All posts tagged: VALENTINO

The Charities Luxury Brands are Helping This Holiday

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Amidst all the glitter and sparkle of the holiday season, it’s important to know whether the brands we’re supporting with our purchases are in turn doing something meaningful to support the communities in which they do business. It’s a relevant question all year long, but particularly at the year-end holidays. Many local charities rely on donations garnered at this time of year to support their programs all year long. While you may be making a number of charitable contributions on your own, here at Dandelion Chandelier we thought that you might also want to know what some of the leading global luxury brands and retailers are doing to lend a hand to those in need right now. Here’s a sample of the philanthropic activity underway in the luxury sphere for holiday 2017:

Where are the Best Luxury Pop-up Shops this Holiday?

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

 ‘Tis the season for pop-up stores. What’s on tap for holiday 2017, and which ones are worthy of a stop this year, whether you’re planning to buy, or just curious to see what’s happening offline (just to be clear, “offline” refers to a brick and mortar edifice that back in the day was called a retail store). Here’s our Dandelion Chandelier list of pop-ups that are already open or opening soon. Nearly all are in New York City, but some are also in other cities in the US and in London. Not to get you crazy, but one was so exclusive that it’s already come and gone: Chanel’s pop-up, the Coco Club, was open for just one day – on November 12 – and was dedicated to the brand’s Boyfriend watch. The pop-up was at The Wing in SoHo, with three rooms illustrating the value of time, and a numerologist on hand to give personalized readings. C’est la vie. Maybe next year.

What Are the Best Luxury Items to Shop For in November?

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

The Luxury Shopping List is our monthly overview of the essential items to have on your acquisition radar right now – what they are, and where to get them. We’ve done the scouting so you don’t have to.   Fur or flip-flops? Or furry flip-flops? What should be on your luxury shopping list in November? Here at Dandelion Chandelier, we find that luxury shopping gets seriously confusing this time of year. Resort collections arrive. Cute sandals and strappy stilettoes meant to dance the tropical night away flood the shoe department. But there are also fun faux furs everywhere. There are chic performance ski clothes to investigate. There are also winter white sweaters and furry boots and knit hats with pom-poms on them for après-ski (whether you spent the day on the slopes or in the sauna). We find this disconcerting. It’s a psychic disconnect that takes some of the fun out of shopping this month. Nevertheless, we’re not going to be deterred. Here’s the report from our reconnaissance mission to ID the necessary items and …

Valentino Launches a New Exclusive Luxury Resort Line

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Is this athletic wear? Are these party clothes? Can I wear them to the office? Or to the gym? Yes, yes, yes and yes – at least in a manner of speaking. Last week, Valentino launched a 4-weeks-only pop-up shop on Spring Street in SoHo to showcase its latest resort collection. And it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen from the house of Valentino. We were invited to the “VIC” (that’s Very Important Client, thank you very much) event last Thursday, so we got to see it firsthand. And we love it. It’s luxury sportswear with a more literal take than usual – fresh, vibrant, energizing colors; crisp silhouettes; an urban sensibility; and an explicit nod to sports – especially basketball and boxing. The ad campaign was shot on a basketball court, with the models shooting hoops. The vibe of the collection is femme and macho, practical and whimsical, relaxed and hard-charging. The pieces are smartly-priced, and as a result they’re flying out the door. You should get yourself to the pop-up store before it closes …

Luxury Legends: Can Rodeo Drive Measure Up to the Hype?

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Rodeo Drive. The very words make the heartbeat of any devoted luxury shopper of a certain age accelerate. Long before Net-a-Porter there was Rodeo Drive: a magical boulevard with a median strip lined with palm trees and flagship boutiques for every designer and fine jewelry brand worth knowing about. Birthplace of so many iconic movie scenes about shopping: Clueless, Pretty Woman, Sex and the City – The Movie. The stuff of dreams. Fast forward to today, when retail is “dead,” everyone shops online, and direct-to-consumer is the way to get rich quick if you’re a purveyor of luxury goods. Is Rodeo Drive still relevant? Is it still fun? Or has the party moved on?