October 21, 2009
As previously mentioned on Fashion Pulse Daily in June, the Carlos Falchi Collection for Target is almost here, launching November 1st in stores and online. Hobos, satchels, shoulder and messenger bags in shades of plum, teal, brown, black and gray, can be found in the collection, with a price range of only $19.99 to $49.99. We’ve got some images of the handbags to check out, complete with Carlos’ signature python prints — what do you think?
October 21, 2009
Via our friends at CollegeCandy.com:
As you may have gathered from my previous articles, I am a shopaholic. Even if I have no money, I can’t help but scour the internet for deals at the online sample sales (seriously, check out Ideeli, it’s amazing). And even though I can’t always buy sustainable products, I still try to buy in sustainable ways.
Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.
Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)
Shop in stores. Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to. Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products. When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.
Look for local labels. Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation. If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States. American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S.
Shop smart online. If you’re going to shop online, be sure you do it in an ecologically responsible manner by using the following tips.
Buy in bulk. Wait until you have a large order before ordering online or combine with friends to save on the environmental and financial costs of shipping.
Ditch the rush order stress. Plan ahead so you don’t have to choose expedited shipping over standard shipping rates. This also gives the Postal Service a chance to fill up their trucks with packages before shipping them out. More packages = fewer cross-country trips = a happy planet.
Choose your delivery address wisely. Be sure to have your packages delivered to a convenient address. If you have them delivered to your apartment, for example, be sure that your roommates will be around to pick it up for you. If they aren’t available, leave a note on the door telling the postman that he can just leave the package on the doorstep without a signature. This avoids the annoying and fuel-guzzling trips back and forth to the Post Office.
Switch to Paperless Statements. Once all your earth-friendly shopping is done, you’re going to have to pay that credit card bill. But make Mother Earth proud and do it all online. No more 5-page bills coming to you in the mail. No more wasted paper (and money!) on mailing that check back to the company. It’s the greenest way to pay.
October 21, 2009
Lovely blogger, jewelry designer, and friend of mine, Wendy Brandes is having a sample sale soon, and I thought the FPD readers might be interested in checking out her wares, along with the other designers who will be offering incredible discounts on their designs.
The Info:
Who:
Wendy Brandes, The Brungers, OX Kids, Zang Toi
When:
October 23, from 5 PM to 8 PM,
October 24, from 12 PM to 6 PM
Location:
BoConcept, 105 Madison Avenue at 30th Street
About the brands:
Zang Toi: After Zang Toi established the, “House of Toi” collection in New York in 1989, he was awarded the 1990 Mouton Cadet Young Designer of the Year award, which recognizes the top young US designer of the year. Over the years, his design has evolved from the bright and decadent of the 1990s to the timeless yet modern lines of the turn of the country. No matter what the trend, Zang Toi creations are chic and glamorous, always highlighting the beauty of the female form.
Wendy Brandes: Wendy Brandes is strongly influenced by the stories of fascinating women, whether they lived in the 16th century or the Swinging ’60s. She creates 18K gold, platinum and silver pieces that are bold and eye-catching, yet feminine and organic. Mechanical pieces that open and close, unscrew or twist are her specialties. Her work was most recently featured in The Oprah Magazine and Marie Claire
October 20, 2009
[Images via Style.com]
Chanel
Chanel S/S 2010 was, hands down, my favorite collection of the season. It managed to be fun yet sophisticated and was showcased amidst farm scenery, though the clothes were not overshadowed by the uniqueness of the down on the farm set. The show had a very “Marie Antoinette” feel to it: a charming and romanticized take on rustic country life full of sweet and delicate dresses paired with a pale color palette of black, red, and blue accents. Though the collection was nothing truly groundbreaking, it stayed true to Chanel’s aesthetic and played up its own trends instead of giving us yet another take on trends we have seen over and over again this season.
[Images via Style.com]
Hermès
Tennis was the theme at Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2010 Hermès collection. I wasn’t too keen on the idea upon hearing the pitch for the line, but as soon as I saw the clothes — and, of course, the impeccable bags — I quickly changed my mind. Gaultier delivered a sophisticated, timeless collection for Hermès that is on-trend without veering too far overboard nor disposable once the next season rolls around. Each piece was beautiful, wearable, and effortless, from the tennis skirts to the silver chain-linked belts.
[Images via Style.com]
Alexander McQueen
Appropriately titled “Plato’s Atlantis,” Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 RTW collection was out of this world and was truly one of my favorite shows of the season. Inspired by mankind’s evolution from the sea and the idea that we may someday return, the dramatic collection featured 10-inch heels, belle-skirt silhouettes, braided asymmetrical hairstyles, aquatic colors, and intricate, digitally printed dresses. Evolution is still stuck in McQueens head, and ours, from the Darwinian-inspired collection that featured large to small taxidermied animals framing the runway. With this collection, McQueen proved he still knows how to put on a show — the hair, makeup, clothing volume (not to mention the shoes!), and overall primitive/futuristic aesthetic were combined in a slightly unsettling, almost scary, way — and the outcome was a brilliantly creative work of art.
-Sarah Nason
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