Alice + Olivia

In keeping with the ever-growing cheap-chic trend, the latest designer to announce a new low-cost line for the masses is Stacy Bendet of Alice + Olivia. bendet will be pairing with Payless to deisgn a line of shoes to be available in 2008, which will be sold in both Payless stores and Alice + Olivia boutiques. Interesting, since most cheap-chic lines have rarely, if ever, been sold at the designer's own boutique also. Says Matt Rubel, CEO and president of Payless, "Stacey is a fabulous talent with a retro, fun and flirty style perfect for today's contemporary girl. Her design aesthetic will complement well with our current designer collections, and we look forward to bringing Stacey's first footwear designs to shoppers across America."

I love Alice + Olivia dresses, so I personally think Stacy Bendet's contributions to footwear will be awesome. Rubel is right about Stacy being a fabulous, unique talent- and I think Payless has made an excellent decision in choosing Stacy Bendet. She even once said in an interview with New York Magazine, that she loves designing clothes, but "What I'd really like to do is footwear!" Expect big things from this collection - debuting in 2008.

Summer is here - well, almost - and as the temperature rises, it's time to bring those warm-weather clothes out of hiding!

Last summer, dresses were a huge hit, with almost every woman from 14 to 40 sporting a sun dress from time to time.

Summer 2007 promises to be no different - dresses are just as popular, with a few new styles thrown in there. Scanning the spring/summer 07 lines, there are dresses of every color and material and style - and I must say, I am a fan!

Slipping on a dress in summer is the easiest way to feel young, pretty, and carefree. Check out these selections - there's something for everyone, no matter the size of your wallet or your figure.

This bold and chic minidress from Alice + Olivia has a mod feel to it, and is perfect for a night out.

And some gorgeous dresses from the ever-sophisticated designer Diane Von Furstenberg (photos from Coutorture Media)

Alice + Olivia, the fashion house founded by Stacey Bendet in 2002, have rolled out two additional retail locations to deal with the large consumer demand.

Alice + Olivia is enjoying massive celebrity support . Stars like Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Hayden Panettiere and Chanel Iman have all been snapped in Alice + Olivia dresses.

Alice + Olivia credits innovative fabrics and unique designs as it makes its way to an estimated 45 million dollars in sales in 2008. Their collection is available at its signature boutiques and in over 500 stores around the world such as Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendels, Scoop, and Neiman Marcus.

Nolita and Southampton will be added to the list of their existing boutiques on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles and at Bryant Park in New York.

The Mott street boutique is alice + olivia's third retail location soon to be followed by their Southampton store opening in late May 2007.

Their expansion continues with plans to open other retail outlets in Malibu, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.