New York Fashion Week [Spring Summer 2013] Part 1

It’s New York Fashion Week!!! Yeah, old news (for the fashion savvy) I know but exciting nonetheless. There’s no better time to rouse my sleeping blog, it’s fashion week once again, my favorite season too.

So I’ve been taking it all in, my instagram feed has been awash with images, live from the runways, as it happens. There have been tons of street style snaps and behind the scene footage, all the buzz!

We can already see some trends taking shape, the stripes (Marc Jacobs and Tommy Hilfiger went wild on stripes), the sheers (loads of sheer panelling, chiffon and tulle), the embellishments and the peplum trend which has been around for two seasons now – not that I mind, I love peplums! Loads of lace everywhere, I’m a sucker for lace, especially in the opulent rich texture as seen at Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang. The color yellow seems to be showing up everywhere, color blocking is around yet again and the clashing of prints and patterns are clearly here to stay.

As it is with summer collections, I personally am loving all the bright fête of color going on, it just gives this joie de vivre vibe.

The season is looking so yummy already, and I have quite a few favorites. I will feature my favorites from a cross section of designers in a blog series starting with this one.

I shall start with the collections that had the jaw dropping effect on me.

Vera Wang

The textures, the colours – sparkling white, chartreuse, azure blue, amethyst, cypress green, gold-  the layers and layers of tulle, the decadent lace. This collection was so divine.

Oscar de la Renta

If you’ve been on this blog more than once, you know I love Oscar. He just can’t go wrong. He delivers the ladylike just the way I love it, the use of colour and texture and cut is pristine, can’t be faulted. This time around, he delved into pant suits and skirts suits, we saw a blazer and we saw shorts. There was a diversification in terms of style but definitely not in terms of aesthetic, the collection still personified ‘The Lady’

Alice + Olivia

There was something about this collection that just made me happy. It was airy and bright, young and free, eclectic and fun. The splashes of colour were vibrant and happy. The yellow sequinned dress was stunning, right up my alley. There was life -simply expressed – in the collection, I found that appealing.

It has been a fun ride, great fashion and there’s still plenty more to come. See you in part 2!

Photo credits: styledotcom

Spring 2012 Trend: The Peplum

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, like the global fashion calendar is an ever spinning roller coaster ride. You never quite get off to catch your breath. Before the spring collections hit the stores, the pre-fall collections are out. Just two weeks ago, it was Spring 2012 haute couture week, before we get a chance to stare at and appreciate the craftsmanship of the stunning collections, we are being ushered hurriedly into Fall 2012 fashion week, kicking off in New York today.

New York Fashion week schedule

In spite of this apparent madness – and I don’t want to imagine what the designers and their team of stylists, makeup artistes, art directors, publicists etc must feel – it still is a great rush when another fashion week is coming up. You can’t help but be curious about what the trends for the next season will be, where the designers will be drawing inspiration from, what to expect from your favourite designers and if some trends you love will be making a comeback. As a diehard fifties aficionado, I’m always on the lookout for a fifities comeback, that means I get to find those nipped in the waist, full skirted dresses in the shops.

So, I’m waiting with eager anticipation for the shows to start. In the meantime, I get to keep looking at and talking about some of my favourite trends from the season we’re in now.

Spring is the most relevant season for us in these parts because we can identify with the clothes and can wear them, unlike Fall where most of the clothes are made in fabrics and come in styles we can’t wear in the tropics. Some stunning trends came out of Spring 2012 and make for great fashion. Over the next couple of posts, I will do a spotlight on some of these trends, starting right now with The Peplum.

I fell in love with the Peplum since my childhood days in the 80s, it was just so girly and I liked it. I never really did get a Peplum dress but how I longed for one. This right here is my chance to fulfil my childhood fantasies.

Now, you’ve never seen the peplum get as edgy, psychedelic and avant garde as it got in the Spring collections, and it showed up everywhere, from Celine to Jason Wu to Marchesa, all the way to Vera Wang. Some designers based their collection on this trend – Vera Wang and Givenchy had Peplums on at least half the clothes they showed – it was stunning what Givenchy did with the style.

This trend is bang on for girls who want to emphasize the waist, give a chic twist to work wear or play up their feminine side with a girly, frothy peplum in lace or tulle.

However you like it, get inspired by a plethora of peplums in every conceivable style.

 

 

Photo credits: Elle.com

 

Editorial Lurv: Lady Be Good

It’s no news that I’m a die hard lover of all things ladylike, so finding this editorial tagged ‘Lady be Good’ on Vogue.com was pure joy. Featuring the model Amber Valletta alongside her son Auden McCaw (adorable twist), it’s sleek sophistication in the best of Spring fashion by Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Prada and more.

The pink Carolina Herrera silk blouse in the first picture is simply TDF.

There was a generous helping of pieces in one of Spring’s key shades, Tangerine but it was overall a celebration of my best Spring trend, Electric colour. On the look though, this is where fashion is at right now, grown up glamour with a zesty twist.

The shoot was photographed by Steven Klein.

See more details of the editorial on Vogue.com

Wedding dress daydreams: Vera Wang Spring 2011

Tulle is beautiful and Vera Wang does wonders with it. The dresses from the Spring 2011 collection are classic Vera Wang, simple, delicate, whimsical and elegant. Layers and layers of tulle cascading softly and the beautiful satin bands. She uses lace here and there but nothing heavy, just in the right romantic proportion.

A bride should come across as delicate on her wedding day, shouldn’t she? Well Vera Wang has mastered the art of bridal delicateness. And there’s something I really fancy about the almost poetic description of each dress, it increases the appeal.

I would love to get married in one of these.

Strapless soft ballgown with fusions of shadow and chantilly lace, swirling multi-tiered confection skirt with bias horsehair trim, bullion and crystal bouquet embroidery

 

V-neck mermaid gown with illusion corset top, cut blossom skirt with tulle overlay and bias horsehair trim

 

 

Strapless sweetheart mermaid gown with asymmetrically pleated bodice and cut organza blossom hem with blizzard beading

 

 

Strapless mermaid gown with asymmetrically draped bodice and pleated back train with shadow lace hand-painted detail

 

 

Strapless sweetheart full a-line gown with asymmetrically draped drop–waist bodice and chrysanthemum organza blossom skirt

 

 

Strapless a-line gown with veiled hand-painted crystal embroidered bodice and softly tucked skirt with bias horsehair trim

 

 

Modified mermaid strapless sweetheart gown with asymmetrically draped peplum bodice and multi-tiered back over–skirt with horsehair bias trim

 

 

Strapless mermaid gown with fusions of shadow and chantilly lace and multi-tiered tulle skirt with cascading bias horsehair trim