When I began planning my recent trip to NYC, I decided to make a little check list of the places I have been wanting to see for the past few years. This included some Insta worthy restaurants, museums, and staples like Central Park but also a showroom of one of my favorite brands, Eliza J. It has been a long time stand out for me, first seeing it in 2014 on many of my favorite bloggers. I wanted to do a blog post around the showroom experience, as I knew that there are many fashion obsessed gals out there (aside from just me!) who might like to take a peak inside a fashion showroom and even play a little dress up! From start to finish my experience was such that made me fall even more in love with this feminine brand.
Located in the fashion district of Manhattan, the beautiful high rise building the Eliza J team calls home is also chock full of other designer showrooms. As we stood in the gilded lobby, waiting for the overworked elevator I marveled at the directory of the showrooms, drifting off into a day dream, imagining being accidentally ‘locked in’ this building after hours, going to every floor and pulling an all-nighter of playing dress up. The elevator bell sounded and jotted me back to the present. We crammed in along with a fashion sea of fabulous and very busy looking men and women, and proceeded to go on the most fun elevator ride I’ve ever been on. With each ‘ding’ and the door opening, as another fashionista, clad in all black or an eclectic mix of vintage finds, rushed out of the elevator, I would get a peek into the showroom that floor housed. “Oh hello Karl Lagerfeld!” “Ah, Calvin Klein!” as Eric gave me an amused dose of side eye. But I was a kid in a candy store. A Carrie Bradshaw, as she first laid eyes on the Vogue accessory closet. I silently wished for my daughter Grace to be in the elevator with us, so I could press every button and blame it on her.
The bell rang at 34 and it was our turn to disembark. We stepped out of the elevator and into the girliest bright space, which seemed to glow from the inside out. When I was in high school and imagined what a NYC designer showroom looked like, this was it. Gorgeous sparkly cluster of chandeliers (which I am now convinced need to be replicated in our dining room!), gold embellished racks and beautiful orchids set the perfect tone for the lovely Eliza J dresses which hung in every direction I looked. My mind again drifted to playing dress up here in the middle of the night and then I remembered, “wait! I’m about to do it in real life!” The PR director Ashley came out to greet us and immediately set the mood for the fun and lovely shoot we were about to have. She struck me as the kind of girl you want to instantly become best friends with and spend an afternoon shopping together and talking about anything and everything. She took me around the showroom and pointed out dresses which she thought would be my favorites. Light colors, lots of lace and embellishment.
Yup, I loved them all! I twirled my way through the showroom, trying on amazing spring dresses, lace bell sleeves and the prettiest prints clouding my brain. Can I do this every day please? I stopped to look out of the window onto the city below me. The 180 degree view from the 34th floor making me feel slightly dizzy, or was it the amazing fashion overload? I stood there, making myself take the moment in. To truly enjoy it. I felt giddy with the thought that I would have countless photos to help me remember this special experience.
And now for the most important part, the fashion! I wanted to break down all of my favorites by style, giving you a range of options for different occasions. While I tried on a few dresses in each of the styles, there are so many more that Eliza J makes, it would be a shame not to highlight them all.
Lovely Lace
Mesmerizing Maxis
True Blue
A special thanks to Ashley Goldstein, Eliza J’s PR Director, for this great opportunity and making us feel so welcomed and letting me play dress up with these gorgeous dresses!
-V
