The fashion powers-that-be have come up with the six absolute essential items to "make" your fall wardrobe a sucess! First on the list is:

Designers from Louis Vuitton to Juicy Couture are turning out covetable carryalls each season, but now fashion is about being creative and not toting the same bag as all the "it" girls. Look for crafty bags and expect to find everything from clutches to slouchy totes in every price point. The one classic we see every season is the Chanel-inspired chain strap bag, always a class act.

Platforms are still in vogue, especially the 1940's inspired style. In particular look for dressy details, such as patent leather and t-straps. And if you are new to wearing the higher heels, practice, practice, practice first.

The Feline Citizens have been saying of late that fall is certainly in the air.  And well you might ask, how the heck do they know?!  We have been pondering that very thought and have a few suggestions.

You know fall is just around the corner when:

• You start sorting and organizing your sweaters in 80 degree weather.
• You try to remember who borrowed the leaf blower.
• You find yourself doing "back to school" shopping even though you have no kids.
• Hot apple cider (or buttered rum depending on your taste...) sounds wonderful.
• The cats start sleeping next to you again.

No matter what puts you in the mood for cooler weather and warmer clothes, come and see us for the best cashmeres, alpacas, and wooly stuff.

TTFN

As those of us who follow fashion know, St. John Knits has had a turbulent time the past two years. Their attempt to appeal to a broader, and younger, customer has failed miserably. The new ad campaign featuring Angelina Jolie has not been received well. And the traditional St. John lady is not standing for it, they are not buying into the new image. In fact, they are not buying anything St. John at all! The slimmer cuts and non-knit styles have not gone over with them and they are staying away in droves. Long time customers have been very vocal in their displeasure with the changes in everything from buttons to color choices.

With the departure of Richard Cohen, who launched most of the changes, and Tim Gardner, their designer he hired, St. John is trying to right a sinking ship. Marie Gray has returned to the company's design studio as a consultant to bring back the values St. John has been known for, and the direction of the company in changing. And that includes fit. The change in sizing was too far for most loyal buyers and did not fit the needs of her lifestyle. In coming collections, silhouettes will again be roomier. Now the "new" looks will represent only a small share of the line, while the classic santana knit look will make up the majority.

St. John has stopped doing Fashion Week runway shows, and the Jolie ads will be curtailed. The company gambled on the loyalty of it's long time customers, and lost.

The Feline Citizens are heartened. They too prefer the classic styles and fit of the traditional St. John garments.

The warm weather has proven fascinating for the kittens, Xavy and Jassi, who are one year old now. They do not remember summer and the outside smells and noises are of great interest to them. Mum Little Bit is dilligently teaching them the ins and outs (like how the fan is not a scary thing but a thing to keep you cool...). The Beez however prefers invoking his senior privilage of having the best spot in the sunshine for napping.

All this brings to mind a few thing to think about when considering summer clothes. First and foremost is that no matter what designers tell you, swimsuits are NOT made true to size, they always run at least three sizes smaller than you normally wear. This fact makes the buying of them a little less frustrating... And never, never, never, leave the house without looking at yourself from behind. Denial will not change the fact that people see you coming and going. Sad but true.

Do pamper yourself by doing a pedicure and painting your toenails. Little Bit is convinced if you want to make things happens you should paint your toenails. Preferably candy apple red (Chanel makes a doozy called "Ruby Slippers").

And one final note, no matter how much you weigh, or how you feel about yourself, or anything, shoes will always fit.

Ta

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Featuring the first-ever Seattle appearance of Théâtre de la Mode Saturday, March 4, 2006 through Sunday, July 16, 2006

About Fashion at MOHAI
MOHAI is proud to present Fashion at MOHAI, a new exhibit featuring the first-ever Seattle appearance of Théâtre de la Mode, a world renowned collection of French fashion mannequins and stage sets, conceived in 1945 by leading fashion designers and artists to hail the rebirth of the fashion industry at the close of the World War II. Fashion at MOHAI will also feature more than 70 dolls created by late local artist Ada Odenrider, as well as a small assortment of couture garments from MOHAI’s collection. Fashion at MOHAI premieres Saturday, March 4, 2006 and is open through Sunday, July 16, 2006.
The centerpiece of Fashion at MOHAI is Théâtre de la Mode, a unique display that takes you to Paris in the 1940s, where you feel the emotions and realities of the war. Couturiers, set designers, milliners, shoe and glove makers, jewelry designers and other artisans joined together to create a show of their fashions in miniature. Nina Ricci’s son Robert first conceived the idea as a way to showcase the Paris fashion industry while raising money for war victims.
The intricate 27” tall dolls and their lush sets toured major cities of Europe and the United States, beginning in Paris and ending in 1946 in San Francisco. There, after the exhibit closed, jewels worn by the dolls were sent back to France, the sets were presumably destroyed, and the dolls disappeared into storage in the basement of the City of Paris Department Store. Rescued in 1952, the dolls were donated to the then-new Maryhill Museum of Art near Goldendale, in Washington’s Columbia Gorge.
In the 1980s, the late Professor Stanley Garfinkel of Ohio’s Kent State University rediscovered the dolls and the Maryhill Museum sent them to Paris for restoration. The sets were then rebuilt and the Théâtre de la Mode exhibit opened at its original 1940s location in Paris. Among the designers whose fashions are represented in Théâtre de la Mode are Worth, Pierre Balmain, Gres, Paquin and Nina Ricci. The collection recently completed an international tour that included The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Fashion Foundation in Tokyo, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and The Imperial War Museum in London. Now, for the first time, Seattle has a chance to experience Théâtre de la Mode.
Fashion at MOHAI will include a series of special programs, including lectures, fashion shows, films and special hands-on textile conservation workshops. Fashion at MOHAI is made possible with support from MOHAI members and donors, with promotional support from Seattle Metropolitan magazine.