Hot for Harris

Hello everyone, it's Bernie here! So yesterday we were lucky enough to be mentioned in an article by uber fashion editor Hilary Alexander discussing the popularity of Harris Tweed and the new fashion brands that have jumped on board with the heritage fabric. Well, we are not boasting, but here at SB we have been using the gorgeous handwoven material for over 10 years! And on top of that we have also been officially endorsed by The Harris Tweed Authority, an honour for a brand that prides itself on flying the flag for British design.

So as this is obviously a key trend to AW11, I thought I would give you a little sneak peek of the Sara Berman Harris Tweed coats before they go online at www.saraberman.com next week.

This season we have mixed 60s androgyny with feminine country chic. Firstly we have the Marley coat, a crombie shape perfect for this winter's Mod twist and girls as boys trend. However, with the bow detail adoring the pockets, Sara has made sure there is a touch of sweetness about the coat (obviously not too much though!)

The Yvette Smoking jacket carries on with the teddy girl trend, sharp cuts with luxe punk detailing, the velvet collar is pure luxury, already a big hit with the press, I have only seen our sample briefly in the last few months!

Moving onto a more traditional and feminine shape, the Vivienne Trench is a favourite at SB and has been a huge success in previous seasons. The large gold buttons on the double breast and the thick belt scream sixties elegance, just imagine teamed with classic Jackie O sunglasses and a smart silk dress.

Last but of course not least, we have the Dolly Coat. Simple with discreet detailing, an oversized open collar, slanted pockets and a detachable multicoloured brooch.

So there you go, our Harris Tweed beauties for this season! Now off to contemplate a long cold winter whilst walking through sunny London, fashion is so confusing!

Summer Winter Love

Hello, Bernie here! It has been a while since I’ve posted so thought I would update you all on the brilliance of AW11. Last time I had just finished the look books and after a few changes and drafts we all decided on the best layout and got them back to the office in a couple of days, very exciting stuff and they look gorgeous! 

Once they arrived we very quickly sent them out again – envelopes, press release and address stickers galore. Then the waiting game, trying to work out when they would arrive with the magazines and who would be starting the AW11 shoot call ins, it is very strange to be excited about Harris Tweed coats and leather gloves when its so sunny but that’s just the way the fashion year goes!

Anyway, everyone loved the look books, the AW11 shoots have started and our samples are all over the world being shot. With the tweeds, leathers, liberty dresses and variety of accessories whatever the shoot we have something to fit in! Of course SS11 is still going strong and has been so successful but it really is very pleasing when you have a whole collection of new beautiful things to work with.  We have some very nice features coming up in September and I will get them onto here for you all to see asap! 

Tunnel Of Love

Great time had by all at the British Heart Foundation Tunnel of Love party on Tuesday!

In a refreshing change to your average sit-down-and-donate dinner this was more of a surreal funfair with a hoopla, rubber duck ‘bobbing’, throw the toupee on the Humpty Dumpty and oddly a girl dressed as a latrine. 

The auction was a great success. Our wonderful Dan Baldwin donated a hand finished print of his wonderful Love in The Garden painting (which incidentally I own the original of!) and we donated a scarf to match. Yoo Moo frozen yogurts were enjoyed as we ran around wining fabulous fashion prizes and bidding for art, dresses and designer dinners. Rocking evening which raised nearly 100k to help mend broken hearts.

Look Books and Birkenstocks...

Good morning girls and boys. It’s been a while I know but I was so busy sunning my fashionable self in Tel Aviv that I didn’t have a second to write to you and fill you in on the intimate ins and outs of my fascinating endeavours. Actually we had torrential rain for 3 of 6 days and Handsome D (don't worry my forgetful friends the glossary is right here) was diagnosed with diabetes but it’s nothing a spray tan and sugar-free diet can’t fix. Never fear Handsome - Beauty and the Beach do a fabulous ‘Dark & Lovely’ for only £20.

View from the apartment in Tel Aviv

Apart from that we had a great time. Tel Aviv is an amazing city-utterly urban and modern with the bonus of being on the sea which really gives the best of both worlds. I have a fabulous pink bicycle out there and cycle all over-to the beach, the restaurants, the galleries, the shops, for coffee, up to Jaffa, down to Hyarkon Park…Basically my Birkenstocked feet don’t hit the ground. Yes you read correctly-Birkenstocks. And before you mock please understand that I LOVE my Birkenstocks. They-along with my fat John Travolta T-shirt (he was normal John Travolta but age, multitude washings and the effects of my growing bust between the ages of 13 and 17 have disfigured him somewhat but I will never, ever give him away) are mainstay of my Tel Aviv wardrobe. Tel Aviv has an amazing design culture but fashion is relatively slow to catch up. This is beginning to change and I can see the ‘green shoots’ of £350 + handbags emerging but it is far from being a fashion Mecca and I must confess that I adore the freedom to make like a fashion icon in a pair of Birkenstocks and fat John T-shirt.

Actually I left London on a high and have been so excited to write this entry that I got a little overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start… Just before I packed my Giant Bailey and set off for supposedly sunnier climes we shot our SS10 look book. The shoot started off as a very neat idea of Grandfathers -our fabulous stylist and muse (because she is very a-muse-ing) the basis being that we wanted to go back to the roots of what we do as a very British brand with an ingrained English Eccentric philosophy and shoot the streets of London alive with Sara Berman. So we asked our girlfriends to spare a mo of their time and simply come as they are and pose with one of our new bags, jackets or jumpers in exactly the way they would wear them. Given that most of our motley crew wears SB anyway-this wasn’t an enormous stretch and the results are so fantastically cool, such an amazing point in history of all the relationships that make a life and define an era. The whole thing spiralled utterly out of control with friends bringing friends and friend’s friends bringing more friends! We ended up having to shoot over 4 days in 5 locations with 35 models. And what amazing models they were! Never have our clothes and bags looked so exactly and wonderfully perfect and fabulously cool. It must be said-our girls rock! A big thank you to all concerned.

A sneak peek at the SS10 Look Book

New York, New York

It was my full and real intention to write this live from the Big Apple, but truth be told my eyes were bigger than my stomach, I took too big a bite and it has taken a full week of R and R back in good old Blighty to recover and put finger to laptop.

The Oracle and I travelled together and to understand what that means you really have to live it. No half measures considered, no short cuts taken, no stone unturned. She knows every baggage handler, every customs official and every special services officer working today in JFK. I kid you not. And her influence extends further... Mrs Berman is a living legend at the Four Seasons (where we showcase our collections in wonderful, sumptuous luxury) and is the only person I know of who actually has a long term storage facility at the hotel! However my respect for her status was truly sealed when she was the only person in the whole hotel who was not subjected to the searches of the US special security agents who populated the hotel all week due to the presence of the UN delegates. She strode through the hotel unhindered leaving utterances in her wake of "Oh that's Mrs Berman" as I cluttered along behind her carrying her (multitude) bags. She swears that it is an exercise in teaching me 'How It Is Done' in order that, when she dies, I will be fully equipped for life in the fast lane. I do find her logic a little bizarre at times but I feel her intentions are good...

So back to business... We spent 5 days in meetings selling clothes, bags, hats and boots. If you can wear, want to wear, or would even consider wearing it-we were selling it. We started with breakfast meetings at 8am and finished with supper meetings at 10pm. We worked hard, we played hard and of course we found time to shop hard. It is amazing what can be achieved in the frenzied panic of a 45 minute Shop-Slot. The adrenalin pumps, the blood rushes through the veins and sharp, savvy decisions are made. Like drugs to a junky we embraced the New York retail offering with lust and enthusiasm and I would like to believe that we single handily made a contribution to their economic recovery. Well a girl has to do what she can!

The shops were in a much better place than they had been. Lots of changes have taken place since last season whether it be new senior (numbers led) management at some of the larger department stores, more focussed and concise product selection (the wonderful Bendels has chosen to focus completely on accessories, which they do so well), an increased consideration for price point (evident in all accessible designer entry level ranges) and most importantly the Value and Virtue of Luxury. Although many of these adjustments have undoubtedly been forced by the economic downturn and have been potentially difficult decisions to make and then execute, it is clear that the results are positive. The stores are busy, product looks excited and that jazzed New York buzz was palpable again as though oxygen had been pumped into its veins.

The buyers responded to that renewed energy in their approach to the new collections we were showing for SS10. On our own side of the pond we at Sara Berman had made some bold decisions about what we wanted to show the buyers for SS10. We wanted to embrace the chance for change and present a collection that was not dictated by past parameters and instead was simply and honestly what we wanted to design and to own. We pared the collection down to the essentials. Truly luxurious pieces which were trans-seasonal and would be fabulous through our unpredictable summer and into seasons to come… Extravagant leather jackets, kooky-classic cashmeres, cool cotton knits and of course loads of amazing bags. We are having so much fun designing the bags and we are lucky enough to own our own business and have the freedom to chose our direction and put the emphasis on whatever is inspiring us most and giving us pleasure as well as a financial return. And I think it paid off. The reception to our work in New York New York was so enthusiastic and positive. It was truly wonderful to feel their energy and excitement with our work. It gives us the desire to be bold, to continue to innovate, change, push ourselves and have the confidence to do what we want above and beyond anything else. This is why we are in fashion baby!

'The Season'

We are now fully in the swing of what is known in Fashwani as 'The Season'. Contrary to indication this is not weather related, in fact the opposite- ‘The Season’ is all about the clothes we are going to be wearing in a totally different time of year to the one we are currently in and refers to the period of time allocated to the selling of next year’s fashion wonders.

This entails the channeling of next year’s summer looks on a chilly autumnal day. Importantly 'The Season' is totally different to 'This season' or 'Last Season' and should not be confused with either of them. To wear ‘This Season’ during ‘The Season’ is a Fashwani Faux Pas of gargantuan proportions as ‘The Season’ is the time to show the world (all watching with bated breath as missile defence shields in Eastern Europe fade into insignificance in the face of what we will be wearing for Spring Summer 2010) that we are so ahead of the pack that we are actually wearing next summer’s trends this winter. Believe me – every outfit counts.

However it is also when the Real Business of Fashion kicks in to play and the buyers use all their nous and talent to select the best pieces from the designer’s collections and puts them together in their own vision for their stores. And so it is that we find ourselves sitting in the lovely Palladio showroom taking appointments with buyers. It is actually quite unusual for the designers to take such a hands on approach to selling as we do-especially with the support of as agency as recognized as Palladio behind them. However it is a part of the business that we-and particularly Sara’s Sister enjoy. It gives us a fantastic insight in to an area of the business that as designers we don’t see firsthand. Buying really is an art and to watch a good buyer at work is inspirational and can teach a designer who is willing to listen and learn a great deal.

Sara's Sister is an amazing people person and loves a good chit chat with all the buyers whilst I am less of a ‘communicator’ and find the art of social interaction with anyone I haven’t known for at least ten years a bit of a mine field and have ‘issues’ with remembering who is who (unless their shoes are particularly fabulous-Hen you know who you are). Usually this isn’t really a problem and I simply bob around behind Amiee’s back looking (hopefully) welcoming and engaged. However this has all been thrown entirely out of whack by our new matchy-matchy hair cuts.

The story goes as follows..... Sara's Sister (not content with 2 weeks in her luxury villa complete with hammock, day bed and private yoga area) returned to Ibiza for a final dance-off with her friend Candice the Loud and Luke the Snippy. One drunken thing led to another and Luke The Snippy shaved Sara's Sister’s hair off. On her return I fell in love with her new lesbo-chic image (so SS10) and succumbed to the clippers (grade 3) in Sara's Sister’s kitchen. The result is that Amiee and I are now utterly indistinguishable from each other and have now officially morphed into one person with an exceedingly cool haircut and a passable sense of style. This is all well and good but has led to all manner of confusion, not least that the buyers need clarification as to which one of us is which. The problem we have is that I still have no clue who anyone is...

In The Press

We've had some great coverage for the Autumn/Winter '09 collection so far - here are my favourites:

Nana Lightning Stripe Sweater

'10 Best: Fabulous Fuchsia', Glamour, October

Marlow Slouch Satchel
'Show And Tell', Cosmopolitan.co.uk, September

Limited Edition Gold Lou Hand Clutch

'Beautiful Bags To Buy NOW', Cosmopolitan.co.uk, September

Anna Bow Front Jacket - Harris Tweed

Easy Living, September

Anna Bow Front Jacket - Harris Tweed Check

Glamour, August

Welcome To Sara's World

So it is with some trepidation that I put fingers to keyboard and start the Sara Berman blog. I do realize how important it is to  ‘communicate our brand message’, to engage you all in the World of Sara Berman. However I am also aware that it is a slippery slope from here on in. It is only a matter of time before I get over familiar and over exposed.

I have learned the hard way that any publicity carries its downside. A bit like the time I did a shoot with Living Etc ‘at home’…. I am sure you can imagine it… Amiee and I laying on a leopard print divan, laying on a cream sofa, laying on each other and rubbing cupcakes from the Primrose Hill Bakery on to our thighs... Obviously they cut all of that (including Sara’s Sister) from the shoot itself leaving us with a very chic piece which I was proud to show Granny G. However all the glory was blown to bits when a reader wrote in to the magazine the following month to kindly let me know that my bedroom wallpaper is upside down. Clearly I was previously blissfully unaware of my huge interiors faux pas and now lay in bed at night staring at said wallpaper and nervously trying to broach the subject with Handsome D. It goes without saying that Handsome is not interested but did offer the helpful solution that I might feel better about it if I stand on my head.

But all that blatant self promotion aside, it is time I started  ‘communicating our brand message’. It is essential that I raise our Google Rankings, Engage our Customer and create an Online Community. From here on in I will be letting you know about all our new collections, our inspirations and creative musings. You will be duly informed as to who I am sleeping with (last night my daughter provided animated company at 4am), who I fancy (Handsome-you know who you are) and where I am going on holiday (generally wherever Sara’s Sister goes her little lamb will follow). Clearly this will be fascinating for you all and our Google Rankings will go through the roof.

So in anticipation of more blogs to come I want to provide you with a glossary of terms to help you navigate the World of Sara Berman.

Glossary:

• Sara’s Sister - Amiee. Frankly she says being my sister is truly a full time occupation and she is challenged and fulfilled on a daily basis.
• The Oracle (Mrs B to you Ads)– Our mum Helene. Famous for her hats. An enigma wrapped in a mystery, wearing Moschino.
• Handsome D – My ridiculously good looking husband who in more prosperous times won the Best Dressed Banker award. Twice.
• Dog-Sara’s Sister’s husband. Needs long walks, regular feeding and the odd pat on the head. Enthusiastic licker.
• The Boss-Danielle our production manager. We know where our bread is buttered.
• Grandfather - Super Stylist and photographer extraordinaire
• Milly - Joint CEO of Sara Berman. Milly would also like it known that her Great Aunt won Best of Breed at Crufts. Pedigree never dies.

*Sara Berman reserves the right to amend, update and strike off according to the social standing of the people concerned at any time. You have been warned.