FASHION ROCKS PALM BEACH!!!!

We have our own sense of style... our own way of dress... our own way of being...

Palm Beach is its own destination -- and the truly stylish recognize that there's a whole sartorial whirl beyond what the fashion magazines dictate. It's not anti-fashion -- our girls wear Gucci and Hermes, Prada and Chanel just as well as anyone -- but it's more about dressing for one's own pleasure. Ease of elegance, simplicity of design, an ice cream colored palette that is breathtaking in its intensity or smile-inducing in its pastel prettiness.

And tonight Palm Beach Fashion Week kicks off at Mar-A-Lago with gorgeous Ivanka Trump's jewels. Eres' bathing suits, the high fashionry of Vlassis Holevas. But any chance to go the Post Estate and look just so is better than Rudyard Kipling to us!!!

There are events scheduled all over Palm Beach County: Jupiter, Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens. Tomorrow night is an especially intimate gathering as the sun sets at the newly renovated, positively chic Ritz Carlton's pool -- featuring the ultimate Palm Beach go everywherewear by Lilly Pulitzer.

Whether you're working jewel encrusted sandals or the classic whipstitched Navahos, where else but Palm Beach would flip-flops be as chic for evening? Nowhere, which is what set our Fashion Week festivities apart. 

TRINA TURK COMES TO C. ORRICO MARCH 22!!

Her influences are Nancy Drew, "That Girl" with Marlo Thomas and Mary Tyler Moore. Her favorite First Lady was -- natch! -- Jackie Kennedy. AND she learned to do all those great prints during a tenure at surfwear valhalla Ocean Pacific (OP to those who know). So, of course Trina Turk is a total kind of C. Orrico girl.

And in that mode of birds of feather -- or islandcentric sartorial drift -- stick together, Trina will leave her Palm Springs haven and come to Palm Beach for one afternoon of trunk show preview for her citrus, sea-worthy and hyrdolic sunset palette Summer 2008 collection! From 2-4, the woman who understands the glamour of laidback chic will show off her convertible tunic top/mini dresses, shimmering sundresses, a strappy slip dresses in a bargello flame stitch variation and 60s mod Bamboo Forest cotton play dress -- and talk about the overlap between the Springs and the Beach of Palm.

It is one of those moments where creator and creatures converge to celebrate the playful, the pretty, the perfect little outfit that takes you from play date to dinner with one's mate. With that sense of sexy without trying, Trina Turk has long been a staple at tony Barney's NY, LA's tres trendy Fred Segal and our own C. Orrico, where Palm Beach Comes To Play!

Soignee Song: Ingenue's Constant Craving...

She is the one who a scantily clad Cindy Crawford lathered up and was fixing to shave on the cover of Vanity Fair... the siren who takes androgeny and makes it seem like vixens on parade... Equal parts Buddhist pool of tranquility and surging siren chemistry, k.d. lang brings desire to a slow boil without ever moving in an obvious manner.

Touring to support Watershed, her first new album in 8 years and also the first she's produced, the melange of classic chanteuse, sophisticated jazz, a bit of Brazil, a hint of her high country and enough of the sweeping emotionalism that has transfixed fans of grown-up music for (gasp!) 25 years, her March 1 appearance at the Raymond Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is the soignee night out of choice for weeks to come. Elegant, yet ever present, lang harkens back to a time when people smoldered rather than splattered -- and anyone who reveres classic pop music will be rewarded for their night out with something that will leave them stirred rather than shaken.

A must see...

LILLY PULITZER: Woman of the Year!!!!

As if those of us in the pink & the green didn't already know... Heck, to us, she's the woman of always... but Palm Beach Atlantic University with their friends at Bank of America made it official: Lilly Pulitzer is the Woman of the Year. Indeed, not just The Woman of the Yearm but a "Woman of Distinction."
The honor was bestowed at the historic Breakers hotel, in a room filled to capacity with 600 of the top social, cultural and professional women of South Florida, gathered to celebrate the singular achievements of one woman, several classic silhouettes and every color in the rainbow. And Lilly was her usual self: funny, engaging and quick to honor Women of Distinction Scholarship recipients Megan Herwald and Jordan Kidd, both class of 2008.
"It's sort of funny," the sandy blond with the great laugh said appreciatively, "because I've only had a fews months of college. But since you've done it, you've gone and given it to me, I'm not giving it back."
In classic Lilly style, she deflected, exulted and reminded people it's all about attitude, quoting the other perennial Lilly, Lilly Tomlin, who said, "If you wi the Rat Race, you're still a rat..."
Also, honored was Sydell Miller, co-founder of the Matrix hair care line, another innovator in the realm of both beauty and women in the workforce. Both women had their children on hand -- as they were recognized for changing the norm and making the world, especially for women, a much better place.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

And so, the dragon has packed up his trunks of peackcock-colored menswear and returned to the home of all Lillies, but that doesn't mean that Spring Fever has left the building!! No, no, everywhere you look, the multi-culti favorite top of forgivess is popping up in myriad fabrications, trims, lengths and beyond,
Kurtas. C. Orrico has them! Whether it's LeTarte's whisper-thin white lawn cotton, Melly M's natural linen with white braid, Juliette Dunn's haute batik variations or TS Dixin's preppy pastel with grosgrain ribbon-trimming, the chemise cut tops that leave much to the imagination -- even as they spin a spell on those gazing upon the wearer are available in abundance.
For those who truly crave the exotic, there are the flamboyantly decadent pieces from Sulu and Taj: close-fitten, crop sleeve options, knee length near caftan executions, thickly beaded and embriodered, thick-lace plackets and cuffsm oversized mirror sequins and colorful variations from classic black and white to pink with green, snow white with bright tangerine.
They are made of sigh-inducing silks, heavy gauze -- sometimes printed with peasant floral patterns -- and chiffons that come in rainbow-hued paisleys, vibrant jewel tones and almost glowing pastels.
No matter which strikes your comfort -- or departure zone -- all are suitable for rocking whatever casbah you choose! Whether something close to your form or flowing to hide whatever it is you're masking, these make chic impossibly simple, utterly basic and adaptable from denim to tiered skirts to velvet pants!

Lilly Mens Designer Turns 30 with Lilly + A Nite on the Town

30 is such a great age, as Lilly Menswear designer Jeremy Pilch celebrated in true Palm Beach fashion with the muse and raison du couture Lilly Pulitzer under the stars as Renatos, the classic eatery while in town for C. Orrico's Enter The Dragon Men's Trunk Show. Seated next to the style icon, Pilch talked the fall/formal collection, tasted Lilly's planters punch and unravelled a birthday ball that contained a fortune telling magic fish, a flip flop charm, a bit of amethyst (the Feb. birth stone). stickers, a gummy bracelet proclaiming Bling Bling and a small bottle of bubbles to blow.

While Lilly didn't jump out of the cake, she did take it. Giving the young man shaping the look of Lilly Men's an oversized print of her leaping from former husband Peter Pulitzer's small plane, her own namesake shift flying. With a ps of "Don't Peak," it was the perfect present for the Calvin Klein vet who is making a name for himself with the pink, the green, the blue and the yellow.

THE DRAGON ARRIVES...

They came... like rock stars. Anonymous black road cases overpacked and strapped to insure nothing would burst open, littering technicolor prints and peacock options all over some unsuspecting baggage handler.

And then they unpacked. The men of Lilly, the women of C. Orrico.

All of the Fall/Formal and even a peak at 2009 Resort. It is amazing stuff. The quality, the textures, the motifs -- and especially, the cuts, so close to the body, they are razor sharp, yet so lengthening, anyone will appear lithe in these blazers, pants, evening jackets and even baggy board shorts.

It is not just sartorial sensation being delivered to 336 South County Road, but a culture accessed by only the few who understand that it takes a very confidant, very vibrant, very relaxed man to square back and wear clothes these audaciously tasteful. It is a litmus test in the rarified air of those who "get it" and the valley of "NOKD."

There are MaiTais for 100 coming in, specially hand-mixed by Renato's Mark, the uberadorable bartender who knows how to leave his patrons stirred not shaken. In a land where we are often measured by the cover of the book or the company we keep, how would one ever sidestep something as glorious as optic white dragons tangled on a field of true deep marine blue -- or living a life where one was unaware of the right barkeep? Ineed

APPROACHING THE DRAGON...

Well, there is NOTHING more breath-taking than the dining room of the Beach Club -- looking out on the crashing waves of the Atlantic. Those breakers remind you just how powerful the world we live in truly is...

Easily as powerful as all the generous people who bid over $10,000 on the silent auction, donated over another $1000 for some of the most gorgeous orchids we've seen in a very long time and generally enjoyed lunch and a lot of fresh spring styles... 

Once we catch up with ourselves, we'll have pictures posted (because seeing the looks IS the next best thing to being there...)

but now, we Orricos are huddling and readying for the Dragon. The Lilly Pulitzer Men's Trunk Show, which will preview the fall and formal wear that's coming. Order some of the most insane tuxes -- a la carte, so you can have a Black Watch Plaid dinner jacket to rakishly sport with worn jeans or a Lilly striped pair of tux pants that flare your evening wear in the most unexpected way.

As always the colors are deep and rich. The materials luxurious. The cuts sleek, close to the body, yet utterly now. To have timeless classics shot through with whimsy and a certain brash shock factor truly is a highwire walk of death-defying proportions, and Lilly Creative Director Doug Conklyn will be on hand Saturday afternoon to talk about the challenges of being thoroughly modern Lilly!

It's Valentine's Day. Do come in... Pick up a little something for the one(s) you live. After all, Love Is... Something from C. Orrico!

GOOD THING SHE'S IN TRAINING

That sexy Colleen Orrico, the youngest of the three Orrico girls, hit the Loop Around The Lake last week -- and did the 3.7 Mile Run in 38 minutes. Not her best time, but pretty great considering the amount of time she's spent unpacking the latest 62 (no, seriously SIXTY-TWO!) boxes of Lilly Pulitzer that have just arrived...

 

She's gonna need her stamina, because in the next 5 days, the sisters Orrico have got a full calendar. Look for Kathie, Casey and Colleen everywhere at almost the same time it seems:

Wednesday, they are chairing St Edwards annual fashion show, Thursday, they will be everyone's Palm Beach Sweethearts, Friday begins the 3-day Enter The Dragon Men's Event -- with Lilly Pulitzer Doug Conklyn on hand on Saturday afternoon to answer questions, talk about the evolution of the line and generally share the esprit du Lilly! 

And so...

if you wanna find the perfect plucky look, these are the girls to help you. Whether you're catching them -- literally -- on the run or at one of the islands' many social and charitable events (rumor has it they'll be popping up at the White Hall on Saturday night), they are always charming, gracious and embody the healthy spirit that is Palm Beach.

JACK JOHNSON'S HERE...

He may not be Bob Dylan, but Jack Johnson makes us happy...! All the way back to Brushfire Fairytales -- where he wore the slicker in the downpour on the cover -- and the effervescent "Bubble Toes," we've loved his laidback, loose grooves, feel good kinda music. Not reggae, not rock, not singer/songwriter -- but kinda all of them whirled into one sunset over the ocean.

      Not afraid to amble, use an accordion for good measure and sing like he's been melted into his hammock, Sleep Through The Static was recorded completely using solar power. Maybe it's living in Hawaii, maybe it's the percolating rhythms, maybe it's just someone who'd rather see what's right in the world. We don't know, we're just glad we've got something new to listen to as we cruise A1A at the end -- or break -- of the day with the top down.

MILLY'S YUMMY

Our good friend and customer, not to mention journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The LA Times, Rolling Stone, Harpers Bazaar and Interview, Holly Gleason does the Yummy List, a wonderful fistful of polaroids from life - be it records that move her, junk food that plagues her, moments that matter, movies that thrill, perfect creams, fabulous places, things worth drinking… and yes, she loves Lilly. But she also - most recently - loved what they're doing at Milly: “Resort Line Milly NY They call it the cabana line - evoking romping by cerulean waves under striped tents and oversized umbrellas, and that chic beach freshness permeates their new line with the retro playfulness for which Milly has become known. Clean lines, classic silhouettes given fillips and flourishes with feminine fabrications and a sun-soaked palette of the sunniest yellows, tangerines, lime and palm greens and various shades of turquoise, sky, baby and deep medium blue, not to mention a suite a clean deeper than bubble gum pink play-to-cocktail-party dresses that are frolicy, feminine and festive. Silk, cotton, chiffon. Inspited by the Punta Mite resort on Mexico's Pacific Coast, the flower prints evoke Van Gogh's sun flowers or a more watercoloricious George O'Keefe. With little straps, flowing ties, body-skimming lines and skirts that flare and whirl away from the body, not to mention perfect bikinis and cover-ups, this is as perfect as shedding the heaviness of winter and walking into the beauty of being a woman line as has been rendered in the last several years. All one has to do is girl-- rather than man -- up to wear it.” You can get a whole Yummier, by going to the yummy list You can get a whole lot of the Milly she's raving about at our little store. All you have to do is drop in and slip it on… No, we're not Punte Mite on the Pacific Coast; we're Palm Beach, which is its very own special paradise.

WHO NEEDS FOOTBALL?

Sure, hot guys in tight pants running and jumping and throwing, and... yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, there's plenty of time to watch the boy wonder (Manning #2 son Eli who's trying to help the NY Football Giants bring home the big ring) versus Captain America (the older, more experienced, heart-melting Tom Brady, who's brought home the Supertitle with the New England Patriots before)...

If we're talking priorities, though, we're talking the "There's More To Life Than Football Sale," we're throwing out of self-defense... because, after all, a girl needs to make some big plays, too! We're talking massive ground acquisition, retail relay plays, turnovers, end runs and a whole lotta fun. 

This is the time when the double X set gets their's. Cook up some chili, whip up some nachos, bring in some beer -- and then come get your Fall Lilly (Women AND Men's) at half-off, and great lines like Nanette Lepore, Tibi and more at 40%. Maybe it's boredom, maybe it's resentment, maybe it's just the three of us need a little action.

Regardless, there's no half-time show and the only commentator is one of our friendly staff telling you how cute you look in whatever it is your heart desires!!!!

Now how 'bout that coin toss?!