The Somerset Collection is located at 2800 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy, MI 48089

If you’re a shoe gal, such as myself, Ritch Erani NYFC should definitely be on your radar.  The designer, Ritch Erani, has been in every aspect of the retail business since the age of sixteen, after opening a store with his brother Chuck.  

Erani has spent the past decade designing shoes for CHUCKiES New York before launching his debut collection of breathtaking wedges, made in Italy, for the woman who loves style and comfort.  Here are a few of the looks from the current SS12 Collection.  Enjoy.

~Jessica R. Simmons

Images courtesy of Ritch Erani NYFC 

Designer Jodi Arnold; Photo by Detroit Style Review

Last week, I attended an in store event, at the Limited, for its plus size brand, eloquii.  I had an opportunity to interview the collection’s designer, Jodi Arnold, to talk about the line.

DSR: How did the opportunity for you to work with The Limited come about?

JA: “In 2009.  I had my own business for 10 years – I had a contemporary clothing brand in New York.  I was contacted by the Limited  - they wanted to do a collaboration like all of these designer collaborations you see going on.  I just though the Limited would be a great brand to connect with because I had grown up wearing the Limited and I just felt that they had this real authenticity about them. 

We started talking and I did two collections with them – Spring 2009 and Fall 2009.  And then I went back and ran my business and the beginning of 2010 I closed – January 2010.  The CEO, Linda Heasley had contacted me, before I closed, about doing this and thought it would be great for me to do the plus size collection.  I think with my clothes, I was always conscious about the woman’s figure and what was going to make her look good.  She always said you should do plus size clothing, but she didn’t want to hire a plus size designer because she wanted them to come from a more objective perspective on it. 

I started about eight months ago and it’s been a great experience.  I never thought that I would get so much fulfillment because, now, you’re really doing something for somebody; what I made before, $500 dresses, who needs it?  Just putting out more stuff that people don’t really need, but this is really rewarding because you’re doing something for somebody where there’s really a great need.  It’s an under served market and they totally deserve to have all the fashion that their friends have.  It’s really been rewarding and I’m having a good time doing it.”        

DSR: What was your main goal when designing the eloquii collection?

JA: “Of course the fashion – you can’t forget the fashion.  Also, the fit.  It made me so sad that this customer thinks that if she can get it on, it fits.  No – it should have a nice looking lapel, the pocket should be placed in the right place, it should not be stripped of all the details, it should have cute pockets in the dress.  It should have everything that everybody else gets.  It was getting the fit right for her.  With plus size women, there are so many body shapes – we’ve identified about five different body shapes – it’s trying to get the fit to work for almost all of those and have them look good in it and that’s the challenge, but that’s what I like about it.  It’s going about it with the approach of fashion first, but really it’s the fit and making her feel like she’s getting something of quality, with a design fit for her body.”   

DSR: When designing a collection for a brand, such as the Limited, how do you manage to strike a balance between clothes that are sellable, but also stylish?

JA: “What we’ve found is that the plus size customer is a little sexier than the Limited customer and she’s a little bit more fashion forward than the Limited customer.  For me, this is the challenge – you have to sell these clothes and this is a much bigger market than my brand was.  I try my best to talk to as many people as I can, to read as many reviews as I can to see what people really want.  We try to do focus groups and now that they have me in stores, I can really interact with the customer.  I think I’ll be much better at striking that balance between fashion and commerce.”

DSR: What do you feel is the biggest misconception about plus size fashion?

JA: “I think that she feels she has all these rules, like she can’t wear horizontal stripes or she can’t wear skinny jeans or white pants or she can’t wear a pencil skirt, when it’s all wrong.  She can wear everything that a thin person can wear; it’s just how she wears it.  We’re going to show her how to style it, we’re going to make sure that it fits her body properly and that it looks contemporary and young and modern.  And I think that once she realizes that and she can go onto our website and see the many different ways that we style stuff, she ‘s going to realize she can wear anything that anyone else can wear.”

DSR: If a woman could only buy one piece from the current eloquii collection, which piece would you recommend and why?

JA: “I would probably say – we have an amazing sequin dress right now – and it looks so expensive and it fits so many women and I’ve seen so many different body shapes in it and they all look great.  You can wear sequins now in the summer to a summer cocktail party or you could wear them at Christmas, so it’s a dress that’s versatile.  I would say for her to give herself something special because I bet she hasn’t had anything special in a long time.” 

DSR: What has been the biggest adjustment for you in going from being an independent designer to designing for a brand?

JA: “Corporate structure – it’s not so nimble.  I could always just make a decision and do it tomorrow.  In a big environment like this, it’s harder to get decisions made and to make things happen or change the way things are and sometimes that can be a little frustrating.”  

~Jessica R. Simmons

Dior, one of the world’s most luxurious and renowned fashion houses, is celebrated in a three book set, by Caroline Bongrand.  The three set retrospective,published by Assouline, chronicles each decade of the brand’s glamorous history through stunning images.  This set is a must for any true fashionista’s fashion library.  It’s available for pre-order here.     

All images courtesy of Assouline  

Join The Limited’s CEO Linda Heasley, and Jodi Arnold the designer of eloquii at the launch party of The Limited’s new full figured fashion line, eloquii, April 26, 2012 from 5-9pm at the Somerset Collection.  The first 100 fans in line will receive a $50 gift card to use on The Limited or eloquii.   The Somerset Collection is located at 2800 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy, MI.   

Founded in 2007 by Kilian Hennessy (grandson and named after the founder of the LVMH Group and Hennessy cognac heir), By Kilian Parfums is an eco-luxe fragrance line available only in the most exclusive retailers worldwide, which includes Bergdorf Goodman, select Saks and high end apothecaries like Aedes de Venustas, MiN, Apothia and Lucky Scent.  The brand is made up of the L’Oeuvre Noire and Arabian Nights Collections, which come in a variety of Perfumes, Candles, Travel Sprays and Fountains.  

Saks is located at 2901 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48084.

Tim Gunn, everyone’s favorite fashion advisor and Project Runway mentor, will be making a personal appearance and hosting a fashion show, at the Somerset Collection, May 5, 2012.  The Somerset Collection is located at 2800 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy, MI 48084.    

Join Wooden Hangers for its 2nd Annual Spring Preview, April 14, 2012.  Wooden Hanger is located at 414 South Washington, Royal Oak, MI 48067.

If color blocking in head to toe brights isn’t your thing, but you still want to enjoy the colorful trend, try pairing brights with neutrals for a look that’s less intense, but every bit as stylish.

1. Echo Scarf (no longer available at www.piperlime.com)

2. Zara Court Shoe 

3. Zara Double Fabric Blazer

4. Miss Bendel Envelope Clutch

5. Zara Skinny Trousers

~Jessica R. Simmons

Black and white is a classic color combination that will never go out of style.  Here are a few ways to wear the classic combo with a bit of flare.

1. WHBM Lace Inset Pencil Skirt

2. Henri Bendel Debutante Slim Asymmetric Color block Clutch

3. Chan Luu Zebra Scarf

4. Camilla Skovgaard Woven Leather Sandals

5. Zara Arabesque Print Trouser

I’m sure we’ve all been guilty a time or two (or more) of buying something and regretting it later.  Here are a few tips for avoiding shopping remorse:

Don’t buy it if you don’t love it:

Here’s a fail proof test I use to see if I love an item before buying it– I wait.  If after two or three days I still can’t get those shoes or that skirt off my mind, I buy it.  If I’ve forgotten about it, I didn’t really love it.  You’re more likely to wear an item over and over (and over) again if you truly love it.    

Don’t buy it if you can’t afford it:

If you have to decide between paying your mortgage and buying the object of your affection, you can’t afford it.  Leave it.   

Don’t buy it if you don’t have a place to wear it:

A designer ball gown marked 80% off might sound like a steal, but unless you have a ball to go to, it’ll sit in the back of your closet, unworn, gathering dust and cobwebs, while taking up valuable closet space. 

Don’t buy it if it doesn’t work with the rest of your wardrobe:

You’re in the store and you see this amazing dress, now all you need is the right purse, the right shoes and the right belt….  If you don’t have pieces that already work with your intended purchase, leave it unless you’re serious about buying the other pieces to complete the outfit and make it work. 

Don’t make emotional purchases:

I’m sure we’ve all been there – nightmare day at work, complete with difficult boss and annoying co-workers.  What do you need to blow off some steam?  A little shopping spree at Boutique X might do the trick.  However, we rarely make the best decisions when we’re overly emotional.  Wait a day or so – if you still want to shop after your emotions have settled, go for it.    

Don’t buy it just because it’s on sale:

“Oh look, that skirt is only $10!  That’s too good a deal to pass up!”  Never mind the fact it’s a little snug and doesn’t work with anything else in your wardrobe.  Sound familiar?  Don’t be blinded by deep discounts – if it doesn’t fit or work with your existing wardrobe, etc. that $10 bargain will be $10 too much if you never wear it.    

What are your tips for avoiding shopper’s remorse? 

 ~ Jessica R. Simmons

Image via Free Stock Images