genovese does me good. this past week I stopped into a spot on lower broadway to spend some time and money on new beauty products (a trend expert always has to test out the latest merch!). I must watch too much madmen, because I completely bought into almay's newest product campaign for intense i-color mascara. the way it should play out is that you dash a coat of this on your lashes and your blue/brown/green or in my case, hazel eyes are enhanced in their color. this does not happen. I was promised a wow factor and all I got was a pow-bang-boom to my wallet for such a useless purchase. next time, I sticking with my maybelline great lash.
Friday, August 07, 2009
your ticket to tahiti

if you are in love with the scent and feel of celeb favorite, Body Glow by NARS with its unique blend of Monoï de Tahiti oil combined with a rich chocolate shimmer for glowing, healthy and naturally fragrant skin but can't afford the steep pricetag, I've found a fabulous alternative -- c. booth's dry oil spray, tahitian monoi. for a mere $6.99 at your local drugstore, you can feel and smell like a tropical getaway... or a $70 bottle of nars body glow. you glow girl.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
very sperry top shoe trend

a few years ago, I called for a resurrected trend of men wearing sperry top-sider boat shoes. never did I think that a few seasons later, the women of nyc would take on the trend strong. the brown boat shoes look adorable on hip feet and are a great compliment to shorts, jeans and fun little dresses. come sail away with a pair of your own.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
polkadots & moonbeams & secret sales

if you love polkadots&moonbeams in los angeles as much as I do, you'll love that their semi-annual sale starts this friday 7/31 online AND in-store/s. their sales are famous since they only hold them twice a year which means it is going to be BIG! get on it before the goods are gone. xxo.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
hey kid! come in my van, I've got candy.

I recently mentioned a lower broadway window shopping excursion. high end designer windows styled to entice even the tightest of wallets. I fell in love with a buttery black nappa tote that at $2250 better come with two bedrooms and a dishwasher at the budget I'm working with these days. lucky for me, something else happens on lower broadway: the black market for designer bags. yep, the illusive knock-off. so many poo poo the trade which I understand. and I want to stimulate our american economy as much as the next guy. but it's PRADA!? this morning I ventured out to a street corner and waited for the chinese women that whisper the secret passwords: gucci, dolce, louis, PRADA!? I demurely strolled up and asked, "have you got the new fall prada collection?". I was then ushered into a van that was parked nearby. I nervously climbed in to find rows upon rows of knock-off bags of every brand. there was a light and a chair and I sat and was showed all of today's trends for a mere fraction of the price. and its true what they say: the pieces are made in the same factories as their originals and look pretty darn good. unfortunately I didn't find my coveted piece and I was ultimately freaked out by the exchange so maybe I'll stick to bag borrow or steal or a strong layaway plan.
Friday, July 24, 2009
stellaaaaaa!

I usually don't walk down broadway in soho coz its tourist trap city. I did today. and now I see why its a tourist trap. there are some incredible windows between spring and canal on broadway. namely prada and their incredible rain boots. I just had to get the scoop and of course they were only made for the paris runway but a couple of pairs will come in for $1400 in the fall. yeah, right. a girl could dream. and the adidas store that houses stella mccartney's athletic line? it is SPECTACULAR! the adorable white tennis dresses could be a bridal dress and the shoes are to. die. I'll be taking that route a bit more.
olsen twin top honours

granted its not frugal friendly, but those alien twins, mary-kate and ashley olsen sure know how to design a nice looking piece of clothing. named for their other non-twin siblings, the olsen twins have taken making blueberry lipgloss at wal-mart to high fashion with their elizabeth and james line in one easy jump. kudos to those two. and by kudos, I mean the actually snack food. bitches need to eat. I saw them at the chateau marmont once eating a piece of iceberg lettuce together with a fork and knife. true story.
whose in style?

make sure to pick up next week's release of the fall makeover issue of in style magazine! I did a very fun food diary for a week that they then analyzed. oy. I definitely tried my best to not eat spoonfuls of peanut butter that week. too bad I couldn't say the same for the cocktails.
Monday, July 20, 2009
mcD's is the new black

we all know people are turning to more frugal economic choices in this day and age, so propers to the high-fashion advert for a japanese mcdonald's. mcloverly.
you like-a the italy?
vote for your fave pair of italian shoes and win a trip to the homeland.
domo arigato tokyo joe

when I was living in california, one of my favorite places to recycle designer duds (and then pick up fab new finds on the cheap) was crossroads on santa monica blvd. when I got to new york, I was having a hard time finding a place to trade in my stuff. low and behold, I came across a newly opened manhattan buffalo exchange on 11th street. the store is great for getting some quick cash but they cater to a very hipster clientele, so one must make sure that their items will be what a lower east side lady wants. on my last excursion to the store, I had a bag filled with brand names and I didn't want to be offered less for the luxury. turns out that right next store is a funky little shop named, tokyo joe. they've got racks upon racks of delicious designer from chloe to chanel to my newly traded-in moschino. if you're visiting the big apple on a shopping spree, I definitely recommend this store as a stop.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
number onesies

I love onesies. I have three pair and can wear them everyday if it was fashionably acceptable. no shame in my onesie game.
