Fashion Trends

Clutch this: Fashion magazine and Nine West team up on sexy purses, shoes and more

In the first-of-its-kind collaboration, InStyle magazine has teamed with Nine West to create a line of stylish accessories at reasonable prices. The spring collection includes a "hold-everything" clutch, dressy sandals, a statement cuff and a variety of sexy pumps, slingbacks and wedges, priced from $79 to $129.

"I'm designing the type of things I would want to wear," InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp explained. "It was really important to me to be involved in every aspect of the process, looking at the samples, feeling how they felt in my hand, putting them on. We're bringing InStyle's brand (of) shop-like-an-editor to life with Nine West. It's what an editor would have in their wardrobe, it's what I want in my wardrobe."

"I'm designing the things I would like to wear," InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp explained.

Karp was recently at The Galleria to debut the spring collection at the Nine West boutique. Why Houston?

"One of the things that's so important to both of our brands is we're incredibly ethnically diverse. Houston really represents that for us and allows us to find the most robust group of fans to ensure we're going where they are," said Nine West senior vice president of marketing Erika Szychowski.

Most women are looking for versatile accessories that can carry them from day to night, Karp said. "And I don't think it needs to be a heel. We have a beautiful flat sandal that has a metal piece inspired by a piece of jewelry that I found that elevates it to be wearable for evening as much as it is for day."

So it's OK to wear sandals at night?

"Absolutely," Karp said. "We love a flat with a long skirt and tank top or a little cami for evening. Just dress it up with jewelry. And the jewelry piece that I designed, that's the point of it — you can wear it with blue jeans and a T-shirt as well as an evening dress or a jacket and cami and skirt for going out at night."

In designing the collection, Karp aimed for pieces that won't soon go out of style — a wearable wedge, a clutch big enough to be a day bag and a minimalist bracelet that "gives a lot of look for not a lot of money."

The idea for the collaboration came about over a fashion week dinner in Paris between InStyle editor Ariel Foxman and Jones Apparel Group CEO Richard Dickson last year. (Jones is the parent company of Nine West.) InStyle is the top-selling fashion magazine, with a circulation of nearly two million, but wants to expand its brand beyond print and Nine West jumped at the opportunity to collaborate.

The two companies whipped out a small collection for last fall that was so popular that is has been expanded for spring to include bracelets, clutches in three colors, and shoes in 18 styles.

"This collection is perfect for Texas, in my opinion, because it's so minimal, with a lot of baseline colors that are great with the way women like to dress here, which is in such bright colors and over-the-top accessories that they might want to combine with a few more grounding statement pieces," Szychowski said. "It plays well with a culture that isn't just dying to be in black every day like New York City."

Shoppers compare the Nine West "hold everything" clutch, $129, and statement cuff, $88, designed by InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp.

Purses at the InStyle for Nine West event March 2014

Photo by © Michael Stravato

Shoppers compare the Nine West "hold everything" clutch, $129, and statement cuff, $88, designed by InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp.

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GUCCI GRANDEUR

Gucci unveils a new 2-story store with VIP lounge at the Houston Galleria

Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci

Gucci's newest boutique recently opened and boasts two floors to offer a wider selection of the brand's luxury goods.

Gucci is expanding its footprint in Texas with a posh new boutique in the Galleria. The renowned Italian brand has cemented its luxury status in the Bayou City with a first-of-its-kind, two-story, 11,000-square-foot outpost that replaces a 4,100-square-foot boutique that opened in 2018.

On the ground floor, shoppers will be greeted with ready-to-wear women's clothing, shoes, and accessories. A custom-made Gucci Rossi Ancora staircase will lead customers to the upper floor, where they can pursue menswear, shoes, and the brand's Valigeria travel collection. The spacious upper floor also allows for displays of the coveted Gucci Blondie line and Gucci B bag presented with the current Fall-Winter and Cruise collections.

Gucci store Houston Galleria A staircase in Gucci's signature Rosso Ancora leads shoppers to the second floor. Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci

The store's minimalistic decor further highlights the fashion house's collections. Nevertheless, there is no mistaking the Gucci aesthetic. Marble floors and acid green and yellow carpeting distinguish individual spaces, while furnishings by B&B Italia, Cassina, and Minotti paired with brushed steel countertops reflect the sleek, modern vision of Gucci's creative director, Sabato De Sarno.

One distinctive feature that sets this boutique apart from its predecessor is a VIP lounge for more private and personalized shopping. The boutique also showcases eco-friendly initiatives that follow LEED guidelines to promote energy efficiency.

Gucci store Houston Galleria Houston Galleria will be one of the first boutiques to open with Gucci’s latest store window concept, Endless Narratives.Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci

Right now, the Houston store is one of the first to open with Gucci's latest window concept, Endless Narratives, a collaboration with renowned Italian artist Luca Pignatelli. The window display showcases the interplay between light, mirrors, and everyday objects, encouraging audiences to look deeper. On mirrored shelves, books, miniature statues, and replicas of Gucci's archival bookends, the curated design encourages audiences to see the objects and their reflections as a representation of Gucci's creative universe.

Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci

Gucci's newest boutique recently opened and boasts two floors to offer a wider selection of the brand's luxury goods.

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