After last month's trip out to see fashion through the eyes of the megamall, it was a refreshing change to spend the evening sipping wine at Neighbourhood, a charming local boutique that mixes men's and women's vintage with peacock feather hair clips and a ceramic owl collection with everyday wearables like jeans and tees. Owned by Christine McLaughlin, the University Heights store ( http://www.neighbourhoodboutique.com/) 
has gained a fashionable following for monthly truck shows called "Night Owl" featuring independent artists, music and of course, wine and cheese. There is something inspiring and powerful about spending time with the people behind the merchandise, and I enjoyed my time with jewelry designer Kate Ashbury (www.kateashbury.com) and Jodi Koskella, VP of vegan shoe company, Charmoné (www.charmoneshoes.com), very much.
Kate is a local Carlsbad jewelry designer who puts her art degree from San Diego State to good use, selecting inviting color compositions for her upscale costume pieces featuring lush CZ stones and silver or gold overlay. However, it is her Evolution series that caught my attention. These adjustable and interchangeable earrings allow the the wearer to become the designer by easily changing color and length. While Kate commented that layering necklaces is still very popular in San Diego, she is currently drawn to large statement pieces, and often finds herself inspired to create new color combinations in the middle of the night! Kate has a busy December with five local shows. Interested shoppers should contact Kate at info@kateashbury.com
Once my need for baubles was sated, I headed over to learn more about Charmoné, "Where Style Conscious meets Social Conscious," a line of celebrity favored vegan flats, heels and boots. Jodi along with her business partner (who lives in NY) are former Silicon Valley go-getters who channeled their backgrounds in marketing and PR into a love of fashion to create a unique product in their line of Italian-made, high-quality vegan shoes. The water-resistant, microfiber shoes are carried in Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and Australia as well as online. Spring 2009 marks their fourth season in business. Charmoné has a devoted celebrity following in eco-conscious stars like Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba and a great list of press hits in InStyle, Lucky and Allure.
Has anyone ever worked with Dani Apgar Photography? (www.dani-apgar.com) A friend referred me to them for some webcam glamour modeling and they seem legit (and not explicit), but I wanted to make sure.
Posted by: Niki Jain | December 08, 2008 at 02:12 PM