You know when you have all these events you’ve wanted to throw and don’t get a chance to but then decide to do them all at once because you’re moving to NYC? Well that’s THIS party!  A. I’m moving to NYC! B. We’re raising funds for 2 of my friends’ very worthy causes! C. Preview my upcoming fall collection! D. Sample Sale! E. Vegan cocktail party with sweets & awesome company! (that should be A!) E. Action Booth & Karen Marie Eco Salon in the house! These two are worth a party alone!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, before I leave for NYC, I would love to see your beautiful faces!

Details below, tickets HERE, and facebook invite here for sharing, say you’ll come!

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1. These I Heart Vegan Girls/Boys buttons. Okay so maybe when I went vegan nearly 10 years ago there wasn’t exactly a market for vegan girls as a PREFERENCE and heck, when I went vegetarian at 10 most kids thought I was just weird for it (though hmmm, perhaps that had more to do with my self-cut bangs, handmade slogan tees…?) But that was a lonnnng time ago, as exhibited by existence of said fantastic button, and corresponding “I heart Vegan Boys” button.  Awesomeness with a plastic shell and safety pin back.

2. Quoting fashion reality tv. Okay, I’m not into reality tv of any other sort and I really I hate admitting that I watch this stuff even, but check out these gems of wisdom and tell me you aren’t inspired too? A little? Eh?

Anthony (Project Runway Season 7, episode 10, when Anthony is “kicked off”): “I think what life has taught us is, you don’t have to have the crown to be the queen.” Okay judge if you will but I seriously teared up when I heard this one, maybe it gets you too?   (I’ve just always been so awful at impressing judges and winning competitions… no boo hoo hoo here but hey, this Anthony just really gets me, right, here.)

Then last week. Kelly Cutrone of People’s Revolution (the City) tells Whitney, “Average people love to be average because no one bothers them.” Amen to that! A post along the same lines from my favorite author Seth Godin here.

And I’m pretty sure a couple months back I found the urge to quote ANTM’s special guest Lauren Hutton more often than I’d like to admit… (par memory not ver batim)… when asked by the contestants the secret to a successful modeling career, she said, “I was never the prettiest or the tallest, but the secret to success- in anything really- is to work four times harder than anyone else.”

3. Orange Fudge from Allison’s Gourmet. Fudge. Vegan Fudge. Vegan Fudge with real orange in it. Vegan fudge with real orange in it from the first vegan bakery on the face of this earth! (started 1989- believe it!) This stuff is deck-the-halls-a-dent. Perfect for sharing at parties, though they’ll probably ask you the recipe and you’ll have to admit you didn’t make it yourself. Oh well. At that point you should be on a chocolate endorphin kick so I think you can handle that.

4. Gorgeous famous vegans take over IN STYLE’s MAY ISSUE! Actresses Lea Michele (from GLEE!) and Ginnifer Goodwin (love her!) are two of three stories in IN STYLE Magazine’s article “Meals my mother taught me” (page 325) both with VEGAN MEALS! Yes! 2 out of 3 ain’t bad for a “normal” not vegan/health focused article, yeah? Ginnifer shares a vegan recipe of Gramma’s Bok Choy & Chickn (vegan) Salad and Lea sets it up for a regular & vegan version of her mom’s Vegetable Lasagna Rolls. On newsstands now, check it out!

5. Adorable animal loving postcards & art by my girl Laura at Le Canot Rouge! Not only does she illustrate the most adorable messengers of handwritten notes! but she also shows them the real love with hard core dedication to the environment, from her site: “Le Canot Rouge illustrations are printed on Mohawk Genesis ‘Forest Stewardship Certified’ premium papers, made from 100% post-consumer waste. The paper is also acid-free, lignin-free, process chlorine-free, and manufactured with ‘Green-e Certified’ windpower. And because it is also archival, your print will last and last and last and last.” Talk about walking the talk. Need a foot massage, Laura?

6. Peanut Butter Cups that are to DIE FOR! from Lagusta’s Luscious. Believe me, I’ve tried many a vegan chocolate (and non-vegan back in the day). like the song we used to sing in camp, These are the ones. These are the ones we’ve been waiting for… Classic peanut butter chocolate combo but with the most yummy luxurious ingredients and handcrafted gorgeousness. You’ve waited long enough, go try em!

7. (Anticipatory mention) The New “Green” Chicagoland Restaurant “Prasino” with amazing vegan brunch options! Okay so with there being only a couple of Veg/Vegan places in the suburbs (mainly the one- Borrowed Earth raw restaurant, which I adore! near Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove), I am sooo thrilled to have a new place to try with my rents & Nate out in La Grange called Prasino. Their vegan dinner and lunch options are nearly none, but their brunch menu makes me giddy with several including a Tofu Scram with (veg) Sausage, Garden Skillet (tofu scram instead of eggs), Vegan Eggs Benedict, Autumn Vegan Pecan Pancakes, and Vegan Orange Almond Stuffed French Toast. Phew! Now those are OPTIONS. Stay tuned for a review! And if you try it first-  let me know or I may just have to steal your leftovers!

8. Gorgeous LAUREN KROHN Photography.  Have you heard of this vegan bed and breakfast on the beach with native tiny deer? Well, it sounds like heaven to me, and I discovered it through the takes you there photography of Lauren Krohn. Check out her work here- she donates often to sanctuaries and her love for animals is visually inspiring! Facebook page here with her animals gallery!

9. Tees that tell it like it is. My super talented friends at Sparrow have been working on some adorable Love themed Vegan tees (as Vegan= Love, does it not?) with profits going to my favorite place on Earth, the Farm Sanctuary. Check them out here and others available for the respect/love of all.

10. Old friends in fun places! Took this pic last night of me + my former boss from 9 years ago when we both worked at Express for Men on Michigan Avenue- dancing our way through sweaters and tees and revamping wardrobes. He taught me so much and what’s more is we always had SO much fun!  I had heard his fashion line was poppin’ and last night at the StyleChicago 25 Best Chicago Designers Event I knew I’d run into him. What a treat! This man is and has always been pure joy and a half- heart you, Borris!

okay, I love a lot more things than 10 this month (like this lip gloss!), but this’ll have to do for now! Have a fantastic weekend.

warmest,

Our upcycled indigo windbreaker- limited run. 100% windproof, water resistant, & fully lined. made in Chicago! Pretty + Protected. Perfect for bike rides, picnics, hiking, and drizzly days.

And psst. this is the last week to get the preorder $50 discount with code "Making Dracket" Click for details and to order yours!

And check out our new sexy eco racerback tanks! Inspired by the words of Gandhi: "To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious." Spread the compassion!

It's an eco-blend sexy racerback including organic cotton, recycled polyester, & naturally occurring rayon, sustainably screenprinted in the USA. $32 Click to order yours!

Perfect for sprinkler runs! This one inspired by my favorite Einstein Quote- "Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures..."

Yummmmm sprinkler drops! Find out what spring tastes like. This racerback also $32 and just arrived! Raw edges & super cute fit. Want to grab your very own? Just click here.

Hope you like! You can shop anytime by visiting our shop, tees, coats, and jewelry/art here.

And of course! Lovely photography by the very talented John Cizmas, modeled by our gorgeous Midwestern beauty Brittney Geissel, and hair/makeup by the wonderful Sopha Kommavang.

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Gather around the magic rug, friends! It’s STORYTIME!!! (okay sorry the former education major in me gets a little excited about stories. sharing. and y’know. all that brighten my day business. ha.)

So last week, I asked my friends on the F to the B what the nicest thing a stranger has done for them… here are just a few of my favorites but they’re ALL SO good and inspiring! Read them all and keep in touch on our Vaute Couture Page for more random questions/contests every other Friday.

::::STRANGERS IN ACTION:::

“I once had a perfect stranger I contacted on Craigslist give me 2nd row tickets for my anniversary to a comedian for free! My husband and I were going thru a tough time, and I had offered her less than what she was asking in a desperate attempt to have a nice gift to give my hubby. She said she would love to help us, and that I could have a nice night out on her. Her only request? To pay it forward. Which I HAPPILY did later that year to another unsuspecting person! There really are some great people out there in the world!” (Sarah A)

“The one I really remember wasn’t about me at all. I was in London on the tube. A very unkempt man was yelling incoherently and shaking a book. I stayed still, because I felt a bit afraid, and there was quite a bit of empty space around him. A man walked over, sat down next to him, and listened. The unkempt man calmed down and spoke to him earnestly and pointed at the book, and as I listened in, I realized that he was trying to explain that he was a veteran, and that there was a photo of him in the book. The act of walking over and just sitting down to listen to someone I had previously perceived as scary, just being so kind as to listen, that was the kindest thing I ever saw.” (Jocelyn K)

“Two summers ago I frequented a local park and read there during beautiful, sunny days. I would often observe others around me after reading a chapter or two and take in the beauty all around - the people, the trees, the birds hoping along the concrete steps. One day, a very kind man began speaking with me about a book called The Four Agreements and various spiritual topics. After a little while, he gave me a slip of paper that read “I am thankful you are alive.” He would write messages like this and pass them on to people he had never met. I felt very touched knowing that we are all loved, no matter who we are - there is always someone out there who is grateful that we have come into this world and share our lives and stories with others. It’s a torch I try to pass on myself.” (Seana S)

“I was touring Ireland with my Dad when about a block in front of us a blind man was about to cross the street. A nearby construction worker, with the sweetest smile, stopped what he was doing and helped the man cross safely. Technically it was a kindness done to that man but it made mine and my fathers day so much brighter that I felt like he’d done an incredibly nice thing for us.” (Danielle B)

“One day I was at the grocery store and I had my arms loaded full of bags, as I struggled my way out to the car a nice elderly man offered to help me, I insisted on trying to carry them myself because I felt bad asking an old man to help me carry my heavy bags, as I declined one of the bags broke and my produce went everywhere, oranges and apples rolling all over the parking lot, he scrambled to help me collect them all and bring them to my car. Then I get to my car and realize that my keys & cell phone were locked in. Not only did he call a tow company for me he even paid for the lockout!! Pretty amazing…I felt truly fortunate to have crossed paths with this man! To this day I still bake him cookies and bring them to him once or twice a month.” (Morgan M)

Okay and my story, right? Nate and I missed our flight to Rochester NY (I was on my way to do a photoshoot at the Farm Sanctuary). And as the next flight was not until 10pm (!!) (original was 1pm- 1!!), we decided to make the most of it and spend the day as if we lived in the airport- shopping, eating, counting all the carts, haha- a jolly good time all around. Okay, that’s not the story though- I soon realized we had another issue, after getting there 9 hours late, we’d still have a 3 hour drive to Watkins Glen, where the Sanctuary is. But none of the rental car companies would be open when we arrived after midnight- meaning we’d have to sleep in the airport and eat up another 8 or so hours of our 2 day trip! And so, upon hearing this, without hesitation- a sigh- anything- the rental car rep gave me his cell phone #, and promised to be there with a car for us, 6 hours after his shift ended, and 1 hour after the whole place shut down for the night. When we arrived, we discovered that his parents had to drive him there because his wife had blocked his car in. So past midnight on a Saturday night, his son was asleep in the backseat in his Spiderman costume, and his parents in the front. He saved us a night of sleeping in the airport after already losing a day… but it was this without a blink of an eye effortless generosity he shared that really took me back… a total angel- and made me think, man, if I could be more like this guy?

So much kindness in this world. Has a total stranger done something for you? share, bear!

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So if you hadn’t guessed, VAUTE COUTURE WILL BE THERE. Can’t wait to see you!

So much to show you. Be the first to snap up one on our gorgeously protective new windbreaker indigo dress jackets made of upcycled windproof water resistant 100% Recycled Closed Loop Zero waste satin ripstop and fully lined in silver mesh. They’re perfect for bike rides, drizzly days, windy hikes, and walks in the park being all pretty like you are.

And of course- the last bit of our first ever line of lovely winter coats are here in person for you to find your favorite and take home that day. Make your investment for next fall/winter & get a steal!

Our new racerback tanks made of an eco blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon and inspired by the words of two of our favorite animal advocates- Gandhi & Einstein, have arrived. Plus of course tees, handcut jewelry, and hugs on hand too!

WHEN: Thursday April 29th,  5-9pm

WHERE: 233 W Huron, Chicago

WHAT: Chicago’s 25 Best Designers Spring Shopping Cocktail Party! Including of course- Vaute Couture- as well as Lara Miller, Blake Standard, Jess Audey, and Objets D’envy!

HOW: Tickets expected to sell out! Only $15 to get in and shop to your heart’s content, grab free cocktails, and meet all the designers face to face. Must be 21+. Get your ticket here before they sell out!

I get tons of requests for personal coat try-ons, so here’s your chance! Email me at Leanne@VauteCouture.com and I’ll be sure to bring what you’re deciding between to the event for you to try on.

Can’t wait to meet you!

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11 minutes. And please excuse my tired appearance, I was time traveling earlier that day… (to a future when we don’t eat, wear, or experiment on animals. Aren’t you jealous? It was pretty awesome. ) Then I sat down with the brilliant Andy Stepanian, who edited, produced, and interviewed me for this piece by Sparrow Media. He included some splice-tastic clips from the “Smart Girls are Breezy” Shoot I did with Jon Cancelino.

Hope you like!! and are having a fantastical weekend.

Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart from Sparrow Media on Vimeo.

And in case you missed it, here’s the video from my NYC Fashion Week Show, by the Discerning Brute, it’s a preview of my fall-winter 2010 line and Joshua is oh-so-wonderful!

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the Bomono in Ivory- super sexy for chilly spring nights. Now Only $145

A giddy warm joy resulting from sweet warmth, sprinklers, and spans of gaw-geous flowers on an otherwise cold Midwestern Day! It’s the Greenhouse Affect. (Here experienced at the Don Hahlbeck Greenhouse in Milwaukee.)

Kinda perfect with shorts, skinny jeans, tights, or a mini.

the Lovely Gray Pea Coat with Vintage Deadstock Buttons from the UK

Now $204 at 45% off for the end of season! Use code "LaunchLove45"

the Ivory Pea is extra pretty for your everyday afternoon frolic through a field of flowers, naturally. you do that, right? yeah me neither. :)

Get laid-off, and make it into an opportunity.

Last night I went to the Chicago showing of the Lemonade Movie, trailer above (See where it’s playing next!) “Don’t be that person looking for a job, be that person doing something interesting,” is the best quote of all, and the director (laid off lemonade maker himself) shared with us after the show some of the more extra special stories about people who did just that and found opportunities that they didn’t asked for- kind of Julie & Julia-esque like anecdotes- one of a photographer who photographed up and down an interstate and ended up being greeted by press at each stop, ending in a book deal, or another who couldn’t find a job in advertising so he decided to build his childhood dream treehouse for fun, and from that the #1 agency on his list heard and offered him a job… (though he made a point to say that it’s in doing what you love that the opportunities follow, not the other way around.) I found familiar so much of what he shared from his own life- that he’s got a lot of blind faith, but how the universe has always laid something out to catch him each time he was running out of ground… it reminds me of my favorite Audrey Hepburn quote:

“How shall I sum up my life? I think I’ve been particularly lucky. Does that have something to do with faith also? I know my mother always used to say, ‘Good things aren’t supposed to just fall in your lap. God is very generous, but he expects you to do your part first.’ So you have to make that effort. But at the end of a bad time or a huge effort, I’ve always had - how shall I say it? - the prize at the end. My whole life shows that.” (Audrey Hepburn)

Ahhh Audrey. Love her. But back to the film… what I found most interesting was that many of the Q&A audience questions sounded strangely like… excuses?  “I’m not like those people” “I don’t have the same opportunities” “But what about this hurdle- how do I get over this? (already with the answer-) I can’t” was what I heard over and over… Sure it’s easier to say, “I’m not like them, they’re special with special circumstances, but this can’t happen to me, I’m sure of it,” but who does that help? Isn’t it more magical to say, “How am I like them? How can I make my opportunity? What’s my in? I’m lucky too…” because in the end, whether you see life as an opportunity or a trap, you’re the one who lives that life, no one else.  If it means starting small, start small, do it on the side, at night, on the weekends… or go big! take a leap of faith! and have fun. It certainly isn’t easy…there is no step by step process or how to guide… but it’s the adventure of your life, YOUR life. You deserve to see what could happen (and you owe it to us, the world! we want to see too!!) “Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, and power, and magic in it.” (Goethe).

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Our Look Book Shoot (for Fall/Winter 2010) ended up at possibly the happiest place on Earth, I mean, at Lula’s Sweet Apothecary in NYC. I still don’t know what that last word means, but I feel that by keeping myself ignorant, it allows me to imagine it means all of the things that I feel are namelessly magical about this place… Quite the cherry on top for this team of hungry chilly vegans after a long weekend of shooting.

the talented & amazing owner Blythe!

Seriously. These two could not be any cuter.

Triple Vision.

Already living in next season's soy knits. (shhh!)

That Joshua, always in a bad mood.

Another cute one of these two. I swear.

Yay!! Can’t wait to show you the real look book when it’s ready… we mayyy have had too much fun making it for you!

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