Designer

…………………SAFARI………………….I love all things Safari…….Jac and I have been wanting to go on a Safari for the longest time! We must plan a trip!!……There used to be a great store in NYC called “Hunting World”. Maybe some of you remember it? I was a good customer. They had wonderful products from clothing [owned it], to luggage and shoulder bags [owned them] to equipment all geared for Safaris in Africa…Their accessories and jewelry were fabulous…….Elephant hair bracelets and some mixed with silver and gold [owned them too] on and on and on. There was no other store like it. I was sad to see it go………Now…..how to reinvent the SAFARI JACKET? I have designed so many in my long career that it amazes me each one had something different……This time…the story is the same……something a little different…. This Safari/Anorak Jacket, A273881, is LOADED with SPECIAL DETAILS……First, the jacket is unlined, and is made in a 97% cotton and 3% spandex fine twill weave……….very safari….very “Hunting World”…The jacket has a narrow stand collar….with an added SPECIAL TOUCH…..Look inside of the collar and you will find a 1/2” HERRINGBONE TAPE finishing off the top inside edge of the collar….It gives the jacket a sense of authenticity…….and it’s a cool detail. Did I need to add this…no….but I just had to. It also serves a function. It protects the edge of the collar from wearing out……….The jacket has a metal zipper with an industrial zipper pull…It is not a two way zipper……There are two top pocket flaps with two snaps, but they are just for the “look”, there are no pockets beneath…….The jacket has a CLASSIC SHIRT SLEEVE with a single SNAP on the cuff……This is a DRAW STRING jacket. The cord itself is made out of the self cotton fabric. There are METAL STOPPERS so when you draw the jacket to where it is comfortable to you……..you slide the stopper to that position and you won’t have to adjust it again. Naturally, where or even IF you draw it is up to you. One of my personal pet peeves are drawstrings that are placed too high on the jacket. When they are drawn in, which shortens the jacket, it may cause the waist to look too high and give an Empire silhouette. This is not how a Safari jacket or any draw string jacket IMHO should look unless it was meant to be Empire…..This is especially a problem with large chested women…Down below there are TWO REAL POCKETS with flaps and two snaps. These are DOUBLE ENTRY POCKETS…..two pockets in one…..a detail I have used quite often……. The jacket has a front and back yoke, and the jacket is entirely DOUBLE STITCHED………Now….what makes this jacket unlike any I have done before is the addition of the………EMBROIDERED COTTON EYELET FABRIC……….. ……………The top front of the jacket has an additional yoke made in this eyelet fabric…..plus on the bottom pocket….the top pocket of the two, is also made from this eyelet fabric which you can see from the close up photos above……..The entire back, except for the yoke is also made in this EYELET EMB. fabric. Besides giving the jacket a feminine edge it is also very functional…..The holes act like AIR CONDITIONING, and allow air to flow through the jacket………The metal color on both the Sage and Lt. Khaki is an antique BRASS which is totally in keeping with the look and spirit of the SAFARI JACKET……The sizing will be XXS to 3X…The approx. length for the XS is 29 1/2 inches, [before being drawn]…Machine wash if you choose, but I would prefer to dry clean to keep it crisp and professionally pressed, but that’s me….How many times would you really need to clean a jacket???…..As I said there are lots and lots of details on this jacket that make it very special and totally unique…………….I have chosen vintage and new pieces to coordinate with the jackets. The SLIM PANT, A265615 in the Lt. Khaki from last season and the new OLIVE are in the photos above. The speckled tanks are vintage Linea, A224278, in olive and natural……..The jewelry is authentic Indian jewelry…….One of the best things about Safari jackets is….they NEVER go out of style, they always have a certain SOPHISTICATION and CHIC, and they look great over anything from shorts to slim pants or trousers…..pencil skirts, maxis  or Boho skirts…………..dresses and skorts all look great with SAFARI JACKETS…………THIS JACKET IS SCHEDULED TO BE ON AM STYLE on APRIL 23rd!!!………………………………………..enjoy…………much Love……………………Louis

……………………………CADET BLUE…………is a wonderful smokey blue……….It is not a dull faded color. It has a slight grey haze which cuts the edge of a too bright blue.  I felt this color was  in keeping with what I wanted these jackets to say……..Yes, clothes can speak to you, and I wanted this to speak softly……..Gunmetal accessories such as the SINGLE BAR NECKLACE, J325471, the BOLD HOOP, J288005, work perfectly with the hardware on the jacket…………….There are many bottoms to choose from. The new GREY TROUSER, A273303 above, for a more work look, or the reorder slim pant in the new GREY, A265615, and the tonal FOG LINEA LEISURE SHORT SLEEVE TEE, A267872 above,  blend beautifully with the Cadet Blue. For more of a casual look you could switch the pant to the FOG LINEA LEISURE PANT, A267868. This particular Cadet Blue and Grey is a very European color combination, and does remind me of Armani who is a master of subtlety………………..enjoy…………much Love…………………….Louis

………………….Lastly………………BLACK………….Unfortunately, the details and the eyelet fabric don’t show well in the photos, but in life they look very rich! I had  fun layering the jacket with the MOSS faux de Chine button front cap sleeve Tee, A266302 and the matching MOSS SKORT, A265613..for a very safari look..FYI…the length of my skort is 1/2 longer than the majority of skorts sold on QVC, and I checked….just a bit of info….Of course the beauty of a black jacket is you can wear it with ANYTHING or ANY COLOR you choose……Starting with all white, lt. tan, ivory or any neutral color will be very sophisticated. Start addind the colors you love and the options are endless…..Over walking shorts, pants of any length, and even dresses from mini to maxi will work with this jacket……Please take notice how good the jacket looks when worn OPEN. If you draw the string and secure it with the stoppers, it will give you a waist….even when the jacket is open. Accessories will play an important part of dressing you SAFARI JACKET, A273881. I have chosen the BOLD HOOP, J288005 in GUNMETAL and the DINGLE DANGLE NECKLACE, J325473, again in gunmetal…The Chain Hoop in gunmetal [clip or pierced], J267610,would also look great…A black CROCO belt and fabulous lace up black or olive espardrills, wedges, or sandals [birdcage or gladiator would be very glam] would all finish the look perfectly!……………………enjoy………………..much Love……………………Louis

………………Working on colors for Spring 2016!……….YIKES!!

…………………………If you are a lover of antiquity and all things from ancient cultures you will fall in love with this necklace…….and if your not…..I still think you will fall in love with it anyway!…. I call it the EGYPTIAN BEAD NECKLACE, J329563, but you will find it on the Linea jewelry site as the “Multi Bead” necklace…..This set will be avail. this April, not sure when……Every time I visit a natural history museum, in whatever country I happen to be in, I am always drawn to the ancient cultures. This necklace looks like something I would imagine seeing behind glass at the Egyptian exhibit….I am always amazed by their artistry and craftsmanship….they must have been amazing people. I would love to get into a time machine and spend time with these artisans!……The color is called “Blue”, but it is so much more than a “blue” necklace. There are COBALT, BLACK and TURQUOISE beads accented with…..MATTE GOLD BEADS……The positioning of the beads with the three rows of color beads towards the back of the neck……the GOLD spacer….then the five rows of color beads ending at the bottom with an arc of ten rows of small matte gold beads…..gives it a hand strung [which it is] ARTISAN feel, and gives it a very DESIGNER look…………The pierced earring, which is weightless, as well as the necklace, is in total character with the necklace. They are also stand alone pieces which can be worn with many other gold necklaces you may own. Again, for those of you who do not have pierced ears, these are easily converted to a clip on style. The attachments can be found at most bead stores or arts and crafts stores…………If you want and are always looking for something that’s going to give you an individual look, something that’s only yours, this is the necklace for you…….I guarantee admiring eyes will turn when this is around your neck………….enjoy…………………..much Love……….Louis