Camilla and Marc Dress

Besotted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay I'm in love. Like seriously... I WANT THIS CAMILLA AND MARC DRESS! And I can't find it!!! ....ANYWHERE! I am considering calling every single Planet Blue in California to inquire if by some miracle they have it in stock for me... Please oh, pretty please, please, please.

In 2003, Marc Freeman, an engineer, and his sister, Camilla, a starlette graduate from the Whitehouse Institute of Design, collaborated to create a line of clothing and bathing suits... And thus, the brand Camilla and Marc was born. Their debut at Australia's Spring/Summer Fashion Week was received with enormous praise. Since then, their pieces have garnered attention from various celebrities including Ginnifer Goodwin, Lindsay Lohan and Kirsten Dunst.

Ultra-feminine, flirty and just plain fun, the inspiration for their clothes were to design for a woman who "Knows what she wants, knows how to put an outfit together, doesn’t need to be styled. Strong sense of self but never over confident.” - Camilla Freeman

Photo credits: PlanetBlue

Madison and Diavolina Hop Off Robertson

Interior of new Madison flagship Photo credit: WWD

With retail sales plummeting, looks like some of the decline has hit shopping mecca Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood. WWD reports that boutiques, Madison and Diavolina have moved off of Robertson and onto the neighboring Third Street. Owners Mark and Emily Goldstein were one of the first to inhabit the street, which today is packed with trendy shops and restaurants (Kitson, Lisa Kline, The Ivy...Need I say more?) frequented by celebrities who are followed by a flurry of paparazzi.

According to WWD, the move was catapulted by an increase of rent which nearly tripled last February to $12-17 per square foot. But don't worry, the new location on Third Street is no small closet... Madison and Diavolina have been adjoined to create a 7,000 square foot flagship store.

I don't think the move will hurt the boutiques at all considering both have already established a great clientele and have been in the retail sector for more than a decade! Madison also has five other locations spread throughout Los Angeles. When I was last in LA, I purchased an amazing reversible ring and some boho sandals with fringe from Diavolina (I'll have to take some pictures). Can't wait for my next trip so I can check out the new flagship!

A Little About the Boutiques:

Estabished in 1989, Madison boutiques have grown to become among the most highly regarded shopping destinations in Los Angeles. The stores carry only the latest fashions and accessories from top designers such as Alexander Wang, Chloe, Rag & Bone, Elizabeth & James and Derek Lam to name a few. In addition to it's new flagship on Third Street, the company also has stores in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood and on Melrose Avenue. For more information, visit www.madisonlosangeles.com.

Diavolina was established shortly after Madison and is popular for it's fashion forward shoes, flasy accessories and luxurious gowns/dresses. Up and coming designers such as Mayle, Jinny Kim and Alexis Lamontagna can be found mixed with classy chic designers like 3.1 Phillip Lim, Marc Jacobs and Loeffler Randal. For more information visit, www.shopdiavolina.com.

Cloth Hawaii

I was sort of bad this weekend... And did some shopping! Oopsies. I have two great excuses to justify my behavior:
1) I haven't shopped in a long, long time... It's been about two months which is stellar for me considering I do have a bit of a problem. With any nasty habit, once you try to quit it's suggested that you ease into it... You can't just go cold turkey! Heck if I waited three months to shop, it's very likely that I may crumble, go crazy and charge $2,000+ on those new Balmains! ;) Haha, kidding... KINDA.

2) More importantly, I filed my tax return last week all by myself without the help of H & R Block (Thank you TurboTax). Finance and/or taxes is not a strength of mine so I should be rewarded for my efforts!

It all started on Friday, when I took a highly anticipated trip to Cloth Hawaii. I've read about it in Lei Chic and a friend had told me about a new store opening a couple months back. Thank goodness I finally got around to stopping in because what a cute boutique this is!

Cloth Hawaii is vintage store. All of the pieces are personally selected by owner, Micah Iaukea, who is just as sweet as the decor of the store itself... I loved the antique white washed furniture, aprons hanging from a wooden stand, beautiful vintage earrings tacked against the wall and large glass windows! So fresh and inviting! Not to mention the Motown oldies playing in the background. I grazed through the color-coded racks (another plus) and noticed how diverse the pieces were... A velvet sweetheart strapless dress, multi-colored crochet top, flower child dresses and vintage tees for men. I settled on a black, raw-silk high waisted skirt and a navy blazer with white trim and gold buttons. Everything is one-of-a-kind and reasonably priced for vintage items. New merchandise is brought out every Friday and I'll definitely be back soon! Don't forget to mention Lei Chic for an additional 25% through April 10!

Cloth Hawaii
909 Kapiolani Blvd. (at Ward)

Next up: Spotlight on Indah @ the Pearl Hawaii Sample Sale