Chiara Ferragni at Coachella. Photo Credit: Chiara Ferragni Instagram Coachella is as much about the fashion as it is about the music. From gorgeous maxi's, denim shorts, colored lace to casual vests, here is a round up of looks and trends from this years festival. Get ready to be inspired for summer! Chiara Ferragni in Dior. Photo Credit: Chiara Ferragni Instagram Chiara Ferragni in Chiara Ferragni collection. Photo credit: Chiara Ferragni Instagram Arielle Noa Charnas of Something Navy in Revolve. Photo Credit: Something Navy Instagram Arielle Noa Charnas of Something Navy in Revolve. Photo Credit: Something Navy Instagram Arielle Noa Charnas of Something Navy in Revolve. Photo Credit: Something Navy Instagram Stacy Fan. Photo Credit: Eurasian Vogue Instagram Stacy Fan. Photo credit: Eurasian Vogue Instagram Alessandra Ambrosio in Revolve. Photo Credit : Alessandra Ambrosio Instagram Jamie Chung. Photo Credit: Jamie Chung Instagram Chanel Iman in Rachel Zoe. Photo Credit: Chanel Iman Instagram Kate Bosworth in Rachel Zoe. Photo Credit: Kate Bosworth Instagram Rachel Zoe in Rachel Zoe collection. Photo credit: Rachel Zoe Instagram Rocky Barnes in House of Harlow. Photo Credit: Rocky Barnes Instagram Julie Sarinana. Photo Credit: Sincerely Jules Instagram.
When I was in New York, I had arranged to meet with designer Minan Wong so I could get a preview of her collection and interview her ahead of her NYFW show two days later. We were set to meet at the store she was stocked in, Flying Solo, located on New York’s fashionable Mulberry Street. I was originally just meant to cover Minan Wong, but ended up interviewing six designers at Flying Solo that day, with many more I could of interviewed, but ran out of time due to the hectic schedule of NYFW. All I knew about the store where Wong was stocked was that it was filled with independent designers. What I didn’t know was that Elizabeth Solomeina, the owner of the store, was also a jewelry designer. She had wanted to open a store that had a community feel to it, that would stock not only independent designers but also have the entire store run by the designers themselves. They would help with sales, curating the store and when their customers came in, give them the full history of their brand, and show their customers with passion how each piece is made and the inspiration behind the collection. Almost like a gallery of fashion if you will, but one where each piece is available to buy and customers had the honor of meeting the designer themselves. Stacy Fan interviewing the designers at Flying Solo. The store has been open a little less than a year but already garnering huge success. Solomeina had started the store with the idea of creating a space that serviced it’s designer as a pop up store. It started in February 2016 for three days. As a jewelry designer, Solomeina had wanted clothes to sell along side her pieces and also wanted a strong community feel. The idea soon grew as designers loved the idea and Solomeina ended up needing to move to a bigger space. The store now houses over twenty designers but is always welcoming more. They are also opening up to menswear designers. It’s a store that isn’t just about sales, but about the community for the designers themselves, to lift each other up and find support in an otherwise cutthroat industry. With the right people, and the right mentality, the store just came together. However the designers can’t just be good at what they do, Solomeina tells me, there are plenty of talented people out there, they must also be willing to be a part of the tightknit and positive community that the store has created. The designers therefore go through a vetting process, if they pass muster, they’re in. The test clearly works. As I headed into the store I was greeted by the bubbly and positive personality of Minan Wong (see my interview with her here). I was then later taken to the back of the store where each designer had his or her collection laid out. The designers were all sitting around a large table chatting together animatedly, and it almost felt like I had walked into someone’s home, but without feeling like an intruder. They all smiled and greeted me with warmth and excitement about their new venture, all so happy to be a part of this thriving and talented community. |
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