Everyone who knows me thinks I have a little shopping problem, addiction, whatever you want to call it…. I am not unlike a lot of women in NYC who love to shop and covet all of the beautiful objects of desire they find. I have the “Carrie Bradshaw Syndrome”…yes, my apartment down payment is in my closet in the form of Manolo, Louboutin, Gucci, Valentino, Prada and so many others… That being said, today’s column isn’t meant as a lesson or a wake up call to get you to change your evil shopping ways. Instead, I want to celebrate the shopaholic in all of us and share some of the websites, the fashions, the stuff I love and yes, even obsess over.
My favorite websites for contemporary fashion are La Garconne (the best selection of emerging designer brands and the most well-edited), Intermix for Elizabeth & James (the broadest selection I have found), Satine, Singer 22 and Kitson, for LA-inspired style…
I am beyond obsessed with a store in Soho called Bess, for their amazing Rock-n-Roll inspired clothes. Every style has some type of metal embellishment (the chain-embellished dresses are on my must-own list). I am longing for a 1920’s fringed dress I found at Foley & Corinna (they have the best party dress selection in NYC) and have my eye on the leather motorcycle pants by The Row, available at Barneys. I am yearning for anything from Rodarte (to me they are true artists and a force to be reckoned with), the 20-something girl in me wants a pair of See By Chloe high-tops and the vintage maven wants one of blouses from the newly resurrected Ossie Clark collection, available at Scoop.
Don’t be shocked, but I don’t always covet high-ticket items… On the “low” end, I want Brooks Brothers Boys shirts and jackets, Urban Outfitters beaded vests, vintage belts from Edith Machinist and Tucker blouses (I could collect them).
I haven’t been to LA in a while, but am hoping to go for business in a couple of months. My first shopping stop is always Curve. I know they have a store in NYC, but for some reason I just don’t like it as much as the LA outpost. I always discover new designers there, like Blur Leather (amazing prices and innovative design). I am also dying to go to Presse on La Brea (recently opened) as they have many of the brands you can find on La Garconne.
It took me forever to take the plunge and buy shoes online, but once I realized how easy it is, I never looked back. I really can’t remember the last time I braved a shoe department… You can’t beat Neiman Marcus and Saks for the selection. Barneys is better in the store as they really edit what they offer online. For those of you who haven’t tried it yet, I promise it is a piece of cake. Neiman Marcus and Saks ship the next day and make it so easy to return if they don’t fit. You just attach the return label, tape up the box and back they go without the scorn of a nasty salesperson.
For my home, I covet everything at Auto, especially the Utility Canvas throws (I have a dog and he likes my furniture, so they are the chicest way to cover the white chair that he is so fond of) and the Soof Rillis Patchwork quilts are just to die for (one of these days, I will just take the plunge and by one). I love photography and I recently discovered Lumas. They have an amazing selection of accessible work from everyone from Nan Goldin to young unkowns (a lot of the work is under $1,000). My mother is also an amazing photographer and her work adorns the walls of my apartment. Her work is abstract and graphic and can be found at Carla Berger Photography. Trust me, her photography is a hidden gem.
Ahhh, I could go on and on and on and on, but this seems like a good start. More to come at a later date, as I find coveting cathartic.
Since I just started my own business, my shopaholic tendencies have been “back-burnered” for the foreseeable future. That being said, the point here is that even though times may be tougher and money may be tighter, everyone has to continue to dream, to covet, to lust, as at the end of the day, everything we want is in our reach!!! If you believe it, it will come…trust me, I am talking from experience.