Did you read our Senior Fashion Director Shannon Schafer in GQ? She was speaking about bomber jackets amongst a panel of menswear experts, discussing different brands, shapes and colors. An excerpt:
“The bomber jacket trend started with ‘90s throwback colors of black and olive for us. Fashion colors quickly gained momentum and now burgundy is our top-selling color.”
And while we’re at it: did you read GQ‘s Raf Simons interview? It’s a must-read Q&A with the legendary Belgian designer – and relatedly, our new Adidas by Raf Simons Stan Smiths and Osweegos are some of the coolest sneakers on the planet. They go great with bomber jackets, too.
At one point in your life you were all about the anti-Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day. Commercially motivated romance was a fraud to be avoided at all costs—even red traffic lights made you avert your course during the month of February.
Then you met your sweetheart—your child, sig other or dear friend—and you couldn’t help gushing, just a little.
To help you show your emotions, we rounded up the coolest, heartiest (as in bearing hearts) Valentine’s Day gifts. But none of these are so sappy as to cause nausea. Even the teenagers on your list will approve.
Our series about wanderlust-worthy vacation hotspots, with local picks (and gorgeous pics) from our intrepid Nordstrom crew.
Who: Natalia Valle, assistant buyer, menswear
Where: Sydney and Cairns,Australia; Auckland, New Zealand
Why did you choose this destination?
I do one large international trip a year and I have a friend who is currently traveling the world. She happened to be in Australia for the holidays—which is their summertime. It felt like the ideal time to travel to one of the farthest places on earth and meet up with my good friend. Plus, summer in the middle of winter seemed pretty spectacular.
What did you wear there?
I wore workout gear a lot for the excursions I was doing throughout the three weeks. With such intense heat I lived in my running shorts, tanks and sneakers. (Stance super invisible socks helped on casual hikes.) When I wasn’t being as active, I was in breezy dresses, crop tops, boyfriend shorts, maxi dresses and rompers. I tried to keep things loose during the day, anything I could layer a swimsuit underneath. I made sure to always pack a linen button-down in my bag when heading to the beach. Sunburns can creep up on you quickly, so it was nice to have something that could cover my shoulders after too much sun. Sydney is a pretty dressed-up city, though, so for nightlife I recommend a pair of wedges or blocked heels with a fun dress or romper. Keep it cotton—the heat is no joke. Skip the jewelry: while people like to look nice when they hit the town, it still has a very beachy vibe, so no need to over-accessorize, especially if you’re traveling.
Was there anything you wished you had packed but didn’t?
More sunscreen! Australia and New Zealand have a depleting ozone layer, which causes a lot more harmful sun rays and much stronger heat to get through. I packed two bottles and wish I had packed more. Also, my Seattle Mariners baseball hat. I missed that at the last minute and my forehead regretted it later.
Recommended shoes:
Sneakers and sandals! Aussies are friendly and laid-back, and so is their style. I lived in my Havaianas when I was wandering the beaches and boardwalks. If I wasn’t lounging, I was doing active excursions in my Nike Juvenate sneakers. Comfort was my best friend when traveling for three weeks!
Favorite meal/place to eat:
The Bucket List on Bondi Beach! Easy small plates at a reasonable price, killer cocktails and an unbeatable vibe. Macelleria was also a great spot in Bondi. All-organic products that you pick out fresh and they cook it all made to order for you. Wherever you go, make sure to order the espresso martini or frosé (frozen rosé wine), which is available in the summertime and DELICIOUS.
Favorite nightlife venue:
Watsons Bay or Manly Beach. Watsons Bay Hotel has a fun outdoor patio that is right on the beach and has a young crowd. Manly is much more casual and perfect for bar hopping, live music, tapas and fun crowds.
Where did you stay?
I stayed at the Sheraton on the Park while in Sydney, at the Cairns Sheridan Hotel and at a friend’s house while in Auckland. I would recommend an Airbnb or hotel wherever you go. There’s no need to spend a lot, you won’t be spending a lot of your time there—there is too much to do in every city!
Favorite activity:
Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, morning beach yoga, ziplining the Daintree Rainforest or touring the glowworm caves in New Zealand—how can I pick?
What’s something cool that you learned?
I learned that the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest living rainforest in the world! It is also home to the golden orb spider, which creates one of the strongest webs known to mankind.
Favorite memory:
It has to be getting caught in a tropical rainstorm while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. One minute the sun was shining, and the next we were being pelted with huge raindrops and wind gusts and forced to get out of the water. It only lasted about 30 minutes, and we were able to get back out, but it was a magical moment to look around and see nothing but the reefs, plant and animal life, and a storm surrounding you. If you’re flying all the way to Australia, I would say the reef is one opportunity not to miss. It reminds you how big and beautiful the earth is and how little of it we really get to see.
Where do the locals go?
Coogee Beach! Bondi, while amazing, is definitely more of a tourist beach. A couple miles south you will find Coogee Beach—you can even do a coast walk to get there—which is where more of the locals hang. The waves are stronger, the beach is smaller and the shopping is great! Merivale has a fun rooftop club that is famous for its summer frosé. The club overlooks the beach and has great tapas.
Did you meet any interesting locals?
Most restaurants in Australia have communal tables, which is a perfect opportunity to meet locals. We met a ton of amazing people just by getting lunch at the beach. Everyone we came across was so proud to be from there and eagerly made suggestions about things to do and see. I’ve never met so many joyful people!
It was great connecting with the Zanerobe/Barney Cools team, which we work with here at Nordstrom, while in their hometown of Sydney. Their brand is strongly reflective of the Australian attitude and style, and that was really great to see in its element.
If you were to move there, what do you think you’d do for a living?
I would work on the beach selling Turkish towels and giving yoga lessons! Sun, sand and salty hair every day, I can’t imagine anything better!
Just in time for romance and exclusive to Nordstrom, M•A•C has released four Looks in a Box that provide all the makeup you need to create a completely stunning face—on your already gorgeous canvas.
Each kit contains a lipstick, cream base, mascara, eyeliner, two eyeshadows and a blush. But each prescribes a unique colorway and application process to achieve a distinct style. “These are colors that work harmoniously together,” says senior M•A•C artist Victor Cembellin. “Cosmetics departments can be overstimulating. We wanted to pare that down for somebody who wanted a personal makeup shopper to tell them what they need.”
The looks are titled “Be a Little Naughty,” “Be Sweet & Dreamy,” “Be Cool” and “Be an Original.” In preparation for Valentine’s Day, we asked Victor how to perfectly construct “Be a Little Naughty” and “Be Sweet & Dreamy,” two mood-setting options for date night—one with a matte red lip, the other with a nude lip. He added some extra M•A•C products to really amp up the effect, but both styles can be done with the Look in a Box products alone.
Here are his face charts and step-by-step instructions to get these sex-kitten and angelic looks.
If there is one simple, affordable and endlessly wearable item to add to your wardrobe this winter-into-spring, it’s a logo tee. A throwback to ’90s fashion branding, these graphic statement shirts are popping up in the streets, on the runways and on the infobahns of Instagram. Attribute it to the Vetements influence, the continuation of the athleisure movement, increasingly casual clothing options—whatever it is, this relaxed resurgence cannot be ignored.
Stylist Shiona Turini (@shionat), photo by Kristin Yamada
Our own Fashion Office endorsed the trend thusly: “No longer just for wearing with jean shorts on the weekend, the graphic tee is being seen dressed up on the street and on the runways. Look for everything from vintage rock to kitten silk-screen T-shirts.”
Here are three ways our Fashion Office and the social stars are wearing the tees now. From work to dinner to weekends, this versatile and verbal top speaks for itself in almost any setting.
While you’re shopping floral dresses and gingham shirts this spring, pause for a minute to linger over the subtleties of the hues, the composition of the lines, how the pattern interplays with the material. Someone lovingly researched and designed that print. A team translated it into a fabrication. Chances are that pattern was devised with this garment in mind. In other words, when you wear a print you wear an artistic collaboration—the last contributor being you and how you style it.
A pattern might initially attract our eye, but after that first blush, we’re often quickly distracted by the cut, the fit, the price. Our consumer mind wonders about how that print would suit us, not its provenance. But then we met the Print Design Team at Nordstrom. Their cumulative experiences and passions make them a unique group of women in the industry. So we asked to spend the day with them! They obliged our (maybe weird, but well-meaning) request.
Two Nordstrom print designers as well as the director of print and color took us into their studio to see how they work, and then to some of their favorite inspirational Seattle places. Here’s a glimpse into their world. It’s pretty lovely.
Senior print designer Marion Chereau
Paris-trained Marion Chereau, a senior print designer at Nordstrom who previously worked at Hermès and Jean Paul Gaultier, designs for almost 20 different labels under the larger umbrella of Nordstrom brands. “Because of my Hermès experience, I’m specialized in soft accessories. But I’m also known for being a painter,” Marion explained to us in the studio, where on the table she displayed her own artwork resembling petaled clouds in a bleached sky. “I’m an artist before all, and love painting gouache, acrylic or watercolor exploding florals.”
Marion originally intended to pursue advertising following her graduation from ESAG Penninghen in Paris, but was wooed by the art director of Hermès. “I started first by working on Hermès silk scarves but quickly turned to collaborating and helping other departments with print needs. I ended up working for Jean Paul Gaultier on the women’s ready-to-wear runway collections. That’s how I fell in love with fashion and print design!”
Kim Chin, director of print and color
“What I’m drawn to right now is abstract expressionism, collage and distorted interpretations of florals,” said Kim Chin. “I love color combinations of plaids and stripes and Africana design.” As the director of print and color, Kim helps construct the identities of many Nordstrom labels, of which there are more than 50. Her responsibilities are varied but her primary role is to steward the brands’ teams. “Mainly, I’m supporting my team,” she told us, “their workload, resources and environment, trying to open creative avenues so their point of view is articulated to the best of their ability.”
Before coming to Nordstrom, Kim was at oki-ni, H&M, Urban Outfitters and then Aritzia. A graduate of the Chelsea College of Arts—now part of the University of Arts London—she credits her instructors as a continual source of guidance. “My tutors are still leading and active mentors in their field—such an inspiration,” Kim said, reflecting on the chain of artistic influence.
Print designer Emily Walker painting in the studio
Print designer Emily Walker works on the Treasure&Bond, Caslon and Hinge labels at Nordstrom. “My favorite print I did recently was actually this really moody floral that has a lot of larger-scale motifs and interesting spacing,” Emily said. “The idea for it came from one of the chintz books we have here. We have an amazing book collection!” Emily worked at Madewell and Mara Hoffman before arriving at Nordstrom. “I like being right above the store because it gives you the chance to see what things are looking like on the floor,” she said about the location of the studio. “You literally have a direct connection to the customer.”
Marion agreed, “I love to work above the store because we can see the ‘live’ results of our work—plus I love shopping!”
Watch the video: Inside the Studio with the Nordstrom Print Design Team
But getting out of the studio is an important part of the design process, and the Print Design Team frequently makes trips both within Seattle and around the globe. “I just went to Art Basel Miami,” Marion told us about a recent team excursion. “It was such an inspiring trip. I fell in love with the work of an artist named Andre Kuo. He expresses his feelings and thoughts through colorful geometric big-scale charts. It was a great interpretation of what is happening with the Internet and big data.”
Locally the team often visits stores and flea markets to collect vintage fabric samples. “We had a mini team outing to Georgetown [in Seattle] recently and found a market that apparently only happens twice a year here,” Emily said. “It was filled with vintage kimono fabrics and everyone was so excited. I am actually most inspired when I least expect it,” she told us.
In the afternoon Kim Chin took us shopping at KOBO at Higo in Seattle’s International District. The store is also a gallery featuring artists and ceramicists from around the world, highlighting Japanese and local Pacific Northwest artisans. When we visited, the Simple Cup Show was on display, giving us the opportunity to check out some interesting variations of drinking vessels.
When asked what inspires her, Kim told us: “Vintage fabrics, ceramics and decorative craftsmanship from the era I’m delving into. If there are modern interpretations already surfacing in the creative form, then you know you’re on the right track.”
Kim Chin at KOBO at Higo in Seattle’s International District
Other places that Kim and her team frequent to find print influences necessarily include museums and galleries. “I’m an art exhibition junkie—and on top of catching up with friends and family, that is the second most important thing I do when I return to London or New York,” Kim said. In Seattle, she often frequents the Asian Art Museum, located in a beautiful Art Deco building in the center of Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park. “I prefer to go to smaller spaces; the architecture of the building and the light are such integral parts of the experience.”
But working in retail means that other retailers and designers are constantly influential as well. “Music and intimate shops with a particular point of view or curation also play an important role, not only in product but in people-watching,” said Kim. “What draws someone to a certain place, how people wear or put together pieces for certain events, or day to day.”
Kim, Marion and Emily meet up at RIZOM, a boutique in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, where they view the clothes, jewelry and ceramics. Upstairs is Pacific Standard Books, a small bookshop featuring a collection of photography and fashion tomes curated by Nordstrom Creative Director Strath Shepard.
“Camaraderie is something that has impressed me since joining the print studio,” said Kim. “One thing that has been consistent is the avenues of support and advice from not only team members but design director colleagues, the VP of Creative even through to the president.”
Marion Chereau, Kim Chin and Emily Walker at RIZOM
After some shopping we head for drinks at Belltown’s Rob Roy, a cocktail lounge decorated in mid-century art and furniture. It’s a mellow but happening watering hole on weekends. Marion met her boyfriend there. “Seattle is a very foodie city with some amazing restaurants,” said Marion in her charming French lilt.
“Seattle is the new Silicon Valley. There are so many exciting things going on around us,” she continued. “It is very motivating and encourages us to innovate in our field as well.”
Emily Walker, Kim Chin and Marion Chereau at Rob Roy
Video and photography by Matthew Sumi
Photography assistance by Christopher Burrows
Video editing by Kristin Small
Production assistance by Karin Lee and Robbin Woodruff
Hair and makeup by Zoe Hoffman
Styling by Destiny Flores
Copy and art direction by Britt Burritt
“I’ve always loved how Jennifer wears my shoes and admired her innate sense of style,” says Giuseppe Zanotti of that icon we all call JLo. And yeah, who doesn’t marvel at her ability to take a white tank top and a pair of jeans and make them look like the most brilliant idea ever?
Of course, the key is often a killer pair of heels and with Giuseppe for Jennifer Lopez, her brand-new collaboration with the Italian icon of super sexy footwear, she’s got that element on lock.
All in a day’s work: JLo and Giuseppe test out some Giuseppe for Jennifer Lopez sandals; all images courtesy of Giuseppe Zanotti
“More than a muse, Jennifer was a great design partner and this collection really represents a strong, sensual, sophisticated woman—just like Jennifer,” says the stiletto innovator. It’s fun to imagine those two at work: getting ideas down on paper, talking through details and textiles, seeing the styles come to life … but we can do one better than daydreams.
To celebrate today’s launch, we have the designer’s own gorgeous watercolor drawings of three of our favorite styles, plus Jennifer’s insight on what made the partnership so real, and what makes the collection such a knockout.
“I, like so many other women, love a great pair of shoes,” says Jennifer. “Whether I’m walking the red carpet, performing on stage or meeting my girls for lunch on a day off, shoes pull a look together and literally and figuratively lift me up. With Giuseppe, we created an ultra-modern, feminine collection of killer heels and fashion-forward sneakers. And as you would expect, there’s just the right amount of sparkle.”
How much sparkle? Just the right amount. Check out this trio of glam.
Style Name: Lynda
Key Elements: vintage lace-up vibes balanced by a mirrored heel and hundreds of rhinestones
Be it lemon juice in your locks, yogurt facials or cucumber slices on your eyelids, most of us have dabbled in natural beauty remedies–to varying degrees of success.
Thankfully, husband and wife team Alexander Kummerow and Julia Wills will do the researching and formulating for you. Their company, Herbivore Botanicals, has quickly gone from an Etsy shop to the darling of glossy beauty editors, and for good reason. Their ethically-sourced, cruelty-free, all-natural and lovely packaged products appeal to our finer sensibilities–but more importantly, their oils, bath salts, face masks and soaps really work, often quite quickly.
We spoke with the cute couple about their growing business and how they source ingredients, which they were doing in Hawaii when we caught up with them.
You first formed your company in your kitchen in Seattle. Tell us how that happened.
Julia: We started Herbivore during the summer of 2011 from our apartment kitchen on Capitol Hill in Seattle. After graduating from Bastyr Natural Medicine College with a degree in health psychology, I had been working as an addiction counselor for about 4 years. I was getting burnt out and felt that I really wanted to do something new with the knowledge I’d learned at Bastyr. I knew that what I wanted to do had to do with natural medicine, aromatherapy, chinese medicine, or something along those lines–I just wasn’t sure what it was yet. Alex bought me a $50 soap-making kit online and the rest is history. We started spending all of our free time making clay based natural soap, and Alex helped me take photographs of it. We launched our original shop on Etsy in 2011 and sold out of everything very quickly that first holiday season. We also started selling our soap at the Fremont Sunday Market in Seattle. We decided early on that we wanted everything to be 100% natural, plant based and cruelty free so we named the line Herbivore Botanicals to represent our values, and the brand was born. We still formulate all of our products in our kitchen. We are also the designers behind the brand and have created every label and box ourselves. We are still based out of Seattle and now have nearly 50 incredible employees helping to run our day-to-day operations, hand-making the products with care and shipping them out to the far corners of the world.
You were in Hawaii sourcing ingredients. What did you find there?
Alex: We are actually still here and the journey has just begun! So far we are super curious about awapuhi (ginger) plant and think it could be an amazing ingredient. We also discovered kukui nut oil,which is grown in abundance here and so far it’s become a key ingredient in our lapis facial oil. It’s super high in naturally occurring linoleic acid, making it excellent for blemish prone skin.
What are some natural ingredients you’re really excited about right now?
Julia: We are loving blue tansy oil right now. Its such an incredible essential oil for balancing oily skin types and can be found in our Lapis Facial Oil and of course our Blue Tansy Resurfacing Mask. Its also such a beautiful natural shade of deep blue–it’s truly a unique one of a kind oil.
Alex: We are also loving virgin coconut oil–its already a key ingredient in our Coco Rose line and we are working on something brand new featuring it–look for it this summer if all goes according to plan!
What is an ingredient that you discovered in a unique way?
Julia: Coconut milk: We discovered it because we really wanted to make a milk bath that was hydrating and luxurious. As a vegan, cruelty-free brand our options seemed limited since regular cow’s milk was off the table. So, we decided to get creative and started experimenting with powdered coconut milk as the key ingredient for the milk bath. We fell in love with it right away–not only is it vegan and cruelty-free but it also smells incredible and hydrates like a dream. You can find it in our Coconut Milk Bath Soak.
An ingredient whose effect surprised you?
Alex: Tourmaline gemstone powder! When we found that we could get micronized tourmaline powder from Japan; we had to try it. We love gemstones and after mixing some with water into a paste and applying it to our hands, we found that it was a very effective brightening agent. It also had a warming effect we weren’t expecting due to the negative ions released when rubbed into the skin. You can find tourmaline gemstone powder in our Brighten Mask.
What are some of the biggest mistakes we make with skin care products and routines?
Julia: I think the biggest mistake I see people make is using too many products at once. We get a lot of emails from people saying that something in their routine is clogging their pores but it can be hard to pinpoint what it is when they are using 10 products a day from multiple brands. I think its best to build your skin care routine slowly by adding in one new product at a time and seeing how your skin handles it, that way if something isn’t working its much easier to tell what it is.
Tell us about your favorite ways to use your oils and your salts.
Alex: Our facial oils, though marketed towards facial care, are really great multi-use oils. Julia likes to use Orchid Facial Oil as a deep hydrating hair oil and/or light perfume. I like using Phoenix Facial Oil as a super moisturizing body oil–it’s perfect for those pesky little bumps that sometimes show up on the back of your arms during cold winter months, or anywhere you may need a little extra hydration.
Also for a truly luxurious bath, we highly recommend combining Calm Salt with Coconut Milk Bath Soak. The combined scents blend into a dreamy tropical floral aroma.
The 2017 series of Pop-Ins at Nordstrom begins with three shops featuring the exciting cultures of Korean fashion and style, curated by Olivia Kim. To start: Gentle Monster, the youthful Korean sunglasses company with a penchant for artistic storytelling.
Beyond making fantastic sunglasses, a big part of the Gentle Monster brand is creative store store design. You don’t just inhabit a Gentle Monster retail zone; you get a rich offline experience. We knew they’d do something special for our Pop-In shops. And they did.
We went straight to the source to learn more, asking Renee Kim, Gentle Monster Associate Space Designer, about the seemingly somber concept behind our joint shops and the meanings behind the Korean materials she used.
POP-IN: The concept of a Korean requiem informed your design of our Pop-In x Gentle Monster shops. How did you approach this idea?
RENEE KIM: We wanted to invoke a sense of tranquility (gentle) and magnificence (monster) through the concept of a requiem, which is a music piece to celebrate the dead and their posthumous repose. Gentle Monster’s requiem is an art piece that will transport the public into a unique dimension. The solemnity of the space washes over participants like a powerful and touching piece of music.
POP-IN: Could you please explain a little bit about the linen used in our shops? Is there something traditional about linen or woven materials in general in Korea?
KIM: The usage of linen has more than just material implications in our case. It brings an invaluable cultural resonance. Ramie fabric has been an essential element of Korea’s daily life and is specific to the local context of Korea. Its painstaking process of traditional sewing methods and natural dyes is representative of our ancestors’ wisdom. The outcome is much more translucent than that of regular linen. It lends itself to the mystery and dreaminess of our concept.
POP-IN: What was your thought process about including nature references in the shop? Specifically, the charcoal is interesting.
KIM: Just like the ramie fabric, Korean charcoal goes through a special process before being used. As an all-natural material it culturally implies purity and cleansing of the mind and body. By placing charcoal in the shop, we wanted to suggest symbolic purification of the space and celebrate our concept, “requiem,” which is a transition into another dimension.
POP-IN: Usually Gentle Monster shops exist in neighborhoods, not department stores. Did that different context change the way you designed our shops?
KIM: It did. The fact that we were working with Nordstrom brought us new challenges and possibilities in design thinking. Usually what happens with our stores is we design temporary art installations within the parameters of the given space, so there are more limitations in a way. Collaborating with Nordstrom was refreshing in the way that we were able to work with a new perspective to put together our own style, an amalgam that is authentic to our identity and that of Nordstrom.
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