.

2010-10-14T09:20:00.002-04:00

Come see us this weekend on Lower East Side and check out our new leather collection.
XO,
Marketa

2010-10-04T15:03:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I need these leather panel leggings by Audrey Cantwell

2010-09-29T11:11:00.003-04:00

New in our etsy shop...

2010-08-23T18:36:00.000-04:00

Today's cooler weather is making me think about coats again.

Found here.

2010-08-18T09:26:00.002-04:00

If you happen to be in Stockholm...

2010-08-10T09:07:00.007-04:00

I am a big fan of Dansko shoes. Their clean silhouettes, minimal styling, quality leather and comfort are a win win for me. I'm on my feel a LOT. I practically live in my clogs while I'm in the studio. Which is all the time.

I like the higher heels and updated styling on some of their new releases.

Totally see myself wearing the RORY.

And the REEGAN ankle boots. Umm, not bad for a comfort shoe, right?

Even the RAE seems like option. Thought not surprising, given the popularity of clogs these days.

All images via Zappos

2010-08-05T09:57:00.004-04:00

Love this dress by Jo Demontis.

2010-07-15T09:08:00.003-04:00

Thank you to the lovely ladies behind Pawling for featuring our bags on their blog.
We're big fans.

Make sure you them out!

2010-07-12T13:46:00.004-04:00

2010-06-29T11:48:00.005-04:00

I really love Opening Ceremony's swing dress.

Unfortunately, the way it is cut, the top part of the dress would not fit me.

Via Refinery 29 's styles tips for when it's hotter then hell.

And for the record, here in NYC it is officially hotter the hell.

2010-05-26T08:54:00.012-04:00

Few weeks back I did a little trade with the lovely Heather from mono.
She picked out some clutches and I chose the infinity vest.

It arrived last week. It's realy cool.

2010-05-20T10:04:00.006-04:00

line preview

2010-05-17T11:46:00.005-04:00

2010-05-07T08:51:00.005-04:00

I took the afternoon off.

2010-04-26T09:56:00.002-04:00

2010-04-15T13:40:00.004-04:00

2010-04-02T10:48:00.010-04:00

I am thrilled that Daily Candy included our suede clutch bags in today's post.
Thank you, Ladies.

Congratulations to Travis on his opening

XO,
M

2010-04-01T09:24:00.001-04:00

Attending last night's opening party for Convent brought back memories.

2010-03-26T15:49:00.003-04:00

Look for our new leather collection at the soon to be open Convent, a super cool boutique on the Lower East Side.

I love the flier. And the bottom line cracks me up.

2010-03-02T11:48:00.002-05:00

Coming early April

2010-02-24T12:17:00.004-05:00

I'm officially hooked on barley tea.

2010-02-22T15:16:00.001-05:00

Every Monday should start with this song

2010-02-12T08:34:00.007-05:00

Have a good one.

2010-02-10T10:48:00.002-05:00

The snow has finally made it's way to our area.

Good day to stay indoors.

Cleaning and organizing of the studio space will resume.

Have fun.

2010-02-06T14:35:00.009-05:00

Currently experimenting with suede.

2010-02-01T12:45:00.005-05:00

Balance
01022010

I will take a yoga class today.

2010-01-20T09:29:00.003-05:00

January is usually quiet around these parts.
The Holidays are over, the mad rush leading up to them included. Our schedule returns to a manageable routine.

Each year I welcome this down time. It gives me a chance to reflect on my work and take an honest look at what changes need to be made.
Cleaning and reorganizing of the workspace is usually at the forefront, and this year is no different.
Alas, I have turned my studio upside down in hopes of finding a better work groove.
Right now everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is piled up on my cutting table and random objects take up most of the floor space. I'm hoping to sort through that messy pile by the end of this week in order to return the space to more suitable work environment.

See you when I'm done...

2010-01-15T17:02:00.003-05:00

Honestly, I wouldn't mind having these cork tables around.

via Dwell

2010-01-06T18:12:00.004-05:00

Yes please. I will take a pair in US 6.5

The black ones too, if I may.

Of course I realize how long it will take me to buckle all the straps. I promise, I-WILL-GET-UP-EXTRA-EARLY!!!

For real.

Just look how great they look on!!! Love love love.

But if you're really worried that I will continue to sleep in despite my promise, I'll settle for the easy on elastics.

Western Buckle Wedge by Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony via La Garcone

2010-01-05T09:30:00.002-05:00

Our scarflettes are now available at Alibi in Nolita, 241 Mulberry Street.

It's is a gem of a boutique that showcases independent jewelry and accessory lines.

Stop in if you're in the neighborhood.

2009-12-30T15:10:00.001-05:00

I know it's a bit late, but I'd like to wish everyone Happy [belated] Holidays, Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year.

We're back from making our annual Christmas family rounds, and are ready for a little break. Soooo, we'll spend the rest of the year [and the week] in our little place on Long Island.
I plan on filling my days with walks on the beach if the weather and winds allow me, reading and lazing around, watching LOST and maybe trying to shed the extra pounds that I'm blaming on the Christmas cooking my mom bakes every year. Mmmm.

I'll be back in the studio on Monday, filling the rest of the orders that trickled in after the Holiday rush, answering emails, and cleaning the studio.

Until then, I hope everyone had a fantastic Holiday and I'll see you in 2010.

Cheers,
M

2009-11-20T15:55:00.001-05:00

Had a fabulous time at the milliners' fete.
Sipped too much bubbly, met many new hat enthusiasts and caught up with old friends.
Pictures coming soon, I promise.

I'm feeling inspired to make hats again. So far the ones I've made for myself were received well.
Just may have to add some to the collection.

On an unrelated note...
Caroline and I are planning a little holiday shopping event in her lovely gallery in Williamsburg. The dates are December 12th and 13th.
More details to follow, but save the dates.

Have a great weekend.

XO,
M

2009-11-17T11:13:00.012-05:00

The Milliners Guild Welcomes You to Put On Your Most Spectacular Hat

And Join Our Annual St. Catherine's Day Celebration!

Meet us at the Millinery Center Synagogue

1025 Avenue of the Americas - between 38 & 39 Streets at 5:00pm

Walk with us through Bryant Park to 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue

Up Fifth Avenue - Right on 51st Street to our Fabulous Party at

Haven : 244 E 51st Street near Second Avenue

Special thanks to Moet Hennessy USA for providing the Veuve Clicquot for our champagne hour (6-7pm)

New this year: BEST HAT CONTEST, for non-members only

Winner will be determined by guild members.

2009-11-16T11:06:00.009-05:00

Love the imagery in this.
Love this song, and everything about her.

That kind of day.

2009-11-13T17:00:00.004-05:00

LOVE THIS BAG.

Actually working on oversized black leather totes at the moment.

Not quite as large...

Image via Copenhagen Street Style

2009-11-12T10:56:00.007-05:00

If you live in the New York City area, you should check out the grad opening party for a new boutique in Dubmo, Brooklyn.

Bellow is an invite for the event.

Hope to see you there.

P.S. My first studio was in 68 Jay.

2009-11-11T11:00:00.011-05:00

Organic wool scarflettes are back in stock.

I'll be adding new styles to the shop later this week.

Right now I'm updating the images.

I feel that more detailed photos will do these lovelies justice.

Off to play photographer.

2009-11-10T09:24:00.011-05:00

Really feeling the metallics again.

Especially the silver ones this time.

Liking how the heavier metal zipper plays with the silver shimmer of the linen.

Gives the bags a little bit of an edgy look that I feel my work has lacked.

I like edgy.

And simple.

Coming soon to the Shop.

2009-11-06T13:43:00.007-05:00

I'm in love with the black and white rendition of this video.
The movement and interaction between Nick and PJ seems so much more dramatic without their song.

Original version can be seen and heard HERE.

2009-10-28T12:40:00.005-04:00

Winter neck wear collection coming soon.

Here is a sneak preview...

New leather and knit cowls will be in the shop later this week.

Until then, stay warm and dry.

XO,

Marketa

2009-10-15T08:46:00.009-04:00

The weather forecast for the next 4 days in not making me very happy.

I dread the arrival of cold rainy season more and more each year.

Then studio gets cold, damp and dark, and my mood follows suit.

Only highlight is that I get to wrap my body in layers of warm and cozy garments. So what if resemble a crazy hobo. I'm warm, I'm functioning, and best of all, the Mr. doesn't have to listen to me bitch about how freaking cold I am.

In order to preserve my sanity and get through at least today, I am compiling my wish favorites for the upcoming wintery chill.

All via Etsy

Really love this Coal Black Artisanal Wool Coat no. 1 by Patricia Ayers (also in gray and brown)

Simple lines, careful balance between rugged and feminine styling, couture detailing.

The flirty opening at the shoulders seals the deal for me. Notice how well it looks with a sexy neck ruff. Would look amazing with any of these scarflettes, no?

Patricia is also the talent behind artLab. I've been a fan of her work for a long time.

And who would not want to be wrapped in this lovely asymmetrical number by YY Studio?

It has enough material to do my hobo look in style.

Added bonus, it somewhat reminds me of this royal coat.

2009-10-07T11:08:00.004-04:00

Back from Europe.

Still enchanted and inspired. Still exhausted and jet lagged. Still in denial about the $ to Euro exchange rate.

[what? no euro symbol on the mac?]

Oh well. I promise to post pics as soon as I reenter the world. And get through all the orders that have piled up while I was gone.

Now off to make more coffee...

2009-09-16T09:35:00.004-04:00

VACATION SALE!

I will be in Europe for the next 3 weeks.

As a treat to all our shoppers, I am offering 10% discount and free worldwide shipping on all orders placed between now and October 4th.

All orders will ship the week of October 12th.

Use coupon code VACATION at check out.

See you when I'm back.

2009-08-19T14:35:00.007-04:00

Our little metallic zip lovelies made it to the front page of Etsy today.

Thank you Etsy [and the entire Etsy community] for such great comments.

Your feed back is trully appreciated.

Thank you also for all the hearts.

You're the best.

The zips will be available in the shop in a day or so.

I'll keep you posted.

2009-08-06T19:19:00.004-04:00

If there is ever to be just one coat...

... then this is THE coat.

Love the tailoring, the drape, the color.

Beautifully lined as well.

By the fabulous Vivienne Westwood of course.

Once again, via LaGarconne

2009-08-05T17:23:00.007-04:00

Ahhhhh, the dog days of August.

What I mean by that is that summer has finally made it's self at home in New York City.

If you live here, or any of the humid ares in the North east, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Needless to say, my top floor, black roofed non air-conditioned studio has become a sweat box over night. I have fans blowing left and right, but that does not help much.

The last thing I want to do is iron. Or do much of anything, with the exception of downing one glass of ice water after another.

But no rest for the wicked. Right?

With loose strands of tread and discarded textile clippings [which stick to my drenched skin], I'm bravely plowing through the piles and piles of orders that I need to complete before the week's end. AND, to make things even more exciting, I am getting ready to release some new bag styles. So keep an eye on the shop, as new goodies will be added over the next few days.

Including, but not limited to new color options for our SOHO tote.

Hope you're staying cool wherever you are.

XX,

2009-07-29T13:33:00.004-04:00

I have always loved dark nail polish colors, black and deep deep red among my all time faves.

Metallics too, I won't lie.

Needless to say, when I came across KnockOut cosmetics Flatte line, I nearly died.

How awesome is this? And how cool is the little pinky tattoo?

Check out the pool color. Yeah, I'd totally wear that.

And of course the black one for good measure ...

The best part? These punk rock lovelies are cruelty-free.

At $19 a pop they'll make a special treat for the long [hot] days in my studio.

Anyone here tried them yet?

2009-07-27T13:53:00.005-04:00

AW09 collection preview.

You can win this leather collar before it hits our website.

For more details visit the lovely Dramatis Personae

Shop update coming soon.

2009-07-23T19:30:00.005-04:00

O.K. Time out!

It's starting to get personal.

Seriously.

La Garconne is officially messing with my head.

STOP with the yellow shoes awesomeness. STOP!

Or at least tell me where to get them.

Officially dying from Gray/Yellow overload.

Thank you.

2009-07-23T16:07:00.003-04:00

My trusted Adler.

Snapped while cleaning out the studio.

2009-07-22T09:48:00.009-04:00

Love this asymmetrical dress by UNDER.LINGE

Very flattering drapes and subtle lines. Looks super comfortable.

The yellow shoes are killing me.

And this gray one ... ? Yes please!!! [ still obsessing with that color]

via La Garconne, of course

2009-06-18T15:08:00.005-04:00

Loving this wide leather belt. At least I think it is a belt; it could be part of the dress.

Not sure who to credit.

Found here.

2009-06-15T13:35:00.004-04:00

Yes. I know. I have been neglecting the blog. Again.

I will try to post more often now that I have a little bit of free time.

Between preparations for Renegade, filling of orders and trying out new product specs, my production schedule has kept me on a very short leash. To say that I've been joined at the hip with my sewing machine would not be an overstatement of facts.

I feel that I finally got caught up on most of it. Even managed to complete new design which I will be releasing in the not so distant future. Now back to sourcing and [more importantly] reorganizing the studio. It's over there, somewhere, buried under all those leather and fabric scraps.

2009-05-29T09:57:00.008-04:00

Dark Night of the Soul

Thanks to NPR, this has been on daily rotation in my studio. It does not get any better then David Lynch.

The man IS a genius.

2009-05-19T13:58:00.008-04:00

Psssst! We're offering free shipping on all our bags. All summer long!

Pass it on.

2009-05-13T16:47:00.008-04:00

Caffeine, booze and chocolate.

Mmmmm, did somebody say Espresso Martini Truffles?

I'll take seven, please.

2009-05-07T09:44:00.006-04:00

Really feeling grey and yellow lately.

2009-05-06T15:04:00.004-04:00

It's mine, all MINE.

Should have it in about a week. I'm thinking it will look really cool with one of these. [Couldn't help but throw in a shameless plug]

Now I just need to find the perfect pair of jeans, or a really cool pencil skirt. Something simple, with clean lines.

Why are simple things always the hardest thing to find? I'm desperately seeking a plain, simple, minimal grey dress that will be easy to dress up or down. Nothing complicated and over designed..., flattering fit a MUST.

It's proving near impossible to get my hands on such a garment. Any recommendations?

2009-05-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

Rainy, stormy day. Feeling nostalgic.

2009-05-01T15:34:00.005-04:00

Long silk cowls.
They're here

2009-04-28T11:38:00.006-04:00

I have affinity for everything metallic and shiny. Especially silk.

2009-04-24T10:37:00.004-04:00

Wow, has it really been 15 years?

2009-04-21T10:54:00.001-04:00

Coming in...

2009-04-17T13:48:00.005-04:00

I'm a little behind schedule with the site's completion. Honestly, I thought I was going to launch this past Wednesday, instead I ran into some technical difficulties.

I struggled all week with the lighting and photo editing. Trying to get the colors right was really really difficult.

At last some progress.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

2009-04-15T17:22:00.009-04:00

I have been tagged by the lovely RosiePop

What is your current obsession?

Product photography and proper lighting. Metallic textiles + strobe lights = nightmare, if you ask me.

Do you nap a lot?

Not really. I get plenty of shut eye at night. I sleep like a champ.

What color is your bedding?

White

What's for dinner?

I'm making my version of Macella Hazan's Ragu. Some salad and red wine of course. We have a dinner guest that will supply dessert. Don't think I cook like that every night.

What was the last outfit you bought?

Let's see, I think it was a silk dress by Grey Ant that I purchased on the internet. On "final sale". As in "no returns or exchanges". Sadly the fit is all too wrong for me, and serious alterations will be required. File this one under lessons learned.

What are you listening right now?

Getting psyched for Leonard Cohen on May 17th, so I've got him on the loop these days.

What is your favorite weather?

Thunderstorms

What's in your bathroom cabinet?

Ahhh, seriously need to edit all the stuff that clutters our bathroom shelves. Right now I have slight addiction to Ren Skincare, so there are several products from this amazing line, nail polishes from Sephora given to me by my niece, about 7 different shades including Brunette on the Internet, Never Enough Shoes, I'm with Brad and Metro Chic... Gotta love the names they come up with. Let's see, Aveda products for curly hair... can't think of anything more at the moment and don't feel like getting up. Just like RosiePop said, I could go on and on ...

Say something to the person who sent you this...

Hi :) Thanks for all your support and feedback Lovely Lady. It truly means a lot.

If someone gave you a house, where would it be?

This one's easy. I'll take one in the Village in New York, then one in Tokyo, Rome, then there is this beach town just north of San Francisco, I think Stinson? Oh, and a house in Prague would be much appreciated as well, preferably in the section bellow Vysehrad, one of those amazing cubist villas like this one, pretty please. Madrid and Barcelona would be nice too, thank you very much. And a ranch around Marfa or Marathon TX, close to Big Bend National Park.

Name the things you can't live without.

Good red wine, good cheese, Italian food, the ocean.

What is your favorite tea?

Japanese green tea, and barley tea.

What would you like to get rid of?

Our neighbors.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

Japan

What did you want to become as a child?

I honestly don't remember.

What do you miss?

Warm weather

What are you reading right now?

In between books. Just finished Naoko. I'm not sure what I'm picking up next.

What designer piece of clothing would you most like to own?

At the moment I'm eyeing this crinoline tie dress by Gary Graham

Will you have plastic surgery / botox etc?

Ask me that on again in 10 years ;)

What is important to you about your underwear?

Comfort, support [I'm talking bra here], good fit, shape, sexy material, support, how it looks under clothes, did I mention support? Yes, I need a lot of support to hold up the tatas. [Hi Darlene!]

What is your wardrobe staple?

BLACK-LEATHER-BOOTS. Mid calf, ankle hight, thigh high, high heels, chunky heels, flats...etc... I'll take 10 pairs of each please, size 6.5

Rules:

1. Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your blog, replace a question you don't like with one of your own.

2. Tag someone un-tagged, or pretend that you never even heard of the person tagging you and ignore the request. Then, as a way of defiance, sign them up to as many mailing lists to your favorite sites with the hopes that they will buy you something cool.

I tag Darlene, Ashe, and Frenchie

2009-04-14T09:50:00.002-04:00

Just discovered Nemi

LOVE

2009-04-14T09:36:00.001-04:00

Love these tops form lamixx

2009-04-08T11:22:00.004-04:00

Spring '09

Metallics

Coming soon to Marketa New York

2009-04-07T09:53:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite characters from one of my favorite movies.

Now one of my favorite soaps.

Love the color, love the scent.

Thank you Savor. I think I will be trying this one next.

2009-04-04T18:26:00.009-04:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE this suit by Norma Kamali.

I really wish I had the kind of body that would allow me to order clothes from the internet. If I had no chest, that baby would be mine. However that is not the case. I must go on a quest to seek this sexy number in person and hope that it fits.

via Stylehive

EDITED TO ADD

WOW. I ended up browsing the site and made some amazing discoveries. Not only do they have a "Try before you buy program" , [Hello, I am impressed and all over it] but they also have these...

Well Hello there, summer! You're right around the corner.

2009-03-27T16:01:00.009-04:00

Lusting after these shoes by Kathryn Amberleigh

Love the matte leather and wooden wedge combo of the first pair. The fact that they are gray is not making it easy. I am becoming rather obsessed with that color lately.

via RavinStyle

2009-03-26T09:38:00.002-04:00

I present you with a song that's been stuck in my head for days.

2009-03-25T10:16:00.006-04:00

Finalized design for business cards that will match the new look. Should have them back form the printer in about a week. Props to GotPrint for such speedy turnaround time.

Decided to do the photography for the site myself in order to have more control over the images. Photo shoot with Cara is tentatively scheduled for next Friday. That gives me little more then a week to play with the set up and get used to our new camera. I'll try to do a product shoot early next week to practice with the lights. We'll see how it goes.

If all goes well, I'm hoping to have the shop back up by April 8th.

2009-03-24T09:10:00.006-04:00

Love this simple linen dress by Pamela Tang

2009-03-23T14:42:00.005-04:00

Oops, it's been a while. My apologies, but things have been a little crazy here lately.

Tax stuff, shipments, production, marketing, payment collection, administrative work, getting a year older, etc. etc. etc. ... won't bore you with those details.

In the midst of all of that, I decided to update my website. Nothing major, I just felt that it needed a little "face lift". Initially I thought that a simple color and font change would do the trick. I made an attempt to tweak the existing template myself. It- did -not- work.

To make a long story short, nothing major turned into a complete site overhaul that required the help of a professional. The system had to be reprogrammed with up to date software [turns out the site lived in the dark ages] We decided a new template was needed to achieve the look I was going for, In the end, I even ended up changing my logo.

I have a lot to learn about the functionality and back end of the new system. Mainly I need to get used to the image application and store layout, but that shouldn't take too long.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to upload the the new collection into the store. Once I'm done photographing it. And, as we all know, that is a project onto it's self.

2009-03-05T15:41:00.003-05:00

The shop will be temporarily closed while we make some much needed improvements to our website.

New styles coming soon.

2009-03-04T14:20:00.006-05:00

Fendi

Love the accessories, especially the leather ones

Metallics and Jewel tones

My preferred skirt length

Tightly framing cowl necks

2009-03-03T16:14:00.002-05:00

Most of my orders are now done, packed and shipped. Still one, somewhat large, needs to go into production. Shouldn't be big deal. Now that I've made countless tweaks to the patterns, studio arrangements and drank ungodly amounts of caffeine, I feel that I can handle the task pretty quickly. It took me bit of time to get into the groove of things. The orders were mainly for the new bags and I have not done bags on this scale in a long time. Up till now it was mostly the neck line that dominated the scene. And sample making. Very different production styles. And the best part? These are really great new accounts that paid immediately.

2009-02-25T12:04:00.003-05:00

Currently in full blown Spring production with looming deadlines. Collection updates coming coon!

2009-02-19T10:36:00.004-05:00

Production.
Sneak peak of what's going on in the studio.

2009-02-12T10:30:00.005-05:00

Loving these necklaces. I have a really beautiful metallic lambskin that we're using for spring chokers and the texture reminds me of the finish on these pieces.

Square detail necklaces by Hervé Van der Straeten

2009-02-10T11:59:00.006-05:00

Technologically Challenged Day. Ipod is dead and needs to be reset to it's original factory settings. Of course all my music files are on my now defunct PC. My wireless router is not working, so I can't connect to the net in my studio. Soooo, no music, noise, inspiration or distraction to keep me company while I work. Batteries for my camera refuse to hold charge. Sorry, no pictures of new stuff I've been working on. On a bright side, the fish in our rooftop pond survived the deep freeze.

2009-01-29T14:35:00.006-05:00

I'm really liking the Alexander McQueen's fall 09. I love the classic Asian / Japanese patterns and cuts that emphasize the neck. The milliner in me is digging on the headwear. Did I mention the fetish look of the accessories? Enough said.

2009-01-27T09:27:00.007-05:00

This Little Black Dress from treehouse 28 has been on my "must have" list for a while now. I finally ordered it. It should be here sometime next week.

I really love the entire line. The simple color palette can easily be worked into anyone's wardrobe and the clean, feminine lines of each garment are perfect for layering.

New Beginnings

2009-01-21T13:55:00.006-05:00

About half a year ago I deleted all the posts I made to this blog. I don't recall if I did it intentionally or accidentally, but I do believe that a clean slate was the motivation.

I have kept up with the links of other blogs I have in the sidebar on almost daily basis and the lack of my own imprint always left me feeling a little odd. Let's just say that starring at a blank page is not exactly inspiring.

Alas, six month later, with the new year, new president and a new computer, I decided to give it another try. We'll see how it goes this time around.