YouTube Style Guru Q&A: Jarmaine Santiago

 

Move over, Pioneer Woman. There are some new Internet superstars in town.

While millions of women around the country are reading tales of the Pioneer Woman's sexy rural life, their daughters are tuning into YouTube, where a new generation of young women is generating enormous audiences of style-obsessed viewers between the ages of 12 and 24. Posting self-produced videos on how to do the perfect smoky eye, how to wear your hair like Jessica Alba or what to wear, the most successful of these YouTube gurus can rack up more than 300,000 views per video.

Many of these style gurus are living right here in Los Angeles. We wanted to get to know them -- and thought you would, too, through an occasional series of Q&A's.

First up—Jarmaine Santiago, a 21-year-old student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing whose channel JLovesMac1 has 314,173 subscribers. Santiago's persona is a mix of Fran Drescher meets gospel preacher meets pretty Filipina girl with Tourette syndrome. "It's like my alter ego that comes out when I'm excited," she said during a recent phone interview. "I have to be in the mood to shoot a video."

Originally from Ventura County and currently living near Koreatown, Santiago said she spent six months watching other YouTube gurus before she jumped into the fray herself a year and a half ago. "First I did it out of curiosity, then it became a little hobby, and then I got obsessed with it and I'm still obsessed with it," she said. She posts two to three videos a week on one of her two channels--Jlovesmac1 and Jarmaine TV -- and says it takes her about four hours to make a video--two to talk and two to edit. "It's like you are running your own show," she said. "It's your channel and you can talk about anything you want."

In a recent video called "Haul: Forever 21" (linked above) Santiago describes a spring shopping trip to the discount retailer where she was accosted by an aggressive sales clerk ("It's like, what do you want from me, woman!"), bought a blank tank top with a zip-up back ("For easier access....just kidding!") and some short shorts ("If you are looking for the perfect Daisy Dukes for summer...ewww girl!....you don't even have to look anywhere else.") 

It got more than 90,000 views within 24 hours.

ATR: Describe your style:

JS:  I don't know. I don't even know what my style is yet. I'm still in the discovery stage. I like to go with whatever's comfortable. I'm a little bit girly, but not too girly, but I shy away from being girly because I want to look mature. I'm into fashion, but am I big follower? No. But I like to risk it a little sometimes. But I don't really have style. It's changing.

ATR: What’s more important, makeup or clothes?

JS: Do I have to choose an answer? .... I don't know. Well, I was born into this Earth naked… OK. Clothes. I feel like you can express more of yourself with how you dress. But when I take off my makeup I'd look like a zombie, so we don't want to go there.

 ATR: Favorite place to shop in Los Angeles?

JS: H&M and Forever 21. I love to go bargain shopping. And I love Asian stores, they are the best. I like to get eyelashes from the Asian stores and Asian beauty products because those are good, and they are cheap too. And they are international, so you can get a gist of what other countries are doing. 

ATR: Least favorite place to shop in Los Angeles?

JS: I'm not really into stores like Anthropologie or Abercrombie or Urban Outfitters or anything like that. I want to shop for what my subscribers could afford. I worked a part-time job. I like to take a little risk and spend my money, but hey…those places aren't affordable. I know at H&M and Forever 21 the quality isn't long term, but you know, who cares about quality.

 ATR: What are your three most essential makeup products?  

JS: Eyebrow pencils and mascara and concealer. Those are the core and they are what I started out with on YouTube and what I was most innovative at. That's been my holy grail since the get-go.

 ATR: What are your three most essential wardrobe items?

JS: Umm…..jeans, that's for sure. And a white tank top underneath a shirt and hoops. Yeah. Hoops. They look good with jeans and T-shirts, you look casual, but I don’t know, edgy?

ATR: Finish this sentence. I make YouTube videos because…..

JS: I like to make people smile. And I like to bug people.

 --Deborah Netburn

Video: Jarmaine Santiago on YouTube 

 

Alexander McQueen, post-McQueen, shares challenges with other labels when the top designer departs

Alexander McQueen's  label was known for its edgy, dark vibe as much as it was for its skillful workmanship and artistic details.

Then McQueen committed suicide last year and was replaced by his longtime assistant, Sarah Burton. Could a label so imbued with its design director's aesthetic and personality survive his passing?

So far, yes. Witness the prestige of designing the most viewed wedding gown in recent history, as Kate Middleton walked down the aisle to wed Prince William and become Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

 Fashion critic Booth Moore examines the challenges and opportunities for McQueen and other labels when they lose their creative directors. Read more about it here, and see what's happened to brands from Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent when they've lost their top guns by clicking here.

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Sarah Burton. Credit: Justin Lane / EPA

Reader photo call for Style L.A.: We want to know what you're wearing

Calling all fashionistas! We want to see what you're wearing. Do you have a favorite pair of vintage pumps? Maybe a new Chanel bag, a pair of jeans that fit just right or a fabulous dress?  We want to see it all. Style L.A.: What are you wearing? is about the fashion scene in Los Angeles and your style.

Friday we will feature our favorite reader photo of the week from our Style: L.A.: What are you wearing? reader photo gallery.

Pictured above at left is Janet Schultz of Silver Lake who describes her wardrobe as "it's all pretty much vintage." "I always show at least one pop of bright color," she says. To the right is Chelsea Knights of Long Beach, who made the necklace and earrings she's wearing. "I wear a lot of vintage mostly. I always wear heels because I want to be taller. I love all colors, so bright colors and black combinations are good too."

Upload pictures of your style here and every week the Image section will pick a favorite look to feature right here on the All the Rage blog. We can't wait to see your definition of style.

Photos: Janet Schultz and Chelsea Knights. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times.

Fashion moves into the late '60s, early '70s. Will 'Mad Men' change too?

So much of recent fashion has been influenced by the structured, picture-perfect look of "Mad Men":  full skirts, sheath dresses and prim sweater sets for women and pin-sharp tailored suits for men.

So when runways for spring and fall started mixing in influences of the late '60s and early '70s, we suddenly realized the most stylish show on television could be in for a change when the season resumes. The last season ended in 1965  -- and in real life, the world was due for a youthquake. Fashion was about to be turned on its head. Stylist and fashion writer Vincent Boucher looks at the changing of a fashion era. It makes a nice Saturday morning read!

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks), Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Faye Miller (Cara Buono) share an elevator ride in Season 4 of "Mad Men." Credit: AMC

Reader photo call: Style L.A.: What are you wearing?

Calling all fashionistas! We want to see what you're wearing. Do you have a favorite pair of vintage pumps? Maybe a new Chanel bag, a pair of jeans that fit just right or a fabulous dress?  We want to see it all. Style L.A.: What are you wearing? is about the fashion scene in Los Angeles and your style.

Pictured above at left is Ping Ping Chen, 30, of downtown L.A., who says she is "pretty much girly." She likes to mix up "fabrics, layers and textures" so that she's "sparkly disco." She is pictured in front of her artwork. To the right is Brandi Magee of Larchmont Village. "My style is a mixture of modern and retro," says Magee. "I come from an era around the '50s. It's something I feel inside and it manifests itself in my style."

Upload pictures of your style here and every week the Image section will pick a favorite look to feature right here on the All the Rage blog. We can't wait to see your definition of style. 

Photo from left: Ping Ping Chen and Brandi Magee. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times.

Tyra Banks and Demand Media launch Type F, a new fashion and beauty website

Tyra Banks just can't sit still. The supermodel, TV mogul and buddding novelist on Tuesday launched a fashion and beauty website, Type F, in conjunction with Demand Media, a content and social media company based in Santa Monica.

Like Boutiques.com and other personalization-oriented websites, Type F strives to give users a highly unique experience. Plug in a slew of physical attributes (eye color, body shape, etc.), and it tailors the content to each user.

The emphasis here is more on jazzy applications than fresh fashion and beauty content. There's an app that walks users through Beauty School (teaching, for instance, how to master eyeliner) and another, the Daily Look, that encourages users to upload their daily ensembles and chat about them.

But the style and beauty articles -- i.e. "What kind of clothes should petite women wear?" and "When to wear a full slip" -- feel rather spiritless. Granted, creative story titles aren't the point; Demand Media's business model is steeped in search engine optimization, so it produces articles geared to popular online searches, and keeps the titles SEO-friendly to boot. It's a model that's worked, so far, for Demand-produced sites including eHow.com and LiveStrong.com.

The site's hijinks-filled video series with Banks and Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, "Fa Fa Fa Fashion," is miles more vibrant. In the first episode, the  larger-than-life personalities break down how to wear a trench coat ("It suggests high-octane mystery," notes Talley of the outerwear). Fun and casual, it's a great way to burn 3 minutes and 47 seconds at the office.

"This site is something that is ... connected to my mission — which is expanding the definition of beauty," Banks said during a conference call with the media Tuesday. The famous multitasker added that she wanted Type F to make women "Feel safe, feel beautiful and feel like they are special."

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: The home page of Type F. Credit: Type F.

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, Victoria's Secret and New York Fashion Week

When we got home from work last night, what did we find waiting amid the stack of bills and credit card offers? The Sports Illustrated 2011 Swimsuit issue! It is, after all, something we look forward to every year. Seriously. We look forward to burying the Sports Illustrated 2011 Swimsuit issue beneath stacks of old newspapers and magazines ... just to see whether our roommate of the last several years remembers to ask if it has arrived. We enjoy observing the look on his face when we play dumb. And we enjoy the discovery that "Simon Southwood, co-owner and designer of Sauvage  swimwear, was also shocked to learn one of his bikinis was front and center on the bestselling issue." Simon, it's a small world, after all. [People] 

When we think of the SI Swimsuit issue, our next thought turns to Victoria's Secret Angels. (Because, really, if it's not one ego-deflating model, it's another.) And this week, we learn from Vogue UK, that director Michael Bay of "Transformers" fame, is apparently working on an advertising campaign for the label's summer "Bombshell" collection. Michael, you're a giver.

Speaking of givers, is there anything more irresistible than a Kardashian? Hanging out at Fashion Week in New York, Kim and Kourtney have been dishing about their style icons. Let's start with Ali McGraw ... and end with Jennifer Lopez. [Stylelist]

Also hanging out at Fashion Week are our very own Booth Moore and Adam Tschorn. Keep up with all the goings-on on the runways ... right here, at All the Rage. And in case you're wondering Who buys all those beautiful creations? Rich people. The Wall Street Journal reports that "many of the runway styles are actually purchased by a small group of customers, not all of them from the isle of Manhattan."

Colin Firth's  wife, Livia, has been out and about lately as her husband collects awards and accolades for "The King's Speech." According to People magazine, Livia Firth "decided to bring eco-couture to the red carpet by wearing designers who care about environmental and social justice causes." And "for this year’s Golden Globe awards, her dress was dyed by homegrown indigo plants from designer Jeff Garner’s community garden in Tennessee."  

Diane Kruger, who is also known for her red-carpet looks, says she does not use a stylist. " 'I got rid of all of them,' " she says in a report in Vogue UK. " 'Only because I just don't think a lot of people have style in Hollywood, or at least not what I like. I think everybody looks the same.' "  

Zsa Zsa Gabor's ninth husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, needs to raise some money to pay for her medical care. So what's a guy to do? Auction off her furs online, that's what. [NY Post]

And, finally, if you want to talk style, please talk about the stylish Scottish deerhound, specifically the Scottish deerhound named Hickory that was crowned top dog at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Sleek, elegant and poised. Everything we could ask of America's next top model. Sports Illustrated, take note.

--Alice Short

Shipley & Halmos publish a book all about ... their customer base

A few months ago we told you about designers Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos (Shipley & Halmos) hitting the road for a “Fill in the Blank Photo Tour.”

Perhaps you recall that they planned to tour Barneys Co-Op locations around the country in search of the “quintessential Shipley & Halmos customer.” The former Southern California guys (who co-founded Trovata before parting ways with its current owner) planned to meet with those who love their line and take their photos, all in the name of pulling together a rather complex portrait of their customer base.

Naturally, they planned  to publish a book of the photos and now that book is available. Its title is “We’re an American ­­­­­­­­­­­_________” and it's available at Barneys and the Shipley & Halmos website.

--Alice Short

Photo: Covers of the book "We're an American __________." Credit: Shipley & Halmos.

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Kim Kardashian doesn't know, Princes William and Harry do know, and Lady Gaga knows what not to wear.

Can it be true? Kim Kardashian tells Katie Couric she doesn't feel as sexy as "everyone thinks" -- although she admits that being a global sex symbol is powerful. More to the point for All the Rage, the woman who's been lighting up magazine covers (including Glamour's February "Guy Issue") and launching new products for lo these many months says she has trouble figuring out what to wear in the morning. Kim, welcome to our world! [People] 

It was bound to happen sooner or later: Princes William and Harry have made British GQ's annual best-dressed list. Younger bro Harry (No. 5) beat out William (No. 27) on the list of 50 sartorially splendid men, which includes some other British names well known in the U.S., such as David Beckham and his 8-year-old son, Romeo; Simon Cowell; Sir Elton John; and Bill Nighy. Actor Aaron Johnson topped the list, pushing last year's No. 1, Robert Pattinson, to fourth. Meanwhile, taking top "honors" on the magazine's list of the worst dressed? Mel Gibson. [Telegraph]

What a global economy we live in. Japanese cosmetics firm Shiseido has inked a deal with Italian opera company La Scala. [WWD] Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer has opened its first store in France, on Paris' Boulevard Saint-Germain. [WWD] We've told you before that Brazil was a place to watch, and an influx of luxury brands -- including Chanel, Christian Louboutin and Marc Jacobs -- over the last two years has proven the point.  [WWD] (Subscription required for all.) 

Wearing the longer skirts that are sweeping onto the scene can be challenging if you want to avoid looking like a granny. But mixing in the right complementary pieces -- a short jacket or long sweater -- and accessories -- booties, for instance -- will bring the look right up to 2011. [FabSugar]

One of Lady Gaga's late-2010 "fashion statements" seemed to be the bare bottom. She was photographed numerous places wearing nothing -- or not much -- on her bottom half. Now we know why: The giant tease was for her forthcoming "Born This Way" album, which will reportedly feature a photo of a bottomless Lady G on the cover. [ShowStudio]

Speaking of album art and fashion: The white suit John Lennon wore on the cover of "Abbey Road" has reportedly sold at auction in Connecticut for $46,000. [Huffington Post]

-- Susan Denley

Photos, from top: Kim Kardashian, who doesn't feel sexy or like she knows what to wear. Credit: Charley Gallay / Getty Images.  Lady Gaga, wearing not much on the bottom but still more than she might on her new album cover. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Spice Girls, engagement rings and trendy braids

It's almost time for us to put on our party shoes and bid goodbye to 2010, but before we do:

--Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has started a line of beachwear. [Daily Mail]

--Speaking of Spice Girls, the rumors that the Beckhams are moving to New York so Victoria can concentrate on her fashion empire appear to be untrue. [NYDN]

--Wal-Mart will "invade Brooklyn, come hell or high water." [The Cut]

--Crystal Harris (shame on you if you haven't been paying attention!) is tweeting about her engagement ring, a gift from fiance Hugh Hefner. [People]

Bellasugar revisits its 10 most popular stories for the year. First on the list had nothing to do with the so-called jobless recovery (what were you thinking?!), but, rather, 10 new ways to wear trendy braids.

-- Alice Short

Photo: Geri Halliwell. Credit: Reuters