Aesthetics + Economics

Leave It To Miuccia

A handful of fashion designers have partnered with cell phone makers in recent years as part of a strategy to boost revenue and brand awareness. Unfortunately, the phones that came out of these deals were no great shakes.

In fashion, we look to Miuccia Prada for revolutionary design concepts and stunning execution. It comes as no surprise then that the intelligent designer is raising the bar for the "designer" cell phone, and indeed, cell phone design in general. Where other designers essentially slapped their names on existing (read: unexciting) devices, Prada collaborated with LG from the very beginning to create the KE850. The result, which is being touted as the world's first completely touch screen-operated phone, is quite covetable.

True esthetes--well, apart from those who reside in Korea or can afford a Vertu , anyway--have long been an underserved segment in the world cell phone market.  Here's hoping the Prada phone will help to reverse this trend.

Weekend Reads

The Bag Snob keeps us up to speed on the latest it bag, the Lanvin Silver Hero.

And since metallics are in for Spring 2007, here are a few more suggestions from Kristopher Dukes  and My Fashion Life.

You know your fashion if you can name the designer behind the dresses the stars wore to the Globes. Test yourself at Blogdorf Goodman.

Attention Manhattanites: Papierdoll is hosting a fashion show and after party involving a sample sale Monday. Follow the link to RSVP.

Who ever thought light colors could be slimming? Style Bites  gives us the ins and outs of working with color.

The Beauty Addict discusses two silly products. I'm predicting a flop. What do you think?

Lavender Girl - SS 07

Clockwise from top left: J. Mendel, Louis Vuitton, Sophia Kokosalaki, Sonia Rykiel, Vuitton, Vena Cava, Burberry Prorsum, Hermes.

Alongside bright colors like magenta, acid green, and lapis, designers favored a range of pastel tones for Spring 2007, including the shades lavender pictured above. As these colors are less saturated than the pastels you might associate with, say, the Rococo (or Marie Antoinette), this is a great season for lovers of neutrals (myself included) to add color to their wardrobes!

Although nude leather shoes--even nude ankle boots--do appear to complement pastel ensembles very well...(I am loving the Burberry Prorsum look, can you tell?) Thoughts?

Photos: Style.com

Countdown to Fashion Week

I am pleased to announce that Aesthetics + Economics will be covering New York Fashion Week this February! This will be the blog's second fashion week. See you in the tents!

Photo: source.

Two of My Favorite Things

Well...two of my favorite shops, to be exact. The weeks following Christmas are filled with incredible sales. This year I found myself in New York City for a few days of excellent post-holiday shopping. Today I'd like to consider the factors that contribute to an outstanding shopping experience while introducing you to two exceptional New York boutiques.

V i a   B u s   S t o p


Via Bus Stop routinely surpasses my expectations. With a selection from designers such as Antonio Berardi, Viktor & Rolf, Ann Valerie Hash, Alexander McQueen, Trosman, and John Galliano, it is at the top of my list of boutiques to hit on trips to the big city. The store, which is located at the intersection of Houston and Mercer in Soho, is in fact the New York location of a Japanese chain run by the same company that owns Takashimaya. Accordingly, the stock is extremely well edited. Over the course of several visits to the boutique, I have interacted with several members of the staff, and I have only good things to say about them. They are knowledgeable but never pretentious, and helpful but never overbearing. The layout is utter perfection--not so sparse as to create the impression of wandering through a museum of inaccessible objects, yet not so full as to require a shopper to rifle through extraneous product to strike gold. Several photos are posted after the jump.

C u r v e

Some of you may be familiar with the LA boutique Curve, which has recently set up shop in NYC (at 83 Mercer St). I was not until just a week ago when I happened upon the store as I was making my way to Via Bus Stop. For those of you unfamiliar with Curve, do not be thrown by the LA association--its stock is perfectly suited to New York girls. Curve stocks its own line of covetable clothes and accessories as well as items from lines such as Ports 1961. I was particularly impressed by two exquisite dresses (one in heavy white lace--perfect for spring '07, and a black sequin trapeze dress that will remain on trend through next fall). Prices range from about $200 for a scarf to over $1000 for a dress, but they only reflect the quality of the merchandise. You know that item in your closet that elicits compliments from the most sophisticated fashion lovers? The one that's modern yet classic, and perhaps touches ever so slightly on a current trend? Curve is full of such items. Continue reading for more pictures.