With NY Fashion Week well under way, we’ve been more than excited to see fashion’s new offerings.  There are some really fantastic shows so far…Rag & Bone (’uncomplicated’ and cool), lots of great pieces (and dresses!) from Vena Cava and Gary Graham.  There’s also the indie designers that we love so much and certainly can’t be missed.  Featured above…Lover, Loeffler Randall and Gar-de.  From their lookbooks, it’s going to be a gooood season

Many thanks to Loeffler Randall, Gar-de & Lover.  We’re loving what we see and cannot wait for NYC.

sneak peek LR S10 lookbook

A long-time inspiration of ours, Loeffler Randall, has just re-vamped their site and they’ve included a blog. Could not be more excited! The blog provides lookbooks and behind-the-scenes action, which I personally could not be more excited about. One of their posts is an edited video of the shoot for their newest lookbook. Arlene and I have been taken with their lookbooks and their insane branding since their launch back in Fall 2005 so this video was a rare treat. Here’s to the talent and genius of not only the fabulous designer Jessie Randall, but also to her husband, Brian Murphy, marketing guru extraordinaire!

Loeffler Randall from Petter Ringbom on Vimeo.

There was a shot from their very first lookbook of the Ulla — maybe mine and Arlene’s very favorite shoe of all time (she has 2 pairs in yellow and I have yellow, black and taupe — we’re addicted).

It’s the cutest damn shoe and it was the cutest damn shot. I wish I had a copy to share with you :(. Anyway, the marriage of Jessie and Brian and design and branding got me right from the start. Completely unparalleled, in my humble opinion.

Here are a couple of shots from the Fall 09 lookbook (featuring super-cute shoes we just got into The Shop!) 

the Belinda…

and the Rihanna…

Hot, no????

Through our dear friend, David (proprietor of one of our all-time favorite Chicago stores, Hazel), we have discovered a new love: Molly Yestadt and her beautiful hats. David saw the line recently in New York and was instantly smitten. Knowing that the line wasn’t the perfect fit for his store, David is sort of on a mission  to find it a loving, appreciative and appropriate home — basically, someone who can share his love of these gorgeous works of art, but also sell them. To this end, he practically chased me down the street to give me the Yestadt Millinery lookbook and linesheets. He couldn’t stop gushing about the beauty and workmanship of each individual piece — Molly hand-blocks every single hat (which basically means that each hat is a like a little one-of-a-kind hat sculpture). With headgear like this, I can’t say I blame him for his enthusiasm. 

I love a hat – so much – so it is very refreshing for me to see someone out there so dedicated and passionate about making hats and keeping them current. I first fell in love with her hats, but then, after visiting her website, I kind of fell in love with Molly. 

Her blog totally sucked me in. It is filled with all things hat. From behind-the-scenes to old Hollywood to new Hollywood to the runway and absolutely everything in between, I am a devotee for sure. 

Long live Yestadt Millinery and long live the Hat!

all images lovingly and respectfully borrowed from yestadtmillinery.com

My other favorite wardrobe piece, a blazer/jkt… OR any form of outerwear I can quickly grab to polish up a bit.  Throwing one over practially anything gets you in ‘ready’ mode you know?   Thank you so much to Ms Jen from GAR-DE who unknowingly sent me into a spin… falling head-over-heels in love page after page.   GAR-DE is a small group of NYC designers, artists and producers who take their cue from their “urban terrain” and their “sometimes subversive sense of humor”.  I knew then, I’m gonna like this line!  Now let’s take a look at these beauties again! 

Amongst the street fests, bbq’s and baseball games there’s also PREFALL09!   The wishlist is in:

#1  OMG…ABSOLUTELY!!  ACNE leather vest

#2  love the urban basics from Sophomore

#3 Irresistible gold cuffs by Wendy Nicol…seems like the model above is sporting a silver version

#4  But really tied for 1st…shoes, of course!  I’m zeroing in on the over-the-knee boot this season…flat, wedge, open toe, suede, leather, it’s all goood!

blk wedge, Opening Ceremony; blk open toe wedge, Opening Ceremony;  taupe suede, Loeffler Randall; flat taupe suede, Chloe

Every season we look forward to Opening Ceremony.  Actually, it’s probably classified as ‘a need’ now!  They just do that effortless ‘edge’ vibe just right and they do it in the most unexpected ways….a pants onesie?   In the last couple of seasons, the creativity has gone through the roof and there are racks & racks after glorious racks to peruse through in their showroom.  Expect lots of Opening Ceremony fun this fall!

Came across some photos from our last buy in NYC.  Our most favorite thing for Fall09…shoes. period.  Loeffler Randall, Opening Ceremony, Martha Davis…

Below is Loeffler…best fitting, best silouhette/last, most comfortable, 4 different ways:

               Paired back to the Loeffler Randall seashell pant

This is what we call great everyday fashion.  A great shoe can update anything in your closet.

Now that all of our respective Fashion Weeks are long behind us and there are none in our immediate future, it gave me a chance to go back and start really absorbing all that’s happening for Fall. During this retrospective, I happened upon Tomas Maeir’s collection for Bottega Veneta and it absolutely took my breath away. Somehow, during all the commotion and the sorting through all of the rapidly incoming information, I missed it. Thank goodness I came upon it now so that I can give it the attention it deserves. He is a master with fabrics and draping. The true meaning of the word beautiful.

I was flipping through the April issue of Nylon Magazine and came across an amazing shot of an Emma Cook rain poncho studded with Swarovski crystals. I am more than a little obsessed.

Not sold on the shoes, but I would happily rock out one of those jackets. Bring on the rain!

Photos courtesy of WWD.com.

Arlene and I were recently shopping at one of our favorite Chicago boutiques, Hejfina, and we were absolutely drooling over all the Margiela ligne 6, Isabel Marant and Vanessa Bruno (among others). The MM6 is what really got me, though. My birthday always falls during final spring markdown time and I usually score some pretty sweet deals (last year, it was an MM6 dress for $86!), so I’m hoping that one of these babies will still be around come summer…