Rainbows on the wall y'all!

(that's an excerpt from a Camp Matoaka cheer titled "Hey It's a Sunny Day")

A rainy Friday turned into a rainbow filled Sunday. Shannon and I spent Sunday in Annapolis with the warehouse sale we told you about (great success!). Driving home the sky was filled with awesome clouds and sun and rain and rainbows! You name it we could see it -- it was like we were at some weird weather apex. It had been years since either of us had seen a rainbow and they were so very vibrant! I almost drove off the road more than once. Great way to end a great weekend!

Rainy Friday

It's a quiet rainy Friday and I don't have much to say. Grey skies, no construction going on, Shannon has left, and mellow music is playing. It's rare that the cat's got my tongue... Nothing to say about fashion, even though I'm working on Fall 09, nothing on life, no new restaurants to note. Sheepishly (or should I say lambishly) I think I know why. I'm very very afraid for what tomorrow has to hold. When you're all nestled in your cozy beds at 7am tomorrow have a laugh at my expense - and know that Ill be running down the west side of New York, participating in the Men's Health and Crunch Fitness Urbanathlon. With two boys - Liam and Reed. Marine hurdles + monkey bars + lots of stairs + rope walls + keeping up with two males = one scary prospect. Eeek! Please say a prayer for me!!

Nature Walk.

Growing up my father was a huge proponent of "creek walks." The two of us and whichever friend happened to be over (usually JRC or JAH) would head out on the endless miles of horse trails that wound all through our town. A route with a creek was usually our choice and we would take off our duck boots and socks and squish our way through the afternoon. So entertained by our surroundings and ourselves. I never realized how lucky I was to have hundreds of miles of trails outside my door or a father that always pushed us to go, even when we huffed and puffed and rolled our eyes. Such great, innocent childhood memories.

A huge part of the reason I love New York is because I can walk everywhere. I mean literally, virtually everywhere. Thin sundresses in the summer, Big puffy down coats in the winter. Teacake makes that an even more prominent part of my life.

After moving this summer I realized 28th street between 6th and 7th avenues is the heart of the flower market. It legitimately makes my mornings happier and more enjoyable to take this route to the office. It is one entire block where you walk through a virtual tunnel of flowers, plants and trees. No one else cruising through looks quite as awed or happy as I do to be there (definite tourist face on me), but I sneaky wonder if their route is deliberate too.

This morning I stopped in my tracks at the awesome gourds and pumpkins on 6th, and decided after I turned the corner onto 28th to share my sights with you. Wish I had snapped these big green gourds, but I was already a half hour late getting in as it was. Shannon thought I was lost, and I looked humiliatingly like one of the tourists I roll my eyes at while I bust by their slow walking/picture taking ways. Maybe next time I'll be a little nicer :).
So maybe this is no creek walk. And its certainly not my sister's roomates walk to work in Breckenridge -- who thrilled in cutting through feet and feet of snow in sub-zero temperatures with all his ski paraphernalia --hopping down hills and over obstacles in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, a few miles to the ski office. Flabbergasted by his commute (mostly because of the frostbite likelihood) I asked my sister why he didn't work his schedule more around her car driving. She looked at me like it was an obvious answer and said "he loves it. Its his favorite part of the day." But it is my little nature walk NYC style. And I like it a lot.

Fall makes me nostalgic for a lot. My college quad, new books and notebooks, Creek walks, leaf jumping and trick-or-treating among many other things. Glad I have some fresh flowers to brighten my morning!

Fall Cleaning.

Dakota Martin is doing a fall cleaning of the shipping department, and bringing all the goodies we find down to Annapolis this Sunday for a warehouse sale along with a number of other vendors (HUGE discounts). So if you're in the DC /Annapolis area, please come check us out from 1 to 5 at the Loews Hotel and save some serious $$ on new clothes!! (you've gotta spend to save my friends).

Orange ya glad we made this dress?

Bazaar tells us this month that it is a fall full of orange which I love.
Which is why the ever popular Liza is coming out in a beautiful cheddary hue. It isnt in quite yet, but will definitely be a go-to for fall/early winter cocktail parties and weddings (and of course the navy too!).

Weekend Dressing.

I didn't watch the Emmy's last night, but I checked out the dress situation of Getty Images (above and below taken from Getty) this morning. I must say, I was beyond underwhelmed. Lots of bad looking prom dresses out there. A pretty upsetting thing to see when so much time and money goes into these events. Come on girls! It isn't that hard! Here are two looks I liked. There was nothing that blew me away. Above is Saffron Burrows (Not sure who this dress is, but I like that her first name is the color as well!). And below Is Padma Lakshmi in Monique Lhullier. Both elegant and simple.

But I can't talk about Monique and dresses this weekend without including the best dressed of them all. And this isn't my bias, it is true. Below is Mrs. Kelly Henry (formerly known as Kelly Bachman!) from her wedding this weekend in Minnesota. Kel looked breathtaking in her Monique dress, and easily blew every Emmy attendee out of the water. It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful bride and an awesome groom. Congrats Kel and John. Love you both!

Fall Favorite #1

It's tough waking up in the dark. But an absolute treat in September and October is running at dawn in the cool morning air, and smelling bacon, eggs and bagels wafting out of diners and homes all over the city. Perfect start to a great weekend. Bye bye New York.

Wedding Weekend!

I stole this image off of Brooklyn Bride, and she found it on The Style Files (a new very favorite website). How great is this mobile? I thought it an appropriate send off for the weekend, as both Shannon and I take off in the AM for weddings. She to Denver, me to Minneapolis. I can't wait to see my girls and watch Kel and John walk down the aisle in beautiful Stillwater MN. A great ending to a hectic week. More on Coterie next week, but I didn't take any pics of our lil' booth, so I didn't have much to show for it. We had a great show though! Now time to forge ahead through LA market, and see where we stand! Happy fall weekend, I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful weather!!

Coterie Day 1

Today was our first of three. A long day--from AM traffic on the WSH (Shannon and I are used to our nice little walks to work!) to a morning and afternoon of Pier 94 traffic (the good kind!) and a long schlep home as thousands descended back onto the westside highway creating a cabless night. We had a great day all-in-all though. Shannon and I had steady traffic and made plenty of new friends. I was sad to be missing beautiful fall weather outside (so we heard), and daydreamed about the places we opened new accounts. There are just so many beautiful places to travel, how can you ever make it to them all?? Two of our first new accounts were Burlington, VT and St. John in the Virgin Islands. Above is not Burlington Center per say, but is an interior space on my friend Heidi's farm - Shelburne Farms, just outside Burlington. And this is the vibe I imagine in the whole city. LOVE New England. Below is a shot from St. John. Somewhere I KNOW I will be desperately day dreaming about in a few months. Both awesome, and we're so excited for DM to be available in both different but slices of heaven on earth.
Also, yesterday Shannon and I received an email from the website Shayblue saying we had been selected for their A+ list! Not sure what that means, but we're flattered anyway - you cant exactly see our name on the screen shot below, but I promise it is there!

It is WAY past my bed time. I am off. Stay tuned for the rest of the show...

Erin

Fashion week rolls on in other cities and I can't even keep up with the New York shows. I'm thinking there is a good chance I get even farther behind with Coterie starting tomorrow so I wanted to give a few parting thoughts on last weeks events. While I can't claim to have looked at EVERY show, my award for the best show of the season goes to Erin Fetherston. She really knows who she is, and stays within such strict guidelines for herself, and yet manages to be inventive and incorporate trends. That to me, is the most successful show. She has a face and a personality, but she is not stagnant or boring. The looks are fluid enough to play off of a new season's highlights. There are a series of formal dresses I could have done without at the end. But just the same, the were very her-very feminine, very soft, and very ethereal. Here are some looks from the show. (I would like to say also though, that as I said before I think Marc Jacob was the best I have seen out of him in years, and I loved Jenni Kayne and 3.1Phillip Lim, for many of the same reasons I listed for Erin above. Go to style.com to check out their shows too! All runway images taken from www.style.com).

LOVE that she came out in Navy after a show of creams, peaches, and powder blues!!

Spring Nudes.

3.1Philip Lim - Incredible piece, incredible shoes!

So every time I check out a new show online there is something else I want to post about. A lot of favorite looks I'd like to share. But again and again I keep seeing beautiful nudes. Love them. Love them so much Dakota Martin did a story based around a pale peach -- adding in navy and a Liberty floral. [All runway images taken from www.style.com]Cynthia Rowley.

Erin Fetherston. More on her later, because she might be my favorite show of the week!

And Dakota Martin and Dakota Martin!

9.11

Last night a friend pestered me until I agreed to go on a run and do some stair training. We climbed the 40ish flights in my apartment building and I saw the roof for the first time (don't ask why we were climbing stairs, there is good reason). The view on top was well worth the hike, even if that were the only reason we were huffing and puffing. We stood on the south side and stared downtown, on the most beautiful night this fall. The twin tower memorial beams lit the bottom tip of the island and shot straight up into the night. It took us a minute to even realize what they were, but it certainly stopped us both in our tracks when we did. I could relive every second of today, seven years ago for you and I wasn't even in this city - I was on a quiet sunny campus in Lewiston, Maine. It is hard to believe it was seven years ago, still hard to believe it is a reality, and hard to believe how far this city has come since. Last year I posted my favorite thing I read in the aftermath - an article from The Miami Herald. Still gives me chills. I came out in my red white and blue today - I hope you did too, though from the looks of everyone else on the street, its not likely! On my feet today -
[top image taken from http://www.yahoo.com/]

Coterie!

Shannon and I are participating in our first ever Coterie Show next week (Tuesday - Thursday). Eeeekkk!! We're nervous to play with the big kids, but confident in our Spring '09 line (cute top on Alana, no?).

If you are a retailer, press, or at the show for any reason at all, come see us! We love friends! We will be located in Pier 94 and promise you a great collection, chatty conversation, and yummy cookies (our lucky trademark).

Trend Spotting!

A pause from next spring for the here and now! storeadore.com did a story on fall trends told by local Boston retailers. The list is -- booties, edgy accessories, JEWEL TONES, florals, vests and accented waists. Our friends over at First Date, in Andover Mass highlighted our scarf dress as one of their favorite Jewel tone pieces for the season! Thanks Kerri and Brianne!!

MJ

Notice how seamlessly this layered skirt works even with mixed plaids and stripes, and how the metallic waist wrap cinches her right in, and the clean top makes it look effortless.
love this Grecian draping with the 80's peachy pink. And how sexy does she look completely covered up with nothing tight?
This one should be pushing a stroller--make that a bugaboo - on the UES drawing looks from everyone she passes. Such brilliant colors and loud stripes, and yet not obnoxious at all!

I hate to post anything negative about someone elses work here, but its all for a positive end... The last few seasons of Marc Jacobs have really disappointed me. Everything looks SO outlandish and crazy that none of it is wearable. I'm largely okay with unwearable clothes on the runway. I don't think there is anything wrong with using the art form of fashion to promote your brand and your message. And in some ways I think he does this. But often that meant pushing the limits on awkwardness/nerdiness etc, to an undesirable point in my mind. It didn't even LOOK attractive. Critics always felt the opposite. His shows always receive lavish praise, and sometimes I wondered if this was the "one grade" effect I was talking about with some friends recently -- where those certain high school teachers gave you one grade in September, and no matter how hard you worked or slacked off through fall, winter, spring, into June, you got that grade. It seemed to me the critics could sit blindfolded and he was get the same write-up. SO. I was SO pleasantly surprised to just open an absolutely beautiful, real, wearable collection for Spring. The brocades are glamorous, the waists and necks are feminine with the patterns/coloring/layering are the Marc Jacobs touch that makes this his. Not to mention the quirky hats and shoes of course! The sheer layered with the silk is great. And l like that its a LBD, without being little, and with a lot of detail up close.
Just such a successful ensemble, I'm not sure I would do it justice if I picked it apart, so I wont. But notice that sweeping ruffle at the bottom of the skirt. He used this many times this show, as did Lela. I love it. Feels like an 80s prom dress element, drawn upward to soften it, and NOT sea foam taffeta, making it hardly recognizable as from that era.
Again, such simple draping in such a soft color. So elegant, and so sexy without very much skin.

Fashion Week!

A few favorite looks pulled from style.com.

This is Gap - loving the whole look on the right. Nice work G-a-p! Who knew they had a show?

Adorable Vena Cava. Mini and sailor, and yet so not sailor. Love the bib-practically a gradiose necklace, love the colors.

Lela Rose - can I please have this for my next black tie event? Sweet and feminine, and great subtle sweeping lines for an added (yet understated) dramatic effect. Sort of like Scarlet O'Hara meets the girl next door

Lela Rose again, too cute to be true. Perfect feminine shape for a youth and girlishness, yet the pattern and coloring make it wearable for any age.

and the last, Lela Rose, (I know, she's dominating) the neckline peeking out of the sweater is so perfect in its simple charm. I love the contrast of the sophisticated fabric and brilliant color dress with a relaxed cardigan (but not too relaxed with its perfect fit), and the simple band belt - coordinating, but not matching either piece, to pull it all together.

I pledge allegience

To this dress... I read in WWD the other day that this dress (to be reissued) was what put Catherine Malandrino on the map here in the USofA. She says she moved to New York, fell in love, and never looked back. Having only discovered her about 5 years ago I had never seen this little frock. It is no surprise it gave her a name, and I'm obsessed. Figured as long as we were on a french kick and on the heels of such a national pride inspiring speech by Sarah Palin (oops, who is bringing up politics?), I would share.

Happy weekending!

Colette x Gap

I hate to post about something that is on today's Daily Candy since its not very original, but I was so intrigued by this that I had to discuss. Obviously a long running but of-the-moment trend is bringing "couture" to the masses. And this isn't about Celebrities lending their names to a product -nHeidi Klum for Jordache or SJP for Steve and Barry. I'm talking taste-makers of the world gracing every Target/Walmart/Kohls town with the newest, hottest, latest. What started as Isaac Mizrahi (who both my parents still inexplicably call Isaac Mizraki - I ask you how many times do I need to correct them before they get it?) designing a line for target took off like wildfire and everyone from Derek Lam to Monica Botkier have done a limited collection for them. Shannon and I witnessed first hand (sort of embarrassed to admit this), the madness of the Stella McCartney collection at H&M. Victor and Rolf did wedding dresses there as well, Todd Oldham does flowers for FTD, Norma Kamali will soon grace the shelves of Walmart. The list goes on and on. Target linens by Rachel Ashwell, Vera Wang jeweled flats and knit caps at Kohls. So many times I thought to myself, "they've chosen too much of an unknown -- Sally Smith in Arkansas doesn't know or care who Jovovich Hawk is, and low and behold it at least appears that everything blows out. I never thought I'd say there could very well be a fair amount of Loeffler Randall labels sitting in closests in North Dakota, but now its truly possible.

(a ParisxNYC artist T design - Genevieve Gauckler x Eric Elms)

So in this morning's DC Weekend Guide addition suggests that I hoard Colette x gap . A pop up store of 54th and 5th -- combining The Gap - one of the most widely known affordable and standard clothing in America, and Colette - the absolute, hands down pinnacle of cutting edge fashion, direct from Paris. A store that claims to be so of-the-moment, things are rotated out in something like less than a week. When I had the chance to see it probably 7 summers ago, it was sterile and exact and there was a lot of black clothing. And the music, like everything else, was probably being spontaneously created or it wouldn't have been new enough. Intimidating to say the least I'm pretty sure Gap has the same khakis they had at their first even San Francisco store in 1969. This caught my attention because it is certainly a new take on combining high/low brow. Feels more like a merge than one directing another, and the stores are just so perfectly different I think its pretty cool. You will definitely find me browsing there sometime soon. I'm really liking the Longchamps bag below, in Gapgreyjersey... I mean a standard Longchamps may not be their most glowing example of french cutting edge, but you get the idea.