The Working Woman

Jill Sander, Tory Burch, Rachel Roy, Nanette Lepore and Erin Featherstone know a thing or two about womenswear.  Once again they wowed the crowds with fitted blazers, suit shorts, bespoke dresses, lightweight cardigans and feminine blouses that not only serve as separate, functional wardrobes items, but keep you on trend as well. A ladylike nod to former days of 50’s and 60’s style of suiting received a myriad of modern updates full of prints, ruffles, florals, patterns and of course, impeccable tailoring. Say goodbye to the days of boring office attire and say hello to a bright future where professional wear is sexy , sophisticated and, most importantly, easy to assemble.  Whether you are layering each piece or keeping simple with just a beautifully fitted dress, you can take comfort in knowing next season’s collection are for the working woman on-the-go.

The Girls Night Out

Let’s face it ladies, too much stress in our work week can make us go crazy. So when Friday rolls around, we need to let loose.  Our dear designer friend, Marc Jacobs, knows that our inner playful self is in desperate need of some time in the spotlight.  His Spring/Summer 2011 collection is the perfect vehicle for heading to the famed Studio 54. Okay, so that might not be attainable, but a girl can dream, right? The collection featured a flowing array of 70’s glam, luxuriously fabulous dresses and party wear that will have all us swooning with delight.  To recreate this look, seek out gypsy blouses, below-the-knee length skirts, wide-legged trousers and drape-y maxi dresses with extravagant prints, bright colors and luxury fabrics like silk and chiffon.  Don’t forget the flower corsages and oversized sunglasses and hats.  Mimic the styling of Bianca Jagger and DVF back in the day and you’ll be the subject of envy.

The Budget Fashionista

Keeping up with the Joneses is tough work! While we would all love to have an endless supply of clothing like some of our favorite style icons, sometime it’s just not feasible.  Our fantasy fades, and we’re left feeling depressed about our wardrobe.  However this Fashion Week, designers made every attempt to keep us effortlessly chic and fabulous.  Their collections carefully harmonized both our financial constraints and woes with our passion and curiosity for fashion.  The best way for us to stay stylish and not break the bank is to go with what we know is timeless.  Fortunately for us, neutral colors, classic wardrobe pieces and strategic layering ruled the runway during Fashion Week.  It’s a femininity meets functionality approach, but one that works for our pockets.  Find your inner budget fashionista by searching for items such as a khaki blazer (see Tory Burch), a white shift dress (see Calvin Klein), a classic button down (see Donna Karan) and dress pants (see Michael Kors).  All of those work well together, but separately can be worn as statement pieces. Chic minimalism with a budget friendly creativity; a fashionista’s dream come true!

A Blank Canvas vs. The Color Brigade:  Murmurs of white replacing black saturated the gossipy air this last week.  Collections featured white and even neutral, pale and blush tones through a variety of vehicles – accessories, pants, suiting, dresses, shirts, skirts, shorts, etc. The blank canvas became the impetus for designers to showcase their refined styling and artistry without having to compete with bold colors. However, white wasn’t the only shade to rule the runway.  Candy colored hues like fuschia, neon orange, sunshine yellow, coral and Kelly green drenched the catwalk.  The rainbow of colors was not only optimistically refreshing, but also reminiscent of an Impressionist romance.

Short & Chic vs. Long & Luxurious:  Although it is no surprise shorts are still a wardrobe staple for Spring and Summer, this time around designers had their fun playing with volume, length and style.  From Thakoon’s fuller, longer style to Badgley Mischka’s short, sweet and chic looks, shorts are undoubtedly here to stay.   However, if you’ve had your fill or are looking to audition a new look, take a cue from Marc Jacobs, Rachel Roy, Rebecca Taylor and Derek Lam.  The “it” skirt barreling down the runways was longer, sexier and full of femininity.  The below-the-knee skirt made quite the splash debuting in silk, chiffons, jersey and tulle featuring brilliant prints, vertical stripes and delicate details such as rosettes and ruffles. Pair yours with a fitted ballerina shirt or silk, printed blouse.  And nothing says chic quite like adding a skinny belt to complete the look.

A Prairie Home Companion vs. Studio 54 Glam: One of the most talked about shows was Ralph Lauren’s prairie style collection. An over-the-top display of frilly lace, denim jackets, leather fringe and western style details like larger than life belt buckles and turquoise jewelry, the show glamorized the frontier life using a Victorian era influence.  On the opposite side of the tracks, if there was one party to attend, it certainly was the catwalks celebrating a Halston era style of the glam life.  Diane Von Furstenberg, Badgley Mischka, Halston (of course!) and most notably Marc Jacobs all recreated the glossy lifestyle of the 70’s Studio 54 days featuring silk suiting, flouncy blouses, knee-length skirts, wildly funky patterns, flamboyant colors, high-waisted trousers and flowy maxi-dresses.  This is one party you’ll be desperately vying for an invitation to.

Designers returning from previous seasons of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week or those showing for the first time as part of the lineup include Betsey Johnson, Bibhu Mohapatra, Bill Blass, Buckler, Cynthia Rowley, Derek Lam, Jenny Packham, L.A.M.B., Rosa Cha, Ruffian, VERRIER, Vivienne Tam, Zang Toi, among others.

We hope you are as excited as we are for fashion week!

Let’s talk velvet first. I love this because it’s chic AND warm; usually the two are mutually exclusive. Madewell, Alexander Wang, Charlotte Ronson, Nanette Lepore, and Mr. Zac Posen all used the luxurious material. If I were Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone, Clueless) I’d give these designers “snaps!”

Green…the color of money, envy, and Kermit The Frog but for Devi Kroell, Monique Lhuiller, and Rag & Bone, it was the color which adorned their runway models (Posen and Wang were in this mix too). Other not-so-novel trends spotlighted included lace, black-on-black, and yes, sequins are here to stay (I don’t know how I feel about this one. I’m starting to think it’s a bit overplayed). On a more positive note, keep your eyes peeled for velvety numbers to keep you comfy, cozy chic in fall 2010. Word to the wise, avoid crushed velvet (we’re not going for your little sister’s or niece’s gymnastics leotard).

Ok kids, I’m here to give you all the juicy details on the one and only New York Fashion Week (or Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week as we were politely reminded to refer to it). One word, two syllables. BA-NANAS (a nod to Miss Zoe). Here’s the breakdown. I was able to witness the wonderful spectacles of the following designers (in chronological order):

As a FW first-timer, I’ll admit I had zero idea of what to expect. Everything from protocol of getting invites to the attire to dress my inexperienced self in was all on a learning curve. I will tell you this: the awkwardness of not knowing a single soul plus the tedium of standing in line after line was well rewarded the second the lights dimmed and the techno started to blare.

Let me first paint you a picture. After you weasel yourself past the crowd of people outside the tents (gawking for no apparent reason), men appropriately dressed in black suits accessorized with ear-pieces and high-heeled girls passing out media editions of Daily, were upon the front steps to great you.  Once inside: another station with publications in the entrance, open-bar to the left, sponsor-booths outlining the perimeter (giving away free stuff of course), plasma tvs replaying all of the runway shows, and finally a ten-foot decorative bowl of something-or-other was the focal point of the room.  Approximately ½ hour before each show was scheduled to start, the designer’s worker bees (or PR firm’s worker bees) would set up shop and start checking people in. Your name, of course, HAD to be on the list in order to be granted access. If you’re a somebody, you most likely got invited directly from the designer and were sent your hard invite with seat assignment ready to go. Thus, you would’ve been spared the lowly task of waiting in line and could whisk by us little people in a separate line.

The appearance of the “chosen ones” was quite uniform: short hem, skinny legs, chanel bag, Christian Louboutin heels. Check. The remaining bodies consisted of people like myself: press, bloggers, people- who-knew-people, and the occasional business owner. I got the opportunity to chat with a dozen-or-so people throughout the week. Everyone was very nice and they seemed to have one thing in common. EVERYONE thought they were fabulous (snap, snap).

Among the boys in bowties and fashionistas in cocktail dresses there were a few celebrity sightings! Yippieeeee. And yes, I still consider reality stars stars. Gracing the fashion scene with their presence were housewives of NYC Countess LuAnn De Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, and Ramona Singer. Sheree Whitfield of Atlanta was also spotted at the Jill Stuart show. Miss Sheree was in town debuting her own clothing line She by Sheree.  For you ANTM fans, Mr. Nigel Barker and Miss Jay were also in full force. I also noticed Lisa Rinna and who I believe was Kristen Johnston. That’s not all folks, I saved the best for last. Leanne Marshall! You know, from Project Runway, Season 5 winner! I even scored a picture with her J

If you’re a fashion lover, or even enthusiast, I would encourage you to do everything you can to make it to one of these amaaaaaaaaazing weeks. Make a deal with the devil- whatever it takes. While the process isn’t glamorous, the payoff is soooo worth it. I’m still giddy and it’s been a week since I’ve left New York! What’s to come?  Tackle New York Fall Fashion Week 2010!