February 2009

New York Fashion Week - Day 3

New York, February 14th, 2009 – Today marks Valentine’s Day, a day of love and you could feel it in the air. Or better yet witness it on the streets of New York while passing endless numbers of clasped handed couples and pairs of locked lips. I took off for the morning and spent it uptown perusing the Neue Galerie for inspiration. The gallery is in a beautiful building on 5th Avenue and I particularly loved the work of architect Adolf Loos on display. Then a quick lunch at the famous Café Sabarsky before my fashion filled day begins.

Fist the VPL show where Victoria Bartlett showed better than ever knits and lingerie. A few appointments filled the afternoon and then on to the best part of the day, the Alexander Wang show. The show was at the Roseland Ballroom and it felt as if you were going to a concert with the line wrapped around the block (literally) Once inside we quickly took our seats directly behind Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker. The music was loud so you could barely hear the person next to you, which left me dancing in my seat. The energy held through the entire show filled and we feel so happy to see Alex evolve into such a clever designer. He creates clothes for a specific kind of girl and has now added accessories to his repertoire. We cannot wait to have this studded bag in the store. It will go fast so be sure to get yours early. Some of us get designer wares before they even hit shelves, aka the Olsens. So here is a picture of her wearing the bag, just to wet your appetite. Congratulations to Mr. Wang on yet another incredible season. —Nadine Ferber

A look from Alexander Wang FW2009 Collection

Mary Kate Olsen Carrying an Alexander Wang FW2009 Bag

A look from Alexander Wang's FW2009 Collection

New York Fashion Week - Day 2

Rachel Comey FW2009

New York, February 13th, 2009 – Today is a day full of showroom appointments. Starting with a stop at Steven Alan where we checked out the new Gryson collection. Their take on the motorcycle boot was perfectly ladylike and in the most beautiful leather. The bags also didn't disappoint and took a new direction into being more structured and less slouchy as we’ve been accustomed to seeing from Joy Gryson in past seasons. We also discovered supermodel Liya Kebede’s new collection of scarves called LemLem. Liya created this line, which is woven and intricately embroidered by hand in her native Ethiopia by local artisans. The line is fabulous, and best of all a great way to support a strong cause through shopping. We also checked out Demylee who continues to develop a strong line of basic cashmere pieces that we’ll certainly be layering over tees this coming winter.

Next we stopped to see Isabel Marant’s Etoile collection. The collection is large, yet easy to navigate because it is quite simply the most wearable clothing. We unfortunately cant stock the line on our website, but have a huge representation of the collection in store and still get phone orders from all over the country from girls who are obsessed with this line. I am a true Isabel Marant fan and encourage anyone out there who hasn’t yet owned a piece from her collection to just start with a single item because pretty soon you’ll be a convert. Her Spring 2009 collection is trickling into the store now and we cannot keep it on the racks.

After a nice few hours with Marant, we needed a break from appointments and thankfully the rest of the day was filled with shows. The first stop was at the Shipley and Halmos presentation where the boys pulled off a wonderful showing of separates and an amazing leather jacket. Anna Wintour even made a last minute showing.

Next up was the Rachel Comey runway show. She is always one of my favorite shows because she keeps everything interesting with the use of layering and unique prints. She had a comedian narrate the show through a taping that was supposed to emulate what the models might be thinking as they strut the runway. It was hilarious and lighthearted. The shoes were my favorite of the season so far.

Next we cabbed it over to milk studios to catch Camilla Staerk’s presentation. She used a liquid leather looking material to create sexy dresses and high waisted skirts perfect for evening. She showed with her friend Victor who also put out a pleasing collection of men’s knits. In a small size they’d make the perfect boyfriend cardigan. Last stop was the Lorick show. And then finally off to a late dinner….until tomorrow. —Nadine Ferber

New York Fashion Week - Day 1

New York, February 12th, 2009 -- Fashion week is upon us once again and we are excited at the prospect of an exciting week. Of course our goal, as always, is to find the perfect items to piece together a collection for Fall 2009 at Mick Margo.

Today started with a brisk walk down Canal Street to meet the designers of A Piece Apart. What a treasure! The line is only being carried by 2 stores in the entire U.S. and Mick Margo is excited to be the third store to pick up the collection. It is simply brilliant. Mature and sophisticated, yet not frumpy in the slightest. The designers are NY gals, designing for city women. It fills the void that so many young ladies have in their closet of stylish separates that are appropriate for work but still exciting to wear. A Piece Apart consists of 11 exquisitely tailored pieces that can be worn 30 ways—listen up, that means 30 outfits spanning 30 days. Genius.

Next up were a couple of showroom appointments where we discovered a wonderful knitwear line called Soyun. Easy to wear and warm, the perfect combination for one’s winter wardrobe. The designer has loads of experience in knitwear too which shows in the easy construction of the pieces. I am personally dying to have the large grandpa knit cardigan in sable.

Finally on to a couple of presentations. Luckily Catherine Holstein’s presentation was right next door to my apartment, which meant an easy commute. She did not let us down. We loved Spring 2009 (which is in Mick Margo this week!) and we equally fell in love with Fall. Holstein updated her jumper turning it into a dress version that beautifully drapes and is perfect in the nude color. Her tees were impeccable in a single and double layered linen jersey and of course the outerwear stole the show. An unassuming plaid jacket with dropped lapels won me over. Holstein said afterward that she prefers doing runway shows and that the presentation format wasn’t her favorite so we’ll see what's in store for next season.

Then we made a quick stop to support friends over to Milk for the Rebecca Minkoff presentation where she launched her cleverly edited RTW collection and of course showed her signature handbags too. The cocktails here were yummy and we spotted supermodel Agyness Deyn with her beau. They were taking in the scene, but definitely more into each other than the actual clothes.-- Nadine Ferber

Catherine Holstein FW 2009