Shopping Report - Dumbo, Brklyn

DUMBO - Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass - what will they think of next to name the next hip enclave? Dumbo, Brooklyn's riverfront neighborhood, has actually been around awhile, and to my surprise on a recent trip, Dumbo has grown hipper by the second. Back in 2001 I was lucky enough to have my design studio and factory in the Gair industrial building on Water Street. For nothing a month, I had a fabulous view of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge was within arm's reach. Back then we had Peas & Pickles (the local grocery store and where I got my daily dose of sushi for lunch), a pizza joint on the corner, the hip restaurant Rice, Jacques Torres chocolatier, and Bliss Spa's headquarters (unfortunately, not open to the public.) Today, it's a much different story, with a huge West Elm flagship, Starbucks, 3 high-end baby stores, 3 womens boutiques, a bank, a Bosche showroom, and a new green space along the waterfront. I guess a lot can happen in the span of a few years, but it feels like just a blink of an eye for me. For my last hurrah in NYC before heading home to La La Land, I trekked over to Dumbo from Brooklyn Heights, a quick walk along tiny cobblestone streets with the NYC skyline to my left.

First stop along Water Street, and a must, was at Jacques Torres for their much coveted chocolates to-go. Also picked up a canister of their famous hot chocolate in hopes of replicating the experience at home. At the corner of Main and Water there's a huge outpost for fancy-pants kitchen equipment at the Bosch showroom (this is where you purchase your stainless steel appliances for those fancy lofts in DUMBO.) And caticorner there's a new artbook store which caters to the many artists and collectors that live/work in this warehouse district. Around the corner along the waterfront is the finally completed Brooklyn Bridge park with a spacious green space, pirate-themed playground, and lovely path along the waterfront (the lapping water along the pebbled beach area almost for a second made me think, "I could live here, it's not totally landlocked." But then, I remember you can't swim in the East River and got over it.)

Back up to Main Street at Front Street, low and behold, there's a Starbucks. The end is near...but I guess these poor folks need a good coffee and Jacques Torres hot chocolate doesn't cut it on a daily basis. Over on Main Street things have really gone up a notch with the conversion of 70 Washington Street to luxury lofts and the upscale womens boutique Zoe. I was in heaven at this store, drooling over the Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Missoni. I great find for those in the hood who don't want to trek to Jeffrey's or Barney's in Manhattan. I was happy to see that Rice, across the street, was still there, and now has a lounge called Low Bar. Enjoyed my favorite Thai chicken curry dish with black rice before venturing on with more discoveries. Also on Washington Street are two new baby stores - Half Pint (tons of Small Paul, Tea, and pricey strollers) and Pomme (a minimalist underground store featuring uber expensive imports from France.) Along Front Street there are two new womens boutiques - Loopy Mango (a vintage-inspired boutique featuring their own in-house crochet line, Current Elliot, Lyell, Hazel Brown, Made, and Mike & Chris) and Blueberi (home to Stacia, Citizens of Humanity, and beautifully displayed full ensembles complete with jewelry on the racks.) Around the corner on Pearl Street I was happy to see my old buddies at Halcyon (who used to be my neighbors on Smith Street and where Stacia once held an event) are still in business and thriving in Dumbo with their retro-inspired record shop slash hip hangout with live events. Further down on Pearl and somewhat off the beaten path is a super minimalist baby shop, Modern Tots, that takes furnishing the kid's room to a higher level. It's the Swedish Ikea look, but with a hefty price tag.

So I'm happy to say, my vision of Dumbo is almost complete. A little sad that my studio is no longer there and more than a few artists displaced with the conversion of 70 Washington Street, but cheers to Dumbo for growing and staying cool. Dumbo has certainly given Tribeca a run for its money!

Stacia Spring '09 Debuts at Coterie

After all these years of exhibiting at Coterie, I finally booked myself a ticket on Virgin America and headed for NYC (sans kids!) to check out the show first hand. Even though I have an awesome sales team in place to run the show in NY, I've been meaning to see what all the fuss is about with Fashion Coterie, the industry's biggest and most important show in the biz. The show is held twice a year at the Piers in September (Spring) and February (Fall.) Stacia was conveniently located on Pier 92 in booth 1213 (ironically enough, my booth was across from my old boss Cynthia Rowley's booth!)

Unfortunately the timing of this year's show couldn't be worse. A day after the Lehman Brothers collapse, was the start of the biggest selling season for fashion. The buyers were already in conservative-mode with the lackluster Summer sales and now at the first day of the show, the future of retail couldn't be more uncertain. A lot of New York and New Jersey boutiques outside of the city are especially hurt since their customers are directly affected by the turmoil on Wall Street. And the neck-to-neck race to the White House leaves many buyers unsure of when and if the economy will improve. So to say the least, most buyers walking the show were holding back on writing actual orders and "taking notes" galore. Thankfully, a lot of my regulars stopped by the booth and were anxious to write our Spring '09 line and were happy to report that our knits were "an easy sell."

The highlight of my experience at the show was meeting face to face with some of my favorite boutique owners and buyers - Jill from Ravinstyle.com, Helen from Outerluxe, Sylvia from On My Own, Lezli from Willow Street, and Sloane from Sloane Street. Many are stores I've been selling to consistently since day 1, so to put a face with a name and "talk shop" with them was very rewarding to say the least. Coterie is always the best place to pick up new accounts, so come next Spring you'll be able to find Stacia in even more shops across the country.

The show is also a great way for me to edit the collection (40+ styles) down to a reasonable amount to produce (24 styles.) Some early best-sellers this season were the bamboo fringed scarf (all colors), poolside dress in Studio, swing cardi in Eames, cable knit tunic in Heirloom, hook n' eye tunic in Feather, empire braided dress in Bluebell, matte/shine vee top in Sea Salt, and the flutter wrap dress in Ti Leaf.

It's also a good time to listen to buyers needs and wants since I'm starting to work on the Fall '09 collection and can take in to consideration their needs. Some recent requests have been to bring back the bamboo cocoon sweater for Fall since it's been flying out the stores. Another request was to design a special hangtag for my bamboo garments to educate the consumer about our eco-friendly yarns. So all in all, it was great fun to meet my buyers, spot trends in the aisles, hang with my NY crew, and listen to my customers needs, and all in a days work!

Fall Trend Spotting from the Fashion Front

The best place to pick up the Fall trends in real time is at the fashion industry's mother-of-all trade shows, Fashion Coterie. Although all the designers (including yours truly) were showcasing their Spring 2009 collections, every fashionista walking the aisles at the trade show was working the latest Fall trends. Buyers, manufacturers, and even old-school Garmentos were flaunting their favorite Fall trends like it was a runway show and not aisle 1200 at the Piers. Since my Fall collection is already in stores and I designed it a year ago, I'm usually oblivious to what the trends are and they rarely inspire my designs. But as a consumer, it was a great time "people watching" at Coterie and picking up trends like the pages of WWD.

Trend spot #1 - the shoes. It was a kaleidoscope of shoes galore! Some of the coolest shoes you could imagine were walking the aisles at Coterie. But the biggest, sure-fire trend for shoes had to be the peep-toe boots, preferably shortie style and in black. It was on the runways last February and the trend has finally hit the pavement. It's probably not a trend I'll personally pick up on being that I live in flipflop-land California, but I was definitely drooling over these booties! Not sure how the open toe concept flies in the slushy streets of New York in December, but with fashion there's always sacrifice. Another shoe trend was the neon ballet flat. I must have seen at least a dozen or so Japanese buyers sporting these knock-off Chanel neon patent leather flats. When you're dressed head to toe in chic black, a little neon on the foot can go a long way.

Trend spot #2 - the over-sized leather handbag. And this is actually a practical trend, especially since most buyers are schlepping at the piers with piles of order forms and look books. The slouchier the better. You can load everything in but the kitchen sink. But beware, your bag will become the black hole. I'm ready to upgrade my favorite turquoise leather Coach bag for one of these soft, pliable sacs to tote all my samples, sketches, and even my kid's snacks this Fall.

Trend spot #3 - the fringed scarf. Yep, they're everywhere. It was the official uniform for the fashionable set at Coterie. You know the trend is in high gear when you see $10 versions on the street corner for sale and everybody and his brother is sporting one, even in 88 degree heat. I'm actually one of those morons wearing a scarf in the heat, and I'm lovin' it so back off. Hey, there's nothing chicer than feeling a little Parisian and tying a scarf around your neck with just a skinny tank, matchstick jeans, and ballet flats - oh so chic! Even Stacia is on trend and offering our take with a super-soft bamboo knit version in an array of spacedye colorings. I guess we can all thank US weekly and Love Quotes for jump-starting the trend (and I guess a $$$$ PR firm goes a long way!)

Trend spot #4 - layered gold chains on the wrist or on the neck. Mr.T is back! The more gold chains the merrier baby. Pile 'em on. To me it's a very old school Chanel look, but I'm likin' it. I even used them for my Spring '09 photo shoot piled on over my spacedye knits - très chic. Even Madonna went all out and wore a decadent load around her neck for her 50th bday bash (talk about needing a neck massage!) And the trend is going forward because I saw a lot of gold chains popping up for Spring '09, so hang on to them for one more season.

The End is Near...

Or is it just the beginning? Smith Street, the little street that could. It's been four years since I closed up shop on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. When I opened up shop in October 1998 it was just my shop and a hand full of boutiques and restaurants on this desolate street - Alan Harding's french bistro Patois, Suzanne Bagdade's chic little handbag store Refinery (who also invented those 718 t-shirts), Area spa and yoga salon, Halcyon's hip hangout/record store, and the jewel box shop Handmade. Smith Street had always been a scary street to walk down on your way to the F train, but slowly but surely as the Manhattanites moved in to town, the street quietly built a following.

But sometimes an entrepreneur can be too early in forecasting a hip neighborhood. I for one, feel like I totally missed the boat, and because of being too early! Over the years, businesses have come and gone since the street never really generated enough traffic to make a living. I closed shop mainly because I was relocating across the country and reassessing the direction of my business, but my complaint was always the lack of traffic. Well today it's a different story to say the least. Smith Street has either gone to hell in a hand basket or is on its way to becoming another Nolita.

On my recent trip to New York for the Coterie trade show, I was able to stroll down memory lane (literally!) Walking down Smith Street from Atlantic Avenue down to where my old boutique was on Carroll Street, I was amazed to see so many new storefronts! I was never fond of the overkill of restaurants on the street to begin with (doesn't always translate to traffic for a clothing store), but now it's totally out of control. In one block, there's easily 8 restaurants (and it's a short block!) But what I was happy to see and wished they had been there when stacia new york was open, were an abundance of chic new clothing stores.

Being one of the few clothing stores on the street from 1998-2004, I got a lot of flack for my prices. Not that my designs, which were custom made on the premises, were anywhere near Manhattan prices ($98 sweaters are not what I call expensive), but there were always a few customers that would gawk at my prices. Well today, they'd really be gawking and thinking my shop was a discount store! I came across two new finds - Bird (they also have an outpost in Park Slope which was around in my era) and Dear Fieldbinder. They both have an exquisite selection of designer duds that you would normally find in Manhattan and pretty much anything I picked up was $285. Not sure who's buying this stuff, but maybe more Manhattanites are transplanting to Brooklyn and not wanting to schlep to Jeffrey's or Barney's anymore. Boy, do I wish those customers were around when stacia new york was open! I was just too early! Damn. Oh well, I'm much happier now focusing on my designs and letting someone else sell the product. Being a boutique owner is hard enough, let alone having to actually design and manufacture the product your selling. I was crazy to think I could do both and do it alone.

So is Smith Street near the end? Or is it the next Nolita? They've got a Starbucks now (usually the first sign of gentrification), an American Apparel store, and a Lucky Brand chain store too. Unfortunately, when you start to get those big chain stores in, the rents go up and the little guys vacate, and then it's the end of an era and the end of quirky little design shops. I guess there's always Red Hook...

New York, Here I Come

Heading off to NYC tomorrow a.m., my first trip back home to NY since I left in 2004. I can't believe it's been 4 years already! Jeez, time flies when you're having babies and running your own biz. I've been meaning to go back for some time to at least visit my NY showroom and show face at Coterie. It'll also be my first actual trip sans kids! I'm wishing the best for my poor husband stuck with two kids, but luckily Tutu (grandma) is in town to help.

It's been a long time since I schlepped on the NY subways and visited my old hood, Carroll Gardens, where it all started. Stacia New York opened in October 1998 (yes, it's been almost 10 years that I've been in business!) on the desolate Smith Street. I'm anxious to see the changes to the street. I hear the little up n' coming street has already gone commercial with an American Apparel flagship. At least I'll get back to my old inspiration of riding subways and sketching like mad.

Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 16th, is the huge Fashion Coterie trade show at the piers where I'll be debuting my new Spring/Summer '09 collection to buyers and editors. Yippee! Can't wait to see what's checkin' and the overall reaction for a collection that I've been working on since April. And finally, this time around I have a fabulous professional look book to showcase my collection. It was so satisfying to have my vision in print! See above a few of my favorite looks for the upcoming season. I'll keep you posted on what's hot and what drops from the line, and what ultimately will make it on shopstacia.com.

Go Kim Go!

Throughout 2008 and 2009, the Breast Cancer 3 Day event is being hosted in various cities across the country to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. My sister, Kim Nesvick, is taking on one of these 3 day events, a 60 mile walk, this weekend in Seattle to raise money for breast cancer research. Go Kim Go! So far so good, they survived the first day I hear. Kim created a "team" of friends to participate together on this female power weekend (feel the burn!) Thanks to donations, Kim has raised over $2200 dollars! It may not seem like a lot, but imagine if every person in this Seattle walk, and every person participating across the country in these 3 day walks, pulled in that kind of money, that's a lot of dough for breast cancer research!

Every one has someone they know or love that has battled this disease. I for one, have a best friend from 3rd grade who has battled it 3 times! I'm happy to say she's doing well today with her new baby, but she will always have to be proactive with this disease. Next month is breast cancer awareness month, so let's all try to make a difference and contribute or participate to help stop breast cancer in its tracks. Stacia has always supported the Susan G Komen foundation and will continue to do so. Last year we participated in a Green fashion event on Rodeo Drive to raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation. And now online at shopstacia.com, for every purchase of the Haiku (pink-hued) bamboo scarf top, we will donate proceeds to Susan G. Komen. So do your part, whatever it may be - a 3 day walk or supporting pink-themed products - and let's fight breast cancer together!

Stacia Baby in Print

Check out Stacia Baby in this month's issue of Fit Pregnancy! Our cutey petutey pom pom dress in Laurel merino wool is showcased in Fit Pregnancy's Fall issue. Giving newbie mom's Fall wardrobing ideas for their little tots, Fit Pregnancy hons in on this Fall's trend of mismatching by pairing our space-dyed dress with stripey tights - too cute! Although, I must say I'm a little biased and think this dress looks better on my own little tot, Kaiulani Rose! This fabulous little dress was actually inspired by my very own baby dress that my Mom had saved in mint condition. I updated this pointelle number to bring it up to date from the 1970's scratchy acrylic knits and knitted it up in a scrumptious spacedyed merino wool yarn that looks old-school when paired with tights. The baby dress, in sizes 3 months to 4-5 years old, is also available in a blue/green 'Coldwater' combination online at www.shopstacia.com.

Forecasting - The Fall '09 Palette

It's that time again (already!) to start thinking about the next collection. I feel like I just finished Spring/Summer '09! But since I manufacture overseas, it's crucial to get a head start so I have all my samples by the February trade shows. So here I am, with my pile of space dye swatches, Pantone color chips, and various forms of inspiration (some of my son's paintings.) What will be the palette for next Fall? Hmmmmm....well my gut always tells me to not be afraid of color, even for Fall/Winter, but the economy is still crappin' out so the consumers and buyers are feeling less adventurous and may want a more somber palette. But, on the other hand, we have an upcoming election, which sometimes jump starts the economy and creates optimism at retail. Since the future is unknown and I always design from the gut, I guess it'll be a little bit of both. Some neutral-based colors that are always classic (think grey/black combos and brown tones) and a few pop colors just for fun (for the optimistic consumer who wants to strut some color come next Fall.) God knows, you can't be afraid of color. That's something my son has taught me for sure. It's liberating to watch him paint and just splash on any color at whim. There's no over-thinking, contemplating, or hesitance. He just goes for it! So, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to really experiment with some unusual color combinations and give the consumer some unpredictable, but surprisingly wearable space dyed colors for next year. And of course if there's still doom and gloom on the horizon, I'll throw in a few predictable colors as well. This way, everybody will be happy!

Vegas Baby

Just got back from a quick jaunt to Vegas for the Project trade show at the Sands Expo in the Venetian. It was my first time visiting the show even though we've been showing at this gig for several years now. I'm so proud of my look books that I trusted no one but myself to hand carry these puppies to my booth. I haven't been to Vegas since the mid 90's so I was kinda looking forward to a little glitter time in the desert, bright lights and all. I must admit this Project trade show is pretty impressive in size (felt like several football fields of booths.) But what really made me feel like I was in Vegas for sure was the booty dancers strategically placed high above on a platform in the middle of the warehouse space, along with thumping techo trance music. My poor sales reps had to listen to this music for 3 days straight! But I wouldn't expect anything less from Vegas, booty dancers and all. It was actually a blast hanging out in the booth, meeting some of my buyers in person, and to see first-hand what's checking at wholesale. So far so good on the buyer feedback for Stacia Spring/Summer '09. Let's hope Coterie in NYC kicks some butt too!

Besides hanging in the booth, schmoozing with buyers, I was fortunate enough to snag some personals for myself and to see what's hot in the market from other designers. I know it's probably old news for most, but I was excited to discover the fabulous Andrew Lauren "Sex in the City" hoodie in my very own showroom's booth. This cozy cotton hoodie with its oversized rope drawstring and cowl-neck hoodie has already been sold out in stores in white, as it was featured in the movie on Samantha (drats!) But I can't wait to get the even chicer version in dark navy to wear this Fall as my all-around, thrown-on hoodie. The designer, Jennifer Mazur, is a smart cookie too and will be carrying this must-have hoodie in future collections.

Another great find was in my favorite t-shirt maker's line, Sharon Segal. For Spring/Summer '09 she's launching her loungewear line, called Wink. If you're not familiar with Sharon's logo, it's a chic one-eyed Parisian-inspired caricature with cocked hat and red lips. For her Wink line of sleepwear and loungewear, her cute logo gal has a closed eye, a wink of sorts to illustrate sleep - brilliant! Can't wait to get a hold of these comfy lounge pants and tissue-weight tanks for hanging around the house (much more stylish than my current at-home wardrobe!)

In a few weeks, I'll be off to NYC (the first time in 4 years since I've moved!) I'll be checking out my other big trade show, Coterie, at the lovely Javits Center (I still have nightmares about that horrid space!) But I'm excited to meet more of my fabulous stores up close and personal, check out my booth, and hang with my east coast crew to help boost sales for next year. More to follow...