Happy Monday...here's something new!

This is both a greeting and a declaration ;-)

Greetings my marvelous readers! How was your weekend? Mine was juuuuust fine. Today I'm introducing a new segment called "In the Spotlight" where I feature up and coming designers, crafters, entrepreneurs, etc. Though I won't always do this on Mondays, I will try to showcase someone/something new at least twice per month. Is that cool with you? Cool ;-)

I recently had the chance to get acquainted with up and coming accessories designer, Kristena Witherspoon of Kristena Witherspoon Designs. Kristena is a Little Rock transplant now residing in Chicago (Chi-Town stand up!). Check out our Q & A and some of her work...

Click to purchase the "Sugah" reversible Hobo

OELI: Have you received any formal training in fashion/design?

KWD: Yes, I studied fashion design and business at Syracuse University.

OELI: Ahh, New York, great place to study fashion and business. What made you decide to create your own accessories line?

KWD: I enjoy accessories because they can easily change up an outfit.

OELI: Yes, a good accessory can really spice up an outfit. How long have you been designing/creating?

KWD: Wow…about 12 years now. I began designing and selling handbags in junior high and high school.

Click to purchase similar bag (now on sale!)

OELI: So the fashion bug bit you early. What was the first piece you ever created?

KWD: The first piece that I created was a denim tote out of some yardage that my aunt gave me. That was the style that caught on at school. I’d do the exterior in dark denim and the interior in different fabrics. The different interior is what made each bag one of a kind.

OELI: I love bold interiors on a bag or lining jackets/coats. How long does it usually take you to construct a piece?

KWD: Smaller pieces take 30-60 min and bigger ones take 2-3 hours.

OELI: Not nearly as long as I thought. Do you hand sew or use a machine for your bag line?

KWD: I machine sew.

"I Love Life" earrings currently on sale, click for deets/to purchase

OELI: Machine sewing certainly saves you time...and pricked fingers, lol.  From where/whom do you draw some of your inspiration?

KWD: Most of my inspiration comes from different cultures and subcultures as well as architecture. I’m highly influenced by the Diaspora and street fashion as well. Recently, the Chicago art and music scene has been a big influence.

OELI: The gorgeous Kente prints and Ankara are certainly indicative of your love for the Diaspora. I like the different shapes of the totes and hobo bags as well, they're very architectural. Do you have plans to expand your line, will we see clothing in the future?

KWD: Yes! I hope to add a line of skirts by summer 2012. I love a nice skirt with a nipped waist and full skirt.

OELI: I hope there'll be pencil skirts too, I'm beginning to love them. Do you take custom orders?

KWD: I currently no longer take custom orders.

Click to purchase

OELI: Awww, sad face. What is the best perk in designing your own line?

KWD: I would say that the best thing is being able to create art that is functional.

OELI: What is the most difficult aspect of designing and creating your own
line?

KWD: I would say that the most difficult aspect is balancing an item’s marketability with the artistic aspect.

OELI: Who are some of your favorite designers? 

KWD: 

Duro Olowu - bold prints and great tailoring

Korto Momolu - project runway alum and represents my hometown-Little Rock J

Doo Ri - great draping skills

Alexander McQueen - his tailoring skills were amazing and he constantly thought outside of the box

Squasht by Les - Chicago independent designer

NaKimuli - Brooklyn independent designer

Click to purchase this fabulous reversible Hobo!

OELI: I love Alexander McQueen! He pushed every conceivable boundary and his designs really were wearable art...masterpieces! I hope his protege can keep his house alive and well. I'll have to check out the others you mentioned. How would you define your personal style?

KWD: I’d define my style as urban comfy.

OELI: Urban comfy, that's a new one for me, lol. What are some of your favorite stores/websites/catalogs for shopping?

KWD: Secondhand shops are great...DLR is one of my favorite neighborhood stores…Nordstrom Rack is a great place for nice discounted pieces that are staples. TOPSHOP as well...we finally have one in Chicago now!

OELI: I am becoming a thrift master, lol. You can score some great one of a kind pieces as well as some of the more current pieces (at a huge discount of course) at thrift stores. I love TopShop too but their prices make me ill sometimes, bleh. Name your top 3 fashion magazines.

KWD: Some of my favorite ones are no longer published unfortunately. MissBehave and Honey were hot magazines. I read Vogue and Elle sometimes…just to see who some of the new designers are. I prefer the street fashion blogs and natural hair sites. I love seeing how people develop their own personal style.

Click to purchase "Delight" coin purse (now on sale!)

OELI: Yeah, I love street style and personal style blogs too, lol. Do you have any advice for other designers?

KWD: My advice would be to know what your point of view and market is as a designer.

OELI: Great, thanks Kristena!

KWD: You're welcome, anytime.

To see more of Kristena's wonderful wares, check out her online store. She's got some awesome hoods to "protect ya necks" from the Windy City winds (for the Chi-Towners). You can also like Kristena's Facebook page and follow her on Twitter for updates and special sales/promos. With the holiday shopping season quickly approaching, Kristena Witherspoon Designs can take the guesswork out of your gift giving ;-)

What do you think of the new feature? Are you loving KWD? Let a sistah know! 

Eye spy a shopportunity!: Illinois Tax Holiday

Dearest fair maidens, dashing divas and glamorous gals,

How are you? Feeling fab I hope :-)

Have I got news for those of you who live in Illinois! Starting Friday, August 5th and running through Sunday, August 15th, Illinois will have its first ever Sales Tax Holiday!!! I'm sure many of you are familiar with the concept of tax holidays, as several states have been doing this since 2008. According to Wikipedia, A tax holiday is a temporary reduction or elimination of a tax. Governments usually create tax holidays as incentives for business investment. The taxes that are most commonly reduced by national and local governments are sales taxes.

For those of you living in Chicago, you know that we have the highest sales tax in the nation. According to Wikipedia, the sales tax in Chicago was  voted down to 9.75% (it was a record 10%) as of July 1, 2010. The Chicago sales tax is also one of the most complex. 9.75% is levied on all non-perishable goods purchased, while 2% is levied on qualifying food, drugs, medicines and medical appliances. The Illinois Department of Revenue collects a 3% Chicago Soft Drink Tax and a 1% Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) "Food and Beverage Tax", on prepared food and beverage purchases in the downtown area (These "downtown" boundaries are: Surf Street on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west, Stevenson Expressway (I-55) on the south, & Lake Michigan on the east. Furthermore, O'Hare and Midway airports also fall under the 1% MPEA tax district). In addition, the Chicago Department of Revenue collects additional sales taxes on items such as fountain drinks, bottled water, liquor, and cigarettes.

Crazy right? This is exactly why the Sales Tax Holiday presents the perfect time to get some shopping in. Now before you get too happy, there are some stipulations. The "tax holiday" only applies to certain items and those particular items must have a retail value of less than $100. Although you won't be able to run out and get that new Gucci purse you've been eyeing, you can grab some cute shoes, boots and clothes (under $100 per item of course) and you can get all the back to school supplies your little hearts desire. Another good thing about this tax holiday is that many retailers will be creating incentives (think sales, Sales, SALES) to lure (yes, lure) shoppers into buying items not on the tax holiday list. Make sure that if you're deviating from the approved items list, that you catch a good sale price. Some of the eligible "tax holiday" items include:


Dresses, skirts, scarves, bathing suits, shirts, blouses, hosiery & pantyhose, etc. For a complete list of eligible and non-eligible items, please click here.


I certainly plan on taking advantage of this awesome holiday by buying all my children's back to school stuff and these lovelies...

That my dears, is the awesomeness known as Daskal by Aldo. It's on sale for $69.98 (down from $100). They have lots of other markdowns so scoot on over to your nearest Aldo store or the Aldo website.




For more information on Tax Holidays in other states, click here. Don't say I never did anything for you, lol. Until next time, ciao for now bellas!




XOXO

Eye spy a shopportunity!

Good morning you dear and wonderful fair maidens, dashing divas and glamorous gals!

It's Friiiiiday! It's the end of another week and I must say that I'm glad for it. How about you? This was a hectic week for me and it didn't help that I got very little sleep to go along with all the busy-ness. And because of all that busy-ness and too few hours of sleep, I'm happy to have a shopportunity.

All week I've been hearing about this "like" Black Friday sale at Target and how they were slashing prices and handing out smashing deals. Let me tell you that they did not disappoint! I've had my eyes on these cuff sandals (I called them sandal booties before) from this post since I saw them at Target a while back. Get this: they were originally $22 and some change and they're now $16.09! Now that may not sound like a big deal to you, but for me that is a come up, lol. This sale is only available online today (July 23, 2010) so make your way to Target's website. I so love that this is one click away and that I just happen to have a giftcard! Yes, I win in a big freaking way, lol. At any rate, click now for more deals and steals or forever hold your peace. By the way, when you spend $50 or more you receive free shipping and you can save 50% of towels, computer games, dvd's and more! Did I insert enough links or what, lol? Ciao for now bellas!


xoxo