Lilac and Lace

The thing about most new designers is that they tend to emulate existing styles rather than crafting their own identities.  Such is the case with Milly, a New York designer/label launched in 2000.  She has some good ideas, but I don’t really see any originality.  All her clothes seem to scream "ANNA SUI" or "MARNI" and even occasionally "EARLY 2000’s PRADA" rather than, well, "Milly." 

Nonetheless, this top is cute, the color (lilac) is fairly unique, and…well…not every designer can say that she’s had the president of Hermes personally request that she go work for them in Paris ("gasp").   All in all, she has potential.

Marni Look for Less

If you love the Marni Balloon Bag (right) but need to save the $1,620 for rent, try the Black & White Patent Leather Handbag (left) from Intuition for $95.

Marni Red Patent Balloon Handbag

One of my favorite movies growing up was The Red Balloon, a 1956 French film about a boy and a red balloon that follows him around Paris. It was such a charming little movie and I instantly fell in love with Paris. Maybe that’s why I fancy Marni’s Red Patent Balloon Handbag so much. It takes the simple charm of a red balloon, adds the allure of shiny patent leather, and adds a dose of Marni’s signature quirky Italian cool. For those that don’t fancy red, it’s also available in white, black, and yellow, all of which are equally charming and adorable.

Chloe Striped Sweater and Lampshade Skirt

I must say that I’m excited! The new designer at Chloe is Paulo Melim Andersson from Sweden, taking the brand over from Britain’s queen of cool Phoebe Philo (and before her, another equally amazing Brit queen of cool, Stella McCartney). At first I was worried that the brand might lose its signature youthful charm, the certain je ne sais quoi that made this the go-to brand for DPTs (dirty pretty things). Andersson used to work at Marni, which is a bit like the Italian equivalent of youthfully irreverent cool. Available to pre-order through Saks Fifth Avenue is Chloe’s Fall collection, including this Striped Sweater and Lampshade Skirt ($1070 and $1000), which exemplifies some amazing detailing. On the sweater, the stripes are knit together, not dyed, which gives you a much finer looking end result. The taffeta skirt comes with a full silk lining, which is a wonderfully luxe detail. Order now before they become collectibles!

Holt Renfrew Vancouver Grand Opening

Attention fashion-obsessed Canadians! Holt Renfrew, Canada’s answer to Neiman Marcus, has finally finished expanding their Vancouver location! The old one, which has been second in sales only to the Toronto Bloor store, was just not big enough to hold all the designers that Vancouverites and the city’s many visitors adore. The new 135,000 sq ft store has new designer boutiques for Akris, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Marni, Michael Kors and Prada, in addition to a ton of brands making their premiere the area. Make the trek across the border and get shopping!