Spring accents
Once the dust settled from the New York shows, my friend Kristen (who owns Statement, a women’s and men’s contemporary store in Omaha) asked me for a quick re-cap. After rattling off all of the cool, new things I saw, I realized I was naming mostly accessories lines. The market was filled with lots of vibrant, whimsical accents that can add instant spice to your merchandise mix. Look out for in-depth accessories coverage in MR’s August issue, and read on for some market week highlights.
Sunpocket: This French sunglasses brand originated in the 1970s, and was geared towards skiers and other athletes due to the foldable, super-lightweight design. After some time the line became dormant, until Jacob Hoglund found a pair of his dad’s old Sunpockets and decided to revive it. Hoglund relaunched Sunpocket for fall 2010 with a capsule collaboration for Opening Ceremony. The colorful plastic sunglasses retail from $75 to $99 and have polycarbonate lenses (so they won’t crack). The guys behind California-based contemporary brand Riviera Club are handling U.S. sales.
WeWood: Watches with a cause. For every watch sold, WeWood (in partnership with American Forests) plants a tree. Watches are crafted from mostly scrap wood and retail from $120 to $135 at stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, The Buckle and Bodega in Boston.
Prajaa: Ferdy Tumakaka, owner and designer of Prajaa told me he wants to “blur the boundaries between streetwear and traditional.” In its fourth season, Prajaa interprets traditional footwear in a modern way. All handmade in Indonesia, styles retail from $198 to $328.
Miansai: Michael Saiger, the creative mind behind Miansai created buzz from the Miansai airstream parked outside of Capsule. The accessories collection consists of jewelry, hats and miscellaneous accessories like key chains. The brand is most commonly known for colorful wrap-around rope bracelets sold at J.Crew, Neiman Marcus and Barneys Co-Op. Saiger incorporates the nautical rope detailing in his hat offering.
Schier Shoes: Schier is a 75-year-old African footwear brand that’s still handmade in Swakopmund, Namibia. Desert boots are all made of vegetable dyed Kudu leather and retail from $195 up to $380 (for the spring bucks).
Blue Claw: Adam Blitzer launched Blue Claw after traveling the world with an insufficient bag. While looking for a replacement, he noticed that anything tough enough wasn’t sleek enough. So, he started Blue Claw, a line that mixes fashion and function. The Urban collection (pictured here) includes overnight bags, duffels, weekenders and other travel accessories are made in the U.S. and retail from $178 to $298.
Bo: New-York based Bo is launching wholesale for spring 2013. The collection comprises wovens ($160 retail), neckwear ($115 to $120), double-faced pocket squares ($50 retail) and tie clips ($115 retail).
Etudes: In its third season in the U.S., Etudes retails at stores like Opening Ceremony and Hickorees in Brooklyn.
Lacoste Live: Aiming for the younger, fashion-forward customer, Lacoste Live is showing funky prints and color for spring 13.