Cheryl Shops

Rodarte always seems to have a knack for mixing textiles, prints, and styles in a way that's effortlessly cool and slightly undone-chic... and their collaboration with Opening Ceremony is no exception! The Spring/Summer Rodarte x Opening Ceremony collection features a slew of slouchy cardigans, cropped vests and jackets, leather and lace, and fringed pieces... most of which are layered together in a way that perhaps only the models can pull off, but it sure looks darn cool! Aside from all the layered prints and textures, the collection always features some covetable spring booties (love those heeled oxfords!) and sandals, as well as some retro-chic sunglasses and kitschy accessories like tattoo tights and envelope bags. While I don't normally go for the purposely-clashing layered look, I still love the way the collection boasts a carefree edge that manages to be both soft and romantic and tough-girl-chic at the same time. The collection has everything you need to stay stylish this spring without freezing your tush off (it's not quite summer yet, people!), as long as you have $750 to spare on a new pair of western booties!

- Alex Gambardella

Content provided by TheFind in partnership with Cheryl Shops

The unstoppable downtown retailer Opening Ceremony is teaming up with Levi's for an ongoing collaboration [subscription required] to be sold at OC stores, levi.com, the Levi's San Francisco flagship, and several other exclusive stores like Barneys, Colette, and Liberty. The capsule collection includes unisex pants and shorts, shirts, and jackets, most of which are in corduroy, and prices range from $106 for the shorts to $178 for the jackets (which are sized separately for men and women). It will bow at OC stores during Fashion Week.

The London-based Canadian designer Mark Fast got lots of press for sending a handful of plus size models down the runway last September, and now he's making headlines for creating the wittily named Faster [subscription required], a contemporary line featuring his signature sexy cutout knits. Faster, which wholesales for $25-$400 (multiply that by roughly 3.5 for retail prices), will be available at Curve and Seven in NYC this spring. (Fast is also doing an even cheaper line for Topshop, which will be available later this year.)

Speaking of Topshop, Grazia reports Louise Goldin's super-awesome spike-covered pumps will be available in stores February 5th for 150 pounds (or about $240 in current conversion rates). Expect to see them popping up all over Jak & Jil.

It's the next-best thing to an actual Nordstrom in the city, and so I am excited by the Shophound's news that the Union Square Nordstrom Rack will open May 11, 2010. Shoe sales, here I come.

In slightly more shocking developments, Racked reports that branches of No. 8 and Opening Ceremony will open in the Ace Hotel next month. The Ace Hotel has so far been a beacon of hope in the inexplicably slow-to-gentrify wholesale district sandwiched in between Chelsea, Flatiron, and Herald Square; hopefully these openings will get things moving once again.

Finally, Madison Avenue Spy has been fervently covering the stores' post-Christmas markdowns, and yesterday she noted that while the department stores have been advertising savings of up to 60%, many items actually exceed those percentages. So if markdown is a big factor in your purchasing, it might be time to whip out your calculator while shopping.

MasstigeWatch!
Chalk one (or, like a million) up for Uniqlo: uber-iconic designer Jil Sander will oversee the men's and women's lines, as well as design a special collection for fall [subscription required]. All I have to say about that is: wow. And, also: I will be shopping at Uniqlo a lot more.

Speaking of which, Uniqlo's latest designer collaborations--from Steven Alan and Opening Ceremony--hit the store on Thursday. I will try to make it there on my lunch break and report back. If I don't have time for a full post, however, there's always my Twitter feed, so please stay tuned!

MasstigeWatch!
As was leaked last month, Uniqlo has a very downtown coterie of designer collaborations lined up for spring [subscription required]: Steven Alan for women and Opening Ceremony for men hit stores in March; Shipley & Halmos for women and Gilded Age for men bow in May. Price ranges for all four lines will be a very wallet-friendly $19-$79. So while none of these lines are really anything to go crazy about, I'm sure they will be well made and quietly cool, as the previous Uniqlo designer collaborations have been.

If you're more excited about the McQ for Target collection, Target already has a microsite up and running; it helpfully counts down the days until the March 4th launch, and you can also preview a few looks and listen to a song by The Duke Spirit (singer Leila Moss was McQueen's inspiration for the line). But if you're like me and realized--oh, shit!--you're going to be on vacation when the collection hits stores, you're in luck: Racked reports that Target will open a pop-up shop, called the Target McQ Market, 2/14-15 from noon to 10 p.m., at 330 West Street, in the far West Village, a block north of Houston. Yep, it will be packed with all the fashionistas in town for Fashion Week (I'll have to strategically time my visit during one of the big shows that I'm not invited to), but, damnit, I must have that jumpsuit!

MasstigeWatch!
H&M might get the big names and Target is all about frequency, but when it comes to designer–mass market collaborations, Uniqlo gets the coolest designers. Case in point: The Fashion Informer, in this interview with Steven Alan himself, casually let drop that Alan is launching a collaboration with Uniqlo in spring 2009. (Note: This is not to be confused with Lark & Wolff, Alan's somewhat underwhelming line for Urban Outfitters.) Racked investigated, and according to the Uniqlo rep, who could neither confirm nor deny that Alan is on board, the designers will be announced at the end of January. In the meantime, Refinery 29 reports that Opening Ceremony will be another one of the designers. Now all we need is for Oak to get in on the action for a perfect uber-hip downtown boutique trifecta.