Here I am trying on Robert's Sunglasses during New York Fashion Week
Our hysterical friend and celebrity style guru, Robert Verdi is launching…what else? His first ever sunglass collection on HSN tonight and tomorrow! I have never seen Robert without his trademark sunglasses affixed to his bald head, so it only seems natural he develop and sell his OWN exclusive collection of sunglasses.
Famous for his celebrity clientele including Eva Longoria, Bethenny Frankel, Kathy Griffin, Hugh Jackman, Kristin Wiig, Joy Behar and Sandra Bernhard; you can expect an entertaining and hilarious segment when he brings his expert style advice to HSN viewers.
Robert’s premier sunglass collection includes a wide assortment of current and upcoming trends. I was able to try several pairs on during New York Fashion Week and was not only amazed at the style, variety and quality, but the price! They all cost under $40!
Robert Verdi “Teri” Mod Round with Metallic Trim, $29.90
Robert Verdi “Allison” Square Plastic Crystal, $24.90
Robert Verdi “Peggy” Mod Square with Print Logo, $24.90
“Eva” Matte Plastic and Metal Aviator with Color Rim, $24.90
Robert Verdi “Joanna” Geo Metal with Enamel Inlay, $29.90
“Every woman should have a wardrobe of sunglasses to wear with different outfits,” says Robert. “Sunglasses are the perfect way to add flare to your style, and make everyone feel like a movie star, no matter what else you’re wearing. That’s why I’m bringing these sunglasses to HSN at a great price.”
I had the opportunity to speak to Robert about trends in sunglasses for Spring 2012. He told me, “My goal in developing this line was to make sure every woman could afford several pairs of sunglasses. Every woman should have a wardrobe of sunglasses to wear with different outfits. Sunglasses are the perfect way to add flare to your style, and make everyone feel like a movie star, no matter what else you’re wearing. That’s why I’m bringing these sunglasses to HSN at a great price.”
Then I asked him which styles are musts. “I think every woman should have the following three frames this spring/summer: 1. a colorful aviator like my “Eva” 2. A clear neutral frame like my “Sasha” 3. An unexpected glamour frame with an undefinable geometric shape like my “Joanna”. I particularity love this style because it has a gradient lens which means you can check people out and gossip with your friends over lunch!”
All of the sunglasses are named after Robert’s star clientele. Mind you, I am still waiting for the “Lauren” which in my dreams would be a smaller cat-eye (very Tom Fordish). Robert assured me they would be in his second collection. Ahem.
At any rate, I’ll be watching Robert tonight on HSN at 10pm EST. He will also be on tomorrow (February 23) at 7am and 5pm EST. Set your DVR!
Visit HSN.com for more information or to purchase.
Stuart Weitzman launches new spring campaign, Diesel Black Gold opens in SoHo and Narciso Rodriguez launches accessories collection
Stuart Weitzman Taps Natalia Vodianova for Spring
The spring Stuart Weitzman campaign features Natalia Vodianova, wearing a little more than her “Stuarts.” “Vodianova was chosen as the face of the brand not only because of her sex appeal, but because of her approachable girl-next-door allure, according to the company.” The spring campaign will showcase the new “Stuart Weitzman New York” logo design.
The company will spend 3.5 million this spring on advertisement, double last year’s budget. Ads will run in March in the U.S., Italy, France, Spain and Asia. In the U.S., ads will appear in Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, W, Interview and InStyle.
Diesel Black Gold Opens Unit in SoHo
Diesel Black Gold, the four year old division of Diesel, finally has its own store front in SoHo. Leather represents the core of the collection. The Black Gold look tends to be cleaner than Diesel, and has sophisticated silhouettes. With higher quality materials being used, Black Gold’s audience could be older with greater discretionary income than Diesel’s main clientele.
“We’ve built up the brand enough so that now we are comfortable providing consumers with its full expression,” said Cristiano Quieti, chief executive officer of Diesel in the U.S., during a preview of the first Diesel Black Gold store, opening today at 68 Greene Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.”
Narciso Rodriguez to Launch Accessories Collection
Narciso Rodriquez will launch an official accessories collection at his Tuesday runway show. He has shown shoes in past collections, but they haven’t gone to production since 2007. The fall line up will consist of seven shoe styles and eight handbags. The shoes and handbags will be made out of alligator, ostrich, lizard and suede.
“The inspiration came directly from the ready-to-wear,” said Rodriguez, “with a mix of precious materials applied in new ways.”
With winter still upon us, it can be challenging to still look cute while freezing outside. I have always been an admirer of hats, and this Helene Bermanwide brimmed hat stole my attention. Hats have the ability to transform a whole look, and keep your head well covered when you’re having a bad hair day. Since we have a few more months of cold weather, this wide brimmed hat can spice up the grey winter days ahead of us.
OpenSky.com, the super popular shopping site featuring food, style and design is about to get a major boost from the fashion industry. The lifestyle site,which already allows users to personalize their offerings based on their interests, has teamed up with the innovators behind the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Starting today, members of OpenSky.com will be able to peruse an exclusive collection of accessories from rotating collections designed by CFDA members. The premiere collection will include select pieces and exclusives from Diane von Furstenberg, House of Waris, Selima Optique and Fallon. The CFDA will then share in the profits generated by its curated shop on the site, helping to further its key programs and scholarships. What a win/win!
“One of the most exciting elements of this partnership is that it gives us the opportunity to both showcase and help support the many talented designers we work with by bringing them to a whole new audience of shoppers,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive of the CFDA.
Shop the debut CFDA accessories collection on OpenSky.com today!
You can tell just by looking at her, that Alison Hessert is cool. Her extensive background in the fashion industry has left her with that effortless sense of style that many of us try very hard to obtain and still can’t, while for her it’s just, well, effortless. We met in a well-lit studio that’s tidy enough to belie the innovations currently being made. Hessert’s hair is up, her voice is matter-of-fact and her eyes are very kind. We’re meeting to talk about jewelry.
Hessert’s jewelry line, Mixology NYC, is not even two years old and has already garnered acclaim from New York’s most fashionable circles. The eclectic assortment of mixed metal pieces, whimsical shapes and exotic accents has been featured in both domestic and international fashion publications, as well as on hit shows like Gossip Girl. Hessert’s personal composite of styling, PR and editorial experience within the fashion industry, coupled with a funky family tradition, helped lay the groundwork for this modern and edgy accessories line. And no one tells the story quite like her.
SCS: Where did the idea for Mixology NYC come from?
AH: My background is a lot in branding and writing. So I had done a bunch of styling and fashion writing. I had always been a little creative, at one point I started making little handbags and hats and things like that. But I really didn’t have that I want to go up and be a jewelry designer. And if I look back on it I had this great aunt who I was really close with who was really loving and funky and kind of nutty, and she was a cloisonne jewelry designer. Also, in the 70s, my parents collected crystal decanters and antique sterling decanter tags. There was some kind of lead crystal phase and people just collected them, instead of throwing them out. So my mom put them on chains for us and I had one particular one, that was from a brandy bottle. It was on a silver chain but I liked to wear it up high, like as a choker. And people would stop me all the time and ask me about it. And even as an adult, since I was in the fashion industry from a stylist and PR and writing point of view, I was meeting with editors all the time and they’d tell me they loved my necklace. I’d be in the bathrooms of restaurants and people would compliment me and ask me if my name was Brandy!
An 'Absinthe' decanter tag necklace in Mixology NYC
So what that led me to was thinking wow, I’d love to do a line of decanter tag jewelry. But day in and day out, everyone has a thousand ideas and dreams and usually, you just never follow them. So then a friend opened a restaurant about three years ago on 52nd Street and it was very boudoir-esque and it was called Haven. And she asked me to help her with the waitresses’ outfits. The inside of the restaurant had ostrich-papered walls and red python ceilings so it really had that bordello, boudoir feel and so I suggested including decanter tags. So through a former client of mine, I found someone to help me make a line of Haven decanter tags and I put them on velvet that was kind of how it started.
Edie's Feather Collar
SCS: So what were the early days of Mixology NYC like?
AH: So I started with a collection called Cocktail Couture, which was full of feather accents, and that was technically the original. But I didn’t fully launch Mixology NYC until about a year and a half ago. Before that it was kinda just making a couple things here and there. And from then to now, our journey’s taken us to a real different place.
SCS: Tell me a little bit about the current collections.
AH: The Dark Angels collection is comprised of some of the more elaborate pieces. The collection itself is highly based upon the tragic heroines in the 70′s like Edie Sedgwick. The drama in pieces like Edie’s Feather Collar and Edie’s Cleopatra Bib were created to show that those are really beautiful things that are also rough. It’s kind of my homage to really beautiful people who committed suicide like Edie or Janis Joplin.
Our most current lines include first, the Warrior collection. It is Celtic-inspired and is based upon all the female warriors, which you can see in the names such as the Athena bib, the Joan of Arc spike rings and the Guinevere chain mail. When we mold our metals, we use a pewter base and we plate them. Some are copper, a lot of what we use is base metal, pewter-plated in rose gold or rhodium.
A stack of Joan of Arc rings in the Warrior collection
The Athena Silver Bib Necklace in the Warrior collection
Then what’s coming out for Spring 2012 is African Queens, a mostly brass-based collection. African Queens is about gong to nature, whether its wooden based or horns or shark teeth, its feathers, its integrating all those elements. There’s a Double Horn Cuff, a Shark Tooth Charm Bracelet a Fish skeleton and even equestrian chains. Its very much of an earthy feel. Its also a similar vibe to the Warrior collection but a little more of a divergence.
The Double Horn cuff and Small Horn Double Ring of the African Queens Collection
A Horn and Shark Tooth pendant (right) of the African Queens collection and Athena Pendant Necklaces (left) of the Warrior collection
Also in this vein, we have the Lone Star mini capsule collection, based upon the Lone Star skulls. We have skull rings which we make in brass and oxy-silver and oxy-gunmetal, which is probably our best seller. Then we have another mini collection called Sirens, which is based upon anchors and has a clean, nautical feel to it.
The Lion Mane Collar and the Draped Mesh Bib in the African Queens collection
Lone Star Skull Rings from the Lone Star collection and Anchors Away Rings from the Sirens collection
SCS: What can we expect to see next from Mixology NYC?
AH: Well, we started a men’s collection about four or five months ago because we were selling our rings in a size 8 to men around the world and quickly realized there was a need for men. So we created creating cuff links and rings and some of our necklaces translate as well.
Our brand new collection is called Barbarella Galaxy so it has a modern aesthetic, but still with a little interest in our signature use of mixed metals. Its more shiny, pod necklaces, double pod bracelets and the spiked rings are really great layered or stacked together. You can just see we’ve really come a long way from where we were a little over a year ago. Before, it was all about this kind of retro rocker vibe. Now, as I’ve picked up more design and production techniques, my pieces are more sophisticated. The vision I’m currently working on is merging the rougher elements with a little bit more modern elements.
The Small and Large Pod Rings and Stackable Spike Rings in the Barbarella Galaxy collection
Rose Gold and Gunmetal Pod Necklaces and Double Pod Bracelets in the Barbarella Galaxy collection
SCS: Where are the pieces in Mixology NYC made? And what it is the general price point?
AH: All the products are made in New York. I have a production space but we still do a lot of the construction in my studio, which means I still get to do a lot of hands on work with my pieces. The retail price point ranges from about $35 to $450. I’ve thought about creating some special items that are more high end, and I probably will in the future, but I’m not planning to change the general range of the line. We started in a recession and if we could keep our margins and keep producing domestically, especially in this economy, then we’d love to do that.
SCS: So between your price point and your aesthetic, who would you say your customer is?
A Mixology NYC 'revolver' decanter tag
AH: People ask us this all the time. We sell to anyone from 18 years old to 55 years old. It always amazes me when I do trunk shows, its fascinating to see who our clientele is and what my perception is of what I think they want. For example, say you go to a trunk show in Bridgehampton and you have an idea of what people in Bridgehampton will want and then they totally go for a different collection! In Bridgehampton, I thought they’d want all the bling and instead, they all went for the Warrior collection. It was so interesting.
Our core customer? I’d say 20s and 30s. Urban. New York and L.A. Also Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston, especially with our Lone Star line. I would say not so much for someone from Ames, Iowa but I hesitate in saying that because we’re living in a different world than we were ten years ago. You know, because someone like Tavi who’s so popular and where is she from? Minnesota? So people have that accessibility so that doesn’t mean anything. And everyone can watch shows in real time and stream runway these days. But from a core point of view, I’d say that’s where we are now.
Boudicca Rings and Cassandra Double Layering Rings
SCS: Thank you so much for everything. One more question, how would you say that reality t.v. shows like Project Accessory and DIY blogs like P.S. I Made This are affecting the accessories design industry, if at all?
AH: Well, I’m not a huge Project Runway or Project Accessory fan because it’s basically like watching my life (laughs). But in terms of it showing how things are made… if you look back at the couture salons in the 30s and 40s like Dior and Chanel. There is something really lovely about that sense of mystery of how these fabulous concoctions were just dreamed up. So, I appreciate the accessibility that reality shows might bring to my craft but at the same time, I also want to create something. And you can’t teach vision. I will tell any employee of mine, people are really good at either big picture or small picture. And you can’t teach the big picture. I think its fun to watch these challenges like, “Make this out of this!” But it does put things in perspective.
As for the kind of do-it-yourself phenomenon that’s going on right now, there’s always going to be someone who likes to makes something. I will say though — in this day and age the most important thing to have, from a fashion point of view and from an emotional point of view in our country, is self-expression. And accessories are a great way to self express. So I’m all for the DIY stuff but I don’t think it affects how we, as designers, design.
Here’s a sweet little Friday afternoon treat: footwear designer Brian Atwood, known for his devastatingly chic, sky-high heels, has added handbags for spring ’12. The collection, released under Atwood’s eponymous line, includes four styles of spring-themed clutches and minaudieres.
“I have always loved designing handbags, and we were getting so many requests for them,” Atwood told WWD. “It seemed like the right time to start with chic clutches then eventually expand on that.”
The variety of envelope-style clutches and hard-cased minaudieres will come in tortoise shell, resin and metal inlay with prices ranging from $1,050 to $1,850. “I loved playing with color and mixing colors and textures on different shapes,” Atwood said. The designer cited the “Carla” clutch (above) with zipper-framing detail as one of his favorite looks. “It comes in everything from suede to butter-soft crocodile skin,” he said.
Brian Atwood's "Theodora"
The Brian Atwood handbag collection will be sold exclusively at Gilt.com, In the future, Atwood plans to expand to larger bags— including hobos, totes and day bags— for fall ’12 as well as introduce handbags to his contemporary-priced line, B Brian Atwood, later this year.
Agraphic handbag in the new Anselm Reyle collection for Dior
French luxury house Dior is proving they are ready to start 2012 on a high note. The French luxury house has announced the worldwide launch of the Anselm Reyle for Dior collection. This special accessories and beauty collaboration, that debuted during Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2011, launched at select Dior boutiques yesterday
The Anselm Reyle for Dior collection consists of bags, shoes, costume jewelry, sunglasses, small leather goods, scarves, and beauty products. The designer and artist Reyle immersed himself in the heart of Dior and was given carte blanche to create a collection of limited edition beauty products and accessories. The artist chose to use bold bursts of color to create eye-popping pieces, resulting in somewhat of a departure from the traditions of the mythical Avenue Montaigne Couture House. Reyle credited the couture house, and all its savoir-faire, as the source of his inspiration.
The refinement and femininity of the Lady Dior and Miss Dior handbags were twisted, tilted and reinterpreted in a range of splashy colors and prints. With a contrasting topstitching against bright metallic leathers, the two classics shapes become more urban, chic and ultra-modern. Fluorescent camouflage shines vividly on handbags, clutches, shoes and scarves. On some models, the artist wanted to superimpose tilted cannage on the camouflage motif, creating a sense of movement and a burst of color. And colored triangles adorn the Lady Dior charms, as a sign of the Berlin artist’s graphic signature.
The US Dior boutiques that will carry the Anselm Reyle for Dior collection are, New York – 57th, Street, Beverly Hills, South Coast Plaza, City Center, Wynn, Ala Moana, and, Waikiki as well as, Saks New York and Saks Dadeland.
It’s Europe’s and Asia’s turn to get in on some marked-down retail therapy! Net-a-Porter is having a UK Site Sale so Get It While It’s Hot! At BagSnob.
Now that holiday shopping should be done an Hermes Black Box 35cm Birkin Bag is the perfect holiday bag for yourself as a reward according to Shopping and Info .
Now that the temperature seems to finally be dropping here in NYC I can’t wait to dig into my scarf collection, but I realize something is missing…a faux fur scarf to keep me cozy warm when I can’t wear my Uggs in public (for dog walking only). I came across this Club Monaco Faux Fur Scarf and not only is it perfect, it’s reduced just in time for Christmas…to me. Or to you.
While the Lita booties are a bit of a fashion-blogger-cliché at this point, there is something about the Jeffrey Campbell Litas with the spikes that I adore.
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