Behind the Scenes: Blanc's Parisian Buying Trip for Spring '18 (Installment #1)

Today finds Blanc Boutique's owner, Nancy Mayer, at the Delle Cose showroom in Paris, perusing the many fabulous options, including one of our favorites, the Postal Italia bag. Nancy's husband, Willy, is on hand to assist and offer his advice, as well as to keep everyone laughing, including Delle Cose designer, Antonio!

And then they were off to Paris.....

Bon voyage, Nancy and Ouida!
We can't wait to see the goodies you bring back from Paris for us all!

Modern Classics by Justine Alexandra

Modern classics by Justine Alexandra
Hand-crafted with precious and semi-precious individually-selected gems, making each designa one-of-a-kind
Designs that integrate seamlessly into your casual to dressed-up lifestyle
With each purchase, a tree is planted in the U.S. through the designer's partnership with "American Forests"
Something for you AND our forests. How great is that?

Rock a Hat

Be cool.
Stay warm.
Rock a hat from Blanc.

May we suggest: Reinhard Plank

Pictured: Handcrafted hats by Reinhard Plank (Italy)

Some things are timeless, like a great sweater...

The new Blanc sweater collection is here!
Cozy. Lux materials. Yummy colors. Timeless designs.
Come try one on.

Pictured:  Avant Toi, White + Warren, Brochu Walker

Ouida's Pick

"I like this outfit because of the shape and the fabric of the dress. It is sophisticated artistry.  The boots are comfortable yet edgy with a sensible 2-inch heel.  The hat is a fun, classic Georgia O'Keefe-inspired style." - Ouida Chichester, Blanc Boutique-San Anselmo

Pictured: Pas de Calais dress (Japan), Officine Creative black ankle boots (Italy), and Reinhard Plank lapin hat (Tuscany)

Catching Up With Blanc's Owner, Nancy Mayer....

Soon, the heart and matriarch of Blanc Boutique, Nancy Mayer, will be off again for another Parisian buying trip.  Hard work, but someone has to do it, as they say!  However, it is many miles, hours and legwork (and even injuries as you will read, no kidding!) that go into finding just the right things to fill those racks at Blanc and bring Paris home to us all in the Bay Area.  We caught up with her recently to get the inside scoop.

Editor: Hi, Nancy! So I hear that you are getting ready to jet off for another buying trip to Paris in October to do the buying for Spring '18. Is it still just as exciting each time for you as your first buying trip was years ago?

Nancy: Yes, I am still just as excited as my first trip, less nervous and more trusting in the outcome, but I do get more tired now, so I have to take more time at night at my apartment going over orders with a plate of cheese, bottle of wine or champagne from a wonderful small French winemaker. It is like going home for me each time I go to Paris. I love the way the Parisians live and take time to enjoy life, and I say "when in Paris..." The smells and sites excite me and I am so lucky to return there each year!

Editor: What is your favorite arrondissement in Paris and why?

Nancy: I love to stay in a little apartment on the Rues des Francs Bourgeois in the Marais. It is in a very old building yet remodeled in a simple modern style with windows that open to the street.  I can hear the church bells and watch the Parisians walking by. I love Saturday and Sunday mornings early before the shoppers come out and I can look out my window and watch the fathers and sons walk to temple. It is an old neighborhood where people still live and go about their daily business. It is a mix of boutiques and shops, the Picasso Museum, and great small restaurants like Le Taxi Jaune on rue Chapon.

Editor: Do you go with a predetermined group of things you are focused on finding or do you let it happen organically and let those designers and pieces find you?

Nancy:  I always go with the appointments made to buy the lines I need and always find new lines on each trip.  The new surprises are the really exciting part and keep me fresh and enthused! I also go to see my friends, the designers, I have been carrying since I first went to buy for the store. Yet I always hear about new designers and go to seek them out. I trust their vision, so buying is really fun and easy for me! They know what colors, fabrics and looks are popular for the season and it is fun to pick what I like from all of the offerings. I never like to leave a rock unturned,  and even if I hear about a new designer and it is ten minutes before the taxi arrives to take me to the airport, I have to run to their showroom and have a look. That is literally how I found the Japanese designer Divka who made one of our shop’s favorite, stunning coats. I ran into his showroom and wrote up an order in 15 minutes just before the taxi was coming to our apartment to take us to the airport!

Editor: Is there any one thing or things you are specifically focused on finding and bringing back this time?

Nancy: I am a textile lover and lover of the mix of classic and asymmetrical, elegant and interesting, sophisticated and daring, a mix of menswear dressing and women's dressing, beautiful fabrics and fine tailoring yet casual and wearable. Those are the elements I look for each season.

Editor: I've heard that initially you use a very tactile method to selecting the clothing, almost using your hands to glide across the racks to find the fabrics you love the feel of, versus visual. Is that true?

Nancy: I definitely am a tactile buyer. I try to never buy from pictures. I need to feel the textures and buy by touching each piece. I like to decide quickly by instinct by always touching the fabrics and seeing how they look on the model and trying on what I can.

Editor: Do you have a favorite designer of the moment or a certain new line you have brought into the shop recently that you are exceptionally excited about? I know it's like asking who your favorite child is, right?

Nancy: Delle Cose is a designer that I love and I missed last time because I fell down and had to stay resting and on ice! But I iced with my leg up on a chair in a cafe sipping pastis and eating pomme frites. I fell because I was so excited to walk by the Commes des Garcons store and was looking up instead of down. I love seeing new things from Antonio and his Delle Cose line of bags. I will definitely be buying the Italia Postal bags in fun colors for spring!!!

Editor: Last question. What is your favorite restaurant in Paris, and will you be there sipping your favorite glass of wine before you have even unpacked your suitcase? Are you the fastidious, organized traveler or do you like to fly by the seat of your pants? I suppose that is really three questions in one isn't it?

Nancy: Le Taxi Jaune on rue Chapon in the Marais. I will be there sipping wine. The owner, who is a great chef, has opened a fabulous wine store just across the street. It is a popular local restaurant and I go there as often as I can for a lunch between appointments. I definitely am a mix of fastidious and fly by the seat of my pants!

Editor: Thank you, Nancy! We look forward to seeing what goodies you bring back from Paris for us all!

 

 

Perfect Transitional Cottons (we think Audrey would approve)

There's a reason stylists consistently cite the classic cotton blouse as a must-have in any fashionista's closet....the styling options are endless!  These gems multi-task seasonally as well as purposefully. From running errands to office to dinner to swim cover-up to creating a chic menswear look to even wearing it with a sweeping, full-length skirt for a DRAMATIC look for evening (my fave!)......whew! What a tried and true friend she is in our closet! Blanc Boutique has fabulous new options to have fun trying and styling YOUR way. Audrey did, why don't you? (Shown: Ticca Japanese cotton striped shirt dress and Pas De Calais Japanese cotton blouse)

Cool Little Things

Don’t lose your cool!  Some of Blanc’s favorite ways to beat the heat are found in your very own summer garden (or your favorite market filled with fresh things from Mother Nature).

Refreshing Cucumber, Celery and Lemon  Drink (Ouida loves to bring this one to work on a hot day!)

Ingredients:

    1 medium to large cucumber

    3 celery stalks

    ½ medium-sized lemon, cut into wedges (or to taste)

How to:

    Juice cucumber and celery in a juicer.

    Pour into a glass and add squeezes of lemon wedges to taste.

Solavedi Organics 100% Organic Rosewater Spray (Blanc Boutique $13)

Blanc likes to cool down with a refreshing  spray of Solavedi Organic pesticide-free and toxic-chemical-free rosewater spray made from steam distilled organically grown roses.  Flowers are known to have healing abilities while also promoting specific moods and emotions. Rosewater has a cooling effect and can add a little fresh, healthy glow to your skin while imparting a naturally beautiful scent. In your hair, on your skin....so refreshing!

Blanc SF 2-Year Anniversary Celebration & Jasmine Wang Trunk Show 9/7/17

Join us to celebrate Blanc's first two years at our San Francisco Sacramento Street location for sips of champagne in the garden, snacks AND $100 gift card drawing and raffle!  We are proud to host San Francisco designer, Jasmine Wang who will be showing her beautiful collection of Spring '18 dresses available for pre-order. We look forward to celebrating with you!

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Blanc Boutique
3615 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
Thursday, September 7
1-6 p.m.

(One raffle entry per purchase)

Check out The Outdoor Market at our San Francisco Store - Tomorrow 10-6pm!

It's Almost Mother's Day And Graduation Day!

 Mother's Day and School Graduationsare right around the corner and we have the perfect gifts in mind! Justine Alexandra beautiful wrap bracelets and necklaces these jewelry pieces are unique and versatile, something every woman would love!

New Arrivals...Officine Creative!

Unbound by convention and driven by innovation, this uniquely Italian know-how of shoemaking and leather craft is carefully overseen by a trusted collective of passionate craftspeople within the Officine Creative workshop. These time-honored skills and knowledge are a unique expression of Italian creativity and regard for fine quality. This is the artisanal heartbeat of Officine Creative conceived in 1968 by Nazzareno Di Rosa, who started his laboratory of shoemaking and leather craft in the Medieval Italian town of Montegranaro. 

Direct From Japan And In Store Now....Vlas Blomme

Vlas Blomme, Flemish for “flax flower”, takes its name from the region of its linen, known for its softness and quality. Created by Japanese designer Yoriko Sakurama, Vlas Blomme is a marriage of her passion for antiques and gardening. Each collection reflects the changing face of nature amidst classic design. The properties of linen render it perfect for all seasons, wicking away moisture in high temperatures to keep the body cool and dry, and conducting heat in colder climes to preserve body temperature. Belgium’s rich linen history dates back to 600 BC, the superiority of their product is evident in every Vlas Blomme garment, each carefully crafted piece a wonderful gift from nature.