Maureen's Blab and Blog

Mycra Pac is one of those smaller bay area companies whose styles are instantly recognizable, yet they remain under the radar.  Mycra Pac is a manufacturer of cool designer rain wear and they are located right here in Moraga, CA.  Nordstrom carries a wide range of styles and colors in all of their stores.  One of the things I like best about these raincoats is that they’re so packable and come with their own little pouch that doubles as a handbag.  They are designed and made in the USA and have hoods that are perfect if you have no umbrella and they don’t mess up your hair!  Oh, as if that wasn’t enough, they’re reversible!

Reversible Mycra Pac rain coat

Mycra Pac has a yearly warehouse sale at their offices in Moraga, and it starts WEDNESDAY, June 12th continuing through TUESDAY June 18th.  This needs to make it on your calendar!  Women wait all year for this sale, so it does get pretty crowded.  People start lining up early.  As with most warehouse sales, they don’t put everything out on the first day, so I’m sure each day will have new merchandise.  See you at the sale!

Scatter my ashes at Bergdorf’s is the new documentary film about the venerable retailer at New York City’s 58th St. and Fifth Avenue.  This film gives you an inside glimpse of the inner workings at one of the most valuable designer addresses in the world!  I went to see this movie at the Opera Plaza cinema in San Francisco yesterday and love, love, LOVED it!

 

Bergdorf Goodman

Scatter my ashes at Bergfdorf’s was directed by Matthew Miele and introduces you to the real players in the make -or- break world of high fashion.   We meet Linda Fargo, fashion director at Bergdorf’s and fashion week front row dweller, meeting with up and coming designers vying for a spot on the coveted BG selling floor.  We meet Betty Halbreich, long time personal shopper, who when asked what she’d be doing if she wasn’t at BG looks into the camera  and says ”DRINKING”!  The film also interviews every major fashion designer like Karl Lagerfeld, Oscar De la Renta, Jason Wu, Dolce & Gabanna, Vera Wang and many others, on what it means to be sold at BG.

The movie also goes through the history of both the building and company founders Edwin Goodman and Herman Bergdorf.  The store opened in 1901 (not at it’s present location though) and has been memorialized in movies, songs and T.V. shows.  The movie also gives appropriate screen time to David Hoey and his team,  responsible for the incredible and outrageous BG windows.  This is an inside look at the pure artistry involved in the holiday windows, and all the windows through the year.  It feels to the viewer like getting ready for opening night on Broadway, a mix between theater and art installation!

BG window

I really loved this movie, no surprises there, and would definitely recommend it to fashionistas and history buffs alike.  Here is the trailer for Scatter my ashes at Bergdorf’s …enjoy!

Scatter my ashes at Bergdorf’s Trailer

I love the trend of high end designers teaming up with lower end retailers…Target and Missoni and Roberto Cavalli (and many more), Karl Lagerfeld and Doo Ri for Macy’s and H&M with Marni and Lanvin.  Isaac Mizrahi kicked it off in 2002 with his historic and long running collabortion with Target.   These match-ups seem to serve both ends of the partnership well.  The designer has access to a customer base that cannot afford their higher priced line, and the retailer gets exposure to a higher end customer,  who is introduced to their stores or websites.  It’s a win-win for all.

Trina Turk for BR, Summer 2012

Banana Republic teamed up with designer Trina Turk last summer for a colorful collection of summer pieces.  I thought they did a great job of interpreting her asthetic for BR!  It seems the trend continues as BR gets ready to introduce their latest collaboration with Milly by Michelle Smith.  Milly is one of my favorite lines and I’ve been lucky enough to see their shows at New York fashion week several seasons.   The regular Milly line is carried at Neiman Marcus and Saks in their San Francisco stores.

The collection is inspired by the Hamptons and uses fresh colors and prints and really nails that laid back summer vibe.  Here are a few of the women’s collection pieces…

Milly for Banana Republic, Summer 2013

This capsule collection hits Banana Republic stores on May 30, 2013, and there’s a great men’s collection as well.  I am sure people will be lined up for this, so don’t miss your chance to travel to the posh Hamptons without leaving your own zip code!

PS-  The next collaboration BR has up their sleeve is with Brit designer Daniella Helayer of ISSA London, a favorite line of both Cate & Pippa Middleton, set for an August 6th launch.

For more information, special launch and store hours click here

Ok, I admit I used the word camper to get your attention.  Most people either LOVE or HATE anything to do with camping.  Having spent the better part of my childhhood in campgrounds up and down the eastern seaboard, our family loved camping.  Well, this post has nothing whatsoever to do with camping, but with a Spanish shoe brand called CAMPER!  Fooled ya…

As a stylist, almost every client I encounter has a “foot issue”.  It’s usually shared in hushed tones, with head down and a slightly embarassed demeanor.  Hammer toes, neuromas, plantar fasciitis, bunions, and on and on.  I have news for you…EVERYONE (over the age of 35) has a “foot issue”.  Camper shoes are so fun, cool, european inspired, that even with “issues”, they are great shoes.  Here’s the one I just bought ( and bought for 2 different clients):

Camper “Beetle” sandal

I loved the color, the hieght and the dual closures.  This is an incredibly comfortable shoe.  I can walk miles in it and it’s perfect for your European trip this summer (or anywhere you’ll be walking a lot).  They are incredibly light if you’re taking a carry on.  You can loosen one or both sides, as your feet swell or expand.  Here’s another one I like:

“Twins” Camper sandal

I love the use of the three colors, but each shoe is slightly different.  The pair below is a collaboration between designer Veronique Branquinho and the Camper brand.  Notice that this is a full fledged wedge with almost no rise at all…they are almost flat!

“Veronique” Camper sandal

I didn’t forget the guys, Camper has great men’s styles as well.  Camper originated in Mallorca, Spain in 1975 and opened their first store in Barcelona in 1981.  Today the brand has over 300 stores worldwide and 10+ in the bay area.  VOILA, no more “foot issues”.

For more information and store locations www.camper.com.

As October’s Breast Cancer awareness month winds down, there’s still more ways to give and GET .  Many merchants in and around Union Square are joining together to support the cause.  With a $65 donation to Susaon G. Komen for the cure, you receive a Komen Card, good for 20% off from the wonderful list of participating stores!  This is a great event and with the holidays around the corner, you can get a jump on gift shopping.  Cards can be purchased online at www.komencard.org and are good from 10/25 until 11/4.  Get your give on and start shopping!!!

Fight breast cancer and save 20%! Shop with the 2012 Komen Card at the Bay Area’s finest merchants and Save 20% from October 25 – November 4, 2012! Purchase your Komen Card online through Friday, October 26th, or visit any participating retailer to buy your card in-store now through November 4th!

Merchants Offering 20% Savings

Agent Provocateur | 54 Geary Street some exclusions apply; please see store for details

Azadeh | 110 Geary St.

Bottega Veneta | 124 Geary St. Some exclusions apply; please see store for details

The Container Store | 26 Fourth St. Sale items are excluded

Diptyque Paris | 171 Maiden Lane

Downtown | 55 Maiden Lane Special Orders are excluded

Faconnable | 253 Post St.

Glory Chen | 134 Maiden Lane

Gump’s | 135 Post St. Some jewelrey is excluded: Aaron Henry, Buccellati, Estate & Antique Jewelry, Kothari, Petra Class, Russell Trusso and Todd Reed.

Harputs | 80 Geary St.

John Varvatos | 152 Geary St. Watches, AUdio and Photography are Excluded

Juicy Couture| 105 Grant Ave. Some exclusions apply; please see store for details

Paul Smith | 50 Geary St.

Porsche Design | 100 Grant Ave.

Serge Sorroko Gallery | 55 Geary St.

Ted Baker| 80 Grant Ave . Theory | 120 Maiden Lane Non-Theory labels are not included

Tse Cashmere | 60 Maiden Lane Some exclusions apply; please see store for details

Vince | 36 Geary St.

Williams Sonoma | 340 Post St

I just returned from 5 days in Washington D.C.  I love being in another city and observing how people dress or accessorize differently (or the same sometimes) from the bay area.  Other than being floored by how many young 20-somethings smoked cigarettes, I was also struck by one other popular trend.  Many of the women in D.C., young and old alike, were carrying the “Le Pliage” tote bag by French luxury purveyor Longchamp.  I was surprised by this revelation, as I don’t see them nearly as often here in San Francisco.  You’ve seen this bag, even if you think you haven’t.  They’ve been around a long time and come in many colors and a few different sizes.  You can even customize them on the website…

Le Pliage tote

You can fold it up when travelling or when storing it, and it snaps closed securely.  Why this is a trend in our nation’s capitol is a mystery to me!  Any ideas…???

Since I am originally from the east coast and have been to D.C. many times, I have seen the vast majority of monuments, museums, and attractions.  I thought this time I would go to a few less visited places.  I ended up at the Museum of Textiles…yes, you read that right.  I am one of those fashion nerds that seek out museums that celebrate period dress, textiles, costume, etc.  This was a lovely museum off Dupont Circle amidst the beautiful embassy residences.  I also really enjoy museum stores.  The assortments are really well thought out and unique, and the merchandising is imaginative, given their small spaces.  The Textile Museum store was postage- stamp small with a wonderful array of interesting merchandise.  I found these pins by a designer in Toronto, named Cynthia Villegas and she has a wonderful website www.ladymosquito.ca .  She is Peruvian and her creations made from heavy felt are so cool!  She also has the most awesome necklaces and other accessories, check them out!

Please come join me at the VINCE boutique this Thursday, Oct. 11th from 6-8 pm.  The nice folks at Vince are hosting me along with my clients, friends and fans (all of you reading) for an fun evening at the boutique… OH, and did I mention that you get 25% off all of those great Vince pieces!!!  YES, 25%!  I’d love to see you, so please do stop by!

I recently celebrated a milestone birthday.  I had a wonderful party with most of my besties in attendance and had an amazing evening!   At the end of the party,  I opened gifts from my pals.  The last gift was handed to me…I unwrapped it and underneath the wrapping paper, was a Manolo Blahnik box… OMG these couldn’t be mine!  After a little hesitation I opened the box… only to find the pictured red Converse sneakers!!!

The joke was on ME!!!  I was then handed another similarly shaped box to unwrap.  This time, the box read  Jimmy Choo.  OK, what did this box contain, a cute pair of Haviana flip flops???   I was ready for the prank this time.  I lifted off the lid to find THESE shoes…

My new Jimmy Choos!

My jaw dropped open and a look of utter disbelief spread across my face.   These are by far the most beautiful and extravagant shoes I own!  Many of my girlfriends chipped in to buy me these gorgeous shoes for my birthday.

My surprised face!

This begs the question, can you actually LOVE a pair of shoes, handbag or article of clothing?  I guess it’s not so much love that you feel, but maybe admiration is a better word.  The leather, the workmanship and the sheer beauty of the shoes is incredible!   I have looked at these shoes non stop over the last few weeks and imagined all of the great places I’ll wear them!  Getting older certainly has it’s benefits!!!

I just attended the press preview for the new Walnut Creek Neiman Marcus store, set to open to the public on Friday.  The space is AMAZING in many different ways.  The space is bathed in natural light from the windows to the far reaches of the store.  The store was designed to bring the outdoors in and to use many organic and natural elements while showcasing the height of luxury products.  We were given a very in depth tour of the store by some of the execs from the headquarters in Dallas, as well as the Walnut Creek executives and associates.  There are 143 pieces of original art in the store, including pieces from some 30 local artists.  Stanley Marcus,  son of one of the founders of NM had a penchant for art and had one of the most impressive art collections around.  His first acquisition was a large scale mobile, Mariposa, by the artist Alexander Calder in 1951.  Today NM has a full time curator and over 2500 pieces in their collection.   The tradition continues in Walnut Creek…

Jamie Broadhurst, General Manager, moved up to this area from the Newport Beach, Fashion Island NM store and couldn’t be happier to be here.  He loves how “active” our demographic is and has felt a real connection to the community.  Jamie says “the openness of the store and the art really set it apart”.  Meghan Mino Murray, Public Relations Manager, is a local girl returning “home”,  as she is originally from Danville.  She was previously at the Beverly Hills NM store.  Other than a handful of executives, most of the 200 employees, culled from 800 applicants,  are from the surrounding area.

The Walnut Creek Neiman‘s has several “shops” within the store including Chanel, Gucci and Balenciaga handbags.  For men there is Ermenegildo Zegna and Armani Collezioni.  In women’s there is Chanel, Jil Saunder, Michael Kors, Stella McCartney and Brunello Cucinelli.  These in addition to the many other designers the store carries.  The women’s shoe department is my idea of what heaven is like…beautiful shoes laid out as far as the eye can see!  It feels like there is more square footage in the Walnut Creek women’s shoe department than is in the San Francisco women’s shoes.  Of course they carry the obvious designers like Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin along with Valentino, Prada, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Vera Wang, Michael Kors and MANY more!  That space in particular is stunning, as it is right along the exterior windows with plenty of cushy places to sit including several pairs of mid-century modern chartreuse chairs.  These looked nap-worthy to me,  I promise husbands and partners will LOVE them.  Speaking of husbands, there is a wonderful men’s lounge incorporated into the men’s fitting room area.  Comfortable chairs, TV, Wifi and the gentlemen are good to go!

There is also a well appointed personal shopping area that will be used by many a stylist, including MOI.  There are spa/treatment rooms adjacent to the cosmetics department on the first floor along with a small, but cozy Neiman‘s cafe on the 2nd floor.  This store will be the 42nd full line store for Neiman Marcus and that brings it to 7 stores in California, tied with Texas and Florida.  It seems as though the excitement has been building as the opening date gets closer and I can’t think of a better addition to the Broadway Plaza retail scene than Neiman‘s.  Welcome to the East Bay Neiman Marcus, we’ve been waiting for you!!!

It’s the same time every year, so why am I always so surprised when I have to decide what to wear???  I am referring to the annual AICI (Assn. of Image Consultants Int’l) 3 day Education Conference I attend each January.  This is a wonderful, informative, action packed couple of days that sends your mind into overdrive by the time you leave on Sunday evening.  The San Francisco chapter of AICI sponsors this conference and I NEVER miss it!  I have been a member of AICI sine 2005, received my FLC (first level certification) in 2007 and my CIP (certified image professional) certification in 2009.  In order to maintain this certification you have to earn CEU’s on a regular basis, which is only ONE reason I go so religiously.

The only part of the weekend that stresses me out is when I go to put my outfits together for each day.  This is a great looking group, let me just say!!!  The only other comparison I can make is when I have to pack for NY Fashion Week…YIKES, that is stressful.  I’m sure you’ve heard it said that ‘women dress for women, not men’.  I definitely agree with that.  The vast majority of the attendees are women, and there are usually only one or two men (sorry fellas).  I definitely dress for the women I will be encountering over the weekend.  These are wonderful women that are mentors, colleagues and friends.  You’d think I wouldn’t be so overwhelmed by the prospect of packing for this weekend.

My rack with "potential" outfits

I start planning the outfits in my mind at least a month beforehand.  I re-work and edit along the way and then the week before, I take out my trusty rolling rack and start coordinating.  You might think this is strange behaviour from someone who makes a living dressing people…and it is!  After trying on all possible outfits, I tweak them and substitute pieces where necessary.  By the time the conference starts, I’ve put aside all possible doubts and settled into the fun and camaraderie the weekend brings.

Oh boy, better start planning for next year…