The name Bottega Veneta means “Venetian atelier” and the company was begun to produce artisanal leather goods. The company’s artisans developed a leather-weaving technique, called intrecciato, that remains a signature of the brand.
In the years since, Bottega Veneta has introduced additions to the collection, including fine jewelry, eyewear, home fragrance, and furniture, while continuing to offer an assortment of handbags, shoes, small leather goods, luggage, home items, and gifts. Bottega Veneta presented its first women’s ready-to-wear runway show in February 2005 and its first men’s runway show in June 2006. Today, ready-to-wear and furniture presentations are held in the corporate offices in Milan.

Liz Claiborne is a Belgian-born fashion designer. She immigrated to the United States in 1939, and was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended St. Timothy's, a boarding school then in Catonsville, Maryland. Rather than finishing high school, she went to Europe to study art. In 1949, she won the Jacques Heim National Design Contest, and then moved to New York City where she worked as a sketch artist at the sportswear house Tina Leser. She worked as a designer for Dan Keller and Youth Group Inc., before starting her own design company, Liz Claiborne Inc., in 1976. The firm grew from its origins designing affordable active sportswear for women and is now a multi billion-dollar enterprise. Source

Belgian born Diane von Furstenberg made fashion history with her signature jersey wrap dresses upon her arrival in New York City in 1972. Presently, the internationally-recognized DVF brand encompasses fashion, fine jewelry, accessories, cosmetics and fragrance. DVF, the collection, is sold in the most exclusive retail stores in over 50 countries including in the freestanding Diane von Furstenberg the Shop in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Antwerp. Her headquarters in New York City’s meatpacking district also include a theater space which has become a center for creativity and a launch pad for young artists.

Returning after a season's maternity leave, Phoebe sent out a collection with crisp new shapes, proportions and vigour. A line dresses and stiffer couture fabrics were used with flares from the shoulder, and swinging skirts with models on great chunky platform shoes. Sixties ruffled skirts (so popular this season) were intricately worked in crunchy embroidery, organza applique and frills. Lots of new accessories like handbags were seen this season. Source

The Missoni boutique, located in Manhattan off of Madison Avenue, is a rather popular store, garnering plenty of attention with their vivid colors and unmistakable prints. Shocking blue dresses with strong brown compliments, bright yellows gently calmed with clean whites, even their most creative combinations seem to blend and contrast to create a gorgeous color pallet on their selections. The Summer 2012 collection is a perfect example of the uniqueness of the store. The brilliantly sophisticated collection is a massive favorite amongst the women of New York, as they rush to buy the dresses. For those interested in a little something for those summer getaways or parties, Missoni has an impressive swim suit collection that doesn't skip out on the fabulous summer fun color choices. The quality of the clothing is superb, all that we have come to expect in the best Italian designers. This vastly unique store is well put together, clean and alive with happy, helpful employees. The location is grand, in the middle of so many other top fashion houses, but still standing out amongst the crowd. A truly unique shopping experience that will keep you coming back again and again for more.

Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, The Wet Seal, Inc. is a leading specialty retailer of fashionable and contemporary apparel and accessory items. The company currently operates a total of 465 stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including 373 Wet Seal stores and 92 Arden B stores. The company’s products can also be purchased online at www.wetseal.com or www.ardenb.com.

Fabulous furs is how this Paris Fashion, J. Mendel, name became known worldwide. Totally Parisian chic and elegance is the rebranding that has occurred with heir apparent, Gilles Mendel delving into the silks and wools that he is becoming famed for. Legendary application of design techniques with fur – effervescence and shimmering are not usual adjectives applied to fur, Gilles has broadened his father’s empire into a full line of fashions, available at his boutique on Rue St. Honore in Paris, and in his New York City atelier, Manhattan of course. Exclusive is his middle name, with boutiques only in New York, London, Paris, Moscow and the elite neighborhood of Chevy Chase, Maryland. White and Black are perennial favorites, but this Spring and Summer 2012 collection has blossomed into joyful yellows and hot tangerines, turning everyone’s head walking down Madison Ave. Relatively new to the scene, start watching red carpet fashions as celebrities and gorgeous actresses discover his flowing, tastefully revealing and sensual gowns. It is easy to see why Gilles has extended into a full line of women’s clothing. His love of the female form is evident in his artistic creations.

Nestled in the Bay Plaza Shopping Center is a New York City clothing store that is more than just a discount store; it is an off-price retailer. Marshall’s slogan of “never pay full price for fabulous” is based on their philosophy surrounding the clothing industry. Marshall’s has a knack for picking up surplus designer clothing and then offering it back to the consumer at a fraction of the original retail cost allowing everyone to look great and not break the bank in order to do so. Marshall’s vast collection of brand name fashion and accessories is so wide and all encompassing that they literally have something for everyone in their Bronx clothing store. Men’s wear, women’s wear, kids’ wear, shoes, accessories, luggage and more are all offered by this NYC bargain shopping emporium. Even better is that everything they sale is given at the same awesome discounts. Couple these bargains with a staff that is here to solely to serve you and I know you will find yourself in an extremely friendly and gratifying shopping experience. Marshall’s is a Bronx clothing store that is a cut above the rest and attracts the masses for its selection, dedication and cost viability.

Nine West or 9 West is a subdivision of Jones Apparel Group. Nine West is a women's fashion retailer/wholesaler with offices in sixty countries. There are chains of stores from Hawaii to Maine. It was co-founded by Jack Fisher. The footwear offices are located in White Plains, NY.
Distribution of all Nine West Goods in the United States is processed through 2 large warehouses both located in West Deptford, NJ. Source

For nearly 50 years SYMS has been committed to giving Educated Consumers® real bargains on real designer clothes. SYMS is the Off-Price representative of over 200 authentic designer and brand names. Names You Must Know® in clothing and shoes, for men, women, and children. Offering an impressive selection of styles and sizes.

Bad-Ass Things With Hoods! The Hoodie Shop is a perfect convergence of style and fun - come visit and enjoy hagning out with awesome people at cool events, and choose from a selection of stylish (often hooded!) apparel.

Simply elegant. Barbara Bui, combines the simplicity of good design sense with the elegance of her native Paris and catapulted into the hottest fashion markets of the world. Manhattan, Milan, Rodeo Dr, Frand, Italy, Monaco, Lebanon and Russia, just stroll down Prince in Greenwich Village and save the price of jet fuel by shopping in America. White is her basic color palate with ebony incorporated for drama. She excels at adding the jeweled colors of the season. Her Spring Summer 2012 collections radiate with this year’s sunburst yellow and ripe tangerine. Cooling with a bit of fresh live green, Bui designs to enhance a woman’s beauty by making the deceptive simple elegance a canvass for a woman’s natural grace. In fact, if Grace Kelly were alive today, she would be all over Barbara Bui’s clean and flowing garb, especially the gorgeous gowns that fall to the floor in perfect symmetry. Gowns, suits, tops , skirts, pants, knitwear, casual, formal, bags to make you whimper and shoes to incite passion, browse through all her accessories and shop wisely. Once you wear a Barbara Bui original, New York City shopping will have a whole new meaning for you.

Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business. Although the company began producing denim overalls in the 1870s, modern jeans were not produced until the 1920s. The company briefly experimented (in the 1970s) with employee ownership and a public stock listing, but remains owned and controlled by descendants and relatives of Levi Strauss' four nephews. Source

Ralph J. Lauren was born in the New York City borough of The Bronx to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants Fraydl and Frank Lifshitz, his father was a house painter.
From a very young age, he started working after school to earn money to buy stylish, expensive suits with an early preference for quality over quantity. His attire soon gave him a trendy reputation among his peers. The well-known Calvin Klein, a younger contemporary also lived in the same Bronx neighbourhood. Source

agnès b. is a keen observer of life from which she draws inspiration as the sole designer for her collections for women, men, children, sport b., and Voyage, as well as a cosmetics line. She has often taken inspiration for her collections from everyday life, believing that the clothes are 'less important' than the person wearing them, and she has created a trademark style that is modern and pure, elegant but not conventional, and that has seduced people all around the world.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. owns and operates three retail clothing brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People. The first store opened in 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing on "funky" fashion and household products. Today, the Urban Outfitters line has expanded from vintage, bohemian, retro, ironically humorous, kitschy, and oddly designed apparel and furniture to include many luxury brands such as Lacoste, Evisu, Diesel, True Religion and Seven for All Mankind. Currently headquartered in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Urban operates more than 140 shops in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Source

If you ever find yourself in Manhattan, looking for something unique and different to wear for Spring-Summer 2012, stop into Etro right off of Madison Avenue. Probably the most interesting clothing store you'll find yourself in with their colorful, visually daring dresses. If you really want to stand out in a crowd, this would be the perfect place to go. From formal attire with a beautiful Italian twist to almost spunky men's accessories, they have a grand selection. You truly have to have a need to stand out if you shop here. The employees mirror the interesting and colorful style of the store, some of them dressing in bright red corduroy trousers with rainbow striped shirts. Don't let their colorful clothing scare you off, however. The employees are some of the most friendly and are exceptionally helpful. The store holds a great reputation as a fashion destination for jet-setters and celebrities alike. If you feel as though you're getting lost in a sea of colors and bold patterns, worry not. The colorful and trendy accessories will lead you all the way up to the register and leave you wanting to come back again and again.

Ascot Chang has brought Shanghainese men's tailor craftsmanship to international acclaim. Our customer list comprises some of the world's most demanding and distinguished men-the likes of Mr George Bush. They know that the feeling one gets wearing a custom-made shirt goes beyond mere comfort. It has the flavor of self-assurance. It has the tinge of power.
They have been coming to us for a very long time from our first shop on Kimberly Road in Hong Kong in 1955 to our townhouse shop on 57th Street in Manhattan and our store in Beverly Hills. They want only one thing: a shirt that fits.

A store called the Banana Republic was opened in San Francisco in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Both the Zieglers worked for the San Franciso Chronicle, Mel was a writer and Patricia an illustrator.
Banana Republic specialized in casual Safari styles and Army Surplus clothing. Many of the utilitarian items had sturdy zips and snaps and were double-stitched and reinforced. The store sold desert army hats, sheepskin vests, shorts and other items of travel clothing to armchair travelers. The garments were designed by the Zieglers for people to wear when mountain hiking or rafting. Source

When shopping for the finest New York City clothing and fashions, one has to take the time to visit one of Manhattan’s most unique and culturally significant apparel stores; Fendi. Originally founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi has undergone a change from a regional fur and leather shop to one of the most sought after clothing and accessories stores in the world. Headlined by creative director Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi has branched into many different forms of fashion and personal wellbeing products, including an extensive line of perfumes and fragrances considered to be illustrious and delectable. While visiting this Manhattan fashion store, make sure you ogle the world famous Fendi baguette, which has been considered one of the finest made handbags throughout the world and is the staple for which Fendi has been founded. With celebrities such as Rihanna, Solange and Kerry Washington wearing this fab label, it is no wonder Fendi’s popularity has continued to grow, attracting thousands of fashion shoppers worldwide. Without a shadow of a doubt, Fendi’s Manhattan clothing emporium is one of the greatest fashion attractions in the world today and is worth every moment and dollar you spend.

Being touted as a “Manhattan Flagship in the Works,” New York City clothing store Celine is quickly becoming one of the biggest players in the fashion world. Celine fashion clothing store is a subsidiary of French multinational conglomerate LVMH and has been allowed to shine with LVMH’s inspired outlook on business and fashion. With its Manhattan fashion clothing store located on famous Madison Avenue, Celine captured the imagination by offering inspired dresses, jackets, luggage and blouses designed by the impeccable Michael Kors until 2004. Following the coming and going of several world renowned designers, Celine began featuring prestigious collections by Phoebe Philo. Philo, a fabulous designer who became famous for her work with Chloe, has re-invented the Celine line with her own unique styles and visionary guidance. As a result, Celine has jumped astronomically in editorial credit ranking, listing it with the top 10 in most major markets, according to the label’s CEO Marco Gobbetti, and continues to make a cultural impact. As a leader in Manhattan clothing retailers, a hot and trendy brand and an astounding shopping experience, look no further than an afternoon’s fashion shopping spree at Celine’s.

From simple beginnings as a shoe retailer to becoming one of the most upscale department stores in the world, Manhattan’s Nordstrom’s has revolutionized the industry and continues to be one of the foremost department stores in the world. Originally started as a little shoe store in Seattle, Nordstrom’s now provides one of the hottest quality shopping experiences in the world. The staff are superb – hand-picked and superiorly trained to help you make your selection from the top quality clothing, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics and home furnishings, it’s no wonder Nordstrom’s has continued to thrive over its hundred and ten year store existence. For some of the best service, best quality in uptown apparel, and best New York City shopping, you need to make a visit to Nordstrom’s. By having great shoes, fashionable clothes and trendy wares for the entire family, they have won many awards and even now appear in Fortune’s Top 100 list. As it has grown, it also acquired several other brands under the Nordstrom banner including HauteLook, Jeffrey and Treasure & Bond. Implementing wellness programs to ensure quality service, is just another of the many accolades for this New York City department store.

There are a few names in the fashion world which elicit a knowing smile and confident gleam in the eye. Donna Karan is one classy designer who never fails to surprise with innovation and satisfy with classic good looks and quality. Need a little something special for your red carpet occasion? Join the celebrities who depend on Karan for creating a distinctive and dignified sexy look that will plaster their photos all over magazines, news flashes and fashionista blogs. Don a DKNY and you joins the ranks of confident women who wear only fine designer fashions with a quality that lasts. For her spring sumer collection, she has launched a line of hand twisted silk dresses in Tribal prints. Touted as “timeless objects of desire”, that is a perfect description of the Donna Karan woman. Classy corporate wear, unbelievably and gorgeously dramatic formal gowns, a resort 2012 collection to drrol for and a personal favorite, the double trench coat somehow manages to transform the classic black trench coat into a frothy confection. Ladies, Donna has done herself proud this year so you better make it into her Manhattan boutique before you get to headlong into your annual shopping New York shopping spree.

Stella McCartney operates 3 flagship stores, in Manhattan‘s Meatpacking District, London‘s Mayfair and LA‘s West Hollywood. Her collections are now distributed in over 40 countries through 300 wholesale accounts including specialty shops and better department stores.Stella McCartney has ventured outside the world of fashion through several collaborations with artists including Gary Hume in 2002, David Remfry in 2002, Robert Crumb in 2005, and with Jeff Koons on her spring/summer 2006 collection, using his prints on dresses and accessories.

Develops and produces a distinctive line of contemporary women's apparel and accessories, which it markets under the bebe, 2b bebe and bebe outlet brands. Current Chairman and Founder Manny Mashouf opened the first bebe boutique in 1976 in San Francisco. At that time, three categories dominated the women's wear market: junior, briouh women inspirational, sexy fashion.