Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Bündchen by Dolce & Gabbana


Fashion icon Gisele Bundchen has been teamed with Dolce & Gabana for years, being the face of of both their clothing and also their fragrance The One, available at Nordstrom. The brazilian supermodel is attributed to help skyrocket the fragrance to impressive sales of $148 million, according to Catwalk Queen.

She is now bringing their relationship to a new level, they have joined forces and she now will design for the Italian fashion moguls. Together they will create Bundchen by Dolce & Gabana , described as " chic and feminine" it will be released this March. I am hoping for an elegant glam feel from the new line.


via Luxist.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Tory Burch Resort Wear

I have long loved Tory Burch for her Reva Ballet flats and her fun totes. However this week I found yet another reason to love the 60's and 70's inspired designer; her resort wear which was launched this week at Nordstrom (and is also carried at retailers such as Neiman and Marcus and Saks).
The collection features fun prints and bold colors, which is nothing less than you would expect from the New York designer. Tory Burch states that her color palette for the new collection as "a neutral palette of brown and white is accented by Tahitian sunset colors such as papaya orange, orchid pink and deep purple" (Tory Burch). My favorite pieces include the Orchid dress (see left) which would be perfect for a night out on vacation and the Effie tunic (see right).

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Christian Louboutins

The blog 'I am Fashion' on Christian Louboutins shoes:

Out of all the super designer footwear brands out there like Manolos and Jimmy Choos, my favourite is Christian Louboutins. I really want to be able to say that I love them all, but I've been to the stores and tried them on and to be honest, I've never really seen anything at the Jimmy Choo store that I really wanted to try on. As for Manolos, physically the designs don't look too special either. I heard it was the angle of the arch that is crazy comfortable, but I don't quite need that at this point in my life yet when there are so many decently comfortable black pumps out there still i.e. Fiona by Cole Haan. So yes, Manolos and Jimmy Choos are like wine- an acquired taste developed over time.

For me, the charm for Louboutins are just more obvious. Their designs are just more elegant and me....

-Via I am Fashion, The thing about Louboutins (Full Text)

True Religion: Foil Jeans

Styledash commented on a pair of True Religion Jeans (NASDAQ:TRLG), proclaiming them to be the best 'going out' jean they have seen in a while. Contrary to the Fashion Investor Poll... we also think these are potentially worth looking at - although the bright gold could be an eyesore to some without the right top and accessories...


true religion joey foil jeansFiled under: Casual wear, Jeans and DenimI am a denim girl at heart. In fact, I have more pairs of jeans than I do pairs of socks (that's the truth). Today, jeans are appropriate for almost any occasion but the secret is wearing the right kind of denim at the right time. During the day almost anything goes. However when the sun goes down you must choose your denim carefully.

The True Religion Joey Foiled Painted Pocket Jean is perfect for night time occasions. The dark wash, the extravagant pocket detail and the sexy cut will be turning heads all night long. These jeans would look amazing with a gold sequin shell and pointy-toed stiletto heels -- great for a night on the town with the girls or a date with that special someone.

-Via Styledash (Full Article)

Trendspotting: Shopping bags - A new fashion?


This winter shopping season, you may have noticed the impressive quantity of strongly-branded shopping bags around the city. It is not suprising that with a potential retail squeeze coming after the new year, that retailers are jockeying for high sales figures during the holidays.


The New York Times had a very interesting article about these shopping bags and the idea behind this trend.

A team of designers at Saks Fifth Avenue envisioned “a piece of modern art” and hired a renowned graphic artist to create it. Their counterparts at Lord & Taylor demanded five prototypes, even traveling to a Korean factory to oversee manufacturing.

Bags designed by David Lipman. Lord & Taylor pays 80 cents for each.

Over at Bergdorf Goodman, staff members held secretive deliberations that stretched late into the night for nine months.

The focus of all this scurrying was not this fall’s couture line or next spring’s resort collection.

It was shopping bags.

Once a flimsy afterthought in American retailing — used to lug a purchase home from the store, then tossed into the trash — the lowly, free store bag is undergoing a luxurious makeover.

From upscale emporiums to midprice chains, retailers are engaged in a heated competition to make the most durable, fashionable shopping bags. They are investing millions of dollars in new flourishes like plastic-coated paper (Macy’s and Juicy Couture) and heavy fabric cord handles (Abercrombie & Fitch and Scoop).

-NYT, Never Mind What’s in Them, Bags Are the Fashion (Full Article)

We thought that the shopping bags were a great momentum indicator into the holidays by simply walking down the street. We also noted that some retailers such as Nordstrom have been providing their customers with quality shopping bags for years!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Cosabella and Sex and The City Join Forces


Whether you are a Carrie, a Miranda, a Charlotte or even a Samantha, Cosabella will soon be able to fit your lingerie needs. The much loved Miami based brand signed a licensing agreement with HBO and the collection is due to hit U.S stores in April. The new collection will feature four groups, each one based on a different SATC icon. So whether you are fashion forward, all business, conservative but girly or a little bit racy, you can find your style in Cosabella’s new line.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Domestic Spending Slowdown?

Economists and retailers everywhere are freaking over the possibility of a slowdown in consumer spending, and they're looking for signs of weakness during the oh-so-important holiday season.

Americans' spending is not being sustained by cheap credit extended by banks against a home's rising equity, as real estate sales (and prices) have stagnated.

Commentators and economists have been hypothesizing that this would hit the aspirational luxury retailers hardest - Coach and your local suburban-mall Tiffany & Co. are two strong examples of stores that are believed to be the hardest hit this season. The ultra-luxury retailers are thought to be more resilient during a slowdown, so Bvlgari and Bergdorf Goodman might still have reason to celebrate. Blogger TalentedBlonde did some sleuthing in her local mall and "hooked a woman from [Tiffany & Co.] corporate sales," who, when asked, "owned up to the truth - the day was slow, people weren’t shopping. When they were, the ASP’s (Average Sales Price[s]) were DOWN, and the fear of the impending recession was ALL everybody talked about - in TIFFANY!!!!! Mon Dieu!"

This account isn't statistically significant - it's an account of one day, in one mall. Still, if this mall is a microcosm of national spending, TalentedBlonde may just be right: this sales season is no superstar.

On Black Friday (the day after thanksgiving), sales numbers looked really good, and this was cause for optimism. The problem was that much of the sales on Black Friday were driven by heavy discounting. Most stores didn't have the goods to drive demand, whereas the last two holiday seasons had great new product introductions that drove people to stores to pay full price (for instance, the XBOX 360, PS3, and Wii launches of winters '06-'07).

This heavy discounting is not good for the retailers' bottom-line.

Read more about this season's spending over at Luxist ("High End Retailers Seeing A Slowdown") and Talented Blonde ("Spies Like Us: Talented Blonde On The Loose At Short Hills Mall")

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Posh Spice and Jennifer Connelly, Fashion Muses


Victoria Beckham has been named the next face of Marc Jacobs. Following in the footsteps of such characters as Meg White, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Winona Ryder, and even Dakota Fanning, lovely Posh Spice is a perfect fit for the sort of celebrity-obsessed, counter-culture irony that Jacobs likes to maintain for his brand. The ad campaign will be shot by Jacobs' regular collaborator Juergen Teller.

In an equally perfect pairing, Jennifer Connelly will star in the Spring/Summer 2008 ad campaign for Balenciaga. A longtime friend and muse to Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière, Connelly has the ideal mix of dark, elegant beauty, intelligence and exceptional talent that befits the house. Connelly is the first non-model celebrity to pose for the brand.

Could Posh and Connelly be any further apart? I don't think so.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Capital Allocation: Business of Fasion

The Business of Fashion blog features a great series this week on basic spending guidelines for the fashion industry to ensure success. This is a must read for anyone interested in doing any business in the sector.

The Business of Fashion Basics 4 - How do I decide where to allocate my capital?

So you've done it. You've cobbled together some financing from family and friends or squeezed a loan out of your bank manager. If you're a little farther along, perhaps you have managed to raise an injection of capital that will help take your business to the next level. The question is, now what to do with your funding? And, how do you make it last? - Business of Fashion
I will be in New York this week for interviews, however please stay posted for more updates over the next week!


Speaking of which, the Sartorialist had a small article on the styles of Grey's and Blues in New York worth checking out. Those of you looking to play outside in this colder weather might also want to refer to I Like Her Style's article on Winter Parkas.

In case anyone was wondering what the newest Men's winter jacket trends are, Stil in Berlin has a look into what people are wearing on the streets of northern Germany.