Monthly Archives: May 2012

Sneak Peek #8 is A224716. This is my draped jersey dress….the  “LANA” dress. Years ago I met Lana Turner at a cocktail party in NYC. She had just shot an ad for “What Becomes A Legend Most”….the  fur campaign. Peter Rogers, who was a friend, created the famous campaign through his agency. She was already in her late 60’s and she was perfectly dressed and her makeup was flawless……a STAR to the end. She always had incredible style and not the kind of style that is just created by the studios, though I am sure she learned much from the best Hollywood had to offer.

The colors of the dress are ………DEEP PEACOCK, a deep blue green….and…….VIOLET. This dress is PURE DESIGNER and has many special  details. I wanted to give the illusion of a DEEP V-Neck without showing anything so I added the MODESTY tank that is attached to the dress at the shoulder straps and the side seams…..so it is free from the pieces of fabric that create  the V. This is a very important detail. Usually the modesty piece would have been just stitched to the edge of the V, but that is the inexpensive way to do it and it doesn’t allow the front pieces to drape properly…..just a bit of trivia. There is a draped bodice which is great to hide any imperfections. In the back there are two sections of elastic that give the dress a wonderful fit without being constricting. The skirt is softly gathered….not too much volume, but just enough to hide and worrisome areas. There is an attached belt that you can WRAP and TIE many ways…… illustrated above. First bring the straps to the back….then around to the front and either tie in a BOW …or twist them once and bring them to the back again….TIE and TUCK the ends in…..very simple. There is also a back zipper….if you need it. The dress is approx 42 inches long. It is poly jersey so it is washable and again, PERFECT for TRAVEL. The REEF GREEN shrug in the photo above is worn over the DEEP PEACOCK dress. If you own the reef green shrug already that will give you an idea of how deep the color peacock is. The violet shrug is a different violet from the dress……..I like them together but I like mixing different colors. I know some wouldn’t get it….that’s OK too. This is a dress to be worn 12 months out of the year….day or night……..this is the last sneak peek for MAY!!! …..An IMPORTANT HEADS UP….this dress will be featured on Q Check with Shawn. I thought it was the printed maxi on Q Check, but I was wrong. The printed maxi will be on my 1pm show with Shawn………enjoy, much Love, Louis

May Sneak Peek #7 is a little “CANDY BOX” of a sweater, A224717. It is in my rayon/nylon, WHISPER KNIT, blend. The colors are, a brand new  APRICOT and BLACK and it is truly a SWEET yet SOPHISTICATED little sweater. Once again, there are lots of DESIGNER touches packed onto this little jewel. First the silhouette……it is 24 1/2 inches long for the xs and has a short sleeve. It has a slight shape for a “girlie look”. The neckline is square which is created by a row of gathered satin ribbon which is stitched down with a narrow gros grain ribbon in the center………I think the close up photos show it really well. Then….down the front you have a FAUX PLACKET made out of a WIDER gros grain ribbon. There are tiny CANDY DROP buttons that actually unbutton…..however, that is where the faux comes in…..the sweater does NOT open so there are no gap problems. The faux front opening has, over the years, become another signature detail. The black sweater is the perfect layering piece for under all of your dressy and casual jackets…..it is so much more interesting than a basic tank….though basic tanks have their place when you want to add lots of accessories. With this sweater I would keep the accessories minimal. The Apricot is that “SHOT OF COLOR” we all talk about. It can make any jacket look new….even a old jean jacket! I happen to love it under my denim jackets, white, indigo or the black with my boot cut jean or any jean you already own. It instantly elevates your look!…..without much effort!!

ONE MORE SNEAK PEEK TO GO…..and hint hint……… it’s a DRESS…………………………..Enjoy, much Love, Louis

May Sneak Peak #6 is the last “new” jacket of the official spring/summer season, A224714. This is a PRINTED jacket on my COTTON SATEEN fabric. What I tried to achieve is the look of DISTRESSED or FADED DENIM and I think it came out really well. The colors are……..CORAL and SKY BLUE. This is a very simple jacket with lots of details…….an oxymoron perhaps, but true. The jacket has top stitched body seams and darts to give it a gentle shape. There are INSEAM POCKETS so don’t forget to look for them! It has a 3/4 length sleeve with a turn back cuff to keep you cool on warm summer days when a jacket is still  required…….. and this  jacket is unlined….well almost. The front panel is lined to hide the pocket bag and keep the inside CLEAN. The rest of the jacket is unlined and the rest of the seams are beautifully PIPED to give the jacket that ‘TRUE DESIGNER TOUCH”. This is a two button front jacket and the buttonholes are BOUND in self fabric…..another designer touch of QUALITY. This jacket has a beautifully shaped wing collar with a half moon stand for those who like to flip their collars and frame their faces. The bottom of the jacket has a slight cutaway that is evident in the photos above. This creates a longer slimmer line. The jacket is slightly longer in the front than the back and the total length is 24 1/2 inches at it’s longest point. You can see that the coral  T-shirt/sweater matches perfectly and the navy looks good under the Sky Blue with my white denim boot cut jean. The floral skirts in Coral and Navy also look great with this jacket and don’t be afraid to mix it up….the blue jacket looks good with the coral print too. I think this is a UNIQUELY simple jacket in a modern yet timeless print that is both casual and dressy…..another oxymoron……Enjoy, much Love Louis

A BONUS SNEAK PEEK! ……..Too many sneak peeks and not enough days until the show. This is A215181, which is a reorder cotton/span T-shirt with the STRETCH METALLIC TRIM. Many of you own this already in the pink, navy and ivory which is the only color returning. The colors being offered this time around are the……….. IVORY with GOLD trim ……..BLACK with GUNMETAL trim………FROSTED LILAC with SILVER trim….and yes the frosted lilac WILL go with your  frosted lilac jacket  A213623. In the photos above you can see the black with the A199793, black/gray mosaic print boho skirt. and LOOK CLOSELY and you will also notice the black T-shirt with the A217982, silver/black LUREX SKIRT. Who said that was just a winter skirt?! Put on a pair of gunmetal sandals and your ready for any summer event. The ivory “T” is featured with the A221792, ivory Pea jacket, which for me is the chicest classic look, with a nautical touch….gold chains required…a truly timeless and RICH LADY look…….. and the frosted lilac is with the matching jacket……..PLEASE notice the GOLD, SILVER and GUNMETAL chain hoop earrings which I have accessorized with each outfit. There isn’t much I can say about this t-shirt that you don’t know. This is my signature cotton /span that I have used many many times. It’s substantial and wears beautifully and looks great after many washings. The black is deep and rich and the color will stay that way. This is a TRUE ESSENTIAL….YEAR ROUND!…………..enjoy, much Love, Louis

Sneak Peek #4 is A224715. This is a knit t-shirt/sweater in the same 100% polyester yarn as the natural tank with the black flecks that sold out from the last show. Many of you purchased the tank so you already know how it feels. The tank is so popular that it was taken off the Linea site. The colors for this top are NAVY, TURQUOISE and CORAL, and as you can see these colors were chosen to coordinate with the floral skirt of sneak peek #3. It has a RAGLAN SHORT SLEEVE and an OPEN JEWEL NECK. The sleeve has a dolman effect. The length of the sweater is approx. 24 3/4 inches and was done in proportion with the skirt. It looks great tucked in or worn out, and looks great belted. It is the perfect layering piece for under jackets because it is very LIGHT WEIGHT. Of course it’s easy care which makes it the perfect piece to take away on trips. The colors are beautiful, the feel on the body is silky and the fit skims the body without clinging….I think that makes a winning combination…………..enjoy…….much Love, Louis

P.S. Please notice the love knot necklace in the photos….it will be coming your way….in two lengths…..and that’s all I’m going to say!