Last week, Francesca’s hosted an intimate dinner and preview of their new fall collection for a few Houston style bloggers. As fall is my favorite time of year, (when it comes to fashion … & *cough, cough* pumpkin related things) I was thrilled at the opportunity to have a sneak peek at the new collection before it hit stores.
Labor Day has now come and gone, which makes the start of fall right around the corner. With that comes chunky sweaters, tall boots, lots of plaid, and a dose of fresh prints and colors from my favorite places to shop. So naturally I couldn’t wait to see all of Francesca’s pieces for fall on display and styled that evening.
As we walked up the stairs to the swanky urban studio above Tout Suite in downtown, Houston, we were greeted with a chalk board sign, beckoning us to “Fall in Love with Francesca’s.”
Turning the corner & entering the gorgeous display of fall fashion & sparkly accessories, we knew we were in for a treat. A crisp white tablescape dotted with greenery & succulents sat in the center of the room. For anyone who hadn’t already “Fallen in Love with Fran,” well they surely were just about to do so.
One of my favorite parts of the evening was browsing Francesca’s new
State of Mind Collection. This modern capsule collection was inspired by LA street fashion and is both trendy and sophisticated at the same time.
A huge fan of anything high-neck, there are quite a few pieces from this collection that I’m loving right now. One in particular is the
Alice Lace High Neck Top. And no, not because it also shares my name. 😉
We all had fun browsing the different displays set up for us. “The Dress Shop” was simply adorable! From classic silhouettes to off-the-shoulder stunners, there was something for everyone.
Check out the online version of The Dress Shop
here.
Members of Francesca’s creative team and merchandise buyers were there giving us behind the scenes tidbits of what all went into each collection for fall. They also were on hand to answer any questions that we might have had throughout the evening.
It was so much fun to candidly get the “behind the scenes” scoop of what the big ideas surrounding each collection were. Sometimes you look at a piece and have no idea that it was all centered around a small specific idea – such as a certain attitude or “state of mind.”
One thing we Houston gals were lusting over the most was also something that we probably won’t get a chance to wear for quite some time: tall riding boots, chunky sweaters, and faux-fur jackets.
Crossing my fingers for a cold front to come through as soon as possible!
I’m ready for sweaters! 🙂
I also loved perusing the pretty jewels for fall. I’m a sucker for gold jewelry, especially bracelets that are easy to stack that also go with almost everything.
At the moment, I’ve got my eye on that the
blue & gold one! Have a feeling it would go with a lot in my closet.
While we browsed the fashions & chatted away, we sipped on champagne and tasty appetizers. I had quite a few of the little fig & cheese crostinis! Not going to lie, I’m not sure if I had ever had a fig before that evening. Lame, I know. And now thanks to Ellen DeGeneres, every time I eat (or think) of figs, I will always be reminded of the little “
fig boy” that was on her show. If you haven’t seen this YouTube phenomenon, then you MUST!
Okay, sorry getting off topic you guys……
After our fair share of figs & other tasty treats, it was finally time to dine.
Judging by the tablescape alone, we knew that we were going to be in for an absolutely delicious dinner.
Bloggers that we are, we all snapped away at the perfectly placed table settings before sitting down for the meal.
The team behind
Tout Suite, a coffee shop & eatery located just below the studio, catered the event. Dinner consisted of summer salad, chicken with risotto & cauliflower, and a mango tart for dessert.
Not that the tasty dinner could be topped, but what I really loved most about the evening were the laid back conversations that flowed over dinner between the bloggers & Francesca’s creative team. When you’re talking about fashion the entire time, how could it not make for a wonderful evening?
Big thank you again to Francesca’s for the lovely time! If you’re feeling like shopping after all of this fall fashion inspiration, be sure to check out Francesca’s new
Fall in Love collection as well as the more modern
State of Mind collection.
I don’t know about y’all, but not only am I now in the mood to shop, I’m also a bit hungry after recapping the delicious food that we ate. It’s a good thing that Patrick and I have plans for a chill night “in” & cooking together! Sometimes our busy schedules doesn’t always allow for leisurely home cooked meals on the regular, so when we can squeeze them in, they’re much appreciated.
As always, thanks for stopping by the blog!
—
alice
