Where to shop

Where to Shop Now: 'It' handbags, edgy designers, fab new products at Houston boutiques

Summer is ending, school is starting, routines are getting back into their rhythm, and, more importantly, fall shopping has commenced. The time to scour for cutting-edge styles and looks to impress your friends is upon us. There is a pattern this month with debuts of new handbags along with some fabulous new product lines that are sure to catapult anyone into super-stylish status. Let the fall shopping frenzy begin!

Miu Miu’s new 'It' Bag

Looking for a new bag to tote around this fall? Miu Miu just launched the new “My Miu” bag from the fall/winter 2017 collection. This new style debuted at Paris Fashion Week and became a fan favorite. Embellished with playful snakeskin straps and jeweled and leather buckles, the clutch bag, which starts at around $1,660, comes in many different exotic leathers and even fur in a variety of kicky colors. The bag screams fun but still gives a chic and classic look to any outfit. The new styles are available both in store and online for all those who covet the look.

Atelier Alienor Classic Espadrilles

It is no secret that espadrilles have been the trendy footwear style for spring and summer. French native and Houston founder Laurie Cazeaux decided to leave her career in oil and gas and take her talents to mastering the art of the classic espadrille. Crafted by hand with the finest and most sustainable materials in Aquataine, France, the shoes are exported to Texas and are available on the brand’s online shop. Named after the Queen Alienor of Aquatetain, the line channels feminine power and confidence like the stylish ruler herself. The shoes, which start at $129, come in a variety of classic espadrille styles with wrap around ribbons, platform souls and leather and canvas materials at an affordable price.

Jaboneria Marianella Luxe Beauty Products

This new mother-and-son soap company is warming our hearts and soothing our skin with their luxurious new line of beauty products. Texas native David Foote teamed up with his mother, Marianella, to recreate the fragrances in the bath and body products once created in her grandmother’s kitchen in Venezuela. The USA-made soap bars, liquid soaps, and body creams are all free of harsh chemicals and animal testing, and they contain anti-aging products. The new luxury beauty line, which range from $14 to $48, can be found both online and in a pop-up shop opening this month in The Galleria (through January).

Coach x Selena Gomez Handbag

The actress and singer teamed up with Coach creative director Stuart Vevers to create the new “Selena Grace,” a featured bag that embodies both the classic and feminine sides of the brand and the effortless cool of the star herself. The double handle carry-all, which retails for $350, is made to go everywhere and fits all lifestyles. Gomez fans will enjoy the personal touches on the design, including a hangtag bearing her signature and a story patch sewn inside with her empowering message: "To be you is to be strong." Also there is "Love yourself first" in Gomez's handwriting — a phrase inspired by one of her tattoos — embossed onto the base of the bag. The collection is available September 1,just in time to rock the new style while singing Gomez’s newly-released song “Fetish.”

New J. McLaughlin – The Woodlands store

The well-established all-American clothing and accessories brand is adding its sixth Texas location in The Woodlands. Debuting the fall collection, the store features many styles for both men and women that work for Houston fall weather. Classic all-season dresses and super lightweight layering pieces tout the brand’s classic and laid-back feel. One of J. McLaughlin’s concepts for each of their stores is to maintain a neighborhood feel both in aesthetic and personable customer service. Fittingly, the store space is designed to exude the iconography of classic Texas ranch land and farm buildings.

Kimora Lee Simmons collection at Elizabeth Anthony

The Uptown Park store has the exclusive on designer and former model Kimora Lee Simmons’ line, KLS. The former Baby Phat designer now creates an architectural, yet feminine collection with a luxe edge. Fall and holiday/resort looks are available at a trunk show August 24-25, with selected pieces from the collection available throughout the coming months.

Georgie Ferrell is a staff writer at CultureMap. Find her at TheQueenMidas.com or follow her on Instagram at @TheQueenMidas.

A look from the Kimora Lee Simmons KLS resort collection, available at Elizabeth Anthony.

Kimora Lee Simmons KLS resort 2017 collection

Photo courtesy of Kimora Lee Simmons

A look from the Kimora Lee Simmons KLS resort collection, available at Elizabeth Anthony.

shopping

ELEGANT EVOLUTION

Houston designer Christy Lynn celebrates 5 years with River Oaks pop-up

Photo by Quy Tran

The designer opened her new space with a Spring 2025 Collection fashion show.

Houston designer Christy Lynn Lee has had a whirlwind five years and is celebrating with a pop-up store in River Oaks District and a new Resort 2025 Collection. The pop-up boutique will be open through the end of February, offering shoppers curated picks from the designer's Fall/Winter 2024, Resort 2025, and the first drop of Spring 2025 on February 1.

"I wasn't looking for a pop-up during the holiday season, but the opportunity presented itself, and I made the decision within two weeks," Lee tells CultureMap. "I have a beautiful store in Memorial, and being there for over a year has taught me a lot about that part of the city. There are a lot of people that shop in River Oaks District from out of town and even internationally, and we felt we could learn a lot about those customers just by being there for the next four months."

Houston-based designer Christy Lynn Lee and her husband Christophe Chung.Photo by Quy Tran

After founding her ready-to-wear label in 2019, Lee became known for her romantic and ephemeral dresses with hand-painted floral motifs and exquisite fabrics from Italy, France, and China. In the past year, Lee has focused on evolving her brand to include more separates, knitwear, and suiting. The Resort 2025 Collection will showcase these efforts with a capsule wardrobe that is ready for holiday travel with beautiful skirts, cashmere, and embroidered treatments on leather and suede.

"The collection is available now through January, and it is holiday-inspired," said Lee. "I wanted it to feel like a transitional capsule collection, so if you are traveling for the holidays to somewhere warm or skiing, it is easy to take it away with you."

Shoppers can peruse the ready-to-wear Resort 2025 Collection at the River Oaks District pop-up. Photo courtesy of Christy Lynn

In addition to the new pop-up boutique and launch of her latest collection, Lee is celebrating five years of her eponymous brand. The designer says the first three years were the honeymoon phase, while the last two dealt with trials and tribulations. She and her business partner and husband, Christophe Chung, have been focused on sustaining the business's progress.

"The first three years we had a lot of growth. I have a store, a team here in Houston, and a team in New York, so now it is about planning for the next five years.," said Lee. "I am fortunate that I have built a really good production and design group. It is very small, but it allows me to concentrate more on the outward-facing parts of the fashion business."

Christy Lynn Lee celebrated her 5 year anniversary with a fashion show and the debut of her River Oaks District pop-up. Photo by Quy Tran

While Lee has focused on expanding nationwide and globally (she began international shipping in the last six months), she says Houston will remain her home base. The designer's atelier, warehouse, and flagship store are all in Houston, and over the past several years, Lee and her husband have built a welcoming community around them.

"We couldn't have grown so much without the support from Houston. I feel like it is my home," said Lee. "Houston embodies diversity, creativity, and opportunity. It is an international hub that offers access to a global audience while still having a fantastic local community."

Photo by Quy Tran

The designer opened her new space with a Spring 2025 Collection fashion show.

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