Sunday, September 19, 2010

HAIR

Christian Siriano: he's back in the game

Last season, I was a bit harsh (i.e. "Christian Siriano up in smoke") on Project Runway alum, Christian Siriano's, fall 2010 collection. I think it was a coupling of the fog machine (which pretty much ruined any chances of a good runway shot) as well as a lack of what we know and love Siriano for - romantic details and an over-the-top finale. Well, this season, I am relieved to say, was magic: the Ralph Lauren-reminiscent bronze sequin gown (with a neckline to die for), champagne metallic suits, buttery leather capes and fluted shorts, and - of course - finale girls swathed in organza and chiffon.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Rodarte's dessert dream

I cannot get enough of Rodarte's color palette for spring. Such an epic representation of opulence as well as a new take on neutrals, the collection has such a fresh take on dessert inspirations. A mirage of golds, dirty and muted neons, and citrines, I love the way the colors played with the models' tan skin, dark brows and metallic lips. The shapes were also so interesting and new - triangles of exposed midriff, boxed minis layered over tulip skirts and heavily draped shoulders all played up this story of a deserted diva.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Marc Jacobs S/S 2011 - Meoww

An annual show stopper, he- and we expect nothing less- has done it again. Switching gears quite dramatically from his fall collection, Marc Jacobs sent a rainbow of sunburst orange bell-sleeved, mandarin collar coats, plum-puffed party dresses and Missoni-inspired magenta zig-zag knits down the baroque gold runway to an audience of socialites, celebrities and industry demigods who were all biting their lips and counting down the days until they could get their hands on a piece of his genius.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Prabal Gurung strung out

I was quite intrigued by the progression of Prabal Gurung's S/S 2011 show. He started off by sending six looks down the runway with a color scheme straight out of the brightest Crayola box, but then dramatically shifted gears to a completely sheer, nude set of looks. Although I was excited by both of these seemingly contradictory aesthetics, the collection didn't seem to have that total cohesion or chameleon-like growth that I think is so important. Each season, I like to be able to reference a designer's collection with a few key monikers that trigger images and memories from the show but, I feel like those few adjectives don't really exist for Prabal Gurung's latest collection.

Best of NYFW so far: Jill Stuart

Switching gears from her last collection that had most of us fearing that we were going to see more of the models than we would like (scandalous minis had models tugging down hemlines as they posed for photogs), this season, Jill Stuart returned to her classic roots - the reason we all fell in love with the Jill Stuart "girl" to begin with. Probably my favorite collection of the season so far, I about died when the navy sateen cape and tunic dress came down the runway. And what about the transparent tulle, black and white lined, 50's silhouette classic - sheer genius. And those copper cigarette trousers - sartorial splendor.

Charlotte Ronson goes grunge

Although Charlotte Ronson's show is usually one of my favorite NYFW tickets, this year I was less than enthused about her 90's grunge meets prairie florals collection. Beanies, nose rings and hoodies galore, the collection definitely acheived its desired time machine effect, transporting all of us to the days (grade school for me) of baggy overalls, stringy hair and an affinity for Alanis Morissette and the Spice Girls. Thankfully, the collection's saving grace was Ronson's inclusion of transparent layering with barely there tea length skirts (just another bit of evidence that hemlines are falling across the board) and blouses.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Mod Fodder

Here's a bit of a sampling of the mod-esque inspiration behind some of the fall/winter editorials and campaigns. Currently pondering how many cans of hairspray it would take for me to get my hair that big...


Thursday, September 2, 2010

"Eat Shop Love" - Really?

A bit behind in my subscriptions, I was catching up with the Harper's Bazaar August 2010 issue and I came across Simon Doonan's article, "Eat Shop Love." Having just seen the on-screen adaptation of the travel memoir Eat Pray Love (which I ironically got around to reading while I was in Ghana), I was intrigued. But, within the article, Doonan denounces the idea of women going abroad to "find themselves" and he credits Elizabeth Gilbert's book for putting these flowery ideas of travel and self discovery into women's heads. Instead, he proposes an alternative path to self discovery - shopping. Now, I understand that buying a new pair of heels that magically give you Gisele legs can give you that extra 'umph' in your step, but these quick fixes are just that. Don't get me wrong, I love a good retail therapy session just as much as the next girl but, I know that after I've gotten my purchases home, safely hung them in my closet and closed the door, I'm back at square one. So, it is an understatement that Doonan's suggestion, "instead of going deep, why not go shallow? Instead of the high-minded, why not allow yourself to experience the transformative joys of the profoundly superficial," left me more than a little peeved. I felt like I was reading an advertisement straight out of the fifties- 'Don't let your frustrations get the better of you. Instead, treat yourself to a new iron and steam away!' Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love is a story about a selfish endeavor but, is un-apologetically so. It's not masquerading as a story of philanthropy or cultural understanding. It's about me, me, me- and, why not? For a women's magazine, I was very surprised by the inclusion of this article - especially coming from a male writer. Check out the article (linked above) and let me know if I'm just overreacting or if you think Doonan's article is a bit over the line too.

MK Olsen Marie Claire sept 2010

I love these shots of MK Olsen for Marie Clarie's Sept 2010 issue. So many fall trends were so keenly interpreted - neutrally whimsical chiffons and furs, black organza with a bevy of gold rings, transparent army greens, lace up booties and deeply saturated colors in slim silhouettes.