FERRY BUILDING, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The bells chime, the ferries depart and return… and the building remains. A survivor of both the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes, this San Francisco landmark is a mecca for both locals and tourists. Let the longstanding foundation and traditions of this SF spot inspire you to venture out and explore your local history. You never know what unique things you’ll uncover.
How to Wear: Boots
Style goes from head to toe, and these fashionistas know how to wear a winter wardrobe staple: boots. On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil predicted winter was going to last even longer. Take a cue from these savvy bloggers and make the cooler weather look good!
Jessica of What I Wore pairs her warm duck boots with cozy socks and a mix of patterns for a layered look that rocks away the winter doldrums. Keeping a similar color palette throughout the entire outfit makes plaids, stripes and solids work together for bundled-chic appeal!
Anh of 9 to 5 Chic wears these pretty wedge boots with polished flair. She keeps things sleek and simple, but her basic pieces have a little edge. Check out the pointed toe on those heeled booties! Fierce.
Blair of Atlantic-Pacific rocks a pair of red galoshes with plenty of layers and baubles. With tights and over-the-knee socks, she makes a pleated mini skirt work even in winter.
How will you rock winter wear? Whether you go sleek and chic or layered and luxuriously warm, these fabulous fashion bloggers have your style inspiration covered!
This week’s featured designer, Andrea Tobin of Marla Cielo, has some seriously stylish handbags. See how to wear these uniquely crafted accessories to maximize their artistic take on classic pieces and learn about how they’re made here!
Daytime Chic
The Classic Tote Exclusive by Marla Cielo is the perfect pop to make the everyday a little more exciting. Large enough to stow all your necessities – even a laptop for a little work at the local coffee shop – you can pack all of your fashionable essentials into this one-of-a-kind piece with stylish ease. Wear it with a simple color scheme and pair it with some simple silver hoops and a studded cuff to show off your fashionable versatility.
Evening Elegance
Bring the Exclusive Clutch by Marla Cielo for major impact at your next nighttime soiree. Paired with a simple, chic LBD and patent pumps, let your accessories do all the style talking. An emerald ring and serpentine earrings add a statement without yelling over the woven wonder that is the Marla Cielo clutch.
No matter how you wear them, these must-haves from Marla Cielo are sure to have incredible visual impact. Classic shapes with a modern, one-of-a-kind take on material: the next step in wearable art.
Spotted in Sex and the City 2: the Meissa hobo by Adriana Castro
Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) is a fiercely independent fashionista, loved for her no-nonsense quips and trendy style in the Sex and the City series. Her support of independent designers styled to the nines is bang-on perfect for the Circle & Square aesthetic. Combining Indie accessories with chic wardrobe staples is what fiercely independent style is all about.
Here, Kim complements the Meissa Hobo with a belted tank dress, oversize earrings and a big, gold bangle. Snakeskin can sometimes be overdone and overwhelming, but with tone-matched accessories and a simple staple piece, this look is is serpentine perfection!
Try styling our Blue Glazed Meissa Hobo by Adriana Castro with silver jewlery and a black, form-fitted dress. Let the cobalt watersnake print pop on an elegantly minimalist background for a definite wow factor. Make your own sexy city story with this unique hobo!
Redefining ‘one-of-a-kind’ with masterpiece handbags
Designer Andrea Tobin of Marla Cielo visited our San Francisco store earlier this month and left us feeling even more inspired by her beautiful handbags. Learning about her creative process and getting to meet this up-and-coming independent designer was very exciting! Join us for an insider perspective on this artisan’s gorgeous line.
Andrea explaining her creative design and inspiration at our San Francisco store with the Marla Cielo Urban Tote, top left, and Marla Cielo Classic Tote Exclusive, top right.
Meet Your Inner Marla
Andrea’s story began with an inner pull to create. As the draw grew stronger and stronger, Andrea began to embrace her addiction and eventually let herself paint nonstop. She called this inner aspect of herself “Marla,” her demands for creation only getting louder. One day, Andrea saw a snap-press while walking through New York City’s Garment District. Marla screamed inside, and Andrea rushed home, tore a canvas painting off its frame, snapped the edges together and finally Marla was satisfied. Her needs for art and fashion were met with this handmade handbag, and this new creation was Marla.
Each entirely unique handbag has a storied process and is a part of Marla, or the drive to create something one-of-a-kind and exceptionally expressive as a deeper part of yourself. Marla Cielo bags are meant to inspire and be a part of something larger – one’s drive to be fiercely unique.
Creating Marla Cielo
Andrea starts by creating larger-than-life paintings on canvas, using wide brush strokes to create initial images and then filling them in with splashes of color. Her “stream of consciousness” journal series bags have writing and paint media combined. Only she knows the messages contained, adding to the magical allure of expressing your Marla.
Andrea creates her paintings on swaths of canvas measuring six yards longs, inventing beautiful murals that will then be deconstructed into strips and reconstructed into woven bags.
After painting the canvas, giving it a protective coating, backing it with suede, cutting it into strips and weaving them together in specific order, Marla is ready to be crafted into beautifully unique handbags. The end result is full of texture, color, a story and life.
The Exclusive Clutch by Marla Cielo is the perfect size and shape for many occasions. Each piece is uniquely beautiful and has a story to tell.
Shop the Marla Cielo collection by Andrea Tobin to find your own Marla today.
