Kate Bosworth in Vince Textured Stripe Sweater

Kate Bosworth posted photos on Instagram wearing VINCE. recently! The Still Alice actress kept cozy and warm as she partied with friends in her Textured Stripe Sweater ($325).

Fashion for the Holidays

If you are not sure what to purchase for the holidays, we strongly suggest that you consider buying clothes, accessories, jewelry, or beauty products.  The truth be told, these are the only items that “truly matter”.  Sure, flat screen TV’s, and iPads are fun, but as we all know the world does and should revolve around the apparel industry.


Image source: Amazon.com

If you are planning on buying electronics for the holidays, you should at the very least buy wearables.

Learn about holiday fashion here on Apparel Search.

You may also be interested in reading some of the previous holiday season sales reports to be reminded of what may be in-store for Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.

Support the clothing industry and buy fashion for the holidays.

In Style with Dawn Levy This Holiday Season

Prominent luxury outerwear designer, Dawn Levy is sending women warm wishes for the Holiday season, in the form of sleek wool coats, softly lined puffer coats, and impeccable blends of the two. When Dawn Levy crafted her Fall-Winter 2014 namesake collection, the thought of December, the endless bustling of shopping and celebrations, and wanted women to be able to move warmly, and stylishly, from day to night.

Dawn also realized how discouraging it is to dress oneself impeccably, only to shield the time and effort with a shapeless coat. It is this rationale that has made Dawn Levy the guru of sexy, warm outerwear. Levy brings her distinctly feminine, functional and timeless craftsmanship to her signature outwear lineup of puffer coats. Never before have women been able to dress for the coldest of weather while cutting a stylish figure.

"Too often women are hesitant to wear puffy down coats in deep winter because their figure disappears under the volume– instead opting for more stylish coats that leave them cold. I was guilty of the same. I was either cold or feeling like a marshmallow. I knew there had to be a common ground." Dawn recently admitted. Dawn's designs are unique in that the wearer remains toasty warm and keeps her shape. Dawn uses a number of unique design elements to ensure style without sacrificing warmth. Great attention is paid to the placement of seams and stitching, the finest down, quilting and power knit belts further ensure a warm slim body conscious fit.

Dawn Levy’s namesake luxury outwear collection debuted in the Fall of 2011 to great acclaim. The flawlessly curated line ranges from goose down coats and parkas to cashmere blends and fine leathers with a distinctly Dawn Levy perspective. The launch captured the essence of modern femininity - exemplifying sophistication, prestige and the highest degree of craftsmanship.

Created as a reflection of Dawn Levy’s own signature style, her designs are distinctly feminine, formed with flattering silhouettes. Using only the most luxurious imported fabrics, elegant trims with rich detailing are trademarks of her collection. All of the pieces are created from the finest quality materials including whisper-light goose down and high-end furs such as Natural Blue Fox, Silver Fox or Saga approved Finnish Raccoon. Creating attainable fashion, while staying true to her designer insight, Dawn Levy offers a diverse selection of styles for women that leave them chic and timeless.

Dawn Levy’s evolved sense of style, and fashion intuition have propelled the brand to become one of the top performing outerwear labels in the market today. Dawn Levy applies her talents to produce a collection of outerwear that works with every woman’s wardrobe. Thanks to its versatile styles, fabrics and shapes, the Dawn Levy collection achieves the elegance and ease every modern woman seeks.

Apricot Lane Boutique Online

The Apricot Lane Boutique name has grown across the country being the go-to destination for mothers and daughters, (teens through fifties) to find trend setting, fashion forward clothing, shoes, accessories and gift items for affordable prices (think head to toe outfits for under $100) the locally owned stores constantly received requests for online purchases.

After a successful online sales pilot program ran by two Apricot Lane store owners (girls in their twenties) based in Peoria, IL and Dallas, TX increased their social media followers to over half a million 'likes' and followers in under a year -the franchisor realized a national online site needed to be the next move. After extensive design and build out of the site and the two original store owners staying on as operating partners of www.apricotlaneboutique.com it is now live for all fashion lovers to enjoy. 

From the hottest trends to the next must haves www.apricotlaneboutique.com updates the site with dozens of new items every single day- always offering a chance to find something new.

Apricot Lane Boutique has expanded the success of its bricks and mortar franchise system to online with the launch of the company’s new website, www.apricotlaneboutique.com. The online presence will continue to offer a unique boutique experience to its customers who will enjoy high fashion, on trend looks at affordable prices.

The Apricot Lane Boutique site features editorial looks, beautiful product and lifestyle images, a live chat and easy check out all while offering items that are not otherwise available in physical store locations throughout the country.

NATIONAL STYLE CONTRIBUTOR
Style expert, TV personality and author of The CheapChica's Guide to Style, Lilliana Vazquez has partnered with apricotlaneboutique.com to serve as their guest editor for Fall/Winter 2014. Known for her enviable style, Vazquez will curate her own boutique filled with hand-selected items that reflect her personal style and fashionable picks that are a must for any fashionista.

"I receive so many personal requests from women all over the country who want me to help them find the perfect outfit, and now I have the opportunity to do just that thanks to Apricot Lane," Vazquez explained.

SOCIAL MEDIA PAVING THE WAY

Apricot Lane was developed by franchisor Country Visions, Inc. who over the past several years, has supported a pilot program with two franchisee partners based in Peoria, IL and Dallas, TX. Through a Facebook sales presence created to build the consumer base, the team discovered substantial new sales resulting from e- commerce while social media numbers jumped drastically, soaring from 5,000 combined followers to over half a million in approximately a year. These two franchisees, owned by mother/daughter duos, will be managing partners of the new corporate online website. By embracing the ‘fast fashion’ culture of buying from Downtown Los Angeles, new merchandise will be showcased continuously online, creating a demand from the sites shoppers. All purchases from the new website will ship out of the distribution center in Peoria, IL.

“By offering personality, immediate comments and constant updates to our social media sites, we have built relationships with each and everyone of our followers; they feel like they know us,” explained Jena Green, co- owner of Apricot Lane Peoria.

Both operating partners Green along with Allison Scott and Lauren Young, sisters and co-owners of Apricot Lane Dallas have embraced the affinity their shoppers have to online communication. “Our clientele spends the majority of their time on their social media pages,” said Scott and Young “So we reacted to that and increased our sales online drastically by reaching out to them, creating and expanding our social media niche.”

Unlike other retailers, Apricot Lane updates their inventory arrivals constantly, often posting between 20 – 30 new items a day. When products are announced as out of stock, the team polls their fans as to their interest in the item and issues pre-buys for products, creating a demand before inventory is even in stock. This creates a continuous demand for products, increases interactions with customers and leaves them anticipating the next post.

“We have a unique relationship with our online customers” said Green. “We are personal shoppers for our guests, reacting to their requests and re-stocking items they create a demand for! We also poll our shoppers located all across the country by showing them items while Apricot Lane buyers are on the streets of LA’s fashion district, asking ‘Hot or Not?’ Watching the seasons hottest items fly off the “cyber-shelves” is incredible!”

LOCALIZED FRANCHISEE SUPPORT

To encourage a fully integrated marketing approach and system-wide franchise opportunity, Apricot Lane structured a unique profit-sharing model, which distributes 10% of total gross sales to participating franchisees. One unique upside for independent franchisees is the “no cost” opt-in with the corporate e-commerce program to participate. Sales are not limited to local zip codes, enabling franchisees to market to family, friends and customers who may not be located in their specific market, but still want to “shop local.”

“We worked hard to provide an e-commerce solution that builds the brand while providing our collective customers the best possible experience online,” said Ken Petersen, CEO and founder of Apricot Lane. “Our customers will enjoy a personalized online experience, while maintaining their relationship with their local boutique!”

ABOUT APRICOT LANE AND COUNTRY VISIONS, INC.

Apricot Lane is a member of the popular Country Visions, Inc. franchise, specializing in offering a high variety of fashion-forward styles, accessories and gift items at affordable prices. The franchise offers a new mix of merchandise both online and in-store, and offers customers the ability to build a unique style. Approaching system wide sales of $50 million and growing at a pace of 20-30 stores per year provides new resources and opportunities system wide that will keep Apricot Lane Boutique on top as a fashion trend leader and top retail franchise.

Read more fashion boutique blog posts here on the Fashion Blog.

Jessica Alba in kokun Cashmere

Jessica Alba was photographed wearing kokun while leaving the salon yesterday in LA! The actress kept cozy in her cashmere Tipped Circle Cardigan as she debuted her new lighter locks ($385; www.kokunnyc.com). 

Jennifer Lopez Wearing Nines in Booty Video

WHO: Singer/Actress, Jennifer Lopez

WHAT: Singer and actress, Jennifer Lopez wore a NINES Crocodile Hancock Body Suit (Retails $175) for her most recent music video Booty ft. Iggy Azalea 

WHEN: OCTOBER 2014

ABOUT NINES :
Nines is a collection of boundary pushing style with a focus on directional detailing sleek silhouettes, and innovative fabrics. Creating our own path of forward aesthetic for the ultimate Nines Girl living to the nth degree.

"Keeping the balance between desire and wearability the elements of the collection adapt to the Nines Girl's individual style... we inspire her to forge her own path from our vision" - Alana Hale

Nines is the creation of designer Alana Hale. Fresh out of design school in 2008, she launched a couture inspired concept line creating one of-a-kind pieces for celebrity stylists and fashion editorials. Craving a more personal avenue, Alana sought to bridge the gap between her avant-garde design roots and laidback LA lifestyle. Ushering in a new era of effortless luxe, Nines was born. http://www.ninesbrand.com

See more from Nines here on the Fashion Blog.

You may also want to see more about avant-garde fashion blog posts.

Digital Art Solutions Holiday Rhinestones

Digital Art Solutions has just released the latest collection of rhinestone and heat transfer patterns for producing Christmas themed multi-decoration apparel. Multi-decoration Collection 4 is a complete tool kit with retail oriented novelty Christmas patterns.

The product is compatible with most rhinestone programs plus CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator. This innovative new art volume can also be bundled with a collection of GemCut Premium Korean Rhinestones at a significant discount.

Live Training on Selling Christmas Apparel 

They will be hosting a sales and marketing webcast on selling Christmas Apparel on November 19th, 23rd and December 3, 2014. During each webcast, they will be giving away a holiday pack of rhinestones valued at $150 to one registered attendee. You don’t have to attend the live event to win.

Learn more at Digital Art Solutions.

Learn more about fashion industry embellishments here on Apparel Search.

Kathy Griffin Replacing Joan Rivers on Fashion Police

According to TMZ, Kathy Griffin will be Joan Rivers' replacement on "Fashion Police".

Sources connected with the show tell TMZ it's a done deal. Kathy will join Melissa Rivers, Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic. 

They do not know the fate of George Kotsiopoulos.

TMZ was told that the show will no longer be a weekly series. E! will roll it out during awards shows and other occasions as event programming.

One silver lining ... the drapes will now match the carpet for sure. 

Tune in to TMZ on TV weekdays Monday through Friday (check http://www.tmz.com/when-its-on for syndicated/local listings at the bottom of the page) 

Archroma Traceable Dyes from Natural Waste

Specialty chemicals business Archroma has launched a new range of fully traceable biosynthetic sulphur dyes for cotton and cellulose-based fibers, derived from natural waste products.  A small chip on dyed garments also allows consumers to trace the item’s supply chain.

The new product is called EARTHCOLORS.

This dyestuffs company has a new name but a long history.  They want to help clothing companies on their way to eco-conscious fashion, with a range of products created from agricultural waste.  The company is embracing the latest in communications technology to enable supply chain transparency for consumers.

Archroma will put all the information about individual batches of color on hang tags to be attached to each item of clothing. Each hang tag incorporates a chip with all the appropriate information, which can be accessed by prospective buyers in the shop using their phone's NFC technology.

NFC is a relative of RFID, which many retailers already use for tracking products. But NFC is more sophisticated and more consumer friendly. Archroma is hoping that it will provide shoppers with a more "involved" buying experience.  NFC Technology Near-field (or nearfield) communication (NFC) is a form of short-range wireless communication where the antenna used is much smaller than the wavelength of the carrier signal (thus preventing a standing wave from developing within the antenna).  NFC technology enables simple and safe two-way interactions between electronic devices, allowing consumers to perform contactless transactions, access digital content, and connect electronic devices with a single touch.   Learn more at http://nfc-forum.org/what-is-nfc/about-the-technology/

The chip can contain information such as the mill that dyed the fabric and where the garment was laundered, as well as the source of bio-based raw material.

Traceable from nature to fashion:

EARTHCOLORS is Archroma’s patented new method of creating warm ternary shades from nature.

These high performance dyes are synthesized from leaves and the non-edible shells of nuts. Thanks to smart NFC technology, EARTHCOLORS dyes are fully traceable – from natural waste material to store.

Currently exclusive to brand owners only.

• Warm ternary shades from nature
• High-performance colors synthesized from the non-edible shells of nuts and leaves
• Transformed natural waste-based colorants*
• Traceability with NFC technology

* Range of dyes is transformed using up to 100% of raw materials from natural waste

Learn more about dyeing products & services here on the Apparel Search clothing industry guide.

Thank you for taking the time to read our textile industry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. 

For those of you that wish to learn more about the garment industry you are welcome to check our apparel industry blog page for additional news on the subject.

If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Crescent Moon Charms from Helen Ficalora

The Crescent Moon Collection will be available in Helen Ficalora stores, online at helenficalora.com and in select Bloomingdales Stores this Holiday season.

On November 17, Helen Ficalora unveiled the new Crescent Moon Collection for the upcoming Holiday season. The inspiration for the collection came from Montauk, New York where Helen was inspired by the moon changing over the ocean. As the tides change the moon evolves in shape and color, lighting up the sky with its brilliance and standing out from all of the stars around it.

The Crescent Moon Charms

The Crescent Moon Charms will be the newest addition to the Helen Ficalora Collection. The charms will be available in Helen's signature yellow, pink and white 14K gold starting at $95 with select pieces also available in sterling silver starting at $35.

The collection will feature the Crescent Moon Disk Charm $95-$175, the moon studs with diamonds $250, the Large Crescent Moon Charm with or without diamonds $400-$1800, the Carved Moon Charm with or without diamonds $600-$1200, and the Pave Diamond Moon Mini Charm $695. 

About Helen Ficalora

Helen Ficalora's signature designs inspire beauty, love and peace. Timeless pieces crafted from beautiful yellow, pink and white gold with diamond accents reflect an appreciation for nature and organic form. The collection resonates with individuals seeking unique and customizable jewelry that expresses their personal story. Featured frequently in the media Helen Ficalora is a favorite among celebrities for its refined and alluring qualities.


As the pioneer of the alphabet-charm craze Helen Ficalora has been bringing her devoted fans quality designs for over a decade. Her business originated inside her family beach motel in Montauk, New York. Outside of working Helen enjoys spending time with her friends and family.