Wear What When

Red Dot Sale at Liave

Save big on world–sourced, handcrafted items for the home.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Mar 05, 2012 at 09:15AM 0 Comments

Photo: Liave feature in Apartment Therapy

WHERE: Liave

WHAT: The once-a-year sale, during which pillows and blankets, lighting, furniture, Lithuanian linens, glassware, Japanese dishes and more are between 10 and 50 percent off.

Owner Cornelia Veit curates a tactile experience inside her warmly industrial Western Avenue space. Felt is filed next to ceramic, leather rests on perfectly worn wood. And the colors; rich neutrals prevail but each season—and the half–steps between them—brings traditional and surprising updates. This annual sale opportunity allows shoppers to access the best of the last year at great discounts.

WHEN: Now through March 31 during normal business hours.

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Tags: Home Decor, Liave

Just Landed: Malou at Liave

Leather wrist bags from Holland.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Aug 09, 2011 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Closed, open. Simple design is applied to leather wrist bags at Liave.

Almost exactly two years ago, we looked at Dutch-designed bags at Liave from a line called Malou that were big enough to cart around small dogs and entire farmers market hauls.

Recently, the West Edge shop got a new shipment of bags in from the same designer, only these will just tote a lipstick or two, your keys, a couple of plastic payment devices, and some, oh, I don’t know, breath mints.

Malou’s just-landed leather wrist bags are simple in design and easy to incorporate into a variety of outfits and looks. Not pictured: shimmery neutral options.

And yes we do have summer bags on our brains; see more here.

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Tags: Just Landed, Downtown Seattle Shopping, Liave, Handbags

Sale: Liave

Celebrate three years of European gifts and home accessories on Western Avenue.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Jun 09, 2011 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

Photo: Curt Doughty

Liave in West Edge.

Where: Liave

What: If I say to you, “West Edge,” do you say “huh?” or do you say, “sure, yes, right down there around Western Ave?”

The term is supposed to describe the area just up from the waterfront between Pike Place Market, Downtown, and Pioneer Square. Although it’s got SAM up the street and some (in my opinion) very important stores in its ranks (Jack Straw, A Mano, Far 4, Totokaelo, and Liave among them), I seem to always meet people whose answer is closer to the former than the latter.

That’s not Cornelia Veit’s fault. If the neighborhood that almost isn’t had a patron saint, it might be her. I haven’t met many who believe in the power of its community like she does. Of course, she’s invested in it. Three years ago she opened Liave and homes, condos, and citizens of Seattle have the quietly arched, vibrant colored glass vases to show for it. And the surprisingly elegant cement pedestals. And the softest leather carry-alls. It’s a pretty great place.

To celebrate three years of well-made, thoughtful European accessories and the oddball retail precinct that’s making it even in tough times, Veit is offering 20 percent off on all items in stock for three days next week.

Go, and take a look around the neighborhood.

When: Thursday June 16 though Sunday June 19; regular store hours.

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Tags: West Edge, Liave

Love Is Complicated X: Liave

C’mon ring this bell.

Posted by: Malika Ritchie on Feb 11, 2011 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

The little cast iron bell animals at Liave are in the neighborhood of $9 to 20 each.

THE RELATIONSHIP ISSUE: One of you could use a little waking up.

THE RESOLUTION: Softly chiming bells made in Japan.

THE EXPERT: Cornelia Veit, owner of Liave

THE GIFT: Little cast iron animals ready to make the sweetest little noise — either to rustle someone from their sleep, alert them to a set table ready for dinner, or tell them you’re ready for your breakfast in bed or a coffee refill. Of course, platonic loves will love putting one of these little guys on the garden path or near the front door.

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Tags: Valentine's Day Gift Ideas, Liave

Sale of the Week: Handmade Home

Find earthy, elegant deals at the red-dot sale at Liave

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Mar 23, 2010 at 07:00AM 0 Comments

Slideshow: Artful home accessories on sale at Liave

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Slideshow: Artful home accessories on sale at Liave

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Made in Vietnam from upcycled Hmong fabrics. So on-trend.

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Great, high-quality glassware – lots of it for half-off.

Cornelia Veit brought back the red dot, and she made it fit in to a pretty special place, too.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen anyone utilize the bold round %-off stickers this well. It does seem like the time, even if Liave isn’t the most obvious place.

At the West Edge home store, earthy, handmade European ceramics and ethereal old-world glasswork from the far eastern side of that continent have been discounted from 10 to 50% off to make room for spring arrivals. Now through March 31, and there are some pretty sweet deals to be had.

Remember that beautiful, Dutch-made saturated blue suede shoulder bag that was Veit’s favorite thing back in July? Well, okay, that one’s gone, but some of its collection-mates are still around, and with the markdown, you really do want to safety-pin one of them to your collarbone so you never have to be without it.

Check the slideshow here for more.

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Tags: Design, sale, Fall/Winter Sale, Home Decor, West Edge, Liave

Sale of the Week: West Edgey

Fall/Winter markdowns in the neighborhood by the bay (Elliott, that is)

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Jan 05, 2010 at 08:00AM 3 Comments

Photo: Image from GQ.com

This is what is meant by “new classics;” a runway look from F/W 09 Dries Van Noten, one of the lines on sale at Jack Straw

The cure for postholiday ennui: Postholiday sales. Lucky for you, the next few weeks will see plenty of ’em.

Not sure what it is about West Edge retailers, but they’re darn good at getting word out. Having received notes from the handful below regarding their markdowns, we’ll start there, with a critical mass of savings on edgy but wearable style down between Pio Square and Downtown on Western and First Avenues. Consider making a day or a lunch hour out of it.

(For snacks along the way, I recommend the Spanish Table and/or Paris Grocery; for warm beverages, Stella Caffe or Fonte Coffee, see #6 here)

Totokaelo: 30% off all future-perfect fall clothing, shoes, and accessories (Acne, A.P.C., Vanessa Bruno, Maison Martin Margiela)

Jack Straw: 40-50% off all new classic fall looks for him (Issey Miyake, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Note, more) – and check out the Sin Bin (it’s a sin if you don’t buy it) for items marked 75% off

The Finerie: 25-75% off most current season merchandise including evening wear by the once-local designer Madina Vadache

A Mano: The bi-annual sale began on Saturday; 30% off all European and artisan-made fall/winter boots, shoes, bags, and accessories

Far 4: 10-30% off heirloom and modern china, porcelain, table and home ware and lifestyle accessories

Stay tuned for more sales in the days to come

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Tags: Fall/Winter Sale, West Edge, Liave, Jack Straw

Where to Find It: Soho in Seattle

Fifth Avenue, too. Only with better prices. Introducing Karen’s Vintage.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Dec 22, 2009 at 09:00AM 6 Comments

Slideshow: Karen’s Vintage, where your vintage and designer habits fund a better world

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Slideshow: Karen’s Vintage, where your vintage and designer habits fund a better world

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Supporters of Karen’s causes donate their well-cared for vintage, retro, and, in some cases, relatively new designer pieces like this Halston dress, YSL fur, and Gucci bag.

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… and then you come along to score this absolutely amazing Ungaro mini. By the way, if you needed some ideas for interpreting these looks for the current century, you’d have a lovely time chatting with Ben, Karen’s in-house stylist. A former Nordstrom designer and all-around thoughtful, stylish guy, he knows his way around the old-to-new aesthetic.

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Proceeds are funneled to social services and environmental non-profits.

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Karen is passionate about not just the non-profits, but the tax credits for patrons and great deals on bold, timeless prints and silhouettes like that of this Ungaro two-piece.

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Personally, I’m drawn to relics from the Studio 54 era, but lawyers, prim traditionalists, and lovers of classic designer cuts will find the most scores. (I loved that on my way out of the store, a gentleman came in asking for “Yohji and Miyake,” and Karen mentioned a friend whose Marni stocks she needs to raid … bring it on!)

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This velvet batwing Escada jacket is so NYE 2010. Ouch. It hurt to leave it behind.

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And check out the print on this great Lanvin shirtdress.

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Hmm.. the Chanel Mary Janes or the Valentino leopard print? Probably both; because sometimes you feel like an angel, and sometimes you don’t.

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Some of the furnishings in the lounge area outside the dressing rooms are from LIMN, the gorgeous home and lifestyle shop that would have been just a few doors down if it hadn’t gone out of business a few months ago.

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Another of Karen’s passions: Resurrecting the West Edge neighborhood with a high-end, industrial-chic fashion- and nightlife-angled vibe. So far, so good.

Remember when someone found Brooklyn out in Burien? There are those that say if you take a stroll down Western Ave around Yesler and Columbia, you may find Soho — or is that Fifth Avenue? — at Karen’s Vintage Couture.

Not that I necessarily advocate looking for New York in Seattle (you’re better off looking for Seattle in Seattle), but there are worse things, and really, when you consider the gorgeous historic buildings and lofty art spaces and the wave that’s brought shops like Goods, Jack Straw, Totokaelo, and Neodandi to join Far 4, A Mano, and all the great European design showrooms and create a compelling shopping district southwest of Downtown and north of Pio Square, well, the inclination is understandable.

And really, every retailer that’s come into the nabe known – at least in the eyes of the city – as West Edge has proclaimed it the new [insert name of cool, NYC shopping area here]. But if anyone can make it so, it’s Karen Mayers Gamoran.

Karen’s Vintage Couture is no regular vintage shop and no regular resale shop either. I doubt there’s anything like it even in Soho. Gamoran curates tax deductible donations of fine designer goods — most are vintage or retro — and retails them to benefit social service and environmental non-profits. So, it’s not a consignment shop, and it’s not exactly a high-end thrift shop, but something rarely if ever seen before that fits right in the middle.

Now, even a forward-thinking and innovative concept such as that can’t transform a neighborhood, but when she’s not coaxing Chanel jackets out of the closets of Seattle’s society doyennes, Gamoran is whispering in the ears of Senator Maria Cantwell, Howard Schultz, and Bill Gates. Allow me to refer you to her Linked In profile for more on her giant money-raising adventures and city- and state-focused great deeds.

What’s more, Gamoran’s the daughter of a hugely successful West Edge pioneer (her father started Ace Novelty inside the very building, the Polson, where she now runs her shop; he later moved the company to Bellevue and then sold it to a Texas corporation for enough scratch to keep you, me, and all of our friends in Chanel for some time to come) and a huge champion of the entrepreneurial stripe.

But don’t just sit back and wait Gamoran to change the world.

The whole Elliott Bay Books thing is a reminder that our favorite shops don’t operate in a vacuum. Especially in destination neighborhoods.

So, browse through my favorite finds in the slideshow here, remember the 3/50 initiative and, as you ready for holiday and New Year’s Eve celebrations, make yourself available to the brilliant scores waiting for you down in West Edge.

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Tags: Seattle Vintage, Seattle Consignment, West Edge, Where to Find It, Liave

Their Favorite Things: Downtown’s Liave

Handmade leather bags you can live with—or in.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Jul 29, 2009 at 07:00AM 1 Comments

Bags by Studio Malou at Liave

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Bags by Studio Malou at Liave

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This one is bigger than it looks.

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If you feel yourself drifting toward a natural aesthetic and tactile, artisan-made goods that look and feel as though they will age gracefully and get better with time, you’re not alone. At Liave, owner Cornelia Veit loves the bags by Studio Malou in part for this very reason.

Another reason to love these boxy, user-friendly sacks: They’re beautiful. The simplicity of their design and integrity of the materials—blue-black, taupe, chocolate brown, and honey-tan Dutch leather—makes them feel organically chic.

Although Veit carries mainly housewares, and gorgeous ones at that, she reports that she can hardly keep these bags on their pegs. Interesting, especially considering she’s the only American stockist. She’s got a line out to the Malou designer in the Netherlands and expects more within a few weeks. Prices are alarmingly reasonable, all things—the Euro, the craftsmanship, the exclusivity—considered.

Styles and shapes vary as we all do when it comes to what we chose to carry. I really love the blue-black suede number in the slideshow. For the most part, I’m a long-shoulder-strap kind of girl, but smartly, you can convert this one with a few snaps and carry it by hand. Because you just never know.

I also love the honey-tan model shown with the aforementioned one. It’s giant. When I first saw it reminded me of the suede satchels used to carry firewood in from the cold. A short list of things a person (because let’s be clear here: these bags could easily be categorized as co-ed) could cart in that thing include: all the ingredients for an eight-person cassoulet, a rolled-up sleeping bag, twin Bichons Frise, an old-school Hermes typewriter and a ream of paper, a two-year-old child.

Farmers market shoppers, weekenders, hitchhikers, and bag freaks would do well to go check them out.

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Tags: Liave

Life of the Party

DIY celebration inspiration tonight at Liave

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 14, 2009 at 07:00AM 0 Comments

photo by Curt Doughty

The best thing I’ve ever heard about the whole DIY thing came from one of those uber-indie hardscrabble Olympia rockers about six or seven years ago when I was still writing about music. I honestly can’t remember which uber-indie hardscrabble Olympia rocker it was … there were just so many of them… but when the subject of doing-it-herself came up (she was a solo act), she said that she actually didn’t like the isolation of DIY; she preferred to think in terms of DIT—Do It Together.

Whether you’re thinking of putting together some laptop beats, repainting the bathroom, throwing a backyard bash, or taking on a few of your wedding celebration elements sans the help of a professional, you could probably use some collaboration. Some support, some guidance, some togetherness.

I’d suggest stopping by Liave (pictured here) tonight.

Cornelia Veit’s world-sourced home store on Western Ave feels like a European version of mid-mod design outfitted with classic, contemporary, and cleverly green details. The ceilings are in the clouds and my favorite decor bits are tiny and but not overly precious. It makes for some really inspiring shopping, and tonight from 6 to 8, it should be really motivating too.

Joining Cornelia are Dianne LaVonne from Dianne’s Market Kitchen, which is just down the street, Satsuma Press from Corvalis, Oregon, and Patti Bosket from Au Naturel, a floral design studio in Leavenworth. You’ll nosh on light appetizers and learn how they were prepared, browse flower arrangements and letterpress invitations, and, if you’re playing your cards right, collect all manner of good advice regarding the old-fashioned art of hosting a grand affair.

[image of Liave from Seattle Met’s editorial coverage of the shop.]

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Tags: Liave