the NIKA experience

This week Madison Avenue Closeouts had the immense pleasure of working with local Charlotte designer Niki Kapoor. Niki is the designer, CEO, and creative mind behind the fabulous formalwear design house NIKA.  NIKA dresses have been seen on the likes of Dancing with the Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba, Brooke Burke, and Karina Smirnoff as well as Vanna White.

“Nika Formals is based on the idea of being different, a little off the books.”

Niki Kapoor

NIKA dresses are beautifully set apart with their lovely draped fabrics, skillfully placed beading, and fashion forward silhouettes. Along with fashion and apparel, taking ones success and paying it forward is close to the heart of Madison Avenue Closeouts. Thus it is very exciting to work with Niki, who is not only a designer but founder of the charity S.E.E.D. S.E.E.D’s current project is a children’s home in India for orphaned and at-risk children!

We talked with Niki about how she designed the top of this gown with a harness style in mind. The beading is impeccable, the fabric is 100% silk - we had to have this one!!!

After spending two and a half hours Thursday hand selecting 35 fabulous gowns and cocktail dresses, we just couldn’t get enough. Friday resulted in another two hours choosing 22 more dresses. It was absolutely amazing to be in Niki’s design space speaking with her about what dresses we should add to the Madison Avenue Closeouts inventory. She gave great input on what colors we should go for and what styles will be very popular this season. The Madison Avenue customer can be certain they are getting a great NIKA dress hand-picked by us and approved by Niki Kapoor herself!!

This gown is one of our favorites with the beautiful print and emerald jewels. Even more awesome Niki told us Vana White has worn this!

NIKA's gorgeous beading - it really is one of a kind!

While a little hesitant on the color of this ball gown. Niki convinced us NEONS are super hot this season!

As we unpack and steam these awesome designer dresses, we are organizing them into fantastic lots of five or six pieces. We are putting together a great assortment in each lot – making sure to include long, short, flirty and fancy NIKA dresses for the Madison Avenue customer.

Be sure to take a moment to visit the NIKA website as well as Niki’s organization S.E.E.D at www.we-seed.org/!

Madison Avenue Closeouts has new pictures up on our homepage and will soon be offering our customers brokered pallets!!

Don’t forget to check back soon to see these great NIKA dresses on www.madisonavenuecloseouts.com/!

the Little Black Dress to the Wrap Dress

When thinking of iconic pieces in fashion two which stand out and have seen reemergence through the years are the Little Black Dress and the Wrap Dress.

The Little Black Dress, better known as the LBD, was popularized in the 1920s by CoCo Chanel. While black had traditionally been worn only in times of mourning, in 1926 Chanel published a sketch of a simple, calf-length black dress in American Vogue. The LBD became an accessible staple for women of all classes during the years of the Great Depression and World War II.

American Vogue 1926

Chanel Little  Black Dress

 Forty years later the LBD saw a significant reemergence with Holly Golightly in the 1961 classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The Breakfast at Tiffany’s LBD by Givenchy created a standard of wearing the simple sheath dress for women of the 1960s. The white strings of pearls, elbow high black gloves, oversized sunglasses, and Audrey Hepburn pulled together the classic look of the LBD.

Even today over fifty years since Breakfast at Tiffany’s and nearly ninety years since Chanel’s first sketch, the LBD can be seen on runways each season and in many designers’ collections. Reemerging with new styling and design the LBD was extremely prevalent at the 2012 Grammy Awards, showing how this iconic piece will remain in fashion for the long haul.

“When a little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place.”

Wallis Warfield Simpson - Duchess of Windsor

An iconic piece, which emerged in the 70s from Diane von Furstenberg was the wrap dress. The easy to wear piece became popular with career women who needed a comfortable, stylish piece to wear to the office. The wrap dress silhouette easily flattered all body types and from 1972 to 1976 5 million wrap dresses were sold.

 Usually produced in a comfortable knit fabric, the wrap dress is made in all sleeve lengths with a belt or closure around the waist to secure the dress closed.  Forty years since its initial popularity the wrap dress is still very well-known. It has found a place on the shelves of popular department stores and in the repertoire of many current designers.

Through new designs and updated takes on the wrap dress the same silhouette can be seen on many red carpets with celebrities wearing evening gown versions of the wrap dress. The Little Black Dress has had an iconic and classic longevity over its ninety year history. It will be exciting to watch how the wrap dress emerges as it moves towards its ninetieth birthday.

“I design for the woman who loves being a woman. ”

Diane von Furstenderg

 

Check back for more blog updates on the progress of Madison Avenue Closeouts and fashion information!

Welcome to Madison Avenue Closeouts!

MadisonAvenue Closeouts operates as an online wholesale apparel distributor based in Charlotte NC. We seek to bring our customers current, upscale fashions from the nation’s leading department stores. Our mission is to bring those customers (retailers, brokers, distributors, flea marketers, wholesalers and eBayers, etc.) cutting edge apparel on trend with each seasons fashion.

This blog will give us the opportunity to be 100% connected with our customers and all others interested in fashion, style, and the latest trends. We promise to keep you updated on the hottest cuts and colors in fashion as well as all current news about Madison Avenue Closeouts.

Over the past week, we have successfully made the move into our warehouse space. With a delivery of some necessary supplies we have assembled two great fiberglass mannequins which will serve to display the apparel we receive from our department store sources. The goal is to give our customers the opportunity to view each of our lots in the most realistic way possible before they choose to order. Check out a picture of one of our mannequins below.

Along with getting our space ready, we are preparing for our very first orders. A lot of research has gone into the popular trends for Spring/Summer 2012!

We’re seeing tons of great colors. Orange is everywhere, it has been seen on the runway over the past few seasons but it is definitely here to stay. Other colors of the sun like red and yellow are popular alternatives if orange isn’t your color. Along with bright orange, pastels like lilac and a sweet teal (Pantone calls cockatoo) are being seen as a great compliment. It really is all about color choices this season. Check out Glamour’s article on 2012’s Most Wearable Fashion Trends.

Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring/Summer 2012

Designer Nanette Lepore says, “We love the mix of hot neon colors with soft pastels, reminiscent of nature at its extremes: a powerful sunset, the ocean sparkling at dusk with flashes of lightning in the distance.”

Nanette Lepore Spring 2012 Collection

Check back each Wednesday for weekly updates on the progress of Madison Avenue Closeouts and fashion information! And take a minute to explore Madison Avenue Closeouts at www.madisonavenuecloseouts.com.