Book Review-Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf Goodman

 

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Cartoon by Victoria Roberts

Based on the cartoon above, the book Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf Goodman, is a history of the famous department store along with personal stories by many designers, celebrities, and Bergdorf employees.

I had heard of the book before I picked it up (actually, I really spent a little time seeking it out due to my New York move) but I didn’t know a ton about it.  I wish that there had been more about the history of the store and more about how Bergdorf is run today.  I think that would be especially interesting given how much the retail world has changed in the last decade. The stories in the last section of the book become a bit repetitive and could have benefited from some editing.

That said, I may be nitpicking.  By the end of the book I’ve come to idolize Bergdorf’s and, now, dream of the day when perhaps my lingerie line could hang on their storied racks.

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Ultimately, the book is a bit of a long form advertisement for Bergdorf Goodman-but in a way that is quite endearing.  If you subscribe to the idea that retail therapy should be covered by health insurance this charming book is for you.

DVF-End of Season Sale

The shape of this dress is absolutely divine-the color, not so much (on me at least).

Good news if you can wear yellow/green tones-this dress is part of the DVF end of season sale.  Lots of great stuff at great prices.  Be sure to check it out!

DVF

DVF

 

Friday Finds

It’s Friday (yay!) so it’s time for a quick roundup of some of my favorite things of the week!

Let’s get started with something important.  Shoes!

I’m totally coveting these Sophia Webster shoes.  The on trend pointy toe, the bright color, and the patent leather, which I am always a sucker for.

Sophia Webster Shoes

 

 

If you’re looking for all the fun of the color and shine those shoes provide at a more manageable price point may I suggest a little Sunday Funday from Essie’s latest collection?  This shimmery coral shade screams summer and so does it’s name.

Sunday Funday from Essie

Sunday Funday from Essie

And, because what would summer be without a beach read, I have two new book finds this week (hey, you’ve gotta do something while that nail polish dries).

I picked up Paris by Edward Rutherfurd.  If you have’t read any of this other books (Dublin, London, The Princes of Ireland…) you should check them out.  He takes the history of famous cities and weaves it in with the very human drama of a family.

This isn’t going to be a quick read, but judging by his other books, it should be a good one.

Bonus-this would make a great last second Father’s Day gift and then you could borrow it back from dad when he’s done.  Not that I’m planning on doing that or anything…

Paris

Paris

And a book that isn’t likely to be a good one for dad, The Devil Wears Revenge.

I’m picking this one up today.  Basically, its the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada.  The book picks up 10 years later with our main character Andy who appears to be living out her dreams running a bridal magazine and marrying the love of her life.  But all is not as rosy as it seems (because, duh, that wouldn’t make much of a book) and Andy has to go back and confront her devil.  Looking forward to reading this one.

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What are your favorite finds of the week?

~Maggie

 

Friday Finds

My biggest find this week was clearly an apartment in New York.  But as that’s not really a relevant find for anyone else.  I haven’t had much time to spend online shopping this week but here are a few of the things that jumped out at me.

Net-a-Porter Sale While this isn’t a specific find, if you can’t find something you want at Net-a-Porter I don’t really want to know you.

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This white Asos dress. The mesh overlay is a more modern look on the lace trend that we’ve been seeing for the last few seasons.

Asos

Asos

 

I love these preppy pink shorts from J.Crew are perfect for summer.  Personally I like my shorts a little shorter but I realize that not everyone (or my mother) would agree.

J.Crew

 

 

CFDA Fashion

This week has been a real whirlwind on a personal and professional level but I did want to talk just a little about the CFDA Fashion Awards because its a great place for trend spotting.  Here’s what I saw a lot of.

Lots of sheer and lots of cutouts (some much more effective than others).  Erin Wasson was one of the successful ones.  I won’t go into the less successful ones *cough Rachel Roy cough*

Erin Wasson

Erin Wasson

1920′s inspired looks.  Even the stars seem to be loving the  Great  Gatsby inspired fashions.  I’ve got to admit, this isn’t my favorite look for Olivia Palermo but at the same time I respect that she went for something different.  And I love sequins.

Olivia Palermo at the CFDA's

Olivia Palermo at the CFDA’s

Metallics.  Nicole Richie killed it.  Her metallic slip dress is amazing and I love that she kept her look sleek.  She looks incredible and makes me so glad I picked up a few vintage Laundry slip dresses this spring (yeah, bad news, the 90′s now are considered vintage).

Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie

Who were your favorite’s from the CFDA’s?

~Maggie

All Photos here

From the Lingerie Blog…

From my lingerie blog-I’ll also add my own comments on this but here’s my big news for the week-

I have a big announcement to make-I’m taking an extended work trip to New York!

If this all seems pretty sudden, well, that’s because it is.

A little over a week ago I was talking to a friend about my production process here in Chicago and just feeling a little stuck.  I’ve been working with a great factory here but at this time they don’t really have the machines to help me make the best products possible at the quantities that I want to make them.  This has been an ongoing issue for a while, but I don’t usually like to complain about my job because I generally feel really lucky to be doing what I do and I’ve actually received a lot of support from the factory I work with in Chicago that I probably wouldn’t have gotten as a designer just starting out in New York.

While exploring my options I joked I basically had to move to New York or start drinking heavily to minimize the stress of producing with the wrong machinery here.

Producing in New York had been an option I flirted with before, but didn’t think I was ready for.  It sort of hit me that my “joke” was basically my reality and it was time to make a change.

Trying to make lingerie in Chicago is not working at this point.  I’m still hopeful that with the increase in Chicago’s fashion production that I can bring production back here eventually and I still don’t plan on moving to NY permanently (don’t worry Mom!)

But, for now, the plan is to head to New York for three months starting in July to get things set up then coming back to Chicago and continuing to run The Giving Bride from here.  I think this is the best way for me to keep my commitment to high quality lingerie, ethically produced in America.

I think that this is a really exciting opportunity for both me personally and my business and I hope you’ll keep following along as we enter this new chapter!

~Maggie

Spring/Summer Trend Roundup

It finally seems as if the Chicago weather might actually be turning toward summer temperatures (though we still have to figure this whole “sunshine” thing out) so I thought it was time to talk summer fashion.

Here are a few of the trends I’ll be wearing as the summer starts.

Summer Black-This might be the easiest, most wearable trend ever.  After several seasons of white being a trend its time to break out your LBD again!  The best think about this trend is that there really is a little black dress for every shape and every occasion.

In fact, you probably already have one in your closet.  But, just in case you want to buy something new, I’d check out this DVF dress on ShopBop.  I love the drop waist and you can wear this day or night depending on how you style it.

DVF Drop Waist Dress

DVF Drop Waist Dress

 

Stripes- The obvious way to wear this trend is nautical, and you really can’t go wrong with a little striped sweater or t-shirt.  However, if you want to do something different I think that this Hive and Honey dress on Piperlime is a great choice.  Not quite stripes, not quite chevron but very modern.

Hive and Honey Dress from Piperlime

Hive and Honey Dress from Piperlime

 

Floral Prints- Florals are everywhere this year.  If you think that you’re not a floral girl you can take a riff from the more graphic versions seen on the runway like this Asos one that mixes a kaleidoscope like pattern with a little black color blocking to toughen it up.

Floral Bodycon Dress from Asos

Floral Bodycon Dress from Asos

 

Skater Skirts-This one is from Bloomingdales but I also saw quite  a few at Urban Outfitters the other day that were a little more casual.

Skater Skirt from Bloomingdales

Skater Skirt from Bloomingdales

 

What trends are you loving this season?

~Maggie

Friday Finds

Here’s a quick roundup of the things that I’m loving this week.

These Steve Madden shoes.  They are totally, inappropriately high and I am aware that I will look sort of absurd in them but I don’t care.  I bought these (on sale!) at the Steve Madden store in Bucktown.  You can look for me tottering around Chicago in them all summer.

Steve Madden Xternal

Steve Madden Xternal

 

Nars is always my go to for lip gloss and this has become my trusty new color for spring.  There’s a reason they call it “larger than life lipgloss” but don’t be afraid.  Though you can layer this lipgloss to a very bright and bold finish, you can start out with just a dab and use your finger to blend it into more of a sheer stain like look which allows you to use this gloss for both day and night looks.

 

Nars Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Place Vendome

Nars Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Place Vendome

 

 

At $580 this Missoni swim suit isn’t exactly in my budget (and no, I didn’t buy it) but I spotted it on Net-a-Porter and it was too cute not to buy.

Honestly, at this point I’d be glad to glad to drag out my Target swimsuit if it meant that it was warm enough to wear it in Chicago.  Currently at 42 degrees as I’m typing this.  Sigh. A girl can dream.

Backless Missoni Swimsuit

Backless Missoni Swimsuit

What were your favorite finds this week?

~Maggie

What could be more chic than custom shoes?

 

 

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Sort of a trick question because of course, the answer is nothing-unless you answered custom shoes at half price.

Living Social has a deal for Chromatic Gallerie this week-50% off your order.  I’d never heard of this company before but as a shoe lover it seemed like it was my duty to check it out.  The shoes come in three different heel heights, 45 colors, and 4 different materials.

Although the styles are more basic than groundbreaking, they would be perfect for brides and bridesmaids -they even offer discounts when you buy multiples of the same shoe!

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Photos from the CG website

Fashion Icons-Ikram

Ikram's Glossy Red Exterior

Ikram’s Glossy Red Exterior

I have a confession to make.  I have never been inside Ikram.  It completely and totally intimidates me.  Perhaps not even the store so much, I have no issue walking into Hermes or Chanel and I can’t really afford anything in there either, but Ikram herself.  For those of you who don’t know, she’s basically the Oprah of fashion.  The woman who single handedly legitimizes any claim that Chicago can have on fashion, and like Oprah, Ikram is a kingmaker.

Ikram may have come to national attention when dressing Michelle Obama but she was at the forefront of the fashion word long before that.

“The influence of a chain like Barneys is obvious, but a handful of other boutiques — including Colette in Paris, Maxfield in Los Angeles, 10 Corso Como in Milan and, of course, Ikram in Chicago — can do as much to establish a market for an emerging luxury brand as any national department store. At the highest end of the fashion industry, they are the gatekeepers and anointers. “Even if an account is from Russia, I always tell them I’m carried at Ikram,” said Stephen Courter of Ohne Titel. “They’ll have more trust in the label.””

Ikram Goldman

Ikram Goldman

In some ways, Ikram is not like most of the women I usually think of when I think of my personal fashion icons.  She doesn’t live to be photographed, or wear the outlandish clothing of Daphne Guinness.  And yet, she’s arguably shaping the world’s fashion scene more than any of the it girls on the covers of magazines.

Ikram and her eponymous boutique don’t follow trends, they set them.  But more then trends she has a high focus on quality and is known for being unfailingly rigorous in the standards for the clothing that she caries.

If you can afford to shop at Ikram, you’re bound to get clothing that will stand the test of time in both form and function.  And you might even catch a glimpse of Ikram herself.

Just don’t expect to see me there.  I’m still irrationally terrified of her.

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