glow style blog.

February and September are “It” months in the Fashion industry. For buyers, it begins with shoe market, then Fashion Week, followed by the feeding frenzy that is buyer’s market. This is when we all run around from showroom appointment to showroom appointment buying what will be delivered in-store to consumers some 4-6 months later. (Cue the “Chariots of Fire”). To us buyers, this is the dichotomy of the Fashion “present”. It is a dichotomy because in our minds what is “now” is what we are seeing in the showrooms and on the runways, yet what is arriving in store now to be merchandised for the consumer to see as “now” is what we have viewed in the showrooms as our “now” 6 months ago.  There are two fashion worlds for buyers during market months – the now that is what we are seeing for the first time as well as the excitement of selling current season merchandise to the client. Our hard work and painstaking editing is being channeled in so many directions that Fashion has replaced the oxygen we breath and the CO2 that we exhale. It is an exciting time to say the least. The unnecessary pile of paperwork that we bring home with us day after day rivals that of teachers’ and lawyers’ workloads.  Hectic, yes. Sleepless, yes. Maddening…slightly. Amazing….OF COURSE.  This is why we do what we do.

With that said, here we are again. Shoe market is upon us. Spring arrivals are coming in the door daily and Fashion Week invites and RSVP’s have been dispatched. Let the games begin. What will February hold – stay tuned to find out. I can say that for Spring Collections, it is the strongest spring in years! The shoes are GORGEOUS! The clothes are so fun and FRESH! The colors are WOW! Here is a peek at the Ports 1961 showroom last September for what will arrive in the store over the next few months.

Ports 1961 Spring 2012

Happy 2012! We are so excited for some of the great things we will be bringing you this season at glow.   Pre-Spring as well as Spring 2012 are incredibly strong this year. Some of our favorites are the pops of colors that are being featured in accessories (such as the 3.1 Phillip Lim handbag at left). This will be our strongest accessory season to date – the selection is simply stunning and we will keep all of you in the know as some of our favorites arrive. Denim remains bright as well with some fabulous colored denim continuing to make a strong statement and some great solid tanks and cami’s in vibrant hues as well. Some of the must-have colors for the season: aqua, royal blue, coral, neons, red, green, and stripes!  The wedge is making an incredible statement this upcoming season. We can’t wait to show you our favorite wedges and other gorgeous shoes in some of these vibrant colors! Long maxi dresses, fabulous prints, easy cottons, chic jerseys, cropped pants, and cuffed shorts – this spring is sure to please all in an chic easy colorful way.  For those of you set to break out of the winter on a fabulous vacation over the next few months, we have deliveries arriving daily starting this week of pre-spring.  Come glow with us!

One of the great aspects of really getting to know our designers, their collections, and their showrooms is that we truly know the life of the collection. How it breaths, its energy, and where it lives. See if you can figure out which collection lives here:

The answer?

Helmut Lang!  Visit us in store to see our current season favorites!

Thank you to all of our customers, designers, sales reps, and great friends for another successful year! It We look forward to bringing all of you an exciting 2011 with many new collections, must-have items, and fashion blogging! Best wishes for a great new year to all of you!