new peeks: stacia fall/holiday 2009

low-slung cardi

september may still be sweltering in hawaii and the west coast but fortunately more temperate weather is only a page flip away on the calendar. happy news for those of us who swoon for cozy knits! while the rest of the world may think hawaii is only about beach side playdates, readers who have ventured up to a chilly cliffside lookout, big island mountain town (hello volcano!) or upcountry maui know every island wardrobe needs a stylish cover to keep the chicken skin at bay.

i've written before of la-based label stacia designed by oahu girl stacy johnson and, after all this time, we finally had a chance to meet up during edwin ushiro's opening reception a few weeks ago (along with the lovely misa hamamoto who designs a gorgeous eponymous jewelry collection). we dished about the hawaii fashion scene and growing up in the islands while stacy and misa clued me in on the designer's take on bringing their collections to market.

with autumn approaching, it seems like a fine time to share stacia's fall/holiday 09 collection which is composed of luxe-y knitwear designed to complement warmer climates. stacy employs variations of lightweight jersey knits in an ever changing palette of multicolored space dye to flatter every figure. new for the season are stacia's ecoknits which blend bamboo and soybean (which she considers a cashmere substitute) sure to delight fashionistas on the elusive hunt for sophisticated and sustainable style.

more peeks below . . .

buttoned cowl * cocoon

willow

a peek inside the studio

island fans crushing on the new designs will have to click over to the online shop for more peeks at stacia's autumn offerings since, alas, only one hawaii boutique is currently posted on stacia's extensive stockist list. select styles are currently on sale so enjoy that little tidbit of consolation while you wonder when island shopkeepers will come a-calling.

fortunately for la la land residents, this past summer stacy opened the doors to her santa monica studio where customers are welcome to stop by and shop the latest looks. sign-up for the mailing list to be notified of in-house trunk shows and sample sales where you can scoop up past season designs at a deep discount.

• where: 1307 ½ pico blvd, santa monica
• fyi: by appointment only

p.s. stacy also maintains one of the best designer blogs around sharing her inspirations and insights on the evolution of a collection from color forecasting to the sketch pad to posting behind-the-scenes adventures from stacia photo shoots.