Top Fashion Bloggers

Consistent innovation virtually guarantees a surfeit of new (though not always novel) gadgets across a broad swath of the ever-burgeoning tech market. Those lacking the insatiable gizmo geek appetite for in-the-know finds, may be daunted by sifting through lists of the latest must-haves. Yet most gadgets can typically be separated into one of two categories: the things you actually need and those you simply want. This year, we’ve added a third group to the simple breakdown—arguably the one in which most items fit: the cool, utilitarian products that aren’t exactly justifiable purchases for oneself, but make excellent gifts for others.

Want It:
You’re not James Bond. Neither is your best friend, father or boyfriend. But sometimes it’s fun to pretend. For would-be 007′s on-the-go, Geek Stuff 4 U‘s key holder spy camera features a 4GB internal memory recorder, 29 FPS video resolution and 1.3 mega pixels CMOS in the palm of your hand. When it comes to the bigger picture, look no further than Philips‘ 42″ LCD HDTV, an eco-friendly set that actually consumes less power than a 100-watt light bulb. Indiglo aficionados and ’80s enthusiasts will appreciate Timex‘s 80 blue neon watch, while just about anyone can get into Dyson‘s AM01 bladeless Table Fan—yet another innovation from the people whose ultra-efficient vacuums actually make you want to clean. Those who prefer to sip rather than sweep will love Vinturi‘s red wine aerator, an ideal for getting that vino to suitable room temperatures.

Need It:
Chances are you’re going to be popping some bottles this season, and oenophiles will love Emerson Electric‘s soft-grip bottle opener, a rechargeable gadget that eliminates the all-too-common problems of broken corks and aching hands. Equally useful for the holidays is Flight001‘s hand-held luggage scale, the ideal protection against overstuffing suitcases with fruitcake you’ll never eat. Any Netflix lover sticking around the house this year will want Roku‘s DVD player, the easiest, most convenient way to instantly watch more than 50,000 movies and TV shows. Once the clutter of all those DVDs has been eliminated, streamline your gadget juicing with Blue Lounge‘s Refresh, a six-connector charging station with four USB sockets, including one mini and one micro. Using Incase‘s iPod/iPhone combo charger will ensure that those traveling by car can always rock out on the road and still phone to say they’re running late.

Could Totally Use:
Polaroid’s we’re-abandoning-instant-film announcement did little to dampen our love of getting just-snapped pix then and there. We predict Fuji‘s lightweight, compact Instax Camera will be an integral part of instant photography’s next generation. Speaking of taking the future reins, Motorola‘s DROID, a Verizon exclusive, has quickly emerged as the go-to smartphone for anyone not already on AT&T—as well as the only legitimate rival to the seemingly indomitable iPhone. Hook it up to Idea International‘s balloon speaker, a quirky, colorful alternative to anything staid and silver. Old schoolers who still want to indulge their inner techie and save some paper will also enjoy the New York Times‘ deluxe touch screen Crossword Puzzle, while water guzzlers can do something that never goes out of style: charitable giving. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of every KOR ONE BPA-free special edition Hydration Vessel goes to the organization’s Thirst for Giving water cause partners.

—Sarah Fones

Patty Perreira, of Barton Perreira, has carved a distinct niche in the over-saturated eyewear market with superior quality designs that have a slightly more feminine perspective. After an illustrious 18 years at Oliver Peoples, she and the company’s president, Bill Barton, branched off to combine their creative powers with Barton Perreira. Following an unprecedented launch at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Jeffrey, Fred Segal and Barneys, the company recently teamed up with the latter for a limited edition reproduction of filmmaker Albert Maysles’ iconic black frames. JC Report’s own Beauty Guru, Geoffrey Rodriguez, recently caught up with Perreira to chat about the latest collaboration, the influence of cosmetics on her designs and how to choose the right frames.

JC Report: Why did you choose to recreate Albert Maysles’ glasses for your project with Barney’s?

Patty Perreira: Albert Maysles is amazing and we are so proud to be associated with him. The frame really looks great on so many people—men and women. The style is extremely classic and timeless, and also available as sunglasses.

JCR: Do you find that eyewear is as potentially complementary to one’s face as beautifully applied make-up?

PP: Absolutely. The right frames not only add character and distinction to a person’s face, but can also be as flattering as good eyebrows. The subtle curves and contours of eyebrows and cheekbones, etc., are so important to the fit of a frame but also have a tremendous influence on my designs.

JCR: How do cosmetics influence your designs?

PP: I’ve always been inspired by make-up particularly for color. The vibrant colors of eye shadows, eyeliners and lipstick are often used as inspiration for my designs. Certain shades of red are great to wear as a frame as are blues and greens. The subtleties of eye-shadow colors can also work in the same way color is graduated on lenses, and, when combined with the perfect frame, can be extremely complementary to the face.

JCR: Some of the details on the frames also seem reminiscent of vintage jewelry, compacts and handbags. Is this accurate and if so where did you learn to appreciate fine details like this?

PP: Growing up, my family did not have a lot of money. My mother used to either alter thrift shop finds or make our clothes from remnant fabrics we’d find at the thrift-stores, so I was always intrigued by vintage jewelry and glasses. I suppose that’s where I became aware of certain details in design.

JCR: Can you talk a bit about your design process?

PP: I design with a specific face shape in mind and sketch a frame freehand. Once that is done, we superimpose the design onto an image of a face to see how the lines work and then make the necessary adjustments.

JCR: After so long at Oliver Peoples, what ultimately made you decide to do your own line?

PP: Originally it was not planned to design an eyewear collection. I actually left Oliver Peoples before we started doing Barton Perreira with a loose plan to design jewelry, which has always been a passion and hobby. It wasn’t until communicating with Bill [Barton] after we had both left Oliver Peoples that we decided to do a line just purely based on our mutual passion for interesting eyewear.

JCR: Can you give some tips on choosing the right frames?

PP: Personal style is the most important thing to consider and so much depends on your face shape. Consider frames that contrast the shape of your face and also consider frames and lens colors that really complement your skin-tone. As with make-up, cooler skin-tones generally look best in cool shades like black, grey, lilac, rose, etc., and warm skin-tones look best in warm tones such as brown, tortoise, golds, honey, red, etc. If you choose a white frame, be sure it’s not whiter than your teeth.

JCR: What keeps you excited about the business?

PP: It’s always very exciting to see someone wearing our eyewear, but when someone famous is photographed wearing our frames that’s also very exciting! We don’t usually know when or where a celebrity may have purchased a pair or our glasses so it’s certainly an honor to see someone famous whose been photographed wearing them out. Generally speaking, though, we have extremely loyal customers who are very much “in the know” and that’s very rewarding.

This interview was conducted by Geoffrey Rodriguez

Patty Perreira, of Barton Perreira, has carved a distinct niche in the over-saturated eyewear market with superior quality designs that have a slightly more feminine perspective. After an illustrious 18 years at Oliver Peoples, she and the company’s president, Bill Barton, branched off to combine their creative powers with Barton Perreira. Following an unprecedented launch at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Jeffrey, Fred Segal and Barneys, the company recently teamed up with the latter for a limited edition reproduction of filmmaker Albert Maysles’ iconic black frames. JC Report’s own Beauty Guru, Geoffrey Rodriguez, recently caught up with Perreira to chat about the latest collaboration, the influence of cosmetics on her designs and how to choose the right frames.

JC Report: Why did you choose to recreate Albert Maysles’ glasses for your project with Barney’s?

Patty Perreira: Albert Maysles is amazing and we are so proud to be associated with him. The frame really looks great on so many people—men and women. The style is extremely classic and timeless, and also available as sunglasses.

read more in our interview »

Some people are just born possessing that unique combination of talent, charisma and good looks—in other words, they are born to be stars. Norwegian songbird Annie is one such individual. Her music may verge at the edges of bubblegum-pop, but, like it or not, her songs will live with you for days after exposure. New album Don’t Stop is yet another example of this infectious talent, and, just as the title suggests, she doesn’t seem to have any intentions of quitting—or of letting you do so either.

!–reak–>

Originally from Bergen, the music capital of Norway, the 32-year-old star has only released two albums to date. But Annie has been on and off the dance music scene since 1999, when she unleashed the amazing single “Greatest Hit.” 2004′s hits “Chewing Gum” and “Heartbeat,” both off her Anniemal album, also managed to make serious waves. To keep up this chart-topping momentum on her follow-up release, she joined forces with Girls Aloud producers Xenomania and Paul Epworth, who have worked with Bloc Party and Primal Scream. The result, Don’t Stop, is as good as—if not better than—anything Madonna and Kylie have done of late.

The album features other exciting music collaborations such as guitar riffs contributed by Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos on “My Love is Better,” and a duet with Fredrik “Datarock” Saroea on “I Can’t Let Go.” But it’s Annie herself who sums up Don’t Stop the best in “Heaven and Hell”‘s finishing line: “Oh baby, I am perfect!” And indeed she really is.

Don’t Stop is out now. For more information, see www.myspace.com/anniemusic.

—David Hellqvist