Acme Made for Tech-Savvy Fashionistas

One of the biggest challenges Fashionistas face is trying to find a fabulous carrying case for technical gear. Here in the Bay Area, home to tech heavy Silicon Valley, we face this challenge anytime a new technical gadget comes out. We try out all of the cases and totes in our closet until resigning ourselves to the fact that as technology advances, our devices shrink; therefore we need new cases! Although some designers have created fashionable cases for technical devices, many of the cases are pretty to look at, but do not properly protect sensitive technical gear such as iPad’s, laptops and cameras.

Another challenge Fashionistas face when choosing a technical device case, is finding one that is both fabulous and functional. Many times techie gear is fashionable, but does not properly protect our technical gear. Other times, the cases that protect our gear are. . .well. . .anything but fabulous. Thankfully a local company by the name of Acme Made, based in San Francisco, was founded in 2002 to create fashion-forward technical gear which is not only fabulous but actually protects laptops, cameras, video, iPad’s and other digital devices. They even create lunch boxes that look like trendy box handbags! Love it!

Acme Made laptop cases are made to look like totes and feature high-end touches normally only found on designer handbags and upscale brand bags such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Coach. Acme Made provides luxurious touches such as no-slip material under the shoulder straps and metal feet underneath the bag. The interior of Acme Made laptop cases includes pen holders, zipper pockets, roomy middle and a velcro flap closure for the laptop itself. Some of Acme Made’s laptop cases even come with a matching clutch such as “The Kate.” The matching clutch is perfect if the laptop tote is used for work since the clutch can be used during lunch hour and after work for going out on the town. Perfect for traveling too! Acme Made can be found at Fred Segal, Sony Style and acmemade.com.

To see a slideshow click here.

To see the entire line of Acme Made products, visit their website at acmemade.com.

10048321004831100483010048281004819

Clockwise: c/o ACME Made: Interior of The Kate; Laptop pocket features velcro flap closure; metal feet underneath the laptop case provide protection from dirt and help the case stand up while on the ground or on a table; no-slip fabric underneath the shoulder straps helps keep laptop case stay put on shoulders.

Photos: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2010©

The Colors of Spring 2011

The color palettes from the spring 2011 runways were varied and offered many choices for Fashionistas who may be picky about the colors they wear. Designers in New York, Pairs, Milan, London and now China have shown, or are showing, collections in crisp white, warm beige neutrals, bold mixed colors, whimsical soft pastels and rocker chic black. With trends for spring ranging from ladylike (feminine) to hippie chic to rocker chic to vintage, it is no wonder that the color palettes are varied and provide such a large range.

Although is has been argued that white is not actually a color, for literary purposes, we are going to consider it a color here at Bay Area Fashionista. 

Dolce & Gabbana created an almost all-white color palette for spring with feminine and carefree, yet structured frocks that signaled a turn towards a more carefree form of dressing for 2011. Other designer such as Badgley Mischka showed whimsical, soft colors that mimicked a dream or took onlookers back to a calm, floral meadow lined with willow trees. Bright and bold colors were mixed together at runway shows such as Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs who placed bold color choices together in color blocking or by mixing solid colored pieces and adding colored accessories which introduced an additional color. Although, since Marc Jacobs heads up Louis Vuitton, this could be why there was a similar color story in the runways shows.

Since many resort collections such as Dior, featured candy colors and neutrals, this is a great time to find brighter colors that interest you before the spring collections hit store shelves. While shopping for colors, look for bright solids that can be mixed together unexpectedly such as purple with green or burnt orange. Neutrals, black and white play an important part for spring, so these are always good colors to find inside your closet before pulling out the charge card  Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

Spring 2011 Fashion Trends: Florals

Florals are hot for spring 2011! As the ladylike trend from fall 2010 turns into the feminine trend for spring 2011, designers have moved into floral territory. Designers in New York, Paris and Milan created flowing frocks in soft fabrics which were feminine and reminiscent of a slight breeze whisking past you in an open meadow filled with flowers and tall grass; weeping willows in background. It is only natural that in addition to the soft pastels associated with the feminine trend for spring, that designers would also add the floral prints or screen to the trend as well.
Florals appeared all over the runways in two distinct forms for spring 2011. There were small floral prints mainly on flowing skirts and dresses as well as silkscreen, painterly florals which were often artistically asymmetrical. Designers such as Chanel, John Galliano, Nina Ricci, Christian Dior, Rodarte, Vera Wangand Carolina Herrera to name a few, showed either small floral prints or breezy, artistic florals on skirts and dresses for spring 2011.

Florals prints appeared on silk, chiffon and sheer fabrics. Designers paired florals with solid colors which either part of the bold color trend or the pastel trend. Florals were shown on soft fabrics mixed with fabrics such as taffeta, lace, thicker silks and soft cotton. Even when a designer, such as Carolina Herrera who created a structured sheath dress with lace and a large floral designs, put the fabrics together in a non-flowy look, the florals still gave the frock a certain feminine allure, taking Fashionistas right back to the meadow with willow trees and flowers.
Florals have not been a huge trend in recent fashion history, making the trend fresh and interesting. The large floral designs which were off-center and artistic may turn into a new, season defining trend if the look makes it from the runways into reality. Hopefully store buyers will see the floral trend as fresh and understand that consumers are tired of minimalism and looking for more playful looks in fashion. It should be interesting to see which parts of the floral trend hit store shelves in the next three months as spring begins to trickle into the shops. When florals do arrive in stores, this is one trend you will want to jump on right away. Since the artistic florals are fresh and new, they may just fly off the racks faster than a Cabbage Patch Kid in 1983. Happy shopping and stay fabulous