Fashion Blogs

I believe there is nothing better than a beautiful vase, let me reframe that there is nothing better than finding 2 luxury high end designer vases for next to nothing.  There!  Both of these vases came out of thrift store, one in Atlanta and the other in Los Angeles.  The Marcel Wanders Delft vase came out of a thrift store in Atlanta and I recognized it immediately.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Marcel Wanders.  Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’ work with porcelain is noteworthy for its combination of traditi

It finally happened for me… I finally found Alexander McQueen in a thrift store that wasn’t Alexander McQueen for Target.  Not that I have anything against the line for Target but I always believed  one day I would find Alexander McQueen so I can talk about his brilliant artist.  Today is that day!   I’ve always LOVED McQueen because he was a true artist and he reached so far inside himself, creatively, that I admired the fuck out of him.  I remember when he burned on the scene and thought to my

This dress was the 3rd dress in line on the rack at the thrift store and when I saw the ruching I loved it, then when I saw the label well you didn’t even need to buy me dinner!!  My eyes popped out of my head just like when I found the Alexander McQueen dress…..  somewhere out there are missing eyeballs so watch out.  This Derek Lam dress is beyond perfection.  Derek Lam launched his company in 2002 in New York.  Derek Lam is a native of San Francisco and he began his fashion career in 1990 af

Finding Kamehameha vintage Hawaiian floor length gown in a thrift store is like winning the lottery.  Well maybe not the lottery but pretty damn close.  Kamehameha is one of the most collectible Hawaiian labels on the planet and vintage dresses run anywhere from $300 to $1,100.  This floral gold lame Kamehameha vintage gown runs the higher end of this price point.  So know you know why the thrift store had to call 911 for me after I spotted the label.  The Kamehameha Garment Companywas set up by

You already know I’m a sucker for vintage so when I saw this blue 80′s vintage William Pearson dress in the thrift store, well lets just say I had to salvage it.   William Pearson began his career in fashion in 1951 when he studied under Norman Norell. He began his own label sometime in the late 1950s. His couture business was based in Los Angeles. About 1967, Pearson moved to Paris where he let the city inspire him. He traveled back to Los Angeles twice a year to present his collections. A self

That my dear was the sound of my cherry being popped because I just found my first piece of Pink Tartan which makes me no longer a virgin.  All kidding aside I’m so psyched to find Pink Tartan in the thrift store and in pristine condition to boot.  This silk Pink Tartan sleeveless dress is beyond hot it’s a 5 alarm blaze.  Kimberley Newport-Mimran is the president and head designer of Pink Tartan, the womenswear line she co-founded in Toronto in 2002.  Pink Tartan is a brand synonymous with luxu

I am a huge lover of vintage because to me there is nothing better than a little piece with some history.  I found this incredible 80′s Oleg Cassini blouse with a wide black waistband and pleats in the back and thought to myself “this is hot”…  Oleg Cassini designs for Jacqueline Kennedy garnered admirers and even awe, for American fashion design.  Oleg Cassini’s designs for the First Lady, “The Jackie Look” are recognized as being the “single biggest fashion influence in history” by film costum

Who doesn’t love finding luxury items in a thrift store but the bigger question is who doesn’t love finding NEW luxury inside a thrift store???  I thought that might get your attention….  I know I sure do.  I found this brand new still with the original price tag of $330 on this black stretch denim Alice + Olivia  dress and my eyes popped out of my head.  It isn’t everyday I find luxury items inside a thrift store but I’m here to tell you that they do exist and here is proof.  Whoever donated th

You already know I’m a sucker for luxury vintage so when I spotted this silk Louis Feraud dress with pockets I may have left behind a little surprise on the thrift store floor… I’m just saying…  Dresses with pockets are off the chart hot in my opinion and dresses with pockets made my Louis Feraud are scorching!  As from the day that Louis Fraud opened the door of his boutiques in Cannes 1950 and Paris 1954, he was unanimously recognized as a master of his art, not only for his near genius in his

I always flip when I see the label TSE when I’m out thrifting.  TSE pronounced “say” was set up in 1989 in order to create an American brand that could compete in the luxury market and this brand does exactly that.  Previous designers for this label have been Jason Wu, Hussein Chalayan & Narciso Rodriguez and Brian Reyes most recently.  This brand is really known for their cashmere and you know what I say about cashmere???  That it’s always environmentally friendly when you buy your cashmere sec

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE finding labels I haven’t found before so that I can talk your ears off.  I found this gorgeous 2 piece Lela Rose black silk with lavender trip dress with matching jacket and I believe my jaw is still at the thrift store.  No seriously I think so…  Lela Rose is a self confessed girlie girl and her eponymous line was launched in 1998 out of the desire to create “beautiful, hand finished clothes that exude casual luxury”.  THe Parsons School of Design graduate’s label is a fav

I almost came unglued seriously unglued when I walked into a brand new Goodwill and saw their pricing.  You know I know my labels & clothes so when I saw outrageous overpriced price tags on some brands, I won’t mention, well lets just say I came unglued.  I’ve been a thrifter now for 30 years and have seen this industry change dramatically.  There was a time when all thrift stores just sold their clothes for x amount and slowly I started to see thrift stores with their “Designer” or “Better” ra

This Nanette Lepore dress is a real stunner I have to say.  It is the perfect cocktail party your ass off dress on every level.  The bronze color had me at hello.  Nanette Lepore is a well known fashion designer based in New York City. New York magazine has said that she is “Known for her feminine style and fine detailing, Nanette Lepore makes ultra-chic clothes that are at the same time easy to wear.” I couldn’t believe when I saw the label inside the thrift store that this gorgeous dress was w

If this Nieves Lavi with its sea creatures pattern dress doesn’t scream out ‘Summer’ then I don’t know what would.  I’m in love with this under water sea creature pattern on this silk Nieves Lavi dress.   It is the absolute perfect dress for Summer.  Sam Velez serves as Creative Director and Sharon Lavi as Art Director and when these 2 unite they are unstoppable.  The duo draws from experience working with designers like Harve Benard, DKNY, Ralph Lauren & Vera Wang, as well as their own persona

Now this is one sexy LBD wouldn’t you say?  Well that and playful.  I love Nanette Lepore and her sense of adventure because when you look at her collections it’s all about an adventure which is what life is all about.  She is fearless when it comes to mixing patterns and colors just like Trina Turk is and since my background is art I appreciate their painter’s eye.  Yes I know this LBD is black and therefore absent of bright colors & patterns it still has a dash of adventure.  In my humble opi

I wanted to share my living room table with you all so that you know it truly is about a lifeSTYLE.  I stumbled upon 6 Mies van der Rohe flat bar chairs in a used hotel / motel furniture shop years ago, they were stacked on top of each other and I immediately recognized them.  I looked underneath and they have the Knoll sticker and original horse hair stuffing and these babies are heavy because of the steel frame.  The man wanted $30 and we (my partner Mitch) talked him down to $15 each.  They o

You know even owing a handy iPhone doesn’t really do the trick when it comes to finding out important information such as who in the hell is Raul Blanco.  I salvaged this black silk vintage dress by Raul Blanco and loved it but needed more 911 or is that 411??  So I Googled Raul Blanco and there were varies links that had his dresses for sale that ranged anywhere from $80 – 160 and that they were mainly created in the 80′s and oh yes he did a line for Neiman Marcus too.  This black silk vintage

My message is and has always been to shop ‘green‘.  It’s so easy to go to the mall and shop for your clothes and it’s easy to go to Rooms to Go for your furniture but for Pete’s sake people have just a smidgen of creativity and originality and draw outside the lines.  Every Sunday when I list the week’s re-cap I’m blown away by all the items I’ve found and this week is no exception.  Here is my list: Robert Rodrigues top, Trina Turk culottes, RACHEL Rachel Roydress, Tibi beaded top, Nanette Lepo

I was walking around inside Goodwill when I saw this shocking orange figure on the very bottom of a shelf.  As I walked near it I was thinking it was actually Scandinavian pottery from the 60′s but as I grabbed it and turned it over it said “Baldelli made in Italy” and the # 889 on the bottom.  Baldelli ceramics have been made near Perugia, Italy since 1943.  The Baldelli family have been making ceramics for 4 generations.  These piggy banks with their bright colors are very collectible so the i

This ensemble is all about luxury from the Louis Feraud dress down to the YSL pumps, it’s luxury at its finest.  I never pass up the opportunity to salvage a piece of Louis Feraud when I’m thrifting, never !  It’s a great label that was huge in the 50′s – 70′s and when you go to their website today the last collection it shows is Fall 2011 but not Spring 2012.  His first collection was in 1958 and Louis Feraud was known for his bold, cheerful lines of women’s & men’s clothing.  He found instant