Hi! Ava here.

I have been so crazed this past week with running about, getting the Loehmann’s fall collections perfectly in place. It was so sad; I was on the road Wednesday evening and missed one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Yes, I will have to admit it: I am a Project Runway addict and I missed last week’s episode!

Usually, I get to spend my precious Wednesdays all comfy on my couch, surrounded by countless fashion magazines, suffering through endless E-harmony commercials, eating something forbidden on every diet list, and waiting for Heidi Klum to utter her famous last words, “You’re out”.

But it couldn’t be helped and I missed it. Now over here at Loehmann’s, I will confess that we often will discuss Bravo TV’s Project Runway, the designs and the designers. Usually, all around Loehmann’s on Thursday morning you hear tidbits of who’s left on Project Runway, but I avoided that this week since I wanted to be surprised. To my horror, this week it wasn’t so much who was left on Project Runway, but who was on it that made me want to cry that I missed it.

I missed Diane von Furstenberg!

Oh Bravo TV, I adore you for your endless repeats and thankfully, I just got my weekly fix and the joy of watching the designers not only design for DVF, but run about her sample room and attack her glorious fabrics. Speaking of which, if you never have wrapped yourself up in one of Diane’s designs, you don’t know what you are missing.  The feel of her knits, her silks, the swirls, the fit… really, she has a way like magic with the subtle flows and weights of fabrics.

Seeing the designers interpret not only DVF, a legend, but for a notorious Marlene Dietrich as well, I can clearly say that I don’t think some of them really “got it”.  For me, anyone who went for an above the knee length skirt missed the boat. It just didn’t fit the time period. I could never imagine anyone in a 1940’s movie running about Berlin or Shanghai in Joe’s or Jerell’s above the knee creations. Even Kenley’s perfectly constructed print dress looked a bit off above the knee.

It looks like the designers are getting a bit catty now. Granted they are under a lot of pressure, but some of them are just plain mean! I was happy to see Joe get called out on his ‘messy, messy, messy” mess-up after he gagged behind Kenley’s back. I would have rather seen him go then Stella, even if he is sometimes innovative. I’m kind of sad to see Stella leave.   I usually really love Korto’s designs and really think she has a good chance at winning, but she never looks happy or fun.  I was blown away by her seatbelt coat last week and was surprised she didn’t take the win. But I think she felt that way too. At least that is what I read on her face. She looks like she always believes that she has it in the bag, and then is just purely miffed that someone else dared to win when they had no right.

Leanne gown, which did win, was stunning. Leanne is turning into quite the little character. I used to think she was so mousy like and never had a chance, but she really is coming up on the inside now. Maybe with her two win’s now her confidence is growing and it should! And what a win this one is for Leanne! Her dress is being incorporated with Diane von Furstenberg’s fall line and American Express members can buy her Project Runway design. That’s a huge honor for her and deserving of the dress and its unanimous “good design’.

It is only fitting that any creation that is made by DVF is of pure good design. That’s one of the reasons that I have always loved DVF lines and been so happy when I can purchase them for my Loehmann’s shoppers. Sometimes I know what I am buying is hip and trendy and more about the name, but that’s not the case with DVF. Her clothes really fit a body and, as I said, the feel of them…

If you don’t believe me, I just happen to have just acquired a rather collection of Diane von Furstenberg dresses in stores right now. How’s that for serendipity? I might even have a dress in a fabric or two that were seen in the sample floor scene! You’ll never know unless you come to Loehmann’s.

As for me, I am gearing up for this Wednesday and to see who is left on Project Runway this week.

 Until the next time, that’s the Loehdown,

Ava

Tags: Ava's Loehdown, Fashion History, New Selections, Women's Fashion by Ava
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Hi all,

Yes, it’s back.

When tens of thousands of viewers watched American Idol each week to watch Ryan Seacrest and future pop stars like Michael Johns don the two finger width skinny tie, I knew this trend had some staying power.

In “non-skinny” times, the neck tie varies from 3 and one half inches to 3 and three quarter and back again, making it is a fashion rarity when the tie dares go to 3 inches or less. Skinny ties and more can be attributed to the resurgence of 80’s influenced fashion trends including the bubble skirt and asymmetrical zippers, but like many of the 80’s trends, the roots are back in the 1950’s.

Originally worn and copied by such 1950’s legends like the ratpack, it became a fixture of the mods before it was absorbed by the new wave and punk rockers of the 1980’s. I know I have quite a few embrassing pictures from high school dances! Back again, the skinny tie now says more than just cool; it’s elegant, sophisticated, driven, yet relaxed and casual and that’s why it is back with a vengeance.

According to Men’s Flair : “A tiny bit geek, a tiny bit chic, skinny ties have an attitude that’s all their own.” Geek is the new cool.

What is clear is that the trend is here in full force; designers Alessandro Dell’Aqua, Lanvin, Narciso Rodriguez, and Rag & Bone show them on the runways. Rockers Pete Doherty, Fabrizio Moretti, Ryan Adams and celebs; Jude Law, Orlando Bloom, Zac Efron, Daniel Craig, Patrick Dempsey, Brad Pitt and David Beckham wear them on the red carpets with style. The reporters get them on film and then countless American men want to be that snazzy too.

It’s not a bad idea, as long as one knows how to rock that skinny tie. Most concur that there are fashion faux pas that need not be broken when wearing a skinny tie, most skinny tie tips are pretty easy to follow:

“It’s going to look totally incorrect on a big-collared shirt,” warns Carlo Brandelli. And a bit silly, unless you have a narrow lapelled suit and some narrow pants.”

Wear your skinny ties with an equally modern suit. No double breasted suits at all.

They can’t be past your belt and should not be more than 3 inches above.

If you are a big guy, then you cannot wear a skinny tie: “Skinny ties really only look good on skinny guys .”

Really, you need the collared shirt. You can be untucked if you must, but no tee shirts please, though a vest will do nicely.

The classic black skinny tie is still smart on a crisp white shirt, but mixing up your colors and tones can add a more modern look.

Avoid the black and white checkerboard unless you are going to a 1980’s themed party. Shades of gray on gray look sharp, though my favorite look in skinny to date: a men’s fleur de lis tie on a shirt with a very subtle check….smooth.

Some warn that the very conservative office might not accept a skinny tie, but what is fashion if not a bit edgy?

The necktie might have begun as a symbol of love, but it’s a fashion staple now, and at Loehmann’s, it won’t make you choke. You’ll find a great selection of discounted designer skinny ties at Loehmann’s from Ben Sherman, CK, Nicole Miller, Penguin and Theory.

You heard it from Jack!

Tags: Fashion History, Jack's Buying Hints, Men's, Trend alerts! by Jack
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The word eclectic is defined as: “Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles”. To define the word “eclectic fashion” one has to go no further than Iris of this style and the master of the genre. The proof of her perfection resides in the well deserved and on-going attention that the contents of her closet demand. If you missed the MET’s exhibit of her collection in 2005, then you definitely want to add Nassau County Museum of Art to this summer must see and do list. Beginning next week, May20th, the museum will be exhibiting the amazing collection of her wardrobe and even more amazing finds have been pried from Iris Apfel’s closet. Iris Apfel: Rare Bird of Fashion is not to be missed. Now in her 80’s, Iris continues to be a role model and inspiration to legions of women both past and present. She doesn’t really follow fashion despite being an intimate of many



designers, nor did she really go forth into fashion design despite a “fling with dressmakers, bag makers and shoemakers”. She admits to being “a closet designer who could never sew or cut”. She even claims that she didn’t collect for the ideal of having a collection, what amazes and inspires us is simply her wardrobe. Born an only child in Astoria, Queens in 1922, the appreciation for beautiful things and art began when she read art history at NYU and attended the University of Wisconsin art school. By 1950, with husband, Carl, she began Old World Weavers, a textile and design company, which specialized in ancient techniques and exact reproductions of antique fabrics. She was a famous interior designer, with clients such as Greta Garbo, Estee Lauder and White House, and hob knobbed with high society of the time, but it is not her fame or notoriety that makes her worthy of her legendary status. It’s simply the contents of her closet, collected over a range of 60 years from around the world, and then, her art of combining those items with their polar opposites that begets her reign as a true original. For Iris Apfel, true style was not dictated to her or even by her, but was fun and serious and whimsical and amusing, all at once. It is beyond fitting that Loehmann’s is sponsoring the exhibit as for Iris, like a Loehmann’s shopper, the “thrill was in the hunt”. And hunt she did just like the rest of us. In an interview with Marilyn Kirschner, Iris speaks of her finding a “true gem”: “Oh there’s something I just found in Loehmann’s….. For my birthday I go to Loehmann’s because I get a 15% discount, it’s very exciting…and I found this wonderful, wonderful completely beaded coat from Ralph Lauren and it is so gorgeous …all the way down to the floor and I won’t tell you its price because it’s ridiculous…it’s divine and very Marlene Dietrich with crystalline beads on white chiffon…and it was way too long although I am fairly tall…and I went to three dressmakers and they all said they were afraid to tackle it and I didn’t know what to do…Ralph Rucci said he’d fix it but I didn’t want to trouble him…then I met Mr. Ralph Lauren and when I told him he said “Oh we’ll fix it”. So it’s now being fixed.’” The pieces in the exhibit are from flea markets, houses of haute couture, East Indian Bazaars, thrift stores, discount department stores, Old European artifacts, and handmade boutiques from all over the globe. With over 60 years worth of collecting, Iris was able to pair brand new finds and old: “mix something I bought last week with something I’ve hoarded for 30 years.” From a fashion stand point alone, the exhibit is worth seeing as it features exciting couture clothing from every major European and American designer including Chanel, Dior, Armani, Galanos, Ungaro, Ralph Rucci, Geoffrey Beene, Lanvin, Norell, and Bill Blass among others. Separately, the results of her collection bespeak of a journey though time and fashion that could set the pace for a who’s who in the history of couture. In addition, her accessories and jewelry collections are incredible and also historic. What makes this all so much more is that her outfits are displayed “exactly’ as she put them together herself including her signature oversized black glasses on the mannequins. It’s not so much as the “what” she wore, but the “how” she wore it. The originality of her style is revealed in her mixing of Dior haute couture with flea-market finds, Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers with nineteenth-century ecclesiastical vestments, pink Lanvin worn with ropes of Navajo turquoise. A selection of audacious accessories also comes under the spotlight: a giant necklace made of bear claws, a turn-of-the-century Indian horse ornament worn as a necklace, a parrot’s-head brooch in colored glass and rhinestones.

The final results are unforgettable. When fashion defies limits, creativity soars and taste is redefined. What Iris Apfel does is remind us that we must be true to ourselves and what we love. Our “look” is then defined by ourselves and what we adore, what we resonate with, what is the outside epitomey of our own souls. It is an opportunity for our self defined inner beauty to be seen on the outside and therefore is nothing that can be prescribed by the trends of the seasons or other outside influences. When we view the now “art” that is Iris’ closet and see that this non-conformity is beyond our wildest dreams, it can indeed re-inspire us to find our own inner Iris. ****

This exhibition was first seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute as Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Barrel Apfel Collection. It has been adapted for its showing at NCMA and now includes even more stunning items of clothing, accessories and jewelry from Apfel’s collection. Later shown at the Norton Museum in Palm Beach as “Iris Apfel: a Rare Bird of Fashion”, the exhibit at the NCMA is sponsored by Loehmann’s with support from Astoria Federal Savings.

“Iris Apfel: a Rare Bird of Fashion” opens to the public on May 20^th at Nassau County Museum of Art and runs through September 7^th. Located off Northern Boulevard in Roselyn Harbor, admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for children with an additional $2 parking charge on weekends. Museum members are free. For more information go to the museum website at: www.nassaumuseum.com or call (516) 484-9338. In addition, cultural historian Dr. Charles A. Riley II presents “Extreme Iris” a multimedia presentation and “interdisciplinary exploration of genius at work” on Sunday June 22 at 4pm. For a rare treat, the museum also offers a Private Tea & Tour of the Exhibition on June 11^th at 2:30 pm. This behind-the-scenes glimpse at the museum’s current exhibition is introduced by the museum’s director, Constance Schwartz, and features a private guided tour followed by a menu of tea, sandwiches, scones and sweets in the beautifully refurbished Café Musée. Space is limited so reserve early. Admission for Dr. Riley’s lecture is $10 for museum members and $20 for guests.Admission for each Tea & Tour is $35 (museum members, $25) and includes admission to the museum. To reserve, call (516) 484-9338, ext. 12 or write to reginaforlenza@nassaumuseum.com.

If you just can’t make it there at all, then check out the book from the original collection shown in 2005 at the Met show in NY: “Rare Bird of Fashion; the Irreverent Iris Apfel” is available at Amazon. With an essay by the fashion maven herself, an introduction by Harold Koda, director of the Costume Institute, and 169 photos by fashion photographer, Eric Bowman, it’s the next best thing to being there.

Tags: Fashion History, Fashion News, NYC, Women's Fashion by admin
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“Loehmann’s is like a drug.”

“I once went on a 4 hour lunch break, no kidding! How did that happen? Loehmann’s. “

“My heart races, my palms sweat, the fervor to get. that. bargain. doesn’t end until it has been gotten”.

“Confession: I once spent $1000 in a day here getting that bargain. Sick.”        

Real quotes from Real Loehmann’s Shoppers 

The concept of discounted clothing is not a new idea anymore. With the economic slowdowns and everyone watching their dollars, it is the sale that rues the day and brings the majority of shoppers into a store. Call it a sale, call it a discount, or call it an outlet; no one really wants to pay full price.

If we go back in time, there is a noticeable absence of the true discount clothing department store. It wasn’t invented yet. The history of every single discount store owes homage to one woman: Frieda Loehmann.

In 1921, Frieda Loehmann, a confidante of NY’s 7th Avenue designers started purchasing the  seasonal overstocks at a fraction of wholesale prices and passing the savings to consumers. That idea took hold and grew, obviously, into Loehmann’s, but also into all the discounted fashion stores and mainstream culture as well. When you shop at Loehmann’s, you are shopping the original.  Loehmann’s has kept true to their origins as well; obtaining merchandise directly from the original manufacturers. 

 Another distinguishing trait of Loehmann’s is the way the products are merchandized. Many discount clothing establishments will groups all the “like” clothing together making a shopper comb though racks and racks of generic “skirts” to find the real treasures. In Loehmann’s, however, due to their emphasis on discounted designer wares, clothing is separated by the actual name brands on the racks.   This allows a time sensitive shopper to “only hit the DKNY finds”.

Depending on what is available, Loehmann’s buyers also purchase designer collections directly form Europe, not just the US fashion market.  The original price tags are marked in Euros and can bring a unique international feeling to a suburban shopping experience.

Of course, one of the most original traits about Loehmann’s is The Fitting Rooms. They are so legendary that they require their own post.  The famous “Back Room” is not always a separate room or even in the back depending on your local stores layout, but still demands to be “the” place to find the hottest designer looks at mere fractions of the original pricing.

All and all, Loehmann’s still reigns as the first and the original. The fashion steals that are found here will continue to be passed down as mythical stories from generation to generation. While the “shopping tales” might get slightly embellished over time and cause the listener to question the truth of the bargain, true Loehmann’s hunter’s will nod their heads in understanding. If we could only click our heels and be in a shopper’s paradise, there is no place we would rather go.

“I am a shopaholic and Loehmann’s is my holy grail.
No matter what I’m doing or where I’m going, casual or formal,my first shopping stop is at Loehmann’s…it’s where my favorite designer jeans came from, my  interview suit, all my favorite shoes…there is nowhere better and nowhere I’d rather go.”

Tags: Fashion History, Happy Shopping Stories, Quality Designer Shopping by admin
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