The Olsen twins debut junior line for J.C. Penny!

The Olsen twins have always been known to be fashion icons throughout Hollywood, even from a young age. They have been in the fashion industry for years, starting with their clothing, furniture and jewelry line for Walmart, to their high end women and men’s line called The Row and Elizabeth and James. Through the years, they have really shown their fashion design talents and just last week they joined the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Now, they have exclusively signed a deal with J.C. Penny in launching and junior line called Olsenboye.

Their collection will be rolling into 600 J.C. Penny’s across the country in Februrary 2010. Olsenboye, which is the girl’s ancestral name, will target to teens before the launch as a country-wide marketing campaign. On November 6, the line will launch at jcp.com and in 50 stores for a limited time. Once the line fully launches in the Spring, there will be magazine print ads, broadcast spots, direct-mail pieces and interactive efforts through the internet at jcp.com, facebook and twitter. On Monday, the girls set out an Olsenboye truck filed with cupcakes, balloons, pins and merchandise to cruise around New York City in order to gain attention from the public. Racks in 50 high-profile stores also sold a preview of the Olsenboye line. When asked about the marketing strategies to promote Olsenboy, Mary-Kate has stated. “Ashley and I felt strongly about creating a unique experience to reach the teen customer, using relevant marketing strategies that would effectively reach this key customer demographics.”

Throughout these past seasons, J.C. Penny has launched new labels from well known designers that have been affordable to their customer and have cut out lines that have lost interest to them. Now, they are catering more into the teen and contemporary crowd. J.C. Penny’s own executive vice president, Liz Sweney, has said that they are looking to “attract a younger customer” and adapting new brands in the way to go. Their recent launches have been, Bisou Bisou, I heart Ronson, Allen B., and Oxford & Regent.
The Olsenboye line will retail from $20 to $50 and will include “casual sportswear and accessories” such as denim, skirts, shorts, dresses, handbags, shoes, tops and bottoms. The neat thing about this brand is that it will have a travel-inspired mini collection that will vary in different cities. Sweney has said that the line is “very fun, fashion driven, trendy and wholesome at the same time.” Although the Olsen twins are very petite young women, their sizes will range from size 0 to 15. They really want to serve a wide range of girls with this line and don’t want girls to think that they need to be a size 0 in order to look fashionable.

I have no-doubt in my mind that this line will turn out to be very positive for the teenage audience. I know that it will defaintely be successful because these girls are very fashion-savy. Being in the business at such a young age has really caused them to mature very quickly and know what the customer wants. I think it’s great when well known designers cater to the contemporary market, which is a vast majority of America. Ashley has said, “Mary-Kate and I watch current trends and see our partnership with J.C. Penny as an opportunity to add something unique to the marketplace, especially in the current retail climate. This collaboration will complement and strengthen our business portfolio, delivering trend-based fashion at affordable prices.”

Jimmy Choo designs for H&M

Earlier in the summer, I learned that Jimmy Choo was designing for H&M and my excitement went over the roof! I couldn't believe that such a trendy and affordable store will have someone so big like Jimmy Cho design timeless pieces for them. I think it's a great thing when such a prestigious designer has an affordable line for middle class people, which is the majority of America. There brands are exclusive but it's a great thing when they can design something where most fashionistas on a budget are able to afford at least a pair of shoes of a shirt. I, myself, am on a budget now a days because I'm a college student and this recession doesn't make this situation any better so I'll splurge myself for some good deals when I can. SALES are something I love seeing when I pass by stores which normally lures me in the store. So Jimmy Choo designing for H&M was my best opportunity to purchase something that I wouldn't normally buy with a budget.


I've always liked the nicer and more luxurious things so I thought this would be my perfect cue to feel part of that "elite and exclusive" club who is able to purchase Jimmy Cho on a regular basis and is able to afford such a high end brand. I got really excited until I saw an article in the ELLE Magazine showing the pieces and when I looked at the prices, I almost fell out of my seat at work. NO KIDDING! They had these very fierce knee-high boots for $300! I couldn't believe it! When the news of Jimmy Choo pairing up with H&M broke out, I read that nothing would be more than $150 so reading $300 was sure very odd. I got really mad because I know that the average H&M customer doesn't have that kind of money to stop for a pair of shoes. I also saw that one of the dresses from the collection was $240 which, again, was ridiculously expensive. I have no idea what the marketing people at Jimmy Choo were thinking. I'm sure the brand will probably sell out quick, just like most high end designers that team up with H&M, but I know many of us who have been longing for this day to happen might be disappointed because it sure isn't affordable to a budget-friendly fashionista.

Even though I keep ranting on how I'm so disappointed in the pricing for this line, I know that I will be one of those people waiting outside of the Georgetown H&M on November 14 waiting to take a glimpse of this epic line. I hope that those were only 2 of 20 pieces that will be sold so I'll be doing the happy dance and hoping that I will be able to walk about with at least something that Jimmy Choo designed and I was able to afford as a college student!

Strong shoulder blazers

My recent love for this season are strong shouldered blazers! I absolutely love them! First of all, blazers go with just about anything such as a dress, skirt, leggings or even with a cute pair of jeans. Blazers are such a timeless garment because they will never go out of style. They will always be worn and every season designers will always try to innovate a fashionale blazer. Nowadays, a blazer is the new "black mini dress." When styled and accessorized correctly, the same one can be worn again, and again and again.

Last year, I got this blazer from Express with a very different texture. It caught my attention because the fabric had vertical lines all over the fabric and it didn't look like an ordinary black blazer. I also noticed that it had shoulder pads which bugged me out because they were very defined. I started laughing to myself because I had NO idea that the 80's power suits were coming back! I wasn't too fond of shoulder pads in the beginning because I thought that they looked too "manly." I just had to try it on because I don't normally buy things without seeing how they look on me and I fell in love with strong shoulders. I got so many complements that I thought to myself that this style really does look good on me!

Now, I just realized that this season the strong, defined shoulders are starting to come back and I love it! I just purchased myself a blazer and a white woven short sleeved shirt from Express and I noticed that they were very defined and they didn't even need to have shoulder pads. The big gathers at the top really did the trick! I felt like now they are adding strong shoulders that aren't manly at all! They have a sense of femininity which just looks so chic and powerful.

Most of these garments have a boxy and boyish cut and it's really working it's way up in the fashion pyramid. This bolder looks looks so irrisistable that many celebs such as Kim Kardashian, Mary-Kate Olsen and Kate Moss wear them all the time! Yay for the 1980's!

Fall Fashion

Lately I have scouting around in malls to see what is in for fashion. I tend to buy a lot of magazines but I find that a lot of the things I like in them I cannot afford. So, I just end u going to my local malls and try to buy a replica of something that I saw in a magazine and buy it at the mall. There are three things that I have found that are a must to have, knee-high boots, plaid shirts and open toe bootsies. So, last week I went on a little shopping spree and purchased 3 plaid shirts and black Nine West open toe boots that are to die for! My real dilema was not being able to find knee-high boots that I liked. I found some grey ones in Nordstroms but they were really out of my budget!

Another fashion item is is a must are leggings! When leggings first came back to fashion two years ago, I thought I wouldn't be caught dead in them! Now, I can't live without them! When I go shopping I try to find long shirts that I can pair up with a belt and top it off with leggings. I think that's why I'm so devastated about not owning a pair of knee-high boots because they would look so good with leggings! That's my next mission at the mall..knee-highs!