Circa Now: Blowout Anniversary Sale!

May 15, 2008

Circa Now, my favorite Manhattan stomping ground for emerging labels and gently used frocks, is throwing an in-store shindig next Thursday in honor of their 4th-year anniversary. Aside from an open bar and jammin’ DJ beats, Circa Now will also be discounting all their vintage wares up to 50% off!

Despite the boutique’s pint-sized space, Circa Now carries a surprisingly large assortment of coveted labels, making it all too easy to drain your savings account (trust me on this one!). Having ventured inside the store numerous times after dining down the street at Frank (my favorite Italian resto), I’ve managed to fill my closet with a host of flirty dresses, butt-firming vintage blues, haute handbags, belts, baubles and dreamy Dolce Vita pumps (my latest impulse purchase).

If you’d like to stop by next Thursday’s Circa Now anniversary soirée, please make sure to RSVP to Kendall Roberts at kendall@circanownyc.com

Hope to see you there!

The Retail Details!
What: Circa Now Anniversary Sale
Where: 238 E. 6th Street, NYC
When: Thursday, May 22nd
Time: 12pm-8pm
Phone: 212-254-2555
Website: circanownyc.com

Comic Couture

Exclusive Collections · News & Views · Trends · May 13, 2008

Call me crazy, but doesn’t it seem as if everyone in the art and design world has been jumping-in on the superhero bandwagon lately? First came New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” and now, Diane von Furstenberg is paying homage her favorite superhero, Wonder Woman, by debuting a capsule collection in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (on behalf of DC Comics). DVF’s haute heroine lineup includes ready-to-wear, small leather goods and footwear inspired by the iconic female superpower.

Why exactly is Furstenberg so smitten by Wonder Woman? For starters, the fictional Greek Goddess happens to share the same first name as the designer, Princess Diana. In fact, Furstenberg has kept a picture of the comic heroine in her notebook for years and her staff even once gave her a framed photo of herself in the likeness of Wonder Woman as a gift. But I digress…

Far from cartoonish, the DVF Wonder Woman collection will feature eye-catching frocks, from signature wrap dresses to shifts with corsets, adorned with shimmery sequins and, of course, stars – the ultimate symbol of empowerment (an attribute that Furstenberg is extremely passionate about). DVF boutiques will also carry a coveted assortment of Wonder Woman-inspired collectibles that go beyond bulletproof bracelets and headbands (ker-pow!). Proceeds from the sale of select items will benefit Vital Voices Global Partnership, an organization von Furstenberg is committed to that identifies and empowers emerging women leaders and socially-minded entrepreneurs. This limited-edition collection will debut in DVF boutiques as well as specialty stores worldwide in October ’08… just in time for Halloween!

Sally Tseng Trunkshow!

Events · May 7, 2008

If you happen to live in or around the NYC Metro area, here’s something you might wanna check out.

Sally Tseng, a Big Apple-based designer who’s known for her meticulously tailored and fashion-forward frocks, is throwing an exclusive trunkshow at Jirisuda (a hot NoLita boutique) tomorrow night.

Round-up your posse and head to Jirisuda to sip some bubbly, schmooze and of course, shop! Plus, you’ll receive a 10% discount on all Sally Tseng items purchased at the event.

Happy shopping!

The Retail Details!
What: Sally Tseng Trunkshow
Where: Jirisuda, 248 Elizabeth Street, NYC (btw Prince & Houston)
When: Thursday, May 8th
Time: 5-8pm
Phone: 212-941-1101
Website: sallytsengny.com

Rain Busters

Trends · May 2, 2008

Although I meant to post this rain-busters round-up in April, I figured you would still find it useful given May’s grim weather forecast. And since these dreary weather conditions are expected to continue here in the Big Apple for the next five days (oh, joy), I now have a perfect excuse to stock up on the latest waterproof fashion finds. Even better: I don’t even need to venture outside to buy anything, as everything’s available online.

We’ve all heard of galoshes for men… but for women? Slip on Swims’ ultra-stylish rubber overshoes to prance around in puddles, without mucking-up your pricy Miu Miu ballerinas. Choose from a host of colorful hues, including lemon, licorice, pearl gray, bubble gum pink and chocolate. Swims, $146, swimsstore.com

This travel-friendly, water-repellant trench is undeniably practical and chic. The puffy sleeves and solid navy silhouette add to the appeal, while the knee-length drawstring hem and adjustable hood prevent you from getting drenched! Mackage Knee-Length Nylon Jacket in Navy, $385, saksfifthavenue.com

Avoid looking like a drowned rat with this punchy patent leather wide-brimmed hat. The eye-popping Kelly green shade is guaranteed to garner smiles, even on the greyest of days. Patrica Rain Hat, $126, edressme.com

Shield yourself from unexpected downpours with this stylish and smart weather forecasting umbrella. The base of the handle has a built-in radio receiver, which illuminates during inclement weather, so you’ll instantly know when to take cover. Now that’s cool! Hammacher Forecasting Umbrella, $99.95, hammacher.com

Treetorn’s edgy rubber wedge boots are proof that you needn’t sacrifice your style when it’s raining cats and dogs. Not only are these kicks comfy, they’re also fully insulated so you won’t freeze when the mercury nosedives. I’m such a fan, I bought ‘em in both cypress and yellow. Treetorn Plask Rain Boot, $117, zappos.com

Shrink Wrap: the latest in Retail Therapy

News & Views · May 1, 2008

Did any of you happen to come across this week’s WWD article entitled “Shoppers Calling for a Little In-Store Psychology”? In case you missed it, I thought I’d re-hash some of the article’s more eyebrow-raising points.

In a nutshell, the premise of this insightful article is that specialty boutique sales staff (in NYC and L.A.) have become stand-in shrinks for their regular customers. A number of sales staff provided hysterical anecdotes about certain high-maintenance shoppers, some of whom think it’s normal behavior to prance around a boutique in nothing but their skivvies. However, in my humble opinion, the most amusing part of the article is its classification of shoppers into five humorous categories including:

• Miss Lonely Hearts: pours her heart out to a salesperson rather than seek treatment with a trained therapist.

• The Addict: shops compulsively, but hasn’t bothered to get to the root of the problem.

• The Psycho Shopper: throws temper tantrums and often exudes bizarre behavior (i.e,. asks a salesperson to snap naked shots of her in the dressing room).

• The Performer-Exhibitionist: flirts with sales staff, flashes her breasts and practices downward dog yoga moves.

• Little Ms. Indecisive: tortures herself by putting an expensive designer item on hold, eventually buys it and then returns the item due to shoppers remorse.

Truth be told, I fall under not just one, but four of these categories. Yup… I’m guilty of buying and returning (a.k.a. shopping bulimia), sometimes hide how much I spend from my hubbie, split clothing payments on multiple credit cards, occasionally thrown a temper tantrum if Pedro Garcia’s must-have platform pump is unavailable in my size and shop compulsively despite my dwindling savings account. But there is hope around the corner!. I’m actually considering attending Shopoholics Anonymous, a division of the Shulman Center for Compulsive and Theft Spending.

I’m curious… which of the five shopper categories do you fall under? Share your thoughts with the rest of the FashionJunkie community!