Fabricly, an e-commerce website that launched this past December, is to budding fashion designers what record labels are to music artists. Designers are able to create their collections freely without worrying about marketing, sourcing, production, or going bankrupt. If their designs sell, they get a cut. The first collection that Fabricly has backed is Mono Read more →
Michael Mente is most definitely a friend of Fashionista. Not only has the owner of e-commerce sites Revolve, Forward, Reverse, and the US Division of FarFetch been generous with his time answering our questions about the world of shopping online, he even flew out from Los Angeles to participate in our “How I’m Making It” panel last December.
Since Michael’s primary job is buying new fashion for his sites, we recently asked him who he’s watching in terms of up-and-coming labels.
The inspiration for Barlow ranges from Marshmallow Peeps to Saved by the Bell to the movie Tron. Only a couple of seasons old, Barlow is designed by Molly Girard Coonan. The granddaughter of iconic textile designer Alexander Girard and a protege of Cynthia Vincent, Coonan possesses the bloodlines and the training to be a very talented designer. She also just seems really cool.
She does a great job of making clothes that are sexy yet tomboyish, girly but with an edge. For Fall ’10, we are loving a brown leather jacket and skirt, the oversized jackets, velvet pants and a menswear shirt with cut-outs. For Holiday ’10, we are really into an army green cargo vest, the not-too-frilly party dresses, and geometric paneling.
