The slight shift in the weather this week had me thinking. I used to go to France every September to shop the stores and attend the fabric shows. Mandatory on my agenda was a trip to the Marché Aux Puces, the celebratory Paris flea market, where inspiration can jump out from the rambling assemblage of eccentric, elegant and engaging shops. This shopping mecca is a crossroads of art, steeped in … Read More
I think that I am just a little bit in love. I am inspired by the sophisticated underpinnings that so eloquently define the Amulette brand. I have been watching this label for several seasons now and have grown more and more enamored with these beautifully conceived collections of romantic lingerie designs made in Columbia with exquisite European fabrics and laces. I am always careful in my assessment of intimate … Read More
The first time I saw David Blaine perform his Street Magic, I must admit I was somewhat wary. I am not a fan of tricks, sleight of hand or wizardry. But it did not take too much scrutiny for me to realize that what I was observing was a form of extraordinary art. In Blaine’s space, reality shifts, perception intercedes, and astonishment results. What you see is what you get. … Read More
I have always been a firm believer in the critical importance of fabric research and development as the primary element of great Lingerie design. It is after all, the most important facet of the Intimate creative process, because unlike outerwear, lingerie, worn so close to the naked body, is limited in the types of trims and accessories that can be used. For intimates, it is all about the feel, drape … Read More
“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. . .”
In his poem Mending Walls, Robert Frost queried the necessity of separating individual purpose. Why not crossover? Surely there is virtue in sharing each other’s space? This is not easy, states his neighbor, or so he was taught … Read More
When my sister and I were young, we used to scour my mother’s jewelry box, designating possession of each piece of her personal collection to be bestowed upon us after she was gone. Seems a bit coldhearted, but apparently normal behavior for little girls whose naivety prevented us from any real grasp on the proprietary meaning of such precious baubles. Our intent was merely the realm of imagination, a stealth … Read More
Once and awhile I come upon a marketing idea that hits a particular merchandising nerve. This is just what happened with the Sybaris Lingerie brand, high-end intimates from France, whose gorgeous underpinnings I have admired for some time, but could not figure out how to integrate into the American specialty store milieu. But last week, while I was reviewing the current assortment, I had an “A Ha” moment. This is … Read More