There are a slew of trade shows going on in New York City right now and yesterday we stopped by Capsule, which highlights up-and-coming brands with an edge, a look which is right up our alley.  First stop was A Peace Treaty, who we love and whose scarves we have featured repeatedly. What you’re looking at on this page is its second jewellery collection and it couldn’t be more pitch perfect for right now…the right balance of exotic, earthy and yet still very fierce. Extreme luv, needless to say. More images of necklaces and bracelets after the flip.

Our first dispatch from Magic featured Pet Shop Girls’  designer Joe Chu. I promised I would return with images from her line and voila, that time has finally arrived. Chu honors that part of Asian fashion rooted in eye-winking humor with the sheer wish to entertain and lift the moment via clothing. Sadly it’s a style that’s not very embraced in the States. Though one could argue I suppose that Goth style is somehow related, but in an equal-but-very opposite manner. Anyway, Chu’s line is adorable and the items I photographed are probably her most serious. Check out her site to see what else she’s up to. Two more images after the flip.

While visiting with p.r. champ and pal, Ida, at her newish gig with G-Star, I fell head over heels for the cam0 jeggings featured here. The print is subtle and just the right amount of military, speaking to the trend rather than screaming it. After the flip, more images of these pants, plus G-Star’s star denim bottom for spring, the “Arc” pant, an oh-so-perfectly-broken-in pair of women’s cropped boyfriends.

The reemergence of Palladium Boots in the United States is already a legit and advancing fashion wave for the fellas, and if Europe is any sort of early indicator, the same trend is about to burst wide open for women, too. On this page is one of Palladium’s Spring 2011 offerings, which we snapped at Project last week. Designed for to be worn in warm weather months , it’s part of the brand’s “Lite” line and feature a lining with wicking capabilities. Technical attributes aside, these are a perfect match for denim cut-offs and short skirts. A couple more after the flip, including a low and a hi in Palladium’s heritage hemp colors. And honestly, given this brand’s authentic heritage, the pricepoint is amaaaaazing with most styles priced 70 beans or under.

While walking the floor of Project, this manicure leaped out, obsessed as I am these days with Ruffian manicures and white with black details as a color combo. The hand belongs to p.r. rep Melissa, who was at the show repping for Kettleblack.  She says all the credit for her superbly-done Cali-gel mani goes to Gloss Nails in California, where she got her nails did before heading out to Vegas. Her whole look was great from her Rachel Comey clogs to her Erin Wasson Low Luv knuckle ring (see above). Click to the next page for more images and details.

We tend to feature a lot of our repeat favorites when we visit Magic, but it’s always super-fun to stumble upon a previous unseen up-and-comer. The L.A.-based Ventidue label, whose booth was located at Project, had a lot of buzz in part because of the brand’s very on-trend leopard-print, pony hair, studded clutches…replete with fox-fur tails (!!), but also because of its highly stylish designers, Italian sisters Elena and Barbara Rosin, who launched the line two years ago. According to Elena, their design ideas begin while shopping the fine Italian leathers the bags are made of, but the finishing touches and details are inspired by L.A. street style. Don’t just love…..adore! More on the flip, as modeled by Elena.

Tons was happening for Melissa at Project, with new designs and collabos, all part of the Spring/Summer “Amazonista” collection. The shoe highlighted here is the “Patchuli” wedge–the darling of the booth, whose slick profile makes the most of its material story. On the next page, some items from Melissa X Vivienne Westwood’s second collection, and the label’s highest heel yet. At the show Melissa also launched its Mel line (which I didn’t get to photograph–different space), a lower-priced line that will retail between $25 and $46.

Rojas’ Spring/Summer 2011 collection, shown at the Pool section of Magic, had a super chic, nightlife feel to it. That famous edge it is known for is still very much in effect, giving it that unique, bad-ass female vibe, which makes it stand out from the pack. On this page your seeing Rojas’ own unique interpretation of the neutral pump trend, made special with custom shell detailing, which brings to mind the aquatic themes we’ve been seeing a lot of lately. And it just show happens they’re a perfect fit for the collection, shown after the flip.

Robert Clergerie had a display–as opposed to a selling booth–in the lobby of the Magic convention center so sans a rep to provide details, I’m not exactly sure what season the clogs shown here are from. It included shoes behind a glass case, as well as a backdrop detailing the history of the brand. Not sure what that was about, though as the history stated, after selling the brand, Cleregie bought it back not too long ago so maybe it’s about doing some rehabilitation and repositioning. In any case the shoe featured here very much represents a look (a wood, wedge heel) that many in the industry are saying will be Spring 2011’s dominant shoe story.

Hi everyone, Lois here, reporting from the Pool trade show in Vegas. Meet Joe Chu, designer for Pet Shops Girl, who, hands down was working the best look I saw all day. For real, I had to hold myself back from ripping her “Chanel” jacket off her body and running top speed for the exit, screaming, “Mine, mine, mine!!!” Later I will feature looks from her line–this was her first time at Magic, her company is based in Taiwan, but for now, check out some more of her outfit on the next page. Almost died from the force of falling in love. I swear.