James Byron Dean 1931-1955

I've always loved James Dean, but solely because of his casual style and how he became a legendary actor at such a young age. I just finished watching The James Dean Story and already want to play it again - I have a whole new respect for him. He was such an incredible actor because of the way he observed people - picking up their traits and body language - and how he used his inner loneliness for inspiration and depth for the characters he played. He lived the majority of his short life building walls and never letting anyone in to see his true self and just as he began to realize that maybe he did have something to give after all, he died. He was 24.

I found this quote and it sent shivers down my spine...

"When Dean introduced himself to Alec Guinness outside a restaurant, he asked him to take a look at the Spyder. Guinness thought the car appeared 'sinister' and told Dean: 'If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.' This encounter took place on September 23, 1955, seven days before Dean's death."

Dean was such a talented individual as he was good at everything he attempted: sports, racing, art, bullfighting and theater. It's so unfortunate that he would no longer grace the big screen with his presence, as I'm sure he would have stood the test of time in Hollywood.

Look of the Week: Day or Night

You can throw this on and go anywhere. Use the two shoes per outfit rule and change depending on what you plan to do.

--Wear flats for work, running around or a lunch date in order to take the somewhat dressy look down a notch.

--Switch to heels to easily transition from day to night.

I love a leather jacket with just about anything...

Shop here!

Burberry Prorsum RTW Fall 2010

Christopher Bailey does it again. The military-themed collection was built around Burberry staples — the aviator jacket, the trench and the frock coat — with the form of softness coming from silk, lace and washed velvet. Olive green and chocolate leather were stand out colors, while fur, shearling and oversize collars all earned two thumbs up. Bailey's attention turned to ground troops with his sharply tailored, cropped coats, A-line coats with sharp pleats, and you can't forget about the buttons, as they were plentiful. The thigh high boots added just the right amount of edge and sexiness to the "Master and Commander" collection and gave it that 'thrown on' appeal. Bailey definitely gets my nod of approval on this one. Here are a few of my favorite looks from Fall 2010.

Fall/Winter 2010 Trends

NYFW is finally over and marks the end of an era; Bryant Park is no more and we will be viewing future collections at the Lincoln Center. I can't say that I am pleased with this decision and can't explain it better than Mrs. Wintour..."Bryant Park became the beacon of what New York fashion stands for - an industry that's fearless, tireless, and always moving forward." I think with the move further uptown and farther west more and more designers will show on location, which does make FW a bit more personal and unique. Another change that won't be far away is the unnecessary use of models. Designers are already making the switch from real life models to mannequin forms and digital designs (Temperely London and Showroom Antwerp). Although models add life to the clothes, forms severely cut budgets and are much easier to work with. That's just a thought...so I'm excited to see what avenues fashion will explore in the years to come.

After this week has been said and done, there are going to be some definite trends this fall. These are trends that were seen across the board of designers showing for NYFW, so here's a heads up of what's to come. Happy shopping!

Womenswear:

Plaid - in all colors

Leather - bombers, vests, pants (shorts) and sleeves

Neutrals with pops of color - tan, black, white, gray, burgundy and purple

Velvet - take it easy on this one

Fur - finally!

Gold - details, separates or just a little shimmer

Emphasis on shoulders - embellished and one-shoulder 

Turban-like headpieces - no comment, wear only if you can pull it off

Zippers - on anything and everything

Menswear:

Knit scarves - add to a suit or more casual look

Fedoras - be careful not to look too styled with this 

Turtle necks - loose enough for a little slouch

Leather - bombers, sleeves and pants

Plaid - have fun with it, just don't go too lumberjack

Tweed - stick to one piece per outfit

I love the beginning of a new season and look forward to fashion this fall (just not the cooler weather). 

Farewell Bryant Park...Lincoln Center here we come! xx

Nary Manivong presentation...

...at the Audi Forum on Park Ave brought out a great group who watched as the models stood super still on the rotating circle, which was coated with black glitter. The silhouettes were classic, the color palette stuck to black, white, tan and burgundy and there was a definite emphasis on the shoulders. The collection was feminine but incorporated edgy pieces like lace, leather, black lips and black tulle that covered half of the models' face. The accessories were Linda Lindarht and were chunky, silver pieces that were either very architectural or in odd shapes -- huge whistle ring,  bangle that covered majority of the hand and big double finger rings. The collection came together really well with the help of stylist, Ally Hilfiger and was wearable, sexy and could easily be mixed and matched.

Fat Tuesday in NOLA, Fashion in NYC

The Jason Wu for TSE capsule stayed true to the hallmarks of the house - lush knitwear, classic silhouettes and impeccable quality - while fusing Wu’s fresh, feminine techniques. Chunky knits (a rather shaggy effect) combined with heavy wools, irregular pleated chiffon's and asymmetrical, architectural seams were inspired by the textures and earth tones of Robert Ryman’s monochromatic canvases. Wu mixed neutral hues with unexpected textures and details that looked like he took a paintbrush and slapped it on the material. Plaid, sleek zippers, turbans and menswear pieces were all part of the capsule collection and are right on trend for Fall 2010.

Temperley London’s ‘True British’ collection was inspired by the late Norman Parkinson’s previously unseen works. Alice and photographer Adam Whitehead re-interpreted some of Parkinson’s most striking shots featuring 16 modern British icons that define British style and glamour across the world. The resulting images have been printed life size on canvas and then hand-embroidered and embellished with the same techniques used in the collection pieces. Temperley added her own point-of-view to Parkinson’s work with leather waistcoats, feminine florals, goddess like draping and gold embellishments and Union Jack flag prints. Turbans and other adorned headpieces topped off many of the looks while chain detailing woven with yarn decorated a few of the edgier separates. The collection was incredible and I really loved how the images in the background mirrored the garments on the mannequins making it somewhat three-dimensional.

The G-STAR RAW show is always entertaining and this year was no exception. John Legend, Adam Lambert, Kelly Osbourne, Liv Tyler and Agyness Deyn all watched from the front row, but I had the best seat in the house, upstairs. Seriously, I could see everything rather than just what was directly in front of me (including Liv continuously twirling her hair and Agyness texting away). I really enjoyed the runway and the pace the models walked -- it was very digital, like a computer crawler. I did not, however, particularly enjoy the collection. The big bird yellow and blinding green colors, toggle ponchos and overralls just didn't hit the mark this season. The show was entertaining but all I could think about when I rushed out of the Hammerstein ballroom was Paddington the bear, not a good after thought for a designer.

President's Day Fun

Showroom Antwerp had a brunch presentation in The New York Times building, which was great considering everyones busy schedule this week and little time to eat a decent meal. If you give me a glass of champagne, an open-faced turkey and brie sandwich and an espresso tart and then send me to see the 7 Belgian fashion designers collections, consider me a very happy person. The collections - Anke Loh, Anna Heylen, Idriz Leleu, Marc-Philippe Coudeyre, Peter Cuersters and Stephan Schneider were all in one room, which made it somewhat difficult to maneuver around everyone while trying to take pictures and write notes about each designer. Each collection was on trend with wool pants, trenches and a mostly navy, tan, black and gray palette. The Lenny Leleu bathing suits were really great with details like twisted pieces of fabric connecting the top to the bottom. In the mad rush of people I unfortunately did not get to see everything but got a quick glimpse and liked what I saw.

 Monique Lhuillier's Fall 2010 collection was inspired by Chinese warriors and military suits. Dragon printed jacquards, velvets, lace and crimson red all gave the collection a dark but luxurious feel. High necks and long sleeves (some sheer) added to Lhuillier's tough, chic edge. There was a strong emphasis on the shoulders with cut outs, chain embroidery and a lot of one shoulder pieces. Now if I could only find a place to wear one of these unbelievable gowns.

This season Chris Benz presented his Fall collection at Drive-In Studios in Chelsea. The space was great and the models stood in position for a bit and then walked around the long rectangle where they showed off the colorful pieces. Benz did not limit himself color wise, the entire color wheel was represented in different variations and shades. Sparkles (sequins and shimmer), patterns (plaid and watercolor) and colored fur all played a large part in the collection. It was fun, extremely colorful and wearable -- even Kelly Osbourne came to check out the collection and I must say she is much smaller and prettier than I would have expected. 

FW Day Four

Simon Spurr started his show with someone forgetting to take the plastic off the runway, but the show went on and model after model had on looks that were preppy, sophisticated and hip. The palette was mostly navy, tan and gray with some burgundy thrown in the mix. Black skinny jeans and leather jackets (and pants) held their own against the tailored, patterned (plaid) wool suits that were topped off with beanies and fedoras. The classic suits all had one element that made the look more playful – big knits scarves, fun pocket squares and black pearls decorated the lapels. Casual elegance and a professor like feeling was in the air as the models took their final walk and Spurr quickly made a ‘Thank You’ wave until he disappeared into the mix of buyers and press backstage.

Peter Jensen’s show at Milk Studios had the backdrop of a newspaper, where models walked out to the middle to pose and then around the edge to form a square shaped runway. There was a lot of plaid (big fall trend), velvet, ruffled mary-janes and tights with a single stripe down the back. The collection was an even mix of lady-like, school girl and 50’s style with bloomer shorts, pleated plaid mini-skirts and flowing, airy calf length dresses. My favorite parts about the collection were the pom-pom turbans and the button detailing that adorned collars, lapels and necklaces – a great detail that added a creative life to the collection.

Billy Reid’s presentation imitated the outdoors with the woodsy backdrop, where the models stood amongst tree branches and on crunchy leaves – even the air smelt of the outdoors - refreshing for New York City. Exquisitely tailored wool suits with a natural palette (tans, browns and navy), layered sweaters and button downs, pockets squares and bow ties all hit the mark in Reid’s collection – one of my favorite menswear lines of the week.

PARKCHOONMOO Fall/Winter 2010

Choonmoo Park majored in industrial design at Hong-Ik University -- her industrial roots are very evident in her PARKCHOONMOO Fall 2010 collection and have defined her design aesthetic. Park's designs are edgy but wearable and she uses layering to create new combinations that have become a signature of the Korean avant-garde line. Colors were few, only black, gray and three blue pieces appeared on the runway, but zippers, knits and leather were in just about every look -- men and women's. The leather jackets were amazing, the zippered detail added that extra playfulness and the rare pops of blue lightened the mood. Overall, the 'X' shaped runway and darkly lit basement of the Hudson Hotel only aided in the futuristic feel of the collection.

El dia dos

Yigal Azrouel's Fall 2010 collection was edgy (zippers and studs), textured (slouchy knits with structured shoulders) and of course sexy. Bursts of color in the rather earth tone separates lightened the mood and the unexpected use of Swarovski crystals added to the playful sexiness of Azrouel's image.  The menswear was spiced up with drop-crotch pants, leather shirts and plenty of asymmetrical jackets. The entire collection oozed comfort and style and you'd be crazy if you didn't like it.

I was a bit early for the Risto show at the Metropolitan Pavilion, so I dropped into the Cafe down the street to sip on a cafe au lait and take a quick break before the hectic day. Once it began, I was very pleased with the vivid colors and the prints that confused traditional with technological. There were no less than seven memorable prints - inspired by digital graphics, even the reflection of a CD - mixed together to describe how Bimbiloski feels about how the fashion industry has been changed by the digital world. If not a print, there were other eye-catching details, like this knitted mesh body-suit; also flying down the runway - pants so wide they lead you to believe you were looking at a skirt. I was really impressed with the freshness of the collection -- definitely one that made you smile and forget about what awaits you past the pavilion doors. 

After finally hailing a cab and heading back to Bryant Park, I rushed backstage to Nicole Miller, where I was helping with FOH. It was unusually calm and everything seemed to be going smoothly, which if you have ever been in the madness at a show, then you know that it's hardly ever that way. Once the music started pumping and the models began to strut down the runway the collection was very true to Miller's usual design aesthetic. Black was a prevalent color, which was twisted in with other colors (white and camo) and patterns (very scarf-like). The wrinkled detailing on fitted jackets, draped chains embellished tops and a sort of modern patchwork are only a few of the key elements in the show. As the models took their final walk, you could really see how cohesive the urban-chic collection was, which was topped off with black beanies. 

When Nicole Miller wrapped, Venexiana took over the Salon and in rolled the gowns. I have never been to Stern's show before, but have heard that her collections were extremely over-the-top and somewhat outrageous, so I wasn't expecting much going into it. That being said, I was actually impressed with many of the looks - yes, most were layered with ruffles, sparkling with sequins and gold, had loads of lace and extra large bows - but others were more toned down and very wearable. Stern surprisingly incorporated a few separates into the collection and actually did a great job. I died when I saw the deep V necklines so deeply cut that they resembled butterfly wings -- one of my favorites details in the collection. These were my favorite looks from the show, what are your thoughts?