Coutorture

Manoush Reaches Our Ruffle Threshold

coutorture — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:16:00 -0800

Manoush Jabot Dress in Rose/Ecru $382 @ Revolve Clothing

French contemporary label, Manoush, has always had a place in our hearts thanks to their over-the-top femininity and quirky sense of humor--there's something about that combination that we like. When we caught a glimpse of this Jabot Dress we couldn't help but wonder if the design team wasn't poking fun at the ruffle trend taking over the contemporary market. Is it Manoush's femininity or sense of humor coming out in this dress? It's hard to tell. In any case, we like this dress but it does reach our ruffle threshold. The only thing more ruffled you'd find us wearing would be a Spring 09 frock by Cristian Lacroix because, well, his ruffles are too over-the-top not to love.

Retail Happenings: Inven.tory Opens In Nolita

coutorture — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:22:22 -0700

This weekend, having gone to Nolita to celebrate one of the last Mayle sample sales, we found ourselves gloomy about the state of the contemporary brand and the expense of a simple silk dress. We walked over to our friend's pop-up thereafter, not really knowing much about its permanence or scope. When we got to talking we realized that their new store, Inven.tory, is neither a pop-up nor a sample sale frenzy. Inven.tory, we discovered, is a permanent shopping destination that sells contemporary brands at wholesale prices. The items are, in fact, overstock, but are edited and curated, like any other boutique, to tell a story. On our first visit we found brands like Corpus and Orthodox at prices that made our jaws drop (sixty dollars?!). The store has both women's and men's clothing, and both had us drooling--especially, for the ladies, did Secta's brushed cotton separates. There was no 'sifting', there were no 'mass dressing rooms'. When we left we felt happy for our friends, who we are sure will profit from this well-timed idea, for the contemporary brands who can maintain integrity when selling off extras, and for ourselves because, well, we're growing tired of supporting brands whose 'contemporary' clothing is still five hundred dollars at a sample sale.

Photo via Thrillist.

Our New Love: Heimstone

coutorture — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:10:19 -0700

Yesterday we gushed over Mociun, a brand we discovered by making our daily e-commerce rounds, and today we've found another brand that has us positively inspired--and, at ten o'clock in the morning no less. No surprise that the brand is French (Americans love the French, don't we?), such a thing is not an easy task after reviewing the Ed Hardy Spring 09 collection. Heimstone's Fall 08 collection looks kind of like Chico's without all of the corporate bits. There's suede, pop colors, a little leopard, some artsy paneling, and some statement necklaces to boot. It's an aesthetic we haven't exactly seen from anyone and that's always nice to be able to say about a contemporary brand. After all, that's why VPL is now a household name and why no one can tell the difference between Trovata and Corpus. As the seasons pass, originality does, in fact, pay off. You can buy Heimstone at OTTE.

Our New Love: Mociun

coutorture — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:35:49 -0700

Talk about getting a lot for little bit of money; as unsettling as it might feel to spend three hundred dollars on anything these days, Mociun will at least give you bang for your buck. In the currency we call print, that is (teehee). This brand, designed by Caitlin Mociun, takes cues from Bauhaus and illustrator Karl Blossfeldt and puts out the most visually stimulating garments we've seen in some time. The Fall 08 mood was captured perfectly, we thought, in this season's look book. With the back drop of rather dismal scenery, 'real-life' models were photographed in these wonderful prints. In addition to this, the photographer imposed a yellowed/worn hue on the scenes (by way of the film or post-production we don't know), giving the photos a nostalgic mood. Mociun, from inspiration to collection to look book, is proving to have some very interesting contrasts. You can buy the Fall 08 collection, right here.

Fashion in 50 Seconds 9/25 with St. John, H&M, and Prada

coutorture — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:07:26 -0700

Two very interesting pieces of news from conservative St John's today that piqued our interest and have us wondering if in fact maybe they aren't so stodgy in their outlook after all. We associate St. John's with our stepmother complete with chunky heels and big pearls so the fact that they are launching a new better contemporary line for resort called SoCa that is aimed at a younger customer (mind you their version of younger is targeting 35 to 55 year olds) and will operate separately from the brand’s signature label.

Even more interesting? St. John is launching a full-fledged social network integrated with an online designer brand store. CEO Glenn McMahon is either a complete genius for this or a total moron. We don't know a lot of 45 year olds that are big on the social networks but we love the idea of letting customers get closer to a genuine luxury brand. Take note Mr. Arnault.

This Scottish lass calls fashion a blight, really she just stops short of calling it Coutorture.

Skateboard culture is still with us and they are hard on the shoes. But they would rather keep buying new ones then have a pair that can't be destroyed. What no Kevlar guys?

Prada swears its not talking to Dubai investors. Right, and that postponed IPO means nothing either.

Though there is still M&A activity in the luxury sector, if you happen to have a yacht or watch company you want to unload. But the real opportunity is building up luxury empires in markets with an emerging ruling class. Let's hear it for capitalism guys, well except for when the risks of capitalism turn us socialism. That's just lame. Can't have it both ways guys. Or can you? Don't worry, the best part about buying luxury is that it lasts. So when that portfolio tanks at least you know your Jil Sander wasn't a depreciating asset. But hey if all else fails H&M is FINALLY bringing cheap fast fashion to the Champs Elysée. Did we mention the end is near? Parce que tu fait comme tu voulez aux Champs Elysees

Coterie Tradeshow Contemporary Accessories Spring 2009

coutorture — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:11:12 -0700

We already reported on Sole Commerce accessory trends but Coterie's contemporary marketplace, held in the Piers on 12th Avenue, had more than a few interesting accessories companies that are defining the modern contemporary market space for Spring 2009. We checked in on Gorjana, Goldenbleu, Noir, Betsy Johnson Handbags, Bulga, La Dolce Vita, Onna Ehrlich, Rebecca Minkoff, Le Sportsac, Loeffler Randall, and Carlos Falchi. If you want to be the first to see the contemporary handbag, shoe and jewelry trends for Spring 2009 then look no further than our gallery.

An Ode To Mayle: Shop It

coutorture — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:34:59 -0700

With news that fashion brand, Mayle, is closing down after Resort/Holiday 09, we think a spread is due. Perhaps you've only loved the Mayle aesthetic from afar, perhaps you've indulged in every smart frock and pair of trousers from previous seasons, or perhaps the brand hasn't meant much to you until now. Either way, we have a feeling these last deliveries will mean much more to many of us. To think, just last week we wrote up an immaterial about a shearling caplet that is part of the Fall 08 collection. Little did we know it would be one of Mayle's last quirky offers. If anything, this should stand as an example of how difficult is is to run a fashion business in general, and how the contemporary companies in particular, often get thrown the wolves if they don't peddle their clothing properly and act as total slaves to the buyers (who have peddle on their own accord). It's not easy, especially in our current economic climate, to endure the season-less demands of the contemporary shopper. Jane Mayle, in her conversation with WWD, referenced perfumery and home goods as being her next endeavor so we're sure we haven't seen the last of that magpie/indie girl aesthetic. That said, it's still the end of a clothing line beloved by many young burgeoning chicsters. Below, our spread of Mayle from Spring 08 (all on sale) and Fall 08 (just delivered). If you shop only for the sake of archiving, we won't blame you.

Built By Wendy Grows Up And Gets A Real Job

coutorture — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:16:02 -0700

Our obsession with talking to people about Built by Wendy has become pathological. It's not the brand, specifically, it's more the conceptual vantage point we've been mulling over. It started a few weekends back when, on our way to Opening Ceremony, we stopped in the store, to which we had never been. We perused the racks, it was more expensive than we remembered. Three hundred dollars for a cotton bomber or a cotton poplin dress? Curious. Well, we can say for sure that what you have there is a firmly placed contemporary price point but what makes the defining tricky is when you look at the clothing quality and the basic premise on which the company was first built. Built by Wendy always cost just a little bit less than contemporary which was its essential draw. The point was "Hey check out these clothes that look kind of like they're from A.P.C. but cost a little bit less. They look homespun which means, if you really wanted to, you could make them yourself." Now, really, Built by Wendy is not able to put 'cost effective' on its resume. So, can the clothing hold its own? Well, sure. It's just not very much fun is all. We don't blame anyone, we know it's hard to make money as a designer and finance a business in this economy, we just miss the old days when it felt like Wendy was building those frocks so that we didn't have to spend three hundred dollars on them.

Mayle Delaura Top - $475.00	Mayle Bibi Dress - $595.00
Mayle Hildie silk trapeze dress - $563.00	Mayle Makino mini dress - $568.00
Mayle Ninel Dress - $650.00	Mayle Oscalita Dress - $568.00
Mayle Short Sleeve Knit Dress - $501.00	Mayle Fillipa Pant - $415.00
Mayle Nieves Blouse - $450.00	Mayle Josefina Dress - $675.00
Mayle Lilly Dress - $615.00	Mayle Raya Top - $395.00
Mayle Amalia Dress - $595.00	Mayle Mia Dress - $650.00
Mayle Paz Slip Dress - $395.00	Mayle Tama Dress - $740.00
Mayle Gia poet sleeve dress - $645.00

Mayle Emmanuelle Jacket - $755.00	Mayle Odile Shearling - $240.00
Mayle Belda Coat - $761.00	Mayle Reiko Dress - $580.00
Mayle Itati camsiole top - $470.00	Mayle Odette Coat - $1,150.00
Mayle Gia Cami - $363.00	Mayle Veva Dress - $538.00
Mayle Reiko Dress - $588.00	Mayle Marion Dress - $602.00
Mayle Ninon Cardigan - $450.00	Mayle Kita Blouse - $412.00
Mayle Marie-Laure Pant - $595.00	Mayle Mura Sweater - $360.00
Mayle Ludovine Coat - $895.00	Mayle Boukris Pants - $395.00
Mayle Odette Coat - $885.00	Mayle Nori Pant - $558.00

Built by Wendy Cotton Sweater New Wave Top in White - $184.00	Built by Wendy Shiny Coated Poplin Pencil Skirt - $206.00
Built by Wendy Striped Shirting Camp Shirt in White - $169.00	Built by Wendy Cotton Sweater Sequined Tank Dress in Rainbow - $376.00
Built by Wendy Buffalo Madras Cropped Bomber in Purple/ Navy - $299.00	Built by Wendy Chambray Patchwork Top in Indigo - $167.00
Built by Wendy Cotton Linen Short Sleeve Lattice Dress in Black - $321.00	Built by Wendy Shiny Coated Poplin Pleated Dress - $321.00
Built by Wendy Shiny Coated Poplin Cropped Bomber in Black - $321.00	Built by Wendy Shiny Coated Poplin Cropped Bomber in Grey - $321.00