Uggs- Dead or Alive

I'm no longer an Ebay virgin! Just made another purchase this morning at 6 am in my PJ's - a pair of black crochet tall Ugg boots in size 9 (sold out everywhere!) People either love or hate Uggs, but I'm on the love side for sure. Maybe if I didn't live in CA, I'd think otherwise. But Uggs are actually very appropriate if you live near the beach. When the temperature drops to 60 degrees here in Santa Monica, (I know, my blood has really thinned since moving here from NYC!) I have to put the Havaianas on the shelf and crack out my Uggs. They're the perfect beach shoe in the Winter and when your wardrobe consists mainly of jeans like mine, they're the ideal throw on shoe sans socks. Love the way they look on Nicole Richie scrunched over her jeans!

Just when you think the Ugg phenomenon is over, they reinvent themselves and introduce some great new silhouettes. I've been eying their crochet boots since last Fall and finally decided to take the plunge and upgrade my 3-year-old Sand shorties. But thanks Oprah, now these puppies are almost impossible to find since she featured them on her show as one of her favorite things. Should have bought them last year when nobody cared! Having large feet has always been a disadvantage for me in shoe shopping. I'm used to paying the big bucks for my size 10 1/2 feet, which means no cheap shoes for me - J.Crew, Nine West, or any shoe under $200 for that matter either won't fit or come in my size. That's why my closet if full of $300 Sigerson Morisson shoes (thank you for making size 10 1/2's!)

Anyways, I looked high and low online for a size 9 (they run big so I'm actually a size 9- gee my feet feel so petite!), but no luck, sold out everywhere. The only place I could find them was on Ebay where most NIB (new in box) go for close to $200. I bid on four different Uggs and continued to lose. I told myself my limit was under $200, closer to $150 would be the max I'd pay (they regularly retail for $120). But every time I kept getting outbid, mainly because I have a life and I'm not glued to my computer checking the bid status every 5 minutes. But alas, after 3 days of frustration I was determined to get a pair and to win!! So this morning I had my husband wake me at 6 am so I could get in on the last 10 minutes of bidding for a pair of Uggs that were listed at $148. So I bid $150, then $155, and down to the last 2 minutes some ****hole outbid me again. At this point my adrenaline is rushing and I'm getting really pissed. So I bid $165, then $172, and finally at the last 2 seconds I bid $175 and won! Yippee! But after the fact, I'm a little bummed I went over my $150 personal budget. I guess you could say I let the gambling get the better of me! But really if I break it down, I got a deal since my time is $$$$ and I don't have time to schlep around looking for a scarce size 9 boots. And now I'll have a new pair of must-have black crochet tall Uggs under the tree this Christmas and my toes will be extra cozy for years to come.

Behind the Scenes - 'Botanical' Photoshoot

It's hard to believe that it's a few weeks before Christmas and I'm shooting Summer already. And I have Fall 2008 in the works too. The fashion cycle is so crazy! By the time Summer rolls around and the goodies hit the selling floor, I've been looking at this stuff for over 6 months and I'm over it! But in order to get the goods designed, sold to buyers, and made in time to be on the floor for next Summer, I have to get an early start!

So this past Wednesday, I shot my little capsule collection for Summer, called 'Botanical' on my pal Judy. My new favorite place to shoot is at my girlfriend's house, a tropical escape behind the walls of crazy Montana Ave. It's the perfect backdrop for my botanical-inspired Summer collection of beach tunics, crochet bikinis, hoodies, and sexy knit dresses. The tropical colors were inspired by mother-nature, of course, with vibrant shades of Marigold oranges, Hibiscus pinks, Waterlily blues, and multi-color combinations named Tulip, Mimosa, and Eden (as in the Garden of Eden.) And thanks to my son's fabulously inspiring artwork (see above), he was the source behind my favorite spacedye color combination in the collection, Tulip. That kid's got a good sense of color at 3 1/2!

Now for silhouette, I've got some great pieces for those balmy Summer days...lots of tanks, halters, strappy dresses, and skin-baring numbers. Some faves are the Tulip vee with it's flattering vee neckline and stretchy cap sleeves (great to wear over a bikini); the Mimosa crochet beach tunic (a Summer staple); the Marigold gathered vee dress (a Summer take on the gathered vee from Spring); and the Hibiscus twisted tank dress with clever drawstring bubble hem. All the dresses are done with a touch of nylon for elasticity so they skim the body in just the right places, but still have great drape so nothing clings in all the wrong places! And just for fun, I love to throw in a crochet bikini. I never sell a lot of these bikinis and boylegs, but they're such fun to do and they look great on. So if you're into poolside lounging this will be for you. I actually think wearing the Marigold crochet bikini halter top under the Mimosa crochet beach tunic will look awfully smart with just a pair of Bermuda shorts this Summer. Who says you can't wear a cute bathing suit top under your shirt instead of a bra, especially when it peaks out from your top a bit - now that's chic!

Mapuana - Color in Motion

Years ago I stumbled upon the most beautiful watercolor paintings by local Hawaiian artist, Mapuana Schneider, at Native Books and Beautiful Things. I bought a few reproductions for my New York boutique, Stacia New York, and have since moved them into my home because I love them so much. On my most recent visit to Hawaii, on my list of things to do and see, was to find more of her work and get some of those brilliant watercolors for my Santa Monica design studio. Mapuana's history is rather unique in that this renaissance woman discovered her talent as an artist rather late in life. She is an accomplished hula dancer and entertainer of the Islands, a hotelier for many years in Waikiki, an entrepreneur of Fine Wine Imports, and lastly her passion for hula has been translated into her brilliant watercolor paintings. I admire her fearless use of bold color, her fluidity of shape, and her simplistic yet beautiful interpretation of the female form. Her favorite subjects are landscapes and hula dancers, "I want you to hear the music," she says. And it's almost like you can hear the music or the sway of the hula dancer's hips in these paintings. Love, love, love her work and a huge inspiration for me as a designer, as I'm a big fan of color as you know. To view more of her vivid watercolors or to purchase some of her reprints, check out her web site, www.mapuanagallery.com.

Field Trip - The Bishop Museum

It's been about 30 years that I've been either living or visiting Hawaii and I've never been to the Bishop Museum. It's the island's most famous and grandest of natural history museums, with archives dating back to the 1800's, the largest selection of Polynesian artifacts, and the most comprehensive collection of Hawaiiana. I can't believe my Brownies troop never took me here when I was 10! Finally as an adult, I checked it out one rainy afternoon with my kids and was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the campus alone. First stop, the planetarium for a look at the stars. Next stop, the Polynesian Hall with it's grand arches and glass cases of Polynesian artifacts - clothing, accessories, weapons, and tools - cool stuff I must say. I don't even remember New York's Natural History Museum having this good of a selection from the Pacific Islands. The Kahili Room displayed the large kahili feathered standards used by the Ali'i or royalty of the Islands. Amongst them, of course, was the last crowned princess, Princess Ka'iulani, my daughter's namesake. My favorite inspiration came from the intricate textiles created by the Polynesians, made by beating bark cloth with engraved wooden batons to create an allover embossed pattern on the fabric (see picture above of some of these beautiful patterns.) I wish I could have this archive collection of print repeats for my design library! Talk about innovative textile design! The newest addition, the Science Adventure Center, was a favorite for my son, with it's educational volcano and wave exhibits. Lastly, I highly recommend the gift shop. Lots of great Hawaiiana books, replicas of archive photos, textiles, and my favorite batik-printed and hand-dyed sling bags made in Maui. I'm sure this little side trip to The Bishop Museum will make its way into my designs someday, with enough inspiration for several collections I'm sure.

Road Trip - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've been an absent blogger I know, but for a good reason...I took a long needed vacation back home to Hawaii and vowed not to bring my computer (although my new iPhone toy doesn't count!!) Boy, did I ever need a vacation. I love going back home because it's so effortless to relax and fun to visit my local haunts.

I always have my usual stops to make - drive up to Haleiwa to check out the Northshore Swimwear shop (bought a fabulous animal print bikini), Bali Moon (great Balinese finds such as easy tie dye tunics or cotton crochet hippie tops), Strong Current (by far the best place to pick up surf-inspired hoodies and tees), and of course the faithful Matsumoto's shave ice stop.

Another ritual is to check out the local retail (Stacia has yet to break into the Hawaii market). There's actually not much to report from the Hawaii retail scene. Their market pretty much caters to the foreign buyer (hence all the free-standing designer stores like Gucci, Prada, and even Coach (US buyer's beware...most items are marked up a good $100 from the mainland and web, so hold off if you can.) And there's not much to choose from in local "multi-designer" boutiques either. In Kahala, you have Shasa Emporium, who's store identity keeps changing (used to carry a lot of "junior" items, but now hosts a lot of great contemporary lines) and Ohelo Road, a store that also has a slight identity crisis (not sure if they want to cater to the designer t-shirt and jeans crowd- official home of the Michael Stars' line- or the bohemian 40-something eclectic.) I did discover a new shop that opened up at the fairly new Waikiki Beachwalk complex, called Bernards of Hawaii. For once I came upon a shop with some clear style, with it's mix of ultra-hip LA based designer tees, jeans, and hoodies, plus a vast array of cool beauty products- a real two-fer. Not sure what kind of traffic they'll get at the 2nd floor level, but it was refreshing to see some LA vibe on the islands.

I personally tend to explore the non-traditional avenues for shopping. I always make a stop at Native Books and Beautiful Things shop in Ward Warehouse to check out local artists, island-inspired books, and off-beat island-themed apparel and accessories. I've been hording these great batik printed and hand-dyed sack bags from Maui (got four now!). Their slight hippie vibe makes it great for slinging diagonally over your body for those trips to the farmer's market or spontaneous beach days (holds a lot, even a wet suit and towel!). And this is where I also have snagged some work by my favorite female artist, Mapuana. Her watercolor paintings of hula dancers and her rich vibrant colors are so inspiring that I just can't get enough (more to follow on Mapuana...)

But besides relaxing, shopping, and trekking to my favorite spots, the main reason for the trip was to celebrate my daughter's one year birthday and to have her christened "Hawaiian style" by our favorite Kahu (Hawaiian priest), Kahu Silva. On the rocky sands of Sandy Beach (a childhood favorite beach near home), and under the hovering rain clouds and sparkling sun, we had a traditional Hawaiian blessing or Ho'ola'a for Kaiulani Rose. She looked beautiful in a vintage Stacia baby dress (circa 2003) that matched my own cotton voile "tide pool" print dress (also an old Stacia New York design.) The only other topper to the trip was long boarding at Canoes in Waikiki- my favorite long boarding beach where there's nothing more satisfying than feeling like Duke Kahanamoku while leisurly riding a wave for a good minute or two- whoohoo!