What I Want for Summer

It was fun to see my White and Blue Teardrops necklace included in this "I Want" collection by an online fashion magazine FashionRooftop.com. Yes, it looks perfect with a Missoni beach cover-up and DVF platform sandals!!!

Check out the latest fashion and style features at www.FashionRooftop.com

"Gilt" Was Not Built in a Day

When I moved to Seattle five years ago, Gilt.com saved my life.  Oh, I'm sure I would have been just fine, but really, after sample sales of New York, it felt like being on a starvation diet.  Thank goodness for the internet, and flash sales sites like Gilt.  Don't want to offend anybody, but...

Today I got to meet Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, who together with a college friend Alexis Maybank,  founded Gilt in 2007.  As a part of their book launch - "By Invitaton Only - How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop" (a story of how their uber-successful site was started) - she is visiting our corner of the world.  The room at MAKERS in downtown Seattle was packed with stylish female entrepreneurs; we were invited by CRAVE, all curious to listen to Alexandra's success story.  Hearing it confirmed what I already knew, made me feel stronger about some decisions I had to make, and I also learned a thing or two.

Success doesn't happen overnight.  It is hard, hard work, and only few succeed so fabulously like the founders of Gilt.  There is no recipe for it, but a handful of truths that may make it easier.  Like having a (good and like-minded) partner - you can go it alone, but it's more fun to have a shoulder to cry on, and share your dreams with.  Ideally they will provide another point of view, another perspective, fill in the gaps.

There is a long way from a concept, an idea, to making it work, living through the first years of implementing it, creating a working entity, and then the stage of running a mature business.  There will be scary times - but understanding your fears will make it easier to move past them.  Also, when you're in business for yourself, you never stop.  Weekends, holidays, there's no 9 to 5.  Finding a balance early on is what will keep you from burning out!

As your business grows it's your decision to judge what's relevant, how quickly you can expand without feeling like you jumped off the cliff, and how to rebalance and refocus quickly.

Kudos to the gutsy ladies who had the chutzpah to make their dream a reality, even if it seemed an outrageous idea.  I wonder how many naysayers they had to listen to (I should have asked that question!).  Fast forward five years, they have a billion dollar business, three kids between them, a book, and - I am certain - more ideas to build on.  Way to go!

Urban Inspiration - Walk #2

More snapshots from my walks - unexpected color and texture in familiar places. I manipulated some images just for fun.  Some of it is not changed at all - your guess...

Urban Inspiration - Walk #1

Where does inspiration come from?  Sometimes going for a walk with my dog and looking around my neighborhood is enough to start new ideas.  I especially liked the textures of very utilitarian objects - rainstorm covers, metal plates on the street, a rusted hydrant...  Things that are usually overlooked.  They are rarely translated directly into something new for a collection, but they can trigger an idea...

The Magic of Accessories

May I say that accessories are the easiest and possibly most economical way to update your look.  They will go that extra mile for you, travel lightly, and have magical transformative powers.  A pair of earrings is nearly weightless and takes up no space in your handbag, so going from day to night is a cinch.

For those who are on a budget, or with little closet space, a well thought out collection of jewelry, scarves, and belts, is the way to go.  For me coats also count as accessories, although they take up more space than my scarves....  But in our climate, you wear coats practically year round, so wearing the same cover-up day in day out could get boring.

Certain jewelry styles will work extra hard for you.  In every collection I make sure I offer a few styles of long necklaces.  So versatile!  In fact, at every trunk show I get asked if I have some with me.  And I do!  I wear them looped around twice, three times, long, knotted, as a bracelet, or even a belt!

Whatever you do, fashion is a means of self expression so have fun with it!

"La Plage" long necklace worn looped twice

"High N'Low" long necklace in blue worn long and knotted

"High N'Low" in blue and "Zaza" in green and gold long necklaces worn as bracelets

"Zaza" long necklace in green and gold worn as a triple strand