Rolando Santana

The only good thing about it being the third weekend of August, and that much closer to the end of summer, is that sample sale season is back!! Fairly soon we’ll be breaking out our heavier cardigans and dark wash skinny jeans. We’ll try to pair these with our cheery summer tops, in attempt to attain one last round of wear before packing them up and saying goodbye until next spring. Although we don’t want to face the reality of fall, we’re still preparers by nature and know the best deals and sample sales for fall clothing are just around the corner. So this week we’ll buck up, buy some warm weather threads for next year, and early fall clothing paired with beautiful accessories for the upcoming weeks at the Issey Miyake, Lauren Merkin, Rolando Santana, and Kara Ackerman Sample Sales.

Issey Miyake Sample Sale

Issey Miyake is known for his experimental pleats that result in interesting and one of a kind textures on his blouses, skirts, dresses, and coats. One of the more popular divisions under the Issey Miyake brand is Pleats Please, in addition to Cauliflower and Heat, which will all be on sale Tuesday, August 14th, at the Issey Miyake Sample Sale.

Lauren Merkin Sample Sale

Five words: Bargain boxes starting at $30. Well, six, but doesn’t $30 look good under the moniker Lauren Merkin? Handbags, clutches, and accessories from the talented designer will be on sale for up to 70% off, and as low as $30, at the Lauren Merkin Sample Sale beginning Tuesday on 29th street.

Rolando Santana Private Sale

Even though the brand is three years old, Rolando Santana’s designs are stunning and beautiful. His ready to wear collection, both stock and samples, will be available for up to 50% off come Wednesday, at the Rolando Santana Private Sale in Midtown. RSVP ‘yes’ to [email protected] in order to stay up to date on all of the sale’s details.

Kara Ackerman Jewelry Sample Sale

Decadent designs, both ethereal and timeless, Kara Ackerman’s chandelier earrings, vibrant turquoise rings, and sterling silver bangles will be available at a deep discount during Wednesday’s one day only Kara Ackerman Jewelry Sample Sale. Ackerman’s pieces will act as the perfect statement piece with fall’s warm colored clothing.

Clothing, accessories, clothing, accessories; this week’s sample sale schedule works quite nicely, doesn’t it? Stock up now and enjoy it later, this month’s round of sample sale shopping will not only benefit your wallet, but both your fall and spring ’13 closets!

By Caitlin Colford

Rolando Santana knows dresses. He grew up surrounded by fabric (his mother was a dressmaker) and moved to New York City in 1991 to fulfill his fashion industry dream. After twenty years in the fashion capital of the world, Santana still finds inspiration for both color and structure in his homeland.

Do you have a theme in mind when you start a new collection? 

Yes. So for Spring 2011, it’s Modern Mexican Architecture. Then finding pieces that help me translate that onto a dress, whether it’s a color story or structure. For instance, we have one print that looks like cement. It’s very textured and printed on linen fabric. So seeing a cement wall and translating it onto a dress.

What inspired Modern Mexican Architecture?

My first collection launched in the height of the recession, so I really wanted my next collection to be bright, vibrant and inspiring. Being from Mexico, there are always such bright colors: yellows, reds, stripes. Previously, we played a lot with fabrics and draping. People reacted really well to it but were also inspired by the more sophisticated pieces – the blacks, neutrals, pieces that were classic but with a modern twist.

For 2011, I sought to combine those two elements. There is an architect named Luis Barragan, and he uses bright colors but his architecture is incredibly simple. I liked the combination. The main concept of the line is simple shapes with a lot of play on fabrics – pleating, draping, sequins, but sequins used for texture. Not bling all over.

Your first job when you graduated from FIT was for Spenser Jeremy. I read they “recognized your talent.” How so? 

Since it was a small family-owned company, I was exposed to the business end – production, merchandising, working with the design team. They had a private label and never a designer who really catered to the account. They wanted me to design a few dresses, and I made a presentation. I was assigned to the account. It was my first design job, and it opened the door creatively for me.

Why dresses?

Dresses are the ultimate feminine expression. The ability to create something special that is very easy to wear. With a dress, it’s just one piece. After so many years in the fashion world, you see pieces come and go, but the dress always remains. If a woman has a choice to buy separates or a dress, a dress is the way they will go. For everything.

Do you have a fashion design who inspires you?

Not a big name designer like Dior, but I’m inspired my contemporaries. More so by just traveling, people watching. Last weekend I was walking on the beach and started picking up stones. I was inspired by the sand, neutral colors. I started sketching some designs then in the studio, see if the fabrics works for them.

So if you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

Somewhere in Mexico. I would like to find a city that brings inspiration for fall. A city I haven’t been to where I could look at textiles and fabrics. Being remote from everything. I wouldn’t choose a glamorous spot, but rather explore within my roots and translate that into a more universal, cosmopolitan taste.

Santana and I spoke a bit about on the need to be remote and alone to find inspiration and work out designs. Creating space to be inspired is even harder for a designer launching their own line, their own business. Santana continually works to achieve this balance. When he left his studio last night, he sent me an email thanking me for my time. It was almost midnight.

To sample Rolando Santana’s dresses, visit his sale this week.

Emma Dinzebach