Former L’Oréal Paris marketing exec Avonda Urben came up with the Perfect V concept on the heels of a move fr om New Jersey to the outskirts of Copenhagen. After years of toiling around the clock, Urben, a married mother of two, adopted the let-it-all-hang-out “Scandi” lifestyle, which includes lots of gyms and pools with communal locker rooms.“What people say about the way women here feel about their bodies is really true,” says Urben. “They’re very confident.”This body positivity, coupled with a global obsession with Brazilians, “landing strips” and vajazzling, led Urben to identify a gap in the market for products that enhance the look of nether regions.“When you think about the V and the way it’s currently marketed, it’s feminine hygiene,” says Urben. “Or it’s intimate, which is more sexual in nature, or utilitarian — waxing, shaving. And then there’s the way it’s talked about — all negative.” ‘It’s not like I can show a before-and-after picture.’Her focus? Beautifying with benefits. Her gynecologist-tested range, which launched online in July (prices start at $21 for the VV Cream Gentle Wash), includes the Gentle Exfoliator, crafted from natural AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) such as lemon and sugar cane, and the VV Serum, to “rejuvenate, revitalize and firm.”There’s also an intensive version of the VV Cream, and two purse-friendly products to help you freshen up on the fly: Beauty Mist and Beauty Sheets.The only “fun” product, says Urben, is the Luminizer, which boasts a “luminescent color to add some extra prettiness.” “It’s for when you want to take it up a notch,” she notes.While there are other below-the-belt grooming products out there — Betty Beauty pubic-hair dye springs to mind, and both Emma Watson and Gwyneth Paltrow swear by the culty Fur Oil for conditioning and preventing ingrown hairs — the Perfect V is positioned as an elegant, spa-like pampering collection.Urben, meanwhile, is getting comfortable talking up her down-there products.“It’s not like I can show a before-and-after picture,” she says. “It’s your V. I just want to give you the products to make it look as good as it can.”
“People think that just because your parents are famous, everything just gets handed to you,” she said. “I’ve had to work hard to get everything I’ve gotten.“I’m proud of being an independent and self-sufficient woman, and I want to show everyone that I can do this on my own.”And, just as martial arts are connecting her with her dad, she sees modeling as a way to connect with her mom — who was once under contract with fashion house Christian Dior.“She’s raised me to be so grounded, and she worries about me being in the industry,” Arissa said. “But she’s always been so proud of me.”Photos: Annie Wermiel/NY Post; Stylist: Nicole Zane; Hair/Makeup: T. Cooper using ECRU New York; Stylist Assistant: Milo Hino; Location: Paper Factory Hotel, Long Island City.
You know that moment when something incredibly impractical comes along, but you just need to have it?Enter, Saint Laurent’s latest must-have accessory — roller skate stilettos.Yes, you heard us correctly.Three-inch stiletto heels, with a roller-skate wheel attached to the bottom and a kick-stop brake — because it’s just so easy walking in a normal pair of heels.Aptly dubbed the Anja 100 Patch Pop Pump Roller, the heels are part of Saint Laurent’s autumn/winter collection and are yours for a mere $2,600.But if skating around in sky-high sequins and snakeskin seems a bit dangerous, the fashion house has also released a sneaker version for the less adventurous type.They may not make it into the everyday attire but they’re sure to get your friends talking.
“I’m always doing research,” she says, sourcing pieces year-round from vintage stores and markets in places such as Morocco, Japan, Hong Kong, and Mykonos, Greece. She also customizes finds, adding embellishments such as lace collars and leather cuffs.For some of the more daring accessories, such as thigh-high platform boots and elaborate headgear, she suggests clients “practice” wearing the costumes around their apartment for a few hours so they won’t get cold feet before the main event.Natalia is most looking forward to “being a free spirit in the desert, without a connection to the real world,” but admits that going off the grid isn’t cheap: The entire experience, which includes her $10,000 luxury RV rental, is setting her back about $25,000.And while everyone feels like their new metal bodysuits and drop-crotch pants are second skin, Natalia is prepared to enjoy her last moments in leisurewear before she hits the playa.“I’ll be wearing sweatpants on the plane.”
Since 2012, a pageant featuring women of the armed forces has been held in Las Vegas to bring awareness to the plight of homeless female veterans.Called Ms. Veteran America, it has everything you’d expect from such a contest: gorgeous gowns, special talents and personal interviews. But what sets this glamorous show apart are the harrowing, inspirational stories of the participants, who have been through and seen things that most Miss Ohios couldn’t fathom.The documentary “Served Like a Girl,” out Friday, follows the lives of four of its contestants during the 2015 competition. ‘They raised their right hand and offered to die for us. How could I not only have so much respect for them, but also just think they’re badasses?’Like most people, director Lysa Heslov had never heard of the contest, which has so far raised $330,000 for female vets. Two years ago, Heslov had been on the hunt for her next project when a journalist pal offhandedly mentioned the pageant at lunch.“She said, ‘You know there’s a Ms. Veteran America competition?’” Heslov tells The Post. “Immediately my bells went off and, I thought, ‘Oh, God, I could tell this story.’”In an average year, there are about 25 finalists, and there is no age or height and weight requirements. Without knowing who would eventually win, Heslov got to work and found her four hopefuls: Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Engler, Navy Master at Arms 1st Class Hope Garcia, Army Sgt. Nichole Alred and Army Sgt. Andrea Waterbury. Heslov knew some sparse details about their lives, but sel ected this group because of their genuineness.
Upstairs, the store has also been revamped and reimagined, leaving larger dedicated spaces for its most important (and hyped) brands, along with new entrants to the stock list, including Lucas Ossendrijver’s menswear for Lanvin and looks from British cult-favorite designer Martine Rose.Of course, Gucci (under creative director Alessandro Michele) still reigns supreme on the penthouse level. Michele’s alluring floral-dotted babydoll dresses and shiny satin shawls (among other Dover Street-only Gucci offerings) sit beside lim ited editions of “Hortus Sanitatis” (a new book from the fashion house by photographer Derek Ridgers). Nearby, clever creations by Vetements and carefully crafted eyewear fr om Dita dazzle.Meanwhile, floors below, paint-splashed walls and severe, concrete-like blocks — designed by artist Sterling Ruby — decorate Calvin Klein’s brand-new space, which features creative director Raf Simons’ debut collection. Steps away, a temporary installation by Melitta Baumeister resembles a fashionable gym, with the buzzy German designer’s work hanging atop weightlifting racks and benches.Outside the store, as always, DSM-obsessed buyers wait patiently in line, ready to pounce on whatever gems have just arrived. It’s an energy that both enlivens the store and ensures it will never settle down. (As if that were possible.)
