Fun Feet
Dennis and Connie McGowan find it tough narrowing the fabric options for their toddler shoe line sold at their Laguna Beach shop Oogly Booglyz. That explains the 125-plus different patterns available in lace-up, spat snap, sandal and Mary Jane styles ($10). There’s the standard clowns, stars and flowers, along with leopard for tiny hipsters, geckos for surfers-in-training, ethnic weaves for multicultural tots, even sparkling paillettes for glamour babes. All are machine-washable.
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Shelve the Iron
Stop the press! Wrinkles rule with fabrics that have been crinkled and cut into flowing silhouettes that suggest the same sense of comfort gotten from your favorite sleep things. “But it can’t look like you’ve slept in it or it defeats the purpose,” notes Julie Logan, West Coast editor for Glamour magazine. “Intention is three-quarters of fashion, and these clothes have to be treated on purpose for the right look,” she says. Logan cautions that wrinkles can magnify a feature, so choose pieces accordingly. On the upside: “Packing is going to be a lot easier this year.”
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Education in Capitalism
Requests from Cal State Fullerton classmates to buy the jewelry Nzisa Senga’s mother sent from Kenya triggered her to start a business with the imported goods. She opened a kiosk in Fashion Island Newport Beach with her brother, Lau, also a visiting college student. Nairobi! stocks art wear handmade of beads, shells, wood and metalwork, in addition to woven bags and kitenge (embroidered tops and pants) and folk art such as wood carvings. Many pieces are under $10. “It goes very well with the ethnic fashions so popular now,” says Senga, who plans to invest profits in grad school, which she begins in June.
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Forever Classic
The retro groove continues in fashion this year, especially in young menswear--and we’re not talking preppy, conservative looks. Last year’s baggy brigade has turned in oversize gear for more tailored fashions inspired by ‘40s gangsters, says Jim Duval of street-wear line 26 Red. Colors are masculine and clothes, although casual, transpire well-dressed style. The Irvine label recently opened a second boutique along trendy La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles; Laguna Beach is home to the first store.
