freddy&ma

Blue Zebras

While perusing an old issue of Domino magazine the other night I came across this gorgeous wallpaper from the portfolio of NYC interior designer Ashley Whittaker. I've always loved zebra, but in navy blue, this classic print gets a whole new lease on life.

looking for sales/marketing divas who love handbags

So we are expanding things here at Freddy&Ma.  We have both full-time and intern positions available in our sales/marketing department.  For more information, please email us. 

'it' bags are out - long live the custom handbag

Freddy has been saying it for years....'it' bags are out.  In his 'humble' opinion, once everyone has the same bag it starts to lose its mystique.  This is why F&M offers custom handbags, we like to think everyone wants something a bit more unique than the next woman on the subway.  The Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article today discussing this decline of the 'it' bag.  It is definitely worth taking a look at.

A few choice quotes:

"The 'it' bag isn't important any more," says Stephanie Solomon, women's fashion director at Bloomingdale's. "It's all about looking different from your neighbor."

"I felt like, 'Gee, all these bags are so attainable by a lot of people that everyone's carrying around that bag,' " says Ms. Weisburd, a 59-year-old homemaker who lives in New York City. "I wanted something that was more exclusive."

Track It

Maybe it's all the Australian Open I've been watching, but lately I can't get enough of sporty separates, especially anything track or tennis inspired. There's just something so fun and spring-y about this stuff. I think I miss gym class.

From Top Left: Muscle Tee, Tulip Skirt, Sequin Tennies, Wind breaker, Duffle, Hi Tops

Casting hardware is so much fun

                                                                                                      We are in the final stages of producing our spring/summer bag collection (it will be up on the website in a few short weeks) and today we approved the final brass masters used to cast some of our new hardware pieces.  Check out our new monogram logo (which is featured on one of our upcoming all leather styles!) and our new metal nameplates.  Expect a lot more cast hardware from F&M in the coming months, this was a little experiment and we are very happy with how it turned out.

Springtime is nigh!

Unbelievable but true. In just a few short weeks (ok 8 or so) the clouds will part and the sun will shine and flowers will bloom and the slip n' slide will be back in McCarren Park. Ahh spring. This sunflower pitcher and I might just throw a little garden party to celebrate.

another day at the F&M office

Yes, that is a quasi-portable hair salon style hair dryer.  We here at F&M go to great lengths to maintain our appearances.  Especially Ma.

What has four legs, 1 back, and 2 arms?

A chair, of course!

I'm sure you've all caught on to the trend in the furniture design world of reupholstering antique furniture (especially lovely if said furniture happens to be of the danish modern variety). How fabulous would these chairs look with F&M prints? Pretty fabulous people...prrreeettyyy fabulous.

From top (clockwise): Lotus Bleu slipper chair, Milo Baughman recliner, Astrid chair, Mamello Chaise, Astrid Chair (Thanks to Leah at More Ways to Waste Time for pointing these out)

P.S. Does the chaise on the left remind anyone else of Pee Wee Herman?

If I had $2,000 to drop on a chandelier...

...the world would be a prettier place, I'd be a happy camper, and one of these lovely ladies would be hanging in my bathroom.

From left: Effervescent, Cellula, Abalone, Murano

we love a good cocktail (ring)

preppy is probably one of the last words I would use to describe my personal style, and I've always thought jcrew was the epitome of prep.....but lately I've been increasingly impressed with their styling, some of their really cute creative pieces and most recently their jewelry collection which is heavily vintage inspired.....these are some of my favorites.....