Steampunk Fashion: Boutiques

Boutiques

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Ready to get your wedding-planning groove on? Stylish New York City couples can get a head start this upcoming Saturday, June 1st at the first annual Atlantic Avenue Wedding Extravaganza . From 10 AM to 5 PM, one of the city’s most vibrant boulevards will be showcased as a one-stop shop for the perfect wedding, featuring walking tours and merchant discounts including dozens of the area’s wedding-related shops, salons, and venues, plus a mock double wedding ceremony, a puppy wedding costume contest, and more. {Pretty amazing, huh? Make sure you pre-register here to get involved}!

The day will kick off at 10:00 am with dual brunches at Atlantic Avenue restaurants M.O.B . and Bacchus . Registration for the day’s events will then begin at 11:00 am at Boerum Place between Atlantic and Pacific Avenues, a block in the heart of Boerum Hill that will be closed off. Starting at noon and continuing until 4:30, a wedding entertainment showcase will fill the block with live music from popular local bands.

The Raya Brass Band

At 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, couples preparing to tie the knot can take a Wedding Walking Tour which, in just a few blocks’ span, will cover their wedding needs from start to finish and a little bit beyond. Participants will have a chance to shop for gowns and lingerie, flowers, jewelry, photographers, hair and nail stylists, gift registries, cake bakers, and venues for bachelor and bachelorette parties, the rehearsal dinner, and the reception. Scroll below to see just a few of the participating bakeries, boutiques and vendors and venues that will be participating in the event!

Beautiful wedding cakes from Betty Bakery

Absolutely stunning bridal bouquets from Opalia Flowers

The day will include performances by The Brooklyn Ballet

Bridesmaids dresses available at Kimera Designs

Unique wedding day jewelry and bridal party gifts at Erica Weiner Jewelry

To illustrate how the whole array of options can come together; The Atlantic Avenue Wedding Extravaganza will include a pair of mock wedding ceremonies free and open to all. At 1:30 pm, two couples – a man and a woman, and two women – will walk down the aisle at Roulette , a stunning art-deco performance space and event rental venue near the heart of downtown Brooklyn.

We absolutely love the creativity and pure fun of the wedding extravaganza, and cannot wait to check it out… But of course, like all amazing events, there’s always more to explore.

One of the best parts of participating in the Atlantic Avenue Wedding Extravaganza is the sweepstakes!

The Sweepstakes are simple: get a punch-card on Boerum Place on June 1, 2013 and take it to five participating BID retailers. Learn about the unique services and products at five different retails and get your card initialed at each place and bring it back to Boerum Place to be eligible for their Grand Prize Sweepstakes! Winning cards will be drawn at the end of the day!

Sign-up for the 11am or 2pm wedding walk tour to get your card filled out automatically: http://www.atlanticavebid.org/happenings/

Scroll down to sneak a peek at the amazing prizes offered through the Atlantic Avenue Wedding Extravaganza Sweepstakes!

Want in? Of course you do! Pre-register here to sign up for the tour or just come this Saturday to enjoy the day!

The Atlantic Avenue Wedding Extravaganza is hosted by The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District. Representing over 300 businesses in Brooklyn’s vibrant Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill neighborhoods, the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (AABID) provides local businesses with a variety of services, including marketing and promotion of the business boulevard; capital improvements, streetscape and beautification projects; advocacy and other programs and business services that improve economic conditions. The AABID has sponsored this post on Merci New York.

Good afternoon everybody! We have fresh news to share with you today! Just in case today’s musings in WWD didn’t tip you off, we are thrilled to announce that in-vogue designer Jason Wu , {who skipped to stardom after designing many of Michelle Obama’s outfits}, will enter the bridal arena in January 2011!
Needless to say, we are beyond excited about this new arrival here at Merci.
Though still uncertain of the Manhattan ateliers that will be carrying his creations, we do know they will be stocked at Net-a-Porter’s bridal boutique . Starting January 2011, you will have the chance to shop five exclusive ivory looks at our super-chic sponsor’s site. Until then, the above {teasingly delicious} images will have to suffice.
Tea length for a sixties-inspired wedding, sexy and short for a city-chic cocktail party or long and glamorous for an enchanting ballroom soiree… Jason Wu understands the sophisticated city bride preparing for many a fashionable fete. If you thought you had already found the dress of your dreams, Jason Wu might be worth a second look. Happy shopping .
xx,
Amelie

This week, we’ve been chatting with the experts from Liz and Colin’s Martha Stewart-produced wedding at Sandals Emerald Bay Resort . We’ve shared a sneak peek of the now-on-newsstands issue, and given a grand tour of celebrity hairstylist Paul Labrecque’s tony CORE: Club salon , where Liz’s locks were treated before the wedding.
So it’s only fitting to show Colin a little love. And in a very exciting way.
Most Manhattanites know Kleinfeld as a one-stop shopping experience for bridal fashion. The storied wedding atelier has become increasingly popular due to their cameo on TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, but this past year, Kleinfeld upped the ante a bit more. They added custom-designed menswear to their repertoire, with a full-service shop offering the very best in tailored clothing and fine dress furnishings — all managed under the watchful eye of Frank Jedda, a true menswear expert and fixture in the New York City menswear market. When Colin was devising his destination-wedding look, he trusted in Frank to give him the works – the suit, the tie, the socks – every last detail was crafted at Kleinfeld Men.
After being on the beach to see Colin handsomely greet his bride, I made a second trip to Kleinfeld Men to chat with Frank Jedda about the new store and the intricacies of his custom-tailored craft… I’m thrilled to share our afternoon with you. Hope you enjoy!
What prompted Kleinfeld to open a Mens Shop?
It was Kleinfeld co-owner, Ronnie Rothstein, who really pushed for it. He and co-owner, Mara Urshel are very involved with the brides, walking the floor every day to make sure everyone is happy and taken care of and giving out their home phone numbers to every bride. For years, brides had been asking him what their fiancés should wear to the wedding and he’d always refer them to trusted retailers or tailors. Finally it just made sense to offer an option right under the Kleinfeld roof and design the department to be the ultimate destination for mens wedding attire, something that really never existed until now.

What was missing in the bridal fashion market that the Mens Shop provides?
Weddings are custom designed events by nature. Everything from the invitations, the songs played, the flowers, are all chosen with purpose to achieve a certain look and ambiance. Yet with all of this customizing, many grooms still rent their tuxedo or suit, not necessarily because they want to, but because there really haven’t been many options for them in the past. Kleinfeld Men provides men with a way to look special for their wedding and customize their look. How can grooms {and groomsmen} benefit from the custom tailored experience at Kleinfeld?
A bridal gown is really a one-time-wear gown and that’s part of what makes it so special. The groom or groomsman, however, can absolutely wear their looks again so why not get it custom made? That way, he will always have a suit or tuxedo in his closet for every occasion that fits him flawlessly and that he is comfortable in because he chose the styles and fabrics himself.

How does a typical meeting work? What is your process for finding a perfect look for each groom?
The first thing I do is ask questions. I try to get an idea of the type of wedding and the groom’s sense of style—what he likes, what his concerns are, etc. Next, we take a look at fabrics and styles. Once we come up with a combination that works, I’ll take his measurements and take it from there. All that’s left for him to do is show up at the fitting and make sure everything is exactly like he wants it to be. What {if anything} can a groom bring to his appointment to help determine the correct look?
His bride! I’m joking, but I also mean it! Remember that most grooms don’t know what their bride’s dress looks like. If his bride got her dress at Kleinfeld, then we happen to have that secret information and can guide him towards complimentary looks, without letting him know what she’s wearing. But still it is nice to have the bride there to aid in coordinating his look with hers. For the groom’s part, he can start getting familiar with different styles and options and get a sense of what he’d like to see himself in.

What is the biggest misconception guys have about picking their wedding day wardrobe?
The biggest misconception in mens fashion in general is that there aren’t many options. It isn’t true! A suit or tuxedo is not a uniform, it is made of elements that can all be chosen specifically to fit your needs- fabric choice, jacket choice, lapel choice, the list goes on. Of course, if he’s renting, options are fairly limited in terms of both style and tailoring, but if he’s purchasing and especially if he’s purchasing custom, the options are endless. What is the best way for the guys to personalize their wedding day look?
The absolutely best way for a guy to personalize his wedding day look is by knowing what he wants and really having a sense of his personal style so he ends up being comfortable and happy with how he looks. It could be that he knows he prefers a vest over a cummerbund, or it could be that he wants to pull an element of his personality into his look.
I had a client once who was a huge baseball fan, it’s one of the most important ways he described himself. So we made him a pair of custom baseball cuff links and it was the thing he was most excited about that day… aside from getting married, of course!

You’ve had a wonderfully expansive career in menswear. What do you like most about your new role at Kleinfeld Men?
What I like most about my role at Kleinfeld Men is dealing with so many young men who never had to really dress on a regular basis. I introduce them to fabrics and styles they would like to wear. I get to teach them and help them discover their own sense of style. That’s exciting to me because it’s something that can really shape how they dress for the rest of their lives.
What is the most rewarding / fulfilling part of your job?
The biggest reward of my job is when a client comes for his fitting and sees himself in the look we’ve created together. I like knowing he is happy and feels good about himself. For the ones that never had an experience like this before, it can make them see themselves in a new way, give them confidence, and I’m glad to be a part of that.

Any funny wedding day stories or anecdotes you might want to share with Merci’s readers?
Actually, I recently got a text from a groom that I dressed while he was on his honeymoon! The guy was laying on a beach in Hawaii, relaxing and bathing in the sun with his new wife and he texted me to say thank you for how great he looked at his wedding. I was incredibly touched and I thought how funny it was that he couldn’t even wait until he got home to let me know how great he looked! Most of our readers are brides {though a few grooms pop in every now and then}. What advice would you give a bride about wedding? Anything she can do to make her groom’s wedding day fashion decisions a bit easier?
Your wedding day is one of the most stressful and happy occasions of your life—enjoy it together! She should stop in with him at his appointment to help him find the right look for the wedding. Traditionally, the groom doesn’t see the dress before the wedding, but there’s no rule to my knowledge about her seeing his suit or tuxedo, so embrace the fact that this is something you can have fun doing together.
Many thanks for Frank Jedda for sharing his wealth of menswear knowledge with Merci’s readers {and allowing me to preview all the handsome Kleinfeld product}! To visit Kleinfeld Men and set up an appointment with Frank himself, contact 646.633.4300.

Photos: Top image by Merci New York , Kleinfeld Men interview photos by Sofia Negron Photography for Merci New York .

If you’re like most city brides-to-be, chances are you already have your eye on The Dress. It drapes just the right way, with just the right look, and is by That Designer you always dreamed of wearing on your wedding. But if you’re also like most city brides-to-be, you tried to be scrappy. After all, in a city filled with sample sales, Soifer Haskin, and “friends in fashion,” let’s just say you’re not used to paying retail.
If you wrote us yesterday, asking how to whittle down that $10K cost to something, well, more “approachable,” you probably wouldn’t like my reply. Bridal, it seems, tends to play a different ball game than the rest of retail — last season’s gowns don’t find their way to deep discount, and they certainly won’t be found beneath the scraps at the Barneys Warehouse Sale. Your price has ultimately always been your price. Sorry, Charlie. But today things have changed. Luxury bridal fashion guru Mark Ingram has joined a team of reputable industry insiders to bring you The Aisle New York, a membership-only Web site that showcases the most exclusive brands in bridal in limited engagement, timed-sale boutiques… all at sharp insider prices.
The Aisle New York debuts this fall with a hand curated selection of bridal fashion and accessories from the world’s top designers including Monique Lhuillier, Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, Reem Acra, Lela Rose, Angel Sanchez, Elizabeth Fillmore and more. Featured merchandise will include wedding dresses and gowns, veils and headpieces, designer and fine jewelry, and also lingerie, shoes, and evening bags which could potentially transend beyond bridal.
“We’ve worked really hard to find pieces that are transferable to a variety of occasions,” said co-founder Shara Levy. “The in-the-know fashion lover will definitely be able to come to us for finds. We already have our eyes on the bridesmaids, friends and family members. Tabletop, gifts and registry could be huge for us as well.”
Hooked yet? To spread the love even further, the founders of The Aisle have a special offer for our readers… While the full site is set to launch this fall, Merci New York readers have been grated special pre-registration access by clicking here: http://www.theaislenewyork.com/invite/mercinewyork .

Happy designer wedding dress shopping, ladies!

Now I know this isn’t {really} a fashion site. And it’s certainly not a men’s site. But sometimes I just love getting great scoop. As in, delivered to my inbox, delicious scoop that I can share with readers and pass along to my husband {before he starts sending me Barstool Sports clips all day}. And this is just that sort of stuff.
I woke this morning to a note from our friends at Net-a-Porter , {who we l-u-v for their fabulously edited womens offerings, as well as their tres-chic bridal boutique }. Scoop is, the London-based company is about to debut MR PORTER, a dedicated menswear shop with the same chic editorial voice as their sister site.
MR PORTER will launch for the Spring/Summer 2011 season in January, offering an edited mix of approximately 60 brands, from global designer labels to niche specialists {think Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Lanvin, YSL, Dunhill and John Lobb, just to name a few}.
And funny enough, while Net-a-Porter seems eager to welcome more male shoppers to their brand, they’re smartly banking on their fashionista following to spearhead sales.
“{While} we look forward to welcoming a new group of super stylish men who will shop for themselves,” spokeperson Natalie Massenet began, “Three million unique users trust and love Net-a-Porter’s service and will be invited to make a purchase for the men in their lives.”
Hm, looks like she has me pegged. And with same day delivery service Manhattan, I’m banking that a bunch of grooms, grads, dads and husbands around the city are about to become a bit more dapper.

Logo courtesy Net-a-Porter ; product graphic designed by Merci New York with images from {clockwise from jacket} Lanvin, YSL, Dunhill, John Lobb, Margaret Howell, YSL. The graphic represents brands carried by MR PORTER, but does not represent actual styles bought by the company.

The Upper East Side was a-buzz last night as press, style casters and design luminaries flocked to the opening of J. Crew’s posh bridal boutique on Madison Avenue. Guests perused two floors of gorgeous wedding gowns {priced $295-$3,500}, accessories, veils and jewelery, and ogled over the new 769 collection {an exclusive assortment of party dresses and accessories named after the boutique’s location at 769 Madison Avenue}.
Upon walking into the soiree, I had the pleasure of meeting Tracy Gardner, President of J. Crew, who enthusiastically discussed the store’s development and their exclusive collection of vintage jewelry, which is truly to die for. Layered with the company’s chic assortment of collection pieces {which Darcy Miller modeled throughout the evening}, the line also includes handmade exclusive pieces from famed jewelers, such as New York City-based Miriam Haskell .
Truly stunning. And dangerously enticing for brides, maids and moms.
The shelves circulating the French-inspired space are stocked with a rainbow of soft cashmere cardigans, polished clutches and glittery shoes, as well as seductively coquettish lingerie and perfect shades of pink Essie polish. Brides looking to add a decidedly couture touch to their look can snag exclusive Leah C. veils that would put SJP to shame.
Truly, there was gorgeous eye candy from every vantage point; and as influencers such as Kate Spade, Aerin Lauder, and Robert Verde perused the racks with Jenna Lyons, the space was giddy with excitement and accolades. The store is not only stunning, it’s a must-see resource for any city bride.
But don’t just take my word for it. There’s another sure to be fabulous fete at the J Crew Bridal Boutique… and it’s taking place tonight. Check out our events section for more details.

Large images courtesy AisleDash , montaged images from Merci New York’s iPhone, last image of Kate Spade, Darcy Miller and Jenna Lyons courtesy of Maria Cooke at Ritzy Bee .