When the seasons begin to change, doesn’t it make you want to change your wardrobe too? For me, winter makes me want to bundle up in fur, wear diamonds around my neck and bows on my feet; three things no girl should live without. Luckily, at Open Runway you can design your very own personal pump, stiletto or flat with a pretty and perfect bow right atop your toes!  There is no faster way to feel girlie than by wearing a bow, especially when it happens to be tied right on top of your favorite pair of shoes. Check out some of my designs and a few designer examples and show me some of your favorite designs on Facebook or Twitter! Like us or follow us @OpenRunway to send me your favorite looks! I look forward to admiring your designs!

Madeline

xx

Hello, fashion lovers! My name is Madeline Armitage and I am one of the new interns at Open Runway. You will be hearing a lot from me over the next couple of months so I would like to take some time to get better acquainted. First thing you should know about me, I have a serious shoe fetish. And if you are anything like me, you live from paycheck to paycheck because any extra spending cash falls immediate victim to your wardrobe. You also believe that the best therapy and the only therapy worth actually paying for is retail therapy. Even more so, there is no heartbreak a great pair of pumps can’t fix. This is not an opinion; I know this from experience!

The thing that I love most about fashion is that it is constantly changing. Every era up until the 20^th century had a very distinct style. The 20s coined the flapper dress and helmet hats. The 30s was all about wide shoulders and narrow waists, the two-piece suit and womanly hourglass shape was introduced in the 40s. The 50s were inspired by polka dots and full skirt dresses, the mini-skirt was invented in the mod-60s and enter Audrey Hepburn with the black shift dress. Saturday Night Fever brought about bellbottoms, three-piece suits and platform shoes in the 70s. And who could forget the 80s with ripped sweatshirts, headbands and “ra-ra” skirts? The 90s were known as the “anti-fashion” era where it was cooler to be an anti-conformist than a trendsetter, or should I say being an anti-conformist was the set trend?

Today, designers gather much inspiration for their current lines from past eras. Every designer takes a piece of the past and reinvents it to make it their own. There will never be another decade defined by a trend like the decades of our past.

Just like the most popular couture designers of our time, you have all the colors, fabrics and styles right in front of you. The only job you have is putting them together to make your own personal style. And thanks to Open Runway, they have just made your job a whole lot easier.

I am very excited to be a part of the Open Runway team and see where the next few months will take us. Thanks for listening, until next time!

xx

Madeline

The 2011 Country Music Awards were held last Wednesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.  Country music super star Carrie Underwood co-hosted the event along with Brad Paisley.  However, all eyes were on the 28 year old Underwood as she dazzled and shined in 11 looks, (yes that means shoes changes too!) throughout the evening.

Starting the night off in an all gold sequened floor length gown, Underwood sets the bar high for the rest of her dresses. Underwood went from from glam to edgy in her next chained bustier ensemble. Keeping with the short theme, both Miss Piggy and Underwood looked stunning in their dresses, matching platforms and all!

Making the switch back to long, Underwood opts for a more feminine silhouette and a playful print, and check out those pink lace-up pumps! For the performance of her hit song "Remind Me" performed with co-host Brad Paisley, Underwood chose an elegant black and white printed strapless gown with a thigh-high slit. Underwood's next wardrobe change instantly won my vote for "Best Shoe" of the night. Her black and white crystal studded peep toe pumps stole the show paired with her flirty white asymmetrical dress.

Keeping us on the edge of our seats, Underwood's next outfit change included a cropped tuxedo jacket with box pleat shorts. My favorite shoes must have been Carrie's too; she rocks them on stage for the second time of the evening! Up next is a short one-shoulder coral dress with a dramatic tulle overlay, and gladiator inspired silver stilettos. Looking more like a Greek Goddess than a country singer, Underwood's plunging neckline and open cut-out sleeves was another crowd pleaser.

Rounding out the night, Underwood looked dazzling in a sequined coffee colored dress with cap sleeves and square neckline. Taking a break from dresses, Underwood paired a black satin organza ruffled top with a copper and black sequined skirt.Black slingback peep toe pumps and drop earrings completed her look. (Photos credits: fashionetc.com, news.instyle.com)

WHEW! That was exhausting, and I wasn’t even the one backstage doing all the outfit changes!

What was your favorite look of Carrie’s? Didn’t see anything that you were in love with?  Check out Open Runway’s design studio where you will soon be able to customize your dream pair of shoes that would have even Carrie asking, “where did you get those!?” Or, start designing right away and create your perfect handbag, now available to be customized. Tap into your creative side today and Join the Fashionocracy!

Comment and let us know your thoughts!

Last month, Open runway paired up with The Swapaholics to bring our Boston Fashion Week Design Contest to life.  Participants were encouraged to submit handbag and shoe creations using Open Runway’s design studio.  Submissions were posted to The Swapaholics Facebook, where the top shoe and top handbag that received the most “likes” won a $100.00 gift certificate toward Open Runway. Congratulations to our winners!

Jamie Platt designed this "Belted Shopper" out of Disco Gold leather with dark olive and warm honey accents on the pocket and straps. A pop of Chartreuse Leather for the drawstring adds some flair! Polished bronze colored hardware completes her design. Congrats Jamie!

The Rebel Chanel" Shoe, designed by Erin Cummings. Coco meets a biker. Demure spectator flats with a bronze embellished twist. Suitable for work, or out, in the "new neutral" color palette. Constructed from dark olive and dusky gold leather, a winning color combination in this design contest! Congrats Erin! You can find Erin on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/petalandpink or check out her blog, Petal and Pink at http://petalandpink.blogspot.com/!

Hot apple cider, haunted houses, cute bundled up trick-or-treaters, and pumpkin carving- all sure signs Halloween is near! The way Santa Claus is associated with Christmas- whenever I hear the word Halloween, black and orange instantly come to mind. In honor of this spooktastic day, I thought we could take a look at how some of our favorite celebrities rock black and orange, on their arm!

Kourtney Kardashian's oversized black and orange clutch screams Halloween! (Photo credit: www.pursepage.com)

Nicole Kidman takes on the essence of Halloween with this woven satchel. (Photo credit: handbagdujour.com)

Arriving in NYC, Lindsay Lohan epitomizes Halloween colors from her orange scarf and handbag to her black hat and purse. (Photo credit: thin-inspirations.blogspot.com)

Normally, I reserve loafers for my Grandmother (no offense G-Ma, they are comfortable so I’ll give you that!). However, the loafer has gotten a makeover for fall 2011.  The lifted loafer is all the rage right now- wear it as a platform or peep-toe, add on tassels or wear it in this seasons hottest suede colors.  From elegant to in-your-face, loafers can add some flair to an otherwise plain outfit.

Katie Holmes loves her loafer pumps- perfect for all occasions! Photo credit: www.makeuptalk.com; www.coolspotters.com)

What do you think about the loafer look? Would you rock it out, or is this trend better suited for Grandma? Comment back to let us know your thoughts!

Always dreamed of designing your own pair of shoes and handbags or fantasized about winning Project Runway? Never had the resources (cough Design School cough) to make those dreams a reality? Well have we got news for you! Open Runway is teaming up with The Swapaholics to bring to you a Design It Yourself competition!  To submit designs to The Boston Fashion Week Swap Design Contest, simply visit our site, www.OpenRunway.com and enter the code, SWAPAHOLIC to get things started!  The winner of this competition not only gets bragging rights, but $100 towards your completely custom handbag or shoe.  There is really no downside to this ladies (and gentlemen)!  Check out The Swapaholic’s blog, for step-by-step instructions, or follow below!

1. Go to OpenRunway using this link http://www.openrunway.com/PrivateSales/Restricted/CreateAccount/

2. Create an account and password and then input the following invitation code: SWAPAHOLIC

3. Once you”ve created an account, click on the Open Runway logo to go to our home page- feel free to explore our site, and then start designing via the “create” button

4. When you have a handbag or shoe design you feel is a winner, click the “SUBMIT TO SWAP CONTEST” button at the bottom of the page. The Swapaholics will be posting daily submissions on their Facebook page until October 15th.  The Swapaholic’s favorite handbag and favorite shoe design will each receive $100 gift card!

Submissions have already started strutting in- check out what the competition is bringing to the runway below…

Inspired? Determined? Then get those creative juices flowing and enter today!

VentureFizz spotlighted Open Runway in a blog post yesterday, check it out for yourself here!  VentureFizz is a one-stop destination website that allows you to find ALL that is BUZZING within Boston’s technology community. Open Runway would especially like to give Keith Kline, the founder of VentureFizz, a warm thank you for being so supportive to startups. As a result of the post we received a number of beta testers for the site!  Thanks VentureFizz!

Open Runway wanted to send a special thank you out to all those who made our Boston Blogger’s cocktail event a success!  The event was located at the Watermark Cambridge, which was arranged courtesy of the beautiful, newly opened Bosse City Club & Spa.

We wanted to give local bloggers an exclusive preview of our site and get their feedback in a fun and casual setting…after all, shoes, bags and cocktails?! What more could a gal ask for!

Shoes and handbags adorned the room, pomegranate champagne cocktails were served, and monitor’s were set up to showcase our design studio.  There was even a DIY cookie station with cookie-shaped shoes and handbags waiting to be designed…and consumed, yum!

Being that our cocktail hour was an intimate gathering, we got to spend some quality time showing off our site, and were eager to hear feedback from our guests.

Those in attendance included Amy Allen who writes a lovely blog, stylishyear.com which Amy first started in order to document her attempts to never wear the same outfit twice in one year (hence the name)- quite an undertaking!  We love how every week readers vote on one item from Amy’s outfit that they would like to see her wear again the next week in a new innovative way!

Also present was Melissa Massello co-creator of theSwapaholics.com, where vintage and thrift shopping are infused as people come together to swap fashionable clothing.  Featured in USA Today, The Boston Globe, Mass High Tech, and BostInnovation (to name a few) check out their site for yourself to see what all the buzz is about! By the way, The 2nd Annual Boston Fashion Week Sip & Swap will be held this Thursday, September 29th from 6-10pm at the Microsoft Nerd Center.  Open Runway will be lending out shoes and handbags for the runway show, and will also have a booth set up during the event so make sure to stop by and say hello! Visit http://bfwswap.eventbrite.com/ for more information! In other new and exciting announcements- OR is teaming up with the Swapaholics and will be running a contest for the best designed shoe and handbag with the chance to win a $100 gift certificate!  So put your creative caps on now, and be sure to check back soon for further details!

Naomo Mirando of naomimirando.com also joined in on the fun. An avid fan of D.I.Y, a glance at her style-osophy tell us, “I don’t like labels or being forced to define myself.  My style is constantly evolving and inspired by everything.” Open Runway is exactly Mirando’s cup of tea!

The Boston Fashionista herself, Kristen Uekermann was also in attendance.  We can’t get enough of her blog, thebostonfashionista.com- check it out to be inspired! Fashion and beauty tips and trends..oh my!

Joining the party, Lei Ann (possibly the best dressed Kung Fu instructor on the planet!) another who just couldn’t say “no” to shoes and cocktails. We loved getting to know the other side of Lei Ann “off duty”, and we invite you all to do the same at leiannoffduty.tumblr.com!

From left to right: June Liu, Lei Ann Resurreccion, Monika Desai, Melissa Massello, Naomi Mirando, Amy Allen, and Kristen Uekermann

We got really great feedback from everyone who came out for this event. “One of my favorite things about Open Runway (and there is a lot, I admit) is their motto: Join the Fashionocracy” – The Boston Fashionista. Our guests loved the concept of Open Runway, ”In this day and age everyone is about the utmost in customization and this just takes fashion one step further and into that same realm.” -Allen.

More positive comments were given about the ease of site navigation as well as connecting with other social platforms, “I like that you can share your creations via email or send to social media.”- Mirando

The feedback we heard the most? Everyone wanted to see more more more! Currently we are just offering handbags, but will soon have shoes available for creation. A few suggested additional product assortments such as dresses and accessories.  Once we get into the swing of things we will be expanding our range of styles and embellishments, as well as adding new product assortments into the mix!

Thanks again to all who came out! We truly value your opinions and are very gracious of your support.

Open Runway will be featured at next month’s Mass Innovation Night! Mass Innovation Nights was started with the goal of connecting Massachusetts-based innovators and entrepreneurs (Open Runway!) with the marketplace using social media.  These nights are used to spread awareness and increase the buzz surrounding new products and companies.

Once a month, the top four companies with the most votes make a presentation during the event.  The social media community shows up to help spread the word via blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and pretty much every other form of social networking out there.  In order for Open Runway to present, we all need your help!

Please just take a few minutes and Vote Now for Open Runway to present! After all, we here at OR are all about democratizing fashion by empowering YOU to create your own style, and no democracy may exist without the presence of its voters!

While your on the site, check out some of these other awesome local innovators that will be showcased!

Grafpad is a web app for creating legible diagrams online that's as intuitive as drawing on a piece of paper.

At arcbazar.com, any person can launch a design competition for a project of any scale: an addition to a home, a remodeling job for retail space, a design of an entire family home, a landscape project, a mixed-use development, or any other architectural design project.

Splitwise is a tool for roommates that makes it easy to organize shared living expenses and keep track of who-owes-who.

If you’d like to support us and other local innovators, just take the following steps!

Recap:

1)  Check out the Mass Innovation Nights website to browse all the cool new products

2) RSVP: Mass Innovation Nights will take place October 12, 2011 at Woburn’s TradeCenter 128, 6-8:30 pm

3) Vote for the top 4 companies you’d like to hear more about!

Thank you so much for your support!