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HAPPY 2010....... Siga and I wish all of you the very best of absolutely everything for the coming year!!!!!
Brrrrrrrrrrr!!! It's COLD...... even here in California . Almost anything under 68 degrees is my friend, but even I may be tempted to wear a coat if it gets any colder......
One nice thing about winter is that we can dress all comfy-cozy and wait for the promise of spring...........
Comfy-cozy is nice, but wild and wooly is FUN! Here are two of Barbara de Jounge's new felted wool jackets.....WOW! aren't they eye-poppers!? When I first started working with Barbara, she said I could order jackets from her and she would be happy to make them for me as long as I understood that they would be "whatever" she created.....design, color, size.......they would be a surprise. And they continue to be. When I open a box of her sweaters, I am always happy to see what I have ordered.....when I open a box of her jackets, it's a whole other thing.....
(Well...no, I am not crazy or seeing things.....there really were two fab new jackets!!! They were hanging off of the edge of my desk, ready to be photographed, and before our WWD got here to take the pictures......SOMEBODY had to wear one of them home!!!! Needless to say, Siga was on the phone five minutes later asking Barbara to please send more. MORE are coming.............)
These jackets obviously need no accessory (well....maybe?) but, if you want that distinctive yet easy touch for winter, these are the very last of our Ruth Spencer scarves. Ruth has retired from making them, and several of you have inquired about what is still available before they disappear forever......
Now for some COLOR......
You loved Ray Harris' flamingo taffeta coat in the last newsletter....well, here's MORE.....
Can you believe that Ray calls this delicious confection "dress"....and the long teal one "long dress"?????? These are far too wonderful for such a modest title! The short flamingo "dress" is flirty with its scrunched top coming in at the waist before going out into angular wings...and then scrunching in again at the hem. The colorful pastel blown-glass necklace by Ronit Dagan tinkles like wind chimes when you walk... The teal "long dress" is the sophisticated big sister, accessorized with a big bead necklace from Italy made of paper mache and hand-blown glass.
Not so colorful.... but shimmery and fabulous..... is the coffee taffeta wide leg pant and scrunched v-neck top finished with Ray's snake-printed stretch crushed velvet. These taffeta pieces will work all through the year with a simple change of jacket or wrap, and we also have this color available in the ever-popular balloon dress and in a jacket length version of the coat...Diana Frey's exquisite doll necklace is one of my all-time favorites....
The teal taffeta coat is a stunner, shown here over the black crinkle hoop dress. (See...the other dresses do have names!) And remember....any of these pieces can be made in whichever color you choose! I just spoke to Ray a little while ago, and he is promising to expand the taffeta collection for next season......
We did buy a few of the new ItemZ shirts in black! Otherwise, it's all about color......our choices were so wonderful that we just picked some of each......red, purple, orange, turquoise, orchid, and acid pear.
These shirts were a lot of fun to accessorize too.....
The first new shirt is simply called "full", but it is so much more with all of its geometric angles. We love how it looks with a black pant that shows off all of its marvelous detail! We are showing the acid pear and the purple with two of Diana Taylor's whimsical fabric pins, and the red one features a pin called "heard it down the grapevine". "Full" is also available in orchid or orange, and it will soon be available in white.
The other new top is a tunic style with a pouch pocket (NO, you are not allowed to stash all of your stuff in there!!!) This top begs for a great necklace, and we do have those....the red tunic shows off Ana Livingston's black and white designs, while the turquoise sports a mobile necklace by Diana Taylor, and the black one her paper-clip and knot creation. We have lots and lots of Diana's jewelry in stock as we recently received a shipment with new styles and color combinations......
A returning friend is our third shirt...."sideways"...our super star from last season. The stand-up neck and diagonal buttons make this a flattering winner! The orchid shirt shows off our first cat pin from Amanda Bates' felted animal collection, and the black one our Jack Russell Terrier. .......and yet another of Diana's pins adorns the orange shirt.
So thus begins the new year. It feels good to start it out with color and whimsy.....we are always and forever looking for those things. And, actually, one of those things may just have walked through our door yesterday........when Lexie appeared with an early birthday gift – a pair of sunglasses decorated so outrageously that Dame Edna would be pea green with envy. I will be wearing them on my birthday, even if it is dark and gloomy, because they are just that good. I am hoping to have them available in the gallery a little later in the spring......
So, until later.....be well, be happy, be silly.....it will feel good!!!!!
Hugs for you all,
kati
415.362.3437
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