Where To Shop Now

Where to Shop Right Now: Lots of new stores, stellar collaborations and must-have beauty finds

September is notably a big month for the fashion world. The industry’s top designers showcase new collections while fashion enthusiasts line the runways and hit the stores. It's traditionally a month where new stores open, so they'll be up and rarin' to go for the holiday rush that is just around the corner. Here are 12 places to shop 'til you drop for everything from fine jewelry to beauty products.

New Store: Madewell in Highland Village

The jeans-maker and women’s apparel store, a subsidiary of J. Crew, focuses on denim and all the things you wear with it. Think: leather jackets, boots, tees and bags. It's the third Houston store for the brand, which has outposts in The Galleria and The Woodlands.

New Store: Disney Store at Memorial City Mall

Hit up the Memorial City Mall outpost of the kid's specialty store for all things Disney including toys, clothing and collectibles featuring your favorite characters from superheroes and Disney Princesses to Mickey Mouse, of course.

Derek Lam Collection: Athleta

Gap Inc.’s fitness brand introduces its first ever-designer collaboration with Derek Lam, who is known for feminine fabrics and clean silhouettes. Available at two Houston stores (Town & Country and Rice Village), casual athletic wear collection (priced from $69 to $495) offers tank tops, workout shorts, leggings, jackets and the likes in fabrics from cotton to leather and cashmere.

New Store: Kit and Ace in Rice Village

The luxury retailer specializing in machine washable cashmere has opened its first location in the Bayou City. The Rice Village shop incorporates local elements in its design including artwork and installments created by Houston-based artists and designers.

Sinnerlig Collection by Ilse Crawford: Ikea

Swedish furniture giant Ikea has teamed up with London-based designer Ilse Crawford for the hip new Sinnerlig collection that centers around three main categories: working, dining, and lounging. More than 30 products, ranging from settees and tables to tablewear and lamps, use natural materials to produce "simple, useful forms that fit into everyday life" (think: cork, glass, bamboo and rattan).

New Store: Lily Rain in Tanglewood

The Houston-based clothing and lifestyle store, with stores in six states including five locales in Texas, has headed to The Woodway Collection in Tanglewood to open its second Houston-area shop. Items range from women’s fashions and beauty products to gifts and home decor from designers like Kate Spade and Red Engine.

New Stores: Michael Wiesenthal and Sarah Pacini at Cotton Club Collection

Cotton Club Collection has gone all-out with the addition of a store-within-a-store. For men, the M. Wiesenthal mini-shop offers sportswear, tailored clothing and accessories for men. Women haven't been left out: The River Oaks shopping gem was able to score enough of Italian designer Sarah Pacini's contemporary dresses, cardigans, coats, jeans and jewelry to fill a small room.

New Store: Cartier at River Oaks District

The Cartier boutique is the first to open in the luxe River Oaks District mixed-use complex. Megawatt merchandise from the high-end jeweler ranges from one-of-a-kind vintage pieces to a large selection of engagement and wedding rings, watches and more.

Christopher Nemeth Collection: Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton presents its men's fall/winter 2015 collection (priced from $158 to $4,400) inspired by the late London fashion designer, Christopher Nemeth. Ready-to-wear pieces, leather goods and accessories feature Nemeth's signature rope print.

New Store: Louboutin Beauty Shop at Neiman Marcus

While Houstonians will have to wait a little longer for French footwear designer Christian Louboutin's stand-alone boutique (it opens fall 2016), you can now shop at the first U.S. location of the Christian Louboutin Beauté. Located at Neiman Marcus, the beauty shop boasts products from the brand's Lip Colour collection.

New Store: H&M at CityCentre

The Swedish fast fashion retailer launches at CityCentre, marking the global brand’s fifth Houston-area location. The 20,000-square-foot store features apparel, accessories and athletic wear for adults, plus a children's collection with clothing for newborns through children age 14. The shop will also offer a line of new denim styles, available for men and women, made using recycled cotton.

Vamplify Collection: MAC Cosmetics

The lip gloss line from the New York-based cosmetics company is loaded with high-powered pigments and a combination of natural oils polish and moisturizing color. Glistening shades frame lips in 17 long-lasting colors like mauvey nude and intense true red.

Gap Inc.’s fitness brand has launched its first ever-designer collaboration with Derek Lam.

Houston, Athleta Town & Country, September 2015, Derek Lam Collection

Courtesy photo

Gap Inc.’s fitness brand has launched its first ever-designer collaboration with Derek Lam.

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DAZZLING DETAILS

Houston artist's Indian heritage inspires luxe new jewelry collection

Photo by Hung Troung

Maison Merchant’s debut collections feature sculptural gold designs, diamond accents, and customizable details handcrafted by master artisans in India.

Houston’s luxury jewelry scene welcomes a sparkling new addition with the official launch of Maison Merchant, the fine jewelry brand founded by Houston-based artist and designer Sneha Merchant.

The jewelry line is a new creative endeavor for Merchant, whose background as an artist serves as the foundation for the collection’s sculptural, highly detailed aesthetic.

“Maison Merchant is a fine jewelry collection inspired by my artwork, intricate circular motifs, and timeless craftsmanship, blending high jewelry with meaningful design and storytelling,” Merchant tells CultureMap. “This launch represents a deeply personal evolution of my creative journey, expanding my world as an artist into the realm of fine jewelry through pieces that feel luxurious, wearable, and enduring.”

Born and raised in Mumbai, Merchant's appreciation for jewelry began early when she would visit the family jeweler with her mother. “Being surrounded by that world from such a young age gave me a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, detail, and the emotional significance jewelry can carry,” she says. “Over the years, I began designing pieces for myself, and wherever I wore them, people would constantly ask about them.”

This led Merchant to debut her jewelry line with three collections. Cœur du Monde is inspired by mandalas and balanced geometry, while Muse d’Art transforms Merchant’s original artwork into wearable fine jewelry. The third collection, Renaître d’Or, explores transformation through sculptural gold designs accented with diamonds.

Sneha Merchant brings her artistic vision into the world of fine jewelry with the launch of Maison Merchant, a collection inspired by intricate motifs, craftsmanship, and personal storytelling.Photo by Hung Troung

“Every piece is designed to transition effortlessly from day to evening while retaining the craftsmanship and presence of high-end jewelry,” says Merchant.

Clients can personalize many designs in existing collections with different colors and material selections. The pieces are then handcrafted by master artisans in India with more than six decades of experience.

“Bespoke jewelry has always held deep meaning for me because I grew up watching my mother create custom pieces to mark the most important moments in her life,” she says. “Those pieces eventually became far more than jewelry. They carried history, emotion, love, and memories that were passed down through generations.”

Every Maison Merchant piece begins as a hand sketch, which she says is often the most time-intensive part of the process. “As an artist, translating a two-dimensional artwork into a wearable, three-dimensional form requires immense detail, proportion, and refinement before the design ever moves into production.”

Merchant's long-term goals go far beyond the debut collection, which is available exclusively online. “I want people to feel an immediate sense of confidence, refinement, and presence when they wear Maison Merchant,” she says. “My vision for Maison Merchant is to create collectible pieces that people return to season after season and eventually pass down for generations.”

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