A Love Letter to Chris Benz, (Again)

I love, love, love Chris Benz's work. I've talked about my adoration for the pink-haired ingenue in the past, but each season, my heart grows fonder. I love his collections for being so multilayered and full of depth, color, texture - a palette that is absolutely not lacking in diversity. Dripping with sequins, beading, brocade, lamé, a rainbow of color, crazy-innovative gloves, and cloud-like jockey caps (and I'm sure there's a technical name for these, but my Dictionary of Fashion is stowed away in a storage unit in Newark... more on this later), I pretty much found myself dying for the holidays all over again. I've only just barely recovered from the last holiday season (can you believe it's not even been two months?) and here I am, waiting for a reason to walk out the door in a frock covered in pailettes, as if I ever need a reason...

It's been interesting to observe the transitions in fashion over the last three years, ever since our economy took a turn for the worse. Immediately after the recession hit clothes became a bit more rigid, conservative, tailored, and minimal; it was a shift that was incredibly visible on the runways and highly documented. Our economy is far from recovered, but perhaps the shifts in fashion back towards opulence and grandeur and embellishment are an indicator of our attitudes towards the economy? Are we becoming more comfortable? More at ease to step out in fashion full of flamboyance and life because we're adjusted to the initial shock of our down-turned economy? If there were ever rules, are we "allowed" to have fun with fashion, again? Just a thought...

Erickson Beamon's Midnight in Paris

A vaudevillian cabaret, a flapper, a 1920's courtesan,a bottle of moonshine, and a bag of crystal all walk into a prohibition-era speakeasy... Badum, bum. But actually, really, genuinely, I think I want to live inside the warm, glowy, nostalgic world that I was transported into during Erickson Beamon's presentation. It was Midnight in Paris, it was golden age New York City, it was jazzy Boulevard de Saint-Germain... basically everything I long for. And the jewelry? Flawless.

"No One Wants to Kiss a Girl in Black"

Is anyone else as obsessed with Downton Abbey as I am? PBS has done an incredible thing by importing this show to America, and I think early-20th century North Yorkshire inspired fashion is going to be an ongoing trend this fashion week season, at least I certainly hope so. I mean, is it even at all possible to sit through Downton Abbey without (very intensely) wishing you could steal the entirety of Mary Crawley's wardrobe? (I also wish for the Dowager Countess' incredible collection of hats, but that's another point, and blog post, entirely.)
Without a doubt, Tadashi Shoji's FW12 collection could, indeed, outfit the entire Downton estate for an afternoon tea, flower show, or dinner party fit for a visit from a Turkish Embassy Attaché.



 


PS, definitely thought of my loves Abby Gardner & Elana Fishman while watching/writing/reading this.
PPS, since Tadashi Shoji is also one of the few NYFW designers to offer plus sizes, I'm super anxious to see what gets bought (& worn) this fall!

Kaelen | New York Fashion Week, FW12

Kaelen Haworth is one of those designers who I've been REALLY excited to watch develop and grow. I loved her Spring Summer 2012 collection, and I really loved her Fall Winter 2012 Collection that showed yesterday at Lincoln Center. My biggest take away? Texture. Oh my god, I wanted to touch everything. There were so many sensuous textural elements throughout the collection (shearling, laser cut leather, flecked wool, buttery silk, airy chiffon, incredible metallics...) that I was truly seduced by the contrasting materials as much as by the designs and silhouettes themselves. The almost-black, ultra-deep purple lip was the perfect complement to the grey-scaled collection. Turn down the saturation, turn up the moody glam? I'm sold.

"I Literally Have No Life Until After Fashion Week"

Ah, it's that time of year yet again... It's still hard to believe that nearly eight years since attending my first New York Fashion Week show as a freshman at Parsons, I'm now attending as a legitimate fashion writer and player in the industry. It's hard not to have a pinch-yourself moment when you're rubbing elbows (or at least, admiring the back of the heads) of your idols. I still get nervous when applying for press credentials that the people behind Mercedes Benz Fashion Week may deny me (I imagine it to be somewhat like a University Admissions Committee, but with chicer clothes), or that I may not get a single invitation when sending out requests. It's impossible not to be enormously grateful everytime my anxieties are quelled!

My fashion week survival kit from several season ago has continued to refine itself; I now travel equipped with an entire technological arsenal (DSLR? Check. iPad? Check. Point and Shoot? Check. iPhone? Check. You'd think I was reporting from the frontlines of war -- and in a way, it is.) I've done a handful of pre-show studio visits, and outfitted my home with things like flowers that brighten up my space while I'm working on late-night deadlines. Now comes the excitement and enthusiasm of the shows!!




For those of you following NYFW from home, be sure to follow me on twitter and Instagram for up-to-the-minute updates. I'll also be speaking at IFB Con today on a panel called "Make Your Blog Irresistible" alongside Grace Atwood from Baublebar, Erica Domesek of PS I Made This, Connie Wang of Refinery29, Wendy Nguyen of Wendy's Lookbook,  and Andy Torres of Style Scrapbook. Even if you're not in NY, you can catch the streaming broadcast of the conference here!

What shows and collections are you most looking forward to seeing??

Gift Guide: St. Valentine, Cupid, and Nicolette Walk into a Bar....

You've probably already noticed that I have a penchant for pink and all things girly, so it should be no surprise that I absolutely revel in that time after New Years when all things pink, red, romantic, and bedecked-with-hearts start rolling out. Yes, it's completely cheesy, and yes, Valentine's Day is a total Hallmark-Holiday, but I still ooh-and-ahh at it all. Wonderful love-life aside, Valentine's day has become less about celebrating my relationship (I think that should be done 365-days a year), and more about indulging in the excessively lovey-dovey on a day where my (otherwise) guilty pleasure has taken a turn to the socially acceptable. Of course, I'll gladly accept a bouquet of red roses, bottle of bubbly, or coffret of chocolates (Vosges Viola's, please) from my S.O., too.


1. Rose Gold Bow Ring, Besty Bow Ring. 2. Loose Color in Twirl, Red Light, and Platonic, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, $12 each.  3. Heart Intarsia Sweater, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, $295. 4. Valentine's Day Coin Purse, Miu Miu, $450. Part of Miu Miu's insanely cute (and limited!) Valentine's collection! 5. "My Old Flame" and "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," Deborah Lippmann, $16-$18. 6. Perspex Lips Clutch, Lulu Guinness, $390. 7. Sugar Rose Lip Balm, Fresh, $22.50. I've probably tried every lip balm on the market, and this is still one of my favorites. 8. Rosa Mundi Candle, Diptyque Paris, $65. 9. Wanting II Bow Flat, Melissa, $89. 10. Matte Red Satchel, Cambridge Satchel Company, $170. 11. Angular Cat-Eye Glasses, Cutler and Gross, $400. 12. Dressing Parlor Demi Bra & Panties, Modcloth, $15-$38. 13. Agent Provocateur Parfum, $80.

Christian Louboutin 20 Ans

This week, landmark department store Bergdorf Goodman hosted Christian Louboutin's 20th anniversary fete - celebrating his iconic red soles with flowing champagne, a red dress code, a collection of Louboutin inspired dresses by Parsons fashion students, and an insanely well-dressed crowd teetering tall in a rainbow of Bamboo Pumps.








Is there a pair of Louboutin's that you're coveting?? If I could have any pair, right now, they'd definitely be the über cool loafers, I mean - just look how happy they make me.