Minnetonka Moccasins

I am obsessed with Minnetonka moccasins. Obsessed, I tell you. This burning love crept up slowly over a few years, and has developed into a long lasting relationship.

It all started back in 2006, when a very nice man, who worked next door to the idiot boy I was then dating, invited me to his office to have a squint at the shoes he imported from the US to the UK.

Being a fashion editor an’all, I was intrigued. In the small room were multiple shelves of moccasins. So far, so whatever.

Then I tried on the Moosehide Driving Mocs. Instant convert. The super thick cushioned inner sole is marshmallow soft; they were definitively the most comfortable shoe I had ever worn. (One of the reasons that they are so comfy is that traditional moccasins, unlike normal shoes, have their sides and sole constructed from one piece of leather which is then sewn to the upper, and which allows the shoe to flex and shape itself to your foot.)

The very nice man generously gifted me two pairs, the marshmallow-y driving shoes and a pair of classic beaded Thunderbirds, but I was busy being a high heel wearing fashion editor and, when I moved to New York a few months later, there just wasn't much call for flat shoes in my life.

Fast forward to the beginning of this year just after I left my US magazine. Running around on assignment in New York and driving nearly 5000 miles around California, I needed comfortable everyday shoes. I dug out both pairs and I've pretty much worn them to the exclusion of anything else. It doesn't hurt that they suddenly look right with everything from bare legs & shorts to skirts & opaque tights.


(My feet in Santa Barbara back in April)

They also make those suede moccasin boots that are always being photographed on Kate Moss et al. (Minnetonkas are the ur-moccasins in the American commercial market: they've been making them since 1946.)

UK: www.minnetonka.co.uk (official website, every style available)
US: Net a Porter (ankle & knee boots only)
Zappos (Neither style pictured above but a pretty wide selection nonetheless)
Minnetonkasales.com (very wide selection including the ones above)

They are substantially cheaper in the US, but I don't advise UK purchasers to order them from US websites: by the time customs, taxes & postage are paid, the difference often evaporates.

Aritzia: the Canadian fashion store you really should know about

Wilfred Satin Back Crepe Drapey Tux Jacket $225 USD

This is the jacket I have been thinking about for the last month. It's a deconstructed black satin- backed crepe tux, which hangs beautifully, with just enough slouch and insouciance. It would be perfect over black cigarette pants, sleeves pushed up, with some good jewellery, spindly heels and a cloud of scent. I really need this in my wardrobe tout suite.

It's by a label called Wilfred, which is exclusively available at Aritzia and, like the rest of pieces in the line, it's well cut, thoughtful and brilliantly priced.

Aritzia? I hear you say. Yup, hadn't a clue either until I walked into their latest store in Short Hills, New Jersey and immediately started fantasy shopping. I can't remember the last time I actually found more than one piece I wanted to buy under one roof.

The Aritzia mothership is based in Vancouver, with a slew of stores across Canada, and a slow creep of openings down the US West Coast (Seattle, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Portland). There's one in Chicago and the above mentioned Short Hills, but nothing in New York as yet.

I hadn't realised it was a chain when I first visited: each boutique is fitted out independently, with a background soundtrack of electronica & indie tunes, often mixed by in-house DJs. The staff are shockingly helpful: not pushy but proffering sensible advice, and the buy is a really clever mix of jeans labels and various bridge & diffusion lines along with their six in-house labels. I spotted Acne, Cheap Monday, Current/Elliott, James Perse, Vena Cava, Loomstate, Marc by Marc, Athé Vanessa Bruno & Earnest Sewn amongst others, and there are books, magazines and notebooks for sale alongside the clothes & accessories.

It's not obvious that the in-house labels are just that: they are mixed through the store, each with a particular angle. I particularly liked the above-mentioned Wilfred, which is fashion-forward and stylish, and Talula Babaton which is more sophisticated: I picked out a great tie waist crepe de chine dress.

So if you fancy the jacket above, the bad news is that it's almost sold out in both the U.S. and in Canada. However, the good news is that they’re expecting a large shipment to hit stores mid-October. Interested customers who don’t want to miss it can also Special Order it from their local boutique.

Visit www.aritzia.com

The DKNY Cozy

I first saw one of these almost exactly three years ago when the ever chic JD from Show Me Your Wardrobe turned up at Heathrow for a Halloween trip we took to New York before moving over here.

She has the art of travelling down to a T. She's always swathed in beige & cream cashmere & wool, pants tucked into sheepskin boots, hair tied loosely up, looking like she gets upgraded just by existing. I follow in her effortlessly chic wake, dropping my passport & boarding pass, trailing wraps & shawls, arms full of magazines & water bottle, feeling cosseted by her professional traveller shtick.

When I saw her wrapped in her DKNY cozy, essentially a long sleeved cardigan, short and fitted at the back, long and flowing at the front, I immediately wanted one. I hoped it would confer on me the same kind of traveller style that had evaded me up to that point.

But I didn't get round to trying one on until my mother came to Manhattan a year later for her annual Christmas shopping expedition. We wandered into the Midtown flagship store and there, just by the door, was a rail of cashmere cozys emitting a subliminal siren's call. They weren't cheap but they looked great on her. I flexed my press discount; she bought one for herself and, a day later in the DKNY store on Broadway she bought me one too in black merino.

It's perfect: I wrap it around my body under my coat when it snows here in midwinter. I wear it loosely over LBDs when I don't want to reveal my curves at work cocktails, drape it around my torso to look chic with pants and, finally, wear it over a T shirt on planes when I want to look like I, too, might just deserve an upgrade.

Black Merino Wool Long Sleeve Cozy $160 from DKNY.com

Object of desire: Anthropologie apron

Anthropolgie was always the first store I headed to in Manhattan before I moved here, and the place from where I always bought presents for my girlfriends. With the news that they are opening two stores in London, (one on Regent Street at the end of the year, and the second in the old Antiquarius building on the King's Road in early 2010), I'm going to have to find a new source of delightful shabby chic homewares. (I'm not that sold on their clothing buy: expensive and if you have curves, forget it.)

I'm a big fan of aprons: being a slightly messy cook, I always seem to wipe my hands down my front when making pastry or anything involving sticky fingers. I love this apron all the more for not being covered in flowers.

The Lady's Apron by Anthropologie $32.00

More Objects of Desire here

Cole Haan - things are looking up

I have always thought of American accessories retailer Cole Haan as the place that successful women in their thirties or forties who like well made, stylish but not fashionable clothes go to to buy shoes & bags. They want good leather & a little bit of a heel, (but not enough to scare the horses). They are lawyers, senior management, bankers.

The last time I entered a Cole Haan store was with my mother in New York last November. She always finds several pairs of shoes she likes at the Columbus Circle branch on her annual Manhattan Christmas shopping trips.

I've never been that enthused: my usual MO in the Cole Haan store is to flop on the nearest chair with all the shopping bags, pecking away at my Blackberry whilst she makes some commission-based assistant's day.

Don't get me wrong: I always run a quick eye over the offer - my mama is very generous - just in case anything appeals but nope, never anything. The heels are always too low, the styles just the wrong side of frump chic and, to cap it all, pretty damn expensive for a shoe that doesn't have Alaia or Nick Kirkwood stamped on the sole.

I do like the concept of the super comfy Nike Air technology (Cole Haan is wholly owned by Nike), but never understood why they bothered putting it in a 3" heel: that's a starter shoe as far as I am concerned. My feet don't start to ache until my heels reach 4”.

Then I did a press appointment for Cole Haan last year when I was on the American publication, must have been for SS09, and was blown away. I saw plenty to like and a little to lust after. There were proper high heels, great bags and interesting skins. Sure there was a lot of ahem, influence, from the runways, but the finish was excellent and the designs fashion-y enough not to be immediately recognizable as Cole Haan. (This is absolutely a good thing.)

Browsing through the website today I saw a pair of shoes I think I might actually buy. Granted they are remarkably familiar to a pair I bought in Paris three seasons ago – but they would be my everyday shoes (finally a higher heel shoe from Cole Haan with Nike Air technology) for this season, and I wouldn't expect them to last style-wise beyond this winter.

The Nancy Air Sandal



I am, however, going to draw a veil over the boot offer. ($498 for a faux cropped cowboy boot? Please.) And the website still needs work. A lot of work. No zoom function, no 360 views, only one picture of each shoe, no view all function, and a very slow load.

(I'd be interested to know from my American readers what they think about Maria Sharapova's new line for Cole Haan. There's an interesting pair of black suede flat over the knee boots, that come with Nike Air bounce. Kind of appealing for trekking round fashion week. Believe me, even if you have a car & driver, your feet HURT.)

J Crew Fall 2009: a virtual shopping list

My arrival back in New Jersey was heralded by torrential rain and sticky humidity. Any plans for Saturday were ditched and, faced, with a day indoors, we opted to spend it at Short Hills, a mall spoken of in the same breathless tones as Westfield in London.

We had a splendid afternoon poking through Chanel, Vuitton et al, marvelling at the women buying thousands of dollars of accessories in what is supposed to be a crippling recession.

Disliking shopping intensely, I cannot remember the last time I saw any mainline fashion in a store, as opposed to on a runway/on a rail in a fashion cupboard/ being clamped around a model's body on a shoot, so I was fascinated by the whole customer experience. I had a grand time requesting bags to be shown to me, poking through displays and turning garments inside out to check hems & finishes, with assistants hovering, clearly slightly bemused by the dissonance between my distressed denim shorts, hedge backwards coiffeur & cork wedges and my obvious insider knowledge.

Of course I was virtual shopping, as opposed to real shopping: I'm broke until some clients decide to pay me. But I did do some trying on in the stores I can actually afford to dress from. J Crew in particular has raised its game to a level as to be unrecognisable from the store's offer even two years ago.

Because of my bizarro body shape (apple: long stick legs, huge bosom, tummy), if I find one thing I like AND which fits me in a store, I am doing remarkably well. J Crew scored & scored again. So, instead of making this a post of immense length, I have turned to Polyvore, dear reader, & created a composite of the pieces on my virtual wishlist. If you click through to Polyvore, it will show you a list of the pieces, with all the prices and links to the J Crew website.

Object of desire: vintage style necklace

The Garden Statement Necklace from Banana Republic $98

Building blocks for my summer wardrobe

I was whinging only a few weeks ago about having nothing to wear. So, having been utterly depressed by the scant nature of my summer wardrobe (worn out pieces, changing body shape), I finally took a step towards replacing the items I wear everyday (my bleach splashed shorts and crumpled tops).

After some thought, I've decided that this summer I will be wearing short-ish shorts with blousey tops and classic white shirts, with wedges for smart and strappy flat sandals for everyday, along with just above the knee Bermudas with stiletto strappy sandals for smart.

Hallelujah for the sales is all I can say. After scoping out & trying on all the pieces I wanted in Banana Republic & Old Navy, I took a squint on-line. I really do not understand this group's pricing. Old Navy white denim shorts that were $22.50 in store were $5 on-line, and the same at Banana: a cute cardigan that will work brilliantly in LA was originally $79, $41 in store & $27 on-line. And I'm thrilled that the Banana Martin shorts are suit cut, with a little stretch and twice the quality I'd expect at the price point.

Suffice to say that, with free shipping over $150, I bought everything on-line & got it delivered to New Jersey. This is what I got:
Old Navy
Blue-Gray Women's Cuffed Twill Shorts (5") $24.50 reduced to $5 (full price in store)
Bright White Women's Mid-Rise Denim Shorts (5")$19.50 reduced to $5 (FPIS)



Women's Sheer Roll-Up Camp Shirts in bright blue & in white $24.50 each (FPIS)



Women's Eyelet Sleeve Tops in navy, white & black $24.50 reduced to $15 each ((FPIS)



White Women's Mid-Rise Embroidered-Eyelet Shorts (5")$24.50 reduced to $5 (FPIS)

Blue & white Martin 4-inch striped short $44 reduced to $16.99 ($25 in store)
Black Martin 4-inch short $44 reduced to $29.99 ($25 in store but sold out)



Grey Heather Long 4-button cardigan $79 reduced to $29.99 ($41 in store)

Eleven pieces for $190. Not bad. (Plus I bought the Martin shorts in olive & in navy in store for $25 each as they are sold out on-line, & I know I will wear these everyday.)

K Mart: who'd a thought it?

Once upon a time, I would burrow through the clothes section of any store, like a pig after truffles, certain in the knowledge that I could always find something to wear in the most low rent of shops. But, as I’ve got older, the desire to hoard mountains of clothing has rather left me, and I am happier with one really good piece rather than twenty cheapo bargains.

As I wandered down to the East Village yesterday to pick up some new bike locks, I was mulling over the lack of pieces that I actually want to wear in my wardrobe. So maybe it’s because clothes were on my mind that I glanced over at the clothing section in K Mart. I have shopped in there at least once a week for the past two years, yet I always sprint straight through to the bike lock or grocery section without even registering that they sell clothes.

That’s probably because this is what the clothing section looks like:

Let me point out that K Mart is not the US equivalent of Britain's Primark, where for almost pennies, the trend conscious budget dresser can pick up fashion forward pieces. It mainly sells clothes from the land that style forgot.

But yesterday I had seen a huge blow up poster of Jaclyn Smith in the store windows and was curious to see what on earth an ex Charlie’s Angel’s fashion collection at K Mart would look like.

And, you know what, it’s not that bad. So not that bad that I actually bought something. Granted it’s more of a stop gap piece, but it was pretty, inexpensive and useful,



I like the detailing,



and that it is made from silk, rather than synthetics, although I will grant that it’s more akin to lining material than anything else.

I just did a Wiki search for Jaclyn Smith and was gobsmacked to discover the following, "Woman's Wear Daily reported that the signature Jaclyn Smith line had the highest consumer awareness of any private label apparel brand in the country." Which is rather chastening for a fashion journalist to discover, and a welcome reminder that fashion doesn't just exist between the pages of Vogue et al.

I also rather liked this silk dress from K Mart’s main collection:



But I needed to be at least three cup sizes smaller in the chest region to have a hope in hell of fitting into my size. Still, it hung well, the stitching wasn’t wonky, and it had these great pleated shoulders. All for the grand total, I think of $34.99.AseaW1Q`WW

Erickson Beamon for Target

Mystery: Target spends big dollars on blanket promoting the hideous McQ by Alexander McQueen collection. Yet a rather good diffusion line by the fabulous jewellery design partnership Erickson Beamon goes almost completely unheralded.

I only discovered that it was on sale by chance when I was flicking through the Design for All section of the Target website. Bizarre. It's not as if they weren't intending to promote it: I went to the press preview back in October. Checking my notes, I have an estimated Feb 15th delivery date. So God knows...

Anyway, these rather chic necklaces are available and are $49.99.

These cuffs are on the website but not delivered for order yet. (No price listed).

Lovely earrings are $49.99.

If you don't know Erickson Beamon, let me assure you: these prices are a bargain for costume jewellery from the label. A cuff would normally run somewhere around $500, and earrings from $300 - $500. The business is based in London's Belgravia, where their store is a treasure trove of alluring pieces, most notable their collar necklaces and the chandelier earrings with which they made their name. Although the label is often thought of as English, its creators, Vicki Sarge Beamon and Karen Erickson are from Detroit.

Over the years they have collaborated with pretty much every major designer label and have also moved into using diamonds and semi-precious stones. I have both worn & shot Erickson Beamon for years, so I'm thrilled at an opportunity to pick up pieces at these price points. When I examined them at the press day, I was impressed by the quality of most of the pieces: the rings aren't so great but the cuffs, in particular, are a steal.

McQ by Alexander McQueen for Target

Please God no one in London dresses like this. Whatever. I thought the whole line was hideous. In my last job I attended a fair few of La Force + Stevens' Target press presentations. Being able to see the entire collections (rather than what was left on a shop floor) made it simple to judge the success or otherwise of a line. I generally thought the Target designer collaborations were excellent distillations of a label's sensibility with the mass market in mind. (Bar Alice Temperley's execrable effort.)

Jonathan Saunders' work for Target springs to mind, not because I admire his runway work and very much like the man but because it kept his signature and looked desirable. And the upcoming Erikson Beamon jewellery collaboration is beyond excellent. (Basically, if Vicky Sarge & Karen Beamon hadn't been standing next to me at the press view I would have been tempted to scoop the whole lot into my handbag.)

But this offering from McQueen said nothing to me whatsoever. (Apart from run, run in the opposite direction.) It felt cheap, ugly and tacky. The prints in particular are actively awful. Exhibit (a):

The cuffed & studded denim short shorts looked okay (for anyone under 20) and there was one high necked black coated cotton poplin mac which had some hanger appeal, but worn looked like something Nurse Ratched would have worn on her day off. Otherwise, there was a proliferation of thin, cheap-feeling jersey pieces (see exhibit a), and unflattering tailoring. Most regrettably, it fails in the scope of its ambition: this collection is unlikely to entice those new to McQueen to spend money on the real McQ pieces.

Visions of doing re-see appointments in the Alexander McQueen mainline showroom in Paris during the pret a porter shows kept flashing across my mind, and I found it hard to believe that a man who can produce such exquisite beauty could be responsible for overseeing such wholesale tackiness. Granted McQ is his casual jeans line & he obviously doesn't design it himself, but there's just no excuse for putting his name to such a lacklustre effort.

Last season's pop-up Target Bodega in Midtown was set up somewhat shortsightedly in a room about the size of my apartment. It was so popular it became the scene of some rather undignified fashion roadkill, a distinct contrast to this weekend's McQ pop-up shop in a vast concrete floored warehouse Downtown, obviously set up for an invasion of McQueen loving shoppers.

I understand that the preview on Friday night was rammed, but it was a ghost town today: I half expected to see tumbleweeds rolling across the floor. Exhibit (b): unmanned cashier desks:
Often these shopping preview events can be rather frustrating as all the good stuff gets snapped up at the beginning and by the last day there is nothing left. The shelves were rammed today, so I hope for both Alexander McQueen & Target's sake that this is because they over-stocked on purpose, rather than because shoppers were so turned off by the clothes.

Target

One of my most intelligent readers, Suzanna Mars, commented on here earlier today that, "Blogging still hasn't quite come out from under the mantle of perceived amateurism. It also isn't largely understood and in many instances is seen as suspicious (as well as miasmatic)."

Her comment came back to me when I read a New York Times article which concerned a Target's PR's refusal to engage with a query from a blogger, and included this gem:

“Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with non-traditional media outlets.”

I do find this utterly extraordinary on many, many counts. This means that in one fell swoop Target are refusing a dialogue with the internet in all its forms: streaming, blogs, on-line versions of print magazines, forums, on-line radio & TV stations. Do they have any idea of the reach, both potential and actual of the 'non-traditional media' audience?

In Target's case I find it more extraordinary in that their key shopping audience, the mother & housewife tends to be very engaged with the internet, both on terms of on-line retail and through blogging & forums.

If there is a more short-sighted example of corporate policy extant then I have yet to come across it.

Who shops at Prada?

Standing in the middle of the temple to retail that is Rem Koolhas’ Prada flagship store in Manhattan, I was struck yet again by the dichotomy between the brand image that Prada would like to present, and the consumers who actually keep the label afloat.

I was there to return a pair of shoes with a broken heel and, as I waited for ten minutes or so for the problem to be dealt with, I propped myself against a pillar and watched the shoppers milling about the store.

It was evident that nobody was interested in the women’s’ clothes, and that shoes, sunglasses and small leather goods were the biggest sellers. Most striking of all were the customers, who were dressed down with their designer label bags and sunnies clashing against Ugg boots, tracksuit bottoms, down jackets and parkas.

Of course this was the Soho store on Broadway, which is always going to attract rubber necking tourists but, even taking this into consideration, I didn’t spot a single customer who looked like they had an interest in Prada beyond the status symbols it could offer.

Fantasy ball dress - for a Hogmanay party in a Scottish castle

While looking for a J Crew cashmere picture to illustrate my previous piece, I came across this ravishing dress. It's no secret that J Crew are looking to up their fashion quotient (& with it, their price point), and I was somewhat sceptical. After all, if I am going to drop serious money, then it's unlikely to be $1800 on a piece from the equivalent of the American High Street. But a dress like this, in such luxe fabric...maybe*... esp now that I know that the cashmere is from Loro Piana.
The dress has a tulle underskirt for volume, and the back has a very deep V neck wich ends in a pretty bow. The bodice is made from a dense 9-gauge Milano knit for structure, while a looser 7-gauge flat knit gives the skirt a flowing drape.

To be honest, I can't really think of many occasions where it would be practical to wear a cashmere balldress: it's going to be way too hot for dancing in central heating obsessed America. But it would be perfect for a black or white tie party in one of those freezing cold Scottish castles, (or even the arctic village hall in Scourie in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands where we spent one truly bonkers NYE), and it would look great with a Clan sash draped across it.

*when I win the lottery

Pierre Hardy for Gap IS coming to the US

WGSN reports today that Gap WIlL be launching the covetable Pierre Hardy shoe collection in the US, three months after the European collection made its debut in France and in the UK. The collection will be available online and in Gap stores nationwide beginning February 2008. It's not clear yet whether this will be the same collection that was available in Europe, as Hardy has been tapped for a second collection to launch in the Spring in Europe.

Lest you are unfamilar with Pierre Hardy, apart from his blissful eponymous line, he has also designed some of the most iconic shoes for Balenciaga and for Hermes. He's possibly the most exciting, and stealth, shoe designer working today. He's a super intellignt choice for Gap: instead of using a marquee (and somewhat vulgar) name like H&M did with Cavalli, they have gone for a designer whose work speaks for itself, rather than screaming off the pages of gossip rags.

It's interesting that they are launching here, as the European Gaps are run separately from the US ones: they have their own design team, producing vastly superior and more fashion forward pieces than the US team. Back in August the UK PR told me that the US team were visiting London imminently to talk about buying from the European collection. Let's hope that the Pierre Hardy collection is the first step in this direction. (Especially for me: Gap is twice the price in the UK.)

The US collection will range from platforms to flats priced $78-$98, which is a damn sight cheaper than it was in England, where the black platform heels retailed for £70/$140.

I, of course, am feeling smug as my pair of Pierre for Gap arrive today, courtesy of my fabulous ex-managing editor who offered, yes, offered to go buy me a pair and send them to the US after reading on here of my desire for a pair of Mr Hardy's diffusion shoes.

Banana Republic comes up trumps

I did a LOT of shopping today, blissfully fuelled by breakfast at Dean & Delucca on Broadway and then a full works lunch at The Mercer Kitchen. It is fun when my parents come to town. I just wish it hadn't poured ice cold rain all day.

I had the usual dilemma of whether to buy one great cocktail dress or lots of pieces. Although I tend to veer towards investment dressing,(I certainly don't buy Primark any more), I just have such an over active social life in Manhattan that one dress will simply not plug the gaping holes in my wardrobe.

Astonishingly, I bought five things in Banana Republic, which is most unusual. Annoyingly, the Banana Republic sequin dress has sold out in every store in Manhattan in all sizes, so I will order it on-line & trust it will fit me. Am ecstatic as I haven't been shopping for a month or so owing to pressure of work, and I appear to have dropped at least a dress size, and even two in some styles. Very gratfiying. Obviously hard work & bicycling is a good weight-loss combo.

Still, I bought this instead which will gratify my inner sequinned princess for the time being.



Truly terrible photograph. I also bought a black silk ruffle front shirt, a wool siren LBD, and this rather beautiful silk backed necklace.


And these earrings:



which will feed my inner Sloane. (I am so turning into my mother as my thirties progress.)

I have to sleep now, but will post my DKNY purchases when I get a moment - taking my mother to The Cloisters in the day, & then both my parents to The Waverly Inn for supper. (Last time I had a fabulous view of Zach Braff's bottom as he walked to and fro past my table.)

Sequin-tastic

I know I am obsessed by sequin dresses, but I am rather loving this Banana Republic number in super chic black sequins. They'd be chicer if they were matt, but you can't have it all for $228.

US Muji opens in Manhattan this Friday

My flat in London has so much MUJI kicking about in it. My taste runs to the clean, neutral & minimalist and, when I redesigned my bathroom and bedrooom storage last year, I filled it with MUJI's polypropelene storage boxes. I work in MUJI's simple brown card notebooks, and all my beauty supplies are kept organised in their simple perspex pots and containers. Thrilled they are opening here.

This blog entry is more in the manner of a public service announcement: MUJI SOHO, the first MUJI store in the US, opens at 12:00 noon on November 16 at 455 Broadway.

With approximately 3,200 square feet of retail floor space, MUJI’s first store in the US will offer over 2,000 items of MUJI products, including about 570 items of Stationery, 40 items of Furniture, 190 items of Fabric, 590 items of Housewares, 270 items of Health & Beauty products, 20 items of Outdoor supplies, 30 items of Electric Appliances and 330 items of Apparel. After the first day of opening, the store will open regularly from 11a.m. to 9p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and 11a.m. to 8p.m. on Sundays.

Banana Republic SS08 show

Yesterday was the SS08 Banana Republic fashion show. Usual slick KCD set up: fashion editors perched on four rows of Philippe Starck Ghost chairs in a concrete floored & rather chilly photographic studio in the far reaches of Chelsea. Rather sweetly they had grouped the four English editors together in the front row: me, doyenne Lisa Armstrong of The Times, and two old friends. (With BR opening in London in the Spring, it behoves them to be nice by not shoving us behind a pillar.)

After years & years of attending the main shows during the fashion weeks where you know at least all the British contingent and, often lots of the international lot too, it's quite odd to cover American market events like this when you know absolutely no one at all. I really need to start engaging with the American side of the industry now that I live here. Problem is that I still write, in the main, for the English market and not often about American fashion.

But I am educating myself, and discovering new (to me) designers is always a pleasure. It helps that I have started writing a by-lined column elsewhere which allows me to profile upcoming American designers.

I will provide some lucid thoughts on the show when my head isn't about explode. My critical faculties are suspended 'till I am better.

US Gap in covetable clothing shocker

In bed with a truly hideous, running river of snot cold, trolling through the US gap.com website for any clue that Pierre's magical dancing shoes are to be sold in the US, and trying to ignore the parade of dull, when this rather lovely piece popped up. I long ago gave up hope that there would be anything I wanted to wear in US Gap, but rather like this. (I actually have two ponchos from UK Gap, brown from last season, and black from this, but they have seamed bottoms with armholes. This looks a bit smarter - and is only $78 in a 95%/5% wool/cashmere mix.) This might keep the cold bugs at bay.