Archive for September, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Brian Reyes

Key Takeaways: Detail-oriented sportswear collection featuring classic silhouettes in neutral colors.

Color Palette: Neutrals such as white, grey, beige, brown, and black, were interspersed with bright primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

Silhouettes: Mostly fitted skirts, skinny pants and shorts, with a couple of more voluminous skirts thrown in for good measure. On top, fitted bodices alternated with slightly more blousy styles, in line with the controlled volume theme.

What’s Wearable: Absolutely everything. Reyes didn’t stray far from classic shapes.

Add comment September 20th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | BCBG

Key Takeaways: Max Azria combined elements of minimalism with the exuberant embellishment of the last few seasons. Our favorite runway looks included a Marilyn Monroe style halter dress with a full skirt, and a blousy top over short shorts with a sweatercoat coverup.

Color Palette: Neutrals included black, white, beige, and greyed out colors. Azria added to this neutral palette primary colors—red, blue, yellow, as well as purple and gold.

Silhouettes: Key trends out of this show included controlled volume on blouses, skirts, and even shorts, short shorts, wrap styles, and horizontal stripe detailing.

What’s Wearable: Blousy tops tend to be forgiving, and we love that Azria’s tops aren’t shapeless.

What’s Not Wearable: Be careful with wide horizontal stripes, even if you’re Amazingly Tall. More petite women, in particular, should opt for narrower lines that don’t visually cut the body into sections.

On another note, short shorts should only be worn with toned legs.

Add comment September 19th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Monique Lhuillier

Key Takeaways: A ladylike collection of eveningwear and cocktail-appropriate dresses. Lhuillier’s collection had an old-world type of charm–very pretty, but not overly embellished. While she clearly follows in the footsteps of Vera Wang, some of her cocktail numbers channeled Oscar de la Renta.

Color Palette: Neutrals (white, black, and shades of beige) were accompanied by yellow, lilac, sky blue, moss, and fuschia.

Silhouettes: Cocktail wear featured fitted bodices and mostly A-line skirts. Lhuillier showed bodices in three classic shapes: high-necked, strapless, and bra-top styles. Evening gowns ranged from drapey bias-cut styles to poufy voluminous looks.

What’s Wearable: Just about everything. We’ll no doubt be seeing some of these looks on the red carpet.

More specifically, we’re a big fan of the A-line skirt’s almost universal figure flattery. Also, Lhuillier’s monochromatic high-necked styles will be flattering to petite women for their elongated vertical line.

What’s Not Wearable: Watch your step in Lhuillier’s poufy evening gowns. For tall girls only.

Add comment September 19th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Donna Karan

Key Takeaways: Karan’s collection was inspired by art, such as Pollack abstract expressionism and Mondrian colors. She also experimented with combining volume and strong, geometric shapes.

Color Palette: Black, red, yellow, beige, brown, navy.

Silhouettes: Pleated, full skirts; dresses with tulip skirts; cropped jackets; jackets tied with bows, empire waists.

Accessories Report: Dramatic cat-eye makeup, hairbows, and oversized necklaces of linking geometric shapes:

What’s Wearable: Deconstructed jackets and cocktail dresses.

What’s Not Wearable: The oversized, overly geometric necklaces.

Add comment September 17th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Ralph Lauren

Key Takeaways: Lots of Nautica + Military + Bohemian = Pirates?

Color Palette: Navy and white, grey, gold, maroon.

Silhouettes: Military jackets with nautical-striped tanks; mermaid skirts, both long and short; skirt suits; ruffles.

Accessories Report: The collection was not complete without the necessary accessories: aviators, solid gold and netted bags, skullcaps, beaded necklaces and long, dangly earrings.

What’s Wearable: Every individual piece in this collection. However, we spotted a perfect skirt suit for work.

What’s Not Wearable: Skinny pinstripes with wide pinstripes, unless you want to look like a candy striper.

Add comment September 17th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Zac Posen

Key Takeaways: Zac Posen’s apparel was more intricate than that of his fashion peers. Some highlights included jackets and dresses with cutout designs and slouchy, cuffed hot pants.

Color Palette: The rainbow. A plethora of pastels, plus royal blue, wine red and Madras plaid.

Silhouettes: Form-fitting outfits with flared skirts, muumuus taken down a notch, and short or cropped trenches.

Accessories Report: Oversized floppy hats, python-print bags and fringed suede bags were in abundance.

What’s Wearable: A beige leather cutout bolero.

What’s Not Wearable: Giant pitch tents the width of an entire runway.

Add comment September 15th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Calvin Klein Menswear

Key Takeaways: Overall, not the most wearable menswear collection. Bright hues paired with v-necked silkscreen tees; fitted, button-down shirts with slouchy pleated pants; leather blazers and zip-up jackets.

Color Palette: Sky blue, curry yellow, dark chocolate brown, and orange, in addition to traditional menswear colors.

Silhouettes: Buttoned-up button-down shirts, zippered jackets, fitted leather blazers.

Accessories Report: Cowboy boots and coked-out gazes at the audience.

What’s Wearable: An egregiously-cut, classy-looking pewter silk blend suit with a beige leather belt.

What’s Not Wearable: A zippered jacket in an oddly feminine print.

Add comment September 15th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Vera Wang

Key Takeaways: Gathered taffeta; asymmetrical skirts and dresses.
Color Palette: Typical black tie event colors, plus taffeta in paprika, lavender and iridescent chartreuse.
Silhouettes: Poufy sleeves, bubble skirting, ruffled hems, and gathered or shirred fabrics.

Accessories Report: Obi sashes around the waist.

What’s Wearable: Rose and forest green, an unusual but fresh color combo.

What’s Not Wearable: Overly fussy and asymmetrical taffeta ensembles.

Add comment September 15th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Michael Kors

Key Takeaways: In typical Kors fashion, this collection was urban, effortless chic. Kors filled the runway with lighter fabrics in neutral colors such as army green, beige and cream. Practically every female model wore a hip-slung or waist-cinching leather belt.

Color Palette: Black, white, neutrals and batik and camouflage prints.

Silhouettes: Silk scarves for both men and women, batik prints, eyelet, long, ruffle-tiered column skirts and dresses, formal wear for men dressed down with sandals.

Accessories Report: Kors offered messenger bags for men and women, as well as cammo backpacks for men and woven leather bags for women.

What’s Wearable: Virtually everything.

What’s Not Wearable: Unless we’re at the beach, bikini tops with flowy skirts.

Add comment September 15th, 2005

Fashion Week Notebook | Peter Som

Key Takeaways: Nautica.

Color Palette: The colors of the beach: White, beige, grey, gold and various shades of blue; paisley metallic prints; fringe.

Silhouettes: Dresses fit for royalty with drop waists and fantail hems; puffed sleeves; boatneck tops.

What’s Wearable: Som’s rendition of the sailor pant, which draped on his models so beautifully.

What’s Not Wearable: The transparent blouses worn without undergarments. We’re not sure of  Som’s intention here.

Add comment September 15th, 2005

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