Martha Stewart

Leggings

Martha Stewart Has a Very Important Message For Vince's Doo-Ri Chung

Martha Stewart's love for the California-based brand Vince is well-documented — and Stewart has a message for its new creative director, Doo-Ri Chung.

Martha Stewart's love for the California-based brand Vince is well-documented — and Stewart has a message for its new creative director, Doo-Ri Chung.

"I love Vince. These are Vince leggings," Stewart said, swinging one leg from underneath a conference table during an interview at Macy's Herald Square flagship store last week. "These are fantastic. I wear them all the time because, actually, they fit me. I don't have to even try them on in the store. I know that if I buy my size, I will get a fit."

Stewart expressed concern about the departure of Rea Laccone, who oversaw design at Vince, but seemed relieved to learn that her replacement, Chung, is a woman.

"Oh good. I hope she keeps the same sizing," she said before leaning forward into our voice recorder to underscore the point. "Doo-Ri, please keep the same sizes because I don't like fitting rooms."

But Stewart does like J.Crew ("everybody wears everything J.Crew in my office") and "these young guys called Proenza Schouler." She said, "I think their things are very well made, I think they're beautiful, I think they could be a really big, important part of the American marketplace. They are not yet, but they are striving to be that. They're not a flash in the pan."

And neither, certainly, is Stewart, who's been too busy "designing things for the home and for living" to make a push into fashion. But that doesn't mean it won't happen someday. "I don't rule out anything like that, like entering fashion, because I would like to," she said. "I think I could design."

Source: Alexander Porter/BFAnyc.com

summer

Everything You Need to Know About Martha's American Food

When you've written as many books as Martha Stewart has (she's up to a whopping 77 by her own count), finding ways to add something new can be a challenge.

When you've written as many books as Martha Stewart has (she's up to a whopping 77 by her own count), finding ways to add something new can be a challenge. But at a recent round table hosted by Stewart to kick off the Macy's American Icon campaign, the doyenne of American entertaining told us that readers can still learn a lot from her cookbook Martha's American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation's Most Treasured Dishes, From Coast to Coast.

In it, Stewart gives a regional overview of what makes American food so special and includes recipes for everything from Indiana succotash to New York cheesecake. "American cooking is really an amalgamation of all the world's cuisines because we're the quintessential melting pot," she told us last week. "This book kind of incorporates by region what all those foods are."

So what sets this book apart from the rest of Stewart's oeuvre? Keep reading to find out.

DIY

Turn Vintage Tea Towels Into Sweet Sundresses For Warm Summer Days

Little girls and linen sundresses are a sure sign that Summer's arrived.

Little girls and linen sundresses are a sure sign that Summer's arrived. But what if you could actually make your little one's sweet dress yourself? And what if you could make it out of a beautiful tea towel you found at your favorite home store — or better yet, an antique one packed away in a box somewhere? It's an easier project than you would think.

Inspired by her granddaughter, Jude, and some vintage towels she had stacked away in her attic, Martha Stewart and her staff at Martha Stewart Living created five simple patterns that require little more than a sewing machine to create. These no-zipper, no-snap projects (they just require a button or two and some bias tape for the most intricate of the patterns) are so adorable, that like Martha, you won't mind giving new life to antique fabric that can be enjoyed by a new generation. Click through to see the designs up close and get the patterns, which can also be found in the June issue of the magazine.

Photography by Johnny Miller for Martha Stewart Living

Anne Hathaway Enters the Art World With the Help of SJP

Anne Hathaway and Sarah Jessica Parker brought Hollywood to the art world when they attended the Tate Americas Foundation Artists Dinner in NYC yesterday.

Anne Hathaway and Sarah Jessica Parker brought Hollywood to the art world when they attended the Tate Americas Foundation Artists Dinner in NYC yesterday. Anne wore a pink Givenchy dress and styled her new blond hair in a chic '60 pixie cut. Meanwhile, SJP wore a vintage floral dress and Fendi cuffs as she chatted with Anne inside the party. Both Anne and Sarah Jessica had crossed paths earlier this week when they both attended the 2013 Met Gala on Monday night. They weren't the only stars still basking in the post-Met glow — Alexa Chung, who attended the ball earlier this week, also dropped by the Tate dinner and got a chance to chat with Anne and her husband, Adam Shulman. Ciara and Martha Stewart also attended the artsy affair.

Don't forget to vote for SJP, Anne, and more in our POPSUGAR 100 bracket for a chance to win a Victoria Beckham bag!

Sex

America's Hottest Single Martha Stewart Is Open About Her Romantic Hopes and Regrets

Leave it to Martha Stewart to become America's hottest single at 71.

Leave it to Martha Stewart to become America's hottest single at 71. During her quest to promote her book Living the Good Long Life, the domestic goddess has moved a lot of her conversations to the bedroom. Last week, men flocked to her profile after she joined Match.com to explore new romantic opportunities. And today, we're finding out about some missed ones. In the 1970s, a young Martha, then already a former model, sold pastries at a clothing store where sex symbols Robert Redford and Paul Newman frequented. Martha lamented, "I'd just hand them their croissant or tart, and I didn't even look at them. Can you imagine? I didn't even think about looking at those guys. I should have, because they're very handsome.”


Robert Redford and Paul Newman, two sex symbols ignored by Martha Stewart.

Well, now Martha's trying to right that wrong. Monday on the Today show, she narrowed down potential Match.com suitors to two and said she planned to message them for a coffee date. Using requirements including age, political views, and pictures, she completed the tough task of sifting through 1,000 messages received in less than a week, which, she admitted, took time away from planting her gardens and riding her horses.


A young Martha Stewart as a model.

Martha's Match.com escapades will probably have a lasting impact. Already, the site says more older women have signed up, feeling inspired by Martha. And, of course, her online dating move was just begging to be made into an SNL skit. Funny enough, Kate McKinnon's impression ("Intercourse. I've had it before and I'd like it again.") doesn't deviate too far from Martha's real interviews, in which she said: "I'd like to go to bed with somebody. Sleep with somebody." Watch the skit below.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal Shows His Support at a Spring Benefit in Harlem

Jake Gyllenhaal stepped out for the Edible Schoolyard's inaugural Spring benefit dinner, called "A Garden Grows in Harlem," in NYC last night.

Jake Gyllenhaal stepped out for the Edible Schoolyard's inaugural Spring benefit dinner, called "A Garden Grows in Harlem," in NYC last night. It may have been their first-ever benefit dinner, but Jake and the Edible Schoolyard have been working together for over three years. He was joined by other big names like J.Crew's Jenna Lyons, Martha Stewart, and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the event, which benefits the creation of a rooftop garden and kitchen classroom at Manhattan's P.S. 7 in East Harlem.

Jake, who was the honoree of the charitable evening out, also scored a recent accolade in the Big Apple. Jake made his New York stage debut last Fall in the play If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, and he is nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award, which honors the best in Off-Broadway theater performances.

Organization

5 Ways to Get the Kids to Help Clean Up More at Home

A place for everything and everything in its place — so said Benjamin Franklin.

A place for everything and everything in its place — so said Benjamin Franklin. With Spring cleaning well under way, we're looking at some ways to help organize your life by making the most hectic hours — the morning rush and dinnertime — run a bit more smoothly. But leave it to Martha Stewart to show us exactly how it can be done. We asked the editors of the Martha Stewart Living Organizing Special Issue to share their best strategies for involving the kids in home organization. Keep reading for five tips that are sure to get kids in on the action.

Photo by Eric Piasecki. Copyright 2012. Courtesy of the Martha Stewart Living Organizing 2012 Special Issue

consumerism

Martha Stewart Changed the Way America Shops

Martha Stewart may be in the middle of another court battle, but she hasn't forgotten her influence on mainstream America.

Martha Stewart may be in the middle of another court battle, but she hasn't forgotten her influence on mainstream America. Our partners at Business Insider relayed that message from the mogul's recent court appearance.

Regardless of what you think of her, it's safe to say that it's her determination and ruthless perfectionism that have made Stewart so successful.

Home goddess Martha Stewart started a line with Kmart in 1997.

At the time, she says she was snubbed by her peers for going mass market.

But in court over a contract dispute with Macy's yesterday, Stewart explained how she changed American home decor forever.

"Before my line with K-Mart, towels were navy, maroon, brown," she said on the stand. "There was this false belief that poor people did their laundry less than rich people."

But Stewart insisted that everyone wanted beautiful things, she said.

"I released towels in pastels like pink, yellow, and sage green," Stewart said. "Our bestselling color towel that year was white, and I'm so proud of that."

Stewart's ideas were revolutionary at the time. Since then, everyone from Target to Ikea has promoted the idea of "everyday luxury."

"It's both incredibly flattering and frustrating," Stewart said on the stand. "The Martha Stewart Everyday collection started this all."

Check out these smart Business Insider stories:

JCPenney Made Martha Stewart an Offer She Couldn't Refuse

Here's What's at Stake in the Huge Trial Between Martha Stewart, JCPenney, and Macy's

Martha Stewart: The CEO of Macy's Hung Up on Me, and I Was "Flabbergasted"

JCPenney Could Suffer a "Fatal Blow" if Martha Stewart Deal Falls Through

Wedding

Fall in Love With Lemon-Curd-Laced Cupcakes

I'll pick a slice of cherry pie over a cupcake any day, with one exception: these lemon-curd-filled cupcakes.

I'll pick a slice of cherry pie over a cupcake any day, with one exception: these lemon-curd-filled cupcakes. Pleasantly dense cream cheese pound cake flecked with lemon zest would make for a killer cake without further adornment, but velvety lemon curd is the real star here.

Thankfully (or dangerously), they're not too tricky to make, so I can whip them up with regularity. Just remember not to fill them with lemon curd more than four hours before serving as the lemon curd will start to leach into the cake, marring their otherwise lovely appearance.

Keep reading to learn how to prep them ahead of time — and, of course, for the recipe.

felt

Martha Stewart Shares 5 Easy Valentine's Day Crafts For Kids

There's something about crafting with felt that brings out the kid in all of us.

There's something about crafting with felt that brings out the kid in all of us. Regardless of how it's glued, sewn, or cut, we love the retro feel the fabric brings to projects. It also happens to be one of the easiest materials for young tots to handle due to its thickness — there's a reason so many preschool projects are made from felt!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we turned to Jodi Levine, crafts editor at Martha Stewart Living, for some advice on crafting with our kids for the big day. "Many years ago my friend Page Marchese Norman and I started a tradition of hand making Valentine's gifts for our co-workers," Jodi shared. "I think we had originally meant for them to be holiday gifts but with the December craziness, Valentine's seemed like a more reasonable deadline! Felt had always been a favorite material of ours. Because felt is nonwoven and doesn't fray, it requires no hemming, making it super easy to work with."

Check out the five easy crafts your lil ones can create with minimal help from mom and dad.