Commitment to Community April 29, 2013

Pic 1: Team Leigh’s on site at the Goei Center for the Dwelling Place Fashion Show. Back row l-r: Leslie Krumpschmid, Jacob Cochran, Lesley Goebel, Abi Devins Front row l-r: Deb Clark, Kelly Brown, Rebecca Wierda

Pic 2: Look at this beautiful aspiring model in a darling dress from Snapdragon Boutique…she’s a fashion girl! Pic 3: Michelle Hoexum wears this Ralph Lauren Black Label dress with ease.

Pic 4: Dr. Denise Logan….so glamorous!

Pic 5: Joan Secchia in RED Valentino.

Pic 6: Amanda DeLong rocks out this great little sequin dress and leather jacket by Rachel Zoe.

Kate Spade event at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Pic 6: Leigh’s fabulous creative director Patrick Plank introduced the Kendall student fashion show.

Pic 7: This was a sold out event!

Pic 8 & 9: What amazing designs these students created!

Pic 10: Dionne Afihene and Layla Jones….so cool.

Pic 11: Getting ready for the guest speaker from Kate Spade!

Pic 12: Our Kate Spade display at the event compliments of our talented Patrick!

Wow, what a busy week it was at Leigh’s. You are so supportive of our store and we appreciate that with the many choices you have for shopping that you choose to shop locally at Leigh’s. In return, we have always made a commitment to give back to our community. Wednesday evening we had two wonderful events we were involved with.

First, we partnered with Fitzgerald’s men store and Snapdragon children’s boutique for The Dwelling Place “Where Fashion Meets Art” fashion show held at the Goei Center. This event raises money for two of Dwelling Place’s housing communities: Liz’s House and Bridge Street Place. This housing is made available to women and children in need. We enjoyed working with our guest models (leaders in our community) to style them in the hottest fashion trends of the season. We are proud to assist in this event for such a worthwhile cause.

While all of that was happening at the Goei Center, part of our team was at GRAM. There we partnered with Kendall College of Art & Design to sponsor AIGA West Michigan’s Kate Spade event which featured speaker Katia Kuthie, Kate Spade’s Director of Creative Services. Hosted at the Grand Rapids Art Museum it was also the perfect venue for a fashion show that showcased Kendall Fashion Design student’s fashion creations from materials that had former uses and identities. Look at the pictures I’ve included in this post….how crazy talented are these students?! As you know we exclusively carry Kate Spade handbags, apparel and shoes in West Michigan, so it was so exciting to be a part of this event!

Thanks to my entire Leigh’s team for all their efforts in the making of these two very successful events. And thanks to The Dwelling Place and AIGA for giving us the opportunity to be a part of your special evening.

Teen Makeup Lesson April 11, 2013

This is my beautiful daughter Gabrielle and this is her “selfie” photo. (For those of you who don’t know, a “selfie” photo is one is which you take a picture of yourself for posting on your favorite social media site…in her case Instagram.) She confided that she doesn’t normally do selfies, but with the special occasion of getting her braces off, she wanted to have all of her friends in the know about her tin-grin-free smile….instantly!   I was showing the picture to the Leigh’s cosmetic team and I was having a proud moment thinking about their influence on Gabrielle.  The summer before 7th grade, Gabrielle asked me if she could wear makeup.  This was a request that I had been dreading because I envisioned my daughter going to the extreme of caking on makeup and looking way too old for her age.  But, I refrained from saying an impulsive ”no” and instead responded, “Ok, then we have to go to Leigh’s and have you work with one of our makeup artists to have them teach you about makeup.”   We drove straight to the store and our makeup artist Carol talked to Gabrielle about starting with just mascara and lip gloss….two cosmetic items that I certainly was very agreeable to as the mom and Gabrielle was thrilled about!  Carol spent time with her talking about makeup and giving her a lesson on applying both items.  We both went home with smiles on our faces.  Whew, that was easy!  Well, before this school year started, Gabrielle broached the makeup discussion again.  She wanted to add more to her routine.  However, this year I realized that I had nothing to fear.  I knew our makeup artists would steer her in the right direction.  And I was right!  Gabrielle met with Rachel, our lead makeup artist, and had so much fun, all while learning about how to create a natural and fresh look….and very age appropriate!  It’s not often that I am the “customer” when I’m at Leigh’s, but this was such an amazing experience from start to finish.  The extra time that our makeup artists are able to spend with each and every customer makes such a big difference in each individual’s confidence in makeup selection and application.  I’ll end by thanking my wonderful cosmetic team for their positive role in creating this fabulous “selfie” photo and everyday look for Gabrielle.

Spring Break Fashion March 28, 2013

Tomorrow starts my kids’ spring break and we are off to sunny Florida! The weather here in Michigan has been more than challenging to endure this spring (more like unending winter) and I have been eagerly anticipating my 10 day escape! Of course, it wouldn’t be right to go on vacation without doing some shopping and as everyone knows, shopping is quite easy for me to accomplish.  Leigh’s, of course, is the only place I shop (I know this is not surprising to most of you!)! So, I took a peruse through the store today and deciding is the toughest part….I L-O-V-E everything….except my husband would not L-O-V-E me bringing the entire store inventory home.  Choices must be made, but I am happy to report that I came up with lots of goodies for my suitcase without overdoing (I think).  I’m dying to share with someone my selections…so that means you are going to be the first to know! I displayed it on my office door so I could provide a picture for the post….visuals are so much easier. Top Left:  Look at this darling Kate Spade yellow and white stripe dress with the Magaschoni wrap. When is the last time you indulged in a new dress for Easter? This year, I decided I’m splurging (Who says new Easter dresses are only for our sweet daughters?) and this dress is like a ray of sunshine…makes me smile! And since we’re talking about dresses, I just love dresses when I’m on vacation; they’re so easy to pack and wear….one article of clothing and, ta-da,  you have a complete outfit! Move your eyes to the middle dress; what’s not to love about this little black DVF number with the embellished neck?! I don’t even have to think about an accessory (This is a very good thing when I’ve been floating in a pool all day sipping on a marguerita…thinking is not a top priority.)!  Right next to it,  is a great casual dress from Veronica Beard (VB was recently featured on goop.com.) ….our first season having this collection in the store and everyone is loving it…including me!  Which leads me to the pink slicker with black trim. I did check the forecast in Orlando and guess what?  It might rain. Bummer…not!  What a good reason to invest in a raincoat…such as this feminine one from RED Valentino (You should see it on – AMAZING – so girly!). Finally, we all need some super casual (yet, very cool) attire when we are kickin’ back for some R&R.  I wanted color after all these gray skies and Trina Turk and LePhare had just what I was looking for…FUN shorts and tops…so cheery!  Well my suitcase is full, stop in and we’ll make sure yours is too!

Fall ’13 Market in NYC February 17, 2013

Pic 1:  View from Agnona showroom….beautiful Central Park!  Pic 2:  l-r Rachel Ruiz and Rebecca Wierda   WOOD TV8 Rachel Ruiz met us in market to see how we pick the best fashion to bring back to West Michigan!  Pic 3:  Chelsea Morrison our account executive at Yigal Azrouel happens to be from Holland, Michigan and is a U of M grad (We heart her!)!  The beautiful models show Deb Wurfel and I looks from Yigal’s fall ’13 collection as WOOD TV 8 films for an upcoming eightWest segment.  Pic 4:  Douglas Hannant runway show….glamorous as always!  If you’re in NYC during Fashion Week, seeing your favorite designer’s presentation is a must! Pic 5: l-r Rebecca and Deb   If you work hard all day, you must find great dining!  We always ask for recommendations when we are in the showrooms and our friends at Lela Rose gave us a great one (two thumbs up)!  The Dutch, located in Soho (www.thedutchnyc.com) was AMAZING!  Put it on your short list for next time you are in the city!  Pic 7:  One of our favorite new collections we viewed; Japanese designer Adeam has brought her collection to the US.  This is her 4th season and 1st in the US…..and, of course, we had a pulse on this and were the first specialty store in the US to see it!  Pic 8: l – r Rebecca, Doug and Deb What do you do on Valentine’s Day when your sweetheart is in another state?  Deb and I made a date with Doug!  We love to stay at Ink48 on 48th and 11th.  They have a wonderful farm-to-table restaurant called Print (www.printrestaurant.com).  No, this is not your ordinary hotel restaurant…it is extraordinarily hip and cool!  And, since we stay here frequently, Doug who works at Print made sure we had reserved seating and champagne for the big heart night!  Pic 9:  l-r Deb, Tia and Rebecca Designer Tia Cabani (who had once designed for Ports 1961) has broke out on her own with her own collection - Tia Cabani.  We were thrilled when we walked in the showroom and there she was to greet us!  She is such a great talent (and an enjoyable person) and I think we loved every single piece in the collection!  I begged her, “Please show us something we won’t like!”

As I shared with you in an earlier blog, Leigh’s was voted the Best Women’s Clothing Store in Grand Rapids.  There’s a lot that goes on well in advance of each season to bring the very best in fashion to West Michigan  (Isn’t it crazy to think we were looking at fall ’13 fashion this trip when spring ’13 is just arriving at our store?!) .  We go into NYC so that we can feel the fabrics, see the detailing and workmanship of each garment,  scout for the hottest up-and-coming designers and forecast the latest fashion trends all for that perfectly edited selection.  So, when you walk into Leigh’s you can feel confident that you are seeing the absolute best fashion the market has to offer from designers whose labels are typically only found in major cities!

Winter Or Spring? January 22, 2013

This is the kind of day that leaves you in a conundrum. It is completely freezing outside. I wore my puffy coat and tall classic Ugg boots to work with anticipation of shedding the boots and putting on a great Stuart Weitzman heel. But upon arrival to the store, I realized my office is like an ice box (Who is my landlord?!) and the boots are not coming off even though I have a skirt on! Fortunately, we have our semi-annual sale going on right now….BOGO on all sale merchandise (someone pinch me)…so I took to the racks and found the perfect scarf to go with my outfit. Yes, great accessory, but today it is based on need not want (this rarely happens, so I like to point this out whenever possible).   I am now moderately warm, but still considering the purchase of a knit hat that I eyed as I was selecting my scarf.  So, here is the problem….our spring fashion and handbags from Kate Spade just arrived and warm weather seems like forever away, so what is a fashion girl to shop for – winter or spring apparel? Before we come up with our decision, did I mention that the Kate Spade collection is pure fashion fun with all the whimsicalness and bright colors; it begs to be in your closet. BEGS!!  To summarize: I NEED gear for the current cold weather (and it is on sale) and I am in want (let’s not use shouty letters for want; we need to be subtle) of the new Kate Spade (which if I wait too long, someone else might snap it up). I know you understand what I am going through because you wouldn’t be reading this blog if you weren’t a fashion girl. Side note: I just put my puffy coat back on to finish this blog because I was shivering and it’s hard to type when your body is in early hyperthermia. I must wrap this up so I can go crank the thermostat.  If you need scarves, hats, gloves, coats and/or boots because winter has finally hit West Michigan…march right in here; we have you covered (and I will mention again…it’s all on sale). While you are finding those pieces that will help you withstand this cold weather, we will tempt you with fabulous spring fashion….which you should also indulge in because that too will help you (if only psychologically as you envision yourself having lunch with your girlfriends on an outdoor patio with temperatures in the 80′s) endure this frigid tundra we live in!

Leigh’s Voted Best Women’s Clothing Store!

Our team is honored that you selected us as Grand Rapids Best Women’s Clothing Store 2012-13!  We always strive to bring you the very best in fashion and deliver exceptional customer service, so when we received the news that we were voted the BEST…we had to pop some champagne open and make a toast to you, our customer!  Thank you for being the BEST customers!  We love what we do because of YOU!  And THANK YOU for voting for us!  We promise to continue to give you an exceptional shopping experience along with filling our store with amazing fashion in 2013!

The Poem December 26, 2012

What an incredible holiday season we have had at Leigh’s!  Thank you for chosing our store to find those special gifts for those very special people in your lives.  We assisted many gentleman in finding the perfect gift and sent them home with beautifully wrapped packages to place under their Christmas tree.  It is such a pleasure to have you in store! 

Today, Judy North, one of our very talented fashion consultants, received this wonderful poem from a man that she helped with a gift for his wife.  It is very heart warming and brought a smile to all.  I, of course, wanted to share the poem with you because it makes me so proud of our team and the exceptional customer service that they deliver each and every day.

The Lovely Ladies of Leigh’s

Nearly brought me to my knees,
So stylish, so extraordinaire,
It was a rainy day love affair.
My holiday shopping trip was a breeze,
So enraptured by their expertise,
The lovely ladies of Leigh’s.

Excuse me sir, would she wear one of these?
Would she not! (Two more, if you please),
And, charmed by the ease of which
I would gladly surrender my gratuities,
(And could we gift wrap this tasteful allegory?)
The lovely ladies of Leigh’s.

You’ve never had quite an adventure
Such a pleasure to romance risk free,
Twas a love affair on a rainy day
(What more can I say?)
Resistance is what I lack so I’ll be back

To see the lovely ladies of Leigh’s