Sunday, February 28, 2010

Luxe layering at Rag & Bone


Forget about waiting for Fall to try and emulate Rag & Bone's F/W 2010 collection, get the look now. For the design duo's first solo womenswear show, it was all about Appalachian style layering for the girl who may find herself anywhere from the concrete jungle of New York to an impromptu hike in the back-country. For the collection, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville created a girl who is just as much smitten by practicality as she is by style. Leather sock garters, tweed capes, cropped loose-knit sweaters, fur mufflers and Native American-esque belt pouches, made the look a classic-cozy-chic with a twist.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

A bit of nostalgia...

Found this old photo of my mom while I was trying to clear off my poor little bogged-down-Mac today...I love black and white portraits from the 70's. So beautiful! (She's going to be so embarrassed I posted this)

Up-and-comer: Jennifer Fein


I met this really cool up-and-coming designer a few weeks ago at a fashion week kick-off party and wanted to spread the word about her amazing re-worked vintage, lingerie inspired garments. It's New York City so, here, everybody and their Gucci-collar-wearing-mini-purse-dog is a designer so, when I meet one who's actually talented, I get really excited! Anyway, her name is Jennifer Féin- a modern Renaissance woman. Féin, who studied ballet for 14 years, draws inspiration from the theater to create an old-world boudoir aesthetic where vintage laces and silk dance in a palette of beautiful creams, salmon pinks and rich navies. Check out her website here.
-Click here for a full story I wrote for BeautyNewsNYC about Fein and the party

Friday, February 26, 2010

Definitely Pas Comme Les Moutons

Check out this website, Pas Comme Les Moutons, for the chicest headwear. Every piece is handmade and absolutely adorable/fierce/innovative/cool. I wrote a feature on the design duo behind Pas Comme Les Moutons last year so check it out here if you want to get an inside look at the designers who will only be graduating college this coming May. And, speaking of spring, I think I may splurge on the "Circus" headband to spice up my warmer-weather-wardrobe a bit.

Christopher Bailey is a GOD!!

If I could dress in one collection for the rest of my life, it would be Burberry Porsum Fall 2010. Every look that came down the runway was flawless in its effortlessly cool vibe that makes me want to say, forget about spring and summer, let's get to fall already! Cozy shearling overcoats, cropped leather jackets, fur chubbies and Brit-inspired military toppers paired with thigh-high boots, hot-pink silk pencil skirts, and black wool tights pegged New York cool to a tee. And the best part is, the collection is already for sale! So, skip a few movie nights and shopping trips to Zara and let your credit card have a bit of a calm before the storm.

Two worlds collide...

My older sister is currently getting her Masters of Architecture at Harvard (ah yes, quite large footsteps to plodder along behind) so whenever I see an article relating to her field I always make sure to flag it and send it her way. So, you can imagine my delight when I came across an article that linked our two passions so effortlessly- a feature profiling fashion house retail architect, Peter Marino. Marino's brilliance in design perfectly mirrors the brilliance of the garments his structures house. From Chanel's gargantuan Tokyo retail store to a skeletal home for DKNY in London, Marino's genius really is breathtaking. Check out his website to take a look at all of his projects.

Family memories at Missoni

I was flipping through the Harper's Bazaar March 2010 issue and came across Missoni's spring ad campaign and loved the family album images. They're so chic in their simplicity and casual construction- an ad campaign that truly exemplifies such a classic line. I want to come over for dinner!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

DVF: Demure, vibrant, fresh

Check out Diane Von Furstenberg's NYFW show. The perfect party dresses, cutesy cool hats, and lots of layering- love her!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Flawless at Behnaz Sarafpour

I absolutely loved every look at Behnaz Sarafpour's fall 2010 presentation. The collection was all about texture that told a story of exuding a sophisticated opulence without sacrificing a youthful spirit. Loose knits, boxy furs, cinched wools and tailored sequins made the collection incredibly versatile while still maintaining a cohesiveness through a country meets city chic vibe. I got to hang out backstage before the show and snagged some great beauty tips from the Kerastase hair stylist, Ashley Javier, and MAC makeup artists. For the hair, Javier did what he called a "baby grand beehive" on top of the head with wavy hair cascading down from it. Stylist note: when going for the wavy look, don't curl the ends of your hair in order to avoid a prom-ish look. In terms of beauty, the look was simple: gel defined brows, a caramel bronzer to accentuate the cheek bones and, of course, flawless skin.

Twinkle twinkle little star

Twinkle by Wenlan's show yesterday, was the epitome of wearability. Although not all of the looks suited my taste or style, front row buyers were hurriedly putting stars and exclamation points next to almost every line on the look guide. One thing I did love, though, were the bulky knits: a black-hooded, wool sweater with transparent sleeves, a flirty navy sweater coat and an open back creme sleeveless knit sweater. The juxtaposition of those bulkier pieces with super slim raw silk cigarette pants in olive or black, really made the varying textures a major and exciting component of the look.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Christian Siriano up in smoke

So, I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for saying this but, as a whole, I was really unimpressed with Christian Siriano's show yesterday. First of all, the smoke machine that I believe was supposed to give a look of whimsy resulted in coughing front-rowers, awful pictures, and an old, dusty feeling- not quite the desired effect, I'm assuming. Then, making their way through the smog, were the clothes. Raw silk, black iridescent pant suits, a bevy of jewel tone silk strapless dresses with ruffle details and an organza ball gown in fuschia (although breathtaking) to finish it off- it's not like any of these looks were poorly designed or executed, it's just that I've seen them all before: like a thousand times! For such a new designer who made his claim to fame based on making avant-garde wearable, I was expecting something really fresh. It's sad to see a designer who had so much creativity get sucked into the whole game of designing solely for what sells. Saving grace: the architectural, sky-scraping heels were pretty "fierce."

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Romantic elegance at Toni Maticevski

I fell in love all over again at Toni Maticevski's fall 2010 show. This was my second season attending Maticevski's show and have really come to appreciate the designer's aesthetic for a simple romanticism tinged with an urban and quasi-military or Russian royalty-esque hue. My favorite looks included the polka dot silk chiffon evening dresses- if I only had two words to describe Maticevski, they would be: expert draper. The the way these dresses moved as the models meandered down a uniquely lit runway was simply breathtaking. An ode to similar looks from his last collection (even though one particular look was a bit too nostalgic, its perennial brilliance more than made up for it) the two tiered evening skirt in pale blue, paired with a beige picot knit cap top, was once again, a crowd stunner. All in all, a ridiculously beautiful collection. Enjoy the photos!