These Googly-Eyed Accessories From Topshop Might Be The Next Big Thing

Remember when you used to glue crazy googly-eyed fuzzballs onto all of your school craft projects and binders? Now you can buy googly-eyed clutch purses thanks to Topshop. 

When I first saw these cute clutches, I thought they would be more like the size of a hand, but they are a little bit larger, meaning they are the perfect size to hold your phone and your wallet. They even have a hand strap! Yes, someone may reach out to pet your purse when you’re carrying this novelty clutch, but who could help themselves? These purses can make any casual outfit fun and well, just plain silly.  

We’ll leave it up to you to decide if you’ll invest in one of the little fur monster purses, but they are only $35, so it may be worth the test drive? 

Of course the purse does look more like something from a Halloween craft project rather than an accessory, but fashion isn’t fashion without risks. But also, how can you deny how cute it is!? 

If the clutch size isn’t for you, you can even have this faux fur googly-eyed friend as a backpack. All I have to say is #winning. 

Can you really resist these adorable pieces, especially in two different colors?! Thanks for this cute fashion statement, Topshop. 

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KYOTO GOES KAWAII: Gunjo retains individuality with dedicated handiwork

“Pochi bukuro” envelopes are usually made from paper, but Japanese accessories shop Gunjo offers colorful, cute ones consisting of pure silk.

They are perfect for fashion accessories while traveling.

“For the sewing work, we commission people who love doing needlework,” said Gunjo owner Shihoko Tsutsui.

She only offers products that she believes can really show the dedication of the artisans.

When Tsutsui opened Gunjo nine years ago, she initially struggled to find meaning in her shop because other stores were dealing in the same products.

Now, she goes to great lengths to give a piece of her “heart” to the customers through the dishes, bags and boxes that she selects or manufactures herself.herself.

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Luxe Leather: Taboo No More

A fondness for luxe leathers no longer crosses into taboo.

The Hollywood version of E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” sugar-coated the world of S&M, somewhat demystifying and destigmatizing the subculture.

Now, fashion’s predilection to use studs, spikes, lacing and corsetry is having a similar effect. What once might have telegraphed “alternative lifestyle” now merely connotes a love of luxury leather details.

At the heart of this phenomenon is Christian Louboutin, who in 2007 introduced a spiked ankle boot and then followed by adding them to the classic Pigalle pump shortly thereafter. The designer said he was drawn to the fetish aesthetic, calling it “very decorative and rich in detail.”

Louboutin went a step further when he collaborated that same year with David Lynch on a photo exhibition called “Fetish” starring burlesque poster girl Dita Von Teese in an impossibly proportioned heel that mimicked a ballet pointe shoe. Louboutin cited references to Bette Paige and pop artist Allen Jones while creating, but said he feels today’s youth might think spikes and studs are specific to his designs.

“You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the beauty of a church or be in a gang to wear a tattoo. People don’t always associate my high heels with sex or fetishism.”

Both Louboutin and jeweler Eddie Borgo credit punk rock for referencing traditional bondage gear. Borgo also uses fetish detail, and it has become part of his brand’s DNA. Cones and spikes were a result of requests from his stylist friends and of his early days learning metalsmithing and the art of wax carvings used to make the jewelry molds. At their 2008 debut, buyers said the pieces were “too dangerous — getting through a TSA checkpoint would be an issue.”

Borgo used Fabien Baron’s “Sex” book as a jumping-off point for his padlock group, which featured a thick collar necklace.

“The one bracelet was considered too aggressive when it launched,” he said. “Now, there is little or no shock value.”

His last three collections explored softer elements like pearls and roses in his otherwise strong aesthetic — a reaction to the oversaturation of tough themes.

For some, the theme is thriving for fall. Joseph Altuzarra introduced his first bag line this season with a range featuring braided straps with fringed ends that look like a whip. Jeweler Annelise Michelson’s cuffs wrapped around the wrist in a “bondagelike” manner, she said. And at her Milan presentation, Elena Ghisellini divided the room into day and night themes with evening bags in a dark, moody romantic room; its vintage decor peppered with S&M crops and even a swing. She channels a strong woman in her designs, but gives the bondage theme elegant touches like corset details on a glove leather clutch.

Sandra Choi of Jimmy Choo united themes of dance and bondage this season. “Dance didn’t feel like Jimmy Choo yet both require discipline,” she said, offering a pink velvet pump with a leather tie-up strap. Details like studs, zippers and patent might be a large part of the bondage art form, but translating them into something wearable is her job as the designer, she noted: “I don’t want to take the literal form to my customers.”

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Five chic ways to wear a Brooch

A Brooch is one of the oldest accessories used by women on their dress, bags and hair, in order to turn a normal outfit to a marvelous one.

Brooches have always been an essential part of most women’s wardrobe. Besides, it is a jewelry item designed either to be attached to a garment or hold them closed. It is typically made of metal, often silver or gold, but sometimes bronze or some other material.

Most people like to wear brooches as a fashion accessory in order to keep up with the fashion trends or just to make their outfit more appealing.

However, there are chic ways of wearing a brooch without feeling old-fashioned or too dressy.

Follow these tips:

1. Pin the scarf with and connect it in the middle with a brooch. It gives the scarf a different feel.
2. Wear feminine brooches with edgy outfits (jeans, t-shirt leather jacket) to make the look more personal.
3. Wear the colorful brooches with your soft, feminine dresses and blouses to make them stand out and make a statement
4. One most important thing is that never match up the colour of your outfit to the brooch, it makes the outfit look old fashioned
5. Women with thick hair texture can wear a brooch for a diverse look. Which of these tips would you try?

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Anime Becomes Inspiration For High Fashion Accessories!

Recently, Isetan Department Store has announced that they will be selling a new range of limited edition "Sailor Moon" products. These items are produced by a collaboration with fashion brand Samantha Vega, one of the brands owned by Japanese fashion franchise Samantha Thavasa, which is well-known for their cute bags and wallets.

The popular comic and anime series is the current inspiration for bags such as the "Moonstick Leather" bag which comes with a lovely gold moonstick charm. Another bag that the brand will produce is the "Luna Fake Leather" bag which is named after Sailor Moon's black guardian cat named Luna. It is playfully designed to create a cat face silhouette and is decorated with Luna's trademark crescent moon.

Long wallets are also being produced by Samantha Vega. These wallets, named "Sailor Guardians Long Wallet," come in lovely pastel colors and have a sailor suit theme as design. Other accessories include "Sailor Guardians Mini Multicase" and a "Sailor Moon Baby G Watch." Isetan will also collaborate with fashion brand Anna Sui for t-shirts.

MegaHouse just brought the kawaii level of "Sailor Moon" themed items to the highest level with its "1/10 Usagi Tsukino" statue. It stands at approximately 10 inches tall and depicts Usagi in her Juban Jr. High School uniform as well as with her transformation broach.

Sailor Mercury, also known as Ami Mizuno, also has a statuette in her tribute. It also features her in her school uniform along with her gentle smile and calm demeanor. However, unlike Usagi's figure, she only stands at 6 inches in height.

Anime series "Sailor Moon" is based on the Japanese manga of the same name which is written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. Its immense success allowed the story to be developed into 3 feature films, 1 TV special, 3 short films as well as a live-action TV adaptation. Plenty of companies have also developed official merchandise for the series such as trading card games, video games, collections of soundtracks and action figures.

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Making Apple’s Watch Fashionable

For Apple’s Watch to work, the company will need to harness an ecosystem of fashion and accessories designers as well as an ecosystem of app developers.

Apple is clearly making efforts to engage with the fashion world. Immediately following Monday’s special event in San Francisco, the company revealed to BoF that its forthcoming Apple Watch will be sold at custom-designed shop-in-shops at luxury department stores Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette and Isetan, as well as at speciality retailers Dover Street Market (London and Tokyo), Colette (Paris), The Corner (Berlin), 10 Corso Como (Milan) and Maxfield (Los Angeles).

But the design of Apple’s Watch needs work.

Set to ship in April, the device will surely generate significant buzz and good upfront sales. But in order to sell at the volumes required to satisfy investors, the Apple Watch will have to work as a fashion accessory as well as a tech device.

Consumers don’t expect all that much from the aesthetics of their technology devices, allowing a design-focused company like Apple to eclipse competitors with clean and elegant products like the iPhone and iPad. But with the debut of the Apple Watch, a device worn on the body, the company is venturing into the fashion and accessories market. And fashion is very different ballgame.

In fashion, consumers demand a dizzying range of aesthetic options, which they use to send complex signals about their personal style and the social tribes to which they belong. What’s more, they demand these options at a tempo that far exceeds the pace at which consumer electronics companies release new devices.

Apple understands this. Unlike its approach to the monolithic iPhone and iPad, which both come in a very small range of aesthetic options, the company has put aesthetic customisation at the core of Watch, offering consumers a choice of two different screen sizes (38mm and 42mm), sixteen different straps (made from rubber, leather and steel) and six different watch casings: stainless steel, space gray stainless steel, aluminum, space gray aluminum, gold and rose gold. (In advance of the launch, an unofficial website called Mix Your Watch has popped up, allowing people to explore all the possible combinations).

Is this enough? As currently conceived, Apple Watch offers a framework for personal expression that is far more constrictive than what consumers have come to expect in the wider fashion and accessories market.

The iPhone and iPad have been huge success stories, not only because of the superior design of Apple’s hardware, but because the company turned them into platforms, enabling an ecosystem of third-party software developers to generate an explosion of apps that run on the devices and significantly extend and enrich their capabilities, an approach Apple is set to replicate with Watch.

But for Watch to succeed as a stylistic product — as well as a tech device — Apple will need to enlist a similar ecosystem of fashion and accessories designers to develop a much wider range of aesthetic options for the product, turning Apple Watch into a legitimate platform for fashion as well as apps.

For products like the iPhone, third parties have fueled a thriving accessories market comprised of everything from protective cases to health-tracking wristbands to special camera lenses, many of which are sold at Apple Stores. But for the Apple Watch to really work as a stylistic proposition, the company will need to go one step further, giving third-party fashion and accessories designers access to the device’s core components, including the strap and the casing.

Will the company embrace third-party designs of core Apple Watch components with an official ‘Made for Watch’ programme, much like the company’s ‘Made for iPhone’ and ‘Made for iPad’ (MFi) programmes, which certify products that are specifically engineered to be compatible with other Apple devices? Will they be sold in Apple Stores? The success of Apple Watch depends on it.

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Turning a smartphone accessory into a fashion accessory

An Australian company called PlusUs believes that the humble USB charging cable is in dire need of a makeover, especially as it's an accessory most of us are forced to carry around with us everywhere we go.

The logic is simple. A smartphone is as much a lifestyle accessory or a fashion statement as it is a mobile communications device, so why can't its accessories look equally as good? 

Enter LifeStar -- a new take on the charging cable that in terms of look and feel has more in common with a couture bag or hand-made belt.

That's because rather than black or white plastic, these iPhone or Android handset cables are sheathed in leathers or denim  -- there's even a snakeskin patterned model -- and feature double stitching and plaited finishes. But whatever the style, each one is hand-crafted. 

"Cables are an unloved accessory that we have to live with. So we set the challenge to reimagine a cable that we want to live with," said Fays Sekkouah, Co-Founder of PlusUs.

Announced on Wednesday, the initial fall collection of seven different styles will go on sale on September 15.

The cables are available as 1 meter or 25cm cables and prices will start at $19.90.

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ASOS Launches First Erotic Accessories Range

We imagine this is something you were NOT expecting to read today, but you heard it here first folks - ASOS are launching an erotic accessories range.

Gigi Noir is bringing its "playfulness" to our favourite shopping website, so if you're in the mood for a kinky collar, a bedazzled tassel or a sultry blindfold, you're in luck! Plus, everything features sparkly sequins, soft leather and a smattering of Swarovski crystal.

Honestly. You couldn't make it up.

Just recently it was revealed that Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James is teaming up with adult lifestyle website Love Honey to stock her own collection of toys, bed restraints, handcuffs, spanking paddles, that sort of thing... And now ASOS is going all Fifty Shades on us, too!

Oh my!

For those of you who don't know, Gigi Noir is the diffusion brand for designers Holloway Smith Noir, whose pro pleasure ethos and luxury designs have led them to becoming known as the 'Mistresses of Teasewear'. And sisters Sophie and Alice Holloway are passionate about creating both high-end accessories to enjoy better sex, but y'know with a bit of style.

"The luxury erotic industry is geared towards an older more mature audience who are at a different stage in their economic lifetime. We believe young adults, also deserve access to high quality teasewear and this belief has lead to our collaboration with ASOS."

It's a completely new category for ASOS - and the e-tailer was won over by the passion for sending such a compelling positive message about sex - as this month sees the launch of Gigi Noir's social sexual responsibility campaign 'Ladies Come First'. Aiming to help young women and men explore sexual issues such as consent, pleasure, confidence and communication.

Ladies, you're making us blush. Is this the start of things to come with ASOS? Will we be adding handcuffs and nipple clamps along with our pretty girly dresses? 

The collection will be available at ASOS  at the end of August, and shipped globally. Prices range from £33-£57.

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Stella & Dot Expands Into Family of Brands

Social-selling fashion accessories brand Stella & Dot is evolving into a family of brands that will include a line of charm bracelets and skin care. Launched by chief executive officer Jessica Herrin in 2007, the company targets a female demographic and currently includes 34,000 active "stylists" in six different countries, who earn commissions by hosting product parties in their homes and selling to their social networks. "Our real reason for being is as a people company. Our stores are every living room and kitchen," said Herrin from Los Angeles.

Set to launch in fall 2014, KEEP Collective focuses on leather wrap bracelets that are customization through a selection of over 300 charms. “KEEP was inspired by combining our love of jewelry with our love of living happy. [The charms] are designed to be a daily talisman of what makes you unique,” Herrin remarked on the brand, which will sell at a lower price than the accessories currently sold under Stella & Dot. The Sequoia Capital-backed company is also expanding out of the accessories realm and into beauty with the launch of EVER, a line of skin care. Pre-launch, Stella & Dot has already begun soliciting interested sales representatives and customers for both new brands through keep-collective.com and myeverskincare.com.

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Olivia Palermo Designs Shoes Now, Too

Just a month after announcing her first foray into fashion design—a sunglasses collab with Westward Leaning —Olivia Palermo is at it again, this time creating a shoe capsule for Italian brand Aquazzura.

The six-piece collection will hit 12 brick-and-mortar retailers as well as Net-A-Porter.com in September, and feature over-the-knee boots, crystal-embellished sandals, and snakeskin flats. (You know, the kind of stuff Olivia might wear to the couture shows, or just to walk her dog.) Palermo told British Vogue that those sorts of styles represent a "survival pack" of footwear, while the prices, ranging from $600 to $1,625, "are meant to be relatively reasonable," according to WWD.

Must be nice to live by Olivia Palermo's mindset?

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Fashion items of Kim Soo-hyun, Jun Ji-hyun auctioned off

Two cherished fashion items donated by Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, co-stars of the mega-hit TV series “My Love from the Star,” have been sold in an auction, the event’s organizers said Wednesday.

The auction was held on Sunday at Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where a special exhibition on the drama is under way. Some 200 overseas fans of the drama and journalists from Chinese news media attended the auction, they said.

Kim’s knit and Jun’s handbag were sold for 2.4 million won ($2,346) and 680,000 won each during the event, according to its host SBS, a major TV network in South Korea that aired the series.

The knit went to a Chinese woman who identified herself as a devoted fan of Kim, while a South Korean man bought Jun’s handbag.

“I thank the drama for giving hope and a feeling of warmth to me and hope Korean dramas would help develop friendly ties between South Korea and China,” the Chinese woman said, without giving her name.

The proceeds from the auction will be donated to a local charity, the broadcaster said.

Also hosted by SBS, the special exhibition is scheduled to last until Aug. 15.

The hit 2013-14 soap series about an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago and falls in love with a top actress in modern-day Korea enjoyed an audience rating of some 30 percent in South Korea. 

It later became a runaway hit in China, making its stars Kim and Jun household names among young Chinese viewers and reigniting the Korean pop culture boom known as “hallyu” in the world’s most populous country.

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Enter the Whimsical Studio of NYC Jewelry Design Duo Peppercotton

Let's have a visit on designers Patrick Culpepper and Aurelia Cotton Brooklyn studio. As expected, the duo’s space didn't disappoint,  proving to be just as sparkly, colorful and playful as Peppercotton’s trademark designs.

Characterized by glittering crystals that are encased in mesh tubes, Peppercotton’s aesthetic is refreshingly unique.

Like living mood boards, the studio’s white walls act as blank canvases to be decorated with whatever imagery is inspiring the designers at the moment. Vintage magazine clippings and children’s toys are choice points of interest.

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Gabee accessories Adds anti-RFID wallets to its range

Gabee, an accessories business that specializes in leather goods, released its latest range of safety leather wallets and purses earlier this year.

The wallets and purses have protective shielding foil that stops fraudsters from scanning the radio-frequency identification chips (RFID) on credit cards and passports.

The RFID chips can be read from a distance and criminal gangs use handheld scanners, often at airports and busy streets, to steal information.

Design and creative director Monique Arnheim said the company was one of a few selling these products in Australia and that many of their customers who traveled for business had welcomed the innovation. 

The company, in its 65th year, was started by German-born Heinz Arnheim who named the business after his wife Gabriella.

The company has been directed for the past 30 years by son Frank who has continued his father’s tradition of brining European-style accessories to the Australian market.

Now the founder’s grandchildren, Mark and Monique, are helping the business thrive into the future.

Ms Arnheim, a trained architect, came on board the family business four years ago.

She said it was a challenge to come up with new designs that would suit current trends but that the company’s customer base was loyal.

“We have customers who have been buying from us for generations,” Ms Arheim said.

Monash Crime Investigation Unit boss Mark Delahunty said the unit had not yet encountered any cases of identity theft from criminals accessing information from RFID chip od credit cards or passports.

However Detective Senior Sergeant Delahunty said that fraud with “Paywave” technology was happening across Melbourne.

Paywave enables users to simply wave their card along a card reader for transactions under $100.

He said while the technology was convenient for the owner of the card, criminals could easily get away with multiple, easy transactions with stolen credit cards.

Gabee has an outlet that is open to the public at 228 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill.

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Taxidermist Creates Macabre Fashion Accessories Using Dead Animals

A London based taxidermist has given a new meaning to the phrase drop dead gorgeous with her range of animal corpse fascinators. The one of a kind accessories are designed by Margot Magpie and are created using stuffed, dead animals such as mice and birds. The 31-year-old from Battersea took up the hobby three years ago, creating pieces for herself and friends but has since seen the business gain popularity and now sells the accessories for around £60 a piece.

Far from being run of the mill, most pieces are specially commissioned by Margot's clients guaranteeing that they will not suffer the embarrassment of matching outfits at a wedding. Despite the unusual method that goes into the making of the pieces Margot says that it is the unique materials that attracts her clientele, 'They ask me to make something for a wedding or events, or just for fun as I am very creative and I tend to use different techniques and materials' says Margot who adds that, for her, taxidermy was an obvious fashion choice. She says that birds in particular capture her imagination when creating the unique head pieces.

'Taxidermy just made sense to me as something you might wear on your head or just on your person. 'I love birds and wanted to incorporate unused bits of the ones I found dead on the ground as roadkill. 'I thought that as a fashion statement it was unique as each bird wing is shaped differently depending on the bird type, and I love the asymmetry and pointy yet smooth edges the feathers create. 'I think birds are just stunning, especially when you are close enough to see the fine detail and color. Many people think a crow wing is just black, but there is so much more spectrum to the color and all birds have this.'

Margot says that she never has trouble selling any of her macabre pieces and has gone from selling exclusively online to working with individual commissions. 'Usually if I make a batch and put them online, they sell very very fast. However I have recently starting just taking commissions. 'It is more personalized and I think people enjoy experiencing the creative process with me like choosing colors, fabric, and sourcing particular birds.'

Since starting her businesses, the quirky designer has seen the interest in taxidermy grow and has started teaching a range of taxidermy classes across London. In the sessions Margot teaches her students how to gut, clean, stuff and pose mice, birds and small mammals in a variety of positions.

Margot's classes have proved extremely popular and she has since extended her tutoring to private classes where clients can specialize in guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters as well as the usual birds. Margot says that despite the popularity of her work she does receive some abuse for her controversial fashion statements.

'Sometimes I do get negative reactions, I get people telling me they think it is absolutely appalling, cruel or disrespectful. 'But I don't kill anything purposefully for taxidermy, so I don't have any issues with it. 'There will always be people who think it is distasteful or who are against it - but each to their own.'

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How to Pull off Boho Chic On and Off the Festival Grounds

It used to be that what’s known as “Festival Style” was really only worn by those who were actually attending music festivals, but the ubiquitousness of music festivals in all parts of the world has turned this into a seasonal mainstay and it’s never been more prevalent than this year.

Now, whether you’re planning on attending a festival or not (Folk Fest, perhaps), it is appropriate to wear “Boho chic” out and about and to the office.

The same things that festival-goers are sporting have elements that are completely appropriate outside the festival venue.

To figure out how we could tweak our existing wardrobe and add to it, we headed to Chinook Centre, and got in touch with some of our favorite stores that have an easygoing style, and asked them to help us with out festival outfits.

• Find multi-function pieces

Our first stop was Get Plenty, a Vancouver-based chain that has easy-to-wear styles that work well when you’re going from office to musical performance.

Store manager, Sable Lanier, advised us to keep it simple, “especially if the outfit includes prints and patterns ... I would say that no girl should go without a flowing maxi dress this summer — go bold with a fun summer print all over, or be versatile with a solid color that you can style multiple ways throughout the seasons. Not a dress person? Opt for a pair of high-waist shorts for a different type of easygoing, relaxed look.”

The nice thing about maxi dresses and high-waisted shorts is that they've been around for a few seasons, and so it’s likely you may have them in your closet. Maxi dresses can work for even formal occasions with the addition of a short jacket, or a denim jacket if your event allows. Paired with different shoes (like a gladiator sandal or boots) and a hat, you’re ready to hit any festival in the city.

Layering is really your best friend this summer, Lanier adds. “I find that for festival outfits people tend to take one layer of clothing off, but for regular, everyday looks you should be adding a layer back on or swap out one of the pieces for something that covers a little more.”

• Combine new trends with closet staples

Kristi Hill, fashion director of Free People, pointed out that rompers and overalls are huge this year, and can be paired with boots which may already be in your closet (perhaps left over from an event just a week ago?).

Accessories can definitely help pull the whole look together and can add an element of festival style to any outfit. Body chains are in fashion, but if you’re not comfortable with wearing one during the day, any delicate jewelry can add something special to your look. Hill emphasizes that “the key is picking one or two key pieces that feel true to your personal style and styling them with items that exude a sense of ease.”

Lanier from Get Plenty adds, “I always think that you should wear accessories in two of three places — wrist, neck and/or ears. If you’re wearing jewelry in all three areas it can get overwhelming. My only exception to the rule is simple, small stud earrings in some sort of metallic tone or a diamond — then you can still get a little creative with necklaces and bracelets. If you want to wear longer earrings, then nix the necklace and just go for some bracelets. If you’re going for a simpler outfit, then go bolder with your accessories!”

• Accessorize thoughtfully

And don’t forget your head when you think about accessorizing for the festival season.

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Chupa Chups Partners with H&M for New Fashion Range

Fashion retailer H&M has teamed with Chupa Chups to launch a range of apparel and fashion accessories based on the firm’s popular lollipops.

The new fashion collection featuring Chupa Chups’ iconic designs will hit the shelves of H&M stores across the globe at the end of the year.

“H&M and Chupa Chups are both truly international brands,” said Christine Cool, senior brand manager at Chupa Chups.

“We feel that they are a great match together to develop an original fashion style that will no doubt appeal to all sweet and fashion lovers.”

Owned by confectionery specialist Perfetti Van Melle, Chupa Chups is currently distributed to over 150 countries worldwide.

With brands such as Mentos, Airheads, Fruittella and Smint in its repertoire, Perfetti Van Melle is currently the third largest confectionery group in the world.

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Pbteen Introduces New Collection With Designers And Fashion Stylists Emily Current And Meritt Elliott

PBteen , a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands, today announced the launch of its second collection designed in collaboration with designers and fashion stylists Emily Current and Meritt Elliott. This exclusive collection of home furnishings and accessories is available now at PBteen.com and PBteen stores.

As the next chapter in the Emily & Meritt for PBteen story, the latest collection blends feminine and whimsical details with a touch of rock and roll. Drawing inspiration from trends in fashion, music and interiors, the collection reflects Emily & Meritt’s classic Americana design sensibility through vintage-inspired, yet modern, home furnishings and accessories. Gold is infused throughout the collection, adding shimmer and shine to bedding and accessories. Playful elements like cats, bunnies and unicorns create a sense of magic while the juxtaposition of sparkly and tough details lends just the right amount of edginess. The collection includes nearly 40 products across key categories such as furniture, bedding, lighting, wall décor, decorative accessories and jewelry storage.

“Our customers loved the first collection from Emily & Meritt,” said Sandra Stangl, President, Pottery Barn Brands. “We had fun collaborating with them to evolve the aesthetic and build on the success of their first foray into home furnishings. The new collection perfectly balances sophistication and whimsy with just the right amount of edginess. It’s designed to grow with our teen customers as they mature and express their style.”

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with PBteen again,” said stylists and designers, Emily Current and Meritt Elliott. "For this second collection we took our girl on a journey that felt even dreamier and playfully imaginative. Her world is the perfect mix of high and low, girlish and tomboy. It was fun to meld our traditional Americana aesthetic with overtly frilly textiles and whimsical gold details. We couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Product highlights include the Ticking Stripe Chaise, a nod to the Denim Chaise from the first collection. The Parisian Headboard is casual yet elegant, unexpectedly pairing denim with an ornately detailed wood frame. Gold is an important theme in the collection, reflected in bedding like the Scattered Star Sheeting and Liquid Gold Star Pillow as well as decorative accessories like the Gold Cat Canister and Bunny Ears Hand. The Emily & Meritt for PBteen collection ranges from $19 to $999 and can be found today at PBteen.com/Emily&Meritt .

To celebrate the launch, customers are invited to participate in the #DressYourDesk contest . From July 15 to August 18, customers can share a photo of their best desk vignette on Instagram for a chance to win a $1,000 PBteen gift card. The winner will be selected by Emily & Meritt and announced in late August.

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Hats, Hooves and hot from the race track

As horses raise dust, invitees at derbies raise the heat with chic and classy outfits. Remember the Pretty Woman moment when Vivian transforms into an elegant lady of social pedigree at the Polo match? Dressed in a lovely polka dot dress, Vivian (played by Julia Roberts), is the cynosure of all eyes. A satin-trimmed hat, gloves, and a beige tote are her only accessories. Setting the bar high with a memorable look, the pretty woman’s elegant styling brings just the right kind of sass to an outdoor sporting event.

The Kingfisher Derby is around the corner in Bangalore and over the years the event has become many a fashionista’s day out in the sun. “Bangalore’s expat population and increasingly cosmopolitan crowd has raised the city’s style quotient and every year there is more of an effort to dress up for the derby,” says fashion choreographer, Sheetal Sharma, a regular at the event. Derby dressing is not hard to pull-off, but here are a few essentials that you need to keep in mind before going to the races.

• KISS: Keep it simple, silly! The derby is not the place to show-off fashion’s latest trends. Yes, you can flaunt your Chanel or Prada handbag, but keep it classy. Simple, hence elegant, is the key to dressing right here. Avoid form-fitting dresses, pencil heels and over the top accessories. Classic silhouettes in solid colours or bright prints look great in the day. “You can’t go wrong with a typical knee-length dress, matching heels and a clutch,” says fashion designer Manoviraj Khosla. “Keep the accessories to a minimal and don’t go overboard with your make-up either. Keep it light and not dry. If it’s going to be a hot day, you don’t want to be sweating make-up on to your clothes,” warns Sheetal. And don’t forget your sunglasses at home. You don’t want to be caught at the derby without a major fashion accessory that is also very useful.
• How do I do hats?: A big flouncy hat that adds a touch of class to your appearance is quintessential derby. “Derbies are a milliner’s dream come true,” says fashion designer, Jattinn Kochhar. But is the accessory everyone’s cup of tea? A hat can sometimes end up making you look ridiculous if it’s not the right type or doesn’t compliment your look. “Hats are tricky and don’t suit every personality,” says Sheetal. Extravagant hats with exotic feathers may not be ideal for derbies in India. Instead, opt for chic, smaller hats or fascinators. A fascinator is a headpiece that is unobtrusive and looks elegant at the same time. Take a cue from the Duchess of Cambridge on how to sport fascinators oh so stylishly.
• Maharani for a day: There is place for Indian wear at the derby too. Channel your inner Maharani and look sensual in chiffon saris. “Women in chiffon saris worn with pearls or diamond studs look extremely chic and classy,” says Jattinn. Pastel shades and non-busy prints are great choices. “Men could also try an Indian ensemble,” says Manoviraj. “But, most turf clubs insist on a jacket and tie, so it’s not always feasible,” he adds.
• Men on the turf:  As hard as women try to steal the spotlight at this event, it is not hard for a well-dressed man to get noticed. Suave and stylish is the look to go for with light-coloured suits. “Pastel linen jacket or suit with a hat and matching formal shoes is an ideal outfit for the day,” says Manoviraj Khosla. “Summer suit styles (such as the classic seersucker) or the stroller (the daytime equivalent of the dinner jacket) are great options too. One can even look at sporting an outfit from essentials that most men already have in their wardrobe: the sports coat and odd trousers combination,” adds Jattinn. Unlike for women, the hat is an accessory that men can sport fearlessly. It immediately elevates a look and can be complimented by a smart pair of sunglasses.
• Go the Duchess way: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is always a picture of perfection. The Duchess favours a minimal style of dressing and sports a soft-corner for fascinators. Take a style cue from the Duchess for the upcoming Derby.

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Rent the Runway Launches Netflix for Accessories

If you've been missing Netflix's almost-defunct DVD service, with its queues and regular snail mail deliveries, have no fear: Rent the Runway has launched a new, fashion-centric version of it.

For a monthly fee of $75, subscribers can choose three designer items to rent and return at their leisure, while also queuing items they've been lusting after. Once you're tired of wearing those Balenciaga sunglasses and that Clare Vivier clutch, you can send them back and RtR will send you two more items from your queue.

It's a big move for Rent the Runway, which has raised $54.4M in venture funding since launching in 2009. For one, it's now a resource for ladies in their day-to-day lives as opposed to just special occasions. It also marks a major expansion in brands and products -- according to Fortune, they've added 75 new designers just for this service, which only provides things like jewelry, handbags and outerwear -- basically everything but dresses.

It's not an entirely new idea, though: Bag Borrow or Steal has been renting out designer bags on a month-to-month basis for a decade now. Though, Rent the Runway Unlimited, as it's dubbed, could become a viable competitor, as it offers more than just handbags and is cheaper than most of Bag Borrow or Steal's rentals. 

Plus, it fulfills our fast fashion needs without us having to buy poor quality items from fast fashion stores. The key will be offering the expensive "It" bags we all want but can't justify buying with the knowledge that they'll soon go out of style. At the moment, it doesn't have as many hot-ticket items as BBS -- the brands on offer include Clare Vivier, Elizabeth & James, Pamela Love, Eddie Borgo, Moschino and Balenciaga -- but we imagine the product assortment will only get better.

You can subscribe to Unlimited, which is now in beta, here.

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Cork is Enjoying a Fashion Moment in Handbags and Shoes

Cork. It's not just for wine stoppers and bulletin boards anymore. Embraced by some progressive furniture makers decades ago and a staple in housewares, cork has found a larger place among shoes, handbags, jewelry and other fashion accessories.

Designer Elaine Turner is a proponent of cork, which is renewable, feather light and water-resistant. So is Ingrid Heinkel, who imports cork accessories ranging from men's wallets to a woman's backpack in a tiger stripe design.

Cork is popping up in umbrellas, simple apparel items like shawls, watchbands, bracelets, necklaces, hats, belts, golf bags and shoes, shoes, shoes — moccasins, flip-flops and Superga sneakers with neon flecks to Jimmy Choo wedges and Badgley Mischka stilettos.

And we're not just talking soles and shock absorbent footbeds. We're talking uppers in double straps and gold tips from Turner and vibrant colour combinations in slides, though cork is often left in its raw, recognizable state.

"I think we're in a very natural vibe right now, and a very green vibe. Cork works with that. It's just something unique. This season it has really hit its high point," said Alison Minton, who blogs about accessories at Accessorygeneration.

While Minton sees cork as a seasonal item for spring and summer, Heinkel went so far as to declare: "Cork is the new leather." Farfetched? In a recent interview, she called cork in accessories an emerging market.

"I think that it's on its way to becoming something permanent in the marketplace," Heinkel said from Amelia Island, Florida. "I used to live in Spain, and I found the handbags on a weekend in Portugal, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I used to go to the trade shows and I would have to kind of bang the drums to get people's attention and explain, but now it has its own momentum."

Spas and the shops of wineries and museums are big customers for Heinkel, but her most popular item online at Shopcorkdesign is a hobo handbag in a natural blond grain.

Turner, fond of natural materials that also include raffia, started using cork about seven years ago to further her tropical vacation esthetic.

"We started making bags and shoes out of it and it instantly was popular. It's probably our No. 1 material for spring every year," she said. "It's a neutral and very versatile."

Turner uses a manufacturer in Spain, a part of the Mediterranean where most of the cork supply comes from.

"It's very malleable so it translates easily on handbags and shoes. And it's highly durable. There are no issues with fraying or pulling apart like the raffia. People love it for travel," Turner said. "It's also cost-effective."

Daniella Ohad, a home design historian, estimated that 60 per cent of all cork production is for the wine industry, though the World Wildlife Fund has warned that plastic alternatives to cork wine stoppers may threaten cork oak forests of Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia and France.

Cork is the thick outer bark of mature trees and fully regenerates over cycles of about 10 years, until quality falls off after seven cycles or so. Cork extraction is one of the most environmentally friendly harvesting methods, and cork production provides a sustainable livelihood for people in many parts of the world, according to the WWF. Portugal is the biggest producer and the primary source of diversification of cork into accessories.

While cork may be having a fashion moment, it has lost momentum elsewhere.

Ohad, who teaches at the New York School of Interior Design, said cork remains on the outskirts of forward-looking furniture after it appeared to be resurfacing a few years ago.

"You really don't see cork being utilized in very sophisticated design in furniture," she said.

"In the '20s and '30s, architects discovered cork and it was the perfect material for modernism because it was clean and it was very different. It had a very special surface to it and texture to it," Ohad added, noting another spurt as a material in 1950s home design.

Some have likened the feel of cork to suede in fashion accessories. Patterns can be built using dark and light shades. In shoes, Minton said, the cork moment began in the wedge part of wedges, but now designers "have decided to go full-on cork."

"It's not heavy on the foot. It's great for the beach. It looks good if you're walking in the city," she said. And it transitions well, when dolled up with metal fittings and other touches, from day to evening.

The Houston-based Turner, who just opened her seventh store and the first in New York about six months ago, is considering expanding her cork offerings into jewelry.

"Cork is really cross-generational," she said. "It's all about how you interpret it. It's a revenue builder for me."

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