Olympia Le-Tan

Living in this city can wear on one's sense of individuality. We're constantly embedded in a crowd, within which we often spot - inexplicably and to our dismay - other harried women sporting the same [insert hairstyle or item of clothing here]. Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, and other mass-market retail powerhouses pump out irresistibly cheap and trendy pieces that we, with our busy schedules and love of bargains, can binge-buy without a second thought. Our wardrobes are packed, but uninspired, and seldom do we stumble upon a designer or boutique that produces pieces that can shake us from our ennui long enough to appreciate their craftsmanship.


Enter Olympia Le-Tan. Not only does the London-born Parisian designer have a name reminiscent of a superhero's secret identity, but her claim to fame has been her equally clever conception of handbag creations inspired by everything from novels to food items to vinyl records. Whimsical and colorfully embroidered, these designs take us back to a time when comfort and pattern clashing were celebrated, and when we announced proudly to our mothers a proclamation they surely dreaded: "I am dressing MYSELF today!" The result was always some outrageous costume-sleepwear hybrid, but we were expressing ourselves, and were overjoyed to be marching into school thinking "this is my special creation." Our friends would agree that our neon pink tutu or polka dot nightgown was "so pretty!" and we would float through our lessons and play sessions without a hint of self-consciousness.

Natalie Portman with an original Olympia Le-tan clutch

Of course, we aren't going to sneeze at the contact cool we might catch off these trendy treasures. Le-Tan's designs are gaining a lot of attention amongst the Hollywood It-Girl cliques, but are still widely unknown amongst your average New York fashionista. Consult your inner 6-year old on this - you have our blessing - because girly geek chic has never been so covetable!

xoxo Effeigh

House of Holland

I've had my web-obsessed eye (that's the one that never strays too far from one screen or another) on the brilliantly blinding and always evolving plethora of patterns from emerging fashion brand House of Holland for a handful of years now. Since my discovery of brand in 2011, a mere three years after the label's official launch in 2008 by mastermind Henry Holland, the collections have broadened to include an eyewear line (made famous by a collaboration with Le Specs and a promotional campaign with Iggy Azalea), and other accessories, but as early on as 2009, the Holland was attracting attention from household names like Levi Strauss & Co., superstar supermodel Agyness Deyn, and dance floor diva MIA. House of Holland's designs appeal to the anglophile in us all, bringing an edgy London-look to the fashion scene that has been sorely missed since Jean Paul Gaultier first adapted Trafalgar Square's punk styles for the runway.

The latest collection, not to be out-shined by its predecessors, boasts prismatic plaids, illustration-inspired prints, and structured, asymmetrical silhouettes. Not only can you view the Autumn-Winter 2015 catwalk show via their website, but you can try on the collection with a virtual version of yourself, constructed from your measurements, thanks to a handy widget called "memodel." You can also shop the current ready to wear collection via their UK-based online store, or via ASOS in the US.

xoxo Effeigh