Fall Duet: A Sneak Peek

A lot is going on here at Substance… new collections are in the works, new items are arriving regularly, and a large volume of coffee is being consumed.  Here’s the run-down:

• Number one on the list, our awesome designer and super-seamstress Betsy is off getting married!  Look forward to getting bombarded with some great photos in the next few weeks – all her bridesmaids are wearing Floral Fete dresses.   It’s a hand-crafted affair, from the brides’ dress down to the decorations.  Congratulations, Betsy!

• Second, Maddie is hard at work on our upcoming collection, Fall Duet.  Using our favorite hand-woven Ethiopian cotton fabric, she’s making reversible shrugs.   Pretty much everyone on staff has picked out a color combo that they can’t live without… so this looks like a collection we’re going to have to keep around for a while, if for no other reason than to outfit ourselves.  To pair with the shrugs, she’s taking some heavier weight cotton trousers from last season and cutting them down into the perfect pencil skirt in 3 great colors.  Look for Fall Duet in the next few weeks as well.  We promise to not wear our shrugs all at the same time.

• Next up… we’ve gotten new fall product in, and a lot of it is eco-conscious.  Our first shipment of Stewart+Brown for the season arrived in the form of organic cotton knits, including the “I Love You” tee which is just about sold out!  Soft drapey bamboo knit blouses and dresses came from Two Star Dog, as well as a few new re-purposed leather handbags from Gilbert and Leona.  We love our little group of beautifully tailored grey-and-mustard cotton sheath dresses from Nougat.   Finally, an amazing transitional collection of tunic tops and cropped dresses in cotton/silk blends from Trinity came yesterday.   Airy and light yet in rich fall color combos, they’re perfect to layer over your summery pieces.

• Last but not least, Art Al Fresco is this weekend in the Short North.  An entire day of free public art – what’s not to love about that?