Abi Ferrin Spring 2010

Posted on November 6, 2009 by yougogirl

It is no secret that I have favorite designers. It’s that special combo of great design, amazing fabrics, incredible cuts and cool personalities that allow certain designers and brands to top my list. Abi Ferrin is one of them. I have blogged about her before, so check that out here.

I am excited for Seattle this week because Abi will be here on Friday, November 6 for a special event and all weekend working with clients at The Finerie. I had a chance to check out her show in September and was super excited for her Spring 10 Collection.

First of all, if you have special event or formal event, one of Abi’s hand painted long dresses is a must have. I loved the grace of the fabric and the cut that will look lovely on most all silhouettes.

I also love this long simple elegant dress and could easily find myself going to this look again and again for special events throughout the warmer season.

The rompers are cute and another must have…order now so you’ll have it for your beach get away early this year and oh my goodness, I love Abi’s bathing suits. Completely inspired with the fringe. Fun. I would style it on the simple side.

A standard in any gals wardrobe should be Abi’s five way dress that can be worn, well multiple ways. I love it off the shoulder with a legging and over the knee boots for now and with a open toe platform bootie as the weather warms…eventually.

Check out how cool Abi is with this video and head on down to The Finerie in Seattle this weekend to meet her. A reminder for help with any of your wardrobe needs contact us at les Egoistes. See you on Friday. RL

Spreegirl!

Posted on July 16, 2009 by yougogirl

One of the coolest experiences of my career has been getting to be friends with my assistants and seeing them move on and do fabulous things. My most recent assistant, Sica, just moved down to LA and already has had a design gig with a super cute line. This is a perfect line of loungewear that is comfy and super cute, Spreegirl.

I love their kimono style robe paired with the boy shorts and bra sets. I am a super big fan of the romper, especially in the hot weather. Cute, comfy lounge wear that make you look and feel fabulous.

The line is one of the rare loungewear brands that offers a full size range including plus size and draws inspiration from retro styles, as well as, nature
What more can you ask for? Well, it is also affordable and has pieces made from bamboo and coconut…hi, sustainable…now stop wearing you guy’s old oversized tee and get into some Spreegirl. I am definitely hooked. RL

Abi Ferrin

Posted on May 24, 2009 by yougogirl

Everyday, I feel lucky. Lucky that I constantly meet fabulous and creative people. From my clients to my fellow creative’s, including designer Abi Ferrin who I finally got to meet last week.

The Finerie in Seattle (1215 First Avenue), has been carrying Abi exclusively now in Seattle for over a year and her talent is paramount. She is a go to name in the fashion world and will be showing for her second season at New York Fashion Week. I can’t wait to be there and check out what she has planned for Spring 10.

I am obsessed with her use of fabric and how she pairs the natural movement of fabric with a cut that flatters women of all sizes. I personally want a pair of her leggings, the “Casey” pant, in all colors. I’m especially looking forward to checking out the rock & roll sheer black.

To top it off, Abi Ferrin is totally dedicated to sustainability. Her tagline “Fashion with Freedom & Purpose” works for so many reasons. Here is what Abi Ferrin & Co says about their purpose. It’s all great, so I included most of it:
From the visually rich setting of a Nepal village to the bolstering street of an American city, the team of women behind Abi Ferrin seeks not only to dress women but also to empower them. The idea was born through the vision of Abi’s sister, Kelly who has dedicated her life to humanitarian efforts worldwide focusing primarily on persecuted women and children. The sisters thought that it would be effective to create a model for capitalistic ventures to support various organizations by commissioning them to create an aspect of the Abi Ferrin product, with the hopes to eventually introduce this concept to other manufacturers.

In 2006 the Abi Ferrin team began a design collaboration with Erika Everett, former designer of Everett Parker, along with a non-profit organization in an impoverished region of Nepal called Guardian Village Handcrafts. This organization in a healthy environment, focuses on providing oppressed women with; training, fair pay, food and shelter for their work. The micro-businesses that are created due to this training also fund foster care and quality education for children rescued from slavery, women and children rescued from prostitution, and other abusive environments. Ferrin and Everett sought to incorporate elements into their garments with culturally specific design lines and adornments.

The women of Abi Ferrin, seeks to provide their customer with a chance to feel and look their best, and see this as an opportunity to take their passion for freedom and clothing to another level. Not only do the custom made adornments add an authentic value to the collection, but they also provide both an intrinsic satisfaction and a conversational element to the wearer, knowing that each button and toggle were purchased to support a cause greater than mere aesthetics. This is an avenue that opens the door for the consumer to invest in more than great fashion. “We hope that the cultural details woven into the collection, coupled with the information we provide about the program, will ignite an awareness of global issues. To the Abi Ferrin customer, this should provide an added satisfaction for contributing to a greater cause. To our friends in Nepal, this will provide much needed help and support.”

I wore an AF kimono sleeve wrap top, “Erika Wrap”, over her leggings to the SIFF Gala this week. I felt glamorous all night and of course, happy with my sustainably stylish garb…even as I downed a soft taco outside. RL

photo credit: Abi Ferrin Erika Wrap Top

Posted on April 20, 2009 by yougogirl

What Seattle Fashion Week has going for it, is enthusiasm. I was able to check out the opening night featuring emerging independent designers from Seattle. I really really want to see this succeed in Seattle, mostly because, there are amazing designers coming out of here. I also know from retailers that they would like to buy from local designers if the quality, production value and creative aspects all match the level of what can be found in NYC & LA.

The second thing Seattle Fashion Week has going for it is potential. While the designers showcased were not necessarily the top of what I have seen here, they all have a great foundation to move forward and were appropriately placed in the “emerging” category.

The entertainment at the event was definitely geared to a specific audience and didn’t feel as fashion forward as I am used to…so, I definitely think there is an opportunity for all the world renowned acts we have based here in Seattle.

My fashion picks for the evening were jackets from student designer, Becky Sullivan, men’s looks from Lavsh and springy black & white jersey pieces from a sustainable line called Salvationwear.

I didn’t get a chance to check out the rest of the shows, but I will do some sleuthing and follow up. Overall, I am ready to see these events rise to the level of what used to happen here in Seattle with “Pre-line” and shows like Arena and Stop & Go in the 90′s…RL

photo credit | Lavsh at Seattle Fashion Week 09

Spring 09 Color

Posted on March 21, 2009 by yougogirl

I always get asked, so what are the colors for the season, and I usually know the answer right away. This spring, there is not quick and easy answer. I have seen everything from shades of orange ~ ranging from a traffic cone orange to a curry orange ~ to combos of lavender, blue, teal, hot pink, citrine green. I think the point this season is to just to wear color. We have our lovely first lady to look to for the inspiration that way. I love that Michelle Obama is not afraid of color.

If you are like many folks I know and just a bit uncomfortable wearing color. One way to approach is to wear accessories with color. You can wear all black and throw a bunch of color bangles on your wrist or mix a bunch of big color beads around your neck. Or rock a shoe with color while wearing all black. That is a statement move for sure.

If you go the color direction, balance the color with shades of grey and taupe. This is lovely and easy to do. You can find many grey/taupe accessories out there these days.

Boys, you can get your color with you kicks. Every shoe line from Nike to Converse and even Doc Martins have major color going. If you are ready to go for it, wear a full suit in a color. Cheap Monday has a blue suit styled for a mod fit…hot.

My homage to color this season is a dress designed by my dear friend Andrew Dyrdahl out of pima cotton and it is orange and I mean orange. You will definitely see me coming. Side note: The design of my dress is perfect for most all body types and Andrew was recognized for formal version of the dress by the cotton folks…I loved it so much and convinced him to make a daytime dress out of it. Contact me if you want more details. RL

Photo Credit: Nathan Jenden and Ossie Clark Spring 2009 via Style.com in Vogue UK and Pantone’s Color pick of the season, “Mimosa”.

If the ladies are wearing ‘boyfriend’ jeans where does that leave the guys?

Posted on March 12, 2009 by yougogirl

This spring prepared to have your gal crawl out of her skinny’s and pull on a pair of loose fitting distressed jean ~ The boyfriend jean…or as some lines are calling it, the “exboyfriend” jean. So where does it leave you boys?

For spring, guys are doing a similar look. A “work jean”; A little looser, a bit more distressed and rolled up is the height of style for guys. Pair the look with a nice fitting shirt or add a bow tie, a rocking fedora hat or a thick pair of black Tom Ford glasses. The above look with Ernest Sewn founder is a great example. Guys…I know the shirt is questionable, but this just gives you license to have fun with a shirt.

In Seattle, Diesel (5th Avenue) should have a great option with the Zatiny styles. As of now, you may have to go in and order it. Mario’s (6th Avenue) and Oslo (Queen Anne Ave) will have a version of this look with the Ernest Sewn brand. If you want to go old school, go to the Original Levi’s Store (6th Avenue) and make this look happen with a pair of 501’s. RL

photo credit: Refinery 29, ID Magazine August 08

Fashion Week Feb 09 – Max Mara and more…

Posted on February 18, 2009 by yougogirl

When people hear Max Mara they think different things…oh, that is BCBG, or Max Azaria…..no, gals…this is nothing like those brands. For those of you who know me, you know this is a favorite brand of mine. If you are old school, you know that your closet is not complete without a Max Mara coat. What you don’t know, is that this is no line for old ladies ~ what does that mean anymore anyway~ this line is for hip, stylish and sustainable women.

Yesterday I got a chance to peek at the entire Spring 09 collection as well as the Fall 09 early deliveries that will start hitting stores in July. Beyond the Max Mara brand, there is Sport Max, Marina Rinaldi, and the young hollywood, but super cute Max & Co.

For spring I am going to encourage the silk pieces from their runway collection, as well as, several key pieces from Sport Max including the most perfect white short sleeve blouse that has a beautiful fit. Max Mara also has some jumpsuits that are fabulous. I am crazy for their cuff bracelet made of fabric and heaped with coins and sequins as well as most of their shoes and bags this season.

For fall, they have knit pieces that are amazing and jackets and coats that have a beautiful cocoon sleeve. I will give you more fall detail soon.

What’s this about the sustainability angle with Max Mara? I heard the story a little over a year ago from the MM folks that their product is not only designed and made in Italy, it is exclusively made in one town and several generations have now worked for the company. They have not and will not manufacture their pieces all over the world like several other well known Italian companies. Beyond that, the company is now looking into partnering on a few eco and sustainable projects here in the States. Stand by for more info on that. Needless to say, I think they rock. RL (photo | Max Mara Runway by Lily Donaldson)

Vidal Sassoon in Seattle…and more SEA style news…

Posted on February 17, 2009 by yougogirl

Last week was quite a week for the parties in SEA…I have to say, in this economy with all the news of stores and businesses closing, it was fabulous and refreshing to attend events in Seattle that give us a sense that things are happening. Marios hosted a girl’s night for which and my fab gal pal, Lydia, and I were fashionably late too…only to find that most of the guests had come and gone and the sales associates were mostly ready to go home. I did manage to find my boyfriend jean (current denim look we all have to have) of the season, aptly named the “ex-boyfriend” jean by Stitches (sorry, the site doesn’t show the style I am talking about). Gals, if you are looking for your boyfriend jean and I hope you are, Mario’s may be a great place to start. They have enough styles and brands that you may find your perfect fit. I can’t wait to rock mine in the spring with some crazy open toe heels, cuffs rolled up, a tank and a loose cardigan…

After the Mario’s event, we switched gears and attended a film screening for two projects of LT Production Group…of which we missed as we had started the evening being fashionably late, we missed most everything for the rest of the night. I did hair, make-up, as well as costume design for the LT Produced film short, CC 2010. I heard it looks great, but will have to check it out later. I did post a blog about it last year. (photo | CC2010)

The next night was the opening party for the new Vidal Sasson Salon in Seattle that brought all the SEA fashionistas out. With Polite Society, Marios, Butch Blum and Baby & Co showcasing style from their stores, you knew that you would see some of the more fab in SEA. We were truly impressed with the staff at Vidal…they were the super nice and genuine…so much so, that I would come back for a service. Their creative team is top of the line and from what we could tell from the marketing materials, fashion forward. It has been a long time since I have attended a party or event in SEA or NYC where I have been treated so well. The key is that they were like that to everyone…we loved them…The catering was impressive and the Frans chocolates on the way out the door were an extra special treat…apparently, they are Obama’s favorite. (photo left to right | Andrea Bushdorf, Rebecca Luke, Madina Vadache)

We left feeling the love from Sassoon and walked in the cold crisp night to the next event which was a fundraiser for Art with Heart. The event centered around the famed shoe designer, Beth Levine (who made Nancy Sinatra’s famous boots made for walking), and showcased a collection of shoes that spanned several decades. This collection will soon be featured at the Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum. I loved the shoes and the stories, I was a bit underwhelmed at the way the shoes were exhibited…however, it was a charitable event for a great program. The book,Beth Levine Shoes, will soon be released. For you garmentos and shoe officiandos, this would be good one to add to the collection.

The week rounded out with a lovely dinner at La Spiga, after we decided not to wait an hour and a half to eat at Sitka & Spruce and the reunion show of the Tiny Hat Orchestra ~ a band that I have much history with as I grew up here and cut my pr/marketing/image teeth in Seattle. Stay tuned, heading to NYC. RL (photo | The Tiny Hat Orchestra)

Looking Cool on the Green

Posted on July 15, 2008 by yougogirl

Golf wear for both men and women is hard to make look hip. I recently tried to think outside the box for a client…I bombed a bit, mostly because she looked great, but the comfort and function wasn’t there. I have been wanting to get this whole golf thing dialed in for a while and this was my motivation. Thanks to my client for her patience…here is what I have found out.

Golf is a huge industry, but it really is still hard to make it cool looking. For men, we have more options than women. My brother is a golf connoisseur and looks quite chic in his golf apparel. I could do cocktails with him while he sporting his looks from on the green. His tactic is to wear all black, with a splash of white. Always a good look. Here is what my bro recommends:

For pure fashion, J Lindberg; for “playability”, Tiger Woods Platinum from Nike and for fun looks, Puma.

Additional fav’s for me are:

Hugo Boss Green Label. Their upcoming season includes retro 70’s golf looks that I think will be hot for men. More fitted and a mix of textures and patterns. Check out this article from the Hugo Boss emag. http://www.hugoboss.com/eMAG/en/4389.html

An online source called fairwaystyles.com

For gals, it is still limited and mostly to online stores. Bummer

Locally in Seattle, you can find some cute items at Nordstrom by Lacoste and Calvin Klein in the Point of View departments. Cutter and Buck, a Seattle based design company, has a couple of great tops that take away the frump factor and boxy looks that most golf tops have.

http://www.cocchiastyles.com/

I found another surprise in my research with another Seattle based design company called MIC Sport. It was hard to tell where we could purchase and check out the full line, but maybe someone out there can help us out?

For something a little more fun, you can check out a line designed by twins who love golf called, Death to Argyle – “Riot Girl“ for the greens.

For more options, there is an article from 07 in Forbes that could be helpful: http://www.forbes.com/2007/06/08/golf-clothing-fashion-forbeslife-cx_ls_0611golfwear.html

My favorite for the golf course that really reads style as well as function is Stella McCartney for Adidas. Now, this can seem a bit avante garde for the course, but we have to start some were. Unfortunately, you may have to buy this in Europe or outside of the States, the coolest styles are not available here, but we at LE are working on this. Stay tuned.

Golf shoes are key and so many designers have a good golf shoe option. However, comfort and fit are key as well as design as you know. I do like the way Prada looks for men…gals, still search for my favorite golf shoe for you. Send your comments my way.

Good News first -there are stylish options out there. The bad news is that you can’t necessarily buy it last minute or locally unless you talk your pro-shop buyer into some of these lines. If you are a client of mine, I am working to get more options for us. If you are a reader, hopefully this will help. Comments and leads will be awesome in this category. RL

photo credit: Stella McCartney for Adidas

My Glad Find for the Season

Posted on May 18, 2008 by yougogirl

I have been searching for about a year for the right gladiator sandal. I have been doing all versions for my clients, mostly the flat look that is terrific with short shorts and dresses. For me, personally, I have a hard fit in that style. I also, garmento that I am, didn’t want to pay $500 for them. Yesterday I scored not only for myself, but a couple of clients a cute glad sandal at a great price ($38). Where, you ask? Good ol’ Urban Outfitters. I personally love this style because it doesn’t have the thong…Super sold out in Seattle, but perhaps if you run out today, you may be lucky. RL

Rebecca Luke Style

…an ongoing commentary on fashion and lifestyle

Category Archives: Current Wardrobe Notes