Botkier Back at the Troc

We are so excited to have Botkier back at Trocadero. I've always been such a fan of the designer Monica and although we temporarily stopped carrying Botkier bags, it wasn't because we didn't love and adore them.

I was at the shop recently and I couldn't help but love the cardinal red tote! It's a great pop of color, a great "neutral" in many ways as a good red can go far in terms of versatility in your wardrobe.

Paired with the tribal print scarf, both pieces are definitely items that will never scream "Spring 2012" but rather, these are wardrobe staple accessories that will enhance anyone's closet.

I also could not stop myself from trying on the latest sandal deliveries. These black platform sandals from Dolce Vita are so amazingly comfortable but also incredibly practical. I mean, who doesn't need a great, basic heel in black? I also like that you can take these sandals and wear them with opaque tights come autumn.

And speaking of black. I'm also loving this black leather Botkier satchel. Do you see the wood bar detail? I adore that! It's just a simple but chic touch that gives this black bag something special.

I'm definitely loving the look of a satchel these days. Handheld or placed in the crook of your arm, it's a far cry from the large, oversized shoulder bags that I'm so accustomed to wearing. I love mixing ladylike with some downtown edge. This bag would be great paired with a biker boot or even the Dolce Vita platform sandals pictured above. But of course, this also works with a classic black pump as well such as these.

The BEST Bets at the Berkshire Hathaway 2012 Meeting in Omaha

Welcome Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders to Nebraska!

Our very popular dish towels (we have everything from Nebraska to Boston to Paris!)

It's that time of year again! The annual Woodstock of Capitalism, also known as the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting.

The estimates are always around 30,000 folks attending this convention held at the Qwest Center in Omaha, now known as the CenturyLink Center (I know, kinda confusing!).

Trocadero always love to share our best bets when it comes to dining in Omaha during the BRK Meeting, but this year we're going to mix it up a bit. For the next 5 days, we'll be posting daily about what our BEST BETS are during Berkshire Hathaway week. To kick off this 5 day TrocTalk series, we decided to begin with a peek at all the fabulous new items available at Trocadero this season...

Jewelry, handbags and shoes in Spring's cheeriest hues!

Hi! This is Alice Kim. My specialty when I was the Accessories Director at In Style were handbags and shoes. But I also know my way around the luxury and costume jewelry market as well. So I cannot help but stock Trocadero with some of my favorite brands such as MZ Wallace, Kara Ross, Botkier, Seychelles and Dolce Vita. The best thing about these brands is that they offer stylish, seasonal items that don't cost a fortune and aren't so trendy you cannot wear them ever again after this season.

I love to buy items that are wardrobe staples but have something about them that are au courant. In addition to all our wonderful accessories, please enjoy our unique gifts for the home and baby.

Come by and say hi! Trocadero is located at 1208 1/2 Howard Street in the heart of the Old Market. Right next to Wheatfields!

Beautiful lightweight summer scarf that has the colors of the season!

The perfect black sandal that isn't overly trendy. Comfortable to boot!

A power red leather tote with a tribal print scarf

You can't miss our window!

Oh, and an adorable little rattle for that baby!

Nail Obsession

Growing up, I was never allowed to grow my nails long as I was your typical Korean-American immigrant daughter and played the piano. And it was strictly forbidden for me to wear nail polish (how tacky and low class!).

Let's just say that once those piano lessons stopped, I started to grow my nails. Not really on purpose so much but because they just grew. Quickly. And in great, perfect condition.

Fast forward to living in NYC and working in fashion/beauty. My first manicure wasn't until I was well into my 20s; my first pedicure was even later. But I made up for lost time.


When I worked at In Style I pretty much exclusively went to Rescue Beauty Lounge on Centre Market Place to get pedicures and the occasional manicure. I didn't have the patience to get my nails done; I know that they really need to dry and it's close to impossible to get anything done when you have your hands in the air like a surgeon going into the O.R. But boy oh boy! When I did get a manicure, it was usually for some reason...like crazy nail art.

Ok. Don't get the wrong idea. I was not a nail art type of person. But I had these spectacular, evenly growth, long nails and everyone and their mother would comment on them. And that's when the PR person at Louis Vuitton, who had just launched their signature nail lacquer in an espresso brown and burnished gold, called me up and said she was taking me to Rescue Beauty Lounge to get some LV monogram mani-pedis!

My first taste of the LV monogram manicure and I was hooked! It was seriously ghetto fabulous; I felt like a cross between L'il Kim, Jenny on the Block and Eve.

It was impossible to not go back and get the LV monogram again. The amazing part of the nail art manicure was that Sondra at Rescue Beauty Lounge did it all free-style. No stencil. All by hand with a tiny brush. And it was so affordable considering the time that was spent creating the nail art. I think it was like $45 for the whole manicure.


This was all during the time of the now famous Vuitton Murakami colorful monogram. I thought, what if I use the brown base coat of the LV nail lacquer but then use the bright colors of the Murakami logos?

As you can see, the results were impeccable. I was totally in love with my nails! Wouldn't you be?

I had to model my nails in front of my LV Murakami makeup bag. That sweet little guy is so darn cute and the bag itself is amazing, with a full size mirror inside!

Even though the owner of Rescue Beauty Lounge, Ji Baek, absolutely hated my long nails (and was very direct in telling me every time she saw me!), I was a big fan of the salon and her nail lacquers. As I mentioned, I pretty much only went to her salon for my pedicures as they lasted for over a month! No chips, ever. The only reason I would need to get another pedicure was due to nail growth.

So when I opened the Troc, I told Ji I wanted to carry Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes as I thought they were seriously the best in the business.

Trocadero carried the Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes for a few years and gained a good following. But unfortunately Ji closed her salons and stopped wholesaling the nail polishes.

They're now available exclusively online and she just launched "The Fan Collection" which consists of 4 dream nail colors that were submitted by Rescue Beauty Lounge fans. It was a contest that took place over a year ago and the fans got to pick their top 4 favorites. I loved reading about the finalists here. Did you know that there are amazing nail polish blogs out in the blogosphere? I've never seen anything quite like it! Amazing color swatches of nail lacquers, comparisons, photos with flash/without flash, daytime/nighttime. It's the mother lode of consumer reporting for nail polish addicts. I can spend hours looking at these sites! Here are a few: All Lacquered Up, Scrangie, Nails and Noms and Also Known As.

My favorite of the 4 was fortunately NOT sold out! Halcyon, pictured above, is this amazing sage green with pink and orange shimmer, depending on the angle. I cannot wait to receive it! I love this photo of the color.

I also ended up ordering this color too. Mmmmm, pretty!

photo source of RBL polish

Honey & Milk or Milk & Honey?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could customize your own piece of footwear? Add a little piece of suede here, maybe a little embellishment there, throw it on a flat or a boot and suddenly you can dub yourself a designer. Right?

milk & honey was created by two sisters, Llissa and Dorian Howard, who simply have a taste for good shoes and couldn't always find what they were looking for.

Upon my first attempt at creating my own shoe, I immediately found the exact bootie I had been searching for. A perfect dainty cut below the ankle. From there you can choose the type of material, embellishments, trim, platform or not and your desired heel size/height.

(I would show you my final product but I wouldn't want you to steal my brilliant idea, so here is my perfect bootie to say the least)

The only complaint I have is that it's difficut to actually know what the real deal is going to look like once you get it. There is a final picture, but when I'm spending good money on my own piece of work, I want it to be exactly how I pictured it. However, you can request to have certain swatches sent your way so you can get a feel for what's going on your feet.

If you get the shoe and you don't like it, send it back and change it! The beauty of being your own designer.

On the upside, if you live in downtown LA, you can stop by there showroom and check out swatches. They also have a bigger selection!

(Check out their Q&A page for more answers.)

Man of Style

For co-owner of bar and lounge House of Loom Brent Crampton, being a taste-maker and staying in the public eye are basic job requirements. The 28-year-old Omaha native is no stranger to working 16 hour days during which he wears the hats of host, event planner, DJ, barback, hype man, and overall face of the bar.

As an ambassador of the city's nightlife scene, Crampton's wardrobe reflects his distinctive eye.

I sat down with Crampton one afternoon in the dimly lit lounge of House of Loom to pick his brain about his unique style.

Define your Style.

One of my mottos is "mixing life." The same way I mix music, which is all over the board, is the way I mix my life, friends, and experiences. From day to day I can feel something different, so it's really a smorgasbord.

Do you have any style inspirations?

Johnny Depp, definitely! The mystery, the sense of danger, and certain dark tonality.

What's in your closet right now?

I went through a V neck phase, but I got tired of that. Now, I'm doing more wide neck kind of stuff. I like my clothes loose and dangly. I'm not a big fan of normal cut tee shirts, I want something that's bigger and I want the texture and contrast.

Any current style obsessions?

I got influenced through Boardwalk Empire, so I've been doing this "dapper" thing with my hair. Kind of taking the sides down and gradually bringing it back.

Do you have any signature items in your wardrobe?

I've always been a fan of necklaces. And this particular dog tag has a Mayan emblem on it and I wear it just about everyday.

A friend of mine was at a Mayan temple and he did this sketch of the symbol on the tomb, turned that into a stamp, and created this . It was a gift for my birthday a couple of years ago. I have no idea what it says.

Hats. I feel like they're a really fun accessory which can convey a lot of character and the particular mood. I like that sort of Cuban, beach, carefree feeling of the fedoras I usually wear. There's also a simplicity to it- sometimes I never actually was able to shake off bed head so I just put a hat on. I'm surprised there aren't more people who celebrate and explore expression with hats.

What are your splurge items?

I would say jeans and pants. You can find a really good pair, but they may be like 300 or 400 dollars. It may seem like a lot, but if they're great pants then you'll wear them a ton and they'll last you a long time. So, I think it's a good investment.

I have a problem buying hats, I have more than I need. I feel like every time I go out of town, I make a conscious effort to not wear a hat, because I may come home with one.

At the end of the day, what does style mean to you?

The way I look at it is instead of trying to dress to impress, it's dress to express. Every day you have the ability to choose what character you're going to play in the world. You can do that through clothes which can be an artistic expression.

All photos by Clay Lomneth

Website

Photo Blog

Trend to Try: Nail Art

My nail polish collection has gotten a bit out of hand. The 50+ bottles now sit jumbled up in a clear plastic bin in my bathroom, and if I pick up a few more polishes I'm going to have to own up to my addiction and purchase a new place to store them. That being said, I'm all for using up as many of them as I can, and have found that nail art is the way to get a least a little bit of use out of each bottle. I love the way a printed manicure can act as a statement accessory. Although it takes a little bit of finesse and a lot of patience, do-it-yourself nail art is well worth the time and effort. Find five of my favorite nail designs below, complete with easy-to-follow tutorials (just click the links!). 

1.) Nail Art for Novices

If you aren't ready to bust out the brushes and stock up on stencils, this Glamour guide gives you five fabulous options for amping up your manicure. 

2.) Marni-Inspired Nails

You may not be able to afford the dress that inspired this Marni manicure, but you can still add a bit of designer style to your wardrobe. I love this pop art pattern -- and again, the color options are endless!

3.) Art Deco Nails

This is definitely a more classic manicure, one that's a little more office-appropriate than some of my other options but still translates to a night out. Match the metallic color with your jewelry for a complete look!

4.) Tribal Nails

This design is definitely for the pros, but once you get the hang of it, it's nearly impossible to go back to a singular shade. Try it with neon colors for a super statement!

5.) Sunset & Palm Tree Nails 

I love this perfect summer manicure. I don't get to see palm trees or the beach, so these California-inspired nails are just right for when I need a little mental vacation.

Which one would you try? 

At last....SPRING!

A great black/beige snake print on canvas with espadrille wedge.

Springtime has sprung in Omaha but it took a little longer for the Troc to adjust to the new season. Don't get me wrong; we LOVE springtime weather! But knowing Omaha's weather patterns made it us a bit dubious in thinking that Spring was really here and that ugly winter wasn't coming back....

Now that it's April, we are happy to announce the beginning of some of our warmer weather arrivals!

Take a look at some of our sandals that are already gracing the feet of some of our Omaha friends (two customers came in while we were unpacking and bought pairs before they had officially been checked into the system!).

(And the toe nail polish that lets each of these sandals POP? You can find it right here.)

Tan leather platform wood wedges with neon yellow trim

The color combo of the season in a cute thong sandal

Pewter braided leather thong is the easy go-to for any outfit

36 Hours in Omaha, Nebraska

Here at the Troc, we're all about the Nebraska state motto of "The Good Life." To those customers and the browsers that stop in, we often are asked our advice of where to eat, what to do for the afternoon, where else to shop. With the ICAN Women's Leadership Conference taking place in Omaha this Wednesday, April 4th at the Century Link Center, I decided to take this opportunity to showcase what I would do in the approximate 24 hour period that I was in Omaha.

Trocadero welcomes the following women who will be headlining and speaking at this year's ICAN Conference! Thanks to Arianna Huffington, Mallika Chopra, Jeannette Walls, Karen Watson, Julia Moulden, Karen Lisko, Alexandra Levit, Sangeeta Badal, Beverly Kracher, Dawn Gelderloos, Karen Baldwin and Karen A. Watson for coming to Omaha and we hope you get a chance to enjoy some of our recommendations.

I figure that most people will be arriving on Tuesday as the all-day conference on Wednesday begins at 7am with registration and 8am for opening remarks. The conference ends around 4:30pm on Wednesday and some may spend another night and others may fly out that same evening.

Tuesday night, April 3, 2012:
Depending on what time you arrive in Omaha, I would definitely stop by La Buvette and sit outside at a café table with a bottle of wine, a charcuterie and cheese plate and enjoy the mild, springtime weather we are expecting. Enjoy the cobblestone streets (beware stilettos!) and pop into Jackson Street Booksellers (a favorite of Kurt Andersen's and Alexander Payne's) and Second Chance Antiques, where you may find a couple of gems to bring home to your loved ones. I would say stop by my boutique Trocadero but we are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays at the moment.

I recommend the following places to eat dinner either Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. The asterisk (*) means a taxi is required from downtown (where the conference is being held/most hotel accommodations I presume).


Beautiful space, beautiful food: The Boiler Room -- one of the best places in town, hands down. Farm-to-table cuisine, inventive but not precious. Craft cocktails, great wine list.


* Best steak in town: The Drover -- it is my personal favorite. Known for its whiskey marinade on everything from sirloin, bone-in rib-eyes, filet mignon. Great retro salad bar with metal plates. It's very kitsch-y but tasty.

* New and noteworthy: J. Coco -- the newest place in town, it has a James Beard nominated chef and is serving delicious solid food. Everything from osso bucco to seared salmon.

Sushi and Asian-fusion dishes: Hiro 88 -- fresh sushi and sashimi in addition to updated classic Chinese and Japanese dishes. Very hip, urban designed space.

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012:
I noticed there is a break period on Wednesday for lunch. Or for those who may want to skip the first afternoon session, they can have an extended lunch period. I recommend heading to the Old Market (about a 10 minute walk from the Century Link Center) and eating at the various restaurants that cater to any appetite. There is Stokes for Southwestern, Blue Sushi for Japanese, Upstream Brewery for all-American pub fare. But the following two places are the ones I would recommend for a lunch bite:

Saigon Surface -- modern Vietnamese cuisine
M's Pub -- a classic, Omaha institution with great food

Dinner recommendations remain the same as the Tuesday night dinner places.

And of course, if you're not completely wiped out, be sure to stop into Trocadero, my shop, located at 1208 1/2 Howard Street in the heart of the Old Market of Omaha. My store specializes in women's accessories, shoes, handbags, jewelry, books, gifts for the home and babies. It's a one-stop shopping destination (I used to head up accessories at In Style). We are open Wednesday from 11am-7pm. Hope to see you there!