Moda Manhttan, Accessories, the Show, and FAME are a trio of trade shows that, in total, feature over 150,000 net square feet and nearly 3,000 lines of fashion. It is, in fact, one of the few venues in the world that wholesale buyers can find the equivalent of five city blocks of RTW (ready to wear) fashion and accessories, all in one place! MY favorite of the three, The Accesories Show is the only juried, all-accessories trade event in the entire USA. Even though th heat has been searingly hot, it was cool and "looking towards Winter" at the Javits Center August 5th through the 7th for the Holiday/Resort 2007-08 collections.
These shows are not open to the general public, and are of primary interest to wholesalers (more than 8000) looking to obtain the newest and best items for their retail establishments. Even though I attend as a member of the press, and can't place orders, these shows always inspire me. The organizer is Business Journals Inc (BJI), a business media company that produces 5 business-to-business magazines, 8 trade shows, and a number of seminars and web sites. They have always been accommodating to The Advice Sisters, and the well-attended shows give me a chance to get the same, sneak peak at fashion trends for the next quarter that the buyers have. In addition, I always stumble upon a few real "finds" that I can share with Advice Sisters Readers on this blog, in the
Advice Sisters Enews, and of course, in the Advice Sisters monthly
"What Works" Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review columns. For some reason, however, as much as I love the shows and always plan to attend one of the first days, I find myself there on the very last day, on the very last afternoon. That means I have to race around like crazy (the Javits Center is huge, and this show takes up nearly two floors)! This morning, Carl Ditmars, my personal trainer, had me do some leg exercises and I guess I overdid them, because before I got to the show, I started limping, and the pain got progressively worse as I walked around. But, there I was, already at the Javits Center, and I wasn't going to waste a minute! I picked up my press badge, and started walking, and walking, and walking, and
walking!
When you attend a show this large, soon a lot of "wares" seem to blend into one another. The Fall 2007 runway shows featured so many dour grey, black, brown and beige clothes, and it seems that there will also be a lot of the same for Holiday/Resort 2007-2008. The black, grey, brown, and ivory sweaters, coats, ponchos, and dresses made me long for more color, but along with the bland, were quite a few colorful T-shirts and assorted resort-wear "boho" sundresses in cheerful prints.
If you're wondering what single item you'll need to be in fashion, I have two words: "get glittery." For the Holiday/Resort 2007-2008 season, the BIG THING is a focus is on "jewels." Everything was jewelled, from handbags liberally spiced with rhinestones, gold chains, and "faux" stones, to the large, leather, rhinestone-studded belts from
Kippys (that make even a simple black dress, or jeans and a T-shirt look rock-star special), to stones and sequins and rhinestones all over shoes and sandals, Glitter and rhinestones T-shirts, hair jewelry and hats, to to sequined and tasselled velvet, leather, suede, and silk
everything. Everything was "glam," and richly embellished. I probably was a raccoon in my last life (they love shiny objects) because if there's one thing I can't resist, it's a glittery accessory. Give me glitter, and make me smile! Personally, I couldn't pass up the Kippys belts, and bought a not-so-basic black leather one liberally studded with crystals. A belt like this is an investment piece, but one that's so much fun that I know I'll reach for it over and over again for years to come, to add some flash and a bit of daring to any drab Fall and Winter clothes. Another, much more affordable "find" that I encountered at the show are the stretchy, trendy, soft hairbands from
Violet Love. Their latest collection features bold prints, including some animal prints that will work so well with Fall's earthy colors. These are stretchy, but stay put, and you can crunch them up for a thin band, or pull the fabric out for a wide look, too. A hairband is so versatile! Wear one on a bad hair day, or to add color to a simple outfit, or simply because it's a fun, easy, no-brainer accessory. I'll be reviewing Violet Love hairbands in the September
What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column, so watch for it!
Other trends that seemed to be popular are shawls, many of velvet with "burnout" designs, and some embellished with stones or sequins, taking place of the plain Pashmina (still my favorite accessory to carry just in case it gets cold, or especially on airplanes). There were also tons of brightly colored sandals many of which were embellished. Alas, the "thong" trend is still out there, and I don't know how anyone else wears these, but I've never been able to walk more than a few blocks with anything between my toes! In the jewelry area, the trend that will not die are those "dainty" chains and earrings, many with tiny semi-precious stones (too small for the flashy, but just right for girly types), and tons of sparkling cubic zirconia pieces from tiny, to huge. For those who like bold pieces, there were a lot of chunky beads and bracelets, and significant looking "ethnic" jewelry with huge Ganesh heads, carved bone pendants, and strands and strands of wooden beads or seed beads that make a definite statement and cover up anything you wish. If you're looking for a new handbag, note that most are still quite large. Plain is not an option--for Holiday/Resort you'll find your bags embellished with everything you can think of including a lot of animal prints (good) and heavy chain handles (not so good if you carry as much stuff as I do around with you), plus applique, mixed leathers, and of course, crystals and rhinestones.
I can't wait for the next round of these shows!
Another way to let your sisters (or a BFF) know how much you love them, is with a special gift. Last year, Ms. Steel was part of the creation of a lovely new fragrance aptly named: Danielle ($49.50/1.7 oz Eau de Parfum). You can read my blog report of a launch cocktail reception at: 
A cute kit I just discovered from CVS's own, brilliantly-budget-friendly line (it costs a lot less than the average manicure), is the ESSENCE OF BEAUTY PERSONAL SALON SAFETY KIT (arp. $6.99). *For more information visit 
