WHAT'S NEW: OH MY GaGa

Lady Gaga Comes to Barneys NY. 

Gaga's Workshop
wwd.com

Santa don't be scared! This claw stocking is all the rage!
wwd.com

WHAT'S NEW: HOT NEW JEWELS

Lalique Ring, WWD.COM

This ring is so sleek and unique! It is just one of the thirty beautiful pieces of jewelry that make up the Lalique line of fine jewelry for Spring 2012. According to WWD, inspiration for the line was derived from the four elements: water, earth, wind and fire. The new concept is geared toward younger women, and prices range from $420 to $5,840. I can't wait to see more!

WHAT'S NEW: MY OTHER BURCH OBSESSION

C. Wonder is my new obsession and I haven't even stepped foot inside of the store... yet. The Women's lifestyle and accessories brand by Tory Burch's ex- husband will celebrate its grand opening tomorrow (Oct 22nd) at its 72 Spring Street Location. It's modern, stylized, colorful, and preppy; all fitting of the Prippie world.

WWD.COM

MarthaStewart.com

MarthaStewart.com

WHAT'S NEW: ALL WEATHER LEATHER

Dooney & Bourke All Weather Leather Medium Drawstring
Dooney.com

If you know me, you know that I am on this constant search for the perfect leather bag. It has to be Prippie (of course), look authentic, and be big enough to hold all of my things, but small enough not to clear out my bank account after purchase. Here enters Dooney & Bourke. Although I am constantly searching for new brands to try out, I always find that they have a reliable bag at a good price. I have a recent obsession with their All Weather Leather bags, especially the original vintage styles from the 80's. I especially love that a vintage leather purchase is a better purchase for the environment. 

Taupe Essex Cross Body Bag
etsy.com/shop/pearlsvintage

Satchel/Doc Handbag
etsy.com/shop/simplychi

Vintage Olive Teton Leather Drawstring Bucket Purse
etsy.com/shop/brainstormvintage

Cream with Tan Leather Satchel
etsy.com/shop/omniawears

Dome Topped Cross-Body/Handbag
etsy.com/shop/pearlsvintage

WHAT'S NEW: PRIPPIE PRINTS AT PROENZA SCHOULER

WWD.COM

WWD.COM

WWD.COM

WWD.COM

WWD.COM

WHAT'S NEW: FASHION WEEK FAVORITES

.

Photo Credits: www.wwd.com

Among my absolute favorites so far for Spring 2012: Milly (per usual), Alice + Olivia, Marc by Marc Jacobs, DVF, J.Crew, Lela Rose, Vena Cava,  Sophie Theallet, Tibi, Chris Benz, Christian Siriano, Derek Lam, Tori Burch, Rachel Zoe, and Luca Luca.

These collections exhibited such an AMAZING mix of color,texture, shapes, and print, all Prippie staples. 

Spotted: variations on paisley, polka dots, florals, and animal prints. Bright colors are  painting the runways throughout this fashion week, as designers try to bring excitement and hope to the economically shaken consumer. Get out your most stylish pair of sunglasses because while we are seeing pops of color this fall, Spring will be an even brighter affair. 

However, not every designer included these super bright styles. Also showing: some lighter, toned down looks. They create a nice contrast to the strong color blocking and pattern. Carolina Herrera kept it slightly toned down, but did include a great scheme of patterns, mainly Bauhaus inspired. Michelle Smith took a very Prippie approach with her Milly collection as she teamed up with Sperry Top Sider to make some super chic shoes.

Trends so far: COLOR! (and color blocking), Geometric prints, architectural shapes, florals, mod, active wear, trousers, retro spirit

Top ten Pantone's colors for Women Spring 2012
CREDIT: WWW.WWD.COM

An example of the contrasting
styles at this Fashion Week. A much
softer look by Rachel Zoe.
Credit: wwd.com

Milly: great spring trousers paired with
Sperry shoes.
Credit: wwd.com

More to come as Fashion Week ties up!

-Bianca Jane Mitchell

WHAT'S NEW- PRIPPIE FALL LINE

This Fall, Prippie is embracing its recycling side, as vintage finds are turned into new, must- have pieces. In the current economy there is a significant importance being placed on reusing and recycling. There was no question that this was the perfect direction for the Fall collection to take. It has been so much fun to hunt down this assortment of unique jewels, and even more fun to turn them back into functional and affordable staples for your fall wardrobe. CLICK HERE to shop the store! Keep watching throughout the Fall for more Prippie finds to appear.

Vintage Ivory Flower Necklace

Vintage Rhinestone Triangle Dangle Earrings

WHAT'S NEW- GAP 1969 DENIM

Check out this behind- the- scenes look at a Prippie fave: The Gap 1969 Denim studio in LA. While many see LA simply as a movie star mecca, the denim industry has called the city home for years. Such a unique and inspiring atmosphere!

WHAT'S NEW- "FALL"ING FOR LEATHER

Leather looks for Fall '11 are catching my attention. From bags, to jackets, pants, and even dresses, these classy styles will be a must have. While I do purchase leather bags and boots, I also take into consideration the practices surrounding the manufacturing of these items. That is why I was happy to see Refinery 29's announcement of a Free People Vegan Leather line for Fall! Keeping in line with Prippietm  ideals, this line a cute and resourceful substitute to the animal cruelty that can occur when real leather goods are produced. I really hope to see other companies follow in the footsteps of this great project, not just with leather, but with other environmentally friendly materials as well. 


Vegan Leather at Free People from FreePeople on Vimeo.


Vegan leather looks exactly the same as real leather, but is made from synthetic materials, and animal free. There are many positives to the alternative which are mentioned in the above video, for example it is environmentally friendly and at a lower price point than the real thing. 


But what exactly is it!? The FP line uses materials such as Polyurethane, Polyester, and Viscose to create the look. To find out other alternative leather materials, I turned to my old friend, Wikipedia, and was surprised to find such a variety of methods, including a fake leather made from ocean kelp!

So when you're filling your closet during the next couple of months, keep in mind these cool substitutes to animal cruelty.You might even find yourself saving a buck or two in the process. 


-Bianca Jane Mitchell
biancajanemitchell@prippie.com

WHAT'S NEW

Looking for a way to celebrate the preppy side of prippie? Check out what this spring will bring.

Tommy Hilfiger announced plans to team up with Lisa Birnbauch (author of The Official Preppy Handbook), bringing preppy to the global stage. Their 800- square- foot pop- up shop (or as they prefer to call it, "drop- in shop") titled, "Prep World" will open first in Manhattan, before traveling to Paris, London, Amsterdam, Milan, Stockholm, Madrid; Sylt, Germany; Knokke, Belgium; and Tokyo . In an NBC article, Hilfiger discusses fashion’s globalization noting that "globalization has touched down, even on the preppy lifestyle." The definition of preppy fashion is slightly different in each corner of our wide world. The store, modeled after a ‘preptastic’ East Hampton beach cottage, will feature a capsule collection of 60 pieces, with everything from ping pong paddles to women's cardigans.


What does this globalization mean to the preppy empire? The exclusivity of this long celebrated culture is slowly slipping away. Such is realized in Birnbauch's latest preppy work, True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World. The satirical view of the elite association shows preppy's trends and change. Preppy is back in a non discriminatory way. Maybe you won't be joining Muffy for tea at the club, but you can wear her tennis skirt. Hilfiger and Burnbauch bring preppy to all, as "Prep World" kicks off in a town near you.

-Bianca Mitchell, Editor