Sometimes designers take a season or two to get settled into a new role. For Nicolas Ghesquiere as the recently-appointed head designer of Louis Vuitton that was certainly the case. His debut collection (for Fall 2014) was lovely but conservative, as premiere collections at new fashion houses tend to be. Ghesquiere had big shoes to fill with the departure of Marc Jacobs from the French fashion house, and so he played it safe for his first show. With a successful debut now behind him, Ghesquiere has found his footing at Louis Vuitton and his resort collection is proof of that.

With whimsical coral print motifs, a bold color palette of blues, pinks, yellows, and oranges, and a mix of modern and retro style inspirations, this collection was fun and bold. The coral prints and the show's location in Monaco may suggest that these clothes are meant for a five-star resort vacation on the Med, but these clothes are just as perfect for the city streets.

There were several standout looks from the collection (it was hard to narrow them down for the feature image!) and I cannot wait to see how these looks translate to the red carpet. 

What did you think of the Louis Vuitton resort 2015 collection?

Karl Lagerfeld is a fan of travel. He is inspired by different cultures and global styles, and he makes a habit of immersing his shows in the particular culture of inspiration. Resort is all about traveling and experiencing adventure, so why not show runway collections in far-off places that inspire the Chanel designer? Last time Lagerfeld sent his clothes and his guests to Dallas for a western-style rodeo romp, but for Cruise 2015, the Chanel gang travelled east to the glamorous land of Dubai for a collection that was heavily inspired by both the enchanting past of the Middle East as well as its contemporary culture.

Islamic crescent moon headpieces were a major motif, and there was an exceptionally kitschy gold quilted purse designed to resemble a gasoline can, reflective of the region's oil industry. The models were draped in luxurious chiffons and sand-hued tunics, sometimes decorated in intricate floral and geometric patterns and other times in the classic tweeds that Chanel is famous for. As usual Lagerfeld has created a seamless blend between the traditions of Chanel and his land of inspiration.

For me the beauty looks were the highlight. Heavily-teased hairstyles were the look, with models sporting beehive-like volume or huge curls. The eye makeup was equally dramatic, with heavy kohl eyes accented with gold foil. Lips were kept simple with a pink-tinged gloss to balance out the heavy eye makeup.

Another inventive collection from the man who is constantly outdoing himself in terms of creativity. There were some misses and this was far from being my favorite Chanel collection from the past few years, but you've got to hand it to Lagerfeld that he always goes all-out for his presentations, and the show in Dubai was outrageous as ever.

No "May Gray" here, the mercury is rising and it is hot, hot, hot! Thank goodness finals have just ended and I am officially on summer vacation time because the heat is unbearable unless the days are spent pool or beach side. 

Swimsuit style is a lot of fun - you can wear bold prints and bright colors and look absolutely amazing with minimum effort! I am absolutely obsessed with Mara Hoffman's eclectic tribal print pieces as well as the classic selections from J. Crew. There are so many great prints, shapes, and colors for swimwear out there right now, there is literally a swimsuit for everyone.

Cover-ups are tricky, but I am a big fan of this Lemlem one with ombre pink stripes. Usually I just go for a knit tank dress or other easy-going shift, or even use a scarf as a sarong for the trek over to the beach.

A leather slip-on sandal is just as comfortable and easy as a flip flop, but the two-tone Joie ones are a slightly more stylish alternative to the usual Rainbow sandals. A carry-all tote that can fit your colorful striped towel, sunscreen, and a good beach read is a must. And of course, sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sunshine and also just because people look 150% more badass when they wear sunglasses.

What's your go-to swimsuit style, and what essentials belong in your beach bag?

In the midst of finals it is so lovely to spend a gorgeous day out in Pasadena with my favorite person in the world and the woman who I'd like to think did an excellent job raising me, my one and only mother! Without her I don't know if I ever would have developed such a keen interest in fashion, and I certainly would never understood the magic of Anthropologie had she not dragged me in as a little girl. 

It was an absolute treasure to see the Pasadena Showcase house - another one of our favorite mother-daughter activities: browsing beautiful houses - and I would recommend checking it out but today was the last day. Nevertheless it was extremely well-done and I now have a strong urge to decorate houses (who knows, back-up career option?) If you are ever out in Pasadena in April-May, I would highly suggest checking out the showcase house. They are always stunning.