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New York Fashion Week - Rebecca Minkoff - Style360

When you think of Rebecca Minkoff, you think of bags.Totes, hobos, satchels and the like in luscious colors,

soft supple fabrics, and shapes that call to your soul. You see them, and have the urge to buy one immediately. The above bag, The Nikki Hobo is available at Bloomies now.

So, when I had gotten the invite for the Rebecca Minkoff presentation on September 14, 2009 as part of the Style360 New York Fashion Week events, I knew I had to see those amazing works of art; I just didn't know that I'd also see a fashion show.

Her spring bags come in all sizes; from tiny clutches to huge oversized hobos. Lots of the bags had dangling strings attached to them. I hesitate to say  fringe, because one or two strings a fringe doesn't make.

bags ranged in color from butter yellow, bold orange, blue, to deep black. Lots of studded and zip details too.

As for the clothing; according to the program notes, Minkoff was inspired by Gianni Versace, early 90's Tim Burton and photographer Peter Lindbergh. How did it translate on the runway? Lots of black and white, animal prints and a style that says, "don't touch that cookie." some of the pieces were wearable, some looked dated. It's hard to channel a designing icon like Versace, and not have some of the clothing look like it should be hanging in Bloomie's Designer's Salon circa 1991.

Do these examples make your heart flutter? Would you wear them this spring?

Hot Fall Trend: Ruffled Shoes

One of the hottest trends for fall is shoes adorned with ruffles. Cascading tiers of ruffles, ruffled edging, ruffles along the vamp, the heel, oh, let's face it, they went crazy and ruffles are everywhere!

It's nice to add a little feminine touch to a severe suit. If you're feeling a little flirty one day, you can let your shoes do the talking, even in jeans.

Ruffles comes in all price points The super cute flat is from Target ($24.99). The grey pump is Liliana from Hush Puppies ($95), and you can find it at Macy's. The sexy maroon pump with the velvet ruched bow is Christian Louboutin- The Lady Page Velvet- Bow Pump ($995) at Neiman's, natch! Love that sexy purple pump? It goes by the name of Koture Ruffled Peep-Toe by Fioni ($24.99) at Payless. The itty bitty bootie is Cuddles by Steve Madden ($149) at Lord & Taylor. The sexy ivory stitched down ruffled bootie is from Pour La Victoire ($285), presently living at Piperlime.com, and the sexy D'orsay pump known as Risky ($365)from Elizabeth and James, lives there too.

So you can see, no matter what your budget is, there's a ruffled shoe just for you.

Will you wear a ruffled shoe, or won't you? Do you like the trend?

New York Fashion Week - Malan Breton - Style360

Malan Breton is an innovative designer; whose accomplishments overshadow his appearance on Project Runway. For bad, or for good, mention his name or the show, and they always get entwined.

That wasn't why his show  was SRO; it was because his eye for detail, the delicacy of his design and his sense of romance has created a legion of loyal customers and fans.

It didn't hurt that Malan was debuting his menswear line either. Male Models. Yum.

So, on a shiny Monday morning, September 14, Style360 at the Metropolitan Pavilion hosted his show.

Regarding his menswear line; the hardest items to construct are pants and blazers. Malan's were perfectly constructed. The shoulders sat where they should, waists were nipped appropriately, and pants were long and lean. Of course, it was also delightful when he sent down male models wearing shirts, vest, undies and socks. One of them did a jete or two down the runway.

As for his women's wear; think Mad Men meets Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina ala Hubert de Givenchy meets sleek modern sexiness.

Body conscious day and evening looks in a palette that ranged from icy lavender to purple; lace, silks and satins foretold an elegant spring.

Claim Your Pair of Ruby Slippers!

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. It boggles the mind that the movie, flying monkeys and all, is that old!  CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements and World Products invited  designers to  re-create the classic ruby slipper  with Swarvoski crystals. They were asked, “If Dorothy were living in the 21st century, what would she wear?” Alberta Ferretti, A.Testoni,  Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner,  and Manolo Blahnik are just some of the stellar names who answered that question.                                  

The shoes will be on display at the CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements store in New York City (499 Broadway, between Broome & Spring, 212-966-3322), until September 23, 2009..Then the collection will be auctioned off, for the benefit of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation at the Warner Bros. Entertainment’s “Emerald Gala” at Tavern on the Green on September 24, 2009.Dying for a pair of ruby slippers by Oscar de la Renta,  Roger Vivier or Christian Louboutin, but you're not in New York CIty? Don't despair! The auction will be held online, so that global shoeaholics can bid!You can go to Ruby Slipper Auction

online and view all the shoes now, then on the day, make your bid.

Not only will you be the proud owner of a pair  one-of-a-kind ruby slippers, but you'll be assisting a great cause.

Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week -Alexander Berardi- Spring 2010

Viewing the craftsmanship, design sensibility and attention to details in his collection, it's rather impossible to believe that Alexander Berardi is only 23 years old.

His collection has an uptown/downtown vibe; fresh, chic and young.

White wasn't necessarily white; there were shadow stripes, pique, and other visual interests tucked into the fabrication.

His palette was white, black and navy. Thinking nautical look? Yes, but it wasn't over done. A bit of navy piping on white pants, or white piping on a navy print blouse-the giveaways were the nautical hats.

Berardi steered clear of stereotypical design, on this his third collection. For example, his polka-dotted dress was anything but sweet and simple. Because of the dress' clean lines and details, it came across as sophisticated and quite sharp.

This wasn't an entirely monotonal collection, silver, gold, orange and a floral print in purple, cream and orange used in a dress and separates added depth to his design.

Some might view it ( the collection) as something fit for Gossip Girl, as that show seems burned into the collective consciousness. It's not built on a gimmick; this collection reinterprets classic in a very modern and sleek manner.

Are you curious to see the rest of the collection? Well, if you'd like to view the models final walk, please click!

New York Fashion Week - 6th Annual Style360 - Liquid Metal Collection

Each New York Fashion Week, Hachette Filipacchi Media and A-List Communications sponsor a four day event, the Style360.  Established and emerging designers hold runway shows at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.

Sunday, September 12, 2009, the first show of the day was the Liquid Metal by Sergio Gutierrez Spring 2010 fashion show. For the most part, Gutierrez designs accessories. How does an accessory walk down a runway? would a bag or a belt get little feet and dance down the runway? That would be cute and strange at the same time.

Gutierrez did one better by having models stalk down the runway wearing liquid leather leggings and simple tops to showcase his wares.

Leather cuffs with intricate metal mesh details, long chain necklaces, mesh-linked tops,jeans and jackets with studded accents, leather bags with metal accents, metal mesh bags, mesh-linked bras, even two-piece mesh and linked metal dresses and skirts walked the runway.

The show was very rock and roll. The handbags were large, roomy and had delicate silver accents on the side.

an the belts! Wide belts, narrow belts, complete mesh-linked belts, belts with just a touch of metal, belts that screamed "heavy metal;" it really was belt heaven.

One of the hot trends for fall is the studded rock n' roller look. Well, it appears that that style will be with us for spring 2010. And if so, Sergio Gutierrez has that trend locked down. If you've ever dreamed of being a sexy rocker chick, definitely check out his collection online at Liquid Collection by Sergio Gutierrez. I bet you'll be tempted by his wares.

Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week -Maria Grachvogel- Spring 2010

British designer Maria Grachvogel brought a bit of the UK to her show on Sunday, September 12, 2009 at the Altman Building. Attendees were treated to tea, complete with crustless sandwiches, scones and clotted cream.

The presentation was set up like an old fashioned department store tea room fashion show. Attendees were seated at round tables bedecked with a lt candle and a floral bouquet. A truly civilized way to watch clothing parade down the runway. And parade it did; the show ran continuously from 2 pm - 4 pm.  The way it was run, it really afforded the viewer to study the collection as you could see a dress twice.

Grachvogel is well known in the UK; not only for her line of day and evening wear, but also for her line of bespoke bridal couture. Angelina Jolie. Yasmin Le Bon and Marie Helvin are just a few of the celebrities who wear her clothing.

And oh the clothing! Sinuous, sensual in idea and made with simple clean lines that enhance the wearer. Think Marlene Dietrich. Zac Posen, pre-war movies from the 40's and smoldering sexuality, and you've hit the nail on the head for this collection. The basic colors were black , taupe,  with occasional blasts of white and red. Grachvogel had two floral dresses;  one in red and one in yellow. A huge Georgia O'Keefe type flower adorned the front and back of the dress. There were abstract print tops,small hounds-tooth print taffeta dress, and a gown that had a feathery abstract print down the front hand-painted by Maria.

 

If you'd like to be center-stage in the movie of your life, oh this is the wardrobe for your starring role.

Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week -Chado Ralph Rucci- Spring 2010

What can you say about a master designer? America's only couturier? That at his shows, not a word his heard, not even a whisper. So entranced is the audience by his complex, detailed and almost magical creations, that the only thing heard is the music playing and the sound of fabric swishing down a catwalk.

 

Chado Ralph Rucci showed his spring 2010 collection on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at Bryant Park.

The inspirations for this collection was  a combination of an hommage to the the late Pina Bausch's personal style and her iconographic choreograph,  Sculptor Lynn Chadwick's work, and Lady Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. The clothing was light, ethereal and practically floated down the runway.

Rucci's creations are delicate works of art. Each season he explores new ways to turn dreams into reality. Many of his items have detailed embroidery. One season he showed an alligator coat with trapunto stitching. Embroidered items this season he used embroidery techniques that borrowed their imagery from the basic ladder. The embroidery as it climbed from the hem into the body of the garment became more and more refined as they inched higher.

For surface decoration, Rucci shredded silk tulle and chiffon, then sculpted them in layers, creating conceptualized flowers and yes, even wisps of smoke. Many of his after five dresses had sheer inserts, and a few of his gowns had cut outs on their sides.  Think sensual elegance, not 80's fly-girl. Colors ranged from stark white, brilliant black to acid yellow and red.

standout looks included a sleek simply tailored black mohair pantsuit , an acid yellow silk gros de longres raincoat (complete with hood) and a matching A-line skirt, a terra cotta double faced wool crepe jacket with horizontal bands of taupe paired with a taupe tulle horsehair skirt, and a taupe empire waisted u-necked, thin-strapped dress with feathers that undulated like sea anemones. Honestly, the list of gorgeous things could go on and on and on....His items are always heart-stoppingly beautiful.

-Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week- AAU- Academy of Art University -Spring/Summer 2010 Show

Seven recent MFA graduates of the Academy of Art University -Marina Nikolaeva Popska, Kara Sennett, Amanda Cleary, Richelle Valenzuela, Brittney Major, Jie Pan, and Sawanya Jomthepmala showed  their capsule collections Saturday, September 12, 2009 at the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week to a standing room only crowd.

Each collection had a different point of view of what suits the modern woman and her life.

Marina's was all about pastel playful pastel jacquard knit dresses with undulating ruffles. Kara Sennett's color blocked separates were body conscious and a petite hommage to Courreges, and yes wearable, very wearable. Her inspiration? Philanthropist Betty Friedman in David Hockney's 1966 painting Beverly Hills Housewife. Amanda Cleary looked to packaging as her inspiration and used box tab and cutout details in her collection. Silver, aqua, gray and black were colors. The dresses swished and flowed as the models walked down the runway. Richelle Valenzuela's collection was inspired by the structure of gem cutting diagrams, and the facets of the gem. Structural, architectural, yet soft, feminine, and visually surprising. It drew "oohs" from the crowd. Brittney Major used "unconvetional preppy" as inspiration for her collection. Plaid dresses and separates in bright taffetas merrily went down the runway. The collection was playful and fun. Jie Pan paired contrasting shapes, and pired fabrics like horesair wirh siklk chiffon and natural linen with organza  for her collection. Her inspiration was the abstract paintings of Anna Fidler. The designs were fluid and visuallly arresting. Sawanya Jomthepmala ended the show with brilliant neon colors-pink, yellow and green-prints, exquisitely done pants and separates.

Would you like to view the show in its entirety? Just click and sit back and watch the show from a front row seat. It as of you're there in the main tent.

Have you been to a fashion show? Do you have a favorite designer? Leave a comment!

Celebrities Shopping! Lindsay Lohan and Taraji P. Henson! Oh Look, There's Jessica Alba!

No, not together silly!

A zillion and one celebrities are in New York City for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, New York Fashion, The Parade of Models, Clothes, Shoes or whatever you want to call it. Anyway, they're here, they're shopping and they're going out.

Lindsay Lohan is in New York City, and she's been staying at the Bowery Hotel. Wednesday, September 9, 2009 she was spotted leaving the hotel and heading over to Victoria's Secret. There she picked up a bunch of cosmetic goodies (various shades of eyeshadow quads, blush trios, lipsticks and more) from the new VS Makeup Collection. Her fav purchase? The VS Makeup Gloss ($10). It's available at Victoria's Secret stores nationwide and online at Victoriasecret.com .

That same night, Taraji P. Henson (I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Benjamin Button) was seen wearing  a one shoulder nail head studded chiffon dress by designer KAUFMANFRANCO to Saks Fifth Avenue's celebration unveiling their third floor. Some dress, huh!

Over in LA on that same day, Jessica Alba was seen leaving LAX with her daughter wearing a lightweight charcoal gray and cream leaf patterned scarf ($26) by Erge. Luckily for you, it can be picked up at Nordstrom.com

Who said Wednesdays were the dullest day of the week?

**Lindsay Lohan photo courtesy of Shadow PR, Taraji P. Henson photo courtesy of  bluPRint PR, Jessica Alba photo courtesy of Red Light PR