The Republic: Banana Republic from the Inside Out

Our upcoming Fall/Holiday 2012 Collection previewed to a great response earlier this week in New York. A packed house filled with fashion editors, bloggers and media took in the new collection with its sophisticated leather offerings and equestrian inspiration. Lively pops of color and plush tactile finishes combined with clean multitasking separates balance the charm of the country with the polish of the city.

Preview the upcoming collection and see the behind the scenes preparation that brought this new collection together. Click read more below to see extensive backstage coverage.

Read More

Welcome to the jungle. This season’s strongest suits? Polished pieces that walk on the wild side. Instead of workwear, think: what works? Introducing a collection of versatile, safari inspired pieces  — classically refined, creatively redefined. We dare you to mix, not match, for endless texture, contrast and style (oh my!)

Let the hunt begin. The Spring 2012 Desktop Safari collection — unleashed in stores today.

Spring and summer are on the horizon and bringing with them fresh new trends for one of our favorite accessories — jewelry. We caught up with our senior merchandise manager Robin S. to get her philosophy on accessories, favorite picks from the new collection and a sneak peek at what’s in store for fall.

Banana Republic: What are the top jewelry trends for spring and summer?
Robin S.: We love bright, saturated colors like coral, turquoise, green and yellow to really signal the spring and summer seasons. Mix colors or wear a range of the same color tones together. Another trend is stacking bracelets. Combining bracelets with bright color, leather and pattern creates a custom look that pairs back to a range of outfits. We also continue to love the cleaned up safari look. Tortoise and gold together really compliment khaki apparel and can be worn dressed up for work or casually on the weekend.

BR: What are some of your favorite pieces from the spring and summer BR collection?
RS: I love mixing the Skinny Resin Bangle, Cab Stretch Bracelet, and Resin Stretch Bracelet together — especially the bright pink and turquoise colors. The Tropical Sunset Necklace looks great under a woven for work but also is perfect for a dressy occasion like a wedding or graduation during summer. I love the simplicity of a great link necklace — the Interlock Link Necklace can really be worn with anything. Every woman should own at least one of these!
BR: What is your personal accessories philosophy (pile it on or simple is best)?
RS: During the week I normally wear simple jewelry — stud earrings, a simple necklace, and a few bracelets worn with my watch (as I take jewelry on and off all day trying on new samples.) There are other days, however, that I love to wear a simple white t-shirt with a bold statement necklace or a few pieces layered together (depending on my mood.) I almost always wear something large or colorful when I go out with friends for drinks or dinner. I love using jewelry to make my outfit!

BR: Can you give us a teaser about what jewelry trends we’ll be seeing for fall?
RS: For fall, the trends we love are: pearl, rich fall-appropriate colors like purple and amber tones and tortoise (which carries over from spring and summer.) You will see jewelry get a bit more dressed up as we move into the fall season.