When the thermometer hits triple digits, the layers come off. Way off. And there you have it: a denim corset top. Are you feeling a little bit saucy? Do you have a hankering to be a bit dominating? For the girl on the loose, this little denim top is a versatile focal point for all your other statement pieces: a naughty-meets-nice ensemble of a big baubled necklace coupled by the bad girl spiked stompers. So which one are you? It’s fun to keep them guessing.
– Kathy Ng Hassan
The Warehouse Store Pop-Up Outlet at The Block at Orange.
Have you noticed all the vacancies at your local mall? Obviously, retail hasn’t completely rebounded from the slow economy, but that doesn’t slow down the folks at The Warehouse Sale! Look for TWS’s Pop-up Outlet Stores across the country. The Smarty Pants at TWS are filling a void: they get on a short-term lease at your local mall, they bring business to your area, you save money, the denim brands get Pop-up store benefits — it’s a win-win!
I say, thank god! Do you really want to drive out to the convention center anyways and pay, like, $12 for parking when you’re trying to actually save money on your designer jeans? I thought so.
SEE THE LATEST TWS POP-UP OUTLETS
– Kathy Ng Hassan
Bottom left: Railcar Fine Good's Steven Dang at his design table. Bottom right: a women's denim prototype.
You may wonder what inspires our favorite denim designers. Would it be a movie star? An oil spill in the gulf? For Steven Dang of Railcar Fine Goods, it might just be a classic motorcycle, a vintage car or even the inner workings of a train. An engineer by trade, Steven Dang got tired of tinkering with cars on the side.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Railcar’s design studio in Los Angeles. He pulls up a heavy duty sewing factory-style stool for me to sit in and practically bowled me over when he showed me his ginormous roll of selvedge denim. Of course, I had to touch it. Amid the scattered patterns and denim prototypes stacked on one of his drafting tables, sat a cup of coffee. Calm and well-spoken, Steven admits he doesn’t get much sleep between his engineer work and Railcar.
“Everything we do is by hand.” Steven explains to me that his workwear-inspired shirts don’t just come out of a cookie cutter. From the cut of the sleeves and shirtail, to the shoulder panel and even the flow of the fabric’s design, he is careful to mirror the patterns appropriately. “Visually, it has to make sense.”
I did scratch my head at first, wondering why a man who repairs the Metro Gold Line by day (actually, he does that at night), has any interest in fashion design. “I love working with my hands and building things, and I see what I do [with Railcar Fine Goods] as that.”
Of course, I had to ask him if he had a fave pair of jeans he couldn’t part with. “I don’t. But I catch myself wearing the prototype of my Spikes fit all the time lately. This will probably be that pair.”
Described as ” Industrial Americana fitted clothes,” Steven sews small productions and sampling from his quaint (and relatively immaculate) home studio and uses select factories in L.A. to take care of details. “I don’t like using mass production factories because small details get lost in the production process; and, I never use overseas manufacturing.”
So far, so good. Steven has successfully garnered himself some upscale and niche stockists. As we spoke, American Rag World Denim Bar was signing on to carry Railcar.
Look Out For:
Fall - Women’s denim
Next season - Men’s Sonny straight leg jeans
– Kathy Ng Hassan
On sale right now at Beyond the Rack: A decent array of Diesel sunglasses, plus a few selections of straight leg men’s jeans and graphic tee shirts. Prices range from $99 to $109.
– Kathy Ng Hassan
If anybody could convince me that top-to-bottom denim is okay, Acne Jeans would be the brand to do it. Several pieces of Acne Jeans are on sale today at Gilt Groupe: denim jackets, tops, dresses, and, of course, jeans. Even though it is not mentioned on the description, I believe at least one of the items are a Lanvin/Acne collaboration. Sale ends tonight at 9PM PDT.
Also on sale:
Paige Black Label, Rag & Bone and more.
– Kathy Ng Hassan
On sale right now: Acne Jeans made a statement when they created these denim trousers. Wear your denim to work! No, they aren’t jeans. It’s a different take on workwear. They are a very polished, tailored pair of trousers with all the traditional details you would find in a pair of slacks, except it is made of denim. Get them now at Gilt Groupe while the sale lasts.
– Kathy Ng Hassan
Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan, and Kelly Bensimon. Photo By Will Ragozzino/PatrickMcMullan.com
Friends and fans of Jonathan Adler showed up for a Wednesday night booty-call at the flagship store of Seven for All Mankind for a launch party of his cobranded jeans and sportswear collection with the premium denim brand. All eyes were on Jonathan and his designer derrier. Simon Doonan (the creative bon vivant of Barneys New York), Adler’s husband and biggest fan, was there in full support wearing white corduroys from the new line. “I’m glad they have a bit of stretch because I have very muscular legs,” he mused (WWD).
Also amongst the celebrity supporters were Dylan Lauren, Penn Badgley and Matthew Settle of “Gossip Girl”, Abigail Breslin,and “The Real Housewife of New York” Kelly Bensimon. Speaking of “TRHNY”, if you didn’t catch the last episode, it is a must see!
SHOP JONATHAN ADLER FOR SEVEN FOR ALL MANKIND
–Nikki Cho Russo
Catch what’s left of the fantastic J Brand Jeans sale happening now at several online retailers. Featuring a few nice J Brand/Hussein Chalayan couture jeans, J Brand/Duarte and some popular J Brand signature styles in great washes, these deals won’t last. Some deals will end tonight (coupon codes, additional savings), so check ‘em out now!
– Kathy Ng Hassan
If you’ve got nothing else better to do right now, then head on over to Bluefly online, because there’s lots of goodies to be had on denim. Save an additional 15% off its sale prices. (Savings are reflected in the sale price.) Look for Siwy, Paper Denim & Cloth, Genetic Denim and others for just under $100. Also save 41-49% off on Current/Elliott jeans and Rock & Republic footwear. Extra savings ends tonight!
– Kathy Ng Hassan
Jonathan Adler, the retro style interior designer who brought sexy back to ceramics and a judge on Top Design, has added fashion designer to his successful resume. Launching on May 12th at the 7 For All Mankind SoHo store will be Adler’s limited edition collection for the premium denim label.
With his signature graphic patterns and eye-popping colors, his collection for 7 For All Mankind will consist of three themes: Deluxe, Rustic and Pop (my favorite look), with themes inspired by getaway spots that Adler holds dear with a men’s and women’s look for each, giving the line a total of six jeans and six tops.
Deluxe - Inspiration: Palm Beach
Keyhole print tunic and Gwenevere Clean jeans
Rustic - Inspiration: Big Sur
Acapulco print t-shirt and scarf and Beverly Glen straight leg jeans
Pop - Inspiration: The Hamptons
Pique polo in Sunkist and Bamboo cropped pants
The collection will be retailing for $90 - $210. Adler will be hosting the cocktail party at 7’s SoHo store and special events will also be held at units in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Miami throughout the month. Each of the brand’s 30 stores in the U.S. will devote floor space near the entryways and window displays to marketing the collaboration for the month of May.
–Nikki Cho Russo
The Denim Therapy Company was created in 2006 with the goal to fix any hole, hem, or broken denim regardless of damage severity. And to do so with unconditional love, carefully repairing all denim as if it was our own.
With the expertise, experience, and passion of two fashion-forward friends, Denim Therapy was first introduced to New York City. Because the repair is not a patch – and is much better than a patch, Denim Therapy’s innovative jean repair solution provided all of us with a new way to solve denim problems. It was the first opportunity to have our favorite jeans reconstructed, rather than poorly patched by a dry cleaner.
The response to the unique repair, exceptional customer service, and overall convenience of an online repair service was tremendous.
The Denim Therapy buzz traveled quickly from NYC on to Los Angeles to Chicago and Miami. With denim enthusiasts sending in their favorite jeans from as far away as Sydney, London, and Hong Kong, Denim Therapy has truly become a denim doctor to jeans of all brands and origins.
Three years later, thousands of jeans repaired, and over 20 leading fashion news recommendations, Denim Therapy maintains the same goal that started the company. At the end of the day, we are happy to know that with so much of our love pouring into everyone’s favorite denim, there is that much more love in the world.
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