Must-Have for Summer - the Metallic Sandal

I've been on a quest the last couple of weeks to get me a pair of the must-have shoe of the season - the metallic sandal. And to be even more specific, I was searching for a matte gold (not super shiny and cheap looking) with a toe-baring t-front (sort of a paired down gladiator.) Wouldn't seem too hard to find this of-the-moment shoe, that is, unless you're a size 10 1/2 like me. It is almost impossible to find a great shoe under $300 that comes in a size 10 1/2, let alone a size 11. Believe me, I wish I could wear a knock-off designer style from Nine West and save a few bucks. And luckily for my husband (and my bank account) my delicate, slender size 10 1/2 feet do not fit in the iconic Sex in the City Jimmy Choos. Now I know the frustrations a transvestite must go through to look chic! Even back in first grade, I remember my sandal strap breaking on the playground and having to borrow my teacher, Ms. Wood's size 8 Doctor Scholls (and they fit!)

Fortunately as an adult, I've always had great luck with Sigerson Morrison every since they opened their fabulous Nolita shop back in the 90's. To this day, I still have a few pairs of their coveted shoes (in a size 10 1/2, thank you) that are still stylish and have stood the test of time (and wear.) Listen up all you transvestites out there, Sigerson Morrison is one of the few labels that makes chic shoes in a comfy size 10 1/2 and even an 11! Yeah! Their shoes fit me like Cinderella's glass slipper - perfect! After looking high and low, from Barney's to J. Crew to Shopbop.com, desperate to find a single metallic sandal that comes in my size, let alone one that I actually like and can afford (I was so desperate, I was willing to shell out 400 bucks for a shoe I"ll maybe only wear 6 months out of the year.) Low and behold, I found a size 10 1/2 pair of metallic Sigerson Morrison sandals in stock and actually on sale - whoopie! I did, however, have to give up on my mission for a matte gold sandal and settled for the available matte silver version, but beggars can't be choosers. As much as I love the new Sigerson Morrison store in Malibu, I was happy to find the same shoe on sale at Barney's in Beverly Hills.

But if you're fortunate to have a normal size foot, your options are endless in the metallic sandal trend. Some of my favorites that I wished came in my size were found online at shopbop.com, revolveclothing.com, barefoottess.com, and jcrew.com - from simplified metallic t-backs to strappy gladiators to be-jeweled thongs, there's a lot of choices (and price options) out there. So it's time to stow away my favorite Havaianas and dress up those feet of mine for Summer with a fresh pedi and my new fabulous silver beaded Sigerson's!

Venice Goes Luxe

I'm amazed how every time I venture over to Venice's Abbot Kinney to check out the shops, there's always a major transformation. Venice has always had that sort of Brooklyn thing going for it - a little edgy with an eclectic mix of hipsters and artists living next to million dollar abodes. When I first moved here in 2004, Abbot Kinney reminded me of Brooklyn's Smith Street in Carroll Gardens where I had my boutique, stacia new york. Independent boutiques alongside cool cafes and art galleries were the norm (no chains in sight.) I even seriously thought of reopening my boutique on this very street in one of the free-standing bungalows, but seeing the light traffic along the sidewalks, I was hesitant to repeat my Smith Street experience.

Today, the walking traffic has increased (only slightly) and the stores have already changed hands a few times in only 3 years, but the real surprise on this trip were the multitude of cool, modern architectural creative spaces and luxe storefronts that have emerged. Unfortunately, a lot of them are still vacant waiting for tenants willing to put out the big bucks I'm sure. The poor independents don't have a chance (hence the opening of the controversial Pink Berry.) But despite all the changes and comings and goings of new businesses (much like the pricey Montana Avenue shopping strip), there are still some old standbys for me along Abbot Kinney, those who've been able to hold their own (so far!) A must stop if you've never been is the funky little shop, Surfing Cowboys, at 1624 Abbot Kinney which houses a vast array of surf memorabilia (think 1918 original balsa-wood surfboards), retro-contemporary furniture (used), and even cowboy boots (new)! I also love to browse the stacks of art books, surf biographies, and vintage novels at the lofty open-air store, Equator Books at 1103 Abbot Kinney. And for a quick bite to eat or a decadent treat (or two!) stop by Jin Patisserie at 1202 Abbot Kinney. Love the homemade ice teas and scrumptious Japanese mini desserts!

As for clothing boutiques, there's all price ranges to choose from. For the latest contemporary fashion, check out Princepessa (and it's adjoining sister boutique Vamp) at 1323 Abbott Kinney. Their new expanded store features the latest pricey designer dudes on one side with a little capsule boutique, Vamp, next door that features more affordable trends with the same regal bohemian vibe. For a more polished, high-end shopping experience, there's Heist at 1104 Abbot Kinney, with it's concrete floors, uber-edited mix of city threads in super luxe fabrics. And for the real shopper who can endure the temptations, there's the ultimate gift shop, Firefly, at 1413 Abbot Kinney. In it's new expanded location, you're sure to find those little things that you really don't need but can't help but buy - beautiful note cards, cool books, the perfect tank, some Havaianas, and little trinkets that were intended for gifts but end up in your pocket instead!

Summer Consensus

Another successful trunk show under our belt here at Stacia. Saturday's event at The Ria Ray Gallery off Montana Ave. in Santa Monica was a much needed zen-stop for all the die-hard shoppers on Montana. Unknowingly, we held the event on the same day as Montana Avenue's annual sidewalk sale so we were blessed with a lot of walk-ins. For a designer, it's such a treat and essentially great market research to see all walks of life, body types, and age groups try on my knitwear and all look great! The overall consensus was certainly the knit Summer dresses and the versatile beach tunic. Everybody wanted the Summery twisted tank dress (Eden and Marigold were hot colors) and the demure sweetheart dress (Mimosa and Waterlily the most popular.) Tall gals, petites, well-endowed women, and slim girls all looked fabulous in the dresses. And everyone who bought a dress, literally walked out the gallery door with their purchase on their back. It was a hot, balmy day and the super-soft light-weight knit dresses were the perfect solution for a sweltering day when you don't want anything touching your skin. Throw on some underwear, some flip flops and go! And the great thing about our dresses is you can go from a balmy day with flip flops strolling along the sidewalk sale on Montana Ave. to throwing on a cardi, some mules and heading out for a night on the town all in the same outfit. The crochet beach tunic in Eden and Marigold was also popular at the trunk show. And thanks to my host and model, Ria Ray, layering this beach tunic over our knit dresses was also a great discovery. One of our customers bought the twisted tank dress in Marigold along with the Marigold beach tunic and she plans on wearing it to work this week. Mix and matching the tops and the dresses is also fun and sort of bohemian - try the Eden beach tunic over the Hibiscus twisted tank dress.

Overall it was a great event. Sipping chilled sparkling red wine, meeting new customers, seeing all kinds try on the knits and all looking fabulous, and feeling great satisfaction seeing my designs on real women. Designers are usually tucked away in a design studio designing blindly and anticipating what their customers will want. So a trunk show event like this, especially since I no longer have my Brooklyn storefront, is a great opportunity to interact with my customers, to see what works and what their needs are so I have more ammunition when designing the next collection. So thank you to my friend Ria Ray for hosting and providing the beautiful backdrop for my Summer collection, and thank you to all who stopped by the event. We hope to do a Sample Sale event at the gallery again this Summer, so stay tuned...

Small Victory for Malibu

Yes, finally someone with brains in the City Council is working for us. Alas, though, it's not our lovely Santa Monica (that touts being an environmentally friendly city - yeah, right!), but rather it's my beloved Malibu that has taken vast strides this week. They've announced a new ordinance that will take into affect in 6 months banning all plastic bags from stores. Hallelujah! Finally some real action to finally ban these one-use bags that end up in landfills, beaches, and choking our sea life. Santa Monica had tried to draft a similar ordinance in February, but with no luck actually implementing the ban. The bureaucrats are too afraid to step on the toes of big box business - aka the Ralphs, the Targets, etc. I'm so proud of Malibu to take this stand finally and hopefully set an example for the rest of Los Angeles and beyond. After participating in Heal the Bay's annual beach clean up, it's amazing to see the mass quantity of plastic bags, cigarette butts, and styrofoam pieces littering our beaches. Since then, I've made a conscious decision to ban plastic bags from my household (although, I'm still working on my husband!) I now have a large collection of green Wholefood's reusable bags that I keep in my car for every shopping errand. And many times, believe me, I run into Riteaid for toothpaste and forget my reusable bag. But I refuse to take another one-use bag, and instead either run back to my car or hand carry the toothpaste back to the car. How hard is that? So until our political morons actually pass a ban of plastic bags in your city, let's all try to take a stand and stop using them. Let your guilt get the better of you and don't take another plastic bag. It's all to benefit our kids and preserve our oceans.

Inspirational Artist - Rauschenberg, 1925-2008

Back in my Parsons' foundation year days, circa 1989, I was greatly influenced by the renown artist, Robert Rauschenberg. Coming from Alaska (high school) and Hawaii (grade school) I would say I wasn't much of an artist enthusiast. All I knew is that I wanted to be a fashion designer. But Parsons is known for their unique approach to schooling, where all students are required the first year to participate in a "foundation" year of art, whereby at the end of the first year you can officially choose your major. So what does art really have to do with Fashion Design? I was never a great artist per say, especially a lousy drawer (I hated my life drawing class!), but surprisingly enough, I found my niche during foundation year. I discovered the artist, Rauschenberg by chance. In my favorite class, Form and Space, we were challenged to create 3-dimensional art. I was in awe of Rauschenberg's technique of combining real-life found objects (preferably found on the streets around you) with paint, newsprint, photos, or any form that could be adhered to and painted over to form a collage-style canvas. Living in the East Village, the streets were filled with inspiring found objects, but one particular work of mine was created with an unworthy, finicky Hoover vacuum cleaner from my dorm room. I mounted that puppy right up on a 6 ft. canvas and splashed red paint on it and covered it with fabric, magazine print, and other collage-worthy materials (take that you bastard vacuum cleaner that never worked!) Talk about getting out your frustrations. I'm sure Rauschenberg had his moments too.

So I'm sad to say, that the one and only artist that truly inspired me during my tumultuous days at my first year at Parsons (and first year in the big, bad city of NYC), has passed today. Who knows, if I hadn't discovered this truly adventurous artist, I may not have made it through foundation year or through the following grueling years of Parsons' fashion design program. His work is even more relevant today as we all tout to "reduce, reuse, recycle" - there's nothing more relevant than recycled art or incorporating found objects in art. He was right on the money. I'm anxious to finally make it over to Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art to check out his largest exhibit chronically his best work. Many years ago I was inspired by his work at the Guggeheim, but I think it may be time again for some new inspiration now that I'm a working designer and to help remind me of where it all started - in my crummy dormroom off 12th St. in the East Village with my crappy Hoover and a big bin of red paint.

Stacia Trunk Show at The Ria Ray Gallery

I'm on a roll here. Another meet-the-designer/trunk show event coming up for Stacia. This time, I'm going local here in Santa Monica. My friend and new gallery owner, Ria Ray will be hosting. Her fabulous live/work space off Montana (734 12th Street) is the perfect venue for an intimate trunk show. This Saturday, May 17th from 2 to 5pm, Ria and I will be hosting a super low-key trunk show featuring my new Summer Botanical space-dye collection of knit dresses and beachy tops. It's totally casual, so come by have some drinks, take in the sunshine in Ria's outdoor oasis, enjoy a little female bonding, and try on some super-soft Stacia knits just for fun. My Summer line will be below retail and you can pick my brain for free!

Retail Therapy in El Segundo

We all need a little retail therapy every now and then. I'm a big fan of the quaint little beach town of El Segundo and I was jonzing for a Good Stuff veggie burger, so I popped on over to Grand Avenue. There seems to be a lot of new retail on this little strip. I've been eying the windows of Frocks and Rocks and finally ventured in. Found the best-fitting flare jeans around and no sticker shock! These wide-leg, dark denim jeans by See Thru Soul look more like a retro sailor pant with the double row of buttons in the front. The back waistband hugs nicely along your low back so there's no weird gapping at the waist or embarrassing crack cleavage. And the best thing of all is these puppies were under $100. When I was in San Diego I also snagged a pair of Level 99 jeans at Christie's Boutique which were also a steal at $106. The Oasis jean in Bali is a great fitting, super light-weight jean perfect for Summer. And why did I just spend over $200 for those Anlo jeans at Madison? What was I thinking?

Another great discovery at this little gem of a store was an inexpensive, yet high-quality organic line of tops called Trinity. How in God's name do they make and sell these organic tops for $30-$40?! It's unbelievable. The fabric is high-quality, they say it's organic (so I trust that it is), the silhouette's are great, and it's still only 40 bucks! I bought the cutest tops by Trinity - a black sheer cotton/silk blouse which looks great over a fitted tank, an ivory shimmery blouse with triple drawstring ruching at the neck, and a comfy short sleeved hoodie with a cool cowl-neck drawstring. I hit the jackpot! So let me tell you, there's nothing better than a little retail therapy and a big fat veggie burger with sweet potato fries to top it off!

Surf Moms Unite

Yeah, Surf Moms are finally online! Check out founder Lauren Arborio's new web site, SurfMoms.net, celebrating Moms and their love of surfing. Surfers before giving birth or newbie surfers with kids in tow have been meeting weekly or daily here at local beaches along Santa Monica, Malibu, and Manhattan Beach. I joined last Summer after I had Kai and tried to meet up with them at Ocean Park on Fridays. What a blast to get out in the water, bond with other Moms, and know there's a fellow Mom on the beach with your baby (they call it childcare exchange - take turns surfing and babysitting.) With the Winter months and the much too cold for me water, I've been a rather delinquent Surf Mom lately. But now that my work load at Stacia has simmered down and the water's slowly heating up, I'm anxious to get out on the water again - boy, will I be rusty for sure! So if you live in Los Angeles, love the ocean and have little ones, check out the new Surf Mom's web site to learn more. Come join us out on the water!

Go Stacia Baby Go!

Stacia Baby has finally made the press, courtesy of Earnshaws Magazine, a premier children's industry magazine. Go stacia baby go! Check out our first ever tearsheet for stacia baby, introducing our Fall 2008 bamboo/cotton Banyan Hoodie. As usual, my spacedye designs get pigeon-holed and constantly compared to the pricey Missoni label, but maybe that's a compliment I don't know. In any case, I'm grateful for any press to help draw some attention to our little line of baby knitwear. Our signature hoodie is sized down for tots, sizes 3-6 mth thru 4T, and made up in the softest of soft bamboo/cotton jersey (feels like butter!) The hoodie, pictured in Banyan, will also be available in other Fall-friendly colors, Lantern, Seagrass, and Haiku, come next month at www.shopstacia.com. In the meantime, enjoy our Summer sale of Stacia Baby frothy confections online.

Book Inspiration - Cliff May

I've already shared with you that my Spring '09 collection is inspired by a recent trip to Palm Springs and what the Stacia gal might be wearing while lounging poolside in the dry, hot heat. My latest inspiration comes from a book oddly enough and re-enforces my vision for this collection. Thanks to my hubbie, blogger of The Los Angeles Times's La Land, the new fabulous coffee table book, Cliff May and The Modern Ranch House, ended up on our very own coffee table. I've never been a big follower of architecture, but since renting a house in Mar Vista, I'm much more aware of cool architecture and the whole indoor/outdoor living that I have been deprived of for so long (as a NYC and Santa Monica apartment dweller of 20 years.) Cliff May's work epitomizes the indoor/outdoor lifestyle characteristic of the modern ranch house and his work jump-started the trend of casual elegant living in the mid-century. Flipping through this new book brought my Spring collection to full fruition. The timing couldn't have been better discovering this book and taking my inspirational trip to Palm Springs. His sprawling, horizontally designed homes with their low-profile details and expansive living spaces that flow into spacious patios is the ideal backdrop for my Spring collection of space-dye bamboo knits. The color Rancho, in particular, with its sky blues, earthy tans, and sunburst oranges will be the perfect color combination to showcase an updated version of my signature beach tunic dress (think Jackie O poolside with large dark sunglasses sipping a dirty martini.) Wide, solid trims will accent the mid-century inspired mini dresses and billowy sleeved tunics. The super-soft bamboo knit pieces, both retro and modern, you can throw on over a swimsuit or sport with metallic gladiator sandals while traipsing through one of Cliff May's modern ranchos. Check out the new Cliff May book and day-dream, like me, imagining yourself in one of these fabulous mid-century houses and lounging comfortably in a Stacia bamboo dress.