R. Williams

NEW BLOG

2011-06-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

Our blog will now be posted to rwilliamsny.blogspot.com

Email Problems! Sorry :(

2011-06-11T12:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry to anyone who has tried to email us this past week. Our @rwilliamsny.com emails are not working. Please direct all inquiries and communication to rwilliamsnewyork@gmail.com

Athlete of the Week

2011-05-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest athlete of the week, Zoe Wilson from the Milbrook School. Besides having great fashion sense, Zoe is an amazing athlete and will be captain of the squash team next year.

Palm Beach

2011-04-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Some inspiring shots from our recent trip (click to view larger):

Sunny day on the A1A. We want this Jeep. Southern trunk show tour anyone?

The famous breakers.

Only in Palm Beach (or Newport) do you have classic, old, over-the-top places like this-- with the towering, perfectly manicured hedges, and ornate gates and fences-- in such concentration, sitting empty half the year.

Great elephants. Reminiscent of Elizabeth McKay prints.

Slim Aarons Style

Street Styles: Trinity College

2011-04-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

CLICK TO VIEW PHOTO LARGER

It's no secret to people close to me that my favorite color is blue. When I started designing, I often heard people quip, "Are you ever going to design something that isn't Navy?"

When I was setting up in Mather Hall at Trinity, this pretty blonde girl wearing an almost monochromatic outfit of dark skinny jeans and a blue Barbour over a black and cerulean rugby striped shirt, caught my eye. I love the way her backpack and shoes explode against the more subdued palate of her clothing. And the best thing is, she looked (not in a bad way) as if she had just rolled out of bed and thrown the look together. Nothing affected or trying about her styling. It's hard to look to uptight and still pull off a backpack.

-Ryan

PS-- I'm curious what other people think of blue Barbour jackets. Don't mess with a classic? Trying hard to look like you aren't conforming to the NESCAC uniform? or just as timeless? Personally, I've considered buying one to have something to wear with dark green corduroys but can't justify owning another Barbour

Brands We ♥ : CJ Laing

2011-04-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Check out these genuine Ikat shorts from CJ Laing, and at $170, a steal for the quality. We're obsessed with their whole collection. The fabrics are all nothing short of stunning.

(click on the images to see pictures bigger)

The shirtdresses are super cute too, and done in an amazingly light fabric.

You can check them out in Palm Beach, or in a couple months when the weather is better in Southampton.

http://www.cjlaingshop.com/

Artists We ♥: Richard Avedon

2011-04-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Richard Avedon, Dovima with elephants, evening dress by Dior, Cirque d'Hiver, August 1955

The other day Tory Burch's blog posted on photographer Greg Lotus, showing this picture (Below) from Italian Vogue.

I instantly thought back to the amazing Richard Avedon exhibit I attended at the Boston MFA early over the holidays (by the way, the MFA has finally opened it's American Wing back-up after a spectacular renovation.... if you haven't been to Boston in a while it is a must see).

There are few photographers, besides Slim Aarons, whose work I can imagine inspiring countless future photo-shoots for R. Williams. A few of my favorites from the collection were (and I apologize for the poor quality blackberry pictures---- click on them to see them bigger):

I like the stripes of the flowing fabric, and how the angle of the models arm echos the silhouette of the pyramid. Simple, bold, elegant.

Great print on the scarf, and interesting negative space.

I'm quite obsessed with this guy's bowtie and am contemplating having an imitation made (you have to view the picture bigger to get it).

Simply Iconic.

-Ryan

On our mind: Nantucket

2011-04-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Walking to South Station, I passed the Lannan Gallery, the best place in Boston for nautical decor and vintage maps....

and this gorgeous map of my favorite island caught my eye.....

Luckily, I was headed to Nantucket that very (cold and windy, but fortunately sunny) day.

I think it would be great to live in one of these little buildings in the harbor. I wonder if some of them are homes or if they're all commercial.

I was pressed for time so I didn't make it to the beaches. Which would have been freezing anyways. I can't wait to go back once the water has warmed up!

We have a special project in the works using some locally produced stuff from the island (venture a guess anyone?)..... I can't wait to share it.

- Ryan

Inspiration: Antiquing

2011-04-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

We love this pattern. Similar to the lining on the Olivia Tote. Can you almost see our logo in that red and yellow Chinese crest?

Athlete of the Week

2011-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to this week's Athlete of the Week, Elizabeth Benedict, who plays squash for the Berkshire School. Check out her full profile soon on our site.

Some of her favorite things:

Prague

Ray-Bans

Patagonia

The R. Williams Olivia Tote

Summer Neutrals

2011-03-27T16:12:00.001-07:00

We're best known for our bright, bold prints but sometimes summer calls for subdued earth tones mixed with whites. We love Kate Middleton's style seen in this picture from NY Mag. She looks so effortlessly chic. And she would look great with one of our ikat totes to complete her outfit (preview coming soon).

Athlete of the Week Notice

2011-03-23T21:51:00.001-07:00

If you were recently nominated for athlete of the week, and missed the deadline because of spring break, please still email us at rwilliams@rsowilliams.com if you would like to be featured

Anticipating Summer: Espadrilles

2011-03-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Summer means many things to us at R. Williams: hydrangeas, fresh tomatoes and basil, watermelon, iced tea brewed in the sun, escaping the city to the beaches of Nantucket, the Cape or the Hamptons, swimming, sailing and tennis. All the things that we daydream of on a cold, snowy day like today in New York.

And then there's the clothes: fun beach totes, gauzy Roberta Freymann tunics, Shoshanna bikinis, Tom Ford or Ray-ban sunglasses and flip-flops for the beach, Tibi and DVF dresses and Jack Rogers for parties, and espadrilles....

Oh, the espadrilles! We got to thinking of espadrilles and summer in an interview for an upcoming feature. Here are some of our favorites for this season. We love the bold stripes of the Tory Burch straps and the light-enough for daytime gold stripes on the Kate Spade flats. The neutral Corso Como pair would look great with other summer neutrals as a blank canvas for some bold statement accessories.

Corso Como, $159 at Bloomingdales

Kate Spade, $99 at Bloomingdales

Tory Burch, $165 at Bloomingdales

New Blog and Website Coming Soon.....

2011-03-16T13:21:00.001-07:00

Get excited!

May 1st, we have a great new blog arriving, packed with tons of interviews, guest bloggers, style tips, street style and party photography, travel features and more....

And an updated website with an awesome section where you can design your own totes! There are 1296 different combinations of totes that you'll be able to design, so you'll definitely be able to create something one-of-a-kind.

Dominican Republic

2011-03-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Our recent trip to the Dominican Republic was full of ~~near death experiences~~ adventure. From rides in pint size pick up trucks to a ~~four hour long~~ relaxing donkey ride to an off-the-track organic coffee farm owned by our creative director, Ryan's, relatives, we loved every minute of it. Here we share some of our more inspiring photographs.

Athlete of the Week

2011-01-31T13:20:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Maeve McMahon of Groton!

Books We Love: A Portrait of Camelot

2011-01-25T08:50:00.001-08:00

At R. Williams, more than a few of us are ~~into~~ obsessed with the effortlessly chic style of the Kennedys. A Portrait of Camelot presents a beautiful collection of photos of the Kennedys during JFK's time in the White House. The reader follows the Kennedys from DC to the Cape to Palm Beach. There's also a great DVD of the family playing on their boat, The Honey Fitz, water skiing, swimming, golfing, and horseback riding. If we ever do children's clothing, more than a few pieces will be inspired by the photos of Caroline in this book.

It was fascinating to learn from this book that Jackie was a big smoker (who like Obama, hid it well in front of the camera and almost never allowed herself to be photographed with a cigarette in hand). The Kennedys were meticulous about when, where and with whom they were photographed. It seems that rather than the effortless style that the pictures seem to capture, the Kennedys were well aware of the power of image and used it expertly to create an enduring and inspirational American fantasy.

A button down and chinos and a simple shift. So easy. (Note the Navajos. This picture is worth millions of advertising dollars. Amazing how a single icon can rocket a sandal to popularity for more than 50 years. Scroll down and you'll notice that most of the girls in our last post are wearing Jack Rogers)

JFK in his signature Wayfarers, and Jackie in her signature oversized sunglasses. We love the rounded collar on Caroline's polo shirt.

All portraits by Cecil Stoughton, Product pictures courtesy of ray-ban.com and jackrogersusa.com

Congratulations to Athlete of the Week Shannon McSweeney!

2011-01-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Shannon makes a save against Nobles. PA wins 3-2.

We love Shannon and her friend's style.

This past season, Phillips Academy Goalie Shannon McSweeney was nominated to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Northeast All-Region Team. Congratulations Shannon!

Check out her profile on our website soon!

Inspiration: Anna Spiro

2011-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I discovered the blog of Australian interior designer, Anna Spiro. It's full of bright, beautiful pictures. She has a great color sense and taste in fabrics that I am sure will inspire some of my future prints.

You can check out her blog here: http://absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/

Some of my favorites from her blog:

Athlete of the Week

2010-12-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to this week's athlete Bridget Hampton! Bridget plays field hockey for Miss Porter's School. Check out her profile soon on the R. Williams site!

DG Totes are in!

2010-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

Our new totes designed for the girls of DG are here-- I love how they turned out. Hot pink, royal blue and anchors... a DG's dream. If you're interested in ordering for your sorority contact custom@rsowilliams.com

Athlete of the Week

2010-12-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to this week's Athlete of the Week Charlotte O' Leary. If you played field hockey against Taft this past season, you'll probably remember Charlotte kicking your.....I mean, scoring.

Check out her profile coming soon on the R. Williams website

Charlotte and friends at Taft

Custom Sorority Totes

2010-12-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

The perfect gift for your little after second semester rush!

Check out the new bag that just came in for the Miami University chapter of Phi Mu. We think we're in love.

Clips for keys and a useful zip pocket. The bottom and lining are sturdy nylon. These bags last forever.

Athlete of the Week

2010-11-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Sara Wild from Williams College, this week's Athlete of the Week!

Sarah recently lead Williams to a victory over arch-rival Amherst with her winning goal. The win awarded Williams its fourth consecutive NESCAC title. Great work Sara and the Williams women's soccer team!

Check back on the R. Williams site soon for her full profile.

Athlete of the Week

2010-11-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

This week's athlete of the week is Piper Brighton who plays forward for The Hotchkiss School girl's varsity team.

Check out her full profile at www.rsowilliams.com/athleteoftheweek

New Leather Accessories

2010-10-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Fall in Newport 3

2010-10-23T13:59:00.001-07:00

One of the most notable characteristics of Newport, besides the mansions themselves, are the palatial fences and gates. Tall wrought iron fences, stone walls and hedges surround nearly all of the great houses. All of that detail is definitely going to inspire some prints.

The dramatic rocks of the natural landscape contrast the perfectly manicured hedges.

Fall in Newport 2

2010-10-23T13:53:00.001-07:00

Another thing I love about Newport is the great variety of architectural styles.

Fall in Newport

2010-10-23T13:43:00.001-07:00

Athlete of the Week

2010-09-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

We've got a new great feature on our website-- Athlete of the Week

Anyone can nominate a high school or college athlete who has a great sense of style to match her athletic prowess. Athletes selected to be featured on our site will get free R. Williams merchandise.

Submissions should be sent to rwilliam@rsowilliams.com

Athletes will be posted weekly starting Friday, October 8th.

SEND US YOUR SUBMISSIONS!

Back and Better than Ever

2010-09-25T05:33:00.001-07:00

Our fabulous tote bags are back this season with great new features-- exterior patch pockets, interior organization, and fun ribbon in school colors. All the same schools that have Id cases in their colors will have a tote bag to match.

I'm also working on custom orders for several sororities-- Check out the print I made for the girls of Phi Mu. Can't wait to see the bags.

For custom orders email custom@rsowilliams.com.

New Leather Accessories!

2010-09-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Back-to-school

2010-09-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

As sad as leaving the beaches to return to school is, there is one upside:

NEW BACKPACKS!

And id holders in your school colors!

Goodbye to Summer

2010-08-31T15:13:00.001-07:00

Summer in New England

2010-07-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

When the dead heat of New York finally forces a mass exodus from the city to much more natural and spacious locales. With sand...

Miles of sandy beaches and dunes... nothing like the dunes of Cape Cod

And summer communities...

And houses with gardens full of Hydrangeas (which apparently love the acidic soil of the Cape)

And sailing and boating and picnic-ing on the beach....

And shady expanses of freshly cut lawn...

And beautiful views...

And houses slightly bigger than our minuscule 1500 sq ft apartments (shared with roommates) back in New York...

I never want to go back to New York!

Trunk shows!

2010-05-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to a trunk show for CK Bradley and Robert Redd on the Upper East Side. The new summer line of CK Bradley clothing is amazing. Even as a guy, I had to restrain myself from buying some tops for my sister and girlfriend. The Chelles Halter in Blue Picadilly was particularly beautiful with eye catching pops of electric blue against navy and white. I guess as a guy I'm drawn to anything blue. My friends always ask me when I'm going to finally move away from Navy Blue in all my designs and on to pink (the answer is this fall... Pink and Navy).

Robert Redd's stuff was amazing as well. I've never seen such great color combinations for polo shirts. I ended up getting a great turquoise and lime shirt in their Murdoch cut (pictures to come).

StreetSquash

2010-05-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Our Squash Pro, Bernardo, of the Westchester Country Club upsets the Princeton Alumni team

For those of you New Yorkers who don't know about StreetSquash, its a great charity that you should check out (www.streetsquash.org). This weekend we helped to raise $300k for their college scholarship fund through a benefit squash tournament (in which the Williams College Alumni team came in 2nd place to Racquet and Tennis Club).

Right along side Vineyard Vines at our silent auction and mixer the Tournament of Champions in Grand Central. I was so happy when a very cute (don't tell her boyfriend I said that) designer from Vineyard Vines won my totes.

SS10-- Vente Privee

2010-05-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Some shots of bags from SS10. For information on ordering email orders@rsowilliams.com

Jonathan Adler (whose stuff I love) just came out with a very similar print to this bag. Funny how designers think alike. I guess living in New York and having similar inspirations and tastes often results in very similar products.

Only 13 days til Christmas!!!

2009-12-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

And what better gift than a bag from R. Williams?

Trunk Show -- Trappings Wellesley

2009-11-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

November 20-21st

10am-5:30 pm

Trappings in Wellesley, MA

Return to Williams!

2009-11-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for homecoming at Williams next weekend! Look out for the R. Williams tailgate! We may do a trunk show on Thursday too... Should be tons of fun!!

Head of the Charles

2009-10-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

R. Williams and friends will be at the Head of the Charles in two weeks. Try to find us for some free give aways!

FALL SALE!

2009-09-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

FALL SALE NOW! at www.rsowilliams.com

Thank You Theta!

2009-09-23T09:27:00.001-07:00

Katie Maher of Kappa Alpha Theta hosted a great trunk show for us at Miami University yesterday. Check out the Facebook group for more pics-http://www.facebook.com/pages/R-WILLIAMS/98542043328?ref=ts

A few pictures from the launch party....

2009-09-23T04:34:00.000-07:00

I only had time to take pictures while things were warming up and most turned out horrible, so I apologize to all my guests who are missing. The event photographer should be sending me more pictures

of the event.

NO MORE FREE TICKETS

2009-09-22T16:02:00.001-07:00

But we hope you'll still join us for mini-makeovers, champagne and hors d'oeuvers at the Williams Club, this Friday form 5:30 to 8. $20 at the door.

http://shopandsip.eventbrite.com/

FALL TOTE BAGS ARE HERE!

2009-09-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

At R. WILLIAMS CLICK HERE TO GO

CitySquash Donation

2009-09-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, R. Williams attended the boarding school send-off party for CitySquash and gave away backpacks to some lucky girls. If you haven't heard of CitySquash, check it out at www.citysquash.org. It's a great organization and there are similar programs throughout the East Coast, in locations like Boston, Philadelphia and New Haven (New Haven's program being headed up by former my JV squash coach and Williams College Alumna, Julie Greenwood. Yeah Williams!)

Lovely CitySquash girls about to head back to boarding school-- rocking sweet backpacks.

Back-to-School Discount

2009-09-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

For back-to-school all students get a 20-30% discount on our fall line. Email orders@rsowilliams.com for a personal coupon code!

Limited Edition Althea Backpack

2009-08-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Get yours before they're gone-- Only 9 are for sale.

Click here to buy

Website Launched!

2009-08-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our webpage is finally up!

Visit us at www.rsowilliams.com

Trunk Show and Entrepreneur Talk at the Williams Club

2009-08-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

R. Williams Trunk Show and Entrepreneur Talk, September 18th at the Williams Club in midtown Manhattan. This All-Ivy event is open to all Williams, Yale and Harvard Club members and invited guests. To request an invitation email press@rsowilliams.com

R. Williams Cares...

2009-08-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Visit the CitySquash Website

Have a charity that you think we should become involved in? Let us know!

Email rwilliams@rsowilliams.com

Children's Fall Line...

2009-08-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Due to overwhelming pre-ordering, the Fall 2009 children's collection is sold out. If you would like to be placed on the waitlist for the Emily model, you may email orders@rsowilliams.com.

Laptop tote bags and Women's backpacks are still available. To reserve yours, email orders@rsowilliams.com.

Emily Backpack

designed for girls 5 to 9

$90, 13"x16"x6.5"

Campus Brand Reps

2009-08-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

We're still looking for campus brand representatives for the following schools: UVA, UNC, Duke, Hamilton, Colgate

Your school not on this list? Want to get free R. Williams bags? Email us at rwilliams@rsowilliams.com

Our Beautiful Miami University (Oxford, OH) Rep

Fall Collection Almost Here...

2009-08-04T11:36:00.001-07:00

A little more of the collection as it rolls in...

Our new laptop tote is perfect for college girls who want to safely carry their computer to class.

Another one of our favorite backpacks!

Pink and Green for the Girls line

2009-07-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations and Thanks to all of our new brand reps!

Our Washington and Lee Brand Rep

Want to be a brand rep for your campus? Email us at rwilliams@rsowilliams.com!

More...

2009-07-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

New: Gift Certificates

2009-07-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Great gift. Comes in $25, $50, $100 and $150 denominations.

Fall Sneak Peak Continued

2009-07-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peak at Fall 09

2009-07-01T23:04:00.001-07:00

One of our favs

Featuring Canvas body, Grosgrain Ribbon Straps, Nickel D-ring hardware, Quilted padded back, Logo embroidered on front

Available in August via www.rsowilliams.com.

Email rwilliams@rsowilliams.com to Pre-Order.

New Bags!

2009-06-23T11:03:00.001-07:00

Check back next week for a preview of the the Fall '09 line.

Fall Trunk Shows

2009-06-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

R. Williams is starting to plan our fall trunk shows. We will definitely be returning to Oakwood and Williams. The blog will be updated with a list of additional schools we plan to visit. Let us know if you'd like to help host a trunk show at your school!

Email us at rwilliams@rsowilliams.com

Signature Print

2009-06-15T10:08:00.001-07:00

New print based on our logo:

What do you think?

Shoot

2009-05-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

Of course, when I need it most, the airline would leave my luggage at the DC airport... with every backpack going to the photo shoot.

R. Williams on Facebook

2009-05-29T16:12:00.001-07:00

Check out our new Facebook Fan page!

Click Here to Go

Oakwood Photo Shoot!

2009-05-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

This weekend we'll be in Oakwood for a photo shoot.