Jesse Fiorino for Buttons & Bows Lookbook 2012

Olivia Lo wearing Silk Vintage Snakeskin print blouse by Gian Franco Ferre, available at BBLA

Vintage Pierre Cardin Clutch available at BBLA

What to wear, what to wear...

Vintage Pierre Cardin leather garment bag, available at BBLA

Topshop Sequence moto jacket, Gianni Lo Giudice silk slit dress, vtg necklace available at BBLA

Vintage Lace embroidered crop top, white maxi skirt available at BBLA

Vintage Rakish Tassel top, Vintage Giorgio of Beverly Hills high-waist trousers, Vintage Etienne Aigner clutch, available at BBLA

Vintage leather cape, vintage Etienne Aigner clutch, available at BBLA

Photographed by our very talented: Jesse Fiorino

Styling/Model - Olivia Lo

Hair - Nicole Castillo

Well...

We really don't know what to say about this shoot, except that what use to just be lifeless clothes on a rack in someone's closet before, has literally gotten a breath of fresh romantic air.

It's officially spring, and we could not have been more honored to have such an incredible team to help put together our first lookbook of 2012 and to help give you all the most glamorous way of peaking at our opening inventory.

Most of what you see is what you get. A mix of glamour, new and vintage designer, and a class that is all innately your own.

As we wrap up this insane week, into the 6 more days until opening, we hope that this lookbook transcribes into the anticipation that we at Buttons & Bows head quarters have been experiencing. The inventory is beyond, and we're holding out and saving the best for you. So if you haven't already, please go to our facebook page and RSVP to the event for our much anticipated launch of a dream come true, April 5th. Save the date.

A huge and humble thank you to the beautiful and discerning eye of Jesse Fiorino, the styling and ever-so-stunning muse Olivia Lo of Lust for Life, and our dear friend for her hand in the hair department Nicole Castillo...this lookbook is beyond words.

Thank gawd for pictures.



Love,

Monique & Karen

BBLA Launch Party Invitation

Shopoholics, fashionistas and BBLA fans! If you want to party it up with us while we celebrate the launch of Buttons and Bows LA, please follow these super simple instructions. Go to the link entitled "OMG" on our website. YOU MUST SIGN UP with your email. Afterwards, we will then send you a personal invitation. This will not be that public of an event. In fact it's a little exclusive, as we cannot accomodate everyone. So friends, family alike...the people who go through the extra effort of following these directions gets a guaranteed pass.

See, not hard at all! The extra effort will be well worth it, especially since designer cocktails from Pattern Bar and "yummy in your tummy" brownies from Babycakes NYC await you. Or how about the musical stylings of DJ Jun from Hush Money LA? Anywho, look stylishly fresh as our media partners from Waffle Stencil, Karen Galvin Photography, and The Video Mouse will be documenting your next fashionable move.

That's it for now. We'll fill you in on any other updates. See you at the BBLA party!

Love,

K&M

Kingdom come

(Image courtesy of Miss Olivia Lo)

Bonjour!

As we finalize our much anticipated shoot with the Lovely Miss Lo tomorrow, there is so much to be said and done all encompassing. From what color our store walls should be, to the store window vinyl, to gathering up an unbelievable inventory, we also have to make way for the most important part: Party time!

The date is set! The Buttons and Bows LA launch party will commence on Thursday, April 5th. We're still solidifying the time but expect the festivities to start around 6pm. That's only a little over 2 weeks until the big finale, people. Can you believe it? What was just suppose to be a "blog" as a platform for rants and inspirations evolved into something beyond our wildest imagination: a brick and mortar store in the Fashion district of Downtown.

Expect:

A soiree of fashion, shopping, and mingling whilst you listen to some live dope music, sip on designer cocktails, and snack on delicious noms only in Karen and Mo fashion.

Hear the sweet tunes of our handpicked DJ, roaming photography to capture the moment and document your divine outfit, a videographer to film your next fashionable move, and some oh so scrumptious concoctions of food and drinks. And of course, we encourage you to bring in some clothes you want to sell to us and we welcome shopoholic behaviors of "shop till you drop." We take credit cards. This is a boutique launch party, after all.

Stay close for the official 411 on our much anticipated launch party either through a facebook Invite, and definitely make sure to sign up for the newsletter to be notified of your personal invitation for this not-to-be-missed event!


Love,

K & M

I want to Stalk your Style

(Images via Style Stalker)

Karen and I are super stoked bears to be visiting and most importantly PICKING UP, some delicious inventory from loved Australian cult label Style Stalker.

It's just another reason we love being in downtown LA. We get to walk, skip, and jump to some of our favorite brands at one of our favorite showroom buildings: The Cooper. And we're just a 10 minute walk from there.

And.....I've just decided walking is the NEW luxury.

And who said no one walks in LA?

Announcing some party details later on today, stay tuned!

Love,

Monique

Do's and Don'ts

A little humor never hurt nobody! hahhahaha. Don't let this deter you from selling though, but just had to share as this one is soooooo hilarious.

Gawd I love this show.


Happy Monday!


Love,

Monique

So did everyone have a good week despite the rainy and gloomy LA weather that we've been recently having? I really shouldn't be whining about the rain because it's good for our current water shortage situation so, I promise that this will be the last rain complaint you'll hear from me. Last week was LA Fashion Week and we got the chance to see some local LA designers showcase their creations.

Now for those of you unfamiliar with LA Fashion Week, don't expect the same kind of big couture designer names to grace the runway. LA's version is driven more towards the smaller indie designer community, and that by no means is better or worse. LA and NY fashion are two very different beasts. People look to NY for the more established and Euro-inspired fashions, whereas LA is known to be the home of newer, fresher, more eclectic indie fashions. But despite these differing elements, one commonality remains the same, and that it is people's enthusiasm and excitement to see some fashionable creativity!

Evening wear dominated the shows this time around as designers like Octavio Carlin, Dina Bar-El, and Johana Hernandez kept that as their collection's main focus. Revel in lace, mesh, and sequins-all those were the apparent trends that stood out at the runway shows. But of course, the designers also had some creations for their daytime wearers. The trends that stood out in this area were leather, feathers, and muted shades of grey, and classic blacks and browns. Skingraft was THE design house that pulled these trends off spectacularly, with their leather and feather trimmed vest, to their leather peplum dress, to their sexy oversized suede jackets! LA Fashion Week, you were marvelous!

For a complete list of designers that were showcased on LA Fashion Week, check out The Los Amgeles Fashion Magazine, Apparel News, or Women's Wear Daily. See for youself which cretions rocked your boat! (Image courtesy of The Los Angles Fashion Magazine)

XO,

K&M

BBLA in the news

No, it's not a spread in Vogue magazine...(yet) *wishing, but there is something to be said when a reporter approaches two women to do an interview for a prestigious local publication like the Los Angeles Businesss Journal. We could not be more honored to have a feature and to some what add to the solidity that we are people in business. Thank you Bethany!

Still pinching ourselves.

Thank you all for the continued love and support, we honestly could not be here without you.

Love,

Karen & Mo

It's All Coming Together

( The view from the truck of us unloading our new buying counter!)

The interior look of Buttons and Bows is all coming together! The walls are about to be painted, the fixtures and mannequins will be delivered and last weekend, we hit the Rose Bowl Flea Market for some much-needed furniture shopping.

We're super psyched about the cool table and chairs we found. For those of you looking to fill your house with some wonderful vintage finds, Rose Bowl is the place for you (read my previous blog post for more info about the Rose Bowl Flea Market)! There are tons of great stuff everywhere so it's near impossible to come home empty handed! And even if you do, you still get to take back inspirations and ideas of what to look for the next shopping trip.

As for our finds, we were the lucky ladies who took home a bright turquoise table. The vibrant color is perfect for the energetic vibe of BBLA! We'll be using it as the register counter. All we need to do is find a glass cover to place on top, and customize the shit out of it and we're good to go! I also found these really cool pinstriped chairs that are both stylish and super comfortable! With a little reupholstering on that little number, it's going to be a beautiful swivel vanity chair re-purposed! As for my inspirational takeaways for the next shopping trip, I will be on the hunt for a beautiful chandelier. Nothing too fancy, just something that will match the chic & vintage vibe of the store.

So you see, it's all coming together and once we have the store laid out perfectly, I'll post a little snapshot for all of you to see. Stay tuned, everyone!

xo,

K&M

How About Some Vintage Furniture To Match Your Vintage Wardrobe?

Why should your closet have all the vintage fun? Let your bedroom, living room, kitchen, and even bathroom join in on the party....the vintage shopping party, of course! We all know that Buttons and Bows LA will be your go-to store for all your vintage wardrobe shopping needs. But what if you fancy some cool vintage furniture or artwork that can add some unique touches to your home? Our answer to that is to go to the Rosebowl Flea Market! Every 2nd Sunday of the month, vintage sellers gather at the Rose Bowl to shower us with their one-of-a-kind pieces. No matter what your style is, Rustic, Colonial American, Art Deco, you're sure to find it there. From couches, to antique pots and pans, to paintings, to tables, to drawers, you get the idea. If you can dream it, chances are, it's probably there!

The Rose Bowl Flea Market advertises their opening time as 9am, but I've known people to kickstart their vintage shopping as early as 7:30. The early bird catches the worm, right. Be prepared to pay an entrance fee ranging from $8-$10. Bring cash because not all the vendors take cards. And also, having cash gives you more haggling power. When you get there, don't be overwhelmed with all the different booths. Just take a deep breathe and just enjoy all the wonderful finds you're about to discover. Shopping is supposed to be fun, not stressful!

Have a fantastic Rose Bowl experience next month!

xo,

K&M

Fashion & Beach Soirees, Our Kind of Summer Internship

What would you say to an internship that required you to sail and play along the beaches of Newport and South Hampton? Would you be up for adventures at Martha's Vineyard? How about trotting back and forth from Nantucket to London? Would working at a cool store and then mingling with the execs at the corporate headquarters interest you? And to top it all off, how about a $25,000 tuition award for all your hard work? If this internship doesn't interest you, then I don't know what will!

British brand, Jack Wills, is hiring 1 luck girl and guy to be their summer lifestyle ambassadors. So to all our collegiate followers, hurry up and apply! Internships are a great way to learn about different industries and to gain experience and skills that can help you get jobs after school. Now we know this has nothing to do with BBLA but we figured it's valuable fashion-related info that a lot of you can use. If interested, apply via their Facebook page. You better hurry though, because the deadline for all entries is today. Good luck, fashionistas!

xo,

K&M

The Beauty of Resale

We all have different reasons as to why we no longer wear some of our clothes. Maybe we lost some weight. Maybe the style is out of season. Or maybe we're just so sick of looking at that same dress for months! Whatever the reason may be, it proves our need for a place to sell or exchange our used wardrobe. That's why resale stores are such an important part of the fashion and retail world.

Resale boutiques provide tons of benefits for everyone in the community. They give consumers an affordable shopping alternative, an outlet to make extra money by selling unwanted clothes and accessories, and easier access to vintage shopping. They're great for the fashion and retail industry by creating businesses and jobs. And they're awesome for the environment as they reduce the amount of wasted apparel and accessories. But the gift that resale stores gave to the world that sticks out most to us is their elimination of the 2nd hand stigma.

Thrift stores like The Goodwill are great resale establishments that are frequented by fashionistas everywhere, regardless of their financial situation. But before the resale craze that was brought on by the birth of Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, and Wasteland, 2nd hand shopping at Goodwill was seen in a negative light. People were made fun of for buying used clothes. Now, it's completely the opposite reaction. Just look at the tons of people that frequent the thrift stores, resale shops and flea markets in the hunt for 2nd hand finds, regardless of their financial standing! Resale stores removed the 2nd hand stigma and replaced it with the coolness of one-of-a-kind shopping! Why is this so important? Because families, children, students, and other individuals with low income can shop freely without the worries of being ridiculed and mocked. Go, resale stores!

This just makes us even more excited to be a part of the resale community! Get ready, everyone! Buttons + Bows LA is about to inject some major vintage and 2nd hand designer fashion into your closets!

xo,

K&M

And The Planning for The BBLA Launch Party Begins!

This weekend, aside from the activity of getting the store interior prepared, Karen and I have been planning BBLA's store launch party. You guys knew a party was coming. It just wouldn't be right to not have a memorable celebration to commemorate this exciting moment in our lives!

As you all know, the LA Fashion District in Downtown is the home of Buttons + Bows LA. It's a lively area of the city filled with amazing bars, restaurants, musicians, and artists. So we figured, why not get the whole neighborhood involved in the opening! It's a great way for us to get to know our neighbors and it's also beneficial for cross promotion purposes, a win-win for everyone! We can get a local DJ to spin some cool tracks, a local restaurant or food truck to serve their delectable creations, and a nearby bar to serve their yummy drinks. Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Of course, we'll also have a kick-ass photographer and a fabulous videographer to capture all the memorable moments of the BBLA launch party. As for the hiring process, it's going extremely well! There are lots of interested and talented candidates who genuinely want to be a part of the BBLA launch and we couldn't be more thankful!

As for the theme of the party, that will be divulged in upcoming blog posts, in addition to the specific businesses and people we'll be working with. Get ready for the most awesome store event of the year!

xo,

K&M

Thank You!

Karen and I feel so humbled and thankful for all the love and support from everyone in our lives: family, friends, BBLA followers, and the community behind the fashion & retail industry. Thank you all for spreading the word about the upcoming launch of the Fashion District's newest and one of a kind designer and vintage resale store, Buttons + Bows LA.

We've got our work cut out for us as there are still lots of things to tackle to get the store in tip top shape. We only want the best for our customers! This weekend, construction to get the interior part of the boutique will commence....yay! After that, it's smooth sailing and plans to organize the much anticipated launch party will be solidified! Karen and I can't wait to see all of your beautiful faces there.

For now, time to get back to work. we'll be tweeting, facebooking, and instragamming you guys, so make sure to tune in daily. Happy Friday!

xo,

K&M