Thursday, May 14, 2009

Fullum and Holt Bags Launch, plus Mandee To The Rescue Again: BAGTRENDS

Dear Bagistas,

Last Tuesday, after having lunch with a new PR friend Ali, I heading up to Ali's office to check out her new handbag client Fullum and Holt. The company is actually a 111-year-old Montreal-based leather goods brand that has crafted products for everyone from the Canadian Armed Forces to John Varvatos and Alexander Wang. Finally out on their own, I found the Fullum and Holt collection to be restrained simplicity. There's no trend-chasing here, no over-the-top it bag and no bold colors. What there is, is great leather shaped into easy-to-wear styles that one won't easily get board of. My personal favorite is the Fullum Shoulder Bag. That's me in the fashion closet at BNC PR with the bag and a painting of Dita von Tess as the backdrop. Before departing, Ali gifted me a pair of dark, super soft, skinny Hudson jeans with inner zippers on the bottom because I mentioned during lunch that I don't wear jeans. How sweat is that? PS I now wear these jeans and feel very cool and fabulous! I may just be a closet jean lover (shhh don't tell all my dresses!) Snag your own pair at shopbop.com.

After that, I was off to Parsons to board a luxury limo bus to New Jersey to preview the new Mandee concept store. Note to self: Never go on these types of trips again. Between leaving my previous appointment and finally getting home, this press trip took nearly 5hrs! I loved the pr girls that hosting this event - kudos to the Bromley Group - they did a nice job of packing the cutest lunch bag goodies, gifting everyone a $100 to shop and pouring wine in the limo. But, the traffic was dreadful and there were too many delays which mildly dampened my mood. Forging ahead, once at Mandee I liked the fashion show vibe shoppers will experience, as well as the interpretation of key trends at very affordable prices. My one question: who are they appealing to? I see the Mandee girl as a young 12-18-year-old, but many of the looks were just too sexy for that age group. Call me a prude, but I wouldn't want to see my young daughters (some day) in such looks. Maybe the new Mandee is chasing after an older demographic of say 16-24. In which case there are certainly thrifty pieces to enjoy. For my $100 I was able to buy 2 dresses, a tank top and some bangles. Mandee might not be the place to go for high-brow looks, but if you want to play around with trends and purchase something you don't necessarily care to wear next season (because it's uber trendy and may not last too many wears), it's a good stop. I would go hear for your must-have light-weight scarves, your costume jewelry (which was VERY recession friendly) and silly/naughty undies. You can also grab one fun maxi dress for $30. In the bag department, I was happy to see a few goodies that I'll probably be using for future look for less TV segments - keep an eye out for those!
If you happen to be in Clifton, New Jersey tomorrow, One Tree Hill star and pop singer Kate Voegele will be performing at Mandee. This will kick off her New Jersey concert.
When: May 15th (tomorrow) 5:30 Performance
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