ARTFUL LIVING: Nine years ago, Julia Moss started reinventing vintage silver classics. It began with a silver tray she inherited from her grandmother that she refinished to better fit her aesthetic. Like many entrepreneurs, her personal project bloomed into a business, dubbed The Next Generation of Silver. Moss would take silver pieces that people inherited or thrifted but didn’t know how to use then strip, coat and bake them, often in wild colors. In short, she was breathing new life into classics that were otherwise sitting in a box hidden away in a closet. When she began styling them at pop-ups, trunk shows and art fairs, shoppers inevitably wanted to purchase her accessories, too.
In 2015, the next natural step was to open Julia Moss Designs, a brick-and-mortar store in Minneapolis (and online). She outgrew that space in 2019 and moved to Wayzata, where she hosts The Next Generation of Silver as well as high-end home decor, gifts and a wedding registry program. When it comes to registries, she helps customers get outfitted for modern life.
“People have their own style, and we encourage them to register for things that build their homes,” she says. Sure, she still suggests couples look toward the future and select some standards — 12-place dining settings, anyone? — but she also encourages them to list coffee table books or other offbeat, unorthodox options. She comes by this philosophy honestly, having herself opted to spend a little leftover wedding money on a Chanel mini flap bag rather than the stereotypical kitchen stand mixer.
That same edited but irreverent philosophy goes for customers who may be outfitting a second home, are downsizing yet still have grand interiors visions or just need a refresh. “Customers come in and tell me, ‘I need this happy, colorful feeling,’” Moss explains. “It’s such an honor when people say that because this is my happy place — but I created it for you to enjoy, too.”
North Loop’s Atmosfere is a must-visit for suits and business casual.
Photo courtesy Atmosfere
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A look inside the local menswear landscape.
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Mpls.St.Paul Magazine: From full-fledged custom experiences complete with whiskey and cigars to locally owned boutiques that focus entirely on special occasion wear, our Cities brim with options for people looking to up the ante with a dapper ’fit. We checked in with some local experts to see what’s trending.
While the classic Mad Men–esque slim black suit never goes out of style, Twin Cities menswear clothiers are seeing a shift to bolder colors and more creative styles. Take Danny and Kenny King, for instance: twin brothers and co-owners of Northeast bespoke suit business King Brothers Clothiers. The duo thrives on helping clients push the envelope and embrace pattern and color. “Post-pandemic, we’re finding people are still taking advantage of occasions to dress up even more,” the Kings say in a joint interview. They report luxe fabric options like jacquard and velvet—in green, blue, and red colorways—continue rising in popularity.
Local menswear boutiques offering custom garment design report an uptick in their bespoke services, including North Loop’s crown jewel MartinPatrick3 and Heimie’s Haberdashery, a cornerstone of St. Paul retail for more than 100 years. Instead of buying a new suit or garment for one-off events, the Heimie’s and MP3 teams encourage clients to ensure they have the great basics covered—and it all starts with a well-fitted shirt, jacket, and pant. Then, they recommend changing up looks with statement accessories, like a shoe, pocket square, tie, or tie clip, to instantly add personality. Anthony Serino, director of marketing at MartinPatrick3, also emphasizes the importance of men building a repertoire of suits and pieces that is versatile—especially when a heftier price tag is attached—to help justify the cost per wear. “Men’s tailored suits continue to trend in subtle, tonal patterns and colors, plus shadow plaids and micro broken checks, which are all versatile and timeless.”
“Men are really embracing more formal dress for their weddings or special events.”
–Anthony Serino, MartinPatrick3
Down the street from MP3, the risk-takers flock to Atmosfere, which specializes almost entirely in wedding and special occasion dressing—with a smattering of business casual. “A major trend we’re noticing in weddings is a rising interest in texture, pattern play, and fun color blocking versus a traditional jacket-and-pant suit,” says manager Amos Vodis, who loves to pair the unexpected, like a burgundy blazer with a dark navy pant. “We can’t keep enough colored blazers in the shop.” When it comes to his classic clientele who prefer to stay in the neutral lane, Vodis recommends juxtaposing a suit with an elevated sneaker or more playful pop of color or patterned tie.
After years of younger generations choosing casual suits and separates, local retailers notice a growing interest in classic tuxedos. “If the venue and vibe allow, men are really embracing more formal dress for their weddings or special events,” says Serino. Vodis confirms classic is king, with more men going all in on satin lapels, bow ties, and suspenders.
If you’ve paid attention to the runways, you’ve probably noticed more women making room in their closets for menswear-inspired looks, like the “power suit.” According to Samantha Tousey, womenswear buyer at MP3, a suiting moment is a unique alternative to a dress and perfect for a second wedding, vow renewal, or holiday party.
“One fun thing for womenswear specifically is the range of silhouettes is so broad,” the Kings say, who’ve done everything from slouchy and oversized to cropped and curve hugging. “We’re loving the high-waisted trouser trend—it’s flattering, and it allows for a beautiful drape.”
Menswear Editor’s Picks
J.H. and Sons Clothier
Add this family-owned newcomer to your list. It offers world-class casual and formal wear brands (including luxe Italian lines like Eleventy, Canali, and Brioni) and expert tailoring services to ensure a perfect fit. Galleria, 612-274-7166, jhandsons.com
Atmosfere
A Nolo staple offering formal wear, business casual, a new custom line, and wedding attire with approachable price tags. 730 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-333-1843, atmosfereweddings.com
MartinPatrick3
The brands, custom tailoring, and top-notch service are among the many reasons MP3 is internationally recognized. Come for the crème de la crème designers, stay for the barbershop and grooming products. 212 3rd Ave. N., Mpls., 612-746-5329, martinpatrick3.com
Heimie’s Haberdashery
A fixture in custom menswear since 1921, Heimie’s recently underwent a massive expansion. The space now offers a roaring 10,000 square feet for retail, a barista, a shotgun library, a groom’s lounge, and a cigar patio. 400 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-224-2354, heimies.com
Hammer Made
Consider this a treasure trove for cool, classic men’s dress shirts in 50 shades and prints and very little sticker shock (most shirts are priced under $150), plus custom suits for wedding parties. Galleria, MOA, Ridgedale, and MSP Airport, hammermade.com
Twill
Don’t leave Galleria without visiting Scott Dayton’s full-service boutique filled with men’s suits and accessories with a preppy-southern influence, as well as tailoring services and sportswear brands like Peter Millar and Barbour. Galleria, 952-922-2711, twillmn.com
King Brothers Clothiers
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-most—visit these blond brothers, who specialize in custom pieces, in a studio-meets-retail-store concept. Open for walk-ins and private fittings. 712 15th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-405-3224, kingbrosclothiers.com
The Von Furstenberg special collection will hit stores and Target’s website in March.
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Diane von Furstenberg is bringing her signature wrap dresses — and much more — to Target this spring.
The Minneapolis-based retailer announced Tuesday that its next limited-time design collaboration will be with the legendary designer. The special collection made for Target, and at Target-like prices, will include more than 200 pieces in clothing, accessories, beauty and home.
Items will start at $4, and most will be under $50. It hits stores and Target’s website on March 23.
Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant, noted this announcement comes just days after Target presented a new bargain-oriented brand called Dealworthy with prices starting at $1. It also recently said it has made major upgrades to one of its other big value-based private-label brands, Up&Up.
“It would seem that the Diane von Furstenberg announcement is meant to perhaps serve as a counterbalance to that to demonstrate that, ‘Hey, we’re not just doubling down on the cheap everyday essentials business,'” she said.
Target’s strategy has long been to walk a tricky line between offering both value and good design as encapsulated by its motto, “expect more, pay less.”
These limited-time collaborations, aimed at the “expect more” part of that equation, are one of the hallmarks of Target and have help cement its reputation as a cheap-chic big box retailer. Other popular collections it has released through the years have been with Missoni, Lilly Pulitzer and Jason Wu. This is the 25th anniversary of its first design partnership with architect Michael Graves.
Some of its more recent partnerships have been with up-and-coming designers who are not yet household names.
With von Furstenberg, Target has tapped a designer who has been on the scene for decades and appeals to older shoppers. But it remains to be seen how much she will do so with Target’s younger shoppers, Spieckerman added.
Through the years, executives have said these design partnerships are more aimed at creating buzz and driving shoppers to the store than about making or breaking a quarter in terms of sales. But Target could use a sales boost.
The retailer’s sales have slid for the last two quarters as budget-strapped consumers grappling with inflation and the return of student loan payments have cut back on shopping at Target. Meanwhile, its chief rival, Walmart, has continued to post strong sales.
This is also the 50th anniversary of von Furstenberg’s famous wrap dress. The designer launched her brand in the 1970s.
Von Furstenberg teamed up with her granddaughter, Talita von Furstenberg, who is co-chair of her namesake brand, on the collection for Target. They dug into the archives for some of the prints, but there are also some new patterns and pieces including matching mommy-and-me outfits and fresh spins on activewear and tabletop.
“Talita and I are proud to partner with Target to extend that invitation to even more women who want to experience timeless pieces that bring effortless glamour and empowerment to their everyday lives,” von Furstenberg said in a statement.
In a first for a Target design collaboration, it will also include made-to-order furniture such as headboards, benches and room dividers that can be customized in one of seven fabrics, starting at $300. The items will be assembled and shipped within four weeks.
“Our partnership with Diane and Talita von Furstenberg represents Target at our best — curating an amazing and distinct assortment and offering it at exceptional prices,” Jill Sando, an executive vice president at Target, said in a statement.
Von Furstenberg told Vogue that she’s already been carrying around for months one of the tote bags with a black and white vintage wave pattern from the yet-to-launch collection.
And while the fabric used for the wrap dresses for Target are different from those used in her own brand, she told the magazine that the “price is ridiculous” at $50.
Learn the basics of millinery from international acclaimed hat designer and milliner Karen Morris.
Students will learn hat shapes, basic techniques and tools for making a fascinator/headpiece, basic millinery stitches as well as different trimmings for finishing a hat.
Each student will leave with one finished fascinator/headpiece at the end of class and learn essential skills from the millinery arts.
This class is intended for beginners/intermediate and some basic sewing skills are recommended. Recommended for ages 16+. Registration cut off is March 8th to ensure materials are ready for all participants.
InStyle: One of the simplest ways to change up your hair is by adding layers. A layered haircut instantly elevates a look — no matter hair type and no matter hair length.
“It gives everyone a little lift and overall a completely stylized look,” says celebrity hairstylist Sky Kim. “You can always adjust how much or where you put them but you won’t regret it.”
“There are so many ways to customize the layers for the individual,” adds celebrity hairstylist Xavier Velasquez. “Whether you’re adding movement, framing the face, or removing bulk.
Simple enough, right? So if you’re looking to see what layers you should go for that will suit your specific hair length and type, this has got you covered. Kim, Velasquez, and celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak break down the best layered haircuts for everyone. See what they had to say below.
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Short Fine Hair: Hidden Layers
Roszak likes hidden layers for short fine hair, as they add movement, volume, and texture. She says that you’ll want the layers to be almost the same length as your longest strands and to have your stylist just enough that will add shape and remove bulk, but without taking away thickness.
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Short Fine Hair: Soft Layers
With short fine hair, less is always more. So another layered haircut you can go for if you have short fine hair is soft layers. “Soft layers are great for people with fine hair since removing the weight helps give hair volume,” says Velasquez.
Kim agrees and says that you can opt for a blunt cut first before having your stylist go in with light layers all around to create dimension. If you want to add volume, Velasquez recommends using something like the Virtue Volumizing Primer to get that lift.
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Short Thick Hair: Interior Layers
Roszak likes interior layers for thicker short hair because it helps take some weight out while letting you keep the short length. “They add great shape to the hair while keeping ends light and healthy,” she says. To do this, she says to have your stylist use thinning shears to remove bulk and then texturize ends (we like the OUAI Texturizing Spray or the Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Ginseng Biotin Volumizing).
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Naturally Curly Short Hair: Wolf Cut
Half shag, half mullet, the wolf cut took 2022 by storm and is here to stay. Kim particularly likes this layered cut for people with naturally curly and short hair. “You can really layer [this cut] and even add a fringe to give it shape and style,” she says.
Roszak adds that it’s key to watch how the hair falls naturally when wanting to shape curls and add layers. To get the cut, she recommends cutting hair while it’s wet and then shaping curls more as they dry.
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Medium Fine Hair: Square Layers
Velasquez likes square layers for hair that grazes just at the collarbone. Kim adds that this soft layering will help give fine hair the illusion of volume.
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Medium Fine Hair: Beachy Texture
Roszak says that adding light layers throughout medium-length hair will add volume to already fine hair. “This cut leaves enough length and fullness, but adds that beachy texture for an effortless look,” she adds.
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Medium Thick Hair: Face Framing Long Layers
“Long layers with some face-framing would benefit medium-length thick hair,” says Roszak. “Having movement at your ends will create more volume and a soft look.”
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Medium Thick Hair: Choppy Layers
Kim says choppy layers make for a cool and edgy vibe. “You just feel lighter without all that hair weighing you down,” she explains.
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Naturally Curly Medium Hair: Heavy Layers
Kim loves a heavy layered cut paired with a textured bang. She says to let hairs layer on top of each other to avoid the final result looking like a triangle.
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Naturally Curly Medium Hair: Mid-Layers
Roszak says to match your medium-length hair with medium (or even short) layers. She says these defined layers will enhance curl pattern, add shape, and create more bounce.
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Long Fine Hair: Minimal Layers
Velasquez says that long fine hair doesn’t need much layering. He says to keep it long and minimal to create that movement you want.
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Long Fine Hair: Jane Birkin Fringe
Roszak and Kim agree that long layers are key, as you don’t want to remove that much bulk in fine long hair. “Keeps the appearance of fullness and gives you a lot of lift at the same time,” says Kim. To make it more dynamic, Roszak recommends adding the classic Jane Birkin Fringe bangs.
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Long Thick Hair: Chandelier Layers
Long thick hair is perfect for getting that ‘90s supermodel blowout. Kim suggests chandelier layers — where you have cascading pieces that frame the face.
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Long Thick Hair: Butterfly Cut
Roszak says that the butterfly cut is the layered haircut to go for if you have long thick hair. “[It] works beautifully on this type of hair with face framing pieces,” she says. “This will highlight the length of texture.”
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Naturally Curly Long Hair: Long Shag Cut
Velasquez says that shaggy layers are a great way to give natural curls movement and life. This cut also removes any heaviness that may way your curls down. Kim adds that you can round out layers for full volume.
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Naturally Curly Long Hair: Short Layers
“Curls love layers,” says Roszak. “It creates shape so the curls can thrive. Short layers work here to create more movement and shape, taking out weight and removing a round-shaped bulk.”
The Twin Cities Bridal Show is your Go-To for everything you need for your wedding.
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Created by The Wedding Guys® as the FUN, FAST and FRIENDLY way to meet all of your wedding service providers, this is your opportunity to experience everything in person.
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Come get inspired, compare options and discover things you never thought of. With the best local exhibiting companies you can see, sample, preview and plan your wedding, all in one fun-filled day.
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Spark your creativity with The Inspiration Station™ – it’s like Pinterest, only live! One of the most exciting opportunities at The Twin Cities Bridal Show is to see all the new ideas and creative ways you can make your wedding one-of-a-kind.