Lily Atelier Boutique in Camas, WA

Owner Dawn Stanchfield of Lily Atelier in Camas Washington has a great eye for design, fashion and merchandising.  Dawn  has been a huge help to us from the very beginning giving great feedback about our designs, materials and how to best merchandise our handbags.  Lily Atelier is a beautiful store filled with stylish, fashion forward clothing, shoes, jewelry and handbags.  When I want something SPECIAL and FABULOUS I go to Lily Atelier.  The only hard part is trying to make a decision……sooo many incredible choices!  It’s definitely worth the drive.

Designs by Jayne (DBJ) handbags at Lily Ateler

More fun handbags (DBJ) and shoes!

Here’s the hot trends direct from Italy:

Color Trends-

• All shades of gray from dark charcoal to lighter versions
• All shades of purple from deep plum to brighter versions and various berry tones
• Greens from kelly to olives
• Browns and camels
• Blues from navy to denim and in between
• Suede seems to be the trend for next fall in shoes and handbags, maybe clothing too.

We’re still seeing:

• Studded bags and shoes
• Large accent zippers on bags and shoes
• Fringes
• Soft, slouchy bags like hobos
• All size clutches from small to larger sizes for daytime and evening
• Sequined evening bags
• Cross Body bags in all sizes
• Fur bags (we’re talking the real deal–no faux fur here!)

I spent my last day of this fabulous trip in Milan, Italy one of the premier fashion capitals in the world.  I strolled up and down Via Spiga and the surrounding area to see the latest and hottest fashion trends from such famous design houses as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and more.  Window shopping has never been so inspiring.  Here’s a peak at what I saw!

Great Style at Dior's store front window

Ooh La La--How fun is this? Iceberg store front

Stephanie and I head out for my day two her day one at the Lineapelle show.  We start our day with a cappucino and chocolate croissant.  How do the Italians stay so thin with all their croissants and pasta?  It must be the red wine!

We arrive at the show and Stephanie is amazed just as I was the first day.  There are over 1,000 vendors from all over the world.  We take note of all the latest trends in both design and color ways.  It’s much more fun going through the show with Stephanie and having some one to bounce ideas off of.  Here are some of our inspiration pieces for the day:

Lineapelle Trade Show

My day starts with a brisk walk to the train station.  The streets are fairly quiet at 8 a.m…..a child or two walking to school with their backpacks in tow and a young man racing off on a motor scooter with his dog standing on the front runner of the bike.  Wow life sure is different here.  It’s quite refreshing as people seem to have a very carefree attitude about life.  I make the train to Bologna with only minutes to spare…I had been a bit distracted on my way by all the beautiful fashion in the storefronts.

Fall 2010 trends

Gorgeous Italian Leather

Finally at Lineapelle, I am amazed at all the gorgeous Italian leathers and hardware.  It’s better than I could’ve imagined.  Each booth is like an elegant showroom beautifully decorated in true Italian style.  I walk for hours from one building to the next in awe.  There’s nothing like Italian leather, so incredibly soft with scrumptious colors and incredible textures and designs.  I am finding inspiration around every corner.  I can hardly wait to design more handbags!

Penthouse View (4th Floor)

I’m so excited to finally be in Florence, Italy.  My first night here is amazing.  I forgot how beautiful this city is especially at night.  Stephanie and I head out to dinner and within minutes of walking I see “604″ on a car license plate.  I’m surprised to see it so quickly after arriving here.  In the past I have blogged about seeing “604″ on car license plates, sides of of buses and many more places.  June 4  (604) is Max’s birthday and it’s how he lets me know that he’s around me.  I explain this to Stephanie and she agrees that Max is with us for the evening

We have a wonderful pasta dinner and make our way back to the apartment.  I let out a scream and Stephanie thinks I’ve seen a dead body in the street.  No….but it’s ANOTHER 604 on another car license plate.  Twice in one night. Thanks Max!  Looking forward to the Lineapelle show tomorrow.

I can hardly believe it!  In one day I fly to Florence Italy to stay with Stephanie Saito who interned with us this past summer.  In a previous blog post, I was trying to figure out how I could  stow away in one of Stephanie’s suitcases wanting so badly to go to Italy.  At that time, I had know idea that I would actually get an amazing opportunity to go there.  On Oct. 13-15 in Bologna Italy, Lineapelle will take place which is one of the largest leather and hardware sourcing trade shows in the world.  This is a designer’s dream come true!  I get to spend three full days perusing gorgeous Italian leathers, beautiful fabrics and sleek hardware.  I plan on being inspired beyond my wildest imagination!  Follow along with me on this exciting Italian adventure as I hope to blog about it daily along with pictures.  Ciao!

Fall is in the air….

Kids are back in school with the wonderful cool, crisp weather turning to Fall.  The leaves are beginning to change to the beautiful colors of autumn.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love fall fashion with great boots and cozy sweaters.  All the fall colors inspire me in my designs and color pallet.  Now that the Spring 10 samples are done, I’m working on the Fall 10 handbag line….reading trend reports,  looking at color forecasting and having lots of fun perusing all the fabulous fashion magazines.  Creating is my favorite part of the job.  Stay tuned…Spring 10 samples coming soon!

Here’s what you’ll be seeing this Fall 09:

Courtesy of  infomat.com  For more on this article go to:  http://www.infomat.com/fido/loadpage?page=trends&trendtypes=true&industry=true&season=true

Color Trend Report | Fall 2009 | Womens:
“Subtle contrasts, like those found in a painter’s masterpiece, make up the diverse color palette for fall 2009. Designers play with a broad spectrum of unique color combinations resulting in distinct yet cohesive color palettes.” On view, a snipette of the Pantone color report which features New York designers, and as you might suspect, their inspirations for the F/W 2009. season. Courtesy of Pantone.

“The fall 2009 palette is more unique and thoughtful than the typical autumnal hues of years past, ” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Designers recognize the desire for fundamental basics that speak to current economic conditions, but also understand the need to incorporate vibrant color to grab the consumers’ eyes and entice them to buy.”

Templerly London, left.
Inspiration: The Orient and traditional dress of the geisha, Steichen photography, and travels. Deep Reds and Crimsons with hints of Black that evoke the sumptuousness of the Orient.

Yigal Azrouel, right.
Inspiration: Toughened-up romanticism, luxe decadence for a strong woman. Cardinal paired with Jet Black feels both past and novel.

Ports 1961 by Tia Cibani, left
Inspiration: A journey to India, one of color and joy. Begonia Pink, a staple color that is treated as a neutral.

Douglas Hannant, center
Inspiration: Sophisticated off bright hues reminiscent of the ’30s and ’40s. There isn’t a single important color – rather, it’s the sophisticated way they play off one and another.

Tadashi Shoji, right
Inspiration: A dark palette with bright accents. The color Rose – it’s freshness and vivdness offer a bright furture with clarity in an economic climate that desperately needs a stimulus plan.

Ella Moss by Pamella Protzel Scott, left
Inspiration: Thailand, where the colors in nature are not to be believed. The shades of Green in the water, the abundant flowers and the colors or the local dress.

Thuy by Thuy Diep, center
Inspiration: A sense of renewal and optimism with designs that breath ease, cleaner lines, shapes and forms.

Adam Lippes, right
Inspiration: The rich shades of the Istanbul spice market – earthy, real, wearable colors.

Thanks to all who spent the time to fill out our survey and provide your valuable feedback.  We took all your comments into consideration and it has helped our direction moving forward.  Based on survey results, we have decided to change Designs by Jayne to JayneMax.  We feel that this new name better represents who we are and why we do what we do.  Special thanks to my brother Craig Weiss and Cassie Anderson who helped in the designing of the new logo, which we love!  Here’s a sneak peek.  Let us know what you think.  Look for more updates and new Spring ‘10 bags to hit the website mid-Oct.

I had the great fortune to work with Stephanie Saito this summer, a Senior at Mt. Ida School of Fashion Design in Newton, MA.  The good news is that her family lives just a few minutes from us here in Oregon and she wanted an internship close to home.  In May, I received a phone call and then resume from this wonderful student looking to do a summer internship and willing to do whatever job was necessary!  Could this be possible??….and to think that she found us.  The stars were lining up.   The moment I met her I knew she would be great to work with…..young, vibrant, full of great ideas and enthusiasm, not to mention responsible, organized and very creative.

Stephanie and I spent the summer together working away…researching Spring 10 trends and colors,  designing new bags, selecting leathers and hardware and preparing for the Bellevue Art show in July.  She taught me so much!  She even had the patience to show me how to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for creating new designs on the computer.   Currently, I design all bags by hand, sketching each one individually.

Now Stephanie is in Florence, Italy finishing up her final college semester before graduation.  She’s studying more Fashion and Design along with Italian.  I tried desperately to fit into her suitcase but it just didn’t work.  I know it will be an amazing experience for her.

Thank you Stephanie for being such an amazing help to me personally and to our business and for being an awesome teacher.  You were a gift dropped in our laps!

Ciao Bella!