Brian Atwood to Launch B Brian Atwood Line

Brian Atwood and Jones Apparel Group announced today a new footwear and accessory line called B Brian Atwood.   According to Atwood, the new accessories collection will be inspired by the “East Village girls who have great style”.

The collection will feature shoes priced between $200 and $500 with an initial launch  planned to commence in fall 2011.  While that’s less expensive than the main line, this isn’t exactly affordable to the masses as B Brian Atwood is not a diffusion line but a compliment to the main line.

Tell me, are you excited about B Brian Atwood?  I’m going to reserve judgment until I see the styles and quality of the shoes.

Alaia Lasercut Haircalf Suede Booties

Alaia cutout calf hair platform pumps $2375 via Net-a-porter.

These layered, laser-cut overlay booties almost make me wish I could get married all over again just to have an excuse to own them.  They visually scream,  “Unforgettable fall wedding.”  Lucky, indeed, is the gal who scores these  beautiful ankle boots to wear under her wedding gown.

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Bottega Veneta Fall 2010 Wedge Ankle Boots

Looking at these wedges from Bottega Veneta, I feel like they are taking a page from the types of styles normally seen coming from Marc Jacobs or John Fluevog*.  These could easily have looked awkward and unbalanced, but the smoothed-out edges and swept-forward angles allow these to be that rare, successful, blend of a chunky and solid heel – while still being wholly feminine overall.  While nobody is likely to describe these as ‘delicate’,  they do quite nicely manage to be both elegant and modern.

Bottega Veneta suede wedge ankle boots $870 via Saks.com

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An Ethics Question

The other day I went shopping with R5Friend and R5Daughter.  We were all goofing around, doing some window shopping and some serious shopping.  R5Friend spent about an hour and half trying on shoes, only to tell the salesclerk, “Thanks, but no thanks.”  She told us, as we were walking out of the store,  that she was going to go to Amazon and save about $20 per pair.

R5Daughter didn’t say anything at the time, but when we were alone, she went ballistic.  Daughter felt the time my friend took trying on shoes, then not purchasing anything was the equivalent of stealing $50 from the salesclerk’s purse.  She thought the hour and half spent on my friend could have been spent helping someone who WOULD purchase something or finishing other necessary tasks.

My friend, a teacher has never worked a commission job, regards shopping as a thing to do when she wants to waste time.  My daughter on the other hand,  HAS worked commission sales and sees what we – as business owner s- do for our customers and how we regard customers who ask for a special item then ultimately go somewhere else because the price is $2 cheaper on a $25 purchase.   Don’t get me started on comparison shoppers who don’t compare the weight or size of the item, because that sends me off on my own tirade.

So the question I pose is: Is it right to try on shoes in a full service store such as Saks or Nordstroms, then order online because it is cheaper?  The second question I pose is:  How much cheaper does it have to be for you to go elsewhere, and do you include shipping costs when you start comparing?

Now, this is not an anti-online post.  Both Galligator and I are regular online shoppers.  That is not the issue.

I would like to know what you all think.  Was my friend in the right or in the wrong?

Happy Birthday Tom Ford!

Tom Ford will be celebrating his 49th  birthday today.  He was born August 27, 1961  in Austin, Texas.   His family moved quite a bit,  then when he was a young teenager they settled in Santa Fe, where his grandmother had a ranch.  (I am mildly curious where the ranch is because my parents also have a ranch in that area.)    He left Santa Fe after high school to graduate in architecture at Parsons.  One of his early jobs was a  press office  intern for Chloe, which cultivated an interest in fashion design.   He knew that if he was going to be a good designer, he needed to go to leave America and to to Europe. 

There is a story about him calling Cathy Hardwick every day for a month in hopes of landing a job. Eventually, she agreed to see him. Hardwick later recalled, “I had every intention of giving him no hope. I asked him who his favorite European designers were. He said, ‘Armani and Chanel.’ Months later I asked him why he said that, and he said, ‘Because you were wearing something Armani’. Is it any wonder he got the job?” Tom worked as a design assistant for Hardwick for two years. (more…)