Trina Turk Goes Bananas with Palm Springs Chic

The first time I ever noticed a Trina Turk design was more than 10 years ago.  One of my besties Courtney – who is by far my most fashionable friend – turned up at a wedding wearing the most beautiful Trina Turk dress.

For years – every time I had a formal event – that dress popped into my mind.  I wanted to emulate Courtney in that silhouette and print but was never able to find anything nearly as stunning.
Banana Republic

Then my mother-in-law Judith moved to the desert and I was able to live vicariously through her Trina Turk obsession.  With Turk’s Palm Springs boutique mere blocks away from Judith’s casita, I was a frequent wing man but Turk’s high-end line was out of my grasp back then.  Over the years, I’ve been lucky to score a few pieces – on sale – here and there; but I’ve never actually bucked up for a serious garment from any of her collections.

Now I have my chance.

Banana Republic


As of yesterday, the retail giant Banana Republic launched its Trina Turk Palm Springs Chic summer collection throughout 450 stores worldwide. 

The line – which totals 60 pieces – includes dresses, skirts, shorts, button downs, tunic tops and bathing suits. Turk’s moniker prints – with names such as “Deco Palms,” “Pisces,” and “Crazy Botanical” – have a vintage feel but certainly don’t give off a senior vibe – notorious for Palm Springs. 

Banana Republic


Infused with an affordable freshness, garments are priced from $34.50 to $150 about half the price of the high-end Trina Turk line.

It is only fitting that the dazzling Turk, a native Californian, opened her first retail boutique in Palm Springs in 2002.  Since that time, she has grown her realm to seven boutiques including Los Angeles, New York, Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Burlingame, Bal Harbour Shops in Miami, and the new Dallas’ Highland Park Village which opened in 2011. The company has also operates a seasonal store in the tony East Hamptons since 2009.

Banana Republic

After a decade, the collaboration with Banana Republic comes at a time when Turk is focusing on nurturing and growing her brand. 

Along with her former stylist husband – Jonathan Skow – Turk is preparing to launch a menswear collection designed by her hubby himself.  She also recently started selling Trina Turk bedding at Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond.  In addition to expanding and renovating her flag ship store in Palm Springs, she has added a jewelry and stationary line to her ever growing empire.

It is becoming a very Trina Turk world.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Was a Club MTV Dancer

Image
Back in the 1990s, I had a friend who worked at In Style Magazine. She had some connections and got me, and another friend, a gig dancing on Club MTV. The original host – Downtown Julie Brown – was holding the mic and the Pet Shop Boys were rocking The Palladium in New York City during those early years of the MTV show. The show, which was modeled after American Bandstand, cut back and forth between teen-agers (uh, hum and young adults) who would dance to hit songs and videos of those songs.   Often there were musical guests who performed their new singles; such guests included Paula Abdul, Deee-lite, Salt-N-Peppa, Black Box, Vanilla Ice, Samantha Fox and MC Hammer just to name a few. The first time I had the opportunity to dance, I was completely excited but wasn't sure what to expect. I was told to bring several changes of clothes as we would be filming part of a season over a two day period. At the time, I was still going to college and living at home w
Read more

Two In-Vince-able Collections

Image
I committed a fashion faux pas. At first, I wasn’t even aware of my transgression but, after doing a little research, I realized that I have confused two fashion brands: VINCE and Vince Camuto. Now, this is not surprising and, on occasion, I must live up to my blond hair.  Such as the Louboutin debacle:  I own two pair of the iconic red-soled shoes yet it took me three fashion seasons to be able to say the brand name without stuttering or second guessing myself.  So, with all the different designers and brands out there, I simply can’t assume all the responsibility to know everything about everything, but I certainly try.  So, in this case, I realized that I had to educate myself and figure out the difference between VINCE and Vince Camuto. VINCE, a contemporary clothing line for women and men, was founded in 2002 by Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice on the principals of iconic design and superior quality, according to Wikipedia. Sold to the Kellwood Company in September 2006,
Read more

For The Love of Shopping

Back in the days before I had kids, I would hoard gift cards and checks sent for my birthday and Christmas.   I would savor them for a day in the future when I could get my “shop” on.     My master plan was to set out – all by my lonesome – to my favorite local mall on a Saturday or Sunday morning.   I would always splurge and stop at Starbucks for a Venti latte. Then I would walk the mall, checking out all my favorite stores and scouring the fashion, sales and prices at various shops. Comfy shoes were a must because I never, ever purchased on my first walk through.   This was my research.   Being on a budget, I felt compelled to find the right pieces for my wardrobe but, even more importantly, at the right price. One shopping trip in particular, I ventured into my local mall’s double-decker Forever 21.   I had my coffee, the music was pumping and a gift card was in my pocket:   I was on a natural high that was fueled by the endorphins of shopping and my high octane java.
Read more