Philo-filles

Soft italian leather, embossed gold lettering, the perfect mix of contrived minimalist slouch, sounds reminiscent of a certain cult Parisian brand, au contraire mon ami.  Iomoi, once known for preppy stationary and monogrammed trinkets,  has expanded with a line of leather goods.    

Available at Iomoi

Photo courtesy of Iomoi

It's almost here...

Your very own boutique...

Boutiques.com is the much buzzed about fashion shopping site from Google.  The site boasts celebrity endorsements of Carey Mulligan, the Olsens, and designers alike.  It is a hybrid of ShopStyle, StyleCaster with a little bit of StyledOn in the mix.  The idea is that you can shop in celebrity, designer, socialite, and blogger curated boutiques.  Note, you cannot actually buy anything off of Boutiques.com, rather you are redirected to an e-commerce site for purchase.  
Curious as to what all of the hype was about, I created my own "boutique".  Boutiques.com attempts to asses my style through a slide show of runway and street-style images, and by selecting silhouettes, colors, patterns, and designers - first of those I "Love" then of those I "Hate".  Upon completion I have my very own "boutique"!
This is where Boutiques.com's quirks come into play. Survey selections and their recommendations are not in sync.  Items listed as my "hates" appeared the recommended column.  Also noteworthy, none of the designers listed as my "likes" appeared in my recommendations. 
There is a lot of room for growth at Boutiques.com. For starters, the incorporation of menswear to the site, including boutiques of established style authorities (editors, fashion consultants, stylists) as opposed to personal style bloggers, and uniting "likes" with recommendations, because now you have to "hate" a lot in order to get what you want in your boutique. Also, what is luring viewers/consumers back to boutiques.com?  Chances are those setting up boutiques already receive update emails from Net-A-Porter, J.Crew, Shopbop, Barneys, et cetera, what is going to make Boutiques.com stand out? 




Images courtesy of Google and Net-A-Porter
   

Spring Revelation: It's a cinch!

Meredith Wendall

Balenciaga

Bally

Salvatore Ferragamo

After browsing through style.com's Accessories Index something became apparent - Spring is going to be a cinch, literally.  Dozens of designers debuted the cinch-closure style in their spring 2011 collections.  The shape, made mainstream by Louis Vuitton in the 30's,  was intended to hold champagne bottles.  Next season the bag comes in various sizes, perfect for your wallet, iPad and of course champagne roadies.

Photos courtesy of style.com

Valley of the Dolls

A recent trip to Dallas was highlighted by a visit to V.O.D. The three year old shopping mecca is the vision of fashion lovers Jackie Bolin, Liz Thompson, and Elizabeth O'Mahoney.  Isabel Marant mingles alongside Magda Berliner, Vanessa Bruno and Alexander Wang.   A corner of the store is also devoted to amazing vintage finds from Archive Vintage.  It is a must see, you will not leave empty handed.

vodboutique.com

photo courtesy of V.O.D.

Love...

Balenciaga pony fur ballet flat, available at Barneys

photo courtesy of Barneys New York

The art of the tailgate...

Tailgating is a serious event.  Weekdays are spent planning. Just the right parking space, the food, the cocktails, and, of course, the game!

One cannot store their artisanal cheeses, crudite, and bloody mary fixings in any old cooler. Sol & Luna have the answer.  Their leather bound coolers are the perfect addition to the trunk of any Wagoneer. A winning season, not included.

Available in three sizes at Stanley Korshak

photo courtesy of farfetch.com

MMM...good

Up until now card cases have been a practical accessory - a.k.a. boring.  Maison Martin Margiela has overruled this stereotype, creating a card case with whimsey.  Imagine the points peaking out of your breast pocket this winter, so chic. 

 leather card cases from Maison Martin Margiela  

photo courtesy of Maison Martin Margiela

Hamptons Designer Show House, Sag Harbor

Everyone needs a purple glittery mannequin on their back porch.  Everyone.  

J’aime mon carré

I grew up knowing what Hermès was.  From an early age I could spot an orange box from a mile away.  For women in my family, Hermès scarves were a staple to any outfit.  I can remember many windy fall days when my grandmother wore one as a kerchief, à la Jackie O.  These bold scarves are one of the most iconic accessories I can think of.  Each tells its own story.  Colors and themes change each season, and with it brings about individual memories. And, that oh that orange box! 

Today, the eponymous brand is trying to reach a younger demographic with the launch of their new site - j’aime mon carré. Young women from around the globe are photographed wearing scarves their way.  28” x 28” of Parisienne silk worn as a turban, as a belt, even Rambo style.  Personally, I think this is a major success on behalf of the brand.  The images show scarves as attainable, wearable - not as pristine articles perfectly creased from the box.  Recently, after reading Cathy Horyn’s New York Times piece about the resurgence of my grandmother’s scarves, I saw the girl above, walking on the upper east side.  Success Hermès!  I cannot wait to see how others adorent leur carrés.

It's here...

An outlet for things that I like, and think you will too.