Now in the 34th Street District: Epic Spirits

Just south of Greeley Square Park on Sixth Avenue, between 31st and 32nd Streets, there sits a new-ish wine store called Epic Spirits. 

This is a small but very well-stocked shop carrying a great selection of mid-priced wines (see Yelp reviews), and a smaller selection of spirits. The location is very convenient to commuters. Did you ever notice how difficult it is to find a wine store in certain areas of the city (*ahem* 34th Street)?

Welcome, Epic Spirits, to the 34th Street district! It's truly epic we can now find decent wines just south of our favorite shopping street.


Epic Spirits
875 Sixth Avenue between 31st and 332nd Streets

34th Street Weekend Picks: Vince Camuto Friends & Family

Vince Camuto
It's Friends & Family at this fabulous boutique on 34th Street this weekend, and just in time to stock up on your fall boots! Click below for details.  30 West 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

Old Navy

All jeans and pants are on sale, and all of the below are only $19! Last chance to stock up on cute floral prints for next spring, and black skinnies for fall.  150 West 34th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Herald Square's Best View in Town

We took a tour of the Courtyard Marriott Herald Square a few weeks ago, and checked out the incredible views some of their rooms have for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sick, I'm telling you.

Let's review: above is a shot from one of Courtyard Herald Square's amazing, premium parade-view rooms. This view is from the room's window looking up Sixth Avenue. THE PARADE GOES DOWN SIXTH AVENUE. It then turns right onto 34th Street, and you'll have that view, too. Essentially, you will see the parade coming and going. This will be as close as you can get to having the parade march right through your hotel room.

Courtyard Herald Square has select rooms with full and partial views of the parade. I think it's worth every penny for this once-in-a-lifetime experience (click to see room options and pricing, left). Couples, families, romance, or pure fun, this is an opportunity to make some seriously special memories.

Also, available to rent is the hotel's lovely lobby deck, which is cleverly designed as an outdoor space overlooking Herald Square, great for bigger parties. If it's a chilly day, there are tables just inside next to the deck.

The rooms? A photo is below; as you can see they are pretty, modern, and quite spacious. The bathrooms, too, are generous in size. There are also closets where you can stash all your Black Friday loot. Clearly, you can't come for the parade without staying to shop Black Friday on 34th Street. You'll be steps away from all the major stores! Then, at the end of the day, you can kick back with a drink at the Monarch Rooftop Lounge on the hotel's 18th floor. If you're a guest of the hotel you won't have to wait in line to hang out at this very trendy spot.

I totally just sold myself. I'm starting to save up for next year right now, no joke.

Photos below are courtesy of Courtyard Herald Square.

I believe this is a partial-view room. You'll be able to see the parade at Sixth and 34th Street.

The very lovely lobby deck, available for rent. Again, great parade views.

Courtyard Marriott Herald Square
71 West 35th Street at Sixth Avenue
To reserve Thanksgiving Day rooms click on the above flier for more information

Uniqlo's 10-Gruppen: Not To Be Missed

I spotted this in my inbox today, and spent about 20 minutes trying to decide which and how many I was going to purchase.

The Uniqlo 10-Gruppen collaboration. 10-Gruppen is a group of textile designers in Stockholm, and this collection's design is "based on textiles employing the use of vivid colors with creative patterns."

Consistently, Uniqlo puts out the most interesting collaborations among retailers today. I love that they look much deeper than the big names in the fashion world, and find designers and collectives that are clearly a great fit for the Uniqlo brand. Bravo. And shop soon, Uniqlo fans, as those tops are already going fast online.


Uniqlo
31 West 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

Fall Updates: MADE Fashion Week for Impulse

I always check out the MADE Fashion Week collection while in Macy's Herald Square, and last week I tried on a few new pieces that can be found in Impulse on three. I'm bummed I didn't see the really, really fabulous gold shorts or the faux leather shirtdress, but they might have popped up in store since then...

Last week for me, it was all about the upper body. The blouses ($74) are not to be missed, and the faux leather red top? A perfect must-have (also $74). You might find the blue ribbed sweater a little meh, but this is a perfect, slightly over-sized boyfriend-ish sweater for $89. Try it on and you will adore it.

Macy's Herald Square

151 West 34th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue

Brandon Sun Spring 2014

I say this twice a year, but when I attend a show during fashion week that features separates and day wear, I'm always a bit relieved. Evening glam is fabulous for a runway, but a girl needs some everyday inspiration, too. Brandon Sun's spring collection was my breath of fresh air this season. The architecture of his clothing, that featured very little fur this season (Sun is known for his fur finesse), successfully showed off his ready-to-wear chops.

I'm a big fan of all the black, white, and gray tones shown during New York Fashion Week, and enjoyed seeing it all grouped together on the Sun platform with bits of bold orange and a more mellow green hue.

Models took turns walking the rectangular platform 

The inspiration for this collection was the Japanese female samurai, but I liked how Sun kept the Asian influence subtle yet strong in silhouette. The lines spoke of clean minimalism while the details were enhanced with a variety of patterns, fabrics, and colors. As one of the newer designer entering the lists of fashion week, Brandon Sun is clearly a talent to watch.

Photos, except the first two, from mbfashionweek.com

34th Street Updates: The American Eagle Outfitters Pop-Up

The newly renovated American Eagle Outfitters on 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues is open and fabulous, but today we are here to tell you the AEO pop-up on 34th and Seventh is still open for business.

There's always something in front of this store when I want to shoot it! #BusyIntersection

The pop-up helped fill in the AEO blanks while the store down the block was closed for a face lift, and it looks like it's sticking around. We will update soon on selection inside, but it's an awfully convenient location for those of us who regularly stalk the 34th and Seventh corridor and need a new button-down.

American Eagle Outfitters

34th Street and Seventh Avenue

Ruffian Spring 2014

The Ruffian Spring 2014 collection exuded youthfulness and pulled on a girl's flirtatious heartstrings. Designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais brought a new spin to classic French looks by mixing structured jackets with floral prints, and flowing high-waisted skirts with tie-neck blouses. 

My favorite shape on the runway was what I like to call the ‘heart-shaped shoulder,’ found on the Ruffian jacket that added a little volume on the arm while cinching in the waist.

Styling was simple with pale makeup and soft waves, and complemented the feminine looks walking down the runway. Overall the collection was light, airy, and infinitely chic, perfect for afternoons out on the first sunny days of spring. 

All photos from wwd.com.

AmandaAmandaAmanda Wigen covers Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

34th Street Weekend Picks: H&M's Mid-Season Sale

H&M
It's mid-season sale time and that means, for the ladies, up to 60% off hundreds of items. Also, jeans are buy one get one 50% off.  435 Seventh Avenue at 34th Street, and 47 West 34th Street at Sixth Avenue

Macy's Herald Square
Lucky Brand jeans are 25% off in the Impulse department on three. Once I put on their #MadeInAmerica denim, I didn't want to take them off, they were so comfortable. While denim shopping, be sure to look for Lucky tops that are 40 % off and up. 151 West 34th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue

Mark and Estel Spring 2014

As the Mark and Estel show commenced on a Friday night during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, my friend and I immediately used the word "fun" and then abused it till the last model exited the runway. The designers' clothes are total night-life, rock-n-roll showstoppers, and the designers themselves are FUN. So much fun that they took their bow with microphones, singing and yelling "Thanks for coming to our show!" "This show is about love!" It was totally adorable. Nobody in the jaded, fashion-week audience was not loving the fun.

We aren't seeing anything new or groundbreaking here. A few times I caught myself thinking, no, not hi-low hems, please, and no, please, no more peplum. But there were black overalls, simple and perfect dresses, and a big huge hooded cape. These clothes were interesting, sexy, and yeah, fun.

So cute that I want to say high-low hems can stay forever if they look like this.

Striking, simple silhouette. The shoulders on that jacket are perfectly, slightly '80's.

Perfect hem length, and again, beautiful shoulders. Slightly Dynasty here and that's a good thing.

Listen, people: if you're going to send a metal bodysuit reminiscent of a chastity belt down the runway, make it look this good.

It was pieces like this that made me go "Hmmm."

What? FUN. Totally, awesome, ridiculous, skeleton-fringe FUN. #neveradullmoment

If there are going to be hoods I would far prefer to look like a monk than a girl out for a jog.

Mark and Estel at their best. Cut me a fabulous long black dress and let's talk.

This sealed the deal for me. Chic overalls? #MasterStroke

All photos from mbfashionweek.com

Noon by Noor Spring 2014

Noon by Noor's inspiration for Spring 2014 came from the Tree of Wonder, a 400-year-old tree from the designers' home country, Bahrain, which has miraculously survived in the desert with no identifiable water source. Noor and Haya al Khalifa attempted to capture the beauty of nature and translate it through color, patterns, lace, and embellishments in this beautiful and captivating collection. 

      

      

      

The pattern-on-pattern look worked very well as the design team mixed daisy petals with gerbera prints, and mesquite print with abstract cocoons. It was refreshing to see traditional shapes with new patterns, like the retro, poppy crop-top above. 

       

A casual but striking favorite in the collection? The purple strapless jumpsuit, above, layered over a sheer, leaf-printed button down.

      

Colored leather will be a huge trend for next spring, and was playful on the Noon by Noor runway in plum purple. The collection also nicely balanced voluminous jackets with tailored shorts, crop-tops with full skirts, silk with sporty leather, and sheer fabrics with conservative cuts. 

      

Blush tones with cream rosettes created a sweet, feminine look, and the rosettes and embellishments added a soft elegance to the pieces. 

      

I loved the pop of tangerine on a pleated blouse paired with navy rosette shorts, or on a full-skirt paired with an embellished white crop-top.

      

     

Noon by Noor's evening collection was breathtaking. The dresses' soft movement and bright prints captured the essence of spring.

Only Noon by Noor could produce a crop-top evening gown with results this gorgeous. Rosettes in cream and navy added delicate texture to the silk, and balanced the midriff-baring gown with elegance.

All photos from WWD