What's Up With Lisa August

 I know I've been a little quiet with the blog for the past few weeks, so I wanted to share a little bit about what has been going on over at Lisa August Headquarters.  We've been waiting for Spring to start, and I think it finally is, like today.  I'm hoping this will bring some people out of hibernation and into some stores for some spring shopping.  It's been a tough winter on us all, and I want my stores and friends to bounce back from this! 

This will be our first spring at Lisa August, I love watching the seasons change, and in our new digs we have these great windows and they have been bringing in so much light since the time change, and it's been really nice on the days that it has been sunny out.  As spring unfolds itself, I have begun working on my fall line, and I'm getting excited but am SO not ready for there to ever be a fall!

We have been very fortunate to get some orders from larger retailers while we wait for our beloved boutiques to thaw out.  I finally developed an earring card for Lisa August that I need to ship for our Gilt order (check us out at the end of April-we'll have lots of styles that we don't sell anywhere else!)

So one night I took home a bunch of earring cards and stamped them at my kitchen table.  I bought the stamp from Casey Rubber Stamps in the East Village, if you ever need any stamps you should check them out.  I emailed my design et voila, a few days later I had my stamp and I shopped locally!  I love how the cards came out, so I think it was a win for everyone.

I'll be in touch!

Spring Ahead, Fall's Back

While we patiently await spring to arrive in New York, I find myself designing the fall line.  I've read up on the upcoming trends, I've checked out the RTW shows via my computer desk, and I've dug deep inside my gut to come up with the new colors and some new style inspiration for fall. 

Without giving too much away, I've decided on some tortoises, deep greens, blues, cranberries and browns, a winter white, black, and some other familiar hues that always make the cut.

The colors will be subtle and wearable. When I looked through my favorite looks I pulled from the runway, I was surprised by how neutral and monotone the palette was.  Maybe I'm getting boring in my 'old age' but I will look at it as I need to design a fabulous line that will dress up all of these beautiful clothes!

Some of my favorite looks that need some Lisa August love:

Ok, the Anna Sui clothes are added just because I personally would wear them...

I'm done now...

Paul & Joe

Alexander McQueen

Marc Jacobs

Mara Hoffman

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake

Alice & Olivia

Alice & Olivia

Alice & Olivia

Chloe

Valentino

Valentino

Happy almost spring!!!

New Kids on the Block

There's a new bestseller at Lisa August, and I would say the first post Bellissima best seller for Lisa August.  It's our "honeycomb" AKA "clover" however you choose to describe it cuff and earrings.

I'm excited because these are the first samples I have made from scratch using our engraving machine program, without the help of my Uncle Mike, who was always the sample maker extraordinaire at Bellissima.  I'm even more proud of my little buddies for being so popular for this reason.

I made the clover earrings first from an existing die, I loved the shape and wanted to create a pattern within that shape.  I thought these earrings were the perfect size, because we have always been a little lacking in the smaller earring category.  These little earrings are 1 3/4" long, on the short side for us!
 

The clover earrings are available in the following colors (pictured left to right):

Black-Light Horn-Tokyo-Safari-Turquoise-Peach

Once the Clover Earring pattern came out so well, I wanted to come up with a bracelet using that same pattern, keeping with the daintier look, I decided to use our tapered cuff.  Again, on the small side for us, and the taper gives the bracelet so much comfort.  Once I added the cutout to it, it was even lighter and more comfortable.  I wore it the whole show season, and never remembered I had it on, except of course when I received compliments and people wanted to buy it. 

The clover cuff is available in the following colors (pictured left to right):

Tokyo-Light Horn-Turquoise-Black-Peach

Both styles can be purchased by our retailers @ Lisaaugust.com.  If you haven't already created a wholesale account with us, it's easy.  Just click on 'My Account' and create an account. Email us at sales@lisaaugust.com that you have done so, and we will make you a wholesale customer, and you will be able to view and purchase our entire current catalog of styles.

If you are not a retailer and would like to purchase these earrings and cuffs check out where we sell them in your area:  http://www.lisaaugust.com/stores/

If you have any questions contact us @ sales@lisaaugust.com

One More Show

After what is going to go down as one of the most memorable snowiest, coldest and flight cancellation inducing winters we can remember in NYC, or for the country for that matter, we have decided last minute to do Accessories the Show at the Javits Center this February 23-24-25.  We are booth # 223, so if you haven't been able to see us yet and find yourself at the Javits Center (like so many of us do this time of year) stop by and check out the line!

Spring Collection 2014

I've been cleaning up the images to put on Lisa August's website for our wholesale accounts today. 
Maybe they can put a little 'spring' in your step on this cloudy cold day-unless you live in an area that's warm and sunny, and if so you shouldn't be reading this blog right now, go enjoy the weather!

The triangle bib in our new soft pastels mixed with tokyo tortoise and black.

Our pastel ombre chain

Our super long multi colored chain in the pastel with tortoise and black combo, we also have this neck in a neutral palette

Our classic filigree cuff is back in turquoise!

Our classic large filigree cuff is also back in light horn!

Our bestselling cabochon cuff bracelet now with peach cabochons

Our cabochon stud earrings are the perfect summer earring in tuquoise

Our tapered cuff now in shell

Classic color, classic cuff!

These bold orange beveled ears are lots of fun, and available in 6 bright colors, plus tortoise and black

Our new chunky chain is also available in the 6 brights, tortoise and black.

A shorter version of the neck above, in vibrant pink

Our new triangle ears shown in tortoise, love the clean geometric shape.  Modern and fun!

Our new oval jump ring ear shown in light horn

Our new filigree earring in peach, with a hessonite garnet drop.

Our new honeycomb earring, it's already selling really well!

The matching cuff to the new honeycomb earring, very comfortable!

15 in 14

It's been a LOOONG year.

The year started with a nice, calm New Year's Day followed by two days of work before showtime. One of which was a blizzard followed by some crazy cold days,  then a Sunday show set-up followed by two days alone at the ENK show because Claudia got a terrible migraine.  I spent those days at the show, writing some orders and worrying that I would be going alone to Atlanta for a week if poor Claudia didn't get better in time for our flight.  Thankfully, Claudia rebounded in true Lisa August style.  We met up at Laguardia and 'feasted' on some Auntie Ann's (this is unacceptable) for dinner, since everything else was closed.  We were the only flight in the airport as we waited for our plane to get there, crossing our fingers for four hours that our plane would not be cancelled like the rest were, stranding us 1 mile from my apartment.  Miracle of miracles, we took off around 12:45, landed at 3:45AM and got into bed at our hotel at 5AM, what a day!  We slept til ten, set up the show painlessly and relaxed in the afternoon until dinner, a very good dinner which blew Auntie Ann's out of the water!

The next morning, day one of a four and a half day show we were full of positive feelings, hopes and excitement.  These feelings were crushed a little, and we quickly remembered how large and maze like the Americas Mart can be.  We soon realized that our booth was considered (the following terms were overheard being said right by our booth) "a dead end", "a black hole" and my personal favorite: "blocked".  Not blocked!  Not blocked!  I love a good learning or relearning experience, and I do think we could do really well in Atlanta, we were just not presented well to the buyers.

I also came across a lot of low-end tortoise imports, which I don't have the displeasure of seeing as much in New York since the shows we do are on the high end side, so I'm sheltered a little from the knock offs I felt surrounded by in Atlanta.

All in all, I find the people of Atlanta to be extremely welcoming and friendly.  I will definitely miss the southern hospitality when I'm fighting my way off the next subway I take.  In particular, the GM of the hotel we stayed at drove Claudia and I to the show Saturday morning in his pick-up when there was flood and tornado warnings going off left and right.  That just does not happen every day (the ride and the tornado, because there really was one of course!) There's also some great food there-next blog will be a roundup of places to go in ATL...

This Saturday the 18th will be my first day off since New Year's and I look forward to it, it will also be little Lenore's birthday, so Happy Birthday, partner! 

PS-I apologize for the negativity, here's a link to my Thanksgiving post, because I am truly grateful, I'm just exhausted!  Giving Thanks

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year All!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous, all your dreams coming true kind of 2014!

Here's our upcoming show schedule, we are looking very forward to showing our new line to you!

This will be the first Lisa August line totally designed and produced in our new digs, so it's special to us, and also kind of pretty!

Lisa August 2014 Trade Show Schedule

ENK Accessory Circuit

January 6-8

Pier 94

Booth #: 3107

Atlanta Gift Show

January 9-13

America's Mart Building 3, 4th Floor Jewelry & Fashion Accessories

Booth #: 4-1918

NY NOW (NY Gift Show)

February 2-6

Javits Center : Personal Accessories

Booth#: 8622

Our catalogs showed up today (finally) and our boxes are ready to ship to Atlanta and get picked up for New York, so we just need this blizzard forecast to be a bust (famous last words) .

Stay warm and see you soon!

Our new catalogs, hot off the presses!