Roarke is a fabulous jewelry label that was started by former Bergdorf Goodman buyer Laetitia Stanfield and former designer Mignonne Gavigan. The girls confirmed to us that the line was named after Howard Roark, the hero of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. The extra "e" is just for the chic factor. We love extra e's too, ladies.
The accessories have been lauded by The New York Times, Elle, and Teen Vogue and have been spotted on Ivanka Trump, Mary Louise Parker and chic girls all around town.
Check out their terrific site here and if you get a chance, swing by Soho this week and visit their Pop-Up Shop which will also feature Minnie Mortimer's collection and Yosi Samra shoes!
Nothing like a little retail therapy tip to go with your Monday morning coffee. . .
If you have not stopped by Nina Freudenberger's Elizabeth Street gem, we suggest you make it your go-to destination this weekend. The entire street is adorable - and Hampton Chutney around the corner on Prince is always a favorite - but Haus Interiors has some of the best priced and chicest pieces for the home that we have come across.
If you have no time to get down there, the website is chockfull of goodies:
The factory bulb sculpture is a creative gift idea for anyone who has been an inspiration or source of light in your life, but it also looks great on a bookshelf or mantel. And don't get us started on the store's blog, A Cultivated Home. A subscription gets you daily emails to the most inspired - and well priced - home goods and services. It's like a little treasure in your inbox each day.
The stylish designer of Haus Interior has an incredible eye, and we were stoked when she gave us a JBCStyle exclusive to what she's falling for this Fall:
And yes, there's more. Haus Interiors offers an incredible design service - whether you're looking to do up your corporate office, or you have a simple one bedroom apartment. Nina and her team will work with your budget and your vision. . .and we don't say this often so pay attention: they actually listen to you. No dictation. No fuss. No surprises. Just simple elegance and a unique eye - not so common these days, and a shame to miss. Take a peep at what everyone else is saying here - and once you visit drop us a comment and let us know what you think.
Snoop has it, and he's a dog with his own distinct sense of style. But we're gearing up for the real deal - join Wendy Diamond, Jennifer Coolidge, Richard Belzer, Dylan Lauren, Bryan Zaslow, Tinsley Mortimer, Rob Shuter, Camilla Webster, Anisha Lakhani, Anita Sarko, Jim Mannino, Terry Miles Friedberg and Ricardo Rojas and our dogs for Animal Fair Magazine 10th Annual Halloween Pet Costume Party, benefitting The Humane Society of New York.
Tickets are $50 dollars and can be purchased at http://www.animalfair.com/. Let's face it, dogs are dope. In the words of Trixie, our favorite Golden Retriever author. . .
Of all animals, only dogs die to save human life. Never saw cow jump into lake to tow drowning boy to shore. Never saw hamster chase off armed burglar. Only dog. Is one reason man and dog have bond. We are guardians of each other. We share a destiny. Both crave affection. Value loyalty. Get excited by Frisbee.
As long as you're online, we suggest purchasing Bliss to You here after getting your tickets to the Costume Party.
CEO Bryan Zaslow worked a little national TV style this morning on the Fox Business Network with Cheryl Casone and Kimberly Guilfoyle to discuss his unique perspective on the retail industry.
Bryan kept things simple and direct - the numbers being reported on the retail industry are based on the reports analysts and governmental bodies receive from publicly traded companies legally obligated to report their numbers. Period. BUT it does not tell the whole story. It is simply serving as a pacifier to the public and lay person to assuage in a troubled economic climate.
What about everyone else? We all know that the retail industry is hardly compromised solely of large, verticle publicly trade companies. So then the forecasts we've been hearing like this one at CNBC and the like suddenly seem one dimensional. They are reporting on the numbers they do have, but presenting their trends as the whole picture. That's not accurate. From the following premise alone it becomes abundantly clear that retail trend forecasts predicated exclusively on public reporting are far from comprehensive: Analysts don't have access to numbers that aren't reported. Nobody has a crystal ball with the ability to see into retail's future, but we do have an obligation when doing so to attempt to use all the information available to us.
So who has access to this other piece? Who works with the entire breath of the retail industry? Who knows which companies are actively staffing? Who is really in the trenches working with clients and staff to create long lasting partnerships?
Well, JBCStyle founder Bryan Zaslow does. And he hasn't spoken publicly until today. He was a privately held, untapped resource. (Cheesy, but the metaphor works and we dig it)
He's not into naming names or dropping figures. It's just not our style. Client privacy is of the utmost privacy at all times. And we're not tooting his horn - this is just stuff that makes sense. When your entire business is focused on staffing the retail industry - not just the publicly traded companies, but the boutiques, the mid-tier retail and department stores, luxury and mass market sectors, the Action Sports and Active Lifestyle brands, the privately held labels - the lens is more focused. It's still not perfect, but it's more informed.
"It was a great experience," Bryan reflected. "But I was just getting started."
Why hasn't Bryan shared any of this before?
"I have a company to run," he shrugs. "Nobody asked.What do you want to know?" Who knew the boss man was sitting on such a wealth of untapped information? Well, Bryan, what everyone else doesn't know. The full picture.
"Subscribe to the blog," he winks before getting on another conference call. "Maybe I'll surprise our followers with a comprehensive letter."
It was the kind of golden September Neil Diamond sang about in September Morn, and Lake Placid glittered for Maggie and Alex on their wedding day.
Wedding guests lingered in small cafes on Main Street, drank wine under the serene sky in blue jeans and sneakers. . .
And slowly made their way to Saint Agnes Church for one of the most beautiful, romantic weddings we've ever seen. It was quintessential, laid back, all American Maggie Style. Of course, her golden retrievers Henry and Albert walked down the aisle, and while Maggie graces the cover of Town and Country Weddings as a bride this month. . .
. . . nothing could quite compare with the beauty as she left the church as Mrs. Alexander Mehran, her stunning Oscar de la Renta gown trailing like a whisper.
In that brief moment as the new couple exited the church into the September sunlight, one of her childhood friends murmured, "It's so beautiful because it's. . . Maggie." The most romantic girl in the world on her wedding day. Yes, that was exactly why.
Guests moved to The Lake Placid Lodge in anticipation of one of the most breathtaking arrivals of a bride and groom we have ever seen; Maggie and Alex (and Henry and Albert) arrived by boat as twilight set in over the lake.
The groom helped his bride off the boat while Henry and Albert plunged unexpectedly into the lake, golden heads bobbing in delight. We moved into the tented reception area and celebrated with the couple well into the night. . .
But the most spellbinding moment of the evening was the song they chose and the dance itself. . .
As Alex enveloped Maggie in his arms and they danced to Van Morrison's Someone Like You, there was not a dry eye in the room.
And because Maggie is Maggie, she is already on email and facebook, texting friends and family about their impending honeymoon travels and how she might be the happiest wife in the world.
We send you all the love in the world, beautiful girl.
People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has do do with dreams.
-Ralph Lauren
Welcome to our favorite looks from Ralph Lauren's Spring 2011 collection. We all know it's not his first rodeo, but he continues to take our breath away, season after season, with a simplicity and a luxury that is so very American, so very Manifest Destiny meets Cinderella. . .
We're going to give The Observer full credit here - a piece by Alexandria Symonds that can be accessed here. Here's what it's about. . .Paul Johnson Calderon was inspired by Scarlett O'Hara's curtain dress (remember? when Tara burned and she had no money and then she saw those Gatsby green curtains - ah the symbolism, the symbolism. . . green like her greedy, glittering eyes)
So here's PJC:
And here's Scarlett's dress made out of the curtains:
Now the rest of the story involves The Beatrice Inn and a French boy gone very, very bad.
Sorry to be cryptic, but sometimes a piece is done so well you just have to go to the source. We haven't met you, Ms. Symonds, but that rocked our world. We won't lie, the Mauvais Garcon could be a brilliant line. Or a one hit wonder. One thing is for certain, the person in the post below might know - let's scroll over and knock on her blog.
We're not going to entertain the does she or doesn't she debate (reign as the Queen of Fashion). You may be over Vogue. But there's no doubt in our minds that you would love to know how Anna Wintour spent Fashion Week. There's also no denying that the shows she graces and the designers she mentions are watched, let's just say, a little more closely. . . we're in the business of staffing the fashion world, which means it's always interesting to see the staples, and the surprise "newbies" Anna honors. Thom Browne must have freaked when she mentioned to Letterman that he should wear his pants so he could "show off his socks."
We warmed when she admitted she reads what has been written about her, even quoting some of the nastier titles. She's tough, but the vulnerability in that moment was stylish. We love this interview because they're both so good - Anna's "you guys didn't even call me till Friday" and Letterman's "well we wanted to give you three days to get ready"just make us laugh. Let's take a glimpse at where we caught her this Fashion Week - still a day to go, missing the shots at BCBG and Ralph Lauren, and impossible to keep up - but here you go. Let the games begin. . .oh, and Anna, forgive the stalker-feel to this post. It's just business.
Proenza Schouler
Tommy Hilfiger
Narciso Rodriguez
Thakoon
Simon Spurr
Rodarte
Reed Krakoff
Donna Karan
Diane von Furstenberg
Michael Kors
Vera Wang
Carolina Herrera
Rag and Bone
Yet still, our favorite. . . an old school shot of Anna getting jiggy with it with Puffy.
