the lovely and insightful clothes-pin has turned me on to a new designer who has me completely excited. amalialad (dalia lama spelled backward) is designed by janis stemmermann, and her pieces are just genius. so original, great color combos and silhouettes, and the price points are high, but not impossible, like so many new lines.

pieces are still a bit tough to find online, but here are a few of my favorites:

i’m obsessed with this darling school top. love the belt, love the sassy orange color, and love the versatility - this would be amazing with jeans, a skirt or even as a shell under a suit - i’m thinking grey pinstripe would be amazing.

if you like the shape of the school top, check out the school dress. great opportunity to try out the brand without breaking the bank, and i can see this dress being endlessly versatile. it’s tailored enough it would work as a tunic or as a dress, and it would be darling under a sweater jacket while it’s cold this fall. best of all, i managed to track this one down on sale for $123!

this pop quiz cardigan is a bargain at $150 - i love the idea of mixing it with a bright t-shirt and jeans for a casual saturday. and the fiddler cardigan would be another great basic - pair it with a dress trouser for work, or layer it over a long tank with jeans for a great weekend look. (you can find it in a gorgeous burgundy color here.)

and i love this ruffle kimono sweater - it would be such a great “throw on over anything” option to have in your closet.

as i said, i had a little bit of a struggle tracking pieces down, but you can find several at basic boutique, anthropologie, and goldyn. but my pick is basic boutique, as using code People20 will get you 20% off merchandise on their site, including sale items! plus, the folks over there are really quite fabulous to deal with - i love it when an online shop really manages to make the shopping experience a great one, and basic boutique does it very well!