Designers

Have you ever wondered why we don’t host our own sample sales? It is after all our specialty. Well, you can stop wondering now, next week we are bringing you Atelier Coralia Leets Samples Sale at 80% off Retail.  We are very proud of our collaboration and you should absolutely check it out. In the meantime, Greta, our miracle worker intern, has been in touch with Coralia,  who graciously agreed to answer some of our questions.

Born in Nicaragua, Coralia Leets moved to Florida when she was sixteen. After pursuing a career in Public Relations and Business Administration, she decided to launch her eponymous jewelry line in 2001. Now sold in Bloomingdale’s, as well as in speciality stores around the world, the line is an embodiment of Leets’ signature “gritty meets pretty” aesthetic. I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about what inspires her designs.

Greta Jenkins: From your social media accounts, it seems that you gain a lot of inspiration from travel. Is there a location that has particularly inspired you?

Coralia Leets: A place that always has inspired me is perhaps busy street in big cities: London , Istanbul, summers in the Italian Riviera, Paris, and New York City. By watching urban style I am always hunting for great looks, texture, and colors. At the end of the day in my quiet time I like to put together my own interpretation of what is going on in the fashion industry.

GJ: Do any of your pieces remind you of a specific trip or vacation spot? 

CL: When I think of minimalist (small , delicate, simple elegant) design I think about France, for sure, and now the same tendency is expanding into our USA market.

GJ: How has your home country of Nicaragua influenced your designs?

CL: I love my country and I was only 16 years old when I left and moved abroad, but every time that I can visit I try to make it fit into my busy schedule. I will say probably my childhood has contributed to what I do today and the passion that I have for design .

GJ: What do you think the next big trend in jewelry will be?

CL: It has been 3 years that the whole fashion industry has changed; we are in the process of catering to the new generation of baby boomers. The next trend in jewelry goes from very minimalist with strong design to an elaborated pieces representing personality, definition, texture and, finally,to set apart each designer with their own look.

GJ: Where would you like to live if you won a few million dollars?

CL: I will probably like to stay where I am now in life, rather than move to a different place.

GJ: What are your three favorite things to do in New York?

CL: Loved to eat in ethnic restaurant that only Big Cities like NY can offer; have a foot massage while walking the streets after a busy day; and visit the Department Store windows as well as to visit unique upcoming designer shops.

By Mirela Gluck and Greta Jenkins

I’ve been counting down the days for the Altuzarra for Target collaboration to hit stores. Joseph Altuzarra, known for his luxury women’s ready-to-wear, has a gift for creating truly feminine pieces with a sexy-meets-sophisticated edge. Think business woman with refined sex appeal.

You can imagine my disappointment when I woke up this morning to a 7:30 a.m. text message from a friend — a woman who works HR at Target — saying, “Soooo, we actually don’t have a lot of the new collection at all. We only got 11 pieces in.” She suggested I venture to a different Target location because their store’s shipment just wasn’t impressive.

So I did what any fashion-loving, collaboration-obsessed woman would do. I called other locations for an assessment. Each had the same story: “We only have three racks,” said one store. “We have a limited supply and only one of each size for the garments we do have,” said another.

I stuck with my original plan to go to the location nearest me. If everyone had a piddly supply, I figured I’d save myself some time by driving the least amount of miles.

Target, as a whole, was quiet upon my arrival. I ventured over to the clothing racks where I found three small displays dedicated to Altuzarra. These displays were actually misleading, as they didn’t even have flashy signs or even the words, “Altuzarra” to advertise the newest arrivals as Target has done in the past. In fact, some of the displays still said, “Xhilaration,” one of Target’s anchor brands. My friend’s description of their shipment was accurate: 11 pieces, including the Altuzarra booties. There was also only one of each size for the garments that were on display. In short: sort of a sad display.

The Altuzarra racks did have some buzz around them, so I worked quickly, grabbing the pieces that had potential to flatter my hard-to-fit figure. I did have to grab some items that weren’t my size, but for the most part I was able to snag what I needed. With seven pieces in tow, including a pair of the booties, I scurried off to the dressing room to try everything on.

Altuzarra for Target Striped Sleeveless Dress- Light Blue/White, $39.99

Before I tried on this , I scolded myself for that morning’s bra and underwear choices: all black. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this piece was double lined with quality fabric, which prevented that “see through/peek-a-boo” effect that so many of the Target collaborations have. I felt that the garment was well constructed and provided a nice, clean palette for accessorizing. However, if you have a large bust like I do, you will probably want to go up a size or two to accommodate the ladies, as I experienced some gapping action. I also think this garment needs, at a minimum, a belt.

Altuzarra for Target Dress Python Print, $44.99

This was my second favorite piece I tried on. Again, I was impressed by the quality and construction. When you’re working with an animal print, it’s imperative to use quality materials or else you very quickly dive into the realm of “trashy fashion.” The construction and textiles used kept this piece far from that iffy line, though, and I found myself really impressed. The dress does run a little small in the chest, so size up if you have a larger bust.

Altuzarra for Target Sweater with Crane Embroidery, $49.99

This was, hands down, my favorite piece I tried on. Looking at the sneak-peak pictures, I wasn’t too impressed — especially with the $50 price tag. I wondered if the embroidery would be shoddy, but I was blown away by the quality once I saw it in person. I was also less flabbergasted at the price. Overall, this cozy sweater fit comfortably and true-to-size. The embroidery was very well done — thick, luxurious and with a sort of glintzy glimmer quality to it that elevated an otherwise boring black sweater.

Altuzarra for Target Sheer Peasant Blouse with Embroidery- Ruby Hill, $44.99

This isn’t really my style, but I decided to try it on anyway. The glimmery details on the front are really pretty and I think it’d pair well with trousers, a skirt or even jeans. It was more sheer than any of the other pieces I tried on, but it didn’t feel fragile the way that some gossamer pieces in Target collaborations can. I found that it fit true to size.

Altuzarra for Target Ankle Boot, $59.99

I was extremely unimpressed with these Altuzarra Ankle Boots for several reasons. 1. They ran small. 2. They were highly uncomfortable (and I have a high tolerance for foot pain). 3. They felt and looked cheap in person. These boots had that super shiny plastic-y appearance to them. I heard others commenting on how cheap they looked, as well, so I’m not alone in my assessment. In short: I was very unimpressed. You can get yourself much nicer booties for the same price or less, so don’t waste your money on these.

Altuzarra for Target Orchid Print Sweatshirt, $29.99

I really wanted to like this feminine sweater, but I found that it also read cheap. If you have any kind of bust whatsoever, prepare for a strange fit with the shiny/non-stretchy material that smooshes and rises in unflattering ways. I do like the floral print, but the materials used are what lost my vote on this one. I also feel like this piece is one of the more juvenile of the collection. If you’re over 25, I’d definitely say “NO!” to this piece.

*I also tried on the Altuzarra for Target Jacquard Pencil Skirt in black ($34.99), parts of which can be seen in some of these pictures. However, because it was not my actual size, I feel like I cannot give an adequate review in terms of fit. Regarding construction, this skirt felt sturdy and well made. I also appreciated the subtle texture. I think it would be a nice addition to any woman’s “work wardrobe” due to its versatility, especially for $35.

I think I would have liked more pieces in this collection would I have had the opportunity to try them on. I was really hoping to try some of the pants and more of the dresses. From what I did try on, it was about a 25% hit and 75% miss, at least based on my personal tastes and my body shape. Note that even if your store has a limited supply, you can buy the entire collection online.

By Wendy Rose Gould

This fashion week, people from all walks of life and with all tiers of access are zipping around this fair city to set their eyes on the most important stage of the year, the Spring/Summer ’15 New York Fashion Week.

New York is arguably the most important city in the world when it comes to fashion, and getting your show noticed can be hard. One way to ensure standing out is to have a presentation in SoHo, where there are far less gawkers and stalkers to crowd the area and a larger percentage of guests are media. Cynthia Rowley’s presentation launched her take on activewear. Cynthia Rowley came to NYC direct from Chicago where she attended school, and was lucky to be selling collections out of the gate.

Activewear and comfort forward fashions have always been important to this designer, as leggings and wetsuits have always had their place in Cynthia’s collections. Widely known also for the iconic first few Target collaborations, Cynthia Rowley is an accessible brand whose vision of active does not translate to boring.

The collection was full of pieces that are interpreting this year’s huge resurgence of sportswear, with a feminine and fantasy element to keep it grounded. The models were clothed in pants, dresses and tops that could pass for just a regular collection, but all with comfort in mind. There was a very organic feel to the collection with a backdrop of tree branches, sun, and creatures behind all of the happenings.

One of the more interesting things to us were the interpretations of the T-shirt. Rather than screen-print something and call it a day, Rowley’s team came up with some really stylish versions of a tee involving a ‘normal’ front and a stylized back. We for one can truly appreciate the desire to stand out and push the boundaries of what we are used to seeing.

Overall the collection had a warm palette and appeared to be comfortable, though with catwalk footwear on I never know how these models can stand still for so long in any outfit. Keep your eyes open for this stuff in stores, and run from the gym to a cocktail hour with the same look for a change!

By Danielle Guercio

To say I’m excited about the newest Target collaboration — Altuzarra for Target — would be an understatement. Like many women, I’m all about inexpensive designer goods, especially when they’re readily available both online and at a store with 5 miles of my home. This particular collection, however, has me more excited than the other collabs we’ve seen at the popular retail store. Why, you ask? I’ll tell you.

This one leans far more “sophisticated, but sexy woman” than the others do. In fact, the other collections seemed to focus on more of a 20-something demographic, perhaps even younger in some cases. That is most certainly not the case here, though.

True to Altuzarra form, this is a very sultry collection that dances on the line between alluring and professional. Think trendy business woman with a lot of sex appeal.

The Altuzarra for Target will include nearly 50 items that include women’s apparel, accessories and shoes. Prices for apparel range from $17.99 to $89.99, and $29.99 to $79.99 for accessories.

We’ve got the sneak peak for you today and we will definitely cover the collection when it launches on September 14. For now, enjoy photographs from the look book.

[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”4″]

*Target.com exclusive
** Available globally on Net-a-Porter.com

For more information and updates on the Altuzarra for Target collection, visit ABullseyeView.com and follow @TargetStyle and @AltuzarraStudio. Join in on the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #AltuzarraForTarget.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image Credit: Target.com