On the Bright Side

September 24, 2012

The Emmys were last night and while the show was a bit weak and the awards predictable (do people realize that there are other comedies other than Modern Family? At least Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for her comedic genius on Veep and Homeland and Game Change cleaned up pretty nicely) the stars were bright and yellow.


Yellow was apparently the color of champions, for Clare Danes (Lanvin), Julianne Moore (Dior Haute Couture), and Julie Bowen (Monique Lhuillier) all won Emmys for lead roles in Homeland, Game Change, and Modern Family, respectively. Leslie Mann (Naeem Khan) also went for a sunny hue. 


Are you a fan of the bright yellow and were you surprised that yellow seemed to be the color of victors?

Groovy, Baby

September 22, 2012

Marc Jacobs had been hinting at it with his subtle references to Edie Sedgwick, but not until Milan was the message so clear: Spring is all about the Mod Movement.

That means plenty of metallic discs, pop-art flowers, and ultramini mini dresses.

Moschino

Prada

Technicolor Fantasy

September 12, 2012


Oscar de la Renta is for the bold, elegant woman who isn't afraid to be seen.

There's something very universal about Oscar de la Renta. Which is a strange concept, because in actuality, there's a wide scope of women who wouldn't be caught dead in a de la Renta dress. But for the woman who is on the verge, who might say 'Oscar de la Renta is too mature or too conservative or too girlie for me' well, this is the collection that might change it all.

It wasn't hard to convince me, of course, because it is quite evident that I am a die-hard de la Renta fan. I would do almost anything to get my hands on Fall's baby blue ballerina party dress (it's featured in my banner, after all!) I can see so many celebrities wearing this collection that I feel it will get dizzying, seeing so many starlets in Oscar de la Renta.


First there is the traditional Oscar de la Renta woman. The Upper East Side, Blair Waldorf or Lily van der Woodsen type who shops at Bergdorfs and drinks tea at the Plaza and plans benefit galas in the wintertime. But there's something youthful about these Ladies Who Lunch outfits. If the right girl gets her hand on the ice blue ruffled tweed dress, for example, it would loose some of its icy demeanor and become this absolutely cute frock. The yellow three-piece skirt suit on the left is rather Luella Bartley-esque (God I miss that woman's runway shows); all you need are some ironic hipster sunglasses and you take this skirt suit from Fifth Avenue to Bleecker Street. 


Then there are the obligatory tea-length dresses. Oh, how I wish I had a fairy-princess themed party to go to -that's how I feel after looking at some of these dresses. These dresses are couture candy, I'm telling you. Tea-length dresses are tricky and decidedly old-fashioned, but they are certainly making a comeback. Someone has already assigned Sarah Jessica Parker to the pink and black-embroidered dress, and I am begging the Gods to let Elle Fanning wear either blue dresses featured above. 

 
And then there are these beauties. These outfits are NOT for Ladies Who Lunch or any faint-of-heart woman. Probably not for people who are over the age of 25 (Unless you are Anna Dello Russo, who will probably don the hot pink feathery dress (romper? I don't know?) thing by the end of fashion month) I want Selena Gomez to wear the light pink peplum romper on the left, for example. I feel like she's a romper kind of girl and that would be cute and young but also really fancy-pants on her. And Lea Michelle can wear one of these since she loves Oscar de la Renta but always wears dresses that are a little too much for her. These rompers, on the other hand, would look fabulous!


And then there are the show-stopping gowns. What I would give to spend a day in that aqua blue feather ballgown. Or any of these dresses, for that matter. I just love Oscar. Don't you? 

Linear Module

If Polka Dots were Marc Jacobs' print of 2012, then Stripes are this year's hot print.

The Marc Jacobs Spring 2013 show was, in stark contrast to fall's over-the-top theatrics (fur pimp hats, Winter Wonderland stage, embellished everything), quite simple in its construction and presentation. While Fall was bold in its adventurism, Spring was bold in a clean-cut way. Stripes were the predominant motif of the night, usually in thick contrasting colors (usually black and white) on boxy, geometrically-shaped articles of clothing.


The eye-makeup, the thick black and white stripes- much of the first half of the show had me thinking of 1930s cartoons and a caricature of the thirties in general. If the stripes alone weren't reason enough for me to draw the connection, a sweater with a vintage black and white Mickey Mouse sure did convince me that Jacobs drew upon Popeye's Olive Oil as muse.

Then there were obvious connections between Jacob's Big Top Circus of a Resort Collection and Spring. While muted in tone and theatricality, there were still plenty of clown references- more of a sad, depressed clown though, or even mimes.



Elsewhere, Michael Kors featured all sorts of stripes in his collection. Kors opted for more colors and experimented with stripes of different widths and directions.


Tommy Hilfiger also utilized a plethora of stripes, including both delicate thin stripes in soft fabrics and thick, bold, primary-colored stripes that stand out.


Are you a fan of the Linear movement? What stripey show was your favorite?

Jason Wu and the Taboo

September 10, 2012



As one of the First Lady's go-to designers, Jason Wu's collections are generally pretty conservative. But Wu is A-list material, and as the saying goes in Hollywood, sex sells. Inspired by Helmut Newton and the idea of exploring taboos, Wu gave backless dresses, seductive leather, and ankle-cuff heels. Every model's face was obscured by thin black netting, giving each look a coy, coquettish feel. And with Wu still being Wu, there were plenty of sensual looks with restraint, like his signature short suits in contrasting black and white, or a sleek power dress with jet-black leather inserts.


While Michelle Obama isn't a bad client to have, it is evident from this collection that Jason Wu is looking to expand his clientelle to more youthful celebrities. And with to-die-for gauzy dresses for his grand finale, Young Hollywood will be fighting over these sexy, beautiful dresses.


First of Fashion Week

September 9, 2012

Okay I'm so sorry that I've been M.I.A. lately but college has been taking up so much time and it has been so much fun just really busy but now that rush is over (I'm an Alpha Chi Omega, everyone!) and I've gotten acquainted with campus things will get a little less hectic.

Anyways, FASHION WEEK is back! and I am so excited to start talking about runway shows again. Style.com has updated their website and I am loving it! The new features makes it so much more convenient to glace through a fashion show and many of the shows are being uploaded in real time!

While you go check out how awesome the new style.com is, here's some of my favorites from the first few days of New York Fashion Week.


Creatures of the Wind

In their first actual runway show (past seasons have all been presentations) designers Shane Gabier and Chris Peters have produced a pack-a-punch collection of patterns, bright pastels, and cool cuts. The brand's recent J. Crew collaboration seems to have influenced the style in today's show, but Creatures of the Wind will always be an eclectic collection not for the faint of heart.


Rachel Comey

Crop tops, high-waisted shorts, and global influences were all spied on Comey's runway in New York. These trends have been gathering steam on the streets, but the way Comey has translated street style to runway ready-to-wear is remarkable. The old thought was that runways influenced street wear, but with the onflux of street style blogs, the everyday wearer has in turn become the influencer, and it is quite intriguing to witness this reversal in trendsetting in action.


Gryphon

The masters of downtown cool go for a muted edginess this time around. Mint-olive camouflage prints, distressed army jackets, ocean-ripple denim: there's certainly a feminine utilitarian vibe going on here. There's also a sense of escapism in these urban clothes that makes you feel like you could be transported anywhere while walking on the streets of SoHo.

 
Lisa Perry

Lisa Perry is a fan of the mod movement. That is no secret. And with posters of the Beatles in the background of her presentation, spring will be no exception. Perry knows how to make a simple shift exceptional by adding bright splashes of color, and while terribly Twiggy-esque, other looks like the color-blocked maxi are so timeless that fashionable fans of mod will be clamoring for it come March.


Prabal Gurung

While not as captivating and stunning as Fall 2012, Prabal Gurung is quickly proving that he is more than just a one-season wonder. Using his signature technological prints and innovative cuts, Prabal stunned yet again. I'm waiting for a celebrity to try (and probably fail) to pull off that blood-red ruffled flapper dress.

(images from style.com)