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Hey!!!
I absolutely love to sit down and write newsletters!!!.....most of the time. Yesterday and today I have had a major case of the “I don't want to”....and then, I can't even remember how to put the ‘s' onto the end of that word!!!!! Anyway, I will make a valiant effort to be amusing anyway............
This month brings us loads of new goodies......
When we received the new Robin Kaplan Smoked Sandia collection, one of the first things that I noticed was that Lynn Muir dressed most of her “Women with Accessories” in that same shade.....brilliant choice, and she isn't even a fashion designer! I love each and every one of Robin's hand-dyed colors....the tones within each color are subtle and beautiful, and I am amazed by the way that they combine with other colors from her earlier collections. They are also pretty great teamed with other designers' pieces.......just this weekend, our WWD (Wonderful Web Designer for the newbies) put Robin's lace bottomed linen pants under her Krista Larson Bubble Slip....need I tell you how nice that looks??? We have brought in the same pieces in each of the new colors and are finding it a lot of fun to put them together in different combinations with new accessories. Whether you are going on a casual outing or to a fancy wedding, these clothes will take you there, AND, the more pieces you have, the MANY more combinations you can play with!!!!!
The other things that I constantly love to play with are the black and cream and white Krista Larson pieces. This outfit with the stripe cotton Venetian Cami over the Stretch Tulle Tee over the striped taffeta Sweet Pea Cami over the striped taffeta Bubble Skirt over the cotton plaid Tornado Skirt....all accented with the giant Cornflower Pin....has got to be my all time favorite!!! I have it hanging on the wall opposite my desk so that I can look up and see it when I am doing something boring. All of the cottons of summer have been pretty wonderful, and we just keep ordering more and more. We have just gotten in a shipment of both the Emma Jacket and the Emma Shirt....and there are just all sorts of other goodies in cotton plaids and dots and florals and checks.......
.....and while we are talking about the fluffy stuff......Giselle Shepatin has just made us a new short version of her velvet top with the hand-dyed cotton tulle and silk ruffles that just HAPPENS to be a perfect match for Catherine Bacon's green and aubergine ombre skirt with the gorgeous flower at the hem. The pieces are fabulous together or on their own .......Catherine's skirt (should you have great legs??...) also works pulled up as a short cocktail dress, and Giselle's top is a show stopper with anything from silk pants to denim jeans!! Both are working on new versions......
Ray Harris just keeps on cranking out great new designs in his crinkled polys. We have just gotten in the Double Hem Band Dress in a new color.....Lacquer Red. There are about five more colors coming.....this one just keeps on selling!!! The Cocktail Jacket is back in new colors.....with its slimmer body and dramatic swing, it is truly feminine and sexy!!! AND....how do you like the antique silver crushed organza Swing Jacket???? These are the perfect pieces to take along whenever the opportunity arises to look fabulous because they love to pack and travel in a small space. Siga and I are constantly happy to hear how many compliments these clothes are getting for those of you who have worn them someplace special......
And, yes, we do have more casual clothes......
Summer is a great time for knits, and we have two new collections.....one from Blanque in black and white, and one from Kedem Sasson in black and gray and purple and yellow and red!!!!!
Blanque's rayon/lycra knit is soft and light and drapey and perfect for summer. The Stickball necklaces are the perfect whimsical touch to finish off these outfits. Unfortunately, the Kedem Sasson knits arrived too late to be photographed, but they have the usual whimsy (ties on the pant legs and skirts) and drama (tee tops with LONG drapey sides or artsy twists). These pieces can be worn for day but also dressed up with accessories for an evening out......
RECYCLING....a concept that we truly support....and are thrilled to find artists who have innovative ideas to use others' discards.......
When I went to the San Francisco International Gift Fair in the winter, I was prepared for it to be small and less than wonderful. Small it was, but it was also quite wonderful!!!!! I ended up spending more time and more money than I had at the big shows of the years past. The most exciting thing for me is that I found two collections from artists who use discarded materials to make one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces.
The artists at Elisabethan in Colorado buy bales of used clothing and wash them and inspect them to see what is good and usable. Then they cut each garment apart and piece together these one-of-a kind tee shirts. We are showing you a few of them to give you an idea of the unique quirkiness of each creation. Some of the shirts even have pockets in unexpected places!!! We also have fabulous hand-warmers that we think will be great sellers for fall and the holidays....or summer in San Francisco . They are made of fleecy fabrics with one matching and one mismatched side. They are so much fun that we have sold several already....
Chemical Wedding......what a great name!!!! Not knowing what that meant then (and not remembering now!) I had to stop and look at this collection of handbags made of leathers that are left-overs or discards from other factories. I was amazed by the richness of the colors and textures, and by the accents of metal and wood, of these rustically beautiful purses. AND.....even though we NEVER put prices in our newsletters, I have to tell you that finding bags like this that are $250.00 is a major accomplishment for me!!!!
The Sarah Cavender purses are nothing short of spectacular. Sarah has mesh bags in her collection all of the time, and every once in a while we find some that are just too good not to have. These bags are pieces to display when not using them because they really are works of art. I must admit that we did sell the big one already to a charming gentleman who gave it to his wife for Mothers' Day (A KEEPER!!!) but we are able to order another one.
The bracelets we have from Gillian Julius really are for everyone. They are clean and sophisticated and have a lot of presence. Siga actually kept on for himself.....he managed to somehow (I couldn't bear to look....) either make the bracelet bigger or his wrist smaller to make it work, and he has hardly ever been separated from it since he put it on. We will be getting additional colors soon because they are proving to be very popular....all one has to do is put one on to get hooked!!!
....and that is our story. We are happily moving along and are grateful to all of you who support and encourage us....and keep us from having to look for jobs!!!
I have this idea for next month.....I steal a lot of ideas from television, but I try to improve on them.......that we are going to “re-run” some of our favorite things, BUT we will give them new incarnations.....we are going to show you how to put together all sorts of different looks from different collections to get different looks!!!
Come on in and visit and play and have a good time..........
XXXXX
kati
415.362.3437
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