japiCHIC (ˈha-pē-ˈshēk): 2012-09-30

High Fashion at Retail Budget:

Fashion Collaboration Bliss for japiCHIC Fashionistas

Designer collaboration is a booming trend among high fashion designers, exclusive brands and retailers. These fashion counterparts join their forces, talent and distribution channels to create designer-made, limited-run products that sell for a fraction of the normal cost. The focus on these limited-edition designer sales is to make high fashion brands accessible to mass consumers and japiCHIC fashionistas, if only for a limited time. Fashion collaborations have recently been about high-end brands creating low-priced luxe lines for mass merchants such as mass retailer Target and H&M. Now and then high fashion designers and high-end brands also partner with premium department stores and chains.

Fortunately, some of these collaborations have been introduced to Puerto Rico by retail and department stores with local presence. Such has been the case with retail giant Macy’s. Macy’s Puerto Rico store has featured multiple partnerships with designer heavyweights for limited engagements, including Michael Kors, Rachel Roy and Ralph Lauren. Previous limited-edition collaborations with Macy’s Impulse designer series also include Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein and Alberta Ferretti. The latest engagement by Macy’s Impulse line is with well-known celebrity, socialite, reality starlet and fashion designer Nicole Richie. Richie’s exclusive collection has hit the Puerto Rico store at Plaza Las Americas since mid September 2012. Nicole Richie for Impulse features her signature bohemian-infused glamour in jewel-tone sweaters, mixed print dresses, fitted jackets and embellished blouses, with every item retailing for under $149. See Nicole modeling her Macy’s Impulse collection:

Photo courtesy of Macy’s Impulse

US shoe brand Aldo, which has an established Aldo Collection store in Plaza Las Americas, has been luring japiCHIC shoe fans since Spring 2012 when it launched one of the most exciting high street and designer collaborations yet. The designer collaborations by Aldo Rise with innovative, fresh design talent, have created an ascent into fashion-forward footwear for Spring and Fall 2012. Bringing the catwalk to the masses, Aldo’s Rise collection has made accessible and affordable the covetable collections of some of London Fashion Week’s hot designers, including J.W.Anderson, Mark Fast, Libertine and Preen. The Plaza Las Americas Aldo Collection store has run out of stock on the last season’s Aldo Rise collection. However, some of the items can still be ordered through the store and new ones are expected to arrive by mid Fall. Also, at London Fashion Week last week, fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic turned heads with a cool collection that stole the shoe-show. Ilincic’s collection will be available early next year at awesome street prices. JapiCHIC will be anxiously waiting for the return of Aldo Rise designer collaboration collection hitting stores this Fall. Here are some of the gorgeous shoes from the Aldo Rise collection Spring and Fall 2012.

Photo courtesy of Brand + Social - http://backseatstylers.com/fashionshows/aldo-rise-spring-2012-designer-collaborations-pop-up-at-selfridges/

Photo courtesy of Grazia Daily - http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2012/09/20/london-fashion-weeks-most-tweeted-shoe-designer--roskanda-ilincic-for-aldo-rise.htm

Photo courtesy of The Telegraph: Fashion - http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9022799/London-Fashion-Week-designers-launch-shoes-with-Aldo-Rise.html

Photo courtesy of The Coveteur for Aldo Rise - http://aldorise.tumblr.com/tagged/coveteur

Photo courtesy of The Kit Beauty & Fashion - http://www.thekit.ca/fashion/shoes/aldo-rise-x-preen-designer-collaboration-for-fall-2012/

Retail giant Sears is also part of the fashion designer collaboration trend making the most out of the Kardashian frenzy. The Kardashian Collection, sold exclusively at Sears, and available throughout Sears’ Puerto Rico stores, started out with an adventurous line of accessories, intimates and clothing. More recently, the Kardashians have incorporated luxe, animal print-laden home accessories to their collection, which include bedding, towels and bathroom accents.

The Kardashian Kollection Home Desert Dreams Bedding Collection sold exclusively at Sears. Photo courtesy of Sears Puerto Rico - http://www.sears.com.pr/

Another shoe retail powerhouse, Payless ShoeSource, has proved that their designer collaboration program is here to stay. Partnering with top fashion designers like Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi, Payless ShoeSource continues to create affordable designer footwear and accessory collections that attract japiCHIC fashionistas. These collections can be found in Payless shoe stores across Puerto Rico. Among our favorites is ‘Project Runway’ winner Christian Siriano’s collection for Payless. Siriano’s Spring 2013 collection hit the runway during New York Fashion Week earlier this month with a ballet inspired repertoire. Check out some the items from the Christian Siriano for Payless available now and some that were showcased at the last Ney York Fashion Week and which will be available at the stores by the end of the year:

Photo courtesy of Glamour Fashion - http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2012/08/5-awesome-fashion-collaboratio.html

Photo courtesy of Glamour Fashion - http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2012/09/10-pairs-of-hot-heels-and-flat.html

Also arriving stores in time for the Holidays is Banana Republic’s Anna Karenina-inspired collection styled and curated by the upcoming film’s costumer designer Jacqueline Durran. The new film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic love story Anna Karenina, stars Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley and Jude Law. The Banana Republic Anna Karenina collection includes statement accessories and apparel fashioned with velvet, faux fur, lace, and a touch of sparkle that embody the style of the era. Hitting Puerto Rico stores in October, mere weeks from the film’s November 9 release, the collection promises to be as a successful collaboration as Banana Republic’s Mad Men-inspired collection was. Check out a preview of Banana Republic’s japiCHIC Winter 2013 collaboration:

Photo courtesy of Styleite - http://www.styleite.com/media/banana-republic-anna-karenina/#4

Photo courtesy of Lucky magazine - http://www.luckymag.com/blogs/luckyrightnow/2012/07/Banana-Republics-Simon-Kneen-and-Anna-Karenina-Costume-Designer-Jacqueline-Durran-on-Their-New-Collaboration-and-Capturing-Imperial-Russia-Era-Glamour#slide=1

Finally, not as a designer this time, but as an international fashion icon and inspiration to us japiCHIC fashionistas, ubercool supermodel Kate Moss teams up with Spanish brand Mango to rock the brand’s 2012 Spring, Summer and Fall collections. Here are some of the pictures of stunning Kate wearing Mango’s designs from the Fall 2012 collection:

Photo courtesy of Mango’s Blog - http://shop.mango.com/US/mango/blog

JapiCHIC is captivated by the new collaborations and high fashion collections hitting Puerto Rico’s retail stores. May these designer collections be but a sample of what has yet to arrive to our stores. Have a japiCHIC week!

References:

1. Macy’s Impulse - http://www1.macys.com/campaign/social?campaign_id=202&channel_id=1&bundle_entryPath=/women-home&cm_sp=us_women%27s-brands-impulse-brands-_-slide2_Impulse%3A-find-all-your-favorite-contemporary-brands%2C-all-in-one-place.-Check-out-Impulse.

2. WWD - http://www.wwd.com/markets-news/textiles/the-high-and-low-of-it-designer-collaborations-take-new-turn-6270118

3. NYMAG.COM - http://nymag.com/thecut/2012/09/best-bet-nicole-richie-for-macys-impulse-dress.html

4. Huffington Post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/nicole-richie-for-macys-video_n_1833141.html

5. Glamour Fashion - http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2012/08/nicole-richie-for-macys-impuls.html

& http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2012/09/10-pairs-of-hot-heels-and-flat.html

6. Vogue UK- http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/08/21/nicole-richie-macys-impulse-collection

7. Mango - Mango’s Blog - http://shop.mango.com/US/mango/blog

8. Fashion Gone Rogue - http://fashiongonerogue.com/kate-moss-is-beyond-cool-in-mango-fall-2012-campaign/

9. Aldo shoes: Aldo Rise – http://aldorise.tumblr.com

10. The Telegraph: Fashion - http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9022799/London-Fashion-Week-designers-launch-shoes-with-Aldo-Rise.html

11. Brand+Social - http://backseatstylers.com/fashionshows/aldo-rise-spring-2012-designer-collaborations-pop-up-at-selfridges/

12. Grazia Daily - http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2012/09/20/london-fashion-weeks-most-tweeted-shoe-designer--roskanda-ilincic-for-aldo-rise.htm

13. Fashion Pulse Daily - http://fashionpulsedaily.com/2012/03/23/aldo-rise-designer-collaborations-for-ss12-ready/

14. The Kit Beauty & Fashion - http://www.thekit.ca/fashion/shoes/aldo-rise-x-preen-designer-collaboration-for-fall-2012/

15. Stylehunter.com - http://www.stylehunter.com/featured/kardashian-kollection-already-on-sale-at-sears-today-only-932011/

16. Stylelist Home - http://www.stylelist.com/2012/04/11/kardashians-home-photos_n_1417548.html#s860089

17. Sears Puerto Rico - http://www.sears.com.pr/

18. Collective Brands - http://www.collectivebrands.com/news-and-press/2012/09/christian-siriano-payless-goldtm-designer-shoe-collection-hit-runway-new-york

19. Gap, Inc. - http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/media/pressrelease/2012/med_pr_Banana_Republic_Announces_Anna_Karenina_Inspired_Collection062912.html

20. Lucky magazine - http://www.luckymag.com/blogs/luckyrightnow/2012/07/Banana-Republics-Simon-Kneen-and-Anna-Karenina-Costume-Designer-Jacqueline-Durran-on-Their-New-Collaboration-and-Capturing-Imperial-Russia-Era-Glamour#slide=1

21. Styleite - http://www.styleite.com/media/banana-republic-anna-karenina/#4

22. Plaza Las Americas - http://en.plazalasamericas.com/directory/

japiCHIC (ˈha-pē-ˈshēk)

(ˈha-pē-ˈshēk)

Sunday, September 30, 2012

High Fashion at Retail Budget: Fashion Collaboration Bliss for japiCHIC Fashionistas