Oprah did.

It wasn’t because we sold out of one of her Ultimate Favorite Things of 2010 (No. 6).   But if we had, that would be a reason for any sensible fashionista to bawl. 

Oprah selected Magaschoni’s cashmere beaded tunic  ($298) and cashmere legging  ($260) as an Ultimate Favorite  because they flatter, they’re feminine and they’re easy: you don’t have to decide which necklace to wear.  

For a simple and elegant office party or luncheon Look, wear the tunic over a charcoal grey pencil skirt, adding a charcoal tank to complement the hematite colored beading. 

With leggings, the tunic makes you the most beautiful and comfortable ornament near the tree.

Please give us a call, 202 785 1975, or send an e-mail,  store@betsyfisher.com, if  you’d like to find out for yourself if Oprah and Magaschoni are right about 2010′s Ultimate Favorites.

Jane Wang

Like taming a unicorn or balancing the federal budget, finding a new line that strikes a chord with our busy customers is the ultimate buying quest.   For two seasons, you’ve purchased Jane Wang’s distinctive dresses, and this Friday  and Saturday,  Jane will be in the store to meet you and invite you to try more of her meticulously created silk jersey frocks.

Developing as a  successful designer occurs over a lifetime,  requiring as much technical and business  expertise as artistry.  Jane already has decades of experience.   At 14, Jane left China with her family and arrived in Manhattan, where she immersed herself in design.   After graduating from both Manhattan’s  High School of Fashion Industries and the Fashion Institute of Technology, Jane spent ten years learning all aspects of the business  working for other fashion houses.   

 Jane launched JANE WANG bridal in 2006 and her dress line last year.  Her  six year old daughter keeps the home front lively, too.  Jane’s success is grounded in knowing exactly who her customer is, and in being one herself.  As she puts it,  ”(m)ost women today don’t have a lot of time for fuss . . . most of the time they are throwing a dress on and running out of the door .”   Being fashionable has to be easy: “Silk jersey is perfect and a simple way to dress.   It is also the perfect material for day-into-evening dressing.”

Below you’ll see several of the styles we’ll feature this weekend.  Asymmetry, ruching and careful placement of prints combine to make the dresses  flattering and memorable.  We’re betting that in a year or two, when you’re wearing an old favorite, a total stranger will stop you and ask, “Is that a  Jane Wang?”

We’ve got just the three inches you need:  Butter’s delicious Pink Pump.   You may get a kick out of the fact that the purchase of this special pump supports the Rebecca Lipkin Memorial Fund, a Komen project dedicated to finding a cure for a particularly virulent form of  breast cancer.  And finally, as any Butter wearer can attest,  you’ll wear these pumps as happily at the end of  a long evening as at the beginning.  Available in sizes 35 through 41, $265 per pair.

Please give us a call, 202 785 1975, or visit our website www.betsyfisher.com , where you can purcahse them directly.

You’ve recieved invitations and reminders about Thursday’s event, but we thought you might like to hear from Harriet Lipkin, Rebecca’s sister, about why an evening of fashion fun will be a boon to each of us.

Rebecca Lipkin

Dear Friends,

The last few years have been very difficult for my family and all who knew and loved my sister Rebecca.

Becca was an award-winning globe-trotting television journalist, who was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer (“IBC”) at age 46, and despite excellent care and aggressive treatment, died in 2009 at age 48. 

From the time that Becca was diagnosed with IBC; through the treatments and surgeries; Becca’s death; and living with our devastating loss, we have cried rivers.

My daughter Stephanie and niece Molly suggested that we team with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to raise money in Becca’s memory, to find a cure for IBC. What a great idea that was!

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the global leader in the fight against breast cancer, and has contributed to or participated in every recent significant life-saving advance in the fight against breast cancer. 

Despite the remarkable work of Susan G. Komen, the cause, treatment and cure of IBC continues to elude researchers. IBC is a particularly wicked form of breast cancer; it strikes young women, evades detection, and is usually diagnosed only when it reaches the final stage of cancer, referred to as “stage four.”  Many diagnosed with IBC survive only two years after the initial diagnosis, despite aggressive treatment. It is for this reason that Susan G. Komen has initiated a campaign to raise awareness and funds to fight IBC.

We are honored that Susan G. Komen for the Cure established the Rebecca Lipkin Fund, which will raise funds dedicated exclusively to raise awareness fight IBC. Susan G. Komen for the Cure will announce this year’s recipient of the Rebecca Lipkin Award, which will be a grant to an IBC researcher, during Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s first-ever global event, which will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on October 16, 2010.

I am still so sad. But my feeling of optimism is renewed. I know that we can do it – we can raise the money, find a cure, and spare other sisters, mothers, brothers, nieces and nephews, friends and family our heartache and pain.

Please join our effort; cut and paste or click on the link www.info-komen.org/goto/RebeccaLipkin or use the attached contribution form, and contribute to the Rebecca Lipkin Fund. Ask you family, friends, employer, colleagues, neighbors and all you know to do the same. Help us put an end to this despicable disease.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.

Harriet

So if you’re calculating how to shop now to make your Fall wardrobe distinctive and functional, consider these fabulous items:

Bailey 44 zips over Donna Deganan

Bailey’s cotton stretch shirt works solo or over a tank, making it a  late summer jacket option if you pair it with cropped trousers or a pencil skirt.  You’re in luck if you own Donna Degnan’s espresso skirt from Spring ’10: the colors combine beautifully and justify purchasing Butter’s newly-arrived dark chocolate suede shoes.

Donna’s camel-striped charcoal trousers supply a clean, lean, three-season wardrobe essential thanks to being wrinkle-proof and pocket-free.  They also hide their elastic waist, a personal favorite for accomodating change of the weighty variety.

*****

These two items make packing for a  September New York getaway a non-event.    Magaschoni silk cargos and Donna’s jersey top keep you comfortable on the train but get appreciative nods from the fashion cognoscenti when you stretch your legs on a Highline stroll.  Add a strappy heel and stop in at the Gansevoort for a cocktail.   

*****

Drozdzik wool and silk jacket suits Yansi jeans

For a look as exclusive as it is easy, try Drozdzik’s asymmetrical jacket over Yansi’s boot-cut jean.  This jacket, with its beautiful collar, typifies any piece from Drozdzik’s small seasonal collections:  it’s crafted from extraordinary  fabric and features wearable details.  A few of you own her summer skirt in a subtly shimmering silver print and know exactly Drozdzik’s standout artisanal design. 

Yansi’s  denim jean arrived first, but look for several other Yansi styles throughout Fall 2010.  The next style  for DC denizens will be a classic trouser in Italian stretch wool with blue and camel pinstripes.    Look for the same boot-cut jean style  in black velvet this November.  Yansi pants have a well-deserved following because they flatter sizes 0 – 16 consistently.

If September Dreaming inspires a little August browsing, come on in!

Betsy

Ada wearing Jane Wang

Ada and I are charter members of each other’s fan clubs.   Ada buys clothes here at Betsy Fisher, and I buy Ada’s gentle and luxurious skin care products, developed and manufactured by her family, and distributedthrough her company, Alchimie Forever.

Ada was recently intervied by Marie Coleman for the DC Style Examiner.  For  text, and more photos by Kristine Hopper, please click the link: 

The DC Style Profile: Ada Polla

Enjoy, and if Ada’s dress sparks a little dress envy, plan on attending Jane Wang’s trunk show at the store this fall – stay tuned for date!

Betsy

Mixed fabrics, exposed zipper

In honor of the bold beauty sporting this about town today . . . .

Mariagrazia Panizzi

 Dress up with a strapy metallic sandal, or down with a flat or flip flop – it’s striking either way.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this  Italian designer, and hope you will, too.

http://www.graziapi.com/eng/