Portero Introduces: FUR!

(Click to enlarge. From left: Hermes, Roberto Cavalli, Alessandro Dell'Acqua)

If you've taken even the slightest peek at the runways of New York Fashion Week over the last 10 days, there's no doubt you have noticed the abundance of fur on the catwalk. Whether it took the form of oversized coats, short boleros, collar accents or fabulous accessories, designers found a way to work it in whether discreet or over-the-top.

In fact, even Anna Wintour herself proclaimed to New York magazine that one of her must-have items this fall is a "savage fur" -- according to NY mag, that’s Vogue shorthand for a rough, shaggy stole or collar of some kind.


(From left: Lanvin, Alberta Ferretti, Christian Lacroix)

That's why we're so excited to bring you our just-launched Fur category featuring a curated selection of never-worn high-fashion fur accessories ranging from coats, wraps and vests to pillows and blankets. Whether you prefer to parade your fur in the fall air or use it at home for a pop of luxe texture, we have a selection sure to fit the bill. Best of all: these pristine designer furs (including Cassin, Vera Wang, Alaïa, Marni, and more) are available to Portero customers for prices unavailable anywhere else.


(From left: Andrew Gn, Sonia Rykiel, Dolce & Gabbana)

Get in on Fall's hottest trend one step ahead of the curve! Shop Portero's Fur collection now.

Images via Style.com

Fall Furs

We've been preparing a bit of a September surprise for you--and it's in the form of gorgeous fur accessories ranging from fashion to accessories to home goods. This picture is just a bit of a sneak peek--you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the full collection of high-fashion furs that we've curated for this new Portero category.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the launch of this brand new collection!

Watch Sale!

Now that September is here, you'll probably be needing to check the time much more than you did during summer. Although scheduling can be a bit of a drag, at least it gives you a good reason to buy a fantastic new watch for fall. Enter our timepiece sale, running now through September 30.

All you need to do is enter code SEPTWATCH at checkout, and you'll receive an additional 20% off select pre-owned watches found right here. Not a bad way to start the season, right?

Cut it Out

One of my favorite trends I've been seeing on the runways this week is the use of cut-outs. It's interesting to see all of the different ways that designers choose to use the technique--ranging from more subtle sheer panels to graphic removal of fabric to create pattern. Check out how Narciso Rodriguez, Marc Jacobs and Rodarte (from left to right, above) all used the technique in successful ways. (Click to enlarge)

Not ready to show quite so much skin? Get into the look with a handbag that features the same idea:

Mary Norton Gold Hard Metal Cutout Dark Peach Suede Convertible Metallica Clutch

Salvatore Ferragamo Savana Cut-Out Shoulder Tote

Images via Style.com

Black & Gold baubles

As a longtime jewelry writer, I always appreciate when designers integrate high-end accessories into their runway shows. That's why I loved the Celestino Spring 2010 presentation that took place on Monday night at the Ukranian National Institute. It's interesting to note that the collection contained quite a few of the Pantone colors we looked at yesterday (ie Aurora, Pink Champagne and Eucalyptus), and I really liked the pairing of bold black coral, gold and diamond jewelry by Passman Galleries.

Interestingly, you can get the same look with a variety of different black materials including onyx, enamel and even rubber. Check out these pieces for sale right now to see what I mean:

M+J Savitt 14k Yellow Gold Onyx Diamond Hinged Cuff Bracelet

SOHO 18k Yellow Gold Black Enamel Hinged Bangle Bracelet

SOHO 18k Yellow Gold Tiger Enamel Diamond Rubber Necklace

Now that we're seeing the fashions for 2010 hit the runways, I thought it would be a good time to check out Pantone's bi-annual color report for the upcoming season. It's really interesting to see what designers are gravitating towards, and I'm personally feeling a lot of pull towards Violet, Amparo Blue and the bright yellow Aurora.

Want to to invest in a pop of these soon-to-be-hot colors? Here's a few suggestions:

Judith Leiber Purple Snakeskin Triple Gold Cross Adjustable Belt

Michael Kors Bright Blue Patent Leather Envelope Clutch

Gianfranco Ferre Large Mustard Yellow Suede Horn Rope Handbag

To read all about top designers' personal predictions and sketches for the upcoming season, definitely check out Pantone's PDF.

Ear-bling

Before we even get started with New York Fashion Week, let's take a quick look at one of the trends emerging from two of the events from this past weekend--the Creative Arts Emmys and the MTV VMAs. In addition to donning sparkly strapless minidresses, Selema Gomez, Pink and Kristin Cavallari all chose oversized sparkly earrings for the red carpet. These are not the hugely popular chandeliers of the past few years, but graphic geometric shapes studded with faceted diamonds and gemstones.

I'm really liking this evolution in earrings. While bold necklaces and cuffs were really getting all of the press last season, turning some attention back to the ears is fun and fresh. I am particularly liking the large, circular drops that feel just a bit mod. Want to shop something similar? Check out these finds at a few different prices and looks:

Jewel of Ocean 18k Yellow Gold Spessartite Garnet Convertible Drop Earrings

18k White Gold Diamond Double Circle Drop Earrings

M+J Savitt 14k Gold Plated Oval Drop Earrings

Hermes + Liberty

I'm going to be in London on Friday, and I want to pop by the brand new Hermès pop-up shop at department store Liberty. Featuring brand new ties and scarves from the upcoming season, this month-long special event is going to also include some cool fashion shows and tutorials on ways to tie the luxe scarves.

Even cooler: Hermès has created an exclusive limited edition range of scarves and ties, using the renowned Liberty Tana Lawn cottons. (These mini-florals are the hallmark of the high-fashion department store, two of the colorways are above.) Designed by Bali Barret, Creative Director of Hermès Silk, each one is screen printed with Hermès’ iconic ‘Ex Libris’ design.

If you can't make it across the pond, you can still snag a gorgeous scarf from our collection. And you can always shop Hermès to own a piece of the iconic brand.

Book Club: 100 Years of Menswear

I'm excited to get my hands on a copy of Cally Blackman's 100 Years of Menswear when it comes out later this month -- its 347 illustrations apparently include an amazing selection of rock stars, A-listers, artists and men of style. Don't you just love the cover image of David Bowie from the 1970s?

Men's fashion has certainly evolved tremendously, just as women's fashion has over the past century. It's often easily overshadowed, but thoughtful dressing for men is working its way back into popular culture; just look at characters like Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl --his outfits are often the highlight of the show.

For me, nothing says more about a man than his timepiece. Luckily, we've got a huge selection to search on Portero.

Look of the Day: Madonna

I love Madonna's travel-chic look as she visits the ancient city of Petra, Jordan last Thursday. Besides looking weather-appropriate in cream, she puts her own spin on a gorgeous oversized scarf and wears two vintage-looking bracelets; one for each wrist. She finishes the look off with a dangling 'eye of protection' Hamsa necklace, but you don't need to invoke religious imagery to get the same vibe.

Here's a few items that would recreate Madonna's un-tourist look perfectly:

Handcrafted Sterling Silver & Gold 7.00 ctw Rough-Cut Diamond Hinged Bangle Bracelet

Handcrafted Sterling Silver & Gold 6.50 ctw Rough-Cut Diamond Hinged Bangle Bracelet

Hermès Yellow Cashmere Blend Navy Blue Silk Buckle Scarf

M+J Savitt Silver Plated Botanical Medallion Necklace

In honor of a weekend off, enjoy 10% off on us. Just enter code SEPTEN at checkout* and take advantage of holiday savings through Monday, September 7. Free Shipping On All Orders Over $1,000.**

As always, thanks for shopping with Portero.

*Discount excludes Hermes Birken handbags.
**See site for details.

The New Stud

I like that when Diane Kruger and Alexa Chung wore the same Opening Ceremony dress, they both decided to pick a studded accent as an accessory. Diane chose a black handbag (check out the strap and you'll see the gold stud hardware) while Alexa went with a skinny belt with silver studs.

"Biker chic" is a very hot trend come fall, and you'll be seeing studs everywhere--mark my words. Get in on the look early with some of these great pieces:

Gianni Versace Medusa Medallion Black Leather Stud Belt

Celine Black Suede and Swarovski Crystal Bag

Jimmy Choo Cream Leather Studded Ross Satchel Bag

VC&A 70th

Did you know that this year marks the 70th anniversary of legendary French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels coming to the United States? In honor of the achievement, the company is producing two very limited edition Alhambra necklaces in malachite and lapis. (See above.)

If you can't get your hands on one of those (there are only 100 of each available at VC&A boutiques), definitely make sure to keep your eyes on Portero's collection. We often get Alhambra pieces, like this beautiful 18-karat gold women's watch.

Want to know a bit more about Alhambra? Here's what the company has to say:

An iconic embodiment of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most celebrated and coveted collections, the Vintage Alhambra design has become a timeless classic in the world of jewelry and fashion since its birth in 1968. The renowned quatrefoil is known to bring happiness and a joie de vivre to all who wear it. The famous clover motif is borne of nature and steeped in legend, as its four beaded petals symbolize health, wealth, luck and true love. Throughout the years, Vintage Alhambra has adorned members of the royal set, Hollywood starlets of the silver screen and well-heeled women throughout the world who have sought the ultimate in classicality and femininity when choosing their personal jewelry pieces.

Movado Artists' Series

It's a rainy Monday here in NYC, so I was looking for something bright to post this morning. These fun watches are were designed by the artist Kenny Scharf as part of the limited edition Movado Artists' Series. I love that Movado does so much for the arts, and Scharf is just one of many artists that have collaborated with the brand to create special timepieces.

The Artists' Series started in 1988 with Andy Warhol and has included Arman, James Rosenquist and Max Bill among others. Check out this calendar to see some of the unique, colorful watches that were born from the collaborations.

Even if you know little about Movado, you probably recognize the brand's single dot at 12. It's now called the "Museum Watch" because it was chosen, in 1960, as the first watch dial to be housed in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection.

Shop Portero's collection of Movado watches.

JIC's Jewelry Trends

I would be crazy not to point you in the direction of one of the trend-savviest women in the jewelry industry, my friend and Jewelry Information Center maven Helena Krodel. She's recently published her FALL 2009 FINE JEWELRY TRENDS and it's a must-read if you're into beautiful baubles.

According to Helena, these shapes were prominent on the Fall runways and will be big in the upcoming season:

U-Shape Necklaces
V-Shape Necklaces
Cuffs
Big Chandelier Earrings
Big Necklaces

Want to read all about the details? Definitely check out the JIC's site for specifics.

Excited by the big necklace craze? I love this Xing Fei Gold Plated Crochet Wire Purple Green Pearl Iolite Purple Chalcedony Bib Necklace that's pictured above. So chic and perfectly on trend for the season!

Newest Arrivals

I hope you've been taking some time to play around with the (relatively) new site--a lot of changes and updates have gone live and shopping is easier than ever now. One of my favorite tools is definitely the "Newest Arrivals" button that you can find under each category. This is absolutely the easiest way to see just what is new for sale on Portero.com.

That's why this week's homepage slides are all about the latest and the greatest via the Newest Arrivals search feature. It's just a friendly reminder that shopping is easier than ever on Portero 2.0.

Runway shoes to reality

I had to share this fantastic video from New York magazine's website--it's the staff trying on and walking in some of Fall '09s most gravity-defying shoes. How crazy are those Nina Ricci platforms?

If you're looking for something a bit more manageable, these Jil Sander Slate Gray Leather Pointed-Toe Lace up Shoes are all the rage come fall, and they sure look more comfortable than those sky-high heels.

Shop our huge selection of shoes for a wide range of styles and brands for the upcoming season.

New Look for Hope Diamond?

This is pretty interesting: to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the donation of the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian, the museum will be putting the 45.52 carat blue diamond in an entirely new setting. The public gets to vote on and choose the winning design by jeweler Harry Winston, and it will be on exhibit starting May 2010. (You can vote through September 7, 2009.)

For now, the museum has created a page dedicated to the mysterious blue diamond, and you can learn a lot more about the gem, it's myths and it's science by checking it out.

I'm not personally sold on any of the HW designs--I find them a bit dated--but I do love all of the legend surrounding the Hope Diamond.

Want to shop Portero's diamond jewelry? While we don't have any blue diamonds, we are stocked with gorgeous pieces, including some lovely colored diamond options.

Find Fall Fashion

Yes, it's still summer, but once the September fashion magazines are out, it's time to start thinking about warm-weather gear. We've done the hard work for you and sussed out the trends that perfectly on point for late '09.

If you want to get an inside peek of how the famous September issue of Vogue gets put together, definitely check out the aptly namedThe September Issue--I've heard it's a fantastic glimpse into the world of high fashion and notorious editor Anna Wintour.



See what we've picked with our selection of exotic skin bags, rose-gold watches and bold statement jewelry.

Summer Sale is still on!

Have you scored anything fantastic yet from our first annual Sidewalk Sale? You still have a few more days to get in on the action in watches, bags, accessories and jewelry.

Just like summer, it's going fast, so be sure to stop by and find something perfect to celebrate the season.