FRESH BATCH

It’s 4:30pm on a gorgeous, sunny perfect September indian summer Friday, and instead of sucking back mojitos with my girlfriends at some fabulous hotel rooftop bar, I’m already in bed under the covers with my dogs.  I’ve been on 5 airplanes in the last 5 days on a trend scouting/buying trip and I am officially exhausted! When I was in my twenties or even my thirties I could do three or four 18 hour days in a row standing on my head (or in high heels, as was the case)- now, it damn near killed me!  But I did pick up some amaaaaaaazing new lines and I’m super excited to see the reaction to them! Here’s a sneak peek behind the scenes at the fashion buyer’s market in NYC.  As glamourous or fun as it may look, being a buyer can actually be pretty high stress- it’s not the same as when you shop for yourself.  You know yourself; you know your style, your body, what looks good, what you like, where you can wear it and with what….when you’re shopping for strangers AND balancing a budget it’s a lot of guesswork.  I hope I got it right….I think I did.  :) 

Check in at Coterie, one of the premier buyer’s fashion markets in NYC.

Buyers from Bloomingdales and other top shops checking out Velvets spring offerings.

Reps describe each garment from the collection to the buyer one by one.  We take notes and then submit our orders with sizing, color choices and quantities.  

Very excited to get Kersh and Press in…affordable, casual fun collection with some great holiday pieces! 

It’s not a new phenomenon- girls have been stealing pieces from their boyfriend’s closets for decades and putting their own spin on them.   From baggy jeans to pixie haircuts, these femme fatales show off this season’s top trends.

Neutrals are clutch this summer, but my absolute favorite piece is the oversized boyfriend blazer.  It’s preppy and playful with shorts,  adds structure to a floral dress and is East Hampton-chic with white jeans, a colorful neck scarf and classic aviators.  

A quick fix for those hazy hot and humid bad-hair days (or dodging the paparazzi!), fedoras will never go out of style and they add a giant heaping of instant cool to absolutely everything.  Ditch the visor or baseball hat in favor of one of these the next time you’re at the beach!

Boyfriend jeans are still on trend, but the accessories have changed this season. Forego the harsh ankle booties and cropped military jacket in favor of flat sandals and a basic, fitted tee. Victoria Beckham still looks posh in this low key look! 

Celebs know that the best way to stand out from the crowd is by having a signature look; Halle Berry returned to hers by finally ditching her long locks for that face framing style she’s known for.  Other beauties like Jessica Alba, Alyssa Milano, Christina Applegate, Ashlee Simpson and Kristin Cavallari have followed suit with their new summer styles.  ”With their hair long, they look like just another pretty girl, they blend in right into the background.  Short hair says ‘this is my face and I’m not afraid to show it to you’- it’s a ballsy move and it shows confidence, and there’s nothing sexier than that”, says Chris McMillan,  Jennifer Aniston’s “mane man”.  

For more style tips on these and other looks, check us out on Facebook.

I was recently asked to write a small piece for a well known fashion magazine about how to wear this season’s four hottest trends.  This is what my “small piece” turned in to- hope you enjoy.  :)  

Still in bloom from last spring, floral prints are showing up everywhere- as are nautical stripes. These two trends work so well together why spoil a good thing?  The best way to pair them without looking overwhelmed by pattern is by accessorizing with one solid neutral- whether it’s nude, black or one of the metallics (gold looks so hot against tan skin!)  Choose at least two (belt/shoes, bag/shoes, bag/headband, etc.) and then top off with a solid piece for a relaxed and lovely look.  

Celeb who rocks this trend: Jennifer Garner

The tea length maxi is making a comeback, thanks to shows like Mad Men and Desperate Housewives…only this time around it’s got a less structured, more bohemian vibe.  By day it’s effortlessly chic with sandals and a sun hat; adding wedges and bold accents take it from casual to classic and sophisticated.  

Celeb who rocks this trend:  Lauren Hutton in the Studio 54 days 

We’re seeing a lot of Ikat this season, which some people find to be a hard print to wear for every day. But there is one fail-safe way to wear this trend: the wrap dress. One singular piece means not having to mix and match fabrics, which can sometimes create an imbalance in the silhouette.  Adding a neutral cardigan will tone down the pattern without breaking the line, and any shoe will work with this, depending on your personal style.  

Celeb who rocks this trend:  Eva Mendes

When I was in my 20’s and living in NYC, dressing for work on Fridays was always exciting because I never knew where the night would take me.  Happy hour usually started promptly at 5 at a nearby pub and continued until about 9- often with a few stops along the way at an east village dive bar, a posh downtown hotel bar and some random person’s loft in Tribecca.  From there we would head out for dinner, which was usually followed by either dancing at the Limelight, seeing Prince play a private, invitation only two hour set at Don Hill’s, or waking up in Atlantic City the next morning with only one shoe and Billy Idol’s phone number scribbled on a cocktail napkin! (Don’t judge, it was the early 90s! :)  And more often than not, the people you ended the night with were an entirely different bunch than the ones you started out with!  My point is, I had to be prepared for endless possibilities, and “going home to change” was not an option- in fact looking back I bet that’s how many were lost along the way.  So what did I learn from my wilder years about fashion?  It’s simple-literally.  Simplicity is always stylish, sophisticated, sexy, and most of all, sensible. You can never go wrong with a great pair of black slacks and a stylish fitted cami under your jacket (or cardigan if your office is less formal). Accessorize with some chunky jewelry, fabulous shoes and a clutch and you’re ready for action!  Of course, there’s something to be said for flopping down on your couch at 5:15 with a glass of merlot and the remote…but in this outfit, just kick off your shoes and you’re dressed for that too!  

Celeb who rocks this trend: Cameron Diaz

In recognition of Earth Day and the Billion Acts of Green movement, many business are asking customers to forego their shopping bag when making a purchase. That’s fantastic- for tomorrow, but what about the other 364 days of the year?  Is being green any less important?   Not to me- which is why all of our bags are made of 100% recycled kraft paper and are completely ink free.   Not only does it make the earth happy, but our non-fancy, non pre-printed bags are also less expensive for us to purchase…which means we can just slap a logo sticker on them ourselves and we don’t have the pass the high cost of customized bags down to you by jacking up our prices!  

Just another way we try to spread the love! :)   

Xx

It’s that time of year again when I grab a model, my camera and a trunk full of clothes and we drive off in search of interesting locations to shoot the spring look book.  This year I’m really lucky to have KerryLynn, my amazing assistant who has an incredible eye for detail, so it is sure to be a super fun day with a fantastic result.  The first step in the process is conceptualizing, here is my inspiration storyboard… 

I’ve decided to focus on the “vintage, romantic, bohemian” in our tag line (vintage. modern. romantic. edgy. bohemian. classic. charming. chic.)  Next up is finding a model who fits the look, ordering the right pieces that tell a story, doing fittings, lighting, framing….already my head is spinning so I think I’ll just sit in peace on these images for a few minutes and focus on the fact that I’ve gotten step one completed three days ahead of schedule!

Xx