Cheryl Shops

Last week I had a meeting that let out early, so I found myself in Rockefeller Center with a few hours to kill, and instead of going back to the office, I decided to check out our competitors, or, as you might call it, shop. One of my first stops was J.Crew, and whenever I go into one of their stores, I want to buy pretty much everything—which is why I usually try to stay away from them—and that was definitely the case, primarily due to the newest arrivals from their ongoing collaboration with Liberty of London. I am admittedly a big sucker for Liberty's prints, although I prefer the larger-scale botanicals to the ditsy florals; there's just something about them that makes me happy. And if you're suffering from seasonal affect disorder like I am, there are antidotes galore: scarves, shoes, makeup bags, clutches, plus shirts, skirts, dresses, pajamas, swimwear, and even ties for men in bright colors and fun motifs. But lest J.Crew have all the fun, Liberty is also collaborating with a bunch of other retailers this season, from Nike shoes to A.G. Jeans. Here are some of my favorites.


Clockwise from left:

Printed denim can be a hard sell, but AG Jeans always fit fantastically, and the print on these ankle-length leggings is almost tonal, making it a bit more subtle.

I don't run, but the quiet print on these Nike Free 5.0 Liberty sneakers almost makes me want to. Although, knowing me, I'd probably end up wearing them to run errands on the weekends. (That still counts as "running," right?)

Drinking coffee out of a fun mug is one of the little things you can do to brighten your day. This quirky Hello Kitty x Liberty mug has the added bonus of being so unique, no one will steal it from the office dish rack.

Of the many awesome items in J.Crew's Liberty collection, some of my favorites are the swimsuits. I love the exotic look of the Lord Paisley bandeau and matching bottoms.

But my favorite print is the Tresco floral, shown here in scarf form but also available in a skirt, a shirt, a clutch, and numerous other items. It's so tropical and bright, it's enough to take your mind off of whatever nastiness is going on outside.

So maybe I'm not immune to trying new things in the new year after all; last week, I bought a pair of flats. That's right, flats! I stopped by Topshop to check out the sale selection (with the ridiculous exchange rate they charge, I refuse to pay full price for anything there) and walked out with this pair of studded blush ballet flats for $20. Yep, I said $20. No, I will not shut up! Even better, they're from the Office in-store boutique, so they're real leather from Spain, unlike many of Topshop's house-label shoes, like the similar but inferior (read: synthetic) Mine flats. Unfortunately, the shoes aren't available online; this studded quilted pair from  Office is similar, but the wrong color and not at all on sale (plus—oof—£25 for shipping). The closest I could find are the Mantsopa flats from Aldo, a chic quilted style with round gold studs at the toe cap (they're also available in all black or camel with a black toe). They're synthetic (boo) but just $50, a bargain (yay!).  I might just buy another pair—who knows, maybe in 2013, flats are the new platforms!

Saturday is the big day, folks: Versace for H&M hits stores, and much like last year's Lanvin collaboration, there are rules. Basically, the first 280 people in line at each store will receive a bracelet; braceleted folks will have 15 minutes to shop, after which the merchandise will open to the masses. (Note: This only applies to the women's section—men have free reign.) You are allowed only two of each item (presumably to prevent eBay reselling). There's a list of stores carrying the collection on the H&M website; it looks like all NYC stores except Harlem and the northernmost Soho store will have the goods, and while opening hours aren't available for all locations, the Rockefeller Center store will open at 8 a.m. Good luck, or as Donatella would say, Get ooouuuutt!

In less frenzied but arguably more exciting news, British designer Mary Katrantzou has created a 14-piece capsule collection for Topshop, which hits stores in February. Grazia previewed the line and reports that it's full of her signature placed prints and sculptural silhouettes. I am quite pumped for this one—I still have several pieces from the Christopher Kane collaboration on steady rotation in my wardrobe, and like much of what I buy at Topshop, they're very well made considering the price. I will of course post more images and exact dates when I have them!

Finally, Rory Beca's latest collection for Forever 21 is now available, and while the best look appears to be sold out online (the black dress with the side cutouts), I wouldn't mind taking home this beaded T-back tank for a mere $17.80. As for the rest, there's a definite '80s inspiration (I guess that's still happening) but there are some flirty ruffled party dresses and flirty tops, and definitely 'tis the season for those.

The arrival of the latest J.Crew catalogue is always a noteworthy occasion in my household, but Saturday's edition was even more momentous due to the inclusion of the Prabal Gurung collaboration. However, this limited-edition collection was so limited that only 50 pieces of each item were created, and by the time I hit the website, everything but the exploding bow dress was sold out. In my case, this is probably for the best, since prices ranged from a not-so-masstige $198-$450. Still, how gorgeous is the bow blazer at right?

In slightly more accessible news, Racked reports that Topshop is opening a "secret" pop-up shop featuring their collaborations with Pamela Love, Nasir Mazhar, Meadham Kirchhoff, and Ann-Sofie Back. Starting Thursday, May 26, it will be located somewhere within the Topshop store on Broadway (hint: look for the florist). For a peek at the Pamela Love collection, check out Fashionologie.

Add Pierre Hardy to the Gap's long list of troubles: Fashionista sadly reports the Parisian shoe designer will not be collaborating with the chain for fall (no word on whether he'll back next spring). That means you should snap up his spring shoes while you can!

Finally, there was reportedly a top-secret press preview of the upcoming Missoni for Target collection last week; attendees (I was not among them, FYI) were reportedly under strict orders not to divulge any details, although it did leak out that there will be...wait for it...a Missoni bicycle. Inspired by this bit of information, Refinery 29 photoshopped what they think it will look like. We'll have to wait until September 13 (or slightly) to see the actual version, but that doesn't mean you can't get excited in the meantime!

The Calypso for Target collection is due in stores May 1st, and since that's nearly two weeks away, Target has released a lookbook featuring images of the entire collection--women's clothing and accessories, girls' clothes, and home items. There's a definite bohemian vibe, with strong tie-dye and elephant motifs running throughout. Fans of Calypso should be pretty happy, particularly if you love maxi dresses and ruffles; there are also some very summery woven tote bags and lovely beach hats. Clothingwise, my favorite item is this $36.99 dress, which I intend to wear as a swimsuit cover-up (I am incredibly in need of a new one); really, I'm the most enthralled with the home items, like the $59.99 pouf, a similar version of which Calypso Home sells for--I kid you not--$3,000. Prices range from $1.99-$79.99, and according to Racked, which has the full lookbook posted, quality is pretty high. Let's hear it for masstige!

Last week Uniqlo announced its upcoming three-part Designer Invitation Project [subscription required]. It kicks off with the return of Costello Tagliapietra next week on April 21, Charlotte Ronson arrives on May 5, and Vena Cava follows on May 12. Supposedly items will remain in stores until May 21; I have a feeling they'll sell out long before then, especially since every piece is just $29.99. The Cut has a full preview of the collection for your shopping-strategy purposes; hands off this Charlotte Ronson design--it's mine.

In shoe news, a reminder that the Swedish Hasbeens collection for H&M hits stores April 20; and always a favorite, the spring Pierre Hardy for Gap shoes are high-heeled, pointy-toed, colorblocked, and totally right up my alley. Fashionista has the scoop; shoes are due in stores mid-April, which means any day now!

If, like me, you're salivating over the Derek Lam for eBay crowd-sourced collection, good news: You can pre-order it now before it technically goes on sale to the public on May 10. And, finally, for the patterned-leggings fans out there, Topshop collaborated with Meadham Kirchoff, a London duo known for flowy, trippy, magpie-ish creations like, well, this. Proceed with caution.

 

Pamela Love, downtown darling extraordinaire, makes very raw, organic-looking, and often tribal-inspired jewelry that's just this side of scary. I, for one, am a big fan, and so I am totally looking forward to her upcoming collaboration with Topshop. Apparently there are pictures in the April issue of Vogue; no word on prices, but the five-part collection will reportedly have a Native American inspiration--something that normally would give me pause, but in Love's hands will undoubtedly be cool--romantic, bohemian, and perfect for summer. The line hits stores sometime next month, exact date TBD.


For a more immediate accessory fix, Linea Pelle created a line for Target, called LPLP Linea Pelle. Prices range from $14.99 for wallets to $34.99 for more intricately detailed hobos, and considering Target's buy one get one 50% off offer, you can pretty much treat yourself to one (or more) of each style. My favorite, however, is this bright blue crossbody bag. It should be noted, of course, that none of these styles are leather, but considering they're a fraction of what Linea Pelle bags normally cost, one can't really complain.

Also available now is Rachel Antonoff's collection for Bass. It's heavy on saddle shoes and penny loafers, which are styles I am, shall we say, a bit too world-weary to pull off, but if you are in your 20s, I say go for it. I think the high-heeled saddle shoes (pictured at right) are actually quite adorable and the prices for everything ($99-$129) are reasonable.

Just weeks ago I reported Uniqlo was collaborating with Velvet, and now, as of this morning, that collection has hit the store. Racked reports that everything is very soft and under $20, and that there are still a ton of pieces in stock. It may not be reinventing the wheel, but I'll take a nice pair of jersey harem pants or a cute tank dress any day.

On a slightly more exciting note, Fashionista has pictures from the upcoming Mark Fast for Topshop collection, which lands in stores next Friday, June 25. Prices should be in the $!00-$200 range (unless Topshop decides to jack up the exchange rate), and, um, I will take one of these, please. (Side note: Fashionista has vastly improved after hiring the knowledgeable Lauren Sherman as its editor. If you had given up on it, I suggest giving it another try.)


Not quite masstige but definitely on the more affordable side come two items of good news. One is that Viva Vena, Vena Cava's lower-priced line, has released a lookbook, and Elle has it. Everything will reportedly retail for under $200, and the line is due in stores this fall. In even better news, one of my favorite designers, Yigal Azrouel, is repositioning his Y Yigal line as Cut 25 [subscription required], a broader contemporary collection with more separates and more of a cooler, downtown-girl aesthetic. The line should retail for about a third the cost of Azrouel's main collection, and it will debut exclusively at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, and Intermix in July.

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.

This week's big news is that French icon Sonia Rykiel will design two lines for H&M [subscription required]: The first collection, of holiday lingerie, will hit 1,500 H&M stores (and 90-odd Sonia Rykiel boutiques) worldwide on December 5th; the second, featuring knitwear and accessories for women and girls, drops in 250 H&M stores February 20th. While I am definitely more excited about the later collection than the lingerie--H&M doesn't make bras in my size, although I'm assuming there will be some coquettish nighties and undies--this is definitely good news, as Rykiel has a très Parisienne sense of style that I feel really hasn't had much exposure stateside (she has only two stores in the U.S., in New York and Boston). H&M's designer collaborations also tend to be more well made than, say, Target's. The only downside: They sell out like hotcakes. (Sonia Rykiel photo from WWD.com)

Speaking of H&M, Nitrolicious has images of the entire Jimmy Choo H&M women's collection. While I certainly don't agree with this blogger, the collection is definitely a bit...flashy. But fabulously so. I actually think the clothes might be more interesting than the shoes; I'm particularly taken with the slit-up-to-there black maxi dress pictured at right. I also would not mind getting my hands on those over-the-knee boots. But, then again, I am not fond of queuing up for hours in Midtown. If you are, Jimmy Choo for H&M hits stores November 14th.

Fashionista reports that Mark Fast will design a line for Topshop; if you weren't following London Fashion Week news last week, Fast quickly created a publicity frenzy by sending several "plus size" models down the runway (and by "plus size", I mean approximately a U.S. size 10). His uber-sexy open-work dresses (bodycon, as the British say) will hit stores sometime next spring.

And speaking of Topshop, I stopped by the store on Saturday to see if they had any Christopher Kane left; to my surprise, they had a ton, and it was all front and center as soon as you walked into the store. The line is not cheap: The most inexpensive item is an embellished scarf for $60, and the more intricate dresses and shoes go above $300. This may be particularly distressing to you if you are not a fan of synthetic fabrics (a few items are cotton, but most are nylon or polyester). However, everything is very intricately detailed with crystals, grommets, and mirrored pailettes, and I was impressed with the fit of everything I tried on (except for the crocodile T-shirt, which was cut so huge, I was swimming even in a size 4). My favorite piece was the eyelet skirt; I think I might go back later this week to get it. I also liked the crocodile dress, but I don't know how keen I am on having a menacing animal's mouth at the level of my you-know-what.

Finally, WWD published an article at the end of Fashion Week, instigating that Jean-Paul Gaultier may be next in Target's Designer Collaboration series [subscription required], although no one would confirm that, and as of now, there haven't been any follow-ups. Still, I would estimate that 100% of the rumors about Target's masstige collaborations leaked to WWD turn out to be true, so barring any major disasters, I think we can safely say this one is a sure thing. Normally I would be very excited about this, but considering how unpredictable the quality of Target's merchandise can be, I will reserve judgment until I see actual product.

UPDATE: I forgot two totally relevant bits of information! The first is that Jil Sander's collection for Uniqlo hits stores tomorrow, October 1st! I knew I was forgetting something very important! The second is that fashionista-favorite Ruffian is designing a line for Anthropologie [subscription required]. It's called Mise en Scene, includes both clothing and housewares, and will hit 55 Anthropologie stores in November.

MasstigeWatch!
Matthew Williamson for H&M hits the following stores tomorrow (Thursday) at 9 a.m.:

Atlanta: Atlantic Station, 231 18th St.
Boston: 100 Newbury St.
Chicago: 840 North Michigan Avenue
Los Angeles: Beverly Center
New York: 34th and Broadway
New York: 51st and 5th
New York: 59th and Lexington
San Francisco: 150 Powell St.

I will be sleeping in, as I have the day off, but if you are a Williamson fan, you can preview the collection online and strategize; expect Racked to have play-by-play commentary.

In Target news, the Loomstate for Target collection is now live, as are Ashley Paige swimsuits, Felix Rey handbags, and Miss Trish of Capri sandals. I will be checking all out in person this weekend when I hit my local Target in Chicago. I will, of course, report back.

Speaking of Target, this tasty tidbit was buried in last Thursday's Fashion Scoops in WWD [subscription required]:

EASY TARGET: Anna Sheffield is spreading her seeds. The jewelry designer, whose Bing Bang line launched Bee 23 with Urban Outfitters last year, is once again hitting up the masses, this time with Target. Rumor has it she’ll be designing jewelry under the name Anna Sheffield for Target, presumably for the retailer’s Go International program, which has seen the likes of hip, downtown designers such as Rogan Gregory, Richard Chai and most recently Tracy Feith. The jewelry hits stores this August.

Yay for that! I love Bing Bang, although I've found Bee 23 to be a little on the disappointing side. Let's hope the Target collection is a bit more successful.

Hitting Topshop April 28th is the Barbara Hulanicki collection. For those of you not well-versed in 20th century fashion history, Hulanicki was the creator of Biba, one of the most influential boutiques of Swinging London. The line is very bohemian and chiffon-y; you can view photos here. For the dudes, Refinery 29 reports Richard Chai, Phillip Lim, Christopher Shannon, Juun J, JW Anderson, and Henry Holland will interpret the classic white T-shirt, with a mini-collection hitting stores May 28th.

Finally, Nylon has a preview of the upcoming Shipley & Halmos collection for Uniqlo, which hits stores May 7th. I feel as neutral about it as I did about the Steven Alan collection, but maybe it will be cuter in person.

Cheryl Shops Topshop, part 2
The first time I went to London, in 1998, my friend took me to a club. We got there around 11, stood in line (or "queued," as they say) for two hours, then when we were finally allowed in, the place was nearly empty--in other words, making people stand in line outside instantly draws attention to the club and makes it seem desirable. Topshop seems to be employing that strategy, and it works: In the 20 minutes I spent waiting to get into the store (which was not bad--the sun was shining, and I checked my email on my iPhone), countless people gawked at the line and/or asked why we were standing in it. And once we were let in, the store was not as crowded as it could've been, but having been to sample sales where one can barely move, much less get at the merchandise, I appreciated the crowd control. Also, the store is huge, so there's plenty of room in which to spread out. The lower level, which I didn't have time to look at (sorry, MW!), is Topman; the ground floor has lots of clothes, plus costume jewelry, bags, belts, and hosiery; the second floor has denim, Kate Moss, and the other designer collaborations; and the top floor has shoes, knits, special sizes (petites and maternity), lingerie, and some more random clothes. There are fitting rooms on every floor, and in typical fast-fashion-store, well, fashion, there are not nearly enough of them--I waited 30 minutes to try my stuff on (there's no limit to how much you can take in, which might be part of the problem). As for the merch, it's wonderfully all over the place, from basic tees and tanks to spangled miniskirts. Every trend is represented here: neon, fringe, studs, jumpsuits, maxi dresses, harem pants--you name it, they've got it. My favorite part of Topshop, however, is always the accessories, and I was not disappointed. They had some great-looking fringed, studded bags, the lingerie is cute (and bras come in up to D-cup sizes), and the costume jewelry is to die for (seriously, it puts the jewelry at Forever 21 to shame).

Which brings me to the iffy part: the prices. I'm sure prices were set months ago when the pound was much stronger; if you go on the British version of the Topshop website, then the stateside version, you can see that prices are doubled for the U.S. However, as of today, the exchange rate is roughly 1.5 dollars to 1 pound. In other words, if Topshop trimmed their prices by about 25%, I think they'd be a lot more appealing. For example, I spotted a cute electric-blue chiffon dress; when I saw that it was $80--and polyester--I didn't even bother trying it on. A button-down shirt was $60, a faux-leather skirt was $70, and a leopard-print trapeze tank top that I really liked was $44, a price that I could not justify. I also fell in love with a crocheted tunic/dress from the "designer" section, but at $110, it seemed a bit much. The jewelry, while obviously of nice quality for costume, can also be a bit on the high side; I got a very hippie-chic multi-strand coin necklace for $25, but some cocktail rings were $50, and some of the more ornate bib necklaces were over $100. The shoes, however, seemed pretty reasonable, considering they were leather and European-made--most were around $150 (there are also lots of cheapie synthetic ballet flats and sandals, but I didn't price them), and there's a special section featuring shoes from Office, which is one of my favorite stores in London (those shoes were a bit pricier however).

Aside from my coin necklace, the only other thing I bought was this Kate Moss liberty-print jacket, pictured above (it's currently sold out online), which is soft and quilted and, at $125, seemed worth the price. I'm not sure it's "me"--my mom wore something similar circa 1981--but as MW remarked, it looks really frumpy on the hanger, but pretty cool once you put it on. I had really wanted the Kate Moss studded belt, but it was nowhere to be found, so of course I'll probably end up ordering it from the website. If you spend over $100, you get a free (albeit flimsy) tote bag and a little heart-shaped zip pouch. It's definitely worth a trip, although I'd recommend going early (like when the store opens), or maybe even waiting a few days until the excitement dies down. Then again, it's Topshop--I have a feeling that it's always going to be a madhouse.

Cheryl Shops Topshop
In case you've been living under a rock, today was the Topshop opening today in Soho. Kate Moss was there, a ribbon was cut, giveaways were given away, and so on. Having heard about ridiculous lines for most of the day, I figured I'd go work out after work, then stroll right in an hour or so before closing. Wrong! This was the line as of 7:45 p.m., taken from the northwest corner of Crosby and Broome. Which leads me to one of my pet peeves about New York City. I know that we, as ultra-competitive type-A New Yorkers, pride ourselves on being the first. But why does that have to involve waiting in line? To go shopping? At a store that will certainly be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that? Really, I think the only store worth waiting in line for is the Trader Joe's wine shop, and that's only because I love me some $6 Honey Moon vigionier. So, I did not make it into Topshop today, but I am going to try tomorrow, and if there's still a line tomorrow, I will try again on Saturday. After all, I don't think Topshop is going anywhere.

MasstigeWatch! and a few other bits of information
In case you haven't been reading On the Runway lately, Eric Wilson has been filling in for Cathy Horyn, and the tone has devolved from an intellectual, if slightly dry, fashion discussion to a claws-out meowfest. Um, and that's a compliment! For a good chuckle, read this post on Roberto Cavalli's H&M collection, which hits stores Thursday. I will not be covering this occasion, as Cavalli is just not my style. However, if you are a fan of leopard, zebra, gold, and shiny things, get there early.

In other Masstige news, Erin Fetherston's line for Target hits November 18th, just in time for me to hit the local suburban Massachusetts Target over Thanksgiving.

And, as Racked reported last week, not only is Topshop finally opening a U.S. store (they're taking over the Yellow Rat Bastard space in Soho), but Nordstrom might actually open up an NYC store too, at 57th and Park. Pretty, pretty please!