One of the great trends right now for summer is a military or utilitarian look.  Echo's Imperial Safari collection takes that look and updates it with inspiration from African and Colonial India. Elements of this style can be integrated into any outfit without looking overly military or as if you were actually on safari.  Think: casual world traveler meets crafty elements of the exotic bazaars and caravans of decorative pillows, spices and jewels.  

This look contrasts touches of military influence and soft femininity while pulling inspiration from the luscious patterns and textures of these distinct cultures. Contrasting khakis and earth tones are punctuated with pretty intricate beads, and animal and black prints on delicate fabrics.  Metallic effects on fabrics, delicately powdered with gold and silver give accessories fluidity and femininity. Colors range from earthen neutrals in browns and sand to sun bleached corals, chartreuse greens and watery blues. Animal prints like cheetah and snakeskin are great patterns on lightweight scarves perfect for summer. Organic fabrics like raffia, linen, hemp and ramie become utterly chic in this summer trend because of their versatile, breathable and sustainable qualities.

So you can update your summer wardrobe easily - and quickly - by adding a few key accessories from this trend.   A simple white tee, khaki capris and a passport are your starting point. Add gladiator sandals, bold chunky rings and a beautiful ikat pattern wrap.  Life is an adventure and you are a world traveler - unique and exotic. Take a little bit of the luxury of each country with you as you experience all this world offers.

When we tell people we work in fashion they often assume that we live glamorous, exciting lives.  Sure this is a somewhat skewed perception, but every now and then they would be right. Most recently, a group of Echoans took time out from day-to-day operations in Manhattan to experience one of our most vibrant markets, Tokyo, Japan.

If you were to read anything about Tokyo before you visit, you’ll likely hear it described as the definition of foreign – another world. We didn’t find that to be fully accurate.  Tokyo is an exciting city with many diverse neighborhoods each with a unique feel, similar to New York or London.  One striking feature was the contrast between new and old; the vibrant neon modernity versus the rich cultural architecture of centuries past.  A short walk through the city’s center provides incredibly modern buildings along side ancient temples.  The photo below is of the acclaimed and almost futuristic Prada building in Aoyama, only a few minutes walk from an urban temple tucked in among retail shops.

 Architecture isn’t the only contrast evident in Tokyo. The push and pull between modern and traditional is evident in cuisine, culture, and social interaction.  McDonald’s stands only a few feet from a traditional soba noodle house while a traditional kimono shop could be only steps from modern Japanese designers like Tsumori Chisato and Yohji Yamamoto, not to mention American standbys like The Gap or Ralph Lauren.

 The most exciting thing about our trip to Japan?  Visiting the specialty stores that carry Echo products.  Beams, héliopôle, and Free’s Shop are just a few places you can find Echo products in Japan. 

What’s hot in Japan? Here are just a few of the Echo styles that are flying off the shelves at Beams: our medallion print butterfly dress, terry handheld tote, strapless knit pantsuit, and the smocked spectator dress. 

For a list of countries where you can find Echo products, check out the “international” link at the bottom of the Echo Design website.

PS – Concerned about what to wear on the 13 hour trip from New York to Tokyo? Start with a wrap that will keep you warm (or cool) on the plane and on the street. I didn’t make it past ticketing before I started fielding compliments about my Echo rainbow stripe wrap.

A perfectly planned beach bag is the key to a successful summer day. The walk from the villa down to the cove may be shaded by palm trees, or may take you past the pool, but the point is, in order to be prepared for anything you need the right accessories at your fingertips.  First choose a simple bag of washable light fabric, something flexible and large enough for all the essentials.  A good bag to travel with in general are those that you can fold up small or double as a carry-on bag full of lotion, books and sleepshades in first class.  (We talked about tips on strategic packing in a previous post here.)  Fill the bag with a pair of beautiful sunglasses, a great paraben free sunscreen with a high SPF, a non-plastic water reusable water bottle and your favorite big soft beach towel.  You can also toss in a neat little bikini bag if you're going to change out of your bathing suit before dinner and need somewhere to stow the wet suit without getting everything else in your bag soaked.

In order to cut down on carrying too much you can choose items that are easily adaptable such as a pareo and wear them to the beach.  A pareo is essentially a large lightweight wrap - but with an endless list of possible ways to wear it. You can wrap it around your waist for the walks along the boardwalk or you can toss it over your shoulders while enjoying the breezes on the yachts while island-hopping.  It can even be wrapped and twisted into a unique halter top.  A beach tunic or coverup is also great for the same reasons but the tunic will easily provide an evening option simply by adding your favorite capris, a tank top and some jewelry. Don't forget a light, wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin from too much sun.  Of course the blackberry or iPhone and headphones will need a spot in the bag - in the zipper pocket to protect it from sand. But keep in mind, this is your vacation so skip the work emails and only answer the ones with details about this afternoon's lawn party!  So here's hoping that a cool drink and ocean breezes are in your near future. If they are, be prepared to be cool - and stay cool.

Minnow Bikini Bag; Wide-brimmed braided floppy hat; Short solid butterfly beach dress; Indigo Chevron Ikat Beach Towel

The bag's already there - where are you??

The key to a great look for your warm weather vacation is in the simplicity and versatility.  Not only do you not want to travel with a huge wardrobe, but you don't want to wear a huge wardrobe when the tropical breezes are in the 90's.  Packing simple, lightweight cotton staples like a tailored pair of cropped khaki pants and crisp white blouses is the best start. Build a wardrobe from there that is easily adapted to where ever you are:  the cabana, the pool or the yacht.  A pareo is a great item to wrap around your waist poolside or wrap around your shoulders as the sun sets over the harbor.  The right beach tunic can be a coverup by day and paired with a a tank and jeans, a breezy chic top at night. Jenni from DailyWorkIt  shared with us some great vacation pictures featuring a few items from  Echo's beach collection and she shows how one simple accessory, like the lightweight infinity neckring, can be worn several different ways, and be that special statement piece too.  Thanks Jenni!

While on a recent whirlwind trip to Paris (whirlwind = last minute, 3 day weekend) I learned the value of packing strategically.  I had no time for baggage claim nor the desire to waste energy on carrying serious luggage around the city.  Only a carry-on bag and a handbag would do. So first order of business was to find a compact carry-on and a handbag large enough for all the necessities.  I have a small rolling half suitcase with a retractable handle so that was perfect as an overnighter (or overseas-er) then I grabbed a large, neutral beach bag - they're the perfect size and squishable and very durable - for the immediate items.    I packed a dress that doesn't wrinkle and decided knee high, flat boots were the way to go.  I had to consider how I could repurpose items I wore on the plane into other outfits later in the trip - so layering was the best approach.   The key to looking fresh after 7 hours sitting up in a small seat, overnight, is all cosmetic.  A small pouch of facial cleansing wipes, deodorant and toothbrush works for me. Also, there might be some value to all those shots of celebrities at airports: did you ever notice that most are wearing a hat and / or a scarf? Definitely sunglasses - that's a given. But the scarf and hat really do more than just merely point out that 'hey I'm a celebrity hiding under here.'  They hide airplane-seat head. And bloodshot eyes.  My ultimate travel item was a scarf. I worked it into every outfit.   I draped it around my neck during the flight to ward off the cool drafts.  When I landed, I stopped in at Charles DeGaulles' beautiful bathrooms (why has the U.S. not figured this out?)  and by simply flattening and folding the scarf lengthwise several times, I wrapped my hair up in a headband and voila! a new look!  The third look came later that evening. I refreshed my look by putting my hair up in a strategically messy chignon, wrapping the scarf around like a headband, leaving a bow tied in the back.  We ate chocolate and hazelnut crepes in a plaza in old Tours. I loved that I could blend in with the locals.  I tried this look also in Rome and Florence.  I must have sufficienctly blended in there too - enough where people asked me for directions- in Italian!  Voila!  3 different looks - one scarf and one small strategically packed handbag.

Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel has become an expert on packing the perfect travel wardrobe.  Among the things she recommends is picking one color for your wardrobe such as a neutral and adding color with a scarf or a belt.  She also recommends bringing a sweater and a book everywhere you go.  I like wearing a wrap - since they are larger, they can be casual or elegant depending on your situation.  Sarah, one of the designers at Echo, says to choose a dress or other items made of jersey because it won't wrinkle and she likes to bring a few, favorite chunky necklaces as easy statement pieces for her travel wardrobe.  In the video below, Samantha's stylist,Cristina, talks about fashion tips from Paris and what makes all those women so beautiful.  One point she makes is the prevalent use of the right accessories - one of them being a scarf.  And shoes.  She said French women walk a lot but they wear heels. And that the French can spot American tourists by their sneakers. I think that's a overgeneralization. Has she seen us fashionable American ladies lately? She must be thinking of that horrible '80s trend - the Reeboks with the skirt suit. But not anymore. The right espadrille or strappy sandal can be quite comfortable and fashionable. They'd better look again, because that beautiful lady strolling by the river Seine might just be an American! An American who knows how to pack a bag for a great trip to Paris!

One of Echo's designers, Sarah, went to Paris recently and came back with notes on what styles are in Paris stores and what they're wearing on the streets. 
She said Paris was only half ready for spring this season.  The major department stores still had a lot of dark winter clothes   Yet, there were a lot of beautiful spring clothes.  Most of the stand alone shops on the left bank were in full spring mode. Overall, the clothes and accessories were very pretty and wearable with great attention to detail.

As always, the French are obsessed with all things nautical and there was more of this theme this year than ever.  Every designer had their knit stripe sailor tee but the newness was in the unexpected color and details - such as ruching, piecing and the use of different scale stripes in the same garment.  There were whimsical additions such as hot pink palettes sewn into little flower shapes atop a pink and white striped sweater at Sonia Rykiel; silver chains applied to a draped boat neck at Kookai;  wide studded belts wrapped around gondolier tops at Victoire. Paul Smith and Claudie Perlot had applied fabric bows on shirts, dresses and pants.

Nautical stripes are a great addition to your wardrobe for spring - in a scarf, dress, umbrella or a cardigan. These are easy, simple pieces that can be the statement in your ensemble without making you look like a sailor on the high seas. Unless of course, you want that. Pirates are all the rage right now. 

Striped cardigan;  striped scarf ring; bold stripe umbrella; one shoulder sailor striped dress; striped t-shirt dress with cut out

Chances are you've been watching this year's winter Olympics in Vancouver.  Occasionally NBC's coverage will include some footage of the city and the culture that make Vancouver the beautiful city it is, but most of the time, a closeup of a skier or an ice skate could be anywhere in the world.   I wanted to share with you a beautiful video of Vancouver at night - from above the city and from the waterfront. In the winter months, Vancouver has only 8 hours of daylight so this time lapse video shows the city's skyline at night as clouds flow past buildings and bridges like liquid.   The cars and the people fly by in bright streams of color and you can even see the lights of the ski events on the mountains up above the city. Time is sped up so each scene spans 12+ hours and while watching it I can't help but wonder what actually occured during that time - someone completed a triple toe loop and someone else fell on the last turn of the relay. Dreams were born and dreams were broken. It's life condensed. They've trained their whole lives for that one moment, hoping their personal best becomes the best in the world.   If you sped up 12 hours of your life, what color would it be?  Would there be wild movement and bright lights? Or would it be a steady stillness of light and quiet?    Hopefully your days include a little bit of both.  You don't have to be an Olympic athlete to aspire to reach your personal best, sometimes just realizing what that is, can be your own gold metal.   Enjoy!

While on a trip to London recently, we came across this beautiful display of umbrellas.   It is part of a series of outdoor art installations across the United Kingdom called the Big Art Project.  This particular location is outside London's Channel 4 TV station and the idea is to either integrate the giant number 4 logo into the piece or to attach the artwork to it. Each installation is created by an artist whose idea was voted upon by a panel of artists, local community members, gallery owners and staff from Channel 4.   This work is titled "Shelter" and was created using umbrella's from the city transport's lost & found store. The artist, Stephanie Imbeau, said  ‘(the umbrellas) would have a transformative effect on the steel structure, softening it and making it almost plant-like.’

If you're in the UK or planning a visit, go to http://www.bigartmob.com/ to see a map of locations of other 'big art' installations. And you can also submit any that you come across.

Not all of us can jet off to exotic countries - maybe because we already live in one! - or maybe just because our day-to-day responsibilities keep us home / office / school bound.  But we can get fashion inspiration from our friends all over the world  - especially when it comes to seeing all the creative ways people choose to wear a scarf.  Due to the proliferation of blogs today, people can share photos of fashion out on the street - any street - from Le Place de L'Concorde in Paris, to Monbijouplatz in Berlin, to the steps of the Public Library here in New York city.  Here are a few from Styleclicker.net   Notice that instead of one big, bulky coat, layering works well with scarves and can keep you just as warm.

After Paris, our designers flew to Milan to see what was in the stores.  They stopped in a beautiful store named 10 Corso como and, as Rachel Zoe would say, 'This store is bananas!'  The owner, Carla Sozanni, gets a lot of help and inspiration from her sister, Franca Sozzani, who has been the editor of Italian Vogue for the last 10 years. 10 Corso Como carries men's and women's apparel by designers such as Marni and Commes des Garcon as well as their own Corso Como brand, accessories (Tom Binn's jewelry) and must-have luxury goods.  If you're in Milan, make sure this is a stop on your shopping itinerary.

They also enjoyed Missoni's new collection which included large scale leaves, gold berets and chains, light-weight wool leggings layered with oversized cowl neck sweaters, fur bags, hats, fringes and colors of peach, blush and hints of blue.  They especially loved the oversized neck-warmers doubled and tripled and draped, and the amazing floor - length, chunky scarves with the fluffiest fringe you've ever laid eyes on!