In the Thicke of Things at Express

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Parent Category: Travel Info

Category: Places To Shop

Published on Thursday, 03 April 2014 04:36

Written by Elaine Ing

On Tuesday, Mar. 25th, 2014 singer Robin Thicke officially opened the Express flagship store in the midst of Times Square.  After a Q&A and photo-op session in the middle of the gigantic store, Thicke descended the escalators wearing the Express “Photographer” suit and Henley graphic tshirt, opened his set to a screaming filled-to-capacity in-store crowd.  Much to the surprise and delight of pedestrians outside the store, his live performance was telecast on Express’ 9,000 sq. foot billboard (the highest resolution billboard ever in Times Square).  Thicke played a number of his hits, including starting off with Give It 2 You, his 2008 song Magic on the keyboard, and of course the 2013 summer anthem Blurred Lines.

The massive new three-story, 28,000-square-foot flagship is in the heart of Times Square. The Japanese redesign of its flagship store, as well as its world-wide store locations, features industrial fixtures, separate women’s & men’s section, a special "denim lab" area, and a runway down the center of each store to showcase special merchandise. In addition, the flagship store boasts interactive iPads, mobile points of sale, and on-site charging stations to enhance the shopping experience. Express has more than 620 worldwide, generating sales of $2 billion a year.  It was announced last fall that supermodel Kate Upton will be the first celebrity spokeswoman to appear in the brand’s campaigns in the past decade. As the brand ambassador for the American company, the model recently wowed the crowd at Express’ runway show in Miami Beach and will appear in their fall ads.

The flagship store opening celebration was the perfect opportunity to see Express’ latest Spring 2014 collection.  The first two floors featured the women’s collection.  The first floor consisted of mainly casual wear, including the recently launched Love Express line (yoga and casual lounge) and Express Core (activewear).  Both lines highlight Express’ aggressive pricing strategy of offering fast fashion clothing and accessories with the same fabric technology as many of the high-end sports/ activewear brand competitors, at a fraction of the cost.

The second floor showed Express’ dressier items and accessories. Lightly tinted blush is a predominant color in their Spring 2014 collection, as well as the au courant monochromatic black / white theme in the form of stripes, polka dots and eye-catching visuals.  These color schemes are echoed in apparel and accessories. The massive retail store utilizes each space well, with separate areas allotted for handbags & totes, hosiery & shoes, jewelry, and fragrance.
The third floor was dedicated to menswear, featuring suits, shirts and casual wear including the “denim lab”.

Festive Fossil Finds

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Parent Category: Travel Info

Category: Places To Shop

Published on Monday, 23 December 2013 04:06

Written by Elaine Ing

We saw a glimpse of Fossil’s Holiday preview back in the summer but at a special press event in November, we got to see the full Fossil Holiday collection in full Yuletide regalia.  

Inspired by the Northern Lights (Aurora Beorealis), the natural light display is echoed in the array of sweeping colors throughout the collection.  From limited edition watches (the Heather Starstruck for women and Grant Sapphire for men), traditional handbags and accessories (studded or embroidered constellation detailing on color blocked or solid backgrounds), to fashion jewelry in shimmering palettes, it’s hard not to shine during this festive season. 

Fossil has every budget covered for both him & her.  Fossil offers great stocking stuffers under $50 – charms, bracelets, wallets, pouches, ipad cases, sunglasses, belts.  And for those with deeper pockets, bargains abound for less than $200 – watches, purses, totes, city / messenger bags, watch boxes, and even clothes!!

HSN Previews Holiday Gifts

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Parent Category: Travel Info

Category: Places To Shop

Published on Monday, 23 December 2013 03:49

Written by Elaine Ing

The Academy Mansion was the ideal setting for HSN’s holiday preview back in the summer.  What an apt venue since it would take a mansion to showcase everything that HSN has to offer this holiday season. The spectacular four-story mansion was used to its full effect with thematic, fully decorated rooms with curated products from HSN, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, Improvements, and TravelSmith, just to name a few. With so many items around the $100 mark (and many for a lot less), you’d be hard-pressed not to find something for your loved ones.

HSN opened up its doors to a main floor that was meant for entertaining.  First was the perfect dining room area, with a larger-than-life Nutcracker Soldier, flanked by two sentry, who oversaw a festive table filled with the perfect entertainment accoutrements.  Next came the recreation room, the perfect setting for an après-dinner soiree with a pool table, arcade games, tech accessories and of course the requisite drink bar.

Upstairs led to the HSN powder room – a must for every beauty junkie.  Well-known makeup and fragrance brands such as Lorac,Too Faced, Deborah Lippman, Benefit, Trish McEvoy, Korres and Lancome. Most of the brands had limited edition collection specially made for gift-giving.  

The best part of the HSN holiday preview was their “closet” – and what a closet it was.  From luxurious stoles, faux fur throws, chic evening dresses, contempary sportwear to finishing touches such as luxe bags and shoewear.  Sigh, if only my closet looked like this.

Enjoy pictures from the show!