Studio Scenes

As we actively look for a new space to move into, I'm realizing that I've gotten kind of attached to this sunny corner space. It will make a beautiful store but it has also been a pleasure to work in this light-filled space. Here are some recent scenes from around the studio.

My desk. A mess during the day.

Happy orange iPad cases went to Augustina in Canada.

Most of this shipped to Steven Alan.

Love the light on these suede Simple totes.

300 CV chain print cotton bags being folded for Shopbop.

This shot never gets old. Always pretty to me.

Saehee prepping (untangling) the Minisacs for shipping. I love her neon orange tank showing under the grey.

There's Bri packing bags, bags everywhere, and boxes and our addiction to Uline evident for all...My how the place has changed.

Time for more room!

It's Thursday and this is what I'm wearing:

This morning my day started off with a bang: Getting a grouchy boy to school, a visit to see a potential studio/warehouse space (didn't like it), coffee with Christina Binkley the style editor of the Wall Street Journal, then a meeting with Barbara Bestor the local architect who I hope works her magic on our first Clare Vivier store opening in May in Silverlake (two doors down from our current Vivier and Bentley.)

And this is what I'm wearing: 

Neon green Seven jeans, a beautiful navy A Détacher asymmetric blouse from Vivier and Bentley, and Isabel Marant nude suede pumps. The outfit would be perfect for this sunny Spring day - if only I could actually enjoy wearing these shoes. Ugh! Is it me or is it the shoes? I'll never know. I blame Isabel. No, I don't. I blame myself. No, my feet. Damn you feet! Ever heard of grinning and bearing it? It's a cute outfit, can't you be a team player?

Mom's Charms

Today is my mother's birthday. I wish I were still in MN to celebrate with her at the surprise party my siblings are throwing for her tonight, but I'm back here in LA.

While home last week, I scored a few great pieces at my favorite vintage store. But nothing compared to my mom's charm bracelets I found in her jewelry box which she let me "borrow". 

 I say "borrow" in quotation marks because like most daughters when we see something of our mother's we usually just take, er I mean appropriate, er, I mean we love them so much because they come from our mothers we just have to keep them. :)

But in this case, my mother really laid down the law and didn't just let me take she let me borrow and wants to know when they're coming back. These charm bracelets - both the gold and silver versions were made, over time and with much love and care, for my mother by her mother. So I can understand why they are so special to her.

The gold one is the more personal moments from her earlier life: there's an engraved medallion for each time she was beauty queen at whatever dance, her sorority pin, my father's fraternity and collegiate club pins, her father's high school ring, a silhouette of each one of her 6 kids with their birth dates engraved on the back...while the silver one is way more whimsical with just cute objects or maybe a momento from a destination travelled to by one of her aunts or her mother: Mexico, Nice, San Francisco. 

I remember loving them as a kid, I examined them for hours. Since I've returned I've been wearing them, one or the other - the silver with my watch and Je t'aime bracelet on my left wrist.

 Or the gold one with my Grace Lee gold cuff and black diamond bracelet on my right. I love the old with the new, and I LOVE the jingly jangle noise they make when I move my arm. How will I ever give them back?! 

Happy birthday Mom! I love you.

And Surprise!!

Les Sacs - Painted and Photographed

No sooner had Ellen made a comment on the below post regarding an illustrated CV in Lucky, than Google alert told me that Paper Fashion had painted something of mine. Turns out to be one and the same. Katie Rogers, the extremely talented illustrator portrayed some of her Spring bag picks in Lucky. 

This was one of those internet moments where I was so happy to have discovered someone I had never heard of before. Rogers is so talented and apparently known by everyone in the world but me, so thank you Lucky, once again. And thank you Google Alerts, once again. And thank you commenters of this blog, once again. I continue to learn from you all every day.

In other news, Oscar and I are in MN on a holiday to see family. It's bone chilling cold and we love it. There's not an once of fashion to report on so far, but here are a few pics from my recent iPhoto library. This one above is a summer tote we'll be debuting at our store opening in May. I snapped it on it's "set" from the vantage point of my desk.

These are just the random pics of Summer tote and Fall '12 Cartable tote.

Voilà - our Cartable en cuir, Baise-en-ville, et portefeuille - 2012.

Wallets 2012, pre-edit.

Azul messenger bag, striped flat clutch, color stories for 2013 and wallet inspirations...

Petit messengers, royal blue pebble Bando totes (special order for Japan), and neon striped 'card cases, available here.

You light up my life

My sister-in-law just sent me a scan of page 43 from this month's Martha Stewart Living.

Our yellow flat clutch is featured in a cute little sculptural set-up. 

Very soon after that I got a google alert that we had been mentioned on Bagsnob. Lo and behold it was for another yellow clutch. I sense Springtime...

 Kate brightens up an evening out with Jamie by carrying a yellow Chanel number, and BS is telling you how to steal the look. I'm all for it. If I had to choose, I'd really take door number two - available now here.

Light it up, Ladies! We all like to wear black at night, how cute to carry a little piece of sunshine with you into the darkness?