Shopping: Madonna’s got new material
Macy’s is betting on its lucky stars that young women will be hung up on its Material Girl collection.
In time for back-to-school shopping, Macy’s is pulling out all the stops for the launch on Tuesday of its Material Girl collaboration with music icon Madonna and her daughter, Lourdes “Lola” Ciccone Leon, in 200 select locations and online. On the East Coast, “Gossip Girl” actress and rocker Taylor Momsen, who’s the face of Material Girl, will perform in an acoustic concert in the juniors department at Macy’s Herald Square flagship in New York, where the store windows will be turned into a virtual “Material World.”
Here in the Los Angeles area, fans who line up at the Glendale Galleria store between 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesday can participate in KIIS-FM’s Madonna wannabe look-alike contest. There will also be special giveaways and an opportunity to win a Material Girl T-shirt autographed by the multitalented singer, who has sold more than 200 million albums. The first 200 shoppers at both Glendale and at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa will receive complimentary bandeau tops from the collection plus a $10 Macy’s gift card. Both locations are also throwing afternoon dance parties featuring Madonna’s music, giveaways and treats.
Fans 13 and older from the contiguous United States have a chance to win a trip to New York to meet Madonna. Entries must be received by 8:59 p.m. PDT on Monday, and you can enter online at Macy’s website or by text message.
The Material Girl collection is a reflection of Leon’s attempts at styling teen-appropriate yet fashionable outfits. “I always have two reactions when Lola comes into my room with an outfit on,” Madonna says in a promotional video for Macy’s. “One is, oh my God, she looks amazing, what incredible style. My second reaction is, she’s dressed completely inappropriately for school … she has a kind of a uniform at her school. Because there’s a restriction, it makes her have to be more creative and more resourceful. I really like the way Lola dresses, and this line is an extension of her taste.”
“Macy’s seems like a no-brainer — Macy’s is accessible, everybody goes there — there are stores across the country,” says the multiple Grammy-winning artist.
Material Girl is a complete collection for young women featuring tops, bottoms, dresses, jackets shoes, bags and jewelry, all priced from $12 to $40. For the fall launch, the collaboration is a mix of trendy everyday items such as denim miniskirts ($22), flannel blazers ($36) and studded ballet flats ($19.95) paired with outfits inspired by iconic Madonna style from the 1980s through now. You can find “Like a Virgin”-era tutus ($22), necklaces and baubles ($12-$29). There are “True Blue” video looks, including a striped top ($20), cropped leggings ($15), jeans ($26) and studded motorcycle jackets ($68). And there’s a “Like a Prayer” floral-print bustier dress ($28) and a Western shirt ($26) from the “Music” period.
“[Material Girl] is not complicated, it’s dressing in layers, it’s not looking like you took too much time thinking about what you’re wearing,” adds Madonna. “You can take things off, you switch things up — it’s really the way my daughter dresses.”
Macy’s Glendale, 2100 Glendale Galleria, Glendale. (818) 240-8411. 10 a.m. to noon.
Macy’s South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 556-0611. 10 a.m. to noon.
Events
Madewell Denim After Dark Event Thursday: In time for fall looks or back-to-school, shoppers will receive 20% off any denim purchased during the event. Stylists will be doling out jean recommendations along with complimentary hemming. Donate a pair of lightly worn shoes to Soles4Soles and receive 20% off a pair of new Bensimon footwear.
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 772-0428. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sales
Barneys New York Warehouse Sale Thursday through Aug. 15: Designer-label addicts can get end-of-season discounts from 50% to 70% off at this outsize sale held at the Los Angeles Convention Center’s South Hall.
1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. (310) 777-5700. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 5 and 6; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 7. Then, for the rest of the sale, hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
Events
Lemon-8 Days Monday through Friday: More than 35 Montana Avenue stores are participating in the Lemon-8 shopping event benefitting the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation by donating 8% of gross sales to the local schools. The effort is to support Project Lemon-Aid, which launched in June with local kids raising funds for their schools through lemonade stand sales. Look for a lemon slice in the window of participating retailers including Weathervane, Montalvo, 3 Bags Full, Aphrodite, Aveda, Dermologica and Mom’s the Word.
Montana Avenue from 7th through 17th streets, Santa Monica.
Kiehl’s Life Ride for amfAR Tuesday: Kiehl’s launches a six-day LifeRide motorcycle ride up the California coast to raise funds for amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, with a special event at the Santa Monica location featuring the original “Easy Rider,” Peter Fonda, and musician Josh Homme. Kiehl’s will unveil its Limited Edition Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15, with 100% of net profits from sales of this product (up to $25,000) benefitting amfAR. All shoppers visiting the Santa Monica Kiehl’s on Tuesday will receive a discount of 15% (excluding charity products).
1516 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 255-0055. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Nation LTD at Bloomingdale’s Friday: To celebrate the opening of Santa Monica Place, Designer Jen Menchaca will offer styling tips and shoppers will be eligible to win one of three summer survival kits filled with Nation LTD T-shirts (retail value $325). The first 50 shoppers who purchase Nation LTD merchandise will receive denim tote bags. Bobbi Brown makeup artists will also be available to give a sun-kissed glow without the sun.
Bloomingdale’s, Santa Monica Place, 315 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 985-6400. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
