Famous shopper, Belk team up

What does "Sex and the City's" Kristin Davis have in common with many old-school Triangle shoppers?

She grew up shopping at Belk.

"It was the nicest store we had," Davis told Women's Wear Daily this week. "And I'd save my allowance to go to Belk."

That's one of the reasons the Charlotte-based department store tapped Davis to team up for a new line of clothing with the Kristin Davis name. It will debut at Belk this fall.

"The only way I would have done a line of clothing is to do it at Belk," Davis said. "I feel like I understand what the Southern woman wants to wear. It's influenced my personal style so much growing up in the South."

Davis, who is best known for her role as Charlotte York in "Sex and the City" was born in Boulder, Colo., but grew up in Columbia, S.C., where her father was a professor of psychology. She graduated from Rutgers University and later moved to New York.

"Kristin is a great fit for Belk," McKay Belk, president and chief merchandising officer of Belk, said in a statement. "She grew up shopping in our stores and is in tune with the fashion sensibility of our customer base."

Belk is calling the new line modern with a flirty twist. Prices range from $38 to $240 for jeans, dresses, sweaters, knits, sleepwear, shoes, handbags and jewelry.

Look for the collection initially at about 125 Belks and online this fall. The line will be expanded to other stores in the spring.

Saunders on the GO

The rumors at New York Fashion Week were true.

Jonathan Saunders, one of the fashion industry's up-and-coming designers, has been tapped as the next GO International designer at Target.

There was plenty of buzz about Saunders' fall collection shown in New York in February, mostly because of the rumors swirling that he was in discussions with Target about doing a one-time lower-price-point collection.

The collection will launch in early October and be available throughout the month.

Saunders, known for his creative approach to using color, will follow other rising designers in doing a Target collection, including Alice Temperley, Proenza Schouler, Luella Bartley and Erin Featherston.

Looks like it will be a busy summer for Saunders. Last month he was tapped as creative director at the Italian fashion house Pollini.

He'll follow Richard Chai, who will launch his collection in early August.

Pod people advance

Reusable shopping bags have caught on in the Triangle, and not just with shoppers.

The Morsbags pod at Ten Thousand Villages in Raleigh is now among the highest-bag-producing pods in the country, after making 184 reusable cotton bags as of the beginning of the month, says Elizabeth Altman, marketing manager at Ten Thousand Villages.

In addition to meeting the first Sunday of every month to make bags, several volunteers now make bags at home, often using leftover fabrics.

It's all part of an effort to reduce the number of plastic shopping bags in the world. The sewing pods are part of a network with roots in the United Kingdom. Claire Morsman in 2007 founded the group after becoming outraged by the number of animals harmed by plastic bags. Since then, pods are sewing the fabric bags throughout the world.

To get involved, check out www.villagesofraleigh.org.

Runway report

My Girlfriend's Closet, a consignment clothing store in Apex, has teamed up with Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa, the women's boutique Nativa and Blue Tiger, a gift shop that also sells jewelry, to produce a fashion show of the latest in summer clothing, hair, makeup and nail trends.

The show will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Common Grounds Coffee Shop on North Salem Street.