NEW YORK FASHION WEEK: FALL 2009 PART I

this is the moment you've all been waiting for right? hold on...this is going to a bumpy ride.
♥ me

p.s. i just realized i tagged all of this fall 08. please ignore that. >.>

Monique Lhuillier- monique lhuillier is one of my favorite designers because she really knows how to make dresses. when a woman puts on a good dress she basically becomes a goddess. so that's what lhuillier essentially is...a goddess maker. ahahaha, that probably didn't make any sense, but what i'm trying to say is--lhuillier put on an amazing show. at least in my opinion. it was darkly whimsical with ripped/stretched stockings, and a beautiful color palette (greys, purples, navy, blacks...all of my fave colors). the models were accessorized with pearls that didn't look an ounce country clubbish and shiny baubles placed randomly. the title of the collection was modern ballets russes. i think it was named perfectly. i hope to see some of these looks at the oscars or on the red carpet in general! the five looks you see above are my absolute favorites, they're just dripping with character and mystery.

Tse- Lots of beautiful clean knits. this collection was amazingly simple but i fell in love with it anyway. who woulda thunk it? i loved the color palette: pumpkin orange, creamy white, greys, blacks, and beautifully bright plum. you could wear these looks everyday. they make me want it to be cold all of the time just so i could wrap myself up in these looks. and i don't like the cold.

Bibhu Mohapatra- i would describe this as a mix of quirky cute and elegant fluidity. i loved the fluid silks and chiffons used in the collection as well as the dusky blues, purples, greys, greens and tasteful embellishment. i don't remember ever seeing anything from this designer before but i was pleasantly surprised by the fresh outlook given in this collection. these clothes make me want to take a second look, even after having seen them multiple times while making this entry.

Jason Wu- one word to describe this collection is sophisticated. i loved the palette of light to rich dark blues wu used as well as the mix of floaty fabrics as well as heavy constructed fabrics. this collection really was fit for some super graceful duchess or someone to that effect...like...i don't know...michelle obama. :)

Yigal Azrouel- this show was so fun to look at. this show was definitely for cool girls only. every model had straight, sharp hair, darkened eyes, and a fierce pout. the color palette heavily relied on dark greys and blacks with a few colors or prints thrown in. i could wear the second look from the left every single day. it's so perfect--slim pants that elongate your legs, shiny high heeled boots, a simple grey tank and the best leopard print coat ever. tao okamoto (the model in the middle...i hope i spelled her name right) is quickly becoming one of my favorite models. i love her chic haircut and the way she wears clothes. she looks great in that dress. the last look to the far right reminds me a lot of lanvin but i love the crisp white paired with the darkest black. contrast is beautiful.

Rag & Bone- from the instant i started viewing the show i was amazingly pleased. rag and bone did the perfect play on basics. everything was wearable but never boring. i loved the leggings (not included in all the looks for the show) that seemed to be a mix of leather, spandex, and jersey and the flouncy mini skirts and the high messy buns on the models. the whole vibe was perfect! oh, and shorts with tights has never looked so good.

Hutson- from the people who brought you Obedient Sons & Daughters here is...Hutson! i'm loving the feel of this new line from the hutson couple. it has a very ysl-esque + chanel-esque + awesome-esque feel to it. i love the intelligent lady like ruffles and the sky high heels that i would not be able to walk in but would love to own anyway. the second look from the right is what gives the collection it's chanel-y feel. it featured a jacket/coat cut in a mini dress style with an empire waist and flap pockets. and i don't know if that coat is faux fur (it probably is)...but even if it's not i really want it (i'm feeling guilty!). look at the beautiful shape and the lovely construct of the sleeves and it hits at exactly the right place and it's so plush and soft. sighhh.

karen walker- walker featured cool shirts that were short in front and long in back, expertly made trousers, mini frocks and bucket hats as our fall forecast.

ruffian- i loved the sheer dotted stockings, the red lipstick and the straight hair on all of the girls. all of the clothes had a very young ladylike feel to it. every model looked her age in the clothes but at the same time looked very polished and intriguing. i want to wear pretty much everything in this collection. these are pieces that a teenage or 20-young 30 something eloise would wear (from the children's book eloise at the plaza).

ohne titel- this show was just exciting enough to get a collage devoted to it. i loved the heavy use of black, the skinny pants slashed at the knees and the amazing embellishment that managed to look space age but wearable all at once.

Abaete- this show had a slow start but i loved the looks that went down the runway as the show went on. i'd really love to own the dress to the far right.

ADAM- i wasn't expecting to like this show but the young upbeat looks drew me in. and doesn't iekeliene stange (model third from left) look great with blonde hair? i was pleasantly surprised when i saw her stomping down runways with her lighter locks. one of my fave pieces from this collection was the beautiful dress tao (model to the far right) is wearing. i love the colors and the cut.

Alexander Wang- i loved the bags and shoes in this collection. they are absolutely lust worthy. as style.com said: alexander wang's rock chick has grown up. all of the models were styled with major edge but a bunch of polish and well placed maturity was dashed in as well. and it gave a good effect. i also really like the idea of the bra cupdresses. they are very sexy and stick to the ideal of the alexander wang girl.

ADDITIONAL FASHION WEEK NOTES

Jenni Kayne- the looks were definitely for a smart girl that wanted to look decidedly sexy. there was a lot of use of embellishment, of texture, of fur, and of loose tops and tight bottoms or tight bottoms and loose tops. i liked the feel of this collection as lot, especially the pairing of the looks with gold baubles for necklaces and huge black eyeglasses. however, the collection wasn't outstanding. i'd give it an honorable mention. :)

Lyn Devon- lots of basics (pantsuits, blouses, breezy dresses) souped up with bright colors.

Acne- lots of clear plastic pants, amazingly high shoes and grungy looking models. it was ok, but not great. (london)

Vera Wang Lavender Label- it was decent, but not delightful. i want to be excited by new fashions! i don't want to feel de ja vu.



Rachel Roy- she said that she wanted this collection to have a decidedly strong feel, and it did. it used a lot of sharp asymmetrical cuts and all of the models wore sharp dark YSL-esque bobs and (YSL-esque again) black lips. she used lots of pastel colors, such as powder blue and pale lemon yellow (the color of the inside, not outside of the fruit) and lots of black and sheer panels. one of my favorite looks from the collection was an incredibly fierce black corset top with a black peplum paired with black straight legged trousers, several of her asymmetrical cocktail dresses and the last look worn by kinee diouf. a black gown look, with a sheer top and sequined skirt.


Peter Som- 16 looks of dissapointment...and I usually love anything that Mr. Som does. i disliked most of the looks save for a scant few (two to three looks). there was a lot of fur, brown or colored in a strange hue, lots of mixed prints, and socks with strappy/chunky high heels. maybe my expectations are too high?



United Bamboo- it was a pretty boring show in my opinion. it has straight laced schoolgirl + art girl. lots of wools, tweeds, sheer black sleeves and silky prints in dark muted colors abounded.


Staerk- very monochromatic and edgy. an appearance from fatima of america's next top model fame surprised me--she actually looked good in the runway picture. i never liked her on the show, but that hasn't stopped her from pursuing her modeling dreams. the shoes in the collection were black pointy toed heels, some with silver tips to complement silver brooches pinned onto various ensembles.



Shipley & Halmos- very practical. all of these pieces i could wear daily. the clothes are all made very well, but at the same time i'm not excited. one reason is because they were blatently inspoired by various balenciaga collections (they just toned the look way down), and because the looks were so normal. i did like all of their models though.



BCBG Max Azria- the gold and pewter metallic wet look leggings were such a great and young touch. i'm expecting to see these a lot soon on hip girls. there was great use of velvet and silk which gave a very louche look to the collection. yet all the girls were style to look completely comfortable and cool and not one bit pretentious. the look was effortless. however, i couldn't see too many looks that wowed me.



*overall notes: leather high waisted shorts seem to be very popular for fall. they won't be flattering on all--how do i know this? even the models looked bad in them. also, i am seeing so much more asian models on the runways! yay, diversity!



part II will be up before you know it!

I AM SO EXCITED!

despite the fact that i have an exam tomorrow and that i need to revise an essay and write another one, and that i have another exam next week and my back hurts and it's raining and chicago has been named the third most miserable city to live in (and i live in it) I AM SO EXCITED! do you know why?

in no particular order:

1. www.roiworld.com has LAUNCHED! AND OMG! it's so cool. if you're a dork like me that likes to dress up online dolls then this site is for you. and it is new and improved and way more fashion forward than before! my username on roiworld is missmarc. that's a username i use for most of the fashion related sites i'm a member of. so if you want to friend me there (i don't know if it's possible?) then do so! i will gladly accept!

2. the week is almost over! yippeeeeeeeeeee. i hate having to wake up early in the morning and then take two trains and all the while i'm either being stared at lecherously or being proposed to by hobos.

3. i updated fabfash! for those of you who don't know www.xanga.com/fabfash is the site where i put all the nice high fashion pictures i like from editorials and campaigns. any icons or graphics that i make are there too. if you're bored then check it out (the picture of chanel iman up there is on fabfash).

4. FASHION WEEK IS GOING TO START MAJORLY SOON! i'll be working my butt off making those collages, but i'll also be on a fashion high--seeing all those new collections. it'll be inspiration overload.

i'll be updating soon girls! as soon as fashion week starts you'll start seeing collages.

♥ me

SPRING 2009 COUTURE

sorry this entry has been so late! you won't believe how busy i am. school, family, keeping up with my faith, reading your awesome comments and other fab fashion blogs and misc. my life has been hectic and lately i've been on an emotional rollercoaster. being a girl ain't easy! perusing over the spring 2009 couture shows really lifted up my mood though and gave me some much needed fashion inspiration. hopefully it inspires you too.

remember my coverage of the spring 2009 ready to wear fashion weeks back in fall? well get ready, because i'm gearing up to run that marathon again. bringing full (as possible) coverage of fashion week in new york, milan, london and paris to you!

♥ me

p.s. here are the links to my spring 2009 coverage if 1. you want to relive it 2. you never got to see it.

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/677444026/paris-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-i/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/677532085/paris-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-ii/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/676257354/milan-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-i/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/676258865/milan-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-ii/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/675191558/london-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-i/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/675440970/london-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-ii/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/673912124/new-york-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-i/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/674282884/new-york-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-ii/

http://www.xanga.com/fashionforwarddd/674369461/new-york-fashion-week-spring-2009-part-iii/

this collection had an amazingly soft feel. drape me in givenchy! the color palette of white, nude, pale lilac, pale yellow, pale mint and black. givenchy is so hot now and has been seen on many it girls and one of my fave models natalia vodianova more than once. i love the edge that ricardo tisci has added to womenswear. i want to be a givenchy girl, do you?

i was sold from the first look. i want to live in the world of john galliano's dior, with outlandish makeup that manages to look beautiful beyond compare, amazing feathered hats, tight and structured skirts, long legs and heels. the collection had some 40s/50s shapes but they were way more glorified with puffed out to there sleeves and voluminous skirts, and the gowns at the end of the show had a lovely baroque feel to it with the prints, colors and collars. the dress in the middle is fit for a barbie. i'd love to see it on the red carpet but i don't know who could do it justice, since it has a kind of costumey feel to it. i still love it, and look at the yellow wonder jourdan dunn is wearing (far right). beautiful as butter :)

the armani spring 2009 couture show had a slow start but things only got better as time went on. i could tell that a lot of time was put into this collection. everything was meticulate and amazingly tailored. i want to wear every dress in this collection. and i love the color palette! bright yellows, reds, purples, blacks and white/nudes. lovely. and it had a slightly oriental vibe. i must own the beautiful purple metallic beaded dress in the middle, as well as the purple dress on the far left...and it wouldn't hurt to have that amazing red one shouldered gown...

i don't always like the chanel collections. just because it's chanel isn't going to make me like it. however, i find that a while after each chanel collection the looks start to grow on me. things i said i hated now look very delectable...but for this collection i liked it right away. i loved the corseted waist look and all of the white looks that came out in the beginning, and the clean makeup looks. freja beha looked so cute in the last look with that big camelia on her head. lagerfeld is indeed a genius. he plays on the same chanel aesthetic every single season, spring, fall, resort, pre-fall, spring couture, fall couture and yet every season we get completely new looks! kudos to you karl.

i still miss alessandra fachinetti who was the head of valentino for a short time. now the head of valentino are
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli who used to be the heads of the accessory dept. for valentino. this couture collection was very....old to me. it was a good collection but it wasn't great. i'm featuring it because it is the first couture collection by the new pair. a lot of the looks felt old womanly, motherly, and overwrought. however there were some refreshing designs that i hope to see in magazines and on red carpets (which are the ones i featured in the collage).

the first two looks were a little strange but as the show went on i fell in love! the feel was very parisian and very couture. this show makes me want to get seriously dressed up and looking fierce. there was a lot of netting in the dresses, and pleats, and cutouts. i love the pleated suit to the far right. very ladylike, but strong at the same time. the dress that chanel iman is wearing in the middle of the collage looks like it would be fun to wear, and chanel wears it well...i want to see someone else try to wear it!

elie saab is sooo talented. there were so many beautiful creations, it was almost impossible to pick only a few looks. i want to be a princess just to be able to wear his clothes. or maybe he'd be so kind to gift me a dress? probably not. but he is an amazing couturier, the skill and understanding of a woman's body that goes into this is mind boggling.

what do you think darlings?

paint the town...black!

my mom loves black. it's pretty much her fave color, and she wears it all the time. i used to tell her to stop wearing so much black and would go on about how i hate head to toe black. obviously i didn't have any style then because head to toe black is hot (when it's done right of course). this is one of my fave collages i've ever made. check out liya kebede looking so hot/fierce in the cutouts from the lanvin fall 08 campaign. isn't she amazing? raquel zimmerman looks good too but liya looks better no doubt. hope you enjoy this entry and leave more sweet comments. thanks for all of the comments, i love to read them!
♥ me

betsey johnson is such a fun designer. she knows how to bring out a lot of unexpected elements in all of her designs. especially her beautiful dresses. i love this betsey johnson queen of hearts party dress. i love the name of it (reminds me of alice in wonderland...that movie isn't that great, but i like the idea of it), and the look of the dress is really sweet--from the sweetheart bodice, to the giant sash, to the layered skirt. sexy and sweet.

the edginess of the boessert-schorn ribbon patchwork shirt and the french connection sassy sleeveless is just perfect. it can add edge to a casual outfit (think those tops paired with jeans or shorts...heels/flats/sandals/boots/whatev) and could still be elegant. you can tuck either into a black pencil skirt and look hot to trot.

prom's coming up you know! it's not right around the corner...but you should start thinking about it. i think the silver sequined black evening gown by marc bouwer for $895 is such a perfect gown. all eyes would be on you if you were in it. and A LOT of celebrities wear marc bouwer, no wonder, his dresses are classic and princessy (but not in an obnoxious way).

i love the simultaneous delicate and tough feel of the wouters & hendrix mini onyx studs. they're over $100...and way over my budget. but that doesn't mean i can't love 'em! check 'em out at the amazing site lagarconne.com.

did you know? black nails are all the rage! in fact...i think black nails are the new black. har har har. :) get the look by splurging on a bottle of lancome le vernis divine lasting color and shine for $18 from nordstrom.com.

what do you think? is black the new black?

paint the town...red!

last time i talked about how everyone is wearing more nude toned clothes, but i'm seeing more red out there too! instead of trying to wear a bunch of bright colors i see more people adding pops of red into their black,white and grey outfits. the red can be seen on a shirt, as a red shoe, or in the form of red lipstick or lipgloss. it's everywhere. if you haven't tried wearing red, now is the time to do it! something you might not know about me: i used to absolutely HATE red, but recently i've been liking it more. i don't know why i was so averse to it before but now i'm warming up to it.

♥ me

i love pretty much everything in this collage. one major piece i'm lusting after here though is the lanvin paisel chain handle pouchette for $1,850 from barneys. when i look at it, i'm reminded of chanel, since the brand is known for their chain handle bags. however this bag has an even edier vibe because of it's rectangular shape, top closure, and studs at the top of the strap and at the side of the bag.

red is the color of power and of sexiness. it's a bold color, and you can definitely look bold in the apt.9 lace chemise for only $16.80 from kohls. i would recommend it only for wear in your boudoir...but you could be bold and layer it under a blazer or a jacket if you feel like it.

i don't know how many people wear red eyeshadow, but if you do you can purchase bright, blood red eyeshadow from fredflare.com from medusa makeup.

if i was to wear a red dress anytime soon i'd love to have the option of either that rachel roy or marc jacobs strapless wonder(s) [located in the top left corner]. the cut of both the dresses are so flirty and the red hues really add to the bold feel of the dress.

will you be wearing red anytime soon?

p.s. sorry for the barely readable text on the collage!

obama inaugural style on jan 20, 2009

yesterday was AMAZING. a day that will go down in history as the biggest inauguration ever with nearly 2 million people attending (the unofficial estimate was 1.9 million at the end of the night), and the inauguration of the first black president of the United States! this means so much to so many people and shows how much the United States has changed in a short span of time. less than 50 years ago there was still segregation in this country. can you believe that? and there wasn't just racial hate against blacks--it was against any non-white person! today a big part of the United States is non-white, and these black, hispanic, native american, middle eastern, indian, chinese, japanese, vietnamese, laotian, indonesian, south american, w/e people-- are the building blocks of this nation. many minorities started out as groups of slaves or indentured servants or incredibly poorly paid workers who came here either forced or of their own volition. either way they were treated atrociously. now there's a precedent--someone who isn't solely a caucasian individual can be president of the United States, they can be a success and they can be looked up to and admired by their peers and the world.

besides that...yesterday was amazing because michelle obama and her daughters malia and sasha looked absolutely stunning. they were classy and modern and trendy all at the same time. they looked beautiful and stylish from head to toe. michelle was beautiful in a golden coat, dress, cardigan and crystal/diamond brooch and olive green gloves and green shoes in the day and radiant in a nude gown at night. i expected her to wear a jewel tone, but she didn't dissapoint--her choice was a very pleasant surprise.

♥ me

thanks for reading and leave comments about how you spent the inauguration and what you think of what michelle and her daughters wore (and yes, mr. president...barack obama...looked very dapper in his suit and coat in the day and tuxedo and white bow tie at night). :)

p.s. i just had an entry about wearing nude toned clothes and michelle obama opted for nude colored clothes for inauguration! woot :D not that my entry influenced her choices in any way, she had that stuff prepared before.

paint the town...nude!

hello my dear readers!
i bet you are looking at the title of this entry and are thinking..."??!". well...let me attempt to explain this eloquently. we are in a recession that could soon spiral down into a depression. as money and jobs become more scant and life gets harder every aspect of our life gets impacted. our family life, our social life, our school/work life...and even our "fashion" life. for those who love to read fashion blogs, fashion magazines, follow fashion seasons and the ebb and flow of various trends, this can be shocking and traumatizing. a love of fashion runs deep for many individuals, and being able to feed that love through shopping for clothes or fashion related pariphenilia, or just dressing fantastically is basically a must.

as it becomes more difficult to feed our fashion fueled appetite we revert back to the basics. we start wearing more black, because everyone has black and it matches everything and black is just always chic. as much as we try to pretend, there will never be a new black. we also start wearing more nude toned clothes such as whites (to go with the black), taupes, beiges, warm yellowy browns, browns, chocolates, etc. why is that? well look at our skin and the range of colors it comes in! it goes from extremely pale white, to yellowy tones, to yellowy orange tones, to olives, to light browns, medium browns, dark browns, deep chocolates and inky blacks as we move through the globe. we're basically dressing in colors similar to the natural garb we already have: our skin.

and there's one other color we throw into the mix: red. we need some excitement when we're dressing in black and ranges of nude tones. red gives instant zing and a certain kind of polish.

in the first part of this paint the town series i hope you enjoy the nude colored items i picked and the images that accompany it.

♥ me

p.s. sorry this intro note was so long! :D

i love everything in this little visual montage. i am especially lusting after the beautiful windy sheer woven top from f21. it's a perfect spring/summer piece and would look nice against many complexions (not all though). to make sure a nude doesn't wash you out you have to make sure it has an undertone that contrasts with yours. if your complexion is warm and creamy/milky your nude has to have a bright, clear, cold undertone. if your skin has cool undertones, your nude should have warm undertones.

the report signature masonic sandal is so fierce. i love the studs and that shade of brown! yum! and look at that chloe heloise metallic shoulder bag! this bag is one of my fave bags of all time because of it's classic, yet innovate and new design. it's over $2,000 but it's a great investment pieces. chloe bags can handle a LOT of wear and tear since they are made out of heavy/thick leather. and if you ever want to sell it over...trust me, it won't be hard to. everyone loves chloe.

nude tones seem to add a touch of romance to everything. that's what i think the nude strips of fabric did for the philosophy di alberta ferretti silk chiffon tiered dress. if it was all black it would have had a tougher vibe, but with the nude panels it feels more feminine and romantic.

at the golden globes we saw many famous beauties swathed in nude tones. such as eva mendes and demi moore. they wore the dresses gracefully and the nudes accented the hue of their birthday suits perfectly!

next entry: paint the town...red!