Lola and Sophie Spring 2016

Designer Gene Kagan has delivery once again a winning collection for spring 2016. The majority of his collection consisting mainly of tops range between grey tones, reds, blues and prints.

What draws me to this line are a few factors, the pieces are easy to travel with; basically you just toss em into the bag and your off!  His price points are easily digestible with tops in a range of $120-130 and jackets at around $175.  Lastly these looks can be worn just about anywhere. The feeling is a relaxed stylish woman who has a sense of style but she's not a slave to it. More information can be found at www.lolaandsophie.com

Mathieu Mirano S/S2015

I'm here to report that the house of Mathieu Mirano is doing just fine! There are a few back room changes like a new PR firm and choosing to show off site. For the one's who follow; we know that Mathieu can deliver red carpet high fashion drama, but for spring it seems he's toned in down with some nice solid pieces. Floral elements can been seen which pulls in the spring theme effortlessly. The standout piece for me is the ombre dress, his technique for this could be "perfect"! It's very hard to execute this, but the color gradation is flawless. He also is pulling in some black and white pieces which can only strengthen the line for the season.

Photos:Richard Spiegel

Saunder Fall 2014

From the designers run of show Saunder inspiration:

"For Fall/Winter 2014, Saunder was inspired by the 1980's BBC Miniseries, "The Signing Detective", the story of a pulp novelist hospitalized for a chronic skin condition. While in hospital, our protagonist drifts into feverish dream sequences where he believes he is a noir detective-soon enough, these dreamscapes overlap with reality, mixing our novelist's hallucinogenic fantasy with memories of growing up in wartime Britain".

The last time I checked we just moved into 2014 not the 1980's, correct? It has been my experience that inspirations like this don't translate well to consumers, at least American ones who might not have watched this program. Granted this is a very small collection, what seems to be missing is a direction and focus as to who designer Emily Saunders is designing for. There's a lot going on here but it feels like a pasta collection by way of trying to see what sticks. As for the clothing it just seems quite stiff with not a lot of movement, the fabric seems heavy. 

Oh and for the record i'm a huge fan of BBC'S "Top Gear" but I would not design a collection around it.

The Upper East Sides "Orsay"

Over the past few years I have had the good fortune to have some very nice restaurants open up around the office. Its a "lady's who lunch" type of atmosphere but even so a good meal can be had at the right price.

On a recent trip back home I walked passed Orsay on Lexington and 75th street. The French restaurant which is big in the neighborhood and even bigger with the girls is always hopping noon till night, but there was a new addition which caught my eye. Orsay now has introduced a "burger & soda" lunch special for $15.00. They have three choices between a tuna, beef and one other I can't recall.

In any event the rundown is a well cooked burger with paper thin sliced pickles, fresh tomatoes and lettuce with cheddar cheese. The mini deep-fry basket for the fries is a wonderful touch and as for the soda its free refills. For a $20 bill I think I just found a winner. more information can be found at www.orsayrestaurant.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