Stay inspired and fresh this fall by hitting some of Houston's newest stores.
Marfa lovers can own a small piece of the land with designer Kathy Bracewell’s collection of semi-precious agate pieces. View the entire fall/winter 2013 collection Oct. 29 at Tootsies. Bracewell will be there, discussing her inspiration.
Located in the heart of West University at 6209 Edloe, Julie Rhodes Fashion and Home has opened with an assortment of American and European collections new to the Houston area. Rhodes, a Parsons graduate, former buyer for Dior, and trend forecaster for WGSN, brings a well-curated selection of quality creations, allowing clients to custom order everything from furniture to stationary.
Julius and Caesar at The Vault
Julius and Caesar, a local Houston jean design company that began in July, focuses on men’s jeans, helping the local Houston community along the way. When you buy any pair of jeans from Julius and Caesar, they donate a percentage of the profits to the Houston Food Bank.
Pick up a pair and make your contribution at Vault, a new men's store located at 3407 Montrose.
Kara Ross returns to her roots with the launch of her first full fine jewelry collection in five years, The Petra Collection. Consisting of 50 pieces, the Petra Collection includes a range of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings and pendants.
Inspired by the design of the Pangea ring, the foundation and centerpiece for the entire collection, the line features a wide array of sparkling, colorful gemstones of the highest quality set in 18-karat gold. It launches this month in Houston at Neiman Marcus.
LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, a self-dubbed "cosmetic deli" offering ethical skin care, hair care, bath and body products, has come to Market Street in The Woodlands and Highland Village. LUSH’s philosophy has always been to have the least possible impact on the environment while still producing effective and innovative beauty products.
In doing so, LUSH products are 100 percent vegetarian, 80 percent vegan, 60 percent preservative-free and 38 percent free of wasteful packaging with absolutely no animal testing.
M Penner recently debuted a in-house custom label shirt collection. Customers at the nearly 40 year-old Houston staple can now choose from more than 800 fabrics and decide on the thread, collar, cuffs, buttons and monogramming of their shirts.
M. Wiesenthal's Men's Collection
The M. Wiesenthal Men’s Collection is both similar to and a departure from the Wiestnthal historic family business, Harolds in the Heights. Michael Wisenthal, the son of Harold Wiesnthal, has opened a new store that is rooted in a neighborhood community, just as Harolds in the Heights was — only the new shop is in Bellaire.
It offers the same highly personal, one-on-one service including made-to-measure options as well as known brands, such as Robert Talbott, Jack Victor and Lubiam.
Cameron Silver, the owner and founder of the legendary Los Angeles vintage store Decades, collaborates with Nine West to bring six limited edition styles, including d’orsay flats, classic and scalloped pumps, slouchy booties and an over-the-knee boot and matching fold-over clutch. The exclusive collection represents a modern interpretation of the punk movement’s most iconic trends including neon accents, camouflage calf hair and eye-catching silhouettes.
The Cameron Silver for Nine West collection is available for $69 to $299 at top Nine West stores nationwide, including the Houston Galleria, and at Ninewest.com.
Paris Texas Apparel Co. is a menswear collection that celebrates the history and heritage of Texas. It was launched in May 2012 by Paul and Patrick Hotze, native Houstonians who wanted a subtle way for everyone to express their inner Texan. Their line consists of silk printed neckties, polos and T-shirts and can be purchased both online and in numerous retail locations across the state.
Among the Houston stores that carry the brand are Pinto Ranch, Magpie's, Mark Clothiers and Vincent Ford Apparel.
Bargain bins at Coquette
The bargain bin is back at this chic Montrose boutique, which publicist Kristen Cannon has joined as a partner. (Original owner Aries Milan moved to Los Angeles to open a Santa Monica branch of Coquette but continues to be involved with the Houston store.) Bins of items for $25 (Made by Blouses, Brokedown tanks), $35 (swimsuits, Suboo dresses) and $55 (dresses by Mason and Parker) are ready to be rummaged through, along with 70 percent discounts on other sale items.
Find skin care, hair care, bath and body luxuries, as well as creative gift ideas, at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics.
Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich is available at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, plus online.Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard