Metapost: Why hello, Club Monaco! And welcome to Shopbop. Plus a contest.

A few of the Club Monaco at Shopbop looks.

Full disclosure: Yep, I got a swag bag! Contents disclosed below.

What cures the shock of a short week Tuesday? A party of course! Last night Shopbop held a small shindig at Club Monaco’s NYC flagship on 57th St to celebrate the duo’s new capsule collection partnership. With tons of bloggers and plenty of staff from both Shopbop and Club Monaco on-hand, the crowd was more connected than Kevin Bacon.

On the left mannequin: Hannah Plaid Coat ($300), Samarie Top ($89),

Jacqueline Winter Shorts ($119) and Wool Thigh Highs ($24).

Continuing the recent trend of brand turnarounds, Club Monaco pleasantly surprised me last nite at a party to unveil their Shopbop capsule collecton. When I heard this collection was on the way I pictured lots of black and white with sharp tailoring and hard lines. Instead this collection was mostly neutrals — my favorite palette! I sighed happily at the creams and camels which were balanced by tones of black.

While many of Club Monaco’s items were populated with studs, sequins and sparkle, the Shopbop capsule was more muted. The jewelry added some much-needed pop but the clothing itself was more about rich fabrics and neutral base tones. I loved both elements. The Samarie Top ($89) was by far my favorite piece. I found my usual size medium to be a great fit. I approve of both the racerback and the y-shape of the front tuxedo panel. It would be a great piece for both work and weekend. While Shopbop is only stocking the ivory tone, it also comes in pink, grey and black in-store. Shopbop styled it with the Fabian Chinos and the complete look is fantastic.

In this outfit: Emmanuel Shearling Jacket ($1,100),

Simona Plaid Skirt ($139)

and Wool Thigh Highs ($24)

This collection certainly skews urban, and that’s intentional based on both Club Monaco and Shopbop’s intended audience. The price points will shut out budget shoppers but will appeal to affluent customers looking to save a bit from Barney’s or Saks. (Re)Introducing the brand to the Shopbop shopper can only help — I had no trouble picturing any of the items I saw on Shopbop’s site.

The Emmanuel Shearling Jacket ($1,100) was very soft. I appreciated the lack of any extra belts, hooks, studs, or chains. Seems like many retailers have forgotten how to do simple, and this jacket was both simple and modern. The flyaway collar is oversized — a bit of a trendy touch there — but I can see the jacket working for years to come. Can’t say I loved the price. I had to size up to a large for the best fit — the medium was pretty tight in the arms.

The Paige Cardigan ($139) is perfectly long with a comforting softness. My usual size medium worked great. The heathered material is thinner than I’d like and there was some sheerness to this cardigan. There wasn’t anything special about this cardigan though…you can find 100 others just like it this season.

On the jewelry front I liked both the Scale Cuff ($69) and the Tube Ring ($39). Each piece had an appealing tarnished quality to it. They’d both be versatile staples for a modern work wardrobe. Overall I was impressed by the collection. I think it succeeded in changing my impression of Club Monaco and making me want to go back to the store for more!

The look above isn’t part of the Shopbop collection (sadly) but I loved it! Incredibly Club Monaco has no ecommerce site in the USA (one is apparently on the way. I walked around and found several items I’ll go back to try on — a cashmere tunic sweater, a clutch with three brooches on it and the look above. Photos to come.

Ann Watson, Club Monaco’s VP of Marketing and Communications was thrilled to see the positive reaction. I asked her a few questions.

roxy – I have to say, this is not the Club Monaco I knew from two years ago.

AW – (laughs) No, not quite. We’ve brought in a couple of new designers over the past two years. And this is really the first collection where you see their point of view. It’s still keeping in tradition with our tailoring and focus on layered looks. But we’ve branched out in cut and color.

roxy – How did this capsule for Shopbop come about?

AW – Some of our staff knows some of the Shopbop staff, so it was a natural collaboration. When we showed [Shopbop Fashion Director Kate Ciepluch] what our line was going to look like this season, everything just fell into place. We’re delighted to have Kate and Shopbop’s involvement. It’s our first time selling our clothing online and we’re excited to see how it goes.

roxy – The looks really fit in with Shopbop’s current offerings, too. There’s a focus on layers that I love.

AW – We want our customer to come to the store and be able to leave with a complete look. Let me ask you — where else do you shop?

roxy – Well Anthropologie obviously. And I pull my basics from stores like Ann Taylor and the Gap. Mostly I go to J.Crew, Saks, and Barney’s Co-Op, mixed in with some random Soho stores.

AW – I’m a Saks shopper too. Our customer also shops at stores like Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, J.Crew. The difference is you can blow through $2,000 quickly at most of those places. Here I can come and try to spend $2,000, buy almost everything in the store and still have some cash left over. We’re sensitive to budgets while providing the quality those shoppers expect.

roxy – I was very impressed by your cashmere. It’s so soft!

AW – Thank you! We use Loro Piana, the same Italian mill as one of those other stores you mentioned…

(That would be J.Crew for those playing along at home.)

I also had the opportunity to speak with collection curator (and Shopbop Fashion Director) Kate Ciepluch. I asked what other collaborations are coming down the pike. She revealed that Shopbop will be unveiling a pants collaboration with Theory soon and it will include maternity wear! I’m excited to see it.

As I mentioned at the top of the post, no party would be complete without a goodie bag. And due to the incredibly stupid FTC rules that require bloggers (but not fashion mags!) to disclose the swag bag contents, here’s what was inside:
– a $25 Shopbop gift certificate
– a $25 Club Monaco gift card
– a USB stick branded by both Club Monaco and Shopbop

I was thrilled with the party favors. Very generous and yes it will totally encourage me to go back to Club Monaco to redeem the gift card. Although I would have gone back anyway — I have my eye on a couple of things.

If you’re pining for your own gift $$$ from Shopbop and Club Monaco, read on. The companies are running a “Shop with the Pros” contest. The Grand Prize package includes:
– Roundtrip airfare to NYC and 2 nights at the Gansevoort Park Ave hotel for you and a guest
– A $1,000 Shopbop gift certificate
– A $1,000 Club Monaco gift certicate
– Dinner at “one of Manhattan’s top restaurants”
– Style consultation with Shopbop Fashion Director Kate Ciepluch and Club Monaco’s VP of Women’s Design Caroline Belhumeur

You can enter here! Good luck ladies, and tell them roxy sent you! Thanks so much to Club Monaco and Shopbop for inviting me to the event.

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