(Image above: Renegade Craft Fair sign, mini toast friends from Wonder Thunder, crayons from Kitty Baby Love)

Last month, Emily and I went to the famous Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco to see the latest in handmade fashion, accessories, homewares and more. Held in a beautiful venue right by the bay, and populated by over 300 indie crafters, it was an amazing and inspiring experience. We shopped for ourselves (who could resist?) but also found some great new designers to showcase right here on ModCloth (coming soon!).

Read on to learn more about the crafts and fashions at Renegade!

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As Susan, Sari and I are getting reacquainted with our Pittsburgh surroundings, one thing is for sure: we miss Berlin’s cuisine! From soft pretzels to eggplant roll-ups, we sampled some of the best that Europe has to offer. But as Sari mentioned in her Top 10 post, one restaurant stole our heart – Gorki Park! Its farmer’s breakfast for two was the perfect start for a day of vintage shopping. We couldn’t go just once!

Read on to hear more about the food and nightlife we experienced in Berlin! Read the rest of this entry »

Bread and Butter

If you are like me you dread the airport. Long security lines, crappy food and uncomfortable seats (not to mention those check baggage fees) but what if you were going the airport not to board a long flight but to shop for amazing clothing?  Well, that’s exactly what we  just did!  This month the ModCloth buyers traveled to Berlin, Germany to attend Bread and Butter, the premier apparel tradeshow for all of Europe.  The event was held at the now non-operating Tempelhof Airport in Berlin.  There they transformed airplane hangars  into showrooms, waiting areas into restaurants and the tarmac into exhibitor tents!  The baggage claim carousel was even operating but instead of holding luggage it help tote bags and tradeshow maps.

Keep reading to hear more about Bread and Butter

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Image from Street Peeper

I’m really inspired by the bold colors of this girl’s dress, and I love the simplicity of the wrapped style offset by ruffled sleeves. She looks like a pretty little circus clown with her hat and bright red corsage. Her simple black accessories work perfectly with her vibrant dress. To add a splash of color to your wardrobe, try the Orangerie Dress in Crystal Palace and pair it with The Cover Girl’s Derby, The Fabulous Purse, Black Mamba Flats and the Flower Box Pin.

This edition of tales from the road comes from none other than Pittsburgh favorite Gooskis! This Friday, I was lucky enough to wander into the best dance party I’ve attended in years, hosted by Slavic Soul Party. The Balkan-inspired band hails from none other than New York City, where they’ve brought the party time and time again.

Read on to hear more about our booty-shaking Friday night!

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Later today I will be hitting the road for a 12 hour drive to the tiny town of Manchester, Tennessee, with a few friends and my camping equipment crammed in to a very Cheech and Chong-esq conversion van. The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival kicks off tomorrow, and this year is going to be siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick! Four days, Eight stages, over 150 bands and 80,000 people. I am so excited that I can barely contain myself!

Are You Going To The ‘Roo? If you are, my friend, you are in luck! I have in my possession three fabulous tote bags filled with goodies, and one of them could be yours! Yes, our Hide and Chic scavenger hunt is making its way down to the farm for the Hide & Chic: Bonnaroo Edition! I will hide one tote a day (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) in various locations inside Centeroo. Make sure you are following @ModCloth on twitter because I’ll be tweeting little clues to help you in your pursuit!

Can’t Make It? Don’t be bummed!! You can still get in to the action by saving 25% off some of our fave festival duds (such as the oh-so-chic Mara Headband) during our BONNAROO SALE!!

Update on 6/11/2009: The Bonnaroo Sale might have ended last night at midnight, but you can still check out these items that are on sale now!

[From left to right: Boston Common Park, Harvard Campus, Swan boat on the Boston Common Lagoon]

I have always attempted to use the long Memorial Day weekend as a chance to explore other cities and after stumbling upon $79 round trip tickets to Boston late one night, I knew Bean Town must be my next excursion!  Lucky enough to have perfect weather and a friend to stay with, I was on my way! The first day in Boston, we explored Cambridge.  Harvard’s  Campus,  Twisted Village Records, and a late night showing of  400 Blows (Tommy Lee Jones was in attendance) at The Brattle Theater were a few of the things on the itinerary for day one.

Keep reading for more of my Boston adventure..

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Last weekend, I spent a little time in a new city visiting some college friends. It was a ton of fun to catch up with them and see some new sites! Here’s what I learned during my trip to San Francisco…

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The buying team has been on the road for the last few months in search of the best and the brightest for ModCloth.  So far this season, we have two trips to LA, a gift fair, a shoe trade show and two apparel trade shows under our belt, and we think you will be happy with the results (preview some of our finds on Flickr)! In ‘Tales from the Road: Tradeshow Roundup’ I’ll be sharing some trip highlights!

Keep reading to hear about Michael Ian Black’s show and an infamous chocolate martini!

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    [Image above: Banh Xeo Chay at Pho Cafe]

Tradeshows make up the bulk of our buying experience, but also we like to sprinkle in trips to Los Angeles every few months to visit the massive L.A. wholesale district and vendor showrooms.  Being sophomoric Los Angeles visitors, we already have a few favorite spots in L.A., but we are always looking for new and interesting things to do. Any suggestions, Angelenos?One of our favorite dining spots is the delicious Pho Café.  Nestled in a tiny plaza, Silver Lake, this unmarked Vietnamese restaurant is a true hidden gem. The Banh Xeo Chay (crispy mushroom and egg crepes, served with mint peanut sauce, sprouts and rice paper for wrapping) are worth a trip to L.A. for!   

After dinner we headed for drinks at the Cha Cha Lounge. This eclectic hang-out has dim red lighting, sombrero-covered ceilings, a photo booth, and some of the finest velvet paintings I have ever seen. We had heard some rumors of celebrity sightings (Ryan Gosling has DJed there before), but it was a low-key night at the Cha Cha. However, coincidently, the DJ ended up playing a track from fellow friends and Pittsburghers, The Modey Lemon.

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