I couldn’t be happier with the result: a collection of pastel-hued floral bibs and tonal bags all inspired by the ‘first hot summer nights’ in New York:

Our good friend Rezeta modeled the collection and our favorite photographer, Jason Savage, shot it. A sneak peak at a few pages of the lookbook – complete with pale pink layouts, bibs of hand cut leather flowers, and a citrus-print clutch that’s perfect for any resort vacay:

Thank you to the whole team for making Resort a great success (so far)! More pictures (& Japan) to follow; I’ll be back to A Fortune Found soon, and in a much more timely fashion.

XO

The impetus for our trip was a three day event with Tomorrowland. Kathryn and I visited the Shibuya location, where we became friends with the fabulously well-dressed staff, customized products for customers, and were feted with a party that featured hors d’oeuvres in the shape of our necklaces and clutches.

clockwise: the beautiful LFJ window // modeling the lfj + decade diary plumeria clutch // the LFJ + tomorrowland limited shop mailer // our custom bracelet & earrings

We were overwhelmed and flattered by the creativity of “our window” at Tomorrowland’s Shibuya location.

When we arrived at Tomorrowland on Friday, April 12th we were welcomed by the store’s wonderful staff. They were warm, helpful, and beyond “かわいい” (that would be “kawaii” or “cute” in English – one of our favorite words of the trip!):

I was in awe of the Lizzie Fortunato display at the store. Leaded glass cases held our cuffs and earrings and beautifully painted tables were set up with my materials to customize purchases for shoppers at Tomorrowland:

We jumped right into the event; meeting so many great customers and assembling bracelets and earrings for some of the cutest gals in Tokyo. I was blown away by the attendance and kindness of everyone we met!

Our first day in-store culminated with a delightful party thrown by Tomorrowland; the highlight of which was impeccably designed food by Tomoko of Mokomeshi Food Design to resemble our different designs!

Tomoko’s incredible, edible spread

I was so honored by Tomoko’s creativity and attention to detail with her beautiful interpretations of our work. Her exquisite designs have been served at many weddings, events for Elle Japan and parties in Tokyo…

all images via tomoko’s site: www.mocomeshi.org

Thank you Tomorrowland for welcoming us with such open arms!

XO

Some of our favorite designers (including Max & Erin of SUNO and Sara Beltran of Dezso) will be there chowing down on taco truck treats and cooling off with Mexican beers.

Looking forward to the Caroline sunshine, shopping, & food trucks… Hope to see you there!

XO

Shortly after landing at Haneda airport, Kathryn and I met up with our good friend Hiroko – the NYC-based, Japanese-born Tomorrowland coordinator. She  brought us to the Marunouchi neighborhood (home of the grand Tokyo Station, known for it’s incredible range of shops and ramen restaurants) and the Palace Hotel. We quickly got set up at the “Tomorrowland room” in the Palace – an impeccably decorated (art books galore and the biggest bed I’ve ever seen) corner room with phenomenal views of the Imperial Palace:

Kathryn & I outside the Tokyo Station // the lobbby of the Palace Hotel // enjoying the bed, TV, and views from the “Tomorrowland Room” of the Palace

After adequately admiring the exquisite room and checking out the Tokyo skyline from our balcony, we headed  a few blocks away to Naka-Dori, a wide tree  (and boutique) lined street close by in the Marunouchi district. Our first stop: fueling up at the Rose Bakery (we love their Parisian headquarters) in the avant-garde Comme des Garcons store, complete with a black and white spotted facade.

Over lattes, we reviewed some recent Japanese press with Hiroko (including an exciting writeup in “A-Paper” – the very cool newspaper published by Super A Market, one of Tomorrowland’s fashion-forward sister stores that stocks Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga, and Celine alongside creative lucite displays, quirky housewares and a stellar cafe) and checked out the beautiful collateral Tomorrowland’s graphic team created for our imminent event:

Kathryn, Hiroko, & I in front of the windows at Tomorrowland’s Marunouchi store // Comme des Garcons on Naka-Dori // Rose Bakery’s beautiful book and Kathryn enjoying a latte // the most recent issue of Super A Market’s “A Paper” // Tomorrowland’s Summer catalogue and a brochure for the Lizzie Fortunato + Tomorrowland special event

It was then off to visit the Marunouchi location of Tomorrowland (where we were stoked to see some Lizzie Fortunato leather and lusted over Shourouk jewelry – we’re big fans! – and Fendi sandals). Next door we checked out another Tomorrowland sister store: “Land of Tomorrow“, where a perfect design scheme included a wall of Celine and a striking Alex Katz print upstairs in the men’s department.

Lizzie Fortunato leather inside Tomorrowland’s Marunouchi store // a wall of hats and scarves and Shourouk jewelry // Kathryn and I in front of Tomorrowland’s windows // b+w horse-print wallpaper lines the dressing rooms at Land of Tomorrow // a shelf of floral bibs and clutches I was admiring at Land of Tomorrow // the Lizzie Fortunato “Peru Clutch” and “Birds of Paradise” feather necklace at Land of Tomorrow

Next we popped just across the street to “Edition” (another relative to Tomorrowland that also stocks yours truly!). We loved the ivy-covered entrance to this boutique, not to mention the selection of Stella McCartney, Alyssa Norton, Alexander Wang and Tom Binns inside:

the entrance to Edition’s Marunouchi store // Kathryn and I with a stylish Edition employee (perfectly rocking the LFJ FW12 silver “Bentley” necklace // Kathryn with a copy of A-Paper // Stella McCartney wedges // The Edition stylebook and a well-heeled mannequin // The Edition sales staff with Kathryn and me

Finishing our boutique rounds and battling jet lag, we took the subway (Tokyo’s underground is ridiculously comprehensive, on-time, and clean) to Shibuya, where we ducked into Tokyu Hands: the famous Japanese mega-store that stocks everything you never knew you needed. Several friends suggested checking out their paper selection and needless to say we left an hour later, bags brimming with cute Japanese stationary, heavy note cards, and some bizarre and adorable stickers:

pastels and cards from Tokyu hands

Coming up next: coverage of a wonderful event with Tomorrowland and Tokyo highlights!

XO

An Amazing city captured by an amazing photographer // All photographs by Nicole Franzen: http://www.nicolefranzen.com/san-francisco

We started the weekend in Piedmont area, where we spent a delightful morning with the staff of McMullen. We loved visiting Sheri, the owner and buyer who we usually only see in NYC during fashion week, and showing the rest of her team our new collection over mimosas and breakfast:

Kathryn and I in McMullen // A shot from the McMullen website: www.shopmcmullen.com // Kathryn and I with Sheri – the owner and buyer, and with the entire McMullen team

The boutique – stocked with Rachel Comey, SUNO, Jenni Kayne, 3.1 Phillip Lim and the cutest shop dog named Peanut – was so inspiring. I loved their selection of cool clothes in the beautiful airy space, and the staff was a dream! 

Top image of Lizzie Fortunato SS13 assortment and McMullen store logo via www.shopmcmullen.com // all other interior images taken by me

Then it was off to downtown SF where we began our reunion weekend. It was such a treat to be with so many good girlfriends from Duke (coming together from California, New York, and Colorado), and we couldn’t think of a better way to start off the trip than a (lengthy) walk from Plant Cafe (where Casey introduced me to the insanely good California Plant Burger) on the Embarcadero to the Golden Gate bridge – perfect for long talks and good people watching!

The rest of the weekend was spent eating (a lot!) including a fantastic meal at the Greek restaurant Kokkari in Jackson Square and a leisurely day in Sonoma where we drank wine, ate ice cream, had lunch at the Sunflower Cafe, and soaked up the rays we’d been missing in NYC:

The weather was perfect and the company was even better … By the end, we were all about ready to move out West for blue skies and Baby Henry!

Such a special weekend away in such a great city! Thanks you girls.

XO

both images via my instagram feed // follow @lfjewels

I hope your weekend has been equally lovely…

Top to bottom, left to right: First three images via http://notesondesign.tumblr.com // Second two images via http://designblossom.tumblr.com

XO

tom image via lizzie fortunato // second two images via tomorrowland website: http://www.tomorrowland.jp/tomorrowland/news/2013/03/lizzie-fortunato-limited-shop-at-tomorrowland-shibuya.php // final image via Elle Japan (May 2013 issue)

Every free second I can steal has been spent trip planning. There are currently several pounds of Japanese guide books in my purse and I’ve been stalking in-the-know friends for their tips! My list is now gigantic and includes the Tokyo fish market (a guide book “must see”), Dover Street Market (a fashion girl “must stop”) and Naoshima (an “art island” southwest of Tokyo complete with installations by James Turrell and Walter de Maria per the recommendation of jet- and trend-setting friend, Claire Distenfeld, who owns Five Story).  I can’t wait!

Sushi etiquette via the one of the blogs that’s become a travel bible: caperberry.blogspot.com // Fashion shots “Tokyo, Land of the Fixated” styled by Sara Moonves for NYTimes “T Magazine” September 2012 // Exterior of little Nap Coffee in Shibuya via pinterest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74307080@N00/7433460010/ // Little Nap Coffee’s perfect graphics on their site: www.littlenap.jp/ // Image of the Japanese fish market via caperberry.blogspot.com // Image of squid in the Japanese fish market via asiancorrespondent.com // First Naoshima Iage via http://perduedanslemaki.blogspot.com // Second Naoshima image via Another Mag: http://www.anothermag.com

Top to Bottom: Cass Bird Photos, Celine coats, and Bernadette Pascua’s pineapples all via www.decadediary.com // Woman’s legs, stripes, and blush all via http://winsomebrave.tumblr.com // Strung Lights via http://thebrickhouse.tumblr.com // The Palm Trees are the backdrop of the Chris Benz Resort 2013 presentation via Style.com // Lizzie Fortunato + Decade Diary Super Nana Palms Clutch available online at www.matchesfashion.com

Thank you B for always giving us eye candy!

From the top: Images of the Belmont Hotel Bar & Outdoor patio via www.belmontdallas.com // Outdoor view of Bolsa Restaurant via http://activerain.com // Bolsa Logo via http://bolsadallas.com // All Oddfellows images via www.oddfellowsdallas.com

Believe it or not, our 24 hours in Dallas were not all about cocktails and pulled pork. We got a chance to visit the Nasher Museum (the sculpture garden is beyond!) and some great stores, including VOD – a longtime favorite that stocks Vanessa Bruno, SUNO, Ohne Titel, and the like, and Five and Ten – the smaller sister to Dallas Empire, Forty Five Ten (home to killer pieces from major labels like Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Proenza Schouler, and The Row):

From the Top: Ryan Roche clothing via the V.O.D. boutique blog: http://www.vodboutique.com/blog // All images in grid via Five & Ten: http://www.shopfiveandten.com/ // the delightful Ten Over Six homepage http://www.tenover6.com and shots of the Weekend Coffee shop (soon to be in the Joule Hotel in Dallas) and the Joule uniforms via their blog: http://www.tenover6.com/blog/

We also popped by the Ten Over Six pop-up at the Joule Hotel. We were so excited to see a preview of the products (including amazing Jasmine Shokrian dresses, Jenni Kayne flats, Pamela Love jewels, bags by yours truly, and a stack of Tank Mags) that will soon be available at the Dallas outpost of our favorite LA boutique. The Ten Over Six shop will be accompanied by a coffee bar and housewares and gift store. We can’t wait to come back and see it!

All Dallas shots by me: top to bottom & left to right: Lizzie Fortunato bag and SS13 Totem necklace on the bed at the Belmont hotel // visiting the Nasher Museum // Kathryn and the Of A Kind girls outside of Oddfellows (a must stop in Dallas) // incredible food at the Belmont’s Smoke Restaurant // A lone bicycle built for two // Exploring Dallas // menus at Oddfellows // a selection of great items at the Ten Over Six pop-up in the Joule Hotel

After Dallas we hopped on I-35 and headed to Austin, with a brief stop at Bon Ton, a side-of-the-road vintage shop piled high with some incredible finds. I scored a long camel coat and check out Kathryn’s two-piece lace get-up below. We could have spent hours here but Austin was calling!

all shots by me: The Bon Ton vintage shop & kathryn in lace!

Austin is among my absolute favorite cities. For me, it means top-notch sangria outside at Hotel San Jose, two-stepping at The Broken Spoke, and long walks around Town Lake with our great friend, Katie, of Katie Kime (the go to for the best furniture in modern silhouettes and bright-colored and printed upholstery, lucite trays, paper products, and more):

all pictures by me: Katie, Kathryn and I at Hotel San Jose, and with Nick, dancing at The Broken Spoke

This trip also included an all day shopping event at Kick Pleat (hosted by the gals from Of A Kind and featuring lots of new jewels from yours truly), and some great hangout time with our brother and best friend Laird (creators of the app CrowdSync) who were in town to showcase their app at South by Southwest:

New from Lizzie Fortunato on display at Kick Pleat // Kathryn in a SS13 Apiece Apart outfit modeling the Wheatfield Necklace and White Port of Call clutch (two SS13 favs!) // Laird and Alex in their CrowdSync t’s // Kathryn and Laird having a rare moment of downtime at Katie’s Austin abode

We loved getting to visit with shoppers at Kick Pleat and also do some shopping of our own (I haven’t stopped wearing the knit Demylee sweater I picked up). Owner and buyer, Wendi, has the most immaculate laid back meets fashion forward style and a visit to her home proved that she’s equally talented with interiors:

All shots by me; Interiors of Wendi’s beautiful Austin home that she shares with her husband Troy and daughter, Lyell Josephine

Visiting our good friends in Austin and enjoying the city’s ridiculously good food, music, and weather is always a treat. Can’t wait to return soon and will be shopping online at Of A Kind, Kick Pleat and Katie Kime (look out for her e-commerce launching any day now) in the mean time!

XO

For the FW13 season we worked with Valery Demure, whose showroom and clients (including Aesa, Swash, and Monique Pean) we absolutely adore. It was a thrill getting to show our new collection alongside such great lines.

a shot of FW13 // lizzie & kathryn in valery demure’s showroom space in the 6th

The seasons seem to move so fast we hardly have time to relish in a new collection… I can’t believe we’re already thinking about Resort! So I’m pushing pause to highlight some of my FW13 favorites below. I can’t wait to wear the “Conversation On Cool” collar necklace with rust braid and we’re very into the structured T purses (Kathryn loves the leopard, while I want the graphic beaded):

As always, visiting with good friends is the highlight of visiting Paris for market week, especially our favorite NYC transplants Jenny & Tara (of The Sporting Project), who recently launched a line of cold press juices (they’re incredible!) with the guys behind the famed Paris healthy cafe and hangout, Bob’s Kitchen:

Tara (L) & Jenny (R) taking a break from serving their cold press juices and green smoothies in the Bob’s Cold Press Pop-Up at Le Celester Mary in the Marais during Paris Fashion Week

Set up in the oyster bar La Celeste Mary (we returned for an awesome dinner on our last night!), the bright space – brimming with floral arrangements by Taylor of Fox Fodder Farm) was a delightful place to hang when we weren’t working:

Love some green juice, orange flowers, and printed Super Nana Clutch to brighten up any grey day…

Catching up with friends extended into the wee hours of the morning… It just wouldn’t be Paris if it didn’t!

Miss the city and these ladies already!

XO