Notes from Le Showroom

I've been meaning to post a few pics from Le Showroom that took place a few weeks ago during fashion week in Paris. It was a difficult season for many because the dollar and the yen are so weak against the euro but it also meant that many more European buyers were out. Below are a few shots of some of my neighbors at the show. There were some great designers there this season.

Mamius from Japan. Her work has such a beautiful, clean minimal aesthetic. She uses natural and organic cottons, linens and silks. This season she was influenced by Buddhist monk robes.

Claudia from Hageli was my neighbor this season. She creates these amazing one-of-a-kind blouses, capelets and dresses from mixing vintage silk scarves in amazing color combinations with new silk, like a gorgeous new species of butterfly. Her stitching and asymmetrical designs were lovely. She's from Paris; no website yet but I believe she said it's coming.

Each season I fall in love in with Hut Up's ethereal dresses, blouses and skirts. So much so that I took home the slate blue dress I ordered last February and am excited to wear it finally. She has a technique of felting and fusing silk with wool (I think...) so that there is minimal stitching and maximal beauty. Her pieces are light and airy and always flattering with a really whimsical air to them and completely unlike anything I've ever seen.

I really like the work of Hiroko Murayama. Her pieces are an interesting mix of delicate feminine and sporty chic. I think she has a love affair with cotton eyelet and sweet lacy fabrics (I'm a sucker for eyelet) and also funky cotton knits and she manages to mix it really well. I loved her cute Guinevere top and tennis dresses. She and her husband, both based in Milan, have also started an amazing unisex bag line, Tra Le Foglie.

Nice kicks eh? These won first prize in a big Japanese fashion competition but I need to find the name of the designer and the competition. But come on...I had to post this pic! Go Aries, go!