What's Hers is Mine

I have misbehaved. Broken my rules. Gone back to my old, self-enabling, bad habits. It seemed so simple: To cut back on spending, simply stay out of stores. Well, whoever said that has clearly not discovered the world of online shopping. It’s 24/7 couch to credit card frivolity! So I expanded my ban to the cyber retail world. Goodbye J. Crew and Bloomingdales. Adios Tibi and Zara. I meant business.

Then everything changed…

I confess that I have fallen off the retail wagon. In the name of industry research I explored a new cyber concept, a recently launched online store called Shop Hers. Pioneering a new and very much improved model for the secondhand clothing market, Shop Hers works directly with buyer and sellers from all over the world to facilitate a quick, easy and trustworthy exchange of product. 

Buyers (i.e. you or me) can easily browse the site using a simple Pinterest-like layout. Brands range from top-tier designer to up-and-coming contemporary, and include clothing, footwear, handbags and accessories.  The prices are very reasonable (not inflated like on some other resale websites), and you will find all of your favorite labels, such as Alexander Wang, Chanel, Isabel Marant, Joie and Louboutin. When you make a purchase, the lovely team at Shop Hers will inspect your merchandise to make sure that there are no flaws in the product and that the item is 100% authentic, so there is no risk of receiving damaged or counterfeit goods. Then the team ships your purchase out to you, wherever in the world you may live. And if you don’t like it once it arrives, it’s absolutely no problem for you to return the item.

Shop Hers also makes things easier for sellers. You can ship a whole treasure chest full of your lightly worn, I’m-sick-of-you / never-fit-properly / never-worn-one-year-later-with-the-tags-still-on pieces to their headquarters and they will do all the work for you.  They will photograph, price out, and sell your former fashions for a modest commission. 

For my very first purchase I ordered myself a pair of aubergine J Brand jeans (you can never have enough J Brand right?).  They fit and look just like the site had promised (brand spanking new!), and best yet, they arrived in just 2 days!! I’m thinking this was $50 very well spent, and guilt-free I may had. In fact, having saved $150 off the retail price, and considering one can never have enough pairs of jeans, I’m actually feeling rather proud of my resent acquisition. It just proves that there are times when rules are made to be broken.

Therefore, as a self-proclaimed enabler, I suggest that you give Shop Hers a visit next time you need to satisfy your inner hunger for online shopping without fear of buyer's remorse. Because it doesn’t count if you bought it from a girlfriend ;)

@ shop-hers.com 

WARBY PARKER FALL 2013

“I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It's nice.”

 - J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

HOLCOMB / OPTICAL / MARBLED SANDSTONE

Today WARBY PARKER launches their limited edition Fall 2013 Collection.

For those of you who aren't already familiar with the unconventional optical trend-setter, Warby Parker is pretty much the greatest thing to happen to the eyewear industry since...well, ever! 

Prices start at $95, so you can shamelessly indulge your optical fantasies. Their assortment of eyeglasses and sunwear offers stylized retro designs through a unique retail philosophy focused around impeccable customer service. And lest we forget - for every pair of glasses purchased, the Warby Parker gang distributes a second pair to someone in need. Yes please!

What can we expect from the new collection? The inspiration for this season "recalls the shaky years when social change was nearing take-off, just before the Surgeon General denounced smoking and hemlines creeped north...It’s a paean to the literary life." In an homage to the literary legends of the time, Fall 2013 introduces 5 new frames with a midcentury soul: Meet Ames, Ripley, Rowan, Holcomb and Ellison. Seasonally appropriate, the collection proposes "bold acetate in rich, autumnal colors and stainless steel-rimmed lenses" - a true feast for your eyes.  

SHOP THE NEW COLLECTION HERE

RIPLEY / OPTICAL / OAK BARREL

AMES / SUN / GRAPHITE FOG

ROWAN / OPTICAL / GRAPHITE FOG

ELLISON / SUN / MARBLED SANDSTONE

         

5 FRAMES - 15 STYLES 

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR VIEWING, LUSTING, ACQUIRING AND DOING GOOD

@ warbyparker.com

1 D.A.Y

1 SEASON / 4 EYES / 15 WAYS TO DO GOOD

@ warbyparker.com

2 D.A.Y.S.

 


@ warbyparker.com

3 D.A.Y.S.

"Loose hips and loose lips have the adults in a frenzy, but the kids are going to be alright."

 


@ warbyparker.com

GIRL CRUSH

Margaux Lonnberg

SUSTAINABILITY WITH CARLY STOJSIC

Carly Stojsic is a Toronto-based Market Editor for trend forecasting giant WGSN. Wildly successful, charming, and exceptionally down-to-earth, Carly has developed a rare ability to decipher the leading artistic, political, cultural and technological patterns influencing the ever-changing fashion landscape. This weekend the Canadian style savant was in Vancouver for the 6^th Edition of Eco Fashion Week. A handful of attendees were treated to a special seminar, where Carly shared her insider knowledge on the latest trends permeating the international fashion and design communities.

I caught up with Carly after her lecture to learn more about her thoughts on sustainable fashion and how she thinks the Eco trend will play out over the next decade.

AA:  I used to work for a brand in NYC that was locally manufactured and hoped this would translate into higher sales at both the wholesale and retail levels. I was surprised how few shoppers really cared that we were an Eco-friendly brand. What can companies do to educate customers about their Eco-friendly practices? And how can designers effectively promote their sustainable endeavours in a way that will maximize sales?

CS: A brand needs to think about how it behaves from the start, and provide a consistent message throughout every element of its operations. Specifically, its Eco conscience must become part of its ethos. From the staff and brand ambassadors to its corporate culture, internet presence and packaging, every interaction involving the brand needs to emulate this ethos. One company that does this really well is Lululemon.

AA: Over the next 5 years, what will be the biggest trends in the Eco-fashion movement in terms of production, sourcing and design?

CS: From a manufacturing standpoint, expect to still see a lot of piece-good production coming from countries like China. Where there will be a shift is in raw materials. Textiles and fibres will start to be sourced increasingly from different parts of the world, from developing countries to more locally in the US and Canada.

AA: The term Eco has so many connotations today, making it confusing for the public. Many consumers like the idea of buying sustainable fashion but are not exactly sure what to look for in a product. How can designers become more Eco-friendly in a way that their customers will easily understand? And how can their approach to Eco fashion help consumers make an educated purchasing decision?

CS: Sustainable fashion really needs to begin at the level of the consumer and work backwards from there. It’s all about thoughtful design. Why are you designing this? How does it contribute? Look at the components of your designs. For example, a piece of clothing that is covered in studs. Could you source local shells from Kitsilano to create the same effect instead of using metal studs? Or could you use a different treatment process on your denim that will causes less waste by-product? Think about the message you are trying to communicate to your audience.

AA: We are starting to see more and more companies take greater steps towards being Eco-friendly, whether retailers, manufacturers or factories. The overall shift is still small but continuously growing. Where do you see the Eco fashion movement by 2025? 

CS: Where we are really going to see a major impact is with new technology. We are going to see designers increasingly recognizing and adopting technology as their number one ally and enabler of sustainable fashion. It will influence everything from silhouettes and prints, to textiles, manufacturing processes and branding.

PERSONAL PORTRAITS

The Sartorialist - Personal Portraits from ACTA on Vimeo.

I love this man!

I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE

Elizabeth and James, $350

I've a soft spot for historically-inspired footwear and these are the perfect mix of Louis XIV x retro.

YES, WE ARE HANDSOME

 

My new favourite swimwear:

We Are Handsome - 2013 Collection

BLURRED LINES

IF I WERE A BOY...

 

Quirky Bow Ties by Le Papillonneur

A.P.C. CHIC BESACE BAG

Perfect anytime bag by A.P.C.

CHARLOTTE

I was lucky enough to cross paths with Charlotte Casiraghi on a recent trip to Paris and can tell you firsthand that she's as effortlessly beautiful and well-dressed in person as she comes across in the media. Although she is 2 years younger than me, she has been one of my style icons since my teens, exuding an I-just-threw-this-on glamour. Unlike American socialites (think Ivanka Trump and the Hilton sisters), she is not over-makeup'd, over-styled, over-done. She is all Charlotte.

CHOICES

""I broke into my emergency hidden stash, and I thought about choices. Since birth modern women have been told that we can do and be anything we want, be an astronaut, the head of an internet company, a stay-at-home mom. There aren't any rules any more. Choices are endless. And apparently, they can all be delivered right to your door. But is it possible that we've gotten so spoiled by choices that we've become unable to make one? That part of us knows that once you choose something, one man, one great apartment, one amazing job, another option goes away? Are we a generation of women who can't choose just one from column 'A'? Did we all have too much to handle, or was Samantha right? Can we have it all?"

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- CARRIE BRADSHAW, female ambassador 

MARIA FRANCESCA PEPE JEWELRY

PRADA + FRANCE + CAKE = MIU PRATOINETTE?

No matter what Miss Miuccia does, she always stays true to her quirky, artistic and often times jolie-laide aesthetic. Here is Episode 2 of her new series promoting Prada's Candy L'eau - starring my favorite Léa Seydoux and directed by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.

WHITE WATER WANG

Why am I so obsessed with everything Wang? God he's good!

VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK

Today was my first day attending Vancouver Fashion Week's Fall 13 shows. Although it was all very different from the New York tent experience I have become accustomed to, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. The greeters were extremely helpful, within minutes I had made multiple friends, designers mingled openly, and everyone I encountered was exceedingly warm. 

A few collections definitely stood out among the array of emerging designers selected to show this evening, the strongest of which was DWO, or Dandilion Wind Opaine. Dandi's show went beyond everyday fashion and morphed into a fantastical world reminiscent of pagan feminism and Stag warrior-queens (read The Mists of Avalon). She married the raw, theatrical drama of McQueen with  Native Indian undertones that displayed wisdom way beyond her years. As she closed the evening with a wide-eyed crowd, we received a gentle reminder that even in the smallest of fashion capitals, creativity cannot be confined. Fashion will always be an expressive form of wearable art, a reflection of who we are, where we have been, and what we can achieve. 

Looking forward to tomorrow...

PARTY SKIRTS CELEBRATES LAUNCH

Vancouver's BYTs (Bright Young Things) were out in full force Wednesday evening to fête the launch of Party Skirts. Hosted by hip downtown boutique Blubird, the venue was alive with colour, energetic music, baloons and chatter. Despite the heavy rain, guests turned out in droves to support the local label, many even rocking the "guest" of honour, their very own party skirt.

"It's like a fashion rainbow in here," noted one party-goer. "I can't help but smile!"

 The line's founders and ambassadors, sisters Lauren and Mariel Armstrong, vivaciously greeted guests and happily posed with the towering models sporting their signature skirts. Guests were encouraged to adorn themselves with florette-covered headpieces and accessories - a nod to the sisters' playful, fresh and feminine approach to fashion.

Store Manager and hostess of the soirée, Sophis Koumbis, could not have been more pleased with the launch. The crowd came for more than flowing champagne and delicious nibbles courtesy of Italian Kitchen, they were there to shop.

"We can't re-stock fast enough," shared Koumbis, with a big grin, referring to the large wall showcasing the voluminous shantung silk party skirts in every hue.

As the night wound down guests migrated over to Gastown hotspot Houseguest to continue the festivities and catch-up with old friends in a more intimate setting. It may have been a dark and dreary Wednesday, but everyone was having way too much fun to head home just yet. From what I can tell, the skirts are living up to their name.