July 31st, 2007
Gingerly Designs is proof positive that you don’t have to spend a bundle on accessories in order to look chic. This bracelet features tiger ebony petals with coral twigs (not to mention a sterling silver lobster clasp and chain extension). Vancouver-based designer Megan Wray’s creations can be found mostly in British Columbia and Canada, and on the wrists of thoughtful bargain fashionistas who can never seem to resist a hot-looking deal.
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July 31st, 2007
Rosa Mosa is an up-and-coming Austrian shoe label that specializes in handmade footwear made from natural rubber, cork, hand-woven textiles, patched carpets and thick cowhides in rich, exotic shades of burgundy, black, chocolate and brandy (many of them are tinted with chrome-free vegetable tanning methods). The look is clean with minimal seams and layered soles. Love funky clogs? Rosa Mosa makes ‘em with oiled wooden soles that have been implanted with a PU core. The resulting shoes are as comfy and functional as sneakers.
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July 30th, 2007
It doesn’t get much more snuggly than this. Australian-made Juicy Bear Tees are made of Egyptian cotton, so they’re ultra-soft, not to mention fitted and easy to layer. Kind of like C&C California but dare we say it—better. Highlight a dope décolletage with a scoop-neck tank in flattering shades of plum, jade and salmon. The perfect fit? Perhaps, if only because of the ample length which will cover the skin on your stomach even if you’re sporting low rise denim. Sometimes a gal wants to emphasize her other parts, you know?
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July 27th, 2007
Phee Phi Pho Phum: We smell a lovely label (please excuse the cheap reference to Jack and Beanstalk, we’re deliriously tired from jet setting far and wide). New York-bsed Phi can only be described as Marc Jacobs-esque. Think simple dresses that will take you anywhere, slouchy knits and low-slung shorts in fresh-squeezed colors like lemon and raspberry. Peruse the site for looks you’ll love (there are plenty) and let your credit cards go to work.
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July 27th, 2007
The English word “nugget” is just so awful and unnecessary. We’d rather not hear it at all unless it’s referring to chunks of gold or diamond (not a chicken’s under parts, thank you very much). Well, it looks like we forgive jewelry designer Rachel Green (no, not the Friend’s character) for calling these lovely earrings “turquoise nuggets.” In fact, we wear ours with great pride. The rest of her line, Rach.L is quite alluring what with all of the options from which to choose, all of them handmade from semi-precious baubles such as rose quartz, garnet and black onyx (paired with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals).
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July 27th, 2007
Our obsession du jour? Lazy Oaf clothing and accessories by Gemma Shiel. We can’t get enough of her goodies bearing phrases like Pump Up the Jam (hello nineties). We picked up some graphic lunch pails for our grown-up sisters, key chains to bribe the stoic lady down at the DMV, and cherry-inspired socks for our mums. And for our writer colleagues? The too-cute pencil cases, of course. No doubt kids love the stuff too. Unique puff polo shirts have just been added to the website. Shake your tail feathers to the boombox version with contrasting button details (available in black or royal blue).
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July 26th, 2007
Love looks of the orient? Check out Andrea Serrahn’s collections, inspired by her backpacking trips through India. She uses glam Indian textiles to design contemporary clothing for real women (that gal in the pic is a supermodel but you get the idea), and the stuff’s hand-tailored and -stitched by workers in India. The result is smoldering: figure-flattering swing coats, skirts, scarves and stoles in shades of curry, copper, amethyst and mint.
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July 26th, 2007
Looking for a stylish something to hold onto? (Brad Pitt is taken, we’re talking purses you silly boy-crazed reader). Meet Jade, a little number that’s “abstract yet classically elegant.” The printed clutch with intricate beading transitions from lunch meeting to after hour cocktails without attracting haughty stares from co-workers. Hold on for dear life. You never know when someone with sticky fingers will try to steal your style, quite literally.
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July 25th, 2007
San Francisco-based designer Deanna Bratt creates clothing that combines nature’s beauty and “urban functionality.” The up-and-comer’s quirky, somewhat alternative looks are made from comfy materials like cotton, lycra or rayon jersey knit. The collections are sewn by Bratt herself and by a sweat-free contractor, which we applaud. As the company grows, she has plans to use organic and recycled materials, keeping up with other green-ish labels (our applause is growing louder).
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July 24th, 2007
Those who want to learn the secrets of charm should get thee to charm school or simply peruse the Secrets of Charm website. Sisters Estee and Sharon Elkayam launched the darling clothing line after being inspired by their grandmother whose grace reminded them of the 1954 classic book, Secrets of Charm. The collection bears a beautiful blend of vintage clothing with a modern, feminine sensibility. It’s an ideal mix of premium fabrics, exclusive prints (from Italy, Japan and Peru) and flawless fits for that nearly flawless figure of yours.
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