Rag & Bone takes over Den

Den, Odin's concept store in the East Village finished up their insane summer sale just in time to introduce a new installment of the store's rotating designers. Rag & Bone's fall collection for men and women is in-store now.

Rag & Bone's David Neville and Marcus Wainwright design in the city, but manufacture their clothing in North Carolina in a factory known for its quality, "We believed and always will, that jeans represent history, authenticity, and fundamentals. We wanted to fuse these elements together with all the clothing we set out to design and to produce collections that reflected the same qualities that we saw in classic work wear."

I love androgyny and like that women can easily shop in both genders of Rag & Bone's clothing. Their pieces crisp, boyish, military-inspired, and their separates fit easily into your existing wardrobe. One of my favorites is their white tuxedo shirt (above).

Den is located at 330 East 11th Street (btwn 1st and 2nd).

Collab Lab

Retail collaborations are big: Phillip Lim for Gap, Alice Roi for Uniqlo, Stella McCartney for Addidas, Kate Moss for London retailer Topshop, and the dynamic duo that started it all: Karl Lagerfeld for H&M.

The symbiotic relationship works for everyone involved.
-The designer creates a handful of pieces for mass retail and gets $$$ to put back into their own signature collection (especially needed for up-and-coming designers).
-The retailer's reputation and sales are bolstered by the designer's edginess. And chances are if you stop by H&M to buy something from Proenza Schouler, you also picked up something from H&M's own line.
-The customer gets to buy top designs, minus some quality, at affordable prices in their own local mall.

These powerhouse partnerships are great publicity for both the designer and retailer. No wonder everyone has jumped aboard. It's also no small coincidence that retailers that haven't done designer collaborations have reported lagging sales. Dresses from Kate Moss for Topshop are still selling on ebay for more than they are worth. The demand for for high design and luxury at an affordable price (somewhat of an oxymoron) is here to stay.

Dress by Alice Roi for Uniqlo, Spring 2007

Alexander Wang's Tough Luxury

Meet Alexander Wang. He's a young designer with an eye for modern luxury.

Launching his line in 2004, Alexander finally put together a complete ready to wear line last Spring to rave reviews by fashion editors. Now Lindsay Lohan is scooping up his hip cashmere sweaters.

Alexander pairs distressed skinny black rock n' roll jeans with soft cashmere sweaters, silk tanks with wide wool pants--all would make Kate Moss proud. His oversized menswear-inspired cardigans and slightly weathered black leather vests are perfect for a rumpled "I don't care what I look like" look. His short black silk crepe dresses are more tough than cutesy.

Some of my favorites from Alexander Wang's Fall 2007 Collection include his Red plaid oversized lumberjack cardigan ($495).
Alexander Wang is available at Barneys and net-a-porter.com