Crashing for Missoni

Did you hear that the Target website crashed today when its Missoni for Target collection went live? I find it so interesting how there is a "mob mentality" when certain designers debut their lines for Target (remember how fast the Liberty of London collection sold out)? I actually am not a huge Missoni fan when it comes to clothing, though I do like accessories like the bags shown at left. Though I doubt they'll be any left in stock by the time the site is working again. Check it out (if it's back online) at Target.

Help Me Decide

Breaking news- I just checked the Pier 1 site and the prices have been reduced on all mirrored pieces in the Hayworth Collection- the prices listed below were the original prices.

Remember I told you about the new Pottery Barn mirrored side table I was so excited to find for my bedroom? Well, it is sold out in the NYC area stores and is back-ordered online. In the meantime, though, one reader reminded me that Pier 1's "Hayworth Collection" is similar (and less expensive). So, I checked it out in my local Pier 1 store.

Here is the store's signage displaying the entire Hayworth Collection and its prices . I would only be getting a small table, but you can go all-out if you want (though I think getting too many mirrored pieces like this may be overkill, unless you're Marie Antoinette):


The tall chest of drawers ($449.95) is another nice piece that would work well on its own to glam up any bedroom:


Here you can also see the large mirror (which I like for any room) as well as the coordinasting Queen headboard ($449). I wasn't so crazy about the headboard; I think an upholstered one would soften the overall look.


The smaller night-table is very cute and affordable at $199, but I don't think it has enough storage for me:


I would probably opt for the bedside chest instead ($399) since it's slightly larger and has more interior storage:


The Hayworth Collection bedside table is actually the same price ($399) as Pottery Barn's table (see below), but I am still having trouble deciding. Which one do you prefer? Give me your opinions in the comments. Here they are again:

Pottery Barn:


Pier 1 (also shown in photos above)


p.s. A number of you have asked me about what fabric Tori Spelling used for her fantastic upholstered headboard (which is flanked by two mirrored bedside tables). I am investigating this (I may even be meeting Tori next week!) and hope to have an answer for you soon! I am also going to present more options for upholstered headboards.

Trend Report: Playtime New York July 2011

The same day that I visited the ENK Spring 2012 Show, I also hopped over to Soho to see Playtime New York, a smaller, independent trade show featuring emerging talent in kids' fashion and design. Here are some trends I noticed among both American and European designers:



Trend #1: Colorblocking. Personally, I've loved this trend ever since watching Vogue put together a colorblock article for The September Issue. And it is a trend that works especially well for kids.



Tank dresses by French designer Bakker made with love





Colorblock sneakers by Bensimon





Colorblock coat by A is for Apple







Trend #2: Jungle animals. I'll say it again--owls are on the way out. In now: elephants & giraffes.



Ties by 'Lina Bean







Elephant print dress by Ode Kids







Giraffe tee and jumper by Little Esop







Elephant tote by Acme Tees









Trend #3: Rompers. Rompers & jumpsuits remain popular for the 2nd year in a row, and have even branched out to maternity wear (if you dare...I would not have).



Delilah Romper by Tala Bee Kids







Orange organic romper by Green Baby







Maternity romper by en sainte





And, here are some finds that don't fall into any particular trend, but I thought were just plain lovely and wanted to share with you:



One pieces by Lucky Wang





Handmade sleepsacks by Woolly Boo





Lightning Tees by Acme Tees





White Swiss Dot Shirt by Tala Bee





It's a busy month for trade shows. Next weekend I am judging the best new baby & children's products at the New York International Gift Fair. Stay tuned!

5 Trends for Kids Clothes in Spring 2012

I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite finds from the Spring 2012 children's clothing collections at the ENK Show. Here are 5 trends that I noticed, too:

Trend #1: Button down shirts layered with tees for boys. Lots of designers are pairing open-front button down shirts with funkier tees for little boys.

Button-down shirt with tie-printed tee by Sierra & Julian.


Relaxed vintage style button down shirt (love the chambray contrast) with tee underneath by Hartford.


Summery button-down plus tee by Wonderboy, one of my all-time favorite designers for boys.


And while we're speaking of button-down shirts for the littlest boys, don't forget the onesie-style "shirtzies" and separates by Andy & Evan Kids.





Trend #2: Fancy dresses for girls are back. Dressy is back in style! After a few seasons of simpler, more subdued dress-up for girls (likely because of the weak economy), it seems that froth, frills, and bubbles are back in vogue. Let's hope the economy follows suit.

I spotted lots of retailers placing orders for this 2 stunning dresses by Halabaloo (once in a while you can catch this brand at Zulily).




Toddler tulle and bling matched with screenprint designs by Baby Sara.


Beaded sheath dress for 'tweens by Italian brand Dino + Lucia.



Trend $3: Long Live the Queen. All British emblems are in style ever since William & Kate's wedding ushered in a new era of Anglophila:

London double decker tee by Hartford.

Tees by Ben Sherman.


A girly interpretation of the Union Jack (and a best-selling dress) by Twirls & Twigs.



Trend #4: Ships ahoy! Just as I noticed at the National Stationery Show, designers in every category are favoring the nautical look.

Hello Sailor tee by Sundek.


Euro-flaired nautical styling by Spanish brand Losan.


Fishy onesie with orange trim by Kit + Lili.



Infant/toddler sailor dress by U.K. brand Darcy Brown.


Trend #5: Girls' swimsuits that I don't like. As the mom of an 8-year-old girl, I'm not happy to report that the vast majority of the swimsuits I saw at the ENK show were skimpy two-pieces. This is nothing new (remember the Abercrombie & Fitch padded bikini debacle?), but it was disheartening to see:

Bikinis by Sonia Rykiel.


Bikinis by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.


Fortunately, towards the end of the show, I spotted some more appropriate (in my opinion) girls' swimwear that was also very cute. These are by M.N. Bird.


I would love to hear what you all think of these trends. Would you be interested in buying any of these particular items for your own kids?

ENK Children's Club: Spring '12 Favorites

I had a whirlwind day yesterday visiting both the ENK Children's Show and Playtime New York, both featuring Spring 2012 collections from leading (and up-and-coming) children's wear designers. I saw so much gorgeous clothing that I want to share with you. Here is my first batch of favorite finds:

Button-down "shirtzies" by Andy & Evan: for little gentlemen. This was one of my favorite finds of the entire show--a brand new line of baby boys' clothing made with the styling as men's dress shirts.



There's even soft terry lining inside the color so as not to irritate Baby's skin.



Hamburger little girls' tee by Ouch!. You may recognize Ouch!'s screen print food tees from sites like Lil Swanky.



And check out the back of the hamburger tee....fries, of course! Mark my words, hamburgers will replace cupcakes as the "it" food icon.



Destination: Bali by Tea Collection. I know many of you are Tea fans; what do you think of its Spring 2012 destination?



Here is a close-up of one of the boys' Bali looks:



"Baby Gaga" tee by Pluto Kids. It had to happen, right?



Scalloped Dress by Llum Kids. This dress is just about perfect to me.



Or it was...until I also saw Llum's shift dress with daisy trim. Even better.




Trendy two-fer shirts by Morfs Brand (do you recognize them from the Chasing Fireflies catalog. Morfts owner/designer Julie Barger started making these tees with the arms made from discarded socks.



Of course I was taken with this NYC tee by Morfs...


...and the Vegas one is pretty cute, too.



I also predict that Morfs' "When I Grow Up" line will be best-sellers (did you catch them in the




Tutu Dresses by Oooh La La! Couture. Now that R. is interested in wearing these style dresses, I love them a whole lot more. And I think that a lot of other moms of "girly girls" do too.






"Superheroes have issues too" tee by DX Xtreme/Kids Republic. Fun for your Marvel comic-loving kid--and you'll chuckle at the captions too.



Ruffled blouse and shorts with sash by Sierra Julian. I'd never seen this brand before, but its clothing is beautiful. Check out the website.



Seersucker jacket by Appaman. There's nothing more classic for Spring than a boys' seersucker jacket; it gets trendy when paired with Appaman's hip tees and ties.



Orange juice dress by C & C Children's Wear. A couture-style tank dress with a splash of kitsch.



Victoria Shirt by Toobydoo. This shirt will be featured in an upcoming issue of Lucky magazine.


Next up from ENK: top design trends I spotted at the show. Hope you enjoy this coverage!