Color Blocking : Love it or Hate it?

It seems that no matter where you turn, there is no escaping the latest craze of color blocking. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, you should probably stop living under that rock of yours and open your eyes to what everyone can't seem to get enough of. Color blocking is putting the brightest, boldest colors together to form pure fun and flirty fashionista bliss. I must admit, it takes a brave soul to strut their stuff down the street in a bright orange and green ensemble and I most certainly not one of those people. If you're still rather shy when it comes to color blocking like myself, no need to feel left out, because even you can still take part in this season's biggest trend.  If brights on brights just isn't your thing, you can substitute one of them for a neutral piece to come up with a classic outfit with a refreshingly trendy twist. So add a little splash of color to your look, because all of the designers these days are making it hard to resist. From BCBG to Bottega Veneta, dabbling in color blocking is on everybody's to-do list and soon enough it will make Brynn Capella's. Watch out Bottega, because the holiday collection from Brynn Capella Inc. will feature color blocking that is sure to mix things up, so stay tuned! Until then, you can stay trendy by adding the perfect pop of color to your summer wardrobe with the Lauren Crossbody in Emerald Isle.

Lauren Crossbody in Emerald Isle

This bright green handbag is complimented with tan zippers, it is THE solution to those of us fearful of full-on color blocking. The Lauren Crossbody is perfect for carrying your sunscreen for a day game at Wrigley (or U.S. Cellular if you REALLY must) and even those purchases made at one of Chicago's fabulous street fairs. What better way to carry all those things you need for your summer festivities, but stay stylish in the heat than with the Lauren Crossbody by your side?

Wildflower Power

Us girls are super pleased to welcome the Wildflower Collection! After countless hours and weeks with Brynn, we all have a chance to relax now. Brynn launched her latest addition to her hard working collection. As weeks went by, us interns have been working extra hard on making the Wildflowers shine! I had fun making sure the bags arrive to perfection. As a Social Media intern, it was my job to creatively give these beautiful bags an identity for themselves. From actually helping pick out name ideas, assisted at photo shoots to picking out each individual straps and putting them in plastic bags for protection. My hard work has paid off. Proud of what we all set out to accomplish, the new line looks great and aesthetically beautiful! My favorite color/bag has to be the Calypso Orchid Lauren, a super great chic bag that fits my style and is perfect for my liking. Be sure to find your perfect bag and see the fruits of our labor, Wildflower Power!

Obsession Confession: I Need You, Cher!

Okay, you know when people say you are in denial?  And then you deny that you are in denial?  Well, I have come to terms with myself, and I am ready to confess: I need you Cher!  The Cher Wristlet by Brynn Capella is a must have for any girl that goes out at night, particularly the ones in college.

My name is Katie - I am the new Merchandising Assistant at Brynn Capella, and I am also a 21-year old student at Columbia College.  I am definitely not a huge party girl, but I do like to go out with my friends or my boyfriend and have a good time once and a while.  But every time I go out, I am faced with “big purse syndrome.”  You know, the ailment where you own an expensive purse that you don’t want to leave sitting in a pile at the bar table while you are on the dance floor?  But, at the same time, it is hard to look confident and sexy when you have this big bag swinging back and forth and hitting people while you are dancing.  Solution? The Cher Wristlet.

Now, picture this.  A young woman with a cute wallet-sized bag around her wrist dancing with a smile on her face and surrounded by her friends - victory.  All my credit cards and money are in the wristlet along with my cell phone and a little tube of lip gloss for any retouch opportunities.  The Cher is the perfect size for any event, and now is the perfect time to get one because the Wildflower Collection is coming out SOON for the Spring and Summer nights.

Western Flower

Moss Verbena

Iceland Poppy

Calypso Orchid

Emerald Isle

Lilac Wisteria

Poppyseed

   

Introducing the colors for the Wildflower Collection Cher Wristlets!





Thank you, Brynn, for answering our prayers – I am cured.

Sincerely,

xoFashionByKatiexo

Resort Wear...Y or N?

We are well into the Resort Season! I know, I know, how many of us actually shop resort wear??!

Well all I know is that I wish I needed to! St. Tropez, Bahamas, and the French Riviera, all sound wonderful to me in January and February.

So as we were doing our research on trends and hot colors for each season, we came across this via Shopbop.com:

I know my first thoughts ~ Our Hey Sailor Summer 2011 Collection would be the perfect compliment. Maybe we were just ahead of our time?!?!

How H-O-T would our Forever Yours Zee Satchel (shown above left) look with these outfits or our In The Navy Lauren (also shown above right). The red would pop with any and all of these outfits. But since cobalt blue is on the rise again, you might want to re-consider the In The Navy.

Either way, you should revisit either of these colors and our Sail Away, as they will take you from now through Summer and back again.
Cheers!

Lights, Camera, Strike a Pose!

Hey everyone!

Although our recent photo shoot was finalized last minute, the shots turned out great! (Thanks to Rod our wonderful photographer)

Everyone thinks a photo shoot is easy, but I am here to tell you it can be a little overwhelming and a bit crazy!

But I am proud to say, we definitely got some great shots of our Summer "Hey Sailor" Collection (finally!) and even though it's August, we also got some for our Fall "Lexington" Collection (available online shortly!)






All of the interns (Samantha, Emily and I) were there to help make the day run smoothly and of course shop for the outfits!  After trying to get all the office work done for the day, we headed out around 1pm to shop at various stores and pick out items that we think look great with the collection.  I think we did a great job!




Carla has been modeling Brynn's bags since the beginning and is the same size as Brynn, so we already ransacked Brynn's closet for some of her outfits. Rod had hired a model named Madison, so we mainly shopped for her and prayed that it all would fit perfectly.  It did! We were a bit jealous...

We took our suitcases and Ikea bags (they work great for lugging around our samples btw) and headed to Lincoln Park near the marina for our beachy, 70's bohemian, nautical feel images. In true model form, Madison had no problem switching outfits and making every shot work. Her wavy hair looked great with an over-sized floppy hat, big shades, maxi dress and Lauren crossbody.  We got tons of the shots with Madison, before Carla arrived, and we think she makes a nice addition to our everyday-girl models.

Carla's dark hair and dark complexion look ah-mazing with both our summer hues and our neutral fall color palette.  So we wanted to take advantage of Carla's beautiful skin tone, so we took a few more summer shots.

It was a fun day and it really gave me a chance to practice my styling abilities. When one outfit was being photographed the next one had to be prepared and ready, so I had to think fast about what would work together and what wouldn't.  From the shoes, the clothes, the jewelry and the bag, it all had to look great.

We were a little nervous about the fall shots because it was a beautiful bright summer day. But Rod was able to work his magic and make Fall come to life.

Although our Fall collection is equestrian inspired, we were able to stay in the same area but focused more on the grass, trees and nature in general. At one point, we even had an unwanted guest...a squirrel that kept trying to see what was in our suitcases! It made all the girls a little squirrley (pun intended), but Rod chased him away so we could get these great shots!

Our Lauren (left pic: shown in Champagne) is our biggest seller, so it also comes in 5 other colors...Saddle, Moss Creek, Winchester, Wyoming Yellow and of course Black Beauty. We think these colors are perfect for fall and year-round! 


But one of my new favorites is Brynn's re-design of her Samantha bag. She incorporated the double handle and size of the original with a smaller Lauren type body and crossbody strap...so far it's been a big seller with boutiques and we can't wait to see everyone's reactions!

These are just a few of my favorite shots...and a quick peak of what's to come! Until next time...

Fun In The Sun!

Last week we were a part of the 5th annual Chicago Sidewalk Sale at Daley Plaza. This event featured 39 Chicago designers and their products, ranging from handmade jewelry and hats to fun summer frocks. Some of our favorites are Jules, Kate Boggiano, Forme Milinery, Squasht by Les and many many more!

The event started early on Tuesday, or should I say extra early for Brynn and Elizabeth who had to arrive for a 6am set up because they were being featured on WGN Around Town with Ana! We were so excited to be one of seven chosen for this opportunity. Here's some of the footage from that morning...thanks to Ana at WGN for highlighting our "In the Navy" Lauren Crossbody bag with a great Michelle Tan outfit (model #4).


We were also offering some great deals and the women were going crazy over them! From our "Buy One Get One Free" fabric Cher wristlets to the Last Chance Allison Hobos at 50% off!

The event went very well, with lots of foot traffic to keep us very busy. Although it was a scorcher, we took turns dipping our feet in the fountain to cool off or getting Starbucks to refresh...the passion tea lemonade...yum!

As the design intern, I enjoyed talking to the shoppers about Brynn's product, highlighting the unique and beautiful attributes in each bag. So much detail goes into the handbag, (and as the design intern I get to have hands on with all of it), I can't help but share my excitement!

Overall, it was a great event, the Brynn Capella team had such a blast and we sold some great items. I mean come on, Chicago, summertime, Brynn Capella, what a great combo!

These Espadrilles Rock!

Looking for the perfect summer shoes to wear with the perfect summer bag? We ran across these fabulous Tory Burch's red, white and blue stripped espadrilles and had to share this great find with you.

How cute would these look with your favorite pair of skinny jeans or white capris... add a summery blouse and of course a french pedicure to complete the look.  Or simply pair with a solid or even printed summer dress for a perfect care-free look.

You can buy these at Nordstrom, maybe Nordstrom Rack (shhh), and myteresa.com but they're going fast. Tory Burch also has a similar style espadrille in a blue and white stripe style, which can be found at shopstyle.com and myteresa.com.

To complete the cutest summer ensemble, any handbag in our "Hey Sailor" Collection would go oh so well with these shoes, especially our new Zee bag.   The added good news is the entire collection is now 30% off from tomorrow until the 4th of July...hello! Get your list started today!

P.S. Be on the lookout for new markdowns on other bags as well!

End of Summer Sale on NOW!

Just a reminder...SHOP our End of Summer Sale this weekend!

There are only a few Lauren left in our California Color Collection at almost 40% off! And the Cher and Dylan are perfect gifts at these prices! Make sure to check it out.



Added note: We are excited because we were able to get more of our Fresh Cut leather and so we will be making more Lauren for custom orders and the One of a Kind Show, since they sold out so early!

Otherwise...get ready as Fall will be arriving online next week! xoxo

Just Another Day at the Office

Yesterday, Ali (the Business Intern) and I were sent on a mission to display all of the different ways to wear our Lauren Crossbody Fold Over Bag. We were to take pictures and create a marketing spread to send to boutiques. After 130 pictures we used 8 of them! We ran around the neighborhood all afternoon squealing like little girls! It was one of the best days at work this summer!

-Adrienne
Marketing Intern