new peeks: malia mills rtw 2010

mui ne

i have been feeling a bit besieged by the online web lately (hooray for path, the new anti-social network. be still my heart), yet, despite intermittent twitter checks, a malia mills sales tweet somehow found me through all the a.m. noise. the new ready-to-wear styles have been languishing on my virtual inspiration board so to make amends for my tardiness, a few of my favorite styles have been gathered up for your viewing pleasure!

asymmetrical hemlines, handy pockets, snaps and ties. further study is required to notice the small yet welcome details incorporated by the island raised, nyc-based designer who turns simple silhouettes into versatile frocks to slip over your swimsuit then styled as you please to explore the city.

who wants to see more?

my woman from tokyo

isabella

hello 40% off!

bianca . . . very bond girl!

getaway bag

with holiday travel upon us, don't you just want to stuff all your carry-on essentials into the generously sized getaway bag?

and, hooray for all the garments being made in the usa. (a detail always noted when saving something to my wishlist. if more peeps made purchases by recognizing american produced goods equals more jobs for fellow citizens perhaps our economy would be in less dire straits.)

oh yes, the sale. 40% off on a handful of past season ready-to-wear styles scattered between the dress and pants departments. email or call to place your order. offer ends sun, dec 5th.

malia's mini style empire can be found in nyc, the hamptons, and along the california coast. island readers are still out of luck but there's always the online shop and the promise of sizing assistance by the in-house fit specialist.

p.s. the official blog has become a favorite read if only for peeks of the company dress code. enjoy!

stacia fall/winter 2010

cowl neck tunic

i have been meaning to share peeks of stacia's fall/winter 2010 collection, but when the southland began to sizzle (over 100 degrees here by the beach on monday) all my cozy plans for autumn were pushed to the backburner. a sale announcement from ideeli on this much cooler morning was just the incentive needed to gather up my favorite f/w looks along with the inspired idea to share similar styles available today only at flash sale prices (up to 60% off!).

designer stacy johnson, who grew up in the islands but is now based in los angeles, specializes in effortless ecoknits incorporating bamboo and tencel fibers. perfect for hawaii's tropical climate and mild winters. a few new silhouettes are in the mix featuring warm, earthy palettes including one which found its way into the collection via a watercolor made by one of stacy's keiki.

empire wrap dress

cool cardi

tab cardi

ideeli looks for less

ideeli's sale runs through tomorrow morning (official end time: thu, sep 30th @ 5a 9p hst), however you do need to have an account to access all the deals (here's an invite from me to you if you need one). there are seven styles offered in various colorways with prices starting at $79.

you can find this season's fall/winter looks in stacia's online shop or, when in l.a., inquire about stopping by the studio for some one on one shopping time.

• where: 1307 ½ pico blvd, santa monica
• fyi: by appointment only

p.s. oahu fans can now scoop up stacia at becca beach (located at the kahala) which became the one and only stockist on island a few months ago. the full stockist list can be found here.

joie studio x shop toast

honey bunny

tina from joie studio recently sent along peeks of her recent collaboration with shop toast! the charming honey bunny first popped up at uniquela's xmas fair as a springtime preview, but just took up residence in the online shop a few weeks ago. we first met another shop toast creation splashed across their cheerful gift crates earlier in the year, and now the letterpressed emoticons double as sweetly designed shorthand to note your happy news or apologies if you have done someone wrong.

joie's antique presses, a golding pearl & vandercook, have been in constant production over the summer with many of the new designs requiring multiple passes through the machinery to print the two to four color illustrations. in addition to the shop toast cards, hawaiian style greetings inspired by tina's island home have arrived online along with a cheeky robot design destined to be pinned on the cubicle wall of your favorite geek.

cheeky cheery faces

hawaiian style

you can scoop up all of the featured designs in joie studio's etsy shop, and the shop toast note cards should be ready for your purchase at the kaimuki storefront this week.

also, cali readers up and down the coast have a few chances to meet tina over the next two weekends. (hint: word is a toast surprise is in the works for sf.):

{bizaar bizarre j-pop summit}

• when: sat, sep 18th - 11a to 6p
• where: japantown, sf
• tix: free admission to one & all!

{second annual l.a. printmakers fair}

• when: sat, sep 25th - 9a to 5p
• where: international printing museum, 315 w. torrance blvd, carson
• tix: $5 general admission / $4 students

stacia spring 2010

baja stripe hoodie

spring seems to have finally arrived on the west coast but the cozy lightweight layers found throughout the spring 2010 collection from la-based label stacia would have been most welcome during a windy visit to maui (gusts up to 50 mph!) and a chilly family potluck in mililani.

the first thing to catch my eye were the bold stripes sprinkled throughout the collection which seem to be a bit of a departure from recent offerings. this time around designer stacy johnson took inspiration beyond the shores of her childhood island home filling her sketchbook with memories of the gorgeous baja coast with its sparkling blue seas juxtaposed with arid desertscapes for a modern and softer take on the scratchy woven textiles many a tourist has lugged back from the border.

brighter possibilities were plucked straight from the candy colored jersey shore and that dreamy beach house found on so many of our wish lists. bamboo jersey blends are spring's featured ecoknit and appear in varying weights in a mix of covetable cardis, hoodies, tees, dresses and scarves.

chevron stripe vee

baja dress

square scarf

stacy's studio is only open by appointment and the occasional sample sale so your best bet is to click over to the online shop or find your neighborhood stockist.

• where: 1307 ½ pico blvd, santa monica
• fyi: by appointment only

l.a. readers can also scoop up looks from past seasons at the designer sample sale pop-up shop on abbott kinney in venice.

p.s. after you take a peek at the collection, remember to click over to comments and share your favorite styles!

new peeks: stacia fall/holiday 2009

low-slung cardi

september may still be sweltering in hawaii and the west coast but fortunately more temperate weather is only a page flip away on the calendar. happy news for those of us who swoon for cozy knits! while the rest of the world may think hawaii is only about beach side playdates, readers who have ventured up to a chilly cliffside lookout, big island mountain town (hello volcano!) or upcountry maui know every island wardrobe needs a stylish cover to keep the chicken skin at bay.

i've written before of la-based label stacia designed by oahu girl stacy johnson and, after all this time, we finally had a chance to meet up during edwin ushiro's opening reception a few weeks ago (along with the lovely misa hamamoto who designs a gorgeous eponymous jewelry collection). we dished about the hawaii fashion scene and growing up in the islands while stacy and misa clued me in on the designer's take on bringing their collections to market.

with autumn approaching, it seems like a fine time to share stacia's fall/holiday 09 collection which is composed of luxe-y knitwear designed to complement warmer climates. stacy employs variations of lightweight jersey knits in an ever changing palette of multicolored space dye to flatter every figure. new for the season are stacia's ecoknits which blend bamboo and soybean (which she considers a cashmere substitute) sure to delight fashionistas on the elusive hunt for sophisticated and sustainable style.

more peeks below . . .

buttoned cowl * cocoon

willow

a peek inside the studio

island fans crushing on the new designs will have to click over to the online shop for more peeks at stacia's autumn offerings since, alas, only one hawaii boutique is currently posted on stacia's extensive stockist list. select styles are currently on sale so enjoy that little tidbit of consolation while you wonder when island shopkeepers will come a-calling.

fortunately for la la land residents, this past summer stacy opened the doors to her santa monica studio where customers are welcome to stop by and shop the latest looks. sign-up for the mailing list to be notified of in-house trunk shows and sample sales where you can scoop up past season designs at a deep discount.

• where: 1307 ½ pico blvd, santa monica
• fyi: by appointment only

p.s. stacy also maintains one of the best designer blogs around sharing her inspirations and insights on the evolution of a collection from color forecasting to the sketch pad to posting behind-the-scenes adventures from stacia photo shoots.