Adorable little Nora Caliguri from Season One has her new eco-friendly Larsen Gray collection available for sale. We contacted her to tell us a little bit about the line. She responded in her usual effervescent manner.
"How are you?!?
I am so excited to finally connect you to where my clothes are (here and here).
The collection is called Larsen Gray. I am currently in Henri Bendels, Montmarte, and Canteloupe, Jessie James, Blush for New York, Lisa Klein in LA, and about 100 more stores across the country.
LARSEN GRAY--The company that owns Larsen Gray, Authentic Lifestyle Products, has been one of the largest providers of organic and sustainable materials to the fashion industry for three years. Along with being mindful of the environment, the company helps hundreds of families in Lesotho Africa, with health programs and support through its manufacturing. Larsen Gray, a project that we started for a younger more fashionable girl strives to do its best for the environment, labor, and the consumer as well.
While it is not completely feasible yet to have the type of styles and trims we have 100 percent sustainable, we do our best to have our garments mostly if not 100 percent made with these materials. Finding new and interesting ways to be eco is another thing love to do. The fabrics we use include organic cotton, soybean fiber, bamboo fiber, eco-wool, recycled wool, recycled polyester, silk(which is already a natural fiber) and our new cool find for fall, nature vinyl. (fabric made in a low emissions factory.)
Our designer profile is also on shopbop (you may have seen it already), the line is designed by myself and my friend from Pratt Institute Rachelyn Porter. EXTRA!! on NBC is coming in tomorrow to film a segment on our company, and I will email you guys when that airs! we are soooooo excited!"
So are we! We love it when any of the PR alums are out there making it work and Nora is just the sweetest little thing ever.
As for the collection, it's simple and feminine and chic. We especially like the ruffled tank and cropped jacket. We usually think braiding comes off a little too heavy-looking but we actually like the way it looks here.
PLUS! Eco-friendly! Just in time for Earth Day. Let's hear it for anyone who can make eco-friendly clothes that don't look like something you'd buy at a Phish concert.
[Photos: WireImage/shopbob.com]
70 comments:
Very pretty. And I commend her for her use of sustainable materials. What is not clear to me is where the clothes are made. Call me a spoilsport if you must, but if the clothes are made in some foreign sweatshop, the sustainability of the materials loses a lot of its appeal.
Love the new look you mavens you! Remember us when you quit your day jobs.
And like Nora's line also. It all looks like something she would wear, and it's equally adorable.
Adorable! I L-O-V-E the white pleated chiffon dress with braided banding. And eco-friendly fashion is here to stay. Congrats, Nora!
T LO said..We love it when any of the PR alums are out there making it work and Nora is just the sweetest little thing ever.
Not to mention a Pratt Institiute shout out, as well. Woot!
I like the high waisted skirt and the all over ruffle red low back tank. But alas, it's all a little too young for me.
Very cute.
Very wearable w/ interesting details. The white pleated chiffon is quite sophisticated, fit & age appropriate for all ladies. The material's sustainability is also laudable, as is the profit sharing, particularly for a higher line collection.
Kudos, Nora!
Another PR Alum done good!
Emma P.
Very youthful collection, at least most of it. My favorites are the tank with the ruffles in the back and the little blue drawstring to with the braiding. The first blue dress is cute, too. And good for Nora for using sustainable resources, and apparently doing that in a responsible way. (And, Phantomminuet, she does mention labor concerns, so perhaps we can be optimistic about that as well.)
PhantomMinuet said...
What is not clear to me is where the clothes are made. Call me a spoilsport if you must, but if the clothes are made in some foreign sweatshop, the sustainability of the materials loses a lot of its appeal.
PhantomMinuet, the garments are made in NYC. Which of course does not guarentee that they are not made in sweatshop condiditions. But is certainly gives Nora and co more control over the conditions that they are produced in.
Simple, elegant, and young. I really like her collection. By the way, Nora looks gorgeous in that dress! I love the long hair too : )
eco-wool?
what the hell is that?
These are great. RtW that actually looks interesting and fresh. Great job Nora.
PhantomMinuet, the garments are made in NYC.
Cool. :-)
She looks great! Love her hair. Yay for eco-friendly clothes! They just did an episode of What Not to Wear with the woman buying all recycled and eco-friendly clothes. Very interesting.
Very cute! I love that last little black dress.
Simple, but fresh. I like them a lot.
I usually don't like ruffles, but the asymmetrical ruffle trim looks very cool and unexpected in this collection.
Go Pratt!! Fabulous!
LOVE the black tank and the white dress. Congrats Nora!
That first little black dress is to DIE for! Lust. Her clothes all seem right up my ally - young, not too trendy, but they make you look damn good. Want want want.
a-nony-mouse said...
eco-wool?
what the hell is that?
From the little research I just did on the web, eco-wool is environmentally friendly (no pesticides used on anything from the fields the sheep graze in to the spray used to debug them) and humanely/ethically raised and harvested (off the sheep, I presume since you can't plant lambs and get wool trees). If it is blended with another fiber, such as soy silk or bamboo, that fiber is also produced in an environmentally friendly way.
Kudos to Nora for her environmental friendly and cute line.
I think it's really fresh and cute. These are things that I would actually wear if I was not so ashamed of my legs. I love the little white column dress :)
Go Nora!
The clothes: nice enough. Simple. Good colours. A bit too young for most women - especially those who actually can afford things like these without loading up the credit card.
Gotta laugh when I see hip young things buy 'sustainable' fashions when, in reality, their finances aren't sustainable enough to really afford this stuff... .
I think the best thing that girl ever did was grow her hair out (or was it cut it into that fauxhawk for the show?).
If she did well on the show, the change in look would have been another media reason to bring up her name.
If she did not-so well on the show, the change in look would have been a great way to disassociate herself with the that period in her life/career.
I don't think it was a strategic decision on her part, but it *was* a very good move to let the locks speak for her move away from the show.
Guess she's a smart little cookie (or extremely lucky that it turned out that way). She certainly doesn't *seem* to be as neurotic and high-strung as she was on the show.
Perhaps that persona grew away as the hair grew out?
Major snaps up on the eco-friendliness. But most of that fabric looks a little stiff. I wonder why that is. The only outfit that seems to have some flow in the fabric is the white dress.
Cute stuff! I adore the little white number with the tiny pleats. I'm a bit too long in the tooth for most of this, but I do like the collection.
And Nora is pretty cute, too!
Boring, boring, boring.
How adorable! I love that last black dress.
That first black dress. Ssmokin'
MUST. HAVE. that white pleated chiffon dress.
Good for Nora! Can I tell everyone? She was so sweet at the finale party. I would buy all her designs just because I liked her so much. TLo are not kidding saying she's the sweetest thing. The last dress - the black one - is the same as the yellow one she was wearing at the party, I think.
What a nice surprise! I was watching S1 the other day with some of my friends and we talked about how crazy and funny the designers were, getting drunk and stuff. So much fun! I love her collection. Very feminine and elegant. Thank you for the update, guys.
CUTE! But sadly, too young for this ole geezer. I love the aspect of sustainable materials and local (hopefully non-sweatshop) production.
Nora's too cute for words. Continued success! :-)
Absolutely love the little white dress. And its about time someone took the bull by the horn as it were, for eco friendly materials.
SisterZip
Since some of you have asked, here's a better shot of Nora's dress (front and back) and her fabulous Miu Miu boots.
XO
T&L
LOVE the ruffles. Christian would definitely approve.
It's been a few minutes since my last post, but now I have "Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" song running a loop in my head. :-)
"potty mouth princess said...
It's been a few minutes since my last post, but now I have "Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" song running a loop in my head. :-)"
LOL. At first I was like what? and then it finally hit me, that's right, it seems like forever ago. Don't you miss Season 1? I do.
Love her clothes, love all the nice and subtle details.
Very nice. Nora looks fabulous! I'm glad she's doing well. I wonder what ever happened to Kevin.
I love these clothes!
I love them! Thanks for the links!
"TokyoDoll said...
"potty mouth princess said...
It's been a few minutes since my last post, but now I have "Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" song running a loop in my head. :-)"
LOL. At first I was like what? and then it finally hit me, that's right, it seems like forever ago. Don't you miss Season 1? I do.
Love her clothes, love all the nice and subtle details."
I had no idea who she was. I didn't watch season 1. I know, what's wrong with me? I love her mini collection. Very fresh and young, I'd definitely wear all of those looks. I wish she had more colors available, though.
I knew I had seen that blue top before. Very pretty.
The blue top's $216 freakin' dollars!?!?!
Great. So, basically, her collection is for rich young eco-yuppies... .
Oh, yeah. So much for making 'sustainable' a common choice for the masses.
I'm really failing to see $216-worth of fabulousness in that top. I can't imagine what a whole top or a dress would cost.
I think some of this is very cute. I wish more of it was work appropriate, though. It is all very "going to a club" or "to a wedding" for me.
And pretty pricey too.
SHE LOOKS 15 YEARS YOUNGER. Holy shit. Fabulous hair Nora. OMG. It's like a whole new person. Love, LOVE it.
Love her clothes too. Just can't get over her hair and the overall transformation. Stunning.
Yup...gotta love how the new "green" movement is just too expensive for the masses. Cute idea, cute clothes, would never shell out the money to purchase them.
cute clothes, pricey for what it is,
and even though I am young--
I have boobs and need support,
free and loose does not work!
The clothes are fabulous! I love that first dress. Gorgeous!
A lot of big names in the industry are going green like Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan...I think it's awesome.
Cute and simple. I love it!
Her collection is adorable, but can you please address the new...headline-thingy?
Mmm. I hate to do it, but....yeah. I have to.
All that braiding reminds me of draperies. It's like an updated costume line for the Carol Burnett show spoof of "Gone With The Wind".
lijz said...
Yup...gotta love how the new "green" movement is just too expensive for the masses. Cute idea, cute clothes, would never shell out the money to purchase them.
I have to agree that these garments are way to expensive for me, (as well as too youthful), especially given that they are not classics that would serve me for the next 20 years. However, these are designer duds. It is possible to buy organic, sustainably raised and harvested clothing at a more affordable price. Are they down to Walmart prices yet? No, but the price will continue to come down as supply rises.
Twenty years ago, when I started buying organic food, it cost more than conventionally grown, and everyone thought I was crazy. Now, virtually every store has some organic food available. We can only hope clothing follows the same path at a much faster rate.
OK, I haven't had any coffee yet, time to vent. I just have one quick question: What the heck are Wallmart shoppers doing on a blog about fashion?
If you can't afford a $200-300 dress than you probably shouldn't be discussing fashion.
NONE of these PR designers (or any real fashion designer for that matter) has produced anything of great quality for less than $100, unless they're selling their clothes on QVC.
And even when they do so as an attempt to branch out and reach a new market, you bitches complain that you don't shop on QVC, because they only sell crap blah blah blah.
If you can't deal with a shoe costing $800 you should NOT be discussing fashion. Period.
Aw, I love those dresses, especially the black ones. Thank you for posting this, Boys!
Dear Dave,
Please drink you coffee.
Thank you,
Antares
Ooops, sorry that's YOUR coffee.
I haven't had mine either. My spelling might be gone, but I managed to check my assumptions and keep my civil tongue.
Thanks,
Antares
I'm not seeing the problem with a poster who points out that the blue top (which when I look at it seems to really be half a blue top because that thing is short, short, short) seems rather expensive for what it is - half a blue top with an uncomplicated construction, by the looks of it.
I don't see an issue for posters who are pointing out that 'fashion''s use of 'sustainable' seems to be more of a trendy branding method than anything else and that it seems a tad disingenuous to herald an environmental tagline when the very people who are buying 'fashion' are usually the most bloated users of resources out there.
I mean, who is the market target for Nora's line if not for young women with either a lot of disposable income (or credit card debt) who are likely to be passive eco-yuppies (I like that term!).
Everyone I know who are big on saving the environment/recycling/buying organic/biofeuling and making good money aren't buying $800 shoes or $216 half-tops.
And yet they're really fashionable, creative people. Of course, *they're* fashion sense keeps them out of the poorhouse, makes them look fab, funky and age-appropriate and usually manages to be made of organic/natural fibers/hemp/recycled clothing.
Me? I buy whatever (and it's not a lot. Not on my single 'masses' budget in a major urban city) and as long as I don't feel like I'm having the organic wool pulled over my eyes, I don't care how much the clothes on this site cost because I know I can't fit most of it, anyway.
This 'sustainability' thing, though? Organic wool descending... .
Maybe I'm just not seeing the connection with 'fashion' requiring the acceptance of $800 shoes as some sort of litmus test.
'Cause, honey, lottsa lottsa tranny messes are walking 'round in $800 shoes.
Oh, what would Jay say??
Maybe I'm just not seeing the connection with 'fashion' requiring the acceptance of $800 shoes as some sort of litmus test.
Maybe not, but it gets really tiresome when so many of the critiques around here amount to no more than "That doesn't flatter me." "It's too young." "I would never spend that much."
Fashion isn't just about what you personally wear and buy. It's like walking through an art gallery and offering criticisms no more substantial than "That's too expensive and it doesn't match my couch."
"Anonymous said...
Fashion isn't just about what you personally wear and buy. It's like walking through an art gallery and offering criticisms no more substantial than "That's too expensive and it doesn't match my couch."
Can I hug you?
P.S. By the way, I bought the pleated chiffon dress. I can't wait to wear it.
It's like walking through an art gallery and offering criticisms no more substantial than "That's too expensive and it doesn't match my couch."
Except that people buying art DO this. There's a practical side to art and fashion when the topic of buying and selling comes up. And in this particular instance, I don't really think the clothes are different enough from things I've seen before to warrant the price tag. Apparently being semi-environmentally safe is really expensive.
Except that people buying art DO this.
I know. The point is, it's a tacky and pedestrian way to approach art or design.
There's a practical side to art and fashion when the topic of buying and selling comes up.
I know this too. The point is, it's only one way to look at fashion and it's not only the least interesting way to look at it, but it seems that for many of the commenters here it's the ONLY way they can look at it.
Why not try talking about shape and form and fit and color and inspiration? That can lead to so many insights more interesting than "It would make my hips look big."
Anonymous said...
The blue top's $216 freakin' dollars!?!?!
Here's the thing. If you pay top dollar for eco fabrics, and a living wage to your workers ,and sales volume is small, that is what you have to charge to make a profit. You also are paying for an original design which doens't seem to matter much anymore. Even at the prices she is charging, I bet her profit margin is pretty small.
David said...
OK, I haven't had any coffee yet, time to vent. I just have one quick question: What the heck are Wallmart shoppers doing on a blog about fashion?
If you can't afford a $200-300 dress than you probably shouldn't be discussing fashion.
NONE of these PR designers (or any real fashion designer for that matter) has produced anything of great quality for less than $100, unless they're selling their clothes on QVC.
And even when they do so as an attempt to branch out and reach a new market, you bitches complain that you don't shop on QVC, because they only sell crap blah blah blah.
If you can't deal with a shoe costing $800 you should NOT be discussing fashion. Period.
Oh, David my friend, you are wrong. Firstly, if one cannot afford $ 800 shoes or a $200 blouse, it does not follow that they buy their clothing at Wal-Mart.
Lots of expensive items are pure crap .The price of an item is not a good way to determine it's worth (that is for people with no taste or style).
A clever person can be stylish and fashionable with re-styled clothes from the Goodwill. Money cannot buy style, nor is it an indicator of how much you know about fashion.
Congrats Nora - it looks fantastic!
~ Alex
Thank you, Sewing Siren! Both points (11:58 & 12:16) are well made.
My point to which David may have been responding, might have been poorly stated. While I don't shop at Walmart, and am past the age where sans foundation is a good look for me, my point was that trends have to start somewhere. I believe that over time, organic, labor and earth friendly clothing will hit the main stream - and the price will come down. They won't be the designer garments that Nora produces, but they will provide a choice to those of us who are interested in lowering our carbon footprint. (meanwhile, I will continue to hit consignment and vintage stores - reuse dontcha' know.)
Anonymous 11:27AM said:
"Except that people buying art DO this."
I know. The point is, it's a tacky and pedestrian way to approach art or design.
You have a point about your own opinion. Other posters have points about their own opinion, too.
Both are valid because both contribute heavily to whether 'fashion' gets produced or not.
If you think it's tacky, so be it.
Vox populi, peoples! Wheeeeeeee.
I love these! This is the Laura for the younger generations who read your blog! Thank you!
I want all the clothes AND the model's haircut.
Where can I find out more about this line...natural vinyl? Never heard of that!
Being unable or unwilling to pay $800 for shoes does not exclude one from an appreciation of fashion, nor from fashion discussion. It probably excuses one from having that discussion with elitists with entitlement issues, but that'd jimdandy with me. Period.
This collection IS young. Hopefully the long-in-tooth will realize that, and steer clear. It is perfection for the perkier set. Most fashion has a target market. Rarely does it hit that target with such a solid bullseye. The designs skim the body; the fabrics don't look like some wonky ecotrend.
gd job, nora. congratz!!!
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