THE NEW COACH LINE-A REAL DEAD ONE

Walking home from midtown in Manhattan it smacked us right in the face as we went by the Coach store on Madison Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street. We looked at this new logo and just shook our heads in disbelief. The logo reminded us of the tattoo inspired looks we have been seeing from Ed Hardy for years now. As for us, this look is dead and were stunned to see Coach utilizing a similar theme. Curiosity got the better of us and we went inside the shop to find out there is an entire line just launched this month! Bags, shirts, wallets ect. This new push was not what we read about in WWD a few months ago, but there was a clear indication Coach would be moving more into clothing.

The more we looked, the more it reminded us not of Ed Hardy but of The Grateful Dead! The skull and roses have been a staple logo design for the band ever since their second album ( to the best of our knowledge) and why such a turn of design for Coach is beyond us. The main question is, will the younger set gravitate to the new look the company has presented? In the end the store sales will decide but if it fails maybe the words of Jerry Garcia might hold the answer:

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down, You can't let go and you can't hold on, You can't go back and you can't stand still, If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will. 

 

APRRO LIMITED EDITION FURNITURE LINE

Aprro furniture introduced it's limited edition line at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Designer Alexander Purcell has created a beautiful line for the home with a SAKE BOMB drink set reminiscent of floating land mines from World War II. At the premier private party we attended; Mr. Purcell selected three pieces for display. The Spiro x1 chair, JFK lounge and Tour chair. The key to this line was a partnership with Studio Caparo based in London and Machine Histories based in Los Angeles, who are experts in material technology. The vision of the line is to provide innovative design that pushes the boundaries of aesthetics, technology and materials. More information can be found at the Aprro website www.aprro.com 

Bjorn Borg Lands in Soho

Get ready tennis fans famed tennis player Bjorn Borg will be opening up his first US store on 89 Crosby street in Soho. The 500 square foot space will be housing his underwear line which has been a great success over in Europe. As to what you will find in his new shop there will be offerings of underwear, shirts ,socks and swimwear. Price points range around $50 for t-shirts, $50-$100 for swimwear, $15 for socks and underwear between $25-$40. If your looking for tennis equipment like racquets or balls keep looking, Mr. Borg has joined the ranks of the fashion world. More information can be found at his site www.bjornborg.com

Gretchen Bags a New Alternative

If your tired of the current bag selection being offered this season you might want to take a look at the Gretchen bag line. What has us drawn to this company is the unity of superior quality, great design and fine European leathers. The bags are understated elegance, not being overly designed with extensive hardware which we have been seeing from other houses. The leather selection for construction is soft and supple and should acquire a beautiful patina as the leather ages. The color range is monochromatic making these bags easy to pair up with any outfit. As for the price points bags range from $250 to $600. With prices like that bags are definitely the new affordable luxury in this depressed economy. More information can be found at their site www.mygretchen.com

Conair CleanHead for men

Shaving for a bald man can be quite a challenge and sometimes dangerous. Yes there's many products out there, but most have incorporated the straight-razor concept which do not have the contours your head has. With this problem you end up with missed spots and overall a uneven shave.

Thanks to Conair's Cleanhead shaver the name Say's it all. The new device incorporates different clippers as well a patent-pending dual foil and comfort guides specifically designed for shaving the head. Spring-loaded comfort guides allow the foils to glide easily over the skin. The cylindered design makes the unit easy for left or right handed men and the rubberized casing makes to easy to hold. Released in April of this year Cleanhead is available worldwide and has a retail price of $40.00. More information can be found at www.conair.com

Yummie Tummie Shape Wear by Heather Thompson

For hundreds of years women have been concerned about their shape! Not enough in one place too much in another, this quest for a shapely figure has gone on for as long as women have roamed the earth. Over the past twenty years there have been major advancements to combat this problem. Push up bras, re-worked panties etc.

Enter Heather Thompson the creator of Yummie Tummie, a shape wear line which does something a little different than others. The line she produces is intended to be worn as outer wear thusly a modern body contouring shaper. The line consists of tanks, basic t-shirts, v neck tops, long body t-shirts, tube tops and dresses, just to name a few. Depending on what your after the line comes in a rainbow of colors and visually attractive prints such as animal leopard. Another aspect to consider; Yummie Tummie is made with a patent-pending dual fabric technology which smooths and shapes your tummy and hips, as well wick-away any moisture/sweat.

The line has proven to be a success with Hollywood stylist and celebs who must endure the red carpet season after season. Let's not forget not all celebrities are created equal but with Yummie Tummie you sure can look and feel like one! For more information and online shopping www.yummietummie.com

Arrojo Hair Products

If you have seen TLC's "What Not To Wear" you know Nick Arrojo the master stylist who helps women with their hair issues. Here at The Fashion Tribune, the relationship with Nick spans over ten years; but with all that time that's passed we never did a review of his products?!

After making contact with Arrojo PR, we were sent six items but for this review we used only four. The items we put under the microscope where: Daily Shampoo & Conditioner, Texture paste and hair gel. Starting with the shampoo the first thing we noticed was the consistency which is not to thick and yet no to thin and came out of the bottle just fine, if you find yourself fighting with any product to release it, it maybe a signal for good or ill. While using the shampoo the consistency is a "low suds" formula which translates to, your not having mountians of shampoo suds on top of your head; something we like when using any shampoo. After only one rinse our hair came out squeaky clean. This is another signal of a good product! If your have to wash your hair twice all your doing is stripping nutrients from your scalp. We followed with the conditioner and the consistency is right on target! No fighting and coated our hair with a even layer. we left this in for around 3 minutes and washed out quickly and felt very conditioned.

We moved on to our favorite aspect of haircare "styling", we first started with the hair gel. Again the consistency is great and when applied ran through our hair with little effort (another good sign) and gave us the look we were after. For good measure and being self confessed product junkies we tossed in the Texture Paste which only added more hold for our look. Overall we got what we wanted but wished there was a hair spray to finish the styling.

Now with Mr. Arrojo's history and track record as a hair stylist he could be charging you an arm and a leg for his products, but to the contrary his entire line is very affordable. What we love about Nick is that he's all about hair and always has been. Television shows are great but his heart and business lies with his expert knowledge being a awesome hair stylist! As for the products there worth the investment and they won't break the bank. For more information on Arrojo Studio and to order head over to www.arrojoproduct.com if your looking for the salon it's located on 180 Varick St. Phone number: 212-242-7791