For Fashion’s Night Out, New York City was buzzing with fashion excitement and news. At Macy’s, where b. Michael showed his American collection, there was a nice turnout. I talked with Renee Hunter, former Saks Fifth Avenue buyer/merchandiser and PR agent who’s now teaching at FIT. She looked fabulous in a turquoise knit dress and shoes to match. Fashion editor Audrey Bernard passed through with Veronica Jones, former owner of Grand View.
Michelle Paterson and Alma Rangel were present along with several other VIPs. Everyone enjoyed seeing b. Michael’s collection on the stunning, sophisticated-looking live models. He’s a genius at design, details and shapes. This new, now affordable collection is the best.
Keeping it moving, the next stop was up on Ninth Avenue to see Harriette Cole’s new handmade collection, “108 Stitches.” At Hair Rules New York beauty salon, Cole’s party was in full swing, and her collection is off the hook!
Cole is well-known for her work at Essence, BET, “Access Hollywood” and the “Today Show,” with appearances as a lifestyle specialist. She just launched this luxury crochet collection of shawls, gloves, hats, scarves, tops, ponchos, wraps and even jewelry. There are even some pieces for men. Crocheting is an art that’s usually taught to youngsters by their mothers or grandmothers. Cole’s mother taught her how to crochet when she was a little girl, and she is teaching her own daughter Carrie, who just may have a piece or two added to the “108 Stitches” collection.
Born in Baltimore, Cole is a wife, mother, stylist, author, nationally syndicated advice columnist, motivational speaker, media trainer, magazine writer and editor. She spent her first year of college at Towson University and completed her education at Howard University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
When she first started this venture, Cole thought she would be making Christmas gifts, but soon realized that this could be the start of a new career. She called her collection 108 Stitches because she has been practicing meditation for more than 20 years. Her meditation necklace, similar to a rosary, was designed utilizing 108 beads. She wanted to approach her crochet pieces as a meditation. Several of her pieces are 108 stitches wide. Her fiber choices for her designs were inspired by her fun experiences. She likes to focus on texture. In her collection, Cole works with sumptuous fibers such as silk, cashmere, baby alpaca, Japanese boiled wool, suede, stainless steel, silk twine, mercerized cotton, bamboo, linen and paper. Her prices range from $100 to $1,500.