A Neon Clutch

Today marked the first use of my brand new ASOS clutch, which I received in my IFB Conference gift bag. Despite being such a color fanatic, I don't own very many neon pieces. Thus I was happy to acquire a neon item, which will certainly stand out every time I carry it.

Here I've paired my clutch with my purple DVF coat and a Tibi tank top from a thrift shop. Combined with vintage leopard print loafers and jeans for a sleek but casual effect, I'm ready for a calm Sunday afternoon.

DVF coat, Tibi silk tank top, J Brand jeans, ASOS clutch, ring custom made and engraved, vintage leopard print loafers.

xoxo

Fashion Week Street Style

During the bleakness that is Milan Fashion Week this season (i.e. sophisticated silhouettes and detailing, boring colors) I have found that my passion for Fashion Week street style is increasing exponentially. The main attraction of the various Fashion Weeks is presumably the runway shows, but in many cases what attendees wear to shows is more interesting than the runway looks themselves. Certain stylish show-goers are known for their unique (some call it crazy) street style, such as Vogue Japan's editor-at-large Anna Dello Russo - the Italian fashion goddess who can pull off almost anything - and well-known blogger Susie Lau of Style Bubble, who is often seen draped in the garments of emerging or contemporary designers and has a natural talent for mixing prints. Though not everyone can claim a signature style as famed as these, it's certain that shows attract only the chicest of the set. Going to a runway show is only half of it, because everyone will be eyeing each other's outfits, sometimes in the most critical sense. Therefore the lucky ones who are invited to attend shows are pressured to dress their best.
The rising craze over street style is particularly apparent when Fashion Week is on. Nowadays, nearly every fashion-related website covers not only the runway shows but also the street style involved. With the evolution of media, street style has obtained various platforms on which photographs of fashionistas captured crossing the street or chatting on the phone can be displayed. Tumblr has a huge role in this: the best street style snaps go viral, reaching thousands of reblogs in days. But it is also the rise of blogging that has contributed, with personal style blogs only perpetuating the trend. Sites such as Lookbook.nu are geared towards personal style - what girls and boys are wearing in their everyday lives. It's such ideas as these that are becoming so popular because they form another mechanism allowing us to be inspired. Street style snaps capture unusual pairings that bring out the creativity in others who set sight on said images, so it can clearly be said that the rise in popularity that street style photography is seeing is mainly for the better.
One of the most famous street style photographers is Tommy Ton, of Jak & Jil fame and also commonly shooting on behalf of Style.com. The photographs below are sourced from the latter site, hosting a wonderful collection of Fashion Week street style shots from which I have chosen the most colorful pairings.

Images from style.com

Speaking of street style, I'm happy to say that I was featured in Teen Vogue's "10 Expert Tips From Fashion Blogging Pros at the IFB Conference" slideshow. 

Image from teenvogue.com

Don't be a copycat

The process of becoming a successful blogger should be "organic." In the words of Bryanboy, "Don't try to be a 'blogger 2.0." Avoid trying to emulate an already-established blogger. Your followers should feel like they are actually hearing from you. "We already have one Bryanboy..." says DKNY PR Girl Aliza Licht. We don't need two!

Below is another street style photograph shot by Dustin Fenstermacher for Teen Vogue outside of the IFB Conference, which kicked off NYFW.

Jack by BB Dakota kimono, Margarita Saplala dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs shoulder bag, bracelet from Jessie James (designer unknown), Hue tights, Rebecca Minkoff wedges.

Which of the street style photographs is your favorite? If you went to Fashion Week, what did you wear? If you didn't go, what would you wear? And how do you feel about street style? I'd love to know your opinion, so please do leave a comment below.

I hope you're enjoying the Fall 2012 shows. Milan Fashion Week hasn't been showing much color, so I'll refrain from doing posts focused on individual shows. I do plan on doing a colorful highlights post at the end of Milan Fashion Week, so keep an eye out for that.

xoxo

London Fashion Week Fall 2012 Round-Up

My favorite Fashion Week has officially come to a close. The womenswear shows having ended on Tuesday, I'm happy to say that the London shows more than satisfied me, so I was not as sad to see the week end as I could have been. If you've been reading my LFW coverage, you've already seen my babble about why I love it so much (see here and here). I'm not trying to start a tradition here, but London Fashion Week was full of so many colorful shows that I wanted to write about that I have rounded up for you some other wonderful looks that did not make it into their own posts.

Prints


Prints are always popular at London Fashion Week. It has to do with that freedom to experiment that London-based designers have. London is quickly becoming an epicenter for young, creative fashion designers who push the boundaries and break the rules. Prints are pretty tricky, but the London crowd have got them down. From artistic abstractions to digitally produced images to recognizable patterns and motifs, color and print interweave in a way that channels fun and edgy glamour.
It's difficult to categorize the style of prints that went down London runways this past week because there was such a variety. Clements Ribeiro showed ornate prints fit for historic tapestries and rugs. Michael van der Ham presented us with juxtapositions of abstractly printed fabrics and painterly florals, staying true to his aesthetic. Basso & Brooke put different prints together in the same garment with little transition between. Erdem's bright, feminine florals were modern and punchy.
Though one can't place all of these prints under one identity, it's certainly true that they are all bold yet beautifully done.

Left and right: Clements Ribeiro

Left and right: Michael van der Ham

Left and right: Basso & Brooke

Left and right: Louise Gray

Left and right: Erdem

Left: Holly Fulton

Right: Issa

Left: James Long for Fashion East

Right: Felder Felder

Brights

I was not extremely surprised to see the limited number of bright colors at London Fashion Week this season. The London-based designers who show at Fashion Week are more renowned for prints and textiles (see lengthy section above). Nonetheless, gloomy England did produce some cheerful brights. Roksanda Ilincic had a beautiful set of azure blues and vibrant purples and Acne showed some quick pops of shocking neon - almost radioactive - green.

Left: Mulberry

Right: Roksanda Ilincic

Left: Peter Jensen

Right: Acne

Other

I have placed the following looks in this category - though strange as it seems - because people are often quick to judge such a style. Before you hastily regard the following as "weird" or "strange," take a closer look. This may be Fashion Week, but these images are examples of art. It takes true vision to compose such designs, and I ask you to put your words aside and just observe for a minute. The garments below are beautifully crafted and imaginative; not just anyone can dream up something like this. Though you might not dare wear these clothes out in public, remember that fashion is more than just the fabric on our backs: fashion is self-expression, just like the art in a museum.

All images from style.com

All looks by Meadham Kirchhoff

Meadham Kirchhoff's "interplanetary disco" is filled with a cacophony of color and print, intended to represent the happiness of the outsiders who forget the misery and anger caused by the world in favor of joining one huge party. Take a second look at the designs; this is not crazy, this is art portraying a statement.

(For more beautiful insanity, check out Jeremy Scott's New York show.)

At this point, I have covered the remainder of London Fashion Week that I had hoped to blog about. I hope you have gotten a good sense of what London Fashion Week is really about because it has its own unique aesthetic.
Next up, Milan!

xoxo

Mary Katrantzou Fall 2012

Perhaps I'm biased, as a lover of print and color, but since I first stumbled upon the work of Mary Katrantzou a year or two ago in the pages of Vogue, she has been on the top of my mental list of contemporary creative geniuses in fashion. Though my love for Missoni will never die, my obsessive adoration of Mary Katrantzou's designs is truly unique in that no other fashion label has ever caused me to almost drool and/or cause a facial expression characterized by raised eyebrows, wide eyes, and an open mouth. Let me add that while browsing the Mary Katrantzou section at Opening Ceremony last weekend (my first time at the famed multi-brand boutique) I was tearing up because in my hands was a Mary Katrantzou garment. 
Maybe I'm being a bit of a drama queen, but I have to argue that it's actually instinctive. This is what a Mary Katrantzou dress does to me. Don't even get me started on her spring/summer 2012 show. (I blogged about it here, though I would like to mention that I hadn't quite reached my current Mary Katrantzou emotional state at the time the post was written.)
Anyways, I was overwhelmed with excitement during the beginning of London Fashion Week, eagerly awaiting the fall 2012 collection of this designer who is so dear to my heart. I did not in fact wake up at 4 am Tuesday morning to see the collection (I did consider it), but the first thing I did when I woke up was jump right on to Style.com for a nice little gawking session. And, of course, the genius of Mary Katrantzou did not fail to impress. 

Images from style.com

To be honest, words can't properly describe this collection and do it justice. The looks that strutted down the runway featured Katrantzou's signature style of prints: realistic digital imagery of ordinary objects (in most cases - see the garden labyrinth dress as an exception). These designs more so than past ones are almost like optical illusions; the first time you see one of these dresses, it looks like it just has a pretty abstract print. On a second look, you may find a typewriter or a clock. (See if you can find them in the images above.) In terms of color: after the cascade of rainbow colors in the Mary Katrantzou S/S'12 collection, it was nice to see single-hued looks, a rare thing for the designer. Yet the color palettes were beautiful and vibrant as always, and even the looks in neutral tones succeeded in maintaining my interest! (In runway shows, it takes a real mastermind to interest me when it comes to neutrals.) The silhouettes were imaginative as always, with Katrantzou challenging herself to find new ways to incorporate structure in more unusual ways. Structured shoulders and various twists on the peplum shape are examples.

This was another fabulous set of work from an extremely talented designer. Mary Katrantzou's print and textile background definitely shows, but it also takes true imaginative ability and skill to execute prints in such a fine manner. Not only are these looks beautiful, but they have depth and whimsy to them. Mary Katrantzou has a way of creating complex, feminine looks that are also fiercely modern. Katrantzou's designs aren't for the faint of heart, but isn't fashion all about having fun?


Please - for your own sake (and mine) - take a look at the entire collection here.


xoxo