Refinery 29: ANNIE GEORGIA GREENBERG

Annie Georgia Greenberg is a name to know in NYC—you heard it here first!  Ok, fine—we’re a bit biased because she’s a good friend of ours, but as the newly on-boarded New York editor of popular fashion editorial-site Refinery29, we expect for her name to be dropped in many a blog, magazine, or line at an exclusive VIP event in the upcoming months. Annie graduated from Barnard this past May with a degree in English & Creative writing (she’s a very skilled poet), and despite her rigorous academic schedule, her extensive experience in the fashion editorial industry is impressive: she’s worked for Nylon Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Vogue’s Department of Special Events, and Lucky Magazine, and her new role at Refinery 29 really brings her full circle in the industry—after all, Annie used to work as an intern for them when the site first launched a few years ago. Now, with Refinery’s rapidly growing acclaim and audience, Annie’s influence will surely captivate the “fashionista” masses for years to come.

Annie has managed to find a job that highlights both her strengths and her interests—she is gifted with words, has a great sense of humor, and most importantly a keen AND resourceful sense of style. Be sure to check out her posts here.

Photo Credit: Sam James

Fashion Photographer: BEN FINK SHAPIRO

Ben Fink Shapiro perceives the world through the lens of photography. In fact, he jokingly admits that while his memory for names may falter, he never forgets a face in a picture he's taken--proof (we think) that his camera is a natural extension of his mind. Originally from Cincinnati, Ben discovered a talent for photography as a teenager and developed his skills while at Vassar College, where he earned a BA in Media/Film Studies. After interning in and commuting to NYC for shoots throughout his time at Vassar, Ben moved to start his career here in the city post-graduation. Since, Ben’s work has been published in Elle, Vogue Mexico, QUEST, Q Mag, and FutureClaw, among others, and his fashion clients include Alexander Berardi, Alice + Olivia, Brunello Cucinelli, Metalskin NYC, Miguelina, RD International, Tibi, & Reece Hudson Handbags. Furthermore, his portfolio features some of our personal favorite celebrities: Adrian Grenier, Bob Saget, Chloe Sevigny, Rainn Wilson, and Rob Lowe.

Ben’s the real deal: his artistic eye, humor, and genuine appetite for photography set him apart, and as far as we can tell, he’ll be making people look beautiful for many years to come. See for yourself: Ben's Photo Diary.

ALIOMI: CAROLYN PRIDE

It is no wonder that with 5 New Yorker’s at the helm of its success, fashion-site ALIOMI lives and breathes New York style. Carolyn Pride, ALIOMI’s Director of Operations, manages the development, design, operation, and improvement of the systems that create and deliver ALIOMI to the masses. Designed as a “street-couture fashion blog and online boutique that sells vintage, DIY, and resale pieces,” the site was founded a year ago by Carolyn’s high school pal, Naomi Bishop, and her college friend, Allison Sparkhul (“ALI”+”OMI”). The founders sought to incorporate Carolyn into the venture because of her solid background in market research and business development, as well as her enterprising and upbeat attitude. Carolyn is a formidable individual who contributes her wide-breadth of experience to the group; having attended Connecticut College (‘08), she not only played on the Varsity Basketball team, but also majored in Economics and Sociology, and was selected to study Economic Development at Hanoi University of Finance and Accounting. Carolyn has brought her business savvy, sense of humor, and boho-chic style since day 1, and ALIOMI has been on the rise ever since.

ALIOMI is just what every NY fashionite needs--be sure to visit the site to browse through their wonderful selection yourself (and if you're wondering who took this awesome shot, it was Elias Wessel). 

What2WearWhere: KAREN KLOPP

Karen Klopp founded go-to digital retail boutique and blog What2WearWhere in order to help women answer the eternally pressing question, “What should I wear?” After experiencing various industries and roles such as a producer for documentary films, a writer, and an event-planner, Karen has truly found fun and joy in her current position. A conservationist, traveler, board member for various organizations, chair of countless events and wife and mother of three, Karen has a well-rounded understanding of how to dress for various occasions in a woman’s life. Karen and her staff of ten formidable women seek to make getting out of the door and feeling good easier for the busiest of people, or those just searching for a bit of objective fashion advice. And what’s more--the website not only promotes fashion events that contribute to charitable organizations, but also donates 25% of its retail commissions to charities that help women and the environment.

The days of relying on your friends for fashion advice are over--W2WW has got your back with their researched opinions on what looks best.

Rarities Fine Jewelry: CAROL BRODIE

Carol Brodie built her reputation as the Global Director of Communications at Harry Winston, developing her skills as a celebrity jewelry stylist with a trove of jewelry maintenance and style tips. In 2009, she launched her very own Rarities Fine Jewelry line on the Home Shopping Network (HSN), showcasing both the attractive package of her jewelry line as well as her ease in front of the camera. Rarities Fine Jewelry offers elegant pieces with the high-end look of Tiffany or Cartier at a price that won’t cost you your first born. With notable media attention and a handful of celebrity followers like Michelle Trachtenberg, Emmy Rossum, and Terri Hatcher, Rarities has grown significantly since its start and continues to draw fans--after all, its wide selection of pieces appeals to all ages.

Carol is truly a gem connoisseur and her background in style ensures that her jewelry will elevate any ensemble. Keep your eyes peeled for her on HSN on January 5th from 9-11pm.

BurdaStyle: NORA ABOUSTEIT

DIY (do-it-yourself) fashion has found its home at BurdaStyle, an online social-networking community where creators can share sewing patterns, techniques, and projects, all within their own homes. Nora Abousteit, the co-founder, made her way to a career with BurdaStyle along an unexpected path. Half-German and half-Egyptian, Nora earned a degree in Middle East Studies, Political Science, and Philosophy from the American University in Cairo, and then worked at a German publishing house as a speechwriter, and also as an event planner for tech and media conferences as well as for events hosted by the World Economic Forum. She has since shared her varied experiences and success with BurdaStyle—which is growing by 10,000 members per month—with the New York Times, Wired, Businessweek, WWD, and Fast Company, as well as at Parsons School of Design, the Menorca Tech Talk and DLD “Digital Life Design” media conference, among other notable venues.

Nora has fittingly built her career’s success in a very DIY manner, and has thoroughly updated the experience of sewing for the latest, tech-savvy generation. We can tell that her passion for creation will only lead to more excitement for BurdaStyle’s future.
 

Author: ANISHA LAKHANI

Author, teacher, screenwriter, blogger, and it-girl Anisha Lakhani (Columbia College and Teachers College graduate) gained national recognition for Schooled, her debut novel inspired by her own experiences as an English teacher turned private tutor at the Dalton School on the Upper East Side. After spending nearly a decade in academia (she rose to be chair of the Middle School English department), Anisha left Dalton in 2006 to further pursue her greatest passion, writing. She was approached by online fashion magazine Pink Memo editor Katrina Szish, who "knew Anisha liked to write" and offered her the position of New York Scene Editor, where she fittingly covers some of NYC's most fabulous events. Anisha has also contributed to Vogue India and The New York Post, as well as Q and Quest magazines.  More recently, she started her own blog, Back to A, on which she realizes her new-found love for home-decorating by documenting her journey to redesign her Upper East Side one-bedroom apartment. It's an unusual decor blog, and we can't help but wonder if Anisha is using it as inspiration for her next book?

Anisha's charm, passion, and exuberance ensures she'll live a fun and successful life enjoying what she does best: write. And keep your eyes peeled for Schooled the movie--we hear the rights were optioned by actress Lorraine Bracco and Anisha wrote the adaptation herself.

Steve Madden: ED ROSENFELD

At 33 years old, Ed Rosenfeld is one of the youngest CEO's around. Jokingly, he remarks that he hopes to lead popular shoe and accessories brand Steve Madden, Ltd. to "world domination," and we don't doubt that he could. Ed insists that he is not wise beyond his years, but we don't buy it--part of his charm is that despite his obvious success, he remains self-effacing and friendly, learning each and every one of his employees' names and greeting them with a smile each time he visits a Steve Madden store. That, in our opinion, is the highest form of maturity. A Michigan native and Amherst College graduate, Ed gained early exposure to the retail industry through his family's department store, and later acquired technical expertise as a retailing investment banker at Peter J. Solomon Company. He worked with Mr. Madden as a client when the firm was advising a Steve Madden acquisition, and was invited to join the corporation because of his competent work and reliably good attitude. 

Ed has a winning combination of ability and confidence to let his career unfold successfully.  Plus, he knows good shoes.
 

Fashion Photographer: PETER BUCKINGHAM

We can't decide whether freelance photographer Peter Buckingham should be in front of the camera or behind it (take a look at his picture). Clearly the New York City native has chosen exactly what he's best at because his clients include big names from Harper's Bazaar and InStyle magazines  to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the New York Times. The son of an internationally acclaimed opera singer and a New York City dancer, Peter has a natural sense of art and confidence in his creative passion. 

From fashion editorials to beauty headshots to advertising campaigns, Peter has an impressively well-rounded portfolio to boast.