subscribe to style file blog via RSSOn Our Radar: Joseph Leopard Coat
November 17, 2009 4:37 pm
They say leopards don’t change their spots—and that’s fine with me, because I am obsessed with them. I’ve been collecting leopard-print pieces for a few years, but I never managed to find the perfect coat. Until now. I love this extra-soft rabbit-fur piece at Joseph, either to pair with slouchy boyfriend jeans on the weekends or with my sleek, skinny J Brands for work. Printed fur can be tricky—either too flashy or too cheap-looking—but this one’s just right. Fair warning, though: It doesn’t look cheap because, well, it isn’t.
$1,450, available at Joseph, 816 Madison Ave., NYC, (212) 570-0077.
tags: Joseph, Leopard Coat
Choo Times Two
November 17, 2009 1:53 pm
Those that missed the Jimmy Choo for H&M launch this past weekend are in luck. We hear the frenzy-inducing collection will be restocked at three NYC stores (34th and Seventh, Herald Square, and 51st and Fifth) on the morning of November 19. Consider yourself warned.
tags: Jimmy Choo
Choo-sing Wisely At H&M
November 16, 2009 3:03 pm
While most H&M collab launches are early-morning affairs, for its much-hyped Jimmy Choo collection, the retailer threw open the doors of its Fifth Avenue flagship—newly redesigned and renovated, by the way—to an invite-only crowd on Friday night. Not, mind you, that any evening manners were in evidence. At 7 p.m. sharp, throngs of young women (accompanied by a few shell-shocked men) descended on the clothes, grabbing wildly at the sequined and beaded tanks, tunics, and jackets. Less popular were the suede offerings: a minidress with more than a foot of fringed trim went mostly untouched.
As expected, the real madness was in the “shoe department,” a sectioned-off corner (with “Choo blue”-painted police barriers) in the rear of the store. Once you gained access—burly security guards shut down the area multiple times—the most covetable items were any of the sky-high stilettos, particularly those in patent leather or zebra print. Among the other accessories, many shoppers were adding the bright pink plastic minaudière to their haul, while a wide studded belt, of which there were seemingly only a few, proved to be the most elusive prize. Those hoping for a few prizes of their own had better make tracks: The Fifth Avenue store still has stock at the moment, but once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
tags: Jimmy Choo
At Aloha Rag, The House Always Wins
November 13, 2009 3:25 pm
A store’s in-house label should act as a sort of sartorial caulk, filling in the cracks of its stock for a seamless shopping experience. That’s how Aloha Rag founder Tatsugo Yoda has been working for some time, lining the racks with occasional one-off pieces. But he’s now making it official with the store’s first house label for Spring 2010. The ten-piece capsule riffs on iconic pieces but transcends the basics with Yoda’s love of deconstruction and detail. (This is, after all, a guy who buys heavily into Margiela, Demeulemeester, and a host of Japanese labels.)
You can see the subtle flash of a gold zip running up the side of a classic white boyfriend shirt ($240). Apparently Yoda, like us, is a fan of modular clothes. Simply undo that zip for an A-line shape. A heather gray hoodie ($185) has the same feature, only in the middle of its back. There’s a strong utilitarian vein running through a military blouson ($380), the shorts-over-sweats Rocky pants ($280), and a boxy Chanel-esque jacket in distressed plaid flannel ($320). Also part of the new private label is Thakoon Panichgul’s men’s cardigan collaboration with 5+1 Annapurna. Here’s a wish-out-loud for an equally cool women’s collab for Fall.
tags: Aloha Rag, Ann Demeulemeester, Maison Martin Margiela, Meenal Mistry
Sara Beltrán Wants to Be Your BFF
November 13, 2009 3:07 pm
Clunky metal bangles, meet the challenger to your throne—one that stylish girls may remember from that great fashion institution, summer camp. Yes, embroidered bracelets, the kind we used to call friendship bracelets, are having a bit of a moment. (It girl Alexa Chung’s been rocking a wrist-full lately.) The good news? You don’t have to knot them yourself anymore. Stylist-turned-designer Sara Beltrán’s got you covered, with her new collection, Dezso.
Beltrán weaves her bracelets in electric hues of cotton and finishes each off with gold- and silver-cast embellishments: shark’s teeth, seashells, leaves, and her line’s totem, sea horses. All play nicely off spring’s surfer-hippie vibe, without making you look like you live on a VW bus. The friendship bracelets generated most of the buzz at Beltrán’s trunk show at the Crosby Street Hotel yesterday, but the Texan designer, who recently moved to Jaipur, India, has a full jewelry collection as well, with bangles, rings, necklaces, and cuff links. She’s been making the most of Jaipur’s resources, working with 18K gold, fossils that date back 65 million years, raw diamonds, and red sapphires. Each piece has her signature sea horse worked into the design, sometimes carved on the back or as the clasp for a chain. “It’s funny,” Beltrán says, “I grew up in the desert, now I live in the desert—but everything I design is about the sea.” As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Available at Roseark, Los Angeles, (323) 822-3600, www.roseark.com, and www.dezsosara.com.
—Laurie Trott
tags: Alexa Chung, bracelets, Dezso, Sara Beltran
On Our Radar: The Generic Man Nadia lace-up
November 13, 2009 2:23 pm
Speaking as someone who likes a bit of boy-ness in my wardrobe, I’m always pleased when menswear favorites go femme. Think the boyfriend jacket, the boyfriend jean, and now the boyfriend shoe. The Generic Man’s Brandon Day and Kevin Carney kept hearing that the ladies loved the kicks they made for dudes, so they decided to produce identical styles on a women’s last. Now in their second season, they’re jazzing them up a bit more, offering feminine tweaks like patent piping and Pop colors like yellow and purple that you won’t find in the men’s range. Works for me. I may like boy style, but as a wise woman once sang, I enjoy being a girl.
$290 to $365, available at Bird, shopbird.com, and Stuart & Wright, stuartandwright.com, both in Brooklyn.
tags: Bird, Brandon Day, Generic Man, Kevin Carney, Maya Singer, Stuart & Wright
On Our Radar: Cynthia Rowley’s Embellished Tights
November 12, 2009 5:12 pm
Having already dabbled in sequined dresses, blazers, and shorts, I’ve been on the hunt for new ways to incorporate a dash of sparkle into my everyday look. By the time Miuccia Prada debuted her version on the Miu Miu runway, bejeweled tights were something of a Fall ‘09 micro-trend. I love the idea of embellishment on an area usually left plain, and this Cynthia Rowley pair would look great with black leather shorts and a cashmere sweater. Or if I’m feeling extra-bold, I could wear them, à la Miu Miu, with a matching beaded skirt. On second thought, maybe some looks are better left on the catwalk.
$250, available at www.cynthiarowley.com.
tags: Cynthia Rowley, Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada
Moncler Moves In
November 12, 2009 12:15 pm
London is getting its own Moncler boutique at 197 Sloane Street today, just in time for winter. Company chairman and creative director Remo Ruffini is in town for the opening and we spoke to him via phone to get the details. In many ways it’s like the Moncler shop on Via della Spiga in the heart of Milan: same architecture firm, same warm Alpine effect, same “lacquered” nylon down-filled puffer jackets with the signature logo patch on the left sleeve. The big difference? It’s twice as large, and as such there’s room for the brand’s exclusive Gamme Rouge and Gamme Bleu lines, designed by Giambattista Valli and Thom Browne, respectively. The best part, for New Yorkers, at least: It’s a prototype for Moncler’s next retail destination, the Big Apple. Ruffini’s still shopping for locations, but he says he’s set his sights on Soho. There are a lot of stores in the neighborhood selling imitation shiny down-filled puffer jackets without the signature logo patch on the left sleeve. Ruffini’s looking forward to providing shoppers with the real thing.
tags: Gamme Bleu, Gamme Rouge, Giambattista Valli, Moncler, Thom Browne
The Mother Of All Rummage Sales
November 12, 2009 11:44 am
Want to know what it’s like to walk a mile in Gwyneth Paltrow’s shoes? Head to Selfridges on Sunday, where London trio Yasmin LeBon, Lisa B., and Trinny Woodall will host the “Really, Really Great Garage Sale” (or car boot sale, as they’re lovingly known in the U.K.).
The ladies have taken over the first-floor parking lot of the department store and called upon their A-list friends in support of Mothers4Children, which benefits children’s charities worldwide. So don’t go expecting your usual moth-bitten flea market stuff. Instead, there will be goodies such as Paltrow’s Balenciaga boots, Lily Allen’s signed Reeboks, Liz Hurley’s Helmut Lang suit, Jemima Khan’s Prada dress, and LeBon’s own Tod’s sandals. We caught up with Simon’s better half and the mother of their three teenage girls earlier this week, and she told us that no one in the LeBon household is off-duty on Sunday: “I’ve made sure all my family and friends are involved in some way—it’s really exciting because the sale will offer some incredible pieces with a story to tell.” And no doubt, a bargain to be had.
tags: Gwyneth Paltrow, Helmut Lang, Jemima Khan, Lily Allen, Liz Hurley, Prada, Selfridges
So Who’s Buying Ungaro?
November 11, 2009 4:59 pm
It’s no secret that Estrella Archs and Lindsay Lohan’s Spring 2010 version of Ungaro didn’t exactly wow the critics. And, as reported today by The Independent, the house’s founder, Emanuel Ungaro, has termed it a “disaster.” But what about the retail reaction?
Well, file this under Not Surprised: Both Neiman Marcus and Net-a-Porter, two of the only big shopping destinations where Ungaro can currently be bought outside of the brand’s own boutiques, have dropped the line for Spring 2010, according to representatives for the stores. Barneys and Saks, meanwhile, haven’t carried the label in a few seasons, and they didn’t jump at the house’s new party girl-based image—neither of them picked up the line for Spring, reps confirm.
As for who did? Well, there’s Vivaldi, an Upper East Side boutique best known for carrying mostly Paris and Milan-based fashions for a well-heeled clientele. And those with a taste for fuchsia minidresses and flying in the face of conventional wisdom can always seek out Ungaro’s own stores.
tags: Add new tag, Emanuel Ungaro, Estrella Archs, Lindsay Lohan
