Vena Cava has been an ascending, creative trail-blazing fashion label since its inception in 2003. But beyond designers Lisa Mayock and Sophie Burhai’s impeccable tailoring and chic design, it’s their trans-fashion approach to the business that has established the brand as both a wardrobe and lifestyle essential.
Never constrained by the usual rules of fashion, the ladies also ditched the catwalk for dinner during the most recent NYFW. Instead of showing their spring/summer ‘12 collection during the regular events, Mayock and Burhai hosted an intimate gathering with twelve close friends and muses who modeled the clothes. Among those who participated in this unconventional presentation were actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Nora Zehetner as well as The Like’s Tennessee Thomas. The s/s ‘12 collection is a mix of color blocking and fanciful prints (a tongue-in-cheek marijuana design is in the mix) on tailored pantaloons and dresses. More of a series of easy to wear pieces than a single story of inspiration, Vena Cava’s latest is a collection of styled ready to wear outfits which are effortless to carry off.
Though Vena Cava’s clothes appeal to a certain Downtown tastemaking fashionista, the label has pursued varied, sometimes even unlikely, partnerships beyond its usual mediums. Despite being busy building their own fashion house, Mayock and Burhai have already worked with footwear giant Via Spiga on a capsule footwear collection, collaborated with rural-luxe powerhouse Anthropologie and even released a range of designer condoms. Yes, condoms. In collaboration with designer condom company Proper Attire, Vena Cava released a range of rubbers to coincide with the autumn/winter ‘11 New York Fashion Week Show. The signature “text” print was featured on the outer packaging, joining the designs of Alexander Wang, Jeremy Scott and Charlotte Ronson, who have also collaborated with the forward-thinking condom brand.
Beyond the effortless clothes and experimental partnerships, Vena Cava continues to grow as a brand that creates a community with a certain lifestyle and aesthetic vision. With a blog that follows imagery and writing from friends and artists, fans can both engage with and follow the label’s continuing creative course.
Contrary to a legacy of exclusivity, the art world is embracing digital media as a pathway to increased accessibility. Although the industry initially struggled to find its online footing, a spate of forward-thinking websites is now transforming the way artists, galleries and collectors interact with one another. These digital initiatives streamline the logistical limitations of a traditional gallery’s overhead costs, while expanding the ways in which would-be collectors can browse, interact with and find potential acquisitions. The result is a newly diversified and democratized platform for both buying and selling fine art.
Leather craftsman Marc Marmel stumbled into the handbag trade by accident. While patiently waiting for his luggage to come around an airport conveyor belt in Nice, he noticed that his fellow passengers’ luxury carryalls tossed and turned with discarded abandon. Rather than logo-emblazoned bags without durability or distinctive character, Marmel yearned for that bygone era when each scruff, scratch or tear on a piece of baggage had a story of its own, when travel was as much about the journey as the destination itself.
Since launching in 2005 at Bergdorf Goodman New York and Maxfield LA, Marmel’s collection has evolved from six basic original designs to a full line of luggage, handbags, iPads cases, wallets and accessories. The most recent addition to this cracked leather family is a long-awaited rolling bag, but Marmel is already thinking about everything from photo albums and picture frames to coin and cuff collectors and paper trays. And he’s already begun expanding into home décor.
Unsurprisingly, this high-end line appeals to clients who don’t rely on a logo as the symbol of their status, and who share the romantic ideals of Golden Era travel. The bags cater to both genders and encompass the discreet nuances of leisure and luxury alike, making each piece the lifestyle signature of its owner.
Like icing on a cake, polished nails are as important to an outfit as shoes or a bag. Once a mere afterthought, nail art has become a standard feature on runways, red carpets and sidewalks alike—nevermind that these manicured indulgences often chip away after only a few precious days. Thanks to the masterminds at 
In music, as in fashion, there are trends, fads, movements and styles. Although chameleons like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Beyonce have made careers out of switching up their looks, the effect can at times feel more like a competitive gimmick than a sincere aesthetic expression. In contrast to the revolving door approach of her pop music brethren, Amy Winehouse remained dedicated to a look that defined her sound, style and raucous personality. Despite her premature death, Winehouse has left her signature on both the music and fashion industries alike.
enduring inspiration to the world of fashion.” Such backhanded rejection hardly befits an industry plagued by its own roller-coaster of struggles and successes, but perhaps that’s just the fickle nature of being a fashion muse.
Thanks to a mastermind collaboration between 
