One City, Four Shopping Centers
Walking through Buenos Aires galleria is like taking a trip into the past. Here’s an interesting...
Virtual Shopping
With just a few clicks, you can go shopping around the world. The Internet has become the new sales channel for top fashion houses and emerging designers.
Online stores are easy to navigate and stocked with new products every week. Each item includes a table with available sizes, the name of the collection to which it belongs, a description of the design and a zoom feature that lets you examine the details from various angles. They also guarantee that the items are 100-percent authentic, offer the chance to return or exchange products and deliver directly to the address provided by the customer. Comments or questions? Customers can receive more personalized service from the Website’s call center. Here is a guide to starting your virtual shopping spree.
Snog: Created by Argentinean Pablo Corral, this online store brings products from notable designers and independent brands in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Japan and other countries to the Chilean market. Sign up to receive limited-time promotions by e-mail.
www.tiendasnog.comPurocorazón: Fans of hand-embroidered purses and handbags can find creations by Carolina Restrepo, a Colombian designer based in Peru.
www.mipurocorazon.comExpert Opinions
Eight designers – and one blogger – recommend some essential accessories for women and men.
BUENOS AIRES
“I don’t like to generalize, but if I’m asked, a woman’s closet shouldn’t be without a black dress. It’s the staple of a woman’s wardrobe. For men, the most essential garments are a well-cut black suit and a white shirt. In terms of accessories, I think both men and women should first concern themselves with investing in a good pair of shoes,” says noted designer Pablo Ramírez. Another star Argentinean designer, Fabián Zitta, declares that a leather jacket is fundamental to women’s fashion. “You can use it in winter or summer, day or night. A man’s closet should include black skinny jeans. They’re elegant, modern and a great wild card. Accessories? For men, a silk bowtie. For women, shoes with stiletto heels, a rounded toe and a hidden platform.”
The Net Boutique: Founded by Agustina Maggio and Carolina Gándara in Argentina, this online multi-brand store features signature clothing and accessories from designers like Mariana Dappiano, Dorina Vidoni and Vero Alfie. The quality presentation of the products is an added bonus.
www.thenetboutique.comNet-a-porter: One of the longest-running Websites of its kind and a leading online sales outlet for high fashion from around the world, Net-a-porter is a virtual fashion magazine, where you can watch runway shows accompanied by a journalist’s commentary. Among the different sections are “Sales,” with discounts of up to 60 percent depending on the season, and “Style Fix,” which proposes looks for different sorts of events.
www.net-a-porter.comH&M: The Swedish clothing chain, which often enlists celebrities like Madonna to develop special lines, also offers online sales. Men, women and children will all find plenty of options.
www.hm.comMarissa: One of the most popular stores in Brazil. There’s something for everyone in the wide selection of clothing, lingerie, cosmetics and accessories.
www.marisa.com.brGeelbe: This private Internet shopping club sells in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. You must have an invitation from a member to join this exclusive group and enjoy offers on the finest brands (including Punto 1, Kosiuko and Lacoste) with discounts of up to 70 percent compared to traditional retail prices.
www.geelbe.comExpert Opinions
BOGOTÁ
Designer Arturo Tejada – director of the Arturo Tejada Cano Escuela de Diseños y Mercadeo de Modas – suggests accessories that serve a stylish function. For the romantic woman, turbans and feathered headdresses. For the extroverted woman, “shoes with African-style prints.” And for men, “a big, flat watch is the most essential thing.” Jorge Duque, winner of the 2010 edition of Project Runway Latin America, also makes special mention of shoes. In a woman’s closet, he looks for necklaces, scarves and shoes; the latter, in his opinion, are the only accessory that can truly make or break a look.
www.arturotejada.com.coExpert Opinions
GUAYAQUIL
Khomo designer Ricky Cohete considers a good unisex T-shirt to be the most important item, capable of transforming anyone. “In neutral colors, you can even wear it to a cocktail party.” Any kind will do: print or solid, longer styles that serve as dresses or others with a large and loose neckline. Cohete practices what he preaches: he always travels with three T-shirts in natural colors and prints and a couple of jackets.
www.khomo.comBlogger Catwalk
Late 2004 saw the timid emergence of fashion blogging, followed by a boom in 2008 and recognition as a legitimate profession in 2010. As the hubbub dies down, the scene is finally coming into clearer focus.
Here at in, we’ve selected our favorites.
Text: María GüiraldesThe Latin American Front
ARGENTINA
With two partners, 27-year-old Flora Gržeti? created the country’s first street fashion blog, On the Corner, but on her personal Website, Eso es muy Flora, the stylist showcases her own looks and opinions. In the same vein, The Modistas – two anonymous Communications graduates known only as Miuccia and Luella – “offer their perspective on the fashion world.”
BRASIL
Camila Coutinho’s Garotas Estupidas and Julia Petit’s Petiscos are the most prominent fashion Websites in Brazil. Gala González’s blog Am Lul is more personal, showing off the head-turning ensembles that the 25-year-old model wears on the streets of São Paulo.
PERÚ
“This isn’t a blog about fashion, it’s a blog about style,” explains 26-year-old Fiorella Rossi. In April 2009, Rossi began the blog Ponte tu vestido, an intimate space where the graphic designer posts photos of her latest acquisitions, music videos and “inspiring” looks and products.
Expert Opinions
LIMA
“I consider a lovely silk scarf to be indispensable to a woman’s closet. You can wear it so many ways, and it can be used on a variety of occasions. Also important: a white blouse, and if it’s made of 100-percent Peruvian pima cotton, so much the better. For men, a good pair of tobacco-colored Italian shoes is absolutely necessary. They can be worn with elegant suits and casual wear, even with a pair of jeans. In addition, men should also own a navy blue blazer, which can be used with khakis or jeans alike,” says designer Sitka Semsch.
Expert Opinions
Santiago
International designer Octavio Pizarro has been commuting between France and Chile for the past ten years, and he capped off 2011 by opening a new showroom in Paris. Pizarro recommends always having a good-quality scarf, as well as modern high-heeled shoes plus flats and boots. Also, a good handbag is a must this season.
The Avant-Garde
The Sartorialist: Every month, U.S. fashionista Scott Schuman, age 39, offers portraits of people who have caught his attention on the streets of New York, London, Paris and Milan. Launched in September 2005, Schuman’s collection of ultra-sophisticated looks is consulted daily by designers, editors and fashion lovers the world over.
www.thesartorialist.blogspot.comak & Jil: Like The Sartorialist, 28-year-old Tommy Ton also takes pictures in the world’s major fashion capitals, but his subjects are famous editors of international fashion media. This Canadian photoblogger’s strengths include an extensive knowledge of people, brands and companies, as well as an obsessive eye for detail.
www.jakandjil.comThe Selby: “An insider’s view to the way creative individuals live in their private spaces” – that was the idea behind this blog from Todd Selby, a 34-year-old New York photographer who in June of 2008 began to create portraits of his friends at home. It’s perfect for those people who would rather die than admit they want to be “in.”
www.theselby.comStyle Rookie: Tavi Gevinson is now a mature 15 but was just 11 years old when she began her blog. The young Chicago native is one of the industry’s latest success stories. In 2009, Gevinson was a guest of honor at both the New York and Paris Fashion Weeks.
www.thestylerookie.comMore Blogs to Explore
A list of the most intriguing Websites:
www.styleclicker.net www.hel-looks.com www.garancedore.fr www.dublinstreets.blogspot.com http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com www.lasrayasnoestilizan.blogspot.com www.fredbutlerstyle.com http://stylebubble.typepad.com http://seaofshoes.typepad.comExpert Opinions
SÃO PAULO
Expert Isabella Giobbi – owner of the eponymous boutiques in Iguatemi and Cidade Jardim, São Paulo’s top shopping centers – adores colorful high heels and never leaves the house without her bracelets. “I like to use a lot at the same time, combining different materials like gold, diamonds, wood and straw,” she says. The designer thinks that every woman should own a pair of snake-skin stilettos and a Chanel 2.25 handbag, in order “to feel powerful.”
Expert Opinions
BONUS TRACK
Dressed in black, always wearing sunglasses, austere but playful (as evidenced by her Mario Salvucci accessories), U.S. fashion editor and blogger Diane Pernet is no wallflower. Her blog, A Shaded View on Fashion, launched in 2005 as a window on the world that allows her to inspire and be inspired by her readers. For both women and men, she recommends accessorizing, particularly with pieces that offer a bit of fantasy. Think shoes, watches, handbags and briefcases.
ADOLFO DOMÍNGUEZ
Alonso de Córdova 2458, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Arenales 1726, local store 1061, Buenos Aires, Argentina Av. Javier Prado 4200, local store 148, Lima, Perú www.adolfodominguez.comALDO
Av. Kennedy 5413, local store 265, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-380-3436 www.aldoshoes.comBASEMENT
Disponible en tiendas Falabella Available at Falabella stores www.falabella.comBENETTON
Alonso de Córdova 3062, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-953-6369 Arequipa 5298, Miraflores, Lima, Perú www.benetton.comBLAQUE
Av. Santa Fe 1601, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4811-8808 site.blaque.com.arBROOKS BROTHERS
CARINA FARINACCIO
CASA BARROS
www.casabarros.clCHRISTIAN LACROIX
CLARA IBARGUREN
DAY A DAY
Av. Kennedy 5413, local store 331, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-229-6255 www.dayaday.esEL CAMARÍN
Av. Alvear 1883, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4804-8288GIESSO
Av. Alvear 1882, local store 22, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4806-0825 www.giesso.com.arH. STERN
Av. San Martín 1225, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4312-6762 Av. Javier Prado 4200, local store A1-08, Lima, Perú Tel. 51-1-437-3822 www.hstern.netHERMES
Alonso de Córdova 2526, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-374-1576 Av. Alvear 1981, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4804-1209 www.hermes.comHUSH PUPPIES
Av. Kennedy 5413, local store 245, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-432-9592 www.forus.cl/hushpuppiesISABELA CAPETO
www.isabelacapeto.com.brJusta Osadia
Armenia 1577, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4831-5600 www.justaosadia.com.arKEY BISCAYNE
KIPLING
Av. Kennedy 5413, local store 168, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-592-0856 www.kipling.clKUNA
LACOSTE
Av. Kennedy 5413, local store 134, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Posadas 1245, local store 1023, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4814-7482 Av. Javier Prado 4200, local store 123, Lima, Perú Tel. 51-1-436-7400 www.lacoste.comLEVI’S
LOS BLANCO
Gurruchaga 1590, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4832-1332 www.losblancoba.com.arLOUIS VUITTON
Alonso de Córdova 2460, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-208-3477 Av. Alvear 1901, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4802-0809 www.louisvuitton.comLUCILA IOTTI
Malabia 2212, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4833-0206 www.lucilaiotti.comLUNA GARZON
Av. Libertad 1185, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4812-3770 www.lunagarzon.netMANCINI
Av. Jerónimo Salguero 3172, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4511-6699 www.mancini.com.arMARIA DAHN
Ugarteche 3288, local store 5A, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4803-0164 www.mariadahn.com.arMC TAYLOR
Av. Santa Fe 1545, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4811-3445 www.mctaylor.com.arMONTEMARANO
PARUOLO
Av. Jerónimo Salguero 3172, local store 2042/2043, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-5777-6699 www.paruolo.com.arPERRAMUS
Sarmiento 701, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4325-5946 www.perramus.com.arPolo Ralph Lauren
Av. Vitacura 3634, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-228-3011 Av. Alvear 1780, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4819-1888 www.ralphlauren.comPRUNE
Av. Santa Fe 1587, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4816-7299 Av. Kennedy 9001, local store 2160, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-656-9229 Av. Los Libertadores 521, Lima, Perú. www.prune.com.arROCKFORD
Av. Kennedy 5413, local store 220, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-378-5003 Av. Kennedy 9001, local store 2050, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-370-1058 www.rockford.clSALVATORE FERRAGAMO
Alonso de Córdova 2467, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Tel. 56-2-206-9818 Posadas 1245, local store 1034, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4814-7467 www.salvatoreferragamo.itSAMSONITE
Alonso de Córdova 2365, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Posadas 1245, local store 1007, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4814-7497 Circunvalación del Golf 410, local store 62, Lima, Perú Tel. 51-1-437-7506 www.samsonite.comSATHYA
TERAN
Thames 1855, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-4831-7264 www.teranonline.comVITAMINA
Av. Jerónimo Salguero 3172, local store 1004/1005/1006, Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel. 54-11-5777-6605 Av. Kennedy 9001, local store 2155, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Av. Los Conquistadores 852, San Isidro, Lima, Perú. Tel. 51-1-221-7280 www.vitamina.com.arRelated
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