It's been almost two years since our last checkin with the rentals for it-girls: Hauteline!

Since then Kristie Chow's business has expanded to another co-founder (and good friend) Michelle Li, another storefront in LES, and a wider selection of delectable designers, and nationwide shipping.

I'm so excited to share what's the same, and what is different with these ever-savvy entrepreneurs :)

It doesn’t take a fashion-head to reach the conclusion our clothes are about to get more expensive with tariffs looming. According to CNBC, 97% of our clothes are made outside the US and it’s estimated that our clothes will get 67% more expensive. Now more than ever, how do you decide what’s worth your hard earned money? In trying to produce sleepwear, I’m learning a lot about the nuance from the generation of the fibers (what we usually discuss in sustainable fashion) to the resulting fabric (so many steps happen here that aren’t well documented or understood). 

If you’re interested in my idea of sustainable (to the best of my ability) sleepwear for the female fantasy, drop me your email below and I’ll reach out when the slips become available to purchase: https://drowzistudios.com/

And here is the instagram :) https://www.instagram.com/drowzistudios?igsh=MXFycDVmNnZlZXAxNQ==

Surprise surprise! This episode finds a re-invigorated, inspired Karina. This New York Fashion Week I had the pleasure of interacting with so many exciting independent and emerging designers that I'm genuinely hoping I can put y'all onto!

This fashion week there was a presentation to satisfy many of my sartorial curiosities thanks to Lindsey Media. A creative visionary that sold his name-sake brand for roughly $48 million and bought it back for less than $3 million. An emerging sustainable designer that creates not just boilerplate capsule-collection clothes, but closet staples with an original point of view stitched into its construction. This fashion week is so full of interesting stories I'm excited to share with you all.

The emerging designers I worked with to pull off NYFW looks courtesy of Doors NYC:

OTKUTYR

Clear to Rain

Catherine Curtis

Alexis Bittar

Deadwood

Call me crazy but a piece of jewelry is really that deep. Shana Cave conveys her profound understanding of the chaotic albeit beautiful experience of adolescence and adulthood as a woman. Uncanny that such complexity is so intuitively understood by women world wide through metal and stone, but Shana Cave’s ideas are as precious as the materials she uses in her work. 

An impishly knobby Viking Princess ring, Topaz vines blooming on the wrist, delicate lace cut out of chunky sheet metal, rubies and sapphires sprouting from earrings, Shana Cave’s pieces touch the “I’m just a girl” that’s hiding deep in every woman’s soul. 

Check out her collection Dec 6-8 11-7PM at 434 E. 9th St.

Trying out a new format here which is way lower effort to produce, and perhaps a gateway to me yapping more... But a trip back to China has left me with much to unpack about fashion here, my own biases and cultural identity... idk this episode was cathartic to produce :)

Support the Chinese Miao Tribe and help keep their embroidery history alive here: https://sourgongzhu.com/

Join us for a multi-faceted and inspiring episode as we delve into the worlds of fashion, creative expression, and personal resilience. Our conversations with Henry and Marco of Undermind span everything from their collective's ventures in fashion magazine publishing and music production, to tales of early techno raves, the power of community, and the importance of positive manifestation practices.Don't miss the exciting launch of Iconic Magazine on June 5th!

My Hoang is the definition of multi-hyphenate. But despite her many titles: jewelry business founder, AI Inventory Management SAAS startup founder, marketer, woman in stem--it is My's attitude that really left a mark on me.

My's passion for her custom watch jewelry business, Sage and Saber, is not fueled by pride or money -- but by love. Love for what she does, love for her customers, and the love of learning how to do something new. Being delulu is just being delulu unless you back those dreams up with an appreciation for what you're able to do for others and the bias-for-action to make those dreams real. We can all learn something from the way My handles herself and her business.

Poshmark's head of merchandising, Chloe Baffert, has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Daily Mail for her trend predictions. And if you've had the privilege of watching any of her TikToks, you'd know her refreshingly honest takes from 2023's trends being 2010's references to calling out Staud's overpriced and unoriginal Cleo Peppiat dupes.

Her content belies just how much the girl knows how to shop. Chloe is a bonafide e-commerce queen. Not only has she led merchandising at Poshmark, but also product management at Macy's leading digital style strategy and even contributed her fashion taxonomy expertise to The Yes--an AI powered shopping platform startup that sold to Pinterest for 80 million in 2022.

As a techie girl and fashion nerd, I cannot explain my delight To have Chloe join me on changing room boss today. Check out her IG and TT here:

https://www.instagram.com/chloebaffert/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@chloebaffert

Undermind is an innovative collective and music label whose continued growth includes recent Latin Grammy nominations and a collaboration with NYC's iconic venue, Elsewhere. Soon, they'll launch the second issue of their magazine, Screens Don't Capture Reality, at the legendary Iconic Magazine in NYC.

Drawing inspiration from techno warehouse culture, Undermind encourages its community to embrace the present. The magazine will also be available across retailers in South Korea and Japan. I've had a sneak peek into the contents and it is some serious fashion eye candy.

Thank you, Henry and Undermind, without which today's episode would not be possible. Check them out here:

https://undermind.xyz/

https://www.instagram.com/undermindnyc/?hl=en