Ma Frangine: Made in San Francisco

Ma Frangine: Made in San Francisco

We love the emerging designers that you're showing on your blog! Thank you for getting the word out about indie designers that are so rad.

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Kari

Zac Posen Fall Collection Comes to Chicago

I was lucky enough to catch Zac Posen's quick stop off in Chicago and runway show last Wednesday night. The swanky affair was hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue and Steppenwolf Auxilary Council to benefit Steppenwolf Theatre for Young Adults. The show was a huge hit and fashionistas and socialites alike turned out for the event.

The fall collection was relatively somber, peppered with bright pops of color. In one trend, Models wore body conscious shift dresses with bright tights in primary colors and elf-like heels. Emphasis was on the waist with slight ruffles and ruching front and center on many of the looks. Posen also teetered towards ballerina references as the show drew into it's penultimate looks. Bright dresses tempered with dark tulle atop and beneath, had me feeling like I was at an anarchist's modern ballet. Gowns ranged from short and edgy to a more traditional and longer fit. A long cream colored gown with a hem of plumage was Posen at his best: elegant, ornate with a slight surprise peeping out.

But never one to take himself too seriously, Posen seemed to poke a bit of fun at the measured mood for fall by parading models down the runway with two huge dark pom-poms in their hair, reminiscent of Mini Mouse.

I love the combination of humor and beauty- well done.

Buy What?

I went shopping yesterday at my favorite department store, armed with a hefty gift certificate and several months of pent up desire for new clothes. Here’s what I bought: Mascara.

The financial news coming from retailers this season is bleak. We’re just not shopping like seasons past. There are a lot of reasons why consumers aren’t spending money right now — housing market woes, rising energy costs, recession fears — but let’s consider for a second that there simply isn’t very much worth buying.

When a shopping trip to Michigan Ave. is a total bust for bona fide shopaholic, something is seriously wrong with retail. Cropped jackets? So last season. Skinny jeans? We’re stocked up from two years ago. Festive dresses and tops? Everything looks straight out of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” We live in Chicago.

Marshal Cohen, the chief industry analyst with NPD Group, is quoted on Fortune.com this week saying, “What concerns me more than any of the macro-economic issues is the lack of excitement in fashion right now. As a retailer, if you are telling me the biggest trend out there is skinny jeans, good luck trying to grow your business.” Right on Marshall.

So, what is interesting right now? Crafts including homemade items and pieces by local artists. Things that seem original because they are original. Galleries, artists’ collectives, charities, even this very site, are hosting gift fairs worth checking out.

Leave the party frocks to the California housewives.

No New Taxes

There was a posting on my neighborhood message board the other day detailing yet another new tax being proposed, this time by the Cook County Board of Commissioners who want to tax our telephones, more than they already are. Here’s a little teaser from a Web site called nophonetax.org:

“The Cook County Board of Commissioners has proposed a new tax of $48 per phone per year, which could raise some phone plans by as much as 131%! The proposed tax would apply to every phone – even to every cell phone and broadband line. If passed, this tax would hit the pocketbooks of all consumers and businesses in Cook County.”

What does this have to do with shopping? Since I have three phone lines — a land line for home use, DSL for high-speed Internet and a cell phone — taxes paid on these will jump by nearly $150 a year and I’d much rather buy myself something fun. Let’s say I add high speed Internet access to my existing cable package and cancel the land line, I’d save about $120 a year in taxes alone since I’d be getting rid of both current state and federal phone taxes and the future ones on two lines.

I could take that $120 and get myself a new cell phone, ideally putting it toward the inevitable iPhone purchase. One physical phone might not be convenient, so I could jump onto the VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) bandwagon and get a handset or two to place around the house. VTech, Uniden and Motorola make some attractive ones that will get the job done.

It’s not a new pair of Jimmy Choo’s, but at least I’d be in control of my money, not Cook County.

New Shoes?

Target's done such a good job of partnering with designers, both big and small, that's its never a surprise to find well designed pieces at rock bottom prices. (It's also testament to their marketing muscle that they still get credit for designer partnerships that went nowhere fast. Philippe Starck? Todd Oldham? Cynthia Rowley? Rafe handbags? Gone in a blink of the eye, but we digress.)

It is a surprise, however, to just accidentally stumble on new high-end partnerships, as was the case this week.

While stocking up on the basics, a significant bit of signage caught our eye: Hollywould, for Target. That's right; Hollywould has added a line of shoes to the discount store's line up. We love the line but at those prices, quite a splurge. What a find, Hollywould at Target.

But our hopes were dashed pretty quickly. There are just two styles, both pumps, both in black and made from obviously cheap materials. One sported a cut lace pattern and the other was in patent with, of all things, a bow. The few handbags were slightly better, especially the evening clutches, but really what a squandered opportunity for both designer and retailer.

Luckily, the new Thomas O'Brien lamps and cool black lampshades saved the day. Not as much fund as scoring a pair of $400 party shoes for $29.99, but we'll take what we can get.

Black Friday Musings

I'm a retail geek. There, I've said it.

Forget about terms and phrases like "shopaholic" and "retail therapy," I don't just like shopping that's to simplistic a description. It's the entirety of retail -- the ever changing merchandise, the fickle consumer, the mall environment and main street shops -- that fascinates, enthralls and has led me to make a living analyzing and writing about retail in all its forms.

Retail is a national Rorschach test and we can tell more about our collective psyche by studying buying trends than any poll can honestly reveal. And there's no better day to take the pulse of America than Black Friday.

This day after Thanksgiving was spent in New Mexico, thanks to family retiring en mass to warmer climes. Cold, wet weather (even in the Southwest!) got people out to the mall in droves, but it's where they gravitated to that is revealing. If the new ABQ shopping destination is any indication, people are a lot choosier this year.

One thing seems clear: Apparel may be the big loser this December, although more unique and eclectic offerings should fare well. Small boutiques and chains such as Anthropologie drew enthusiastic crowds, as people sought out homey and personalized environments. And the Apple store was so crowded and full of energy you would think they are giving iPhones away. It's not just a testament to Apple's innovation and marketing expertise that they can command such consumer attention, but further proof that people will spend their (now) harder to come by money. We just need a more compelling reason to do so than wanting a new sweater from the Gap.

So, if you're looking for interesting stores to spend your gift budget in this season, you're not alone. As for apparel, well the sales should be spectacular.

Bucktown lost

Shopping on Damen in Bucktown is one of our greatest pleasures. But there have been some changes to the street of late that actually made us come to a dead stop, wondering if we'd somehow found ourselves back downtown in the Gold Coast.

Nannette Lepore's new boutique was a long time coming and seems to truly fit into its quaint neighborhood surroundings. And the Free People location on a nearby stretch of Milwaukee looks so much like the surrounding businesses (including the consignment shops) that seeing the label for a national line was a pretty big surprise.

But there is something else coming to the neighborhood, something exciting and scary at the same time: Marc Jacobs.

That's right. The man who designs some of the most coveted handbags is opening his first store in Chicago, on Damen. It's a bit odd to have taken so long to set up shop in our city, but it's really interesting that the location of choice is so far from the other posh offerings of Michigan Ave. We really would have expected Marc Jacobs to open on Oak St., with Prada and Todd's as neighbors.

Don't get us wrong, we love, love, love Marc Jacob's designs and can't wait to see entire collections (the store will carry menswear, as well) in one place, but it's the location causing trepidation. Wicker Park and Bucktown is one of the most charming and unique shopping destinations in the country. Its boutiques are independently owned and merchandise hand selected by people that interact regularly with their customers. Somehow, the arrival of a national fashion designer threatens to change all this irrevocably.

Here's hoping we're wrong.

See More Art

While high art isn’t somewhere you typically go for fashion tips, it is a great place try and spot trends that might trickle down to the broader market. That’s why last weekend’s trip to SOFA — the Sculptural Objects and Functional Art Exposition at Navy Pier — provided a wealth of insight into what to expect in home accessories and design.

In years past, colored glass and sparkling silver objects seemed to dominate the show floor, but this year marks a turn away from glossy modern and back to natural wood and interpretations of traditional crafts. Chunky burled wood pieces were made graceful in the hands of skilled artists and seemed almost fluid as tabletop vessels or as tables themselves.

Copper and gold ruled over silver and glass. Gorgeously detailed miniatures from several artists drew admirers and buyers in droves while carefully carved and detailed objects based on ancient artifacts and methods commanded some of the highest prices of the exposition, and sported red “sold” stickers as well.

Even Dale Chihuly’s latest work was a departure from prior collections. Sure that sense of whimsy was still there, but the jubilant colors were replaced with far more glum black glass with gold accents. Maybe all this reflects the more somber mood in this country and the rest of the world right now, SOFA is an International exposition, or maybe its just art.

Fall's Candle Fix

Candles infuse a room with warmth and scent, and come fall they seem as necessary as a cozy blanket and quiet evening at home. But we have a serious love/hate relationship with the flickering wonders, finding it increasingly difficult to justify spending so much on something that gets set on fire. That's why we take our candle buying seriously, searching out genuine and non-cloying scents that represent a good value. Of course, they must be pretty to look at too as it's not enough to just smell good.

That's why we love Votivo's French collection, particularly the Sumatra Lemongrass. Each comes in a terra cotta pot and releases clean, true scent perfect for the kitchen counter. This line is often overshadowed by its better-known glass jar housed sister collection but we've had good luck at Merz Apothecary (both the Lincoln Square and Macy's on State location) and Unique so Chique Boutique and Tea Room in Uptown. For less than $20, this candle is worth the effort.

Botanticus candles are a real find, and we usually find ours at Public I on Division. The "fig" scent is one of the few we've tried that really smells like figs without being sickly sweet and "tobacco leaf" is a fall and winter favorite. The travel candles are ideal for cozying up a sterile hotel room when on the road, and they won't break the bank.

But we've saved the best for last, Tatine. We were fans of candle maker Margo Breznik's beautifully crafted, hand poured candles back when she had a gorgeous shop on Division St. Now that she's moved into a studio in Wicker Park's Flat Iron building, the only why to get our Tatine fix is to visit her husband's wine shop (and Seemoreshopping.com favorite) Cellar Rat or order from the Web site. But Tatine fans rejoice: Margo's studio will be open to the public on Friday, October 12 for the neighborhood's Around the Coyote with Cellar Rat holding a free French wine tasting in the space. The studio will be open for two days only, so stock up. We plan to.

Mid Century Modern is Dead, Long Live Mid Century Modern.

After what seems like years celebrating the return of mid-century modern furniture, there's suddenly a burst of color, pattern and activity leaping out from the pages of our favorite design magazines and Web sites. Floral prints, stripes, repeating patterns and Greek Key designs are swirling about. You'd think we'd be jumping with joy after the tyranny of mid-century's clean lines.

As it turns out, not so much. In fact, all this activity seems like overkill, as if the arbiters of design are binging on color and pattern after a very long fast. Rooms are a mash up of mixed wallpapers in floral prints, rugs with geometric lines and furniture in a bevy of colors. We were weary of the dominant trend too, but what's a fashion conscious, home design novice to do?

Look for pieces that work within your existing style that might punch up a room with a splash of color. Use patterns wisely, and restrain yourself when it comes to wallpaper. There's some amazing new wallpaper patterns out there now from designers and artists, but we're not planning to do something too difficult to change when the craze passes. Using wallpaper on objects and small occasional pieces (even a file cabinet) seems like fun. Or check out local gem the White Attic for a shot of Hollywood Regency glamour, with white oriental cut out screens, lacquered pieces and mirrored vanities. It's a lot easier to embrace in small doses, and besides, that Eames era chair will never really go out of style.