Aside from all the fantastic outerwear and pants for fall, fall market was also all about some awesome girl power!   We have met the most fantastic women on this trip!  The fun started the morning we left for NYC….we meet Ana & Mariana.  We first spotted each other in the security line at the airport, then at the same gate then, of course as fate would have it, on the plane.  They were seated directly in front of us!  That’s when Ana popped her head over her seat and introduced herself.  Enough with all the flirting and winking, right Ana is from Madrid and future showroom owner and Mariana is from Argentina and has an incredible handbag line, Mikai.  Mikai is the first line we bought for fall…right off Jet Blue!

awww....there they are, Ms Ana and Ms Mariana

I just had to pan back and get a full shot. How cute are they??

Below are a few shots of Mariana’s fabulous handbag line.  The leather and production is all out of Argentina.  Great everyday handbags that I would love to carry around well, everyday!

overnighter bag Look at that color!!

pompom bag. Love the size. LOVE the pompom.

small bandolera. Have you seen a cooler crossbody?? I don't think so!

Here we are after we ran into each other a SECOND time during our trip, right outside the Lyell store.

Alice in Wonderland fans will know I’m talking about the release of Tim Burton’s take on the classic Carroll story. A while back, I posted about Alice and was eagerly anticipating the unveiling of exclusive Alice designs for Printemps in Paris. Somehow, I completely forgot about it until I started thinking about who I could get to go to see the movie with me tonight. Surprise, surprise, they’ve been up for over 2 weeks now!!! In case you haven’t seen them, here’s a glimpse.

First, Alexander McQueen. {I have been struggling with what to say about his passing. I just adored him and what he brought to the world of fashion and am so, so sad that he is gone. The world of fashion won’t be the same without him.}

Chloe

Nicholas Kirkwood -- "This time, I figured, why not just pile as much as I can on top?”

Ann Demeulemeester

Maison Martin Margiela

images via focusonstyle.com and style.com

We saw so many amazing pants in NYC last week! For Fall 2010, it is all about the pants. Harem pants, soft pants, leggings, patchwork, panelling… When Arlene and I started this website, we were pretty adamant that we would sell only a tiny offering of pants (knowing that finding the perfect pair of jeans is one of the most tortuous undertakings that any woman can endure). Well this season we’re breaking all of our own rules! Just look at all the fabulous pants that made their way down the runway.

Leggings and panelling at Rag and Bone and Derek Lam…

and at Ohne Titel and The Row…

and from a couple of TwentyThirtyForty.net’s faves, Gar-de and Mason…

And lots and lots and lots of soft pants. My favorite — mmmmm, so cozy. 

Acne

Costello Tagliapietra, Max Mara, and The Row…

and some super soft and slouchy offerings from Loeffler Randall. We adored her seashell pocket pant from last Spring, so we’re totally jazzed about these!

and, of course, the lovely Rachel Comey (quickly becoming my very favorite pant designer)

We’re just barely entering the Spring season, there’s still snow on the ground here, and all I’m looking forward to is next fall! The world of fashion is soooo confusing, but bring on the pants!!

all runway images via Style.com

We are big Rachel Comey fans. To me she has that same quirky, lux, creative vibe that Ms Jane Mayle was so famous for.  I love the way she plays with her textures, colors and her irresistible prints!   Always current, always timeless.  We could not wait to see the collection first hand in her showroom.  The showroom was a treat in itself…very warm and special.

These are just two small shelves in her beautiful space...souvenirs, collections, books, pictures. Inspiration everywhere.

floor to ceiling bookshelves. LOVED the beamed ceiling.

great purple chaise tucked away off to the side :)

look at that awesome flap bag next to Spud!

my favorite were the huge windows with all the great plants lining the sills

Rachel has been doing clogs and versions of the clogs for many seasons

Rachel's beautiful collection

The fabulous Rachel Comey

Thank you Taisa!!  Thank you Rachel!

So sorry for the lag in posts, just needed to recharge and regroup  NYC was an incredible time to say the very least!  Fall looks really strong and everyone’s taking the basics to a new level. There’s so much to tell you all!   First off, much fun at LD Tuttle…..great shoe appointment topped off with some streetstyle.

LD Tuttle's famous platform wedges

Tiffany Tuttle also produced a great collection of rounded toes

You have to see this one up close...cool, right?

LD Tuttle shares her space w/some fantastic jewelry designers.

That choker is right up my alley

Outside LD Tuttle. Love those glasses (clear lucite) and those loafers, they look great on her.

One of the most important pieces in a wardrobe for me is outerwear.  Being in Chicago, outerwear comes in real handy 8 out of the 12 months a year.  Half the time my outfit is my outerwear!  Great to see such a variety…layered, color, color blocking, vests.  Lots & lots to choose from.  Here are a few stunners to look forward to this fall.

Images via style.com

from top to bottom:  Boy by Band of Outsiders, Chris Benz, Acne, Zero+Maria Cornejo, Boy by Band of Outsiders, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Acne

Yes, the beat and the loove.  The love for Celine!  Right before market I like to peruse style.com and get my eye “ready” for the next season.  I was never really into Celine (is it the name??), but with Phoebe Philo at the helm I’m instantly drawn to see what she’s up to.  Love her spring10 and her take on khaki and also love her color for prefall10.  She works those blues and greens (and reds and yellows!) like the pro that she is!

images via Style.com

I could not find a better pairing than Saint Valentines + J.Lingnau.  Such an in-your-face-full-of-love gift, I can’t stand it!  Rings, hearts & arrows, yours (or his) initial and a big beautiful diamond.

many thanks to Loeffler Randall for the inspiration!

Let’s face it, there’s really not much more that Arlene and I love than easy fashion. Pieces that can be easily worked into your wardrobe, basics with an edge, things we can easily layer, dress up, dress down. That’s us in a nutshell. When we discovered Chrissie Miller’s line, Sophomore, last Spring, we knew we had stumbled upon something pretty great — something that would transition seamlessly both into our individual wardrobes and into our shop. Sophomore celebrates downtown New York, rebel without a cause, bad-ass easy style. Chrissie Miller and designer Madeline von Froomer know that easy, effortless dressing never goes out of style.

“Lower East Side style of the ’70s and Lower East Side style of today look almost the same — people never stray from the basics.”

“In a one-dimensional world of basics, SOPHOMORE brings a fashion twist, soft washed fabrics, perfect fits and a New York vibe that will make the line a clothing staple for years to come.”

True to the label’s sensibility, Chrissie does things her way. With friend and frequent collaborator Cass Bird, Miller presented her Spring10 line in an entirely new way — as a short film that premiered at Sundance. The film features a  bunch of New York hipsters talking about getting arrested, busted, grounded and generally thumbing their noses at authority. Filmed on the boardwalk at Coney Island and complete with fashion, fireworks and beer, she’s created quite an innovative way to showcase her wares.

Sophomore Spring 2010 from SophomoreNYC on Vimeo.

Pieces from the film will be available in our shop later this month. In the meantime, it’s not too late to grab some of the looks from her Fall09 collection.

all images via sophomorenyc.com

So it’s just about that time again…market!  As every market goes by so do our dreams of Sonia by Sonia Rykiel.  Before every market, Brandon and I get our wishlist together of designers we’d love to carry & style in our Shop.  One line that always makes it on both our lists, but yet always seems to evade us is Sonia by Sonia Rykiel.  :(

Sonia Rykiel's famous broche bouche (mouth pin)

Wouldn’t you just love any one of these flirty little pieces??  Wouldn’t you just love to easily get your hands of them by just clicking into our Shop??  Wouldn’t you just love to see the many different ways to style & love that one piece?  Then help us, help you!  Help us find that one evasive contact (aside from the Parisian email…we assure you, we’ve tried that!!)  We’d be forever thankful  We love you Sonia!!