The ideeli Scoop with Carlos Falchi

It's hard to go one-on-one with fashion royalty and remain unaffected, but we somehow managed to write our interview with legendary designer Carlos Falchi (shop our sale today) without (completely) going into fangirl mode. Simply put, there's almost no career milestone Falchi has not reached. As a costumer, he has outfitted icons such as Mick Jagger, Miles Davis, and Elvis Presley. His coveted handbags reside in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, and have been carried by both the old guard (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Tina Turner) and new generation (Cate Blanchett, Mary J. Blige) of stylephiles. And, as an arbiter of exotic skins, vivid prints, and creating functional accessories that work just as splendidly as they look, the elegance and richness of his pieces are acclaimed the world over. We talked to the master craftsman about music gods as muses, the beauty of his native Brazil, and just how does one successfully incorporate those beautiful prints of his into a wardrobe.

What is the most extraordinary/unusual muse you've had?
I had two. Miles Davis and Tina Turner.
You have an esteemed background as a costumer, especially for renowned artists such as Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, and The Rolling Stones. How have those experiences influenced your design?
I love music and to be able to work with my heroes was amazing. They appreciated my work. Just as they express themselves through music, I express myself through my designs.
What is your most memorable story from your years in that world?
Seeing Miles Davis wearing my snakeskin pants at Carnegie Hall.
Brazil is a country known for beauty: in its people, places, and culture. How, if in any way, do you see it reflected in your work?
Everywhere. I am Brazilian. Exotic runs in my veins. Brazil is magic, colors, textures and exotic, which is reflected in all my work.
You're known for vivid prints and textures. What advice do you have for how to successfully incorporate these elements into a wardrobe or outfit?
Mix them up. The more the merrier.
What advice do you have for aspiring handbag designers who would like to be the next Carlos Falchi?
Never give up. Work, work, work. Repetition is the name of the game and there are no rules.
Given your status as a master handbag crafter, what's in your bag? What do you always have when you leave the house?
I carry all kinds of bags. The tote, the satchel. I’m always test driving my bags. I carry fun and personal things, like pictures of my daughters.

The Earth Day Scoop with Carolyn Pittel

A perfect T-shirt is one of fashion’s holy grails, and finding one that’s eco-friendly to boot is like winning the good conscience style jackpot. Enter Sea NYC (check out our sale here). Designer Carolyn Pittel founded the line in 2007, which manufactures only in Turkish factories with low carbon footprints and produces T-shirts from highly sustainable bamboo and organic cotton. But from a pure style angle, with their perfect fits and spot-on graphics, these T-shirts more than make the grade. Here, Pittel tells ideeli about sustainable fashion and biking for Earth Day.

What makes Sea NYC eco-friendly?
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. We make it a focus to work with manufacturers/factories that have a low carbon footprint emission. Coming soon we will have Tote bags that are 100% made from wind and solar.
How did you become interested in sustainable fashion?
To be honest, I was interested in good design first. I launched brands Loop and Parcel in 2000, and through this experience I learned that strength in design and quality is key to building any brand successfully. Sea NYC’s interest in sustainable fashion is to use our strength in design by creating and producing with consideration to environmental and social impact.
What do you think makes a perfect T-shirt?
When you can wear your T all day, change to heels and go right into the night with it.
What are your favorite eco-friendly products?
Hybrid taxi cabs, and cycling cities. I‘d love to see NYC become a world-class cycling city.
How will you be celebrating Earth Day this year?
Riding my bike wearing a Sea T shirt!

The ideeli Scoop with Nancy Phan

Just like a pair of perfectly broken-in jeans, there’s something about a gently worn leather bag that simultaneously conveys character and effortless chic. Nancy Phan, designer of cult label Ava Rose’s (check out our sale today) gorgeously distressed accessories,knows that a bag should last for many years and acquire distinction with age. Phan, a former trade attaché for the French Trade Office, turned her sophisticated eye to handbags after taking some classes at FIT and converting a corner of her apartment into a tiny atelier with the assistance of an industrial sewing machine. Launched in 2008, Ava Rose is Phan’s answer to the perpetual quest for the perfect arm candy. Here, Phan tells ideeli about what she loves for spring, why her favorite place is Sedona, and the orange sock that lives in her bag.

Who are your style inspirations?
A lot of my style inspiration comes from my friends. They can be very quirky and out there, yet sultry and very real. It’s hard to describe, but it’s sort of like a range of Sophia Loren meets Karen O.
What's in *your* bag right now?
Let’s see…an Ava Rose “trimmed out” Ryan clutch, which I use as a wallet. It has great meaning to me because it is one of the first pieces I ever designed. I have a tape measure, some Kiehl’s lip balm, an issue of Dazed and Confused Magazine, and some Claritin because my allergies are going nuts. I also have my digital camera, which I carry everywhere, mostly in case I see someone wearing an interesting outfit or bag. Oh, and my cellphone, my iPod and a giant pair of Bose headphones. And I just found one orange sock in the inside pocket. For real, totally random.
What blogs can you not live without?
I love Notcot.org and Notcouture.com. They feature a lot of really great, innovative ideas. I also really like See Saw and Black Eiffel.
What's your favorite destination?
Sedona, Arizona is my favorite place in the whole world.I grew up nearby in Phoenix, but I never appreciated its beauty until after I moved to New York and went back to Sedona for a visit with my boyfriend. The intense red color of the rocks is an amazing backdrop against the washed-out green cactus and plant life. Right next to Sedona is Jerome, an old ghost town with plants growing inside of abandoned buildings that used to be a copper mining town in the late 1800s. It is spooky and awesome. My boyfriend also fell in love with Sedona when we first visited a few years ago and now we’re getting married there next month! We can’t wait to bring our friends and family there, and hope they will like it as much as we do.
What do you see yourself living in—clothes-wise—now that the weather's warming up?
I’ve been buying lots of print dresses and stockpiling them for spring and summer. I tend to get really cranky when I’m hot, and I’ve found that dresses are the best way to combat my crankiness and stay cool. Also, there are so many fun, wearable prints out there—it makes me happy!
What does the name Ava Rose signify?
One of the meanings of Ava is “life.” Ava Rose signifies the idea of a Rosey Life, of happiness and fulfillment. We try to reflect that in the products that we make: cheerful items that are fun yet classic and not too self-serious.

The Style Questionnaire: Castle Starr

The Castle Starr line is as dreamy as the label's name. Lush fabrics, jeweled necklines, and beautiful tailoring will make any girl feel like a pretty princess.  We recently had a little sit down with the president of the company, Dan Castle to get the inside skinny on his company and of course, his iPod.

1) We love the fact you are a businessman who uses his financial smarts to partner with successful designers. Describe your typical workday? There is no typical day at Castle Starr.  There are times when certain aspects of the business are more pressing than others.  For example, I divide each season we create into three categories, Design, Sales & Production and Shipping. PR and marketing are a constant focus as well. Certain times of the year I will spend a lot of time with the designers going over fabrics, color and embellishment and print creation. Other times are less glamorous and I am at the factories overseas checking on production or at the distribution center making sure our stores are shipped correctly and each garment has been inspected properly.

2) How many designers at time do you work with? Castle Starr has a designer in Paris and 3 in NYC. Everything is a collaboration.

3) Castle Starr is a fantastic name- we get the Castle part - where did Starr come from?   Castles connote wealth and luxury. Stars connote love and creativity. Our customer has fine taste and wants what nobody else has seen before. She has a passion for fashion, she truly loves getting dressed up. The extra "R" in Starr is my way of letting everyone know that we are different than everyone else and focus on originality.

4) What do you find inspiring? My inspiration comes from our loyal customers. Anyone can come to our showroom and shop with us and this allows me to see the reactions they have to each piece in the collection. They get a great discount and my team gets free focus groups. By emailing info@castlestarr.com anyone can make an appt to shop with my team directly at our offices.

5)  Top ten tunes on your play list? This year I have been playing guitar a lot so my play list are songs that I have been learning lately such as: Grey Street - Dave Mathews, Stir it Up - Bob Marley, Smells like Teen Spirit - Nirvana,  and lots of Rolling Stones and The Doors.

6) Most treasured item in your closet: A custom suit I designed with the company Astor and Black

7) Do you have Fashion heroes, if not financial heroes? My fashion hero is also my financial hero and that is an easy Q to answer, Jay Z and Russell Simmons. If you research the deals they have put together, each deal could be made into a course in grad school.

8) Favorite fashion time period? Favorite time period for me is the last 5 years.  Young designers erupted into the scene with plenty of support from the industry, CFDA and fashion lovers. It also spurred new creativity from the long-standing labels from Calvin Klein to GAP.

9) What do you think will be the must have item for every women this summer? Gowns

10) Famous Last Words: Are you implying my time is up ?! J

Castle Starr will be on sale on ideeli, February 23rd. Tiaras are not included with purchase.