Screen printing is clearly their strongest suit. The graphic, modern and so not cheesy prints were the highlight of this collection. The design duo behind it featured them on more onesies. (Hey, maybe onesies are the new black?) They aren’t exactly practical for everyday, but they looked cute on the models. My favorite? This dress–bold sharp and chic. Second favorite? Little knit vests. I’d love to see what Calpurnia Peach can do with a regular old t-shirt or t-shirt dress.

This collection is an example of good pattern mixing. Bold goes with bold. Also love the “asym collars” as previously mentioned.

Finally! In just a few hours, we will find out what happened to Lauren in Paris and get annoyed by Heidi and Spencer.
Here’s something else to anticipate. Dove will be launching a new ad campaign featuring Alicia Keys (so much for that real women, real beauty thing). The singer/songwriter acts in the “microseries,” which will air weekly during “The Hills.”
The new spots will target twenty-somethings and is inspired by chick-lit author Jane Green. Watch a preview here.
Dove also sent along these Minneapolis-specific stats:
· 67% of 20-something Minneapolis women feel that their inner voice criticizes them up to 6 hours (25%) of the day

· 50% of 20-something Minneapolis women feel that sometimes the criticism of their inner voice keeps them from fully enjoying what they have already worked hard to accomplish

· 68% of American women believe that their lives would be more fulfilling if they did not put so much pressure on themselves

· 85% of American women admit they are their own worst critics

Buck up, Minneapolis 20-somethings, maybe we’ll all find inspiration from L.C. and the gang.

A few stores are celebrating grand openings this weekend. Why not help them celebrate (and get a killer deal).

– Nani Nalu and House of Denim, 3922 W. 50th st., Mpls, 952-546-5598. The swimwear specialists are saying “aloha!” to the new Edina location with tropical drinks and discounts of 20 to 50 percent on all of the merchandise in the store. This Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Joining the pool party? The House of Denim, featuring brands such as Anlo, Parasuco and Fidelity.

– Vanity, Eden Prairie Center, 952-829-8991. Get 20 percent off of everything in the newly renovated store today through Sunday, March 16. (There must be something in the air with all of these fresh starts!) The Fargo-based company carries much denim, including Dollhouse and their own label. They carry sizes 0 through 17, waists 25 to 34 inches, inseams up to 37 inches. That’s quite a range.

I don’t have much more to say about DIVA this year. This year’s event got an injection of energy, but it was kind of all over the place. One high-profile guest, called the show “fractured.”

It was a confusing mix of catering to the $10,000 tables and the $40 “wanderer” viewers some four floors above. The mix of scantily clad, glitter-covered models and auctioning off $15,000 packages was a little schizophrenic in its execution.

I wasn’t convinced that the first floor enjoyed all of the performances. The most exciting moment of the show was when a guest in neon pink, skin-tight, bum-exposing pleather stormed across the stage as though he/she was a designer. (You can see this person in the background of the above photo.)

Speaking of designers, the collections seemed scaled back. Some were good, some were bad, some were really bad. However, there was no information about how or where to find these clothes, if someone wanted to, say, scoop up a dress or suit for next year’s event. That is ultimately how you support local design, while also supporting HIV/AIDS-related organizations.

Max Lohrbach used to work at Ragstock, so you didn’t have a chance of getting his 1920’s letter sweater. “M” is for Max. Same for the rest of this outfit that he wore to DIVA. His personal Ragstock collection consists of some 2000 pounds of clothes.

He’s a designer. His work will be seen next at Voltage and will then be sold at Design Collective. He uses his vintage-hunting eye to inform his work. “Antique-y” that “never existed” is how he describes his style.