It was spring at Neiman Marcus(www.neimanmarcus.com) last week. Not outside, but Bergdorf’s suburban sister was clearly the warmest place to be when the Chanel trunk opened. Figuratively, of course.
For the un-initiated; there is no trunk at this trunk show. It takes its name from the tradition of designers arriving with trunk-fuls of clothing. Nobody in their right mind would put these pricey clothes, bags and shoes in a trunk.
There was a mini-show on every floor at N-M in Short Hills to welcome the new Chanel(www.chanel.com) line.
To see, touch, and hold a Chanel handbag, we had to compete with the crowd of seasoned collectors scooping up the first editions. The big totes were tops, followed by new versions of classic quilted handbags in bold yellow, green, blue, and red.
The signature chains on the Chanel bags are so elegant, they could be worn as jewelry. In fact, chain linked necklaces -- a riff from Chanel -- are everywhere you look this season.
Chanel shoes were front and center on floor two -- colorful patent flats to match the colorful bags. Classic silver pumps with a stacked heel. Even rubber rain boots.
On the third floor, Chanel showcased its sportswear; the fringed jackets that work with skirts, dresses, even the designer’s jeans. There are lots of plaids and pastels; peach, light blue and denim blue. One piece that attracted much interest, a black, deconstructed jacket with white cuffs. Button it up over jeans, and you look like Mick Jagger.
We won’t tell you the prices. If you have to ask -- well, you know the rest. And you also know that if you don’t get there soon, you may have to wait a little longer for the next trunk to arrive, with your shipment.
And all over your body. Naked and muddied, you sit in the dark in a heated temple, on warm throne-like seats, in a misty indoor rain. There are “stars” on the ceiling.
The Razul at the Avanti Spa(www.avantisalonspa.com) in Manalapan is fit for a king. Or at least a Trump (we’re told Ivana favors the place).
Owner Luda Conti wanted to create a spa like no other. Colorful tiles were imported from Europe. The large cement chamber was built overseas and shipped to Manalapan.
When you use the Razul, you are given five jars of different colored mud, each from a different place on the planet. Luda says they all have the ability to draw toxins out of the skin.
Spa-sitters slather the colorful muds on pre-designated parts of their bodies, like exotic warriors. A series of steam jets keep it from drying and caking.
After a half hour, it rains indoors and washes the mud away. After a real shower, you are lubricated with oils and goat’s milk, then wrapped in plastic and rocked gently inside a pool of warm water.
After a final rinse, Luda says, your skin feels like “a baby’s tush all over”.
Avanti is offering a Valentine’s Special for couples who want to commandeer the Razul. You can substitute chocolate for mud. Exfoliate your skin with fresh strawberries. Finish with a glass of wine or champagne.
It seems every town now has a spa. And most spas have gimmicks. But only Avanti has a Razul... and the joy of a royal mud bath!
Print this column out and leave it by the remote control -- so you can be sure he will find it!
Smell The Roses Book a couples’ massage in an intimate, rose-filled, candlelit room at the Urban Muse(www.urbanmuse.com) in Denville. $270 gets both of you a massage, chocolates, a complimentary bottle of wine, and a three course meal at 17 Main, an excellent local restaurant.
Spring Forward And treat her to a new gauzy cotton and silk tunic ($372) from New Zealand designer Rebecca Taylor. She can layer it now, or wear it alone when it warms up. Peper (1028 Washington Street, Hoboken), has a nice selection.
What Lies Beneath Only the two of you will know. Indulge your fantasy at Bare Necessities(www.barenecessities.com) in Matawan -- hint: we can’t get enough Cosabella(www.cosabella.com), that super delicate, sexy Italian-made lingerie.
Magical Potions Lotions, creams, shampoos, from the fabulous Kiehl’s(www.kiehls.com) in Westfield. She can also register at the store, and they’ll put together a customized gift bag for her.
Bling Is King You can customize an elegant Pandora Bracelet for her at Kevin?s Fine Jewelry in Boonton (973-263-0101) or Totowa (973-790-8836). Spell out her name or initials in gold or silver, then add Murano glass and other silver and gold beads to finish it.
This Is Serious If you buy her the Louis Vuitton Manhattan GM (www.louisvuitton.com) monogram canvas bag ($1,870) designed by Marc Jacobs with gold metal hardware, and great exterior pockets.
This is Forever Get her a generous gift certificate from The Maids Home Services(www.maids.com). Call Franchise Owner Ken Black at (973) 448-1888 -- his office is on Love Lane in Netcong. You’ll make her day, and even get away with throwing your dirty socks on the floor -- for a little while.
Here’s our opening play for Super Bowl Sunday: an afternoon of great shoe shopping at Coco Pari(www.cocopari.com), a fabulous boutique in the resurgent town of Red Bank. A museum-quality display holds all the well-heeled wonders money can buy.
Our first goal is to take the field in a pair of Christian Louboutins(www.christianlouboutin.fr) -- because we love them, we deserve them, and we look great in them!
Celebrities rush to his signature red sole, stacked heel shoes. The sweeping, sculptured profile of Louboutin has decorated the tootsies of everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Kelly Ripa.
Or, for a perfectly executed blitz: Louboutin?s eye-popping red patent leather shoes. You can even play the rookie with a perfect schoolgirl gingham plaid pair on a cork heel.
Still need to get into the zone? Tackle a pair of jeweled sandals from Rene Caovilla(www.renecaovilla.com), with the crystals delicately set by hand. Let your feet receive the sparkling Giuseppe Zanotti flip-flops. Don’t pass on the classic Jimmy Choos (www.jimmychoo.com) either.
If you are having trouble defending the concept of an $800 pair of shoes, think of it this way? if you wear them twenty times, it will cost you $40 per wearing. Almost like going to Payless!
Your shopping day at an end, head home to make the dip, watch the game, and treasure your new designer shoes. We hope the footwear will help you score after the football is over!
From the top dogs to the best on the boards? it’s a Super weekend of show offs and show tunes.
BEST IN SNOW? In Vernon, it’s finally starting to look like winter! This weekend, you can ski or snowboard at Mountain Creek(www.mountaincreek.com) and then watch the US Olympic Snowboard team in action, on their Grand Prix tour(www.ussnowboarding.com).
BEST IN SHOW? At the Wildwood Convention Center -- the 49th All Breed Dog Show, all day and into most of the night on Saturday. The beagles, pinschers and French bulldogs are ready for their close-ups, beginning at 8 a.m. (www.infodog.com/jps/394/jpg394.pdf)
THAT SIXTIES SHOW ? If you haven’t seen it on Broadway, you must catch the touring company of Hairspray at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark (www.njpac.org) through this weekend.
A SHOW OF COLOR? At Oceanville’s Noyes Museum(www.noyesmuseum.org) a special exhibition of abstract impressionistic works full of drama and color.
THE HOME SHOW? Makeover your McMansion and primp your crib at the huge Garden State Home Show(www.gsec.com), all this weekend at the Garden State Exhibition Center in Somerset.
RESTAURANT SHOWCASE? Chow down at bargain prices at Hudson County’s favorite restaurants. Restaurant Week continues through February 9th (www.hudsonrestaurantweek.com).
SHOW UP? with your girlfriend, to certain stores and restaurants in Haddonfield on Saturday, and you get special discounts for the town’s Hey Girlfriend event (www.haddonfieldnj.org). Sisters and mothers qualify as stand-ins.
SHOW STOPPER? Nobody does it like the Rat Pack -- (www.ratpackvegas.com) The ultimate Vegas tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey, Dean, and Peter pulls into Harrah’s, Atlantic City, beginning tonight.
Enjoy all the shows -- we’re back tomorrow with our Shoe-per Bowl picks!
Fichu, (fee-shoo) from the French, is a triangular cloth halfway between a scarf and a shawl, worn over the shoulders, the ends crossed, or tied together at the breast.
Fichus are dramatic; from Oliver’s Nancy to Marion the Librarian, fichus have always graced the shoulders of theatre’s leading ladies. In art, we know Edouard Manet’s Portrait of a Lady in a Black Fichu.
Fichus make a natural partner for today’s fashions, the bare shoulders, and empire waists.
Laurie Cannon knows this. The Tenafly grandmother’s website, www.itsafichu.com, features a fichu for everyone, including your dolls.
Laurie didn’t always knit for a living. But from childhood, it was her hobby. She was a medical secretary until she was disabled in an accident, and diagnosed with breast cancer. Then, Laurie’s fingers began to fly. She is a survivor, and her artistry thrives on her website, designed by her son.
The site features fancy fichus -- and some lovely shrugs -- made from raw silk, ribbon, cotton, wool blends and linen. Some are dressier, others you’d toss on to walk down the street. There are multi-colored, and solids. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $30 to $75.
There are also hand knit sweaters, pants, and tiny knitted handbags for dolls. They are pink, to symbolize the battle against breast cancer. Laurie’s Barbie wears a tiny ribbon as well.
If you are living with breast cancer, or know someone who is, Laurie wants to give you -- or that person -- one of her full-sized pink fichus. Contact her through the website.
So now, the fichu isn?t just a scarf. It?s like getting a hug from an old friend, just when you need it most.
It was spring at Neiman Marcus 
And all over your body. Naked and muddied, you sit in the dark in a heated temple, on warm throne-like seats, in a misty indoor rain. There are “stars” on the ceiling.
Print this column out and leave it by the remote control -- so you can be sure he will find it!
Here’s our opening play for Super Bowl Sunday: an afternoon of great shoe shopping at Coco Pari 
Fichu, (fee-shoo) from the French, is a triangular cloth halfway between a scarf and a shawl, worn over the shoulders, the ends crossed, or tied together at the breast.
