The Republic: Banana Republic from the Inside Out

‘Tis the season … to chat with our favorite redheaded muse, model and star of the Banana Republic Holiday 2011 campaign. Thank you, Karen Elson for giving us your take on the most festive time of year. You always make our spirits bright—in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Check out the Q&A below.

BR: What are your must-haves this holiday?
KE: Hermes blanket, Serge Lutens perfume, Diptyque candles and Tabitha Simmons shoes.
 
BR: What were you wearing during your favorite New Year’s Eve moment?
KE:A floor-length Anna Sui dress, worn with fake fur gilet and adorned with tons of necklaces and bracelets.
 
BR: Be honest – are you more of a giver or receiver?
KE: I’m more of a giver. I love to find a gift that has meaning to the person I’m giving it to.

BR: What keeps you cozy in the winter—fashion or otherwise?
KE: What keeps me cozy? Over-sized Marc Jacobs sweaters, blankets, and knee-high stockings!

BR: What’s your favorite color and why?
KE: My favorite color changes every year.  At the moment, it’s all shades of purple – from mauve and lilac to the darkest indigo.

(Thank God It’s Thanksgiving)

One of our favorite holidays, Thanksgiving always proves to be a blast. Filled with food, family, friends, football and, yes, shopping. We thought it would be fun to ask two of our own what they’ve got cooking this year.

Julia from our HQ in SF and Mark from our agency in NYC, answer that age-old question: Should stuffing have raisins or not? 

Banana Republic (BR): Raisins. Yes or no?
Julia (SF): No raisins for us. Too sweet.
Mark (NYC): No raisins! I make cornbread, sausage, sage stuffing from scratch that does not need raisins to be delicious.

BR: How many pounds will the turkey be?
SF: 25 - we like our leftovers!
NYC: A bit under 20. Anything too big runs the risk of being rough. Always need a tender Tom!

BR: Any secret ingredients you’re willing to divulge? 
SF: We live in Northern California so we have access to amazing fresh poultry and produce. Our turkey is a Willie Bird from Sonoma and we get our veggies locally. We grow most of the spices in our backyard.
NYC: Using actual pumpkin butter in a pumpkin pie makes it so much tastier leaving a zesty aftertaste.

BR: “It wouldn‘t be Thanksgiving without…”
SF: My homemade cranberry sauce, my husband’s stuffing and lots of great wine.
NYC: Mom’s crab meat puffs. The most un-gourmet you can get, but they taste like home :) english muffins + crab + cheese :) HEAVEN.

BR: What makes your Thanksgiving unique?
SF: Believe it or not we don’t watch a lot of football that day.
NYC: I like to keep it casual, kind of juxtaposed to the extreme menu. I hand out gym shorts before dinner. Belts and other such things should not be allowed at the Thanksgiving table.

Read More

For our Holiday 2011 campaign, we snuck off to one of our favorite locations in NYC’s Greenwich Village. With Carter Smith behind the camera shooting Karen Elson and Andrew Cooper, it was a very merry shoot.

San Francisco has it made, literally, right in our backyard. SF Made and our Grant Avenue flagship store are teaming up for the holidays to support small companies making big marks with the best local finds around. From rich chocolates and one-of-a-kind bags to aromatic concoctions and sweet little love notes. Find a treasure and leave your heart…in San Francisco.

1. Etta + Billie Etta + Billie are passionate about providing beautiful, sustainable artisan bath and body products made from the highest quality organic or fair trade oils, herbs and botanicals. 2. Hilside Bags The key feature of these fashionable, eco-friendly bags is their oilcloth lining that’s water- and stain-resistant. 3. Poco DolceLocated in Dogpatch, Poco Dolce (“not too sweet” in Italian) creates unique handmade chocolates and confections in small batches—using only the finest ingredients. 4. Rickshaw Bagworks Inspired by the creative energy of San Francisco and urban cycling, Rickshaw was born out of a passion for great bags. 5. The SF Made Pop-Up Store at our Grant Avenue flagship in downtown San Francisco 6. Joshu+Vela Hand-made totes, backpacks and wallets designed in San Francisco using U.S.-grown and woven organic canvas, leathers, and natural dyes. 7. Ritual Roasters Known for the precise care they take with every step—from an uncompromising selection of green coffee to an unflagging attention to roasting. 8. Hello! Lucky A specialty letterpress printer and design studio that has been creating wedding invitations, greeting cards and personalized stationery since 2003. 9. Recchiuti Michael Recchiuti, a self-made chocolatier, is known for his bold and innovative chocolate confections such as Tarragon Grapefruit and Lemon Verbena.