Intermix sample sale

Intermix warehouse sale

Thursday, Feb 26 - Sunday, March 1
125 W 18th St, nr 6 Ave.
Th (11-8), Fri and Sat (9-8), Sun (10-6)

This is one of those hit or miss crazy crowded sample sales. You might have to stand in line to get in, and once you get inside it will be complete mayhem. There are definitely tons of designer pieces (Stella McCartney, Chloe, Elizabeth and James) at amazing prices, but you will have to push your way through crowded racks to find the good stuff. I don't have time to head up there this year, but let me know how it is if you do....

unique wedding rings

Wedding Bells rings by Stacie Midori


With the continuing recession and increasing moral concerns surrounding conflict diamonds, it seems that more couples are searching for alternatives to the traditional solitaire engagement ring. I have met many young couples recently who don't really see the necessity of a huge "bling" diamond when there are perfectly beautiful alternative options that don't require 3-4 months salary (hopefully a six figure one for those 2+ karat rocks) or a heavy conscience.

I completely understand the inclination to defy that norm and question the tradition (which I heard was started by an ad campaign that DeBeers created to boost waning diamond sales) that has managed to infiltrate our society and create an obsession with enormous diamonds. Yes, they are beautiful but they are also, for many people, quite financially unrealistic.

There are many options for alternatives to the solitaire diamond wedding ring, but I want to share my pick:
Stacie Midori Designs

Stacie is a creative Californian jewelry designer who focuses on ring design. She creates jewelry pieces with beautiful gems and pure shapes and colors that are inspired by those found in nature. I love everything in her line, but the rings truly stand out as unique and special to me. Here are some of my favorite rings of Stacie's (including the pair pictured above which inspired me to write this post):


This is an 18k gold stacked puzzle ring that she designed for my mom. It is made up of three rings that represent her three children...diamond, pink tourmaline, and aquamarine. I am the diamond of course!

Golden "O" Ring. I love her use of primary shapes.



Diamond on a Vine


Virginia Ring. A gorgeous colored stone paired with small diamonds is a great alternative to the solitaire diamond.

You can contact Stacie Midori Designs through the website to inquire about custom designs.

weekly blog pick

Image courtesy of ArtComments

Now that I have started blogging, I have quickly become addicted to searching for the most amazing fashion and design blogs out there in that great wide blogosphere (I just used "blog" in three different words). I want to share what I am reading to show my support for other sites and to learn what I could do to make Hello Kelli better.

So I've decided that every week I will pick a new blog that I am closely following and share it with you. Usually these will be other fashion blogs, but I will mix it up with some of the other non-fashion blogs that I follow...

This week's pick:
Fashion Pulse Daily

You probably already noticed that it's one of the only sites on my blogroll, so it's only appropriate that I feature it as my first pick. This is one of the first fashion blogs that I started following and the creator Julia has been extremely helpful in responding to my barrage of rookie blogger questions. FPD had amazing coverage of the runways at Fashion Week live from inside the tents, but also features great finds from affordable retailers.

oscars best dressed

I watched the Academy Awards from beginning to end last night and picked my favorites from the red carpet. There was a lot of muted colors and variations on creme, which I thought was very refreshing and tasteful.

(pictures courtesy of Oscar.com)

Here are my top picks: Marisa Tomei in Versace. This entire look was my overall favorite of the evening...the pleats, the color, the train, the asymmetry, the jewels, the hair, the makeup. How does she not get older??



Kate Winslet (Best Actress) in Atelier Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati. I think we need to refer to the 2009 Annual Academy Awards as "Kate's Night." This is my second favorite dress. I love anything in grey and the layered draping of the black lace pairs with it wonderfully. Go Kate!

Penelope Cruz (Best Supporting Actress) in vintage Pierre Balmain. The embroidery and the color of this dress are gorgeous.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte. If I saw this dress on anyone else I probably wouldn't have picked it as one of my tops because the color is a tad too bubble gum prom dress for me. But Natalie looked so breathtakingly gorgeous with her smoky eyes and tasteful tan that I just couldn't deny that she looked quite perfect.



Amy Adams in Carolina Herrera with Fred Leighton necklace. I think red gowns can often seem slightly 80s bridesmaid, but this vivid gown with black trim looks beautiful with her fare skin tone and auburn hair. The bright jewels in her collar necklace are amazing. The only problem is that her dress seems to match the color of the carpet a little too well...

uniqlo designers invitation project

Uniqlo is launching a website for their Designers Invitation Project to share images and bios of the designers who they have selected to do affordable collections.

For Spring 2009:
Steven Alan for women (mid-March)
Opening Ceremony for men (mid-March)
Shipley and Halmos for women (mid-April)
Guilded Age for men (mid-April)

The designers' collections will be available in Japan, the US, and online. I will definitely be checking out the designs at the flagship US store as soon as they launch and I will share my picks so you can snatch them up before they are gone! I am most excited about the womens shirt designs by Steven Alan (pictured above).

I hope that the recession has a positive impact on these designer collaborations and influences more designers to offer pieces at lower price points...

vivienne tam and bloggers

HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition

As a new fashion blogger it feels great to be appreciated.

Vivienne Tam is one of the most influential designers who has made a strong statement about the importance of fashion bloggers in the fashion community. The Vivienne Tam show at NY Fashion Week (which just wrapped up so I have a lot of runway shows to watch online) featured a bloggers computer lounge to offer bloggers an instant connection between the runway and the readers outside the tents. I hope that more designers start incorporating similar ideas to utilize the web to expand the world of fashion.

Here are some interviews with fashion bloggers at the Vivienne Tam show, which included my favorite fashion blogger Julia from Fashion Pulse Daily.

I love the concept that fashion and design should be equally accessible to everyone, which is why the designer collections pairings with budget retailers have been such a great innovation over the past few years. Tam has paired with HP to create a tiny and beautiful clutch-sized HP Mini that I must have!

Thank you Vivienne and I hope to see you at Fashion Week in the Fall....

affordable vintage

I just have to mention my successful trip to the attic sale at Zachary's smile today, which has been running every weekend in February yet still managed to have tons of wonderful items. I am going to pick this as my new favorite sample sale! I love the pairing of different vintage fabrics to create unique modern pieces. I came home with a pink cropped silk jacket ($20), 3/4 sleeve khaki jacket ($20), a Christian Dior (supposedly) patterned silk skirt (my favorite find for $10 in a bargain bin!), and a vintage handmade floral print dress ($10).

The sale ends tomorrow, but I will keep you updated on any future specials that they are runnning...I heard a rumor that they were going to do a clearance sale that involved a $20 cover charge to enter and fill a bag with as many items as you can. Sounds amazing!



So many cute jackets...I wanted ten more...the contrasting lining fabrics are unique for each piece...

UPDATE TO POST:
The Zachary's Smile sample sale will be continuing through the weekend of Feb 28 - March 1! Go check it out!

earnest sewn sample sale

Earnest Sewn denim

Thursday, Feb 19 - Monday, Feb 23

8am - 8pm

71 Gansevoort St., b/t Greenwich & Washington Sts., 3rd flr. (212-242-3414)

Earnest Sewn is my favorite brand for jeans right now, so I try to hit this sample sale every year to stock up on denim. They have most of the styles and colors that are available in the stores, only at a discount. This is my pick for jeans!

still here...

Sorry about the long absence from posting! My tan from Kauai trip is quickly fading as I slave away at work now that I am back in New York....I promise some great posts soon!

aloha

I am off to the beautiful island of Kauai for a week...but I will be back after President's Day to report on the beginning of fashion week!

Here is a peak into my suitcase at my picks for tropical island travel essentials...

• cut-offs in super short and bermuda lengths. I usually buy cut-offs at a Juniors apparel store instead of trimming a pair of my own jeans because the tightness in the thighs on regular length jeans is not ideal for comfy shorts. Denim Bermuda from American Eagle Outfitters, Tracy from Abercrombie & Fitch.
• bikini with removable straps. I like the option of strapless to avoid undesirable tanlines. Victoria's Secret has a huge variety of swimsuits at extremely affordable prices online. Checkered trim bandeau from VS.
• plastic frame sunglasses. I love these Ray-Ban Wayfarers in bright hues, but for beach trips I buy the cheap imitation styles so I don't worry too much about scratching them up or losing them in the ocean.
• cotton bag. I use a slouchy canvas bag as a combination purse and beach bag so I can move from the beach to an after-beach meal or shopping expedition without carrying too much around. Floral Canvas Tote from AEO.
• Muji toiletry containers. Instead of buying over-priced airline sized toiletries or switching to different brands that are available in these sizes, I put all of my regular toiletry products into mini reusable Muji containers to bring with me. An assortment of containers are available at the Moma store.
• casual cotton dress. I end up wearing the same versatile cotton dress over a bikini almost everyday. Again, the idea is to be able to straight from the beach to a restaurant or shopping trip without a trip home in-between. Front Detail Tube Dress by Splendid at BasicBasic.
• rubber flip-flops. I am a big fan of the Brazilian havaianas, which come in a variety of styles and colors and withstand wear and tear. havaianas.
  

sample sale in Noho

first NY sample sale post!

Zachary's Smile sample sale

303 Mulberry St (just north of Houston...behind their retail store)

They call it an "attic sale" but it's actually in a basement...and if there are no dressing rooms, I call it a sample sale. Zachary's Smile is known for selling simple modern style dresses that are sewn out of recycled vintage fabrics so each piece is similar, but unique. They also have an amazing collection of vintage pieces. All dresses at the sale are $20-$25. I just stopped by and if you are in the mood for rummaging, I guarantee there are some great finds! I tried on all of the pieces pictured above and loved them. If I had more time I would have focused on sifting through the assortment of beautiful vintage coats!

The sale is being held every weekend (Thursday - Sunday) in February from 1pm - 8pm. They'll continue putting out new products every weekend (or so they told me). But as all sample sales go, the sooner you go the better!

no more ugly

New York Magazine just informed me that ugg-ly is in this year. In reaction to the recession, buyers are turning to comfort over style. People, why would you do this to yourselves!? Perhaps it's not the best environment for starting a fashion blog...

Ugg. Literally.

all season t

I really do love a good t-shirt. I have tried tons of different brands and styles to find the best tees to stock as my staples. These work great as layers or on their own in every season. You can dress it down (with a zip-up hoody) or dress it up (with a statement necklace and slouchy cardigan!)

The types of tees that are in style right now have a tissue-like material and a comfortably long length. In order to keep them looking and fitting like the day you bought them, I highly recommend to cold wash (or handwash) and hang dry...unless you are interested in a pilly crop top...

Here are my picks:

LnA cotton v-neck $36...I love these LnA tees in any style, but the deep V is the best. They are usually available at a discount on bluefly. These are my absolute FAVORITE!!

American Apparel Unisex Tri-Blend Deep V-Neck $22...I think everyone has at least one American Apparel tee in their closet somewhere, but this tri-blend has the best texture and color options.


J.Crew Ringspun Crewneck Painter Tee $34...these fit great and come in a large assortment of colors. I also like the special styles with embellishments like rosettes or silky appliques.


Hurley Icon Burst Girl's Tomboy Vneck $32...for graphic tees I prefer Hurley's artistic designs in many different styles and colors.