Hello from the road! As the world changes, so does the way we interact with it. We have had so many requests to see new collections and designers in the last few years, that our buy has expanded into multiple parts. While our full Fall/Winter 2025 buy takes place in March during Fashion Week, we spent these last few days scurrying around Milan and Paris to get a head start.
Tatiana was my steadfast companion on this trip. For those of you who have chatted with her in Workshop, you know just how wise and prescient she is. Together, we navigated the alleys of Paris, fumbling through our phones to find directions to showrooms hidden in the most beautiful and obscure addresses. It rained the whole time, but didn’t dampen our spirits. Laughing fits happened in concert with deep chats about the state of global design.
first stop, MILAN, Italy
DAY I
After a quick spin around Maison&Objet in Paris, we flew down to Milan to dive into the Avant Toi showroom in Milan.
MILAN, Italy
DAY II
Lots of vitality and elegance with Uma Wang and Erdem, and a stop in Bergamo to visit Daniela Gregis in her studio.
next stop PARIS, France
DAY III
A day for cool shirting with Bergfabel, Toogood and Iris Von Arnim.
PARIS, France
DAY IV
A flurry of new faces, and then a welcome meeting with friends: Jan-Jan Van Essche & Stephanie Schneider
PARIS, France
DAY V
Could have spent a whole day with Cottle… incredibly cool denim for fall.
PARIS, France
DAY VI
Lots of hugs for By Walid and Péro, and then an afternoon spent among the happy emeralds and blues…
This is my 17th Fall/Winter buy, and Santa Fe Dry Goods 40th year on the Plaza. And I have to say, this particular part of the job gets both harder and more enjoyable as we grow. Harder, in that there are so, so many people and things we want to see in such a short timeframe. More enjoyable in that there are so many people and things we get to see. Each year has been an improvement on the last, both in quality and style. This is when we find beauty in abundance: distinct and imaginative designs made by creatives who have pushed us to be cooler, faster, better over the last four decades.
Our focus remains on small studios that, by feats of bravery and genius, maintain an unyielding standard of quality. In the face of rising material prices, scarce labor forces, and the ubiquity of cheap knock-offs, they continue to champion substance over shortcuts. We see it appear in different forms: in hand-stitched selvedge denim and butter-soft suede leggings to cool feathered knits and delicately tailored pants. We find these studios to be incredibly clever in the way they flout the siren call of convenience—a virtue we hope you appreciate as much as we do.
As this was just a few days over to see Pre-Fall, what we saw was only a taste of what’s to come. Next up is the Tucson Gem Show in Arizona to seek jewelry for Santa Fe Dry Goods—until then, wishing you warmth, peace and an appreciation for the small things in the weeks ahead.
xoxo Shobhan
