Trina Turk Archives - LAFashionsnob.com

WWDMagic August 2014- Overall Experience

Oct 29 2014

WWDMagic– the trade show of trade shows. It’s where the fashion industry congregates twice a year in Las Vegas to literally talk trade, sourcing, the latest trends…anything FASHION… for three straight days. Attendees travel (via complimentary shuttles) between two major venues- the convention center and Mandalay Bay to take on nine (yes NINE) different shows. I’ve attended MAGIC about four times now and have always had a great experience, whether it be meeting new people, spotlighting new brands, seeing shows that perhaps I wasn’t able to see the last time I was there and more.

This time around, my friend and fellow blogger- Shalanda and I flew to Vegas to attend the show. We got in a couple days before the show started, to have a mini vacation of sorts. But once the show started, it was jam-packed from 9am to the close at 6pm. I met with brands (and blog followers) that I’ve only connected with via social media. I re-connected with friends from Los Angeles and Austin. I found a booth that specialized in VINTAGE. AND… how can anyone forget… the coveted trade show bags…like ahem… PROJECT?! I don’t know about you, but every time I go to MAGIC, I always anticipate how cool the Pool, ENK, Sourcing or Project bags are going to be. Geeky, I know…but still…

It was my first time attending Sourcing and like all the shows, it was overwhelmingly informative. There were booths that dealt with sourcing fabrics and trims from over 35 countries and inspiration to be found around every corner. There was a cozy lounge provided by Laurel and Wolf- an innovative interior design website where you take a design style quiz and designers submit boards for you to see (depending on what package you choose). Denim was very trend-heavy this season. August’s featured denim exhibit was Jeanologia– a Spanish company that is in the development of sustainable technologies for garment finishing. Their exhibit is dubbed “Back to America Wall” and consisted of a collection of vintage denim garments that were inspired by the company’s archive. It was also during Sourcing that I discovered… “They have VINTAGGGGEEEE…” But more on that later. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to sit in on the seminars, but for those of you that plan on checking out MAGIC, I suggest making time to go.

Personal appearances by celebrities are the norm during Magic Market Week. There was an after-party at ‘The Oasis,’ at ENK, where Whitney Port and Trop Rouge‘s Christina Caradona were the ‘hosts of honor.’ Courtney Kerr was at the American Express Open booth, discussing fashion and business.

The American Express Open booth was also home to an intense three day competition, where three New York City-based handbag designers competed in the American Express Open Rising Stars Competition. Victoria Khoss, Kelsea Slade and Shana Luther had to design a handbag that dictated the concept “retro proven newness.” Their mini-studios were set up in the middle of the floor, complete with their sketches, materials and sewing machines. It was fun watching them and just chatting with them about their design process.

In the next segment of WWDMagic coverage, you will learn about quite a few of the “new-to-me” brands that I discovered. Of course I stopped by a few brands that I’ve known for awhile now, such as Moods of Norway. It is also great seeing one of the designers- Stefan, always dressed in his signature dapper duds and small tractor pin. I was also greeted with a heart-shaped waffled with jam. It was a such a welcome treat after burning off breakfast power-walking the show floor.Let’s just say, I walked out of the booth wanting all of their womens S/S 2015 collection.Catherine Malandrino’s paint splatter prints mixed with vibrant solids stopped me in my tracks. Santa Barbara based footwear brand- Koolaburra showcased their signature boho styles. Lots of fringe, a neutral palette and ‘all-American’ meets boho personalities stole the spotlight at their booth. There was some very manly ‘eye candy’ mocking playing tennis at the Lacoste booth. The dynamic prints and colors at Trina Turk. Chinese Laundry is always a breath of fresh air with trendy and chic styles. That platform heel though…

Every time I attend the shows, it’s another adventure, which makes me anxious to go back every year.

Thank you WWDMagic.. it was a HUGE pleasure being your guest this August!

Fashion Destination Group 2012 Summer Extravaganza

Jul 04 2012

I had the pleasure of attending most of the first 2012 Summer Extravaganza presented by Fashion Destination Group. The all day event was held at the uber-luxurious Monarch Beach Resort. There were three runway shows and vendors galore. Brands on the runway included Patty V., Seychelles Shoes, Macy’s, Glass Handbags, Marisa Kenson, Trina Turk, BCBG, Engineered by Remy, Gretchen Christine Collection, Young Fabulous & Broke, Sledge USA, Liberate, Kashia, Suellen Miller Designs, Beach Bunny, Royal Underground, BodyRock Sport, St. John, David Meister and Oday Shakar. Every brand had a beachy, OC lifestyle theme of casual chic. I got to meet the lovely and oh-so-sweet Gretchen and her beau- Slade (you may know them from Real Housewives of OC) and got to talk to her about her handbag collection, which she showcased during the day. Inspired by her fans who saw her wearing a Versace handbag on an episode of RHOC (but couldn’t afford the hefty price tag), she realized that there was a niche for high-end quality yet affordable handbags. She launched Gretchen Christine Collection in 2010, with the initial launch on ShopNBC, where 1,000 handbags sold out in under fifteen minutes. She was carrying a pink satchel from her Pink Collection, which retails for $125. The Pink Collection is in collaboration with the Breast Cancer Charities of America and will launch in October. The collection includes the satchel, a three-piece luggage set, iPhone cases, iPad cases, etc., with nothing over $300. Check out and shop Gretchen Christine for updates and more! I met one of the lovely jewelry designers, whose statement necklaces and cuffs were featured in the runway shows- Suellen Miller of Suellen Miller Designs. The Indiana-based brand first launched in 2004 as a paper company, but just recently launched their jewelry line. When Suellen showed me the necklace and cuff she was wearing at the event, I admired how unique they were. The cuff was made of mixed media- paper, Swarovski crystals, pearls and glitter. For your next “wow” piece, definitely check out Suellen Miller Designs! One of my favorite collections to grace the runway for the first runway show was LA-based Young, Fabulous and Broke. I LOVED the flowy, tie-dye tops and dresses that cascaded down the runway, along with my favorite comfy platform strappy heel by Seychelles. The YFB brand launched in 2001 under the name H Starlet by Heidi McKenna. In 2006, a friend mentioned that Heidi reminded her of one “of those young, fabulous, broke girls.” Upon hearing that (and that she knew a lot of girls were in the same bind- paying rent or buying Chanel…hmmm…), Heidi decided to change the name to what it is today. YFB is inspired by the mellow and casual California lifestyle and chooses to make their dresses, tops, etc from the finest fabrics including: silk jersey, cotton and cashmere. For the event, they showcased pieces from their Fall delivery- Mojave Nightfall. The current designer- Candice Morgan was inspired by the soft colors of the desert and the organic shapes found in nature (i.e. the spiral tie-dye wash or the Infinity Wash). Their general inspiration for other collections can be found from the sunsets to the ocean. The prices for their tops range from $125-$150 and dresses, skirts, etc are $180-$250. A fun fact about the brand: their stuff is cut to order because it is garment dyed. They make the styles and then dye them depending on what the customer/buyers order; this is one thing that makes their line unique (and makes it unlikely that 100 ladies will not have the exact same dress as you). Even though almost all of the styles are made in China, about a quarter of their inventory is actually dyed in Los Angeles. To shop and check out more info, go to the YFB website. Another familiar line that breezed down the runway was BodyRock Sport. I had the pleasure of wearing some of their garments during my photo shoot at Chic Little Devil. Designer Kelly Dooley didn’t have a particular theme for this showing, but she felt that the looks that went down the runway best represented the sexy, fashionable, functional line. From sports bras, moto leggings, booty shorts and moto jackets, BodyRock wowed the audience. Each look was topped with Knight and Hammer jewelry, such as: army men necklaces, skull necklaces, Venetian glass necklaces, butterfly earrings, etc. Dooley was also very excited to be showing off a couple pieces she did in collaboration with French artist Philippe Valy. If you’d like more information on the brand, go to the BodyRock Sport website! There was a great handbag collection on hand that day as well, Glass Handbag. Founded in 2010, Glass Handbag was designed to not only be chic, but also have functionality. How many times have you been somewhere where it’s dark and you’re scrounging in your purse for your keys or lipstick? Glass Handbag is the answer to that problem! Each bag has a built-in thin light panel so you can easily look through your purse and grab what you need. Three dollars of every handbag purchase go to benefit The Public Education Foundation. Check out more information on Glass Handbags here! I also enjoyed seeing Trina Turk’s vintage-inspired prints during the runway presentation of her new “Modernist Maverick” collection and gorgeous jewelry, Marisa Kenson’s airy dresses that could easily transition from a day at the beach to a glamorous restaurant or club and the amazingly sexy swimwear by Beach Bunny. Along with the fashion shows, I got to hang out with two amazing ladies- Sarah and Elaine who were representing Seychelles shoes, attend one seminar, which featured former CEO of St. John- Kelly Gray, Seychelles President- Sari Ratsula, VP/Store Manager of Macy’s at South Coast- Sue Graham and Dorothy Metcalfe- Campus Director at FIDM (OC); see a couple blogger pals and just enjoy the weather and being on the beautiful Orange County coast.

Huge Thanks to Tamara of Wentworth PR, the Monarch Beach Resort, the staff, models, designers!

Kelly Wearstler Debuts "HUE" @ Trina Turk's Boutique

Sep 04 2010

Designer Trina Turk made a special in-store appearance during the “HUE” event, where famed interior designer Kelly Wearstler was introducing and signing her new book, “HUE,” a well-executed and very well-photographed book based on her recent projects and designs for international projects. Kelly designed the LA boutique- along with two others in Palm Springs and OC. The boutique was very open and bright, with hints of soft pinks. I felt that it represented “Classic California Meets Vintage Palm Springs.” The clear bulbs that accented the ceiling added a quirky touch as well.
I had the lovely opportunity of meeting Trina Turk herself. She was telling me that when she was eleven, her Mom taught her how to sew and that created her path to wanting to be a fashion designer. She worked for twelve brands before starting her company fifteen years ago. She gets her inspiration from growing up in Cali, the landscape and architecture and living in LA. Her favorite silhouettes depend on the season. She likes to keep things simple and likes the fabrics to speak for itself; to “focus on letting the fabric shine. Let the fabric tell what style it wants to be.” She is loving the strong minimalism and utilitarian trends that are currently lighting up the runways. One of her favorite pieces is the safari jacket and since prints are one of her specialties, prints are “in” as well. So just how did she meet up with celebrity interior designer- Kelly Wearstler? She saw Kelly’s work in the La Times years ago and thought, ‘if I ever did a store, I’d love to work with this woman.” When they decided to have a store in Palm Springs, she called her up. LA was the second boutique and then the last was at Newport’s Fashion Island.
“HUE” retails for $49.99 and $85 for a limited-edition copy. The Trina Turk boutique is located at: 8008 W. 3rd St. LA 90048. Ph (323)651-1382.

Special Thanks: J, Alyssa Rara of TARA Inc, Tara Soloman of TARA Inc, Sara Prado of TARA Inc, Photographer-Tony DiMaio (for providing the picture of myself and Trina), Trina Turk, Kelly Wearstler and Lauren Urband of StarworksLA.

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