Fun Bargains at Kidrobot

Some cute finds this week...

What: Kidrobot Sample Sale
Why: Up to 70% off Kidrobot apparel and accessories. Hoodies, crewnecks, sweaters and ruby shirts $25, hats $10, tees $15, jackets $40, dresses and skirts $15.
When: 1/11-1/13, M-W (11-7)
Where: 56 W. 22nd St., near 6th Ave., second floor.

Bloomberg To Boost Fashion Industry

The Mayor's Office is launching a Fashion NYC 2020 campaign. It will be a year long initiative to brainstorm about the future and ramp up New York City's presence as a global force in fashion amid growing international competition and outsourcing of fashion related jobs. The purpose is to look closely at changes taking place within manufacturing, maketing and design and how these changes are affecting the city's economic growth and jobs held in the fashion industry. It will also include a 10 year projection of things that can be done to maintain the city's prominence in fashion and retail.

Tonights event which will take place at Macy's Herald Square will begin with a panel discussion comprised of members representing various sectors of retail, design, e-commerce, manufacturing and sourcing. Followed by a dinner and another discussion with city officials at each table who will take notes as executives serve up ideas. Several big name executives and designers are scheduled to attend.

According to WWD, along with preserving New York as the garment capital of America, other topics to be discussed include:

• Bolstering business in the boroughs and stimulating tourism by providing shopping coupons or even subsidizing airline tickets.
• Street vendors and quality of life issues
• Fashion's Night Out scheduled for Sept.10, which could include  no-sales tax day and a fashion show for the general public
• How to shorten the buying cycle so stores cn sell more wear-now clothes and capture trends better.
• Technology including sustainability, the new media and mobile marketing
• Pop-up stores

More that 800 fashion businesses are based here, twice as much as Paris, its closest rival. With 175,000 people working in fashion and fashion retail in NYC, the sector generates $10 billion in total wages with tax revenues of $18 billion in yearly direct spending with NYC businesses. Many top names in fashion could not have gotten their businesses off the ground if they were not based in New York City. The Fashion NYC 2020 launch is a necessity for our city that it can continue to thrive.

We commend Mayor Bloomberg for recognizing the importance of this industry and for his efforts to support and maintain it!

Winding Down

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Relaxed is how I feel right now, all loosey goosey. For a whole year last year I had meant to go to the spa, but for one reason or another I never did. So this day was a year in the making and God was it worth it!!!

I planned on meeting a friend that I don't see that often at my favorite spa in the city. She was running about 20 minutes late which was fine because it gave me more time to sit in the lounge and relax. A note... when you're going to a day spa, try to give yourself enough time to get there without rushing so that you're not all stressed when you arrive. I got there about 30 minutes early. I went to the changing room, donned my white waffle robe and slippers, sat and relaxed before my session started. I booked a 60 minute signature massage for both myself and my friend. Elle magazine and ice water in hand I sat in the lounge and waited  for the maseusse to come get me. At one point I just put down the magazine and closed my eyes because after all the running around during the past holidays, it felt nice to be in a quiet place, reclining and by myself.

It was time! I walked into the candle lit room, it smelled of sweet fragrances and oils. I lay face down under the sheet in a comfortable position and closed my eyes and inhaled. When my session started I already knew the routine and was prepared for an hour of bliss. A key point is to inhale in between moments of pressure and each time the masseuse applies pressure on your back make sure to slowly exhale. If done right you'll hear little cracks in your back as your spine re-alligns. Be sure not to over think it and try to relax. Also make sure to let your masseuse know if you like more or less pressure as it is important that you enjoy your time.You'd be surprised how quickly 60 minutes goes by and it would be a shame to if you didn't get the most out of it. I knew my friend was probably in another room having her massage too.

After both our sessions were done, we met back in the darkened, candle lit lounge, ordered up some tuna sandwiches with a side salad, hot tea and freshly cut fruit. We chatted, laughed and caught up for another hour before we left. It was a great day! Now I'm off to the movies to see Avatar in 3D.

The Gansevoort Groove

Ok so it's saturday morning in NYC and you haven't planned anything for the weekend because of your busy work week and all the heavy drinking you did last night to blow off steam.

How about a trip to West 14th street and surrounding areas. First grab a quick breakfast and a cup of joe, make sure to dress warmly because it's cold out there. Your next stop might be to check out this retail sale...

What: Generra Sale
Why: Fall '09 men's and women's clothing is 60% off. Men's slub jersey knits are $36 originally $90, shirts are $60 originally $165, and jackets are $100 originally $250. Women's basic knit tops are $27 originally $68, dresses are $118 originally $295, and coats are $146 originally $365.
When: 1/8-1/31, M-S (11-7), Su (noon-6).
Where: 823 Washington St., near Gansevoort St.

Then afterwards you can walk over to the High Line, meet a friend or sit and read a paper or listen to your tunes and people watch, in case you haven't already done so. It's the public park which opened in June of 2009 on the westside between 10th and 11th avenue from Gansevoort St. in the Meatpacking district to 34th St. It was originally a track line near the rail yards which was constructed in the 1930's to lift the freight trains off Manhattan's streets. It is now run by the Friends of the High Line, a community based non-profit group which raises money for it's preservation and maintenance. It was nice to visit in the summer time and I'd like to see it again this season. You should too!

Top image: Generra
Bottom image: The High Line

Matthew Williamson for Menswear

You've heard of Matthew Williamson because he recently dabbled in menswear when he produced a few looks for a collection he designed for H&M.

February 2010 will mark the retail debut of  his own menswear line which will consist of cashmere sweaters in bright hues(bright green, electric blue and deep pink); cotton silk T-shirts with an embellished beetle motif; and silk and wool scarves adorned with stars and paisley prints. He's hoping his spring line will be well-received so that he can expand the line into suits, shirts and jackets. Prices will start at $310 at current exchange for a printed wool scarf to $717 for a printed cashmere sweater. They will be sold at Williamson's stores in New York, London and Dubai and also at his online store beginning of next month. Harrod's in London will also carry his line in their menswear department.

Cynthia Rowley Sample Sale

A sample sale a day, keeps the blues away! No, not so much???

Shopaholics Anonymous are going to ban this blog for feeding the impulse spending of so many shopaholic's out there.

Anywho...

What: Cynthia Rowley Sample Sale
Why: Clothing and accessories are up to 80% off at the Cynthia Rowley Sample Sale
When: 1/8-1/10, F-Su (10-9)
Where: 376 Bleeker Street, near Perry Street

Environmental and Performance Upgrades in Denim

According to textile researchers, there's curently an absence of a major style trend to drive the denim market so mills and suppliers are re-focusing their energy on balance-enhancing jeanswear  and eco-friendly trims. What does this mean? It means that suppliers and mills are trying to be more innovative by creating lower impact sundries, lasting color, better stretch and technical fabrics.
There is a giant textile company called Tavex, from Spain who claim that they've developed a denim that can help improve a person's muscle tone, equilibrium and sense of well-being. Who needs to watch what they eat and excercise right? LOL.

Anyway, their new line of technical fabrics is called Denim Therapy. Their goal is to meld fashion and science. The fabrics have a Gold Reflect Line bioceramic complex. Wha?? It's the same stuff used in motorcycle helmets, that's made from a combination of 30 metallic oxides, which absorbs heat from the sun, the body and surrounding objects. It then converts the heat to infrared rays that are diffused into the garment wearer's body. This is said to cause blood vessels to dilate, creating a sense of warmth, well-being, eliminating toxins, improve oxygen supply and improve body energy. I'm chucking my yoga mat, multi-vitamins and all green veggies in my fridge as I type this. The denim is about twice the price of the average denim weave, so curently $14 per meter.

A French company called Dorlet, who specialize in metal accessories has created a line of rivets and snaps as well as sew-on, ready to dye buttons made of pressed organic cotton as an environmentally friendly innovation.

Dow Fiber Solutions has introduced a garment dye collection with a 4 way stretch that allows the mills to control the "liveliness" of the fabric during the dyeing process. It allows for more efficient production lots and better quality color consistency.

Denim Valley has created a "hybridenim" fabric line made from organic cotton blended with fine Tencel fiber taken from eucalyptus wood cellulose fibers. Properties are said to include skin moisture control, easy care and bbody thermoregulation.

The question is, with all this great R&D in denim and textiles, how much more is it going to cost us to get the good stuff and can the industry find a way to keep the retail cost affordable to the masses?

Mikimoto Employee Sale

Heads up for more new year sales...

Who: Mikimoto

What: Exceptional savings on South Sea and Akoyo cultured pearl strands. Expanded offering of cultured pearl jewelry embellished with diamonds and other precious stones.

When: Sat., Jan. 16th though Wed., Jan. 20th (Sat-Tue:9-6:30, Wed:9-4)

Where: Soiffer Haskin 317 W. 33rd St, just west of 8th ave.

Why: Mikimoto is the originator of cultured pearls. Since 1893.

Other: Credit cards only. All sales final, no exchanges, no returns.

More Shoe-Inn! Give me More!

I'm a bit of a shoe and handbag whore, what can I say! I think I own over 9 pairs of boots of various styles. I won't even mention how many shoes I own, too many, it's embarrassing, really.

After a long day of work yesterday I treated myself by visiting the 12th annual Shoe-Inn Warehouse Sale. Wow! Nuff said! I did the right thing though I walked in with an idea of what I was looking for rather than going in blind and being overwhelmed by the multitude of shoes and boots awaiting me at Gotham Hall. This event space has cathedral ceilings and an open central area with tables of shoes separated by size. There were so many BEAUTIFUL leather styles. The leather boots alone were orgasmic! But I walked away happy with a cute pair of brand new, genuine brown leather and suede ankle booties by "One of  2" brand. The original retail cost was $200, Zappos and Pronto's websites were selling the all black version for about $103.00, my purchase only cost me $50 so I was pretty happy. They have a chunky heel and rounded toe, flexible sole and slit upper (which I call foot cleavage). And by the way, when I heard about this sale I didn't know about the gorgeous leather handbags, holy cow! My plan was to go back again today after work to check out the said handbags but unfortunately I had to work late so I missed today, what would be the last day of the sale.

However, inside sources tell me that this Shoe-Inn Warehouse Sale is on again next week!
Where: Different location: Manhattan Center Studio- Hammerstein Ballroom (311 W. 34th St.)
When: Wed. Jan13th-Fri. Jan.15th, 9-7 daily.
What: They accept cash and credit cards!!! What??? Yeah, for realsies!!!
Why: I'm determined to get a designer handbag on the cheap!

ENK At The Piers

So it's January of a new year and the ever popular Accessorie Circuit/ Intermezzo trade show is here once again. It is the trade show that takes place at Piers 92 and 94 on the westside of New York City. It highlights upcoming fashions in apparel and accessories and allows store owners to parouse the aisles and buy merchandise for their stores and businesses. It's also the perfect place to find great inspiration for new designs. My co-workers and I toured the Accessorie Circuit today looking for some great jewelry. All the popular names we love were there: Lee Angel, Fragments, Alexis Bittar, Erickson Beamon, Gerard Yosca, Elizabeth Cole, et al.

This was the second day of the trade shows and the aisles were not as crowded as they were in the past. Maybe business owners are still chasing the recession like a dog with 2 tails, nonetheless the buyers that were present were indeed buying.

Without giving away too much newness (its good to keep something for surprise) some thoughts for future trends are that there is still alot of charmy, delicate, iconic, spiritual inspired pendants and bracelets, though it was juxtaposed by very large statement jewelry with not much in between. The statement looks were most interesting and they ranged from bold metals with a sort of melted appearances or uneven surface accompanied by paved components, to organic and natural materials like wood, raffia, bone and semi-precious looking beads. Metal plating was mixed across the board- brassy, antiqued and burnished gold, rhodium, hematite and even rose gold. Look for metal baubles accompanied by dark wood beads. Look for multicolored styles with dyecut wood shapes, leather woven through metal like basket weaves. and also woven links made of raffia. also keep your eye out for fringy, charmy and bib like styles. Bone and bone colored beads in multistrands looked great on burnished nickel chains. Leather elements that are embellished with studs and pyramids or chain were still important. Key colors that were present throughout were pale aqua blues ranging to geens, light peach-y corals and pinks, and touches of yellow. Also represented were multiple brights.

Pictured above: One of many jewelry aisles (top), Metal link cropped blazer from Erickson Beamon (bottom).

I Wasn't Pulling Your Leg

Yeah, it's official- Statement Legwear as mentioned in yesterday's blog titled, "For The Sheer Heck Of It", is freshly minted.

Here's a page out of January's InStyle magazine to prove that celebs everywhere are already showing off their patterned legs this year. If you hurry you can get in on the action too.

Blame it on Balenciaga's Fall runway where models traipsed down the aisle wearing draped skirts and velvet dresses layered over black polka dot hose.

Patterened tights are a key accessory but be sure not to over accessorize. Don't mix busy patterned tights with patterned dresses or you'll have a big mess. Subtle is always best. Take your cue from the gals pictured here.

For extra snug support check out Spanx tights with Birdseye pattern at Neiman Marcus, $42. http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtmlitemId=prod63650292&eItemId=prod63650292&cmCat=search&searchType=MAIN&parentId=&icid=&rte=%252Fsearch.jhtml%253FN%253D0%2526Ntt%253Dspanx%252Btights%2526_requestid%253D27130

Shoe-inn 12th Annual Warehouse Sale- NYC

Let's start the New Year off right people! Can I get a "Amen"? Shoe sample sale...

WHO: You...work whatcha mama gave ya!
WHAT: Shoe-Inn 12th Annual Warehouse Sale
WHY: Shoe-Inn’s “12th Annual Warehouse Sale” features over 10,000 pairs of women’s designer shoe and boots by Tory Burch, Cole Haan, Ugg Australia, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Celine, Donald J. Pliner, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Kors, Juicy Couture, Stella McCartney, Frye, Matt Bernson, Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade, Burberry, Pedro Garcia, Zalo, Roberto del Carlo, Pucci, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Puma, Cynthia Rowley, Calvin Klein, Converse, Lilly Pulitzer, D&G, Charles David, Aquatila, Moschino, Steve Madden, Betsey Johnson, Minnetonka, Jack Rodgers, Diane von Furstenberg, Elizabeth and James, Sam Edelman Fitflops, and many others.
All boots $39.99-$199.99, all shoes are $19.99-$99.99. New merchandise is added daily. This event has been named “The Ultimate Shoe Sale” by FOX News (2008).
WHEN: 1/2 - 1/6, Sat-Sun (10-5), M-W (9-7).
WHERE: 1356 Broadway Gotham Hall, (at 36th & Broadway)
HOW: BDFQNRW to 34th St. Station. Exit 35th street & 6th Ave. Walk to 36th and Broadway.

Work it ladies, work it!!!!!!

Artistry in Menswear, Bank or Bust?

While some men can pull off looks like these in ready to wear, most guys whether gay or straight are frightened of bold painterly patterns. They find comfort in the refinement and sophistication of pinstripes. They find strength, ease in checks and the ever-popular plaid. I can't help but wonder to myself if the new artisenal looks will be a hit or miss in men's fashion. Is this too Euro-looking for the American male? Are they ready for Tribal prints? There is somethng sexy about a man who's cool enough to wear this.

Note the designer names include: Philip Lim, Louis Vuitton, Etro, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Bottega Venetta, Alexander McQueen and Dries Van Noten. These are powerful trend setters. It'll be interesting to see how these styles get watered down by brands like Gap, Banana, Kenneth Cole, etc.

For The Sheer Heck Of It

Ooh, it fits like a second skin! Uptown chic paired with some downtown tatters go a long way for Fall's 2010 legwear trend. Keep a look out for them! The design features include rhinestones, studs and intricate patterns on tights and socks.

These make getting dressed so much more fun! Do you dare to try it?

Pictured from top to bottom...

Givenchy's nylon and spandex tights, dress from Trias, Calvin Klein bra, Stuart Weitzman shoes; Ellen Tracy's nylon and spandex studded tights, Leila Shams dress and Stuart Weitzman shoes; Emilio Cavallini's nylon and spandex tights, Camilla and Marc dress.

Quick & Easy Spring-time Flowers

I thought it might be time to talk about a couple of simple floral arrangements that can be done at home, frugally. Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, along with orchids and daisies. Tulips are fairly inexpensive and easy to come by. I bought mine at the Food Emporium in my neighborhood, it's one of my local supermarkets that has a nice section of fresh cut flowers. Today I bought 3 bunches for under $20 and I already had vases at home that I could use.

I chose to use the clear vases because tulips have incredibly pretty light green stems and leaves that can become a complimentary part of your arrangement. Add cold water to a clean vase so that it's half to 2/3's full.

Prior to cutting the stems of the tulips, always rinse each bunch off under cool water to loosen any soil that's still stuck within the crevices of the leaves. Once rinsed, pull off the leaves closest to the bottom of the stems. They should be shucked off like shucking ears of corn, rather than torn off so that the stems look smooth and clean without a remainder of leaves stuck on them.

This is the key to a clean tulip arrangement! Removing the lower leaves allows the arrangment to have room within the vase to stand straight up, creating vertical lines of green, which visually elongates the arrangement. The upper leaves can be left on the stems so that your arrangement looks fuller at the top, like the second image above with yellow buds. After removing the lower leaves, cut about 1/2" to 1" off the bottom of the stem at an angle. This allows a larger opening in the stem for water to pass through, up to the bud. You may need to cut off more if you're working with long stems. Make sure you don't cut too much off the stems or your arrangement could end up being too short for your vase. The buds that have straighter stems should be placed in the center of the arrangement and the buds that bend outward should be placed around the perimeter of the bunch.

For a very sleek and modern arrangement you can remove all of the stems and place in a clear vase. This gives it a minimalist feeling and looks great in a modern or contemporary setting. If you choose to remove all the leaves make sure you have enough flowers to create a full but not stuffed arrangement. Also feel free to use assorted colors of tulips.

Another alternative is a shorter arrangement that can be used to add a touch of color to a smaller surface area like an end table, a window ledge or in the powder room. You can achieve this by following the beginning steps above-add cold water to your clean vase, rinse and de-leaf your tulips. From the leaves that you remove, put aside about 3 of the widest ones for later use. Then place each tulip into one hand, arranging them so that the top of the buds are all at the same height. Still holding them in one hand, place them next to your shallow vase so that the base of the buds are 2 inches from the top of vase. Still holding the bunch next to your vase, check to see where the stems are level with the bottom of your vase- this is where you will cut them. Keep holding them in one hand and use your other hand to cut all the stems level.

Using the leaves you put aside, tightly wrap the stems of the tulips in your hand. Use enough leaves to cover all the way around. Then place them into your vase. Once in the vase you can loosen the wrapped leaves so that they touch the inside of the vase. These wrapped leaves help to keep your arrangement close together, like the first image above with red tulip buds.