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Fashion Week: 'Project Runway' alum unimpressed with current season
"Project Runway" alumnus Jack Mackenroth (Getty)
The designers on the new season of “Project Runway” aren’t wowing season 4 alum
Jack Mackenroth. “So far I’m not that impressed, to be brutally honest,” he told us at the Monarchy by Eric Kim show. Is there a chance the designers will improve? Well, kinda. Jack was at the taping for the yet-to-be-aired final runway show, and said one collection was amazing while the other two “were not.”Tags: Fashion Week, Monarchy by Eric Kim, Jack Mackenroth, Project Runway
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Reefer madness: Pot still popular, as arrests soar
Even as surveys show half of American adults have used marijuana, and a similar percentage want it legalized, arrests for the drug are soaring, particularly in New York City.
And despite the recession, pot is as popular as ever.
“I’ve never seen any decline in demand for marijuana in bad economic times,” Ed Shemelaya, of the national Office of National Drug Control Policy, told the Associated Press. “People always seem to find money somewhere to buy drugs.”
In the city, more adults have been arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession during the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg – who has admitted smoking pot in the past, and enjoying it – than under any mayor for the past 30 years, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. Critics say the numbers do not indicate a surge in usage but a crackdown by law enforcement.
“There’s a kind of schizophrenia going on with marijuana policy,” said Tony Newman, a spokesman for the Drug Policy Alliance, which pushes for legalization. “There’s all these people questioning our policies on the one hand and there’s still record numbers of marijuana arrests.”
The city actually began stepping up its marijuana arrests during Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s second term.
Since 2002, when Bloomberg took office, 255,381 people have been arrested for misdemeanor possession, compared with 198,476 during the Giuliani administration. From 1978 - the year after the state loosened its marijuana laws – to 1997, the year Giuliani was re-elected, there was a total of 75,160 arrests.
A spokesman for Bloomberg declined to comment. Giuliani could not be reached.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne, said those numbers are misleading. Citations for small amounts of marijuana – under 26 grams (just short of an ounce) is akin to a parking ticket – have actually gone down in the last decade, according to NYPD stats.
Critics counter that a provision in the 1977 law that allows those with less than 26 grams to be charged with a misdemeanor if the pot is being smoked or is in “public view” gives cops a loophole: During a “stop and frisk,” police can ask a suspect to empty his pockets and then charge him with having the drug in plain view.
“Either you’d have to believe there is this an epidemic of smoking marijuana in public or there has been a great number of stop and frisks and the department has made it a policy,” said Harry Levine, a law professor at Queens College who authored a recent report on marijuana arrests.
Browne called that theory “bogus.”
Many New Yorkers say the cops should focus on other crimes.
“Who are they hurting? There’s enough more serious problems and issues we could devote our time and money to,” said Kevin Gaudin, 47, of Jackson Heights.
But City Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Astoria), who chairs the public safety committee, said cops were catching bigger fish by going after pot possession.
“By enforcing quality of life crimes, you keep down the more violent type crimes,” he said.
Robert Levin contributed to this story
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[me]&Goji brings customized cereal to NYC
From left, Carl Mikael Johansson, Adam Sirois and Alexander Renzi, founders of [me]&Goji.
As soon as Carl Mikael Johansson and Adam Sirois met, they knew they would start a business. They just weren’t sure what it would be.
After almost a year of brainstorming, in September 2008, the two former New York City roommates (who met on Craigslist), created [me]&goji, a custom cereal and granola company, with friend Alexander Renzi. The concept was simple: Allow customers to create their own, customized, artisan cereals with a few clicks of a mouse.
On the company’s Web site, meandgoji.com, shoppers drag and drop a cereal base — such as granola, muesli and oats — into a virtual bowl and add fruits, nuts, seeds and more. As they add ingredients, the price and nutritional information change.
In [me]&goji cereals, fruit juices are used in place of sweeteners, many ingredients are whole grain, organic, natural and sourced locally.
“The majority of our ingredients come from a national foods distributor that we are located next to [in New Hampshire], so we can literally walk over and pick up the ingredients,” says Johansson.
“The rest of the suppliers are located in upstate New York, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. Being close to our suppliers means we can meet them in person (not only at food shows) and that makes a big difference in terms of getting good quality produce,” he says.
So far, their focus on quality has paid off. The company was cash-flow positive after four weeks. In fact, the Web site went down for a brief time last October, overwhelmed with orders.
Johansson says the company now mixes somewhere between 500-1,000 cylindrical
containers of cereal (they call them “capsules”) per month, with the average order containing two capsules and the average capsule costing around $12.In addition to individual clients, [me]&goji is focusing on business-to-business sales.
Just last month, the cafe at The Sports Club/LA on the Upper East Side began selling single-serving packs for $4.50. They sell 10-20 packs per day. “I loved the line right away,” said nutritionist Lara Sutton, who created the cereal mixtures now on sale. “You can create a cereal that’s actually a whole meal. It really surpassed what’s on the market, even in the organic stores,” she said. Sutton was able to create balanced mixtures of fiber,
whole grain, fruits and fats.It’s the ability to create well-balanced snacks that got Amy Tennery, 24, of Midtown, hooked. She orders from the site once a month. “I get hoops with cinnamon with two servings of coconut, currants and two servings of pistachio,” she says. “I eat it mostly as a snack.”
Another customer, Carlo Mirasol, 25, of the Lower East Side usually combines granola with coconut and almonds. The price, somewhere around $12, doesn’t bother him. “The stuff at Whole Foods is pretty pricey. I’m willing to pay the premium for making it the way I want.”
There’s also a more personalized customer service you won’t find at a specialty store. Tannery recalled e-mailing one of the owners about the benefits of cow’s milk versus soy milk. To her surprise, he got back to her right away.”
“They obviously really care about their clients,” Tannery said. “It always gets me to know I’m supporting a small business. It’s the Ben and Jerry’s effect,” Tannery said.
What you get for your money
[me]&goji granolas and mueslis come in 30-ounce (21-serving) sizes and their cereals come in 21-ounce (or 15-serving) sizes.
They start at just under $5 and go up to $30-plus, according to owner Carl Mikael Johansson.
There’s a shipping charge of $4.99, plus 99 cents extra for each additional capsule.
“If you look at it per serving, you’ll see that capsules are about 50 percent bigger than the average cereal box. The average serving, including shipping, is less than $1,” he said. “Yes, it’s an upscale product, but there’s big value in it.”
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Looking for work? This week's events
Monday: Self-Recruiter Lecture Series: Resume Renovation
Location: West Side YMCA, 5 W. 63rd St.
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
To register: Free. Registration recommended, call 212-875-4220.
Monday: Brandhackers Speaker Series and Networking Meeting
Location: Dewey’s Flatiron, 210 Fifth Ave.
Time: 6-9 p.m.
To register: $10. Call 917-257-3523 or visit meetup.com/brandhackers to reserve a spot.
Tomorrow: Shakers and Stirrers NYC — Business Networking Mixer
Location: O’Brien’s Irish Pub, 134 W. 46th St.
Time: 6-8 p.m.
To register: $20 at the door. $10 for members in advance; $15 for nonmembers in advance. Call 212-227-6556 for an early registration discount.
Wednesday: How to Start Your Successful Small Business
Location: CUNY on the Concourse, 2501 Grand Concourse, Room 317
Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
To register: Free. For more information, call 718-960-8697.
Saturday:Self-Recruiter Lecture Series: Building Your Professional Network with LinkedIn & Using It for Job Search
Location: West Side YMCA, 5 W. 63rd St.
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
To register: $45. Registration recommended, call 212-372-9878.
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Dutch take Manhattan... again
From left, Stephen Scully, Patrick Nugter and John Scully on a NYC fireboat. Cynthia Vanelk
As part of NY400 — a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s journey to the New World — 10 Dutch professionals and New York professionals are swapping jobs.
Last week, the Dutch workers — including a teacher, fireman, midwife, district attorney and farmer — joined their American counterparts. This week the New Yorkers are in Holland. We caught up with Dutch fireman Patrick Nugter and FDNY lieutenant John Scully. Scully and his brother, fire chief Stephen Scully had shown Nugter the ropes.
What have you been doing?
Patrick Nugter: We’re just finishing a 24-hour shift at the station in Williamsburg. We’re attending a 9/11 memorial and meeting with the Secretary of State of the Netherlands. I also spent a day at the fire academy on Randall’s Island, and had training with Stephen [Scully, John’s brother, who’s in charge of fire department training there]. They showed me how they run things in America, and how they do their exercises.
JS: My brother set a building on fire at Randall’s Island and Patrick came in. Patrick’s very good at auto accidents and extractions, so he was swapping ideas. He’s very sharp and he’s into it.
Are there any major differences in firefighting here and in Holland?
PN: We both put extinguish fires. Here, they go in the ceiling and make a hole right away. We go in to extinguish a fire and then do the vent. It’s a little different.
Also, we’re a bit overregulated. There are too many rules in Holland. There are rules and guidelines in the U.S., but we have more.
Firefighters are known to be great cooks. Did you cook for Patrick?
JS: We made him a really good prime rib dinner and one day we made sausage and meatballs and pasta, which we call bats and balls.
He said he cooks a lot, too. I’m sure the guys there love it.
Why did you want to do the swap?
JS: I love the buildings and architecture and want to see how they fight their fires. They’re dealing with much older buildings and they do it with less people.
PN: It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s more than a job, being a firefighter, so you’re keen on finding out how others do it. Also, New York has the biggest fire department in the world. It’s sort of a firefighter’s dream.
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Whitney Houston dishes on drug use on Oprah
Prepare to gasp as “The Bodyguard” star lets down her guard Monday afternoon.
In a blockbuster interview with Oprah Winfrey, Whitney Houston, 46, comes clean on her debilitating drug addiction, recounting the day her mother burst in her house with police to force the R&B singer into rehab.
“She said 'I'm not losing you to the world, I'm not losing you to Satan. I want my daughter back,'” Houston said in a clip from the segment airing in two parts Monday and Tuesday.
That day, Houston's mother told then-husband Bobby Brown that if he attempted to get in the middle of her intervention, armed guards “would take you down.”
The Grammy-award winning singer previously denied her drug addiction in a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer.
Oprah called the interview the most powerful she has ever done.
“I spent the morning praying,” Winfrey said in an interview on “Access Hollywood.”
The interview was filmed at Town Hall in Manhattan, and Winfrey returns to the city Friday for a show featuring Mariah Carey.
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Using the recession as inspiration
Talk about making lemonade out of lemons. Entrepreneuer Jill Stern has taken the bad economy and run with it, designing products that reflect trends in the economic downturn, which she sells on her e-commerce site, Jilarious.com.
Among the products she sells are a regifting kit (a cheeky package with stickers and labels reading “This is a re-gift” and “reduce, reuse, re-gift”) and “Green Shoots Optimism in a Tin” (a tin in which customers can grow their very own green shoots).
Stern’s humorous site has seen brisk business. “It doesn’t matter what other people are saying or what the economy is doing if you have a good idea,” she said.
For those interested in starting their own businesses, Stern said, “a lot of it is about understanding your idea, writing it out and seeing if it’s feasible. Do dummy versions and see if retailers, press and others respond to it before you go into production.”
Then, she said, “There are sales repping groups. You can bring your product to the company and see if they’ll rep it.”
Plus, she added, “For those who are not born entrepreneurs, keep your eyes open and think about what products are needed. Ideas are everywhere.”
And don’t let the economy scare you away from taking a risk. “Because of the economy you have to work harder,” Stern said. “You can’t get discouraged. You have to get really creative.”
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Fashion Week: Charlotte Ronson gains a Hilton, loses a Lohan
Nicky Hilton, left, takes in the Charlotte Ronson fashion show. (Getty)
“Next question.” That was Nicky Hilton’s reponse when asked whether she’s back together with her ex, David Katzenberg. OK, here’s an easier question, Nicky: “Where’s your sister, Paris (who usually attends shows)?” “Somewhere,” the aloof heiress said from her front-row seat at Charlotte Ronson. Noticeably absent from the show? Lindsay Lohan, presumably because her relationship with Charlotte’s twin, Samantha, is currently on “off.” Later, at the Charlotte Ronson after-party at Abe & Arthur's, Nicky chatted with singer Avril Lavigne, while Andy Samberg got in touch with his fashionable side, using a Nintendo DSi to test out Style Savvy, a yet-to-be-released game (for DS and DSi) where users can tap into their inner fashion stylist.
Tags: Fashion Week, Charlotte Ronson, Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Ronson, Andy Samberg
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Fashion Week: At Jason Wu, Kerry Washington talks B'way, models perform amazing feats
Models usually have to strut down the runway in sky-high heels and make it look like they’re strolling down the street in Converse. But we were extra-impressed by the ladies at the Jason Wu show who somehow managed to walk a slippery glass catwalk flawlessly (except for one, who took a spill).
Wu, who designed Michelle Obama’s stark-white inaugural ball gown, held his show at the beautiful St. Regis, and appropriately, he had a stunning runway that also looked incredibly dangerous. Even before the show started, a female guest tripped over her heels and took a scary-looking fall. Plus, pieces broke off and had to be replaced! But somehow, the gorgeous models (well, except for that one) looked like they were stomping down a sidewalk.
Also looking lovely? Actress Kerry Washinton, who sat front-row next to a super-skinny Amanda Peet.
Kerry, who smiled from ear to ear at the mere mention of Wu’s name, expanded her grin even further when discussing her upcoming Broadway debut in a new David Mamet play, “Race,” in November.
“I’m a New Yorker, so I’ really excited to be moving back home,” the Bronx native said. “I wanted to be on Broadway before I ever wanted to be in a movie. And David Mamet’s a genus. And I get to play a sexy lawyer on Broadway.”
Sounds like a dream come true to us.
Tags: Fashion Week, Jason Wu
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Fashion Week: 'America's Next Top Model' gals' heavy challenge
The petite contestants on this season of "America's Next Top Model" have a challenge besides being an unconventional size for the fashion biz: gaining weight more easily.
"When you're that small, you gain two pounds and you can tell," "ANTM " judge J Alexander told us before the Yigal Azrouel show. "When you're 16 years old and haven't eaten in five days because someone told you to lose weight, when you're smaller, it's even worse."
Since this crop of models, who are 5-foot-7 and shorter, aren't tall enough to do most runway shows in the real world, Miss J said the "ANTM" honchos aren't focusing on it as much this season — which gives the ladies a break.
"Why the hell would you want to come and stand up for hours and be picked and prodded?" he said.
We have no idea.
