Yearly Archives: 2015

………………………I suppose one of the reasons I gravitate to animal prints and patterns is because I am such an animal lover. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful all of God creatures are. Well there may be a few that aren’t so beautiful, but I  would guess to their own species they are gorgeous…LOL………The ZEBRA is one of those very special animals that always intrigues……..its’ beauty defies description. When a designer thinks of animal prints the Leopard and Zebra are always the highest on the list of possibilities. Their markings are so distinctive and are so applicable to fabrics, and textiles of all kinds that it is hard to resist. This is a case where the design of the garment should be kept simple and  the fabric should take front stage……………The ZEBRA PRINT CARDIGAN, A265612, is the perfect example of this winning combination. The sweater is 100% COTTON, a specific yarn that I have successfully used before. The color above is………….IVORY & BLACK……..The trims around the jewel neckline….the bottom of the 3/4 sleeve…..and the hem of the sweater are all black TUBULAR TRIMS. The front of the sweater has the LINEA touch….and is finished with BLACK GROS GRAIN RIBBON. This is an engineered print sweater. The 9 buttons down the front are classic 4 hole, and are dyed to match. The xs is approx. 22 inches long, so for most it will hit below the waist near the high hip…..There are so many ways this sweater can be worn and accessorized it was hard to settle on one. Since we are still in the midst of summer I chose the TURQUOISE V-neck  WK tank, A233942 and the WHITE LINEA LEISURE PANT, A262070/A262072. The TURQUOISE TORSADE, J290366 works perfectly with the sweaters….I believe there are a few remaining, but very few………….Black JET will look just as wonderful……………………………..I know you will enjoy this sweater for many years to come………………….much Love………………………..Louis

……………The second combination in the ZEBRA CARDIGAN, A265612 is………………..MOSS & BLACK. Moss is not as dark as my Olive, and therefore makes a better combination with black so the pattern is easily seen…As you have seen from the Skort sneak peeks the MOSS colors work well together…..For now wear the Moss and Black Zebra cardi with black and white or any other combination you think is appropriate for summer…..Come Sept…Oct….you need not think any further than all black. The GUN METAL or SILVER PALM FROND jewelry looks wonderful with the Zebra pattern………………………enjoy………………much Love……………..Louis

……………………………The TOPAZ and BLACK is the final combination that will be avail. in the Zebra sweater. I think of it more as a TIGER, but to have less confusion we will call them all the same……”ZEBRA”….. Check your Topaz and or Tobacco sweaters to see if they coordinate……Every season the shade varies……if not …ivory [or the new alabaster to come], and black…or all black will do just as well. Add a glittery necklace like the BLACK JET CLUSTER BEADS, J317112, and you will look like a million$$$$$……….SLEEK….easy pieces with panache will always win out over fussy trendy clothes IMHO…………………………enjoy……………………..much Love………………….Louis

………….A word I thought you would never hear pass through my lips is………S.K.O.R.T…….It really is an ugly word to describe a piece of clothing….so if anyone has a better name I would love to hear it. I did say I would NEVER do a skort, but then I remembered a SILK CREPE DE CHINE “skirt short” I did many moons ago at Anne Klein. It was a pair of shorts with an attached wrap skirt….front and back so the shorts were not really seen…….only the side of the pant leg. These were part of a resort collection, and there were many tops that coordinated with it…….such as Silk Crepe de Chine Ts, shirts and peasant blouses. All of the pieces came in vivid colors such as fuchsia, purple, parrot green,azure and tobacco……all to be mixed and matched. There were also lizard belts and sandals in the colors to coordinate……It was a fun group…….Jumping ahead to 2015 I thought I would bring a similar version back for this transition group……..The SKORT, A265613, is made in a brand new fabric. It is 90% polyester and 10% spandex. I would describe the hand as a silky weighty georgette…..not see through at all. The surface is smooth and has a matte finish. It looks expensive, and I’m sure you will love it. The skirt is approx. 17-17 1/2 inches long for the xxs…….about the length of walking shorts. The construction of the skort is very clever……The leg actually becomes part of the skirt. It really is too difficult to describe,but it will be very clear when you get it home.The elastic waist band is also very special. It is approx 1 1/2 inches wide, and there are three rows of elastic stitching to give the skort a wonderful detail. There is also a six inch section of the front that is totally flat….sort of like boxers trunks. It gives the waist band a finished Designer look. If you choose to wear anything tucked in…it will look more finished than your typical elastic waist band. Another wonderful feature of the skort is…..there are ….POCKETS!……This is a very special piece….It can be as casual as you want, but it is certainly appropriate to wear to parties, dinner and even to work with flat sandals, wedges or skimmers…………………The “T” BLOUSE, A266302, is made in the same fabric as the skort so you can wear them together, or as a fabulous separate top. The blouse has a short DOLMAN sleeve and has cuffs that are tacked up so they won’t fall down. It has a curved shirt tail bottom, and is approx 27 inches long to the center front for the XS. It has a scoop neckline, and there is a HENLEY placket with four working buttons…..The color of the SKORT  and the T is called……….COFFEE BEAN……and pretty well matches other Coffee Bean items I have done before…………I love mixing COFFEE BEAN with WHITE, so I chose the WK SLEEVELESS MOCK, A233947, and the matching WHITE CLASSIC WK CARDIGAN, A233940, which is now on CLEARANCE. White is just one of the colors that looks wonderful with Coffee Bean…..Pastels and Brights all work well with this warm brown color…………I chose to accessorize the Coffee Bean with my new CHOCOLATE necklaces….the FALLING LEAVES NECKLACE & EARRING SET, and the CHOCOLATE DINGLE DANGLE NECKLACE coordinated with the CHOCOLATE DEMI HOOP…..All of the jewelry pieces are scheduled to be avail at the end of July and August……..I really love these new pieces, and I hope you do too……………………………………………………….enjoy………………………………….much Love………………………………….Louis

…………..When Jac saw this BLACK TOP hanging on the wall in my studio she immediately said, “I want this”. To say it’s right up her alley is a major understatement!! If you are a BLACK lover, as she is, you don’t need me to tell you the importance of black tops in all shapes and fabrics. You will find this becomes a staple in your year round wardrobe. There isn’t a thing you can’t wear this top with from your ZIG ZAG skirt…..your MOSS CREPE SKIRT…..to any of your BOHO skirts..solids and PRINTS….Wear it with wonderful trousers, crops, shorts, leggings etc. etc. In the photos above I have the top teamed with the vintage Herringbone trousers in natural, and ivory crepe pants…….Naturally the matching BLACK SKORT looks SUPER CHIC……………How versatile, and practical will a BLACK SKORT be in your wardrobes? You already must own a zillion tops that can be worn with it. I think these are to very special pieces that can be added to your ever expanding BLACK wardrobes………and think of the fun accessorizing will be!!…………………………………………………………………………..enjoy………………………………..much Love………………………………Louis