Sending Sunshine out to all of my fellow 'Haute Hunters' today! Although the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, raindrops occasionally keep fallin' on our heads! No worries, however, the air is pregnant with the promise of summer madness and I'm stacking my chips/getting ready to PLAY! Until then, I certainly do appreciate the mild temperatures so I can't complain. With that said, let's talk "shop"! (Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @MzHauteHunter!)
As I'm sure you are aware- esp. Post-Met Ball 2012 frenzy- the fashion and beauty industries were quite active this past Spring. As we quickly enter into Summer, let's backtrack a bit and take a look back at all things "Spring" ....
The 50th Annual CDFA Awards recently took place and here is a list of the winners:
Womenswear Designer of the Year: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row; Menswear Designer of the Year: Billy Reid; Accessory Designer of the Year: Reed Krakoff; Swarovski Award, Womenswear: Joseph Altuzarra; Swarovski Award, Menswear: Phillip Lim; Swarovski Award, Accessory Design: Tabitha Simmons; Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Tommy Hilfiger; International Award: Rei Kawakubo, Commes des Garcons; Media Award: Scott Schuman & Garance Doré; Founders Award: Andrew Rosen; and Fashion Icon Award: Johnny Depp. Well done all!
According to our friends at theboutique411.com, the Fashion Week 2012 calendar has been set! Although I must admit that I'm a bit 'over' the festivities, I am happy to report on it. As such, September 6, 2012 is THE date for the FNO happenings in the U.S.A, U.K., France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Korea, Russia, Mexico, and Spain (with India, Russia, and China follow on Sept. 7, Japan/Taiwan on Sept 8, Brazil on Sept 10, Turkey/Italy/Portugal/The Netherlands on Sept. 13, and Greece on Sept. 20 and 25 to close up the gap) . Looks like FNO has become a worldwide phenomenon!
In other vast-reaching fashion news, the June editions of 19 international Vogue publications will be the launching pad of Vogue's "Health Initiative" pact to encourage positive and healthy body images. According to telegraph.co.uk"[t]he initiative builds on the guidelines already drawn out by Council of Fashion Designers of America with the support of American Vogue in the US and the British Fashion Council with the help of British Vogue in the UK" whereby the applicable Vogue editors agreed to a six-point covenant to (i) refuse to work with models under 16 or with eating disorders, (ii) prevent underage casting, (iii) establish model mentoring programs, (iv) encourage healthy backstage working conditions, (v) re-consider ramifications of unrealistic 'sample' sizes, and (vi) commit to being "ambassadors" to champion healthy body images. Bravo Vogue! Now let's see how this initiative really rolls out (as the old folks used to say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions....").
Turning to the 'BUSINESS' of fashion, here are some quick & dirty 'headlines' that may peak your interest:
Barneys New York has been bailed out! According to the NY Observer, the high-end retailer, which filed Chapter 11 in 1996 and was acquired by Dubai's Istithmar firm in 2007, escaped the clutches of bankruptcy "after swapping about $540 million in debt for equity with Richard C. Perry’s Perry Capital and Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Companies."
UK brand Aquascutum also narrowly escaped insolvency by being acquired by Hong Kong-based YGM. As reported by Vogue UK, "[t]he sale of the brand and assets includes the UK stores, concessions and head office operations."
In more 'aquisition' news, LVMH, who initially invested in Hermès in 2010, has upped their stake in the French brand to 22.3 percent. According to Fashionista, the Hermès family is working hard to avoid "being 'gobbled up' by by LVMH by creat(ing) a separate family holding company that controls over 50% of shares and protects them from LVMH" and by preparing to "propose a statute that requires that all shares exceeding 0.5% be registered to the shareholder’s name so that the family can easily monitor all acquisitions (and) naming Nicolas Puech, the single largest family shareholder, as the 11th member of the board." The Cut is also reporting that Axel Dumas, a member of the Hermès family, is preparing to become the company's CEO and Co-Director. From the looks of things, the Hermès family is certainly locking things down!
California high-end department store - Fred Segal- has sold it's brand to Sandow Media. Sandow, a N.Y.-based company, now has the worldwide right to expand Fred Segal (geographically and brand/product-wise) and according to Racked LA, "is already planning Fred Segal locations for New York, London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo and Shanghai and a Fred Segal-branded apparel line is in the works, with cosmetics, accessories and decor to follow." Well, that's pretty good news for us non West-Coast Haute Hunters!
Not as lucky as Barneys, however, is Betsey Johnson, who's company has filed for bankruptcy and has proceeded to shut down about 63 of their stores (with the exception of a few of their NYC flagship locations). Fashionista reports that Johnson will "continue to work with Steve Madden Ltd, who owns the intellectual property rights to Betsey Johnson" and will remain her namesake brand's creative director. The almost 70 year old designer isn't letting the news get her down though, she's eagerly preparing for her on-screen reality show debut in the "Betsey + Lulu" show co-starring her daughter Lulu, which is scheduled to air on the Style Network this summer.
In legal news, the copyright battle between Gucci and Guess is OVER! Gucci was just awarded $4.7million (vs. the $221million they actually sought) for Guess' trademark infringement of the high-end designer's interlocking 'G' logo and red-stripe. Gucci is now pursuing similar suits against Guess in France, China, and Italy. Likewise, Burberry was awarded $100million in damages from their lawsuit against several Chinese websites misappropriating the Burberry name and selling counterfeit Burberry items. Similarly, a NY judge recently awarded Hermès the same judgment against several Hermès knock-off websites. And lastly, Fashionista reported that the U.S. International Trade Commission "has ruled in favor of Louis Vuitton yesterday in an unfair trade case against a 'large-scale international counterfeiting and infringing enterprise' profiting from faux iterations of LV’s sacred toile monogram." I must say, I must applaud our justice system for taking such a strong stand against counterfeiters!
Last but not least on the legal front, former fashion design student and Black Eyed Peas front-man will.i.am has been hit with a $2million lawsuit by I.Am.Clothing for breach of contract. As reported in The Cut, "the company claims that will.i.am is refusing to uphold his agreement to help design and market their clothes through the year 2016, according to TMZ. "
In some 'executive shuffle' news:
- Designer Elsa Peretti is looking to part ways with Tiffany & Co. According to Racked, to the chagrin of Tiffany executives, Peretti recently filed paperwork with the SEC to formally terminate the relationship that has been in place since 1974.
- My fav department store- Bergdorf Goodman has 'aquired' a new president! Joshua Schulman, former CEO of Jimmy Choo, filled the vacancy at BG that was left when Jim Gold was promoted to an executive position at BG's parent company Neiman Marcus Group.
- Earlier this season, Dior also made an 'acquisition' by way of designer Raf Simons, who has replaced disgraced designer John Galliano as the brand's Artistic Director.
Taking a look at fashion and the media, our girl Mz. TyTy made headlines recently when she announced that "Top Model" has declined to renew the contracts of her co-stars/ judges Nigel Barker (cutie pie!), Jay Manuel, and J. Alexander. Apparently, the shows producers are looking to include more 'fashionistas' and bloggers like one of my favs-Bryan Boy- in the mix as judges and include viewer voting a la "American Idol". Word on the street is that Mz. TyTy is now dating one of the new judges- 24 year old U.K. model Robert Evans (A CUTIE!). Talk about "Cougar Town"! ;-)
Aside from the obvious perks of bringing in new, hot talent to the "Top Model" show, the move to 'refresh' the show (which is entering into its 19th Cycle), may have been affected by the fact that the Oxygen network has tapped Naomi Campbell to judge a new model-search reality show called "The Face". Looks like Mz.TyTy has some weighty competition in the television model competition arena! Between Mz. TyTy (she's from Ingelwood y'all!) and 'the frequently arrested for assault' Mz. Naomi, who do you think will 'duke it out' the best... in TV ratings that is ;-).
In a Spring appearance at NYC's 92nd St YMCA, designer extraordinaire (in my eyes at least ;-)) Tom Ford gave a mouthful while being interviewed by former IMG honco Fern Mallis. Ford discussed being gay, gay marriage, his departure from Gucci, his foray into film, and why he won't do a line for the likes of mass-marketed retailers like H&M (what horror! :-(). According to "The Cut", Ford reported that his designs "...tends to cost money … I want to design for people who get excited about the same things I do." Ironically, shoe designer Christian Louboutin recently made a similar comment citing 'quality' issues as to why he would never do a hi/lo collaboration.
In another Spring NYC address, Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing discussed the resurgence of the Ebony. According to "Racked Chicago" Rogers plans to create a lifestyle company built on the brand. Good luck Desiree and Amy, we're behind you all the way!
Former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld, who is launching a 20-piece makeup line with MAC this fall, has finally announced the pending debut of her "CR" magazine this fall(surprise, surprise). According to WWD, the new biannual magazine published by NYC's Fashion Media Group, LLC will be a “celebration of fashion and creativity” and will be sold in Europe, Asia, and the United States for around $9.95 an issue.
French designer Sonia Rykiel has also recently dipped her toe into the publishing pool by co-writing a book titled N’oubliez Pas Que Je Joue (“Don’t forget it’s a game," or "Don't forget that I'm playing"), where she discusses her 15 year battle with Parkinson's disease.
Also new on the book shelves this coming fall is Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been , a book by music producer/singer/musician/fashion-designer Pharrell Williams. Fashionista calls the book "a sort of retrospective of his career (with) quite a few of his famous friends are contributing to the book". Even Anna Wintour (joining Jay Z and Kanye) contributes to the book.
The media has been ABUZZZZZZZZZZZ about the recent engagement of fashion model Isabeli Fontana to Bob Marley progeny/Lauren Hill 'baby daddy' Rohan Marley! It is reported that this is the third marriage for both (assuming Rohan was legally married to Hill) and they both have 'at least' 7 children between them. Umm...yeah.....good luck with that!
Now on to some more 'productive' fashion-blog news....
According to WWD, Gucci is going 'Green' this June! Gucci's 'Sustainable Soles' footwear line for both men and women is made with biodegradable plastic and feature Gucci's signature GG motif and/or logo.
H&M, which just opened its first store in Miami, Florida and is slated to be opening in The Shops at Columbus Circle in NYC's Time Warner Center in the near future, is on tap to invade the Latin American market - starting with a store in Mexico City. H&M outposts in Thailand, Indonesia, and Bulgaria are slated to follow.
Also expanding is design-house Marchesa. Marchesa is launching a lower-priced line to appeal to a broader market. Yippie!
Likewise, Helmut Lang's new diffusion line HELMUT has hit the shelves! Priced from $95-$210, the cotton jersey offerings are sure to please.
This fall, Russell Simmons will be relaunching his Argyleculture menswear line. The line will now be designed by Joseph Abboud. Good luck Russie!
In honor of Ray-Ban's 75th birthday, the sunglass staple is launching a new line of aviator-style sunglasses called the Ambermatic priced at $219. Check them out!
Now that Jessica Simpson has given birth to baby girl Maxwell (I love little girls with traditional 'boy' names), she is already planning to expand her already lucrative fashion empire by launching a maternity line this fall.
Zac Posen's exclusive Z Spoke collection of dresses under $200 for Lord & Taylor has proven to be a hit with the department store's shoppers. I took a look and definitely saw some frocks worth purchasing (although I'm still quite satisfied with the steals I came away with from the Zac Posen for Target collaboration !)
Speaking of collaborations, check out the following 'blurbs':
- Louis Vuitton, which plans on adding paper goods to its roster of offerings and has recently opened up its 'Haute Maroquinerie' bespoke bag salon inside of its NYC Fifth Avenue flagship, has announced a partnership with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The line, which will feature Kusama's famous polka dots on clothing and jewelry this summer, will be offered on monogram leather goods this fall.
- CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Sophie Theallet and the Limited chain will join forces to produce a FIERCE holiday collection!
- Speaking of being on a roll, J Crew certainly is! The on the heels of the retailer's collection with Joseph Altuzarra, the retailer has just stocked shelves with clothing pieces by jewelry designer Pamela Love and will soon add to that a three-piece collection by Creatures of the Wind.
- Mara Hoffman is one of my favorite designers so I was happy to find out that she was finally expanding her reach by pairing with Soludos to design a Summer collection of espadrilles. The espadrilles feature Hoffman's trademark prints and are retailing for only $45 a pair. Sounds like a 'no-brainer' to me!
- In another shoe collabo, Missoni and Havaiana are doing it again! The second collection of Missoni-designed Havaianas will be "eco-friendly" and will be available at Bloomies, Nordstrom, and www.us.havianas.com.
- H&M's next major fashion collaboration will be with fashion icon Anna Della Russo. The "over the top" H&M/Della Russo accessory line will launch in H&M stores in early October.
- Another second run collaboration is in the works for Gwen Stefani and Target! The new Harajuku Mini collection will be available at Target stores and online on July 8th and will feature cute and funky children's wear priced from $13 to $25. I racked up on the first collection and I must say, the items were very adorable! Here's a 'sneak peek' of the line below:
- Joining Stefani in the kiddie clothing business is Supermodel Heidi Klum. Klum has agreed to design a line of outfits and accessories for Babies 'R' Us. Glad Mz Heidi isn't letting her divorce from Seal stop her flow!
In the beauty business, celebrity hairstylist Vidal Sasson died last month at the age of 84. Sasson's trademark bobs and angular cuts will always be remembered as 'game changing' hairstyles that inspired women across the globe.
In other beauty news, shoe designer Christian Louboutin will launch his Christian Louboutin Beauté line in 2013. I bet 'red' will be the anchor color of the line!
MAC Cosmetics is celebrating their all-time favorites and best-sellers by creating a Three Piece Fashion Set (consisting of a lipstick, lipglass, and nail polish) in seven of their most popular colors: Spice, Myth, Russian Red, Snob, Chestnut, Girl About Town, and Rebel.
Speaking of a beauty rebel, our girl Mz Nicki Minaj is adding a new fragrance to her beauty mix (which already includes an OPI nail polish collection and an MAC Viva Glam endorsement). I wonder if it'll smell like the plastic Barbie doll?!?
Lastly, Forbes magazine ranked the top ten beauty brands as: Olay, Avon, L'Oreal, Neutrogena, Nivea, Lancome, Dove, Estee Lauder, Biore, and Shiseido. Trust me when I say Olay Regenerist is the TRUTH! Which do you use?
Ok all, now for today's HAUTE HUNT picks and hi/lo comps:
First the comps.....
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| H&M Top $39.95/Skirt $49.95 |
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| Preen $1077.30 @ Shopbop |
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| Roberto Cavalli $985 @ Netaporter |
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| H&M $69.95 |
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| Alberta Ferretti $860 @ FarFetch |
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| Guiseppe Zanotti $650 @ Netaporter |
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| Sam Edelman approx $100 (various retailers) |
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| Rory Becca $218 @ Shopbop |
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| Rory Becca $19.80 @ Forever21 |
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| Forever 21 $24.80 |
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| Free People $198 @ Shopbop |
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| Cynthia Rowley $144.95 @ Roxy |
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| H&M $19.99 |
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| Cynthia Rowley $195 @ Shopbop |
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| H&M $24.95 |
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| Torn by Ronny Kobo $124 @ Shopbop |
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| TopShop $60 |
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| Dries Van Noten $705 @ Barneys |
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| Webster Collection $29.99 @ Target |
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| Alberta Ferretti $2542 @ FarFetch |
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| Alberta Ferretti $69.99 @ Macy's |
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| J. Crew $695 |
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| Asos $121.70 |
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| Asos $69.58 |
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| Forever 21 $24.80 |
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| Rachel Pally $238 @ Shopbop |
Now for the steals:
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| KORS by Michael Kors $275 @ Shopbop |
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| TopShop $90 |
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| Zara $89.90 |
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| Asos $72.70 |
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| Hunter Wellingtons $72 on sale NOW for $72 @ Netaporter |
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| Dolce Vita Loafer $156 @ Shopbop |
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| Dolce Vita Platform $124 @ Solestruck.com |
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| Dolce Vita Wedge Sandal $139.95 @ Solestruck.com |
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| Dolce Vita Platform Heel $129.95 @ Solestruck.com |
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| Report Signature $100 |
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| Report Signature $195 |
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| Report Signature $120 |
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| Nike x Liberty London $128 @ Colette Paris |
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| Ancient Greek $245 @ Colette Paris |
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| Zara $99.90 |
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| Nicholas Gold-plated belt $120 @ Shopbop |
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| Zara Wrist Bag $99.90 |
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| TopShop cuff $28 |
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| Zara Headband $16.90 |
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| TopShop Maxi Dress $116 |
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| Forever 21 $27.80 |
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| Zara $59.90 |
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| Zara Fringe Skirt $59.95 |
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| H&M $49.95 |
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| TopShop Gold Leather Jacket $240 |
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| T by Alexander Wang $150 @ Shopbop |
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| Forever 21 $27.80 |
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| TopShop Fringed Cape $360 |
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| Asos Maxi Dress $145.43 |
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| Forever 21 $27.80 |
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| TopShop Leather Dress $350 |
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| Forever 21 $22.80 |
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| Asos $78.28 |
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| TopShop $96 |
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| Zara $79.90 |
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| Zara Zebra Blazer $129 |
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| Forever 21 Ruffle Bathing Suit $10.80 top/$8.60 bottom |
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| Asos 58.17 |
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| Asos $60.88 |
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| Tiger Swim Bottom $12.95 @ H&M |
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| Leopard Swim Top $12.95 @ Forever21 |
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| Forever 21 Mesh Bathing Suit $10.80 Top/$9.80 Bottom |
And last, the 'lay away plan' items:
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| Jimmy Choo $1495 @ My Theresa.com |
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| Christian Louboutin $3595 |
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| Alexander McQueen $6195 @ Netaporter |
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| Guiseppe Zanotti $795 @ Netaporter |
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| Charlotte Olympia $1250 @ Netaporter |
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| Hunter Studded Wellingtons $275 @ Netaporter |
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| Giuseppe Zanotti $850 @ Shopbop |
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| Jimmy Choo $695 @ Netaporter |
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| Butterfly 18K-Gold Plated Sunglasses $850 @ Netaporter |
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| Reem Acra $8000 @ Shopbop |
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| Cynthia Rowley Leggings $225 @ Shopbop |
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| Zimmerman Dress $425 @ Shopbop |
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| Roberto Cavalli Removable Bolero Dress $1765 @ Netaporter |
Ok Folks, I must say that I truly enjoy sharing my Haute Hunt finds with you and I'm looking forward to do so again real soon with some great SUMMER fashion news and 'hauter than haute' Haute Hunting find!
xo
me
@MzHauteHunter
