Archive for February, 2007
Key Takeaways: An architecturally inspired collection with a somewhat mod, futuristic feel.
Color Palette: Muted blacks and greys, paired with metallics.
Silhouettes: Monique Lhuillier’s strength is her dresses, and the architectural seaming on these dresses was reminiscent of Narciso Rodriguez, circa 2003. Details to note: the high neckline, the yoke-collar combination, and the slim vertical cutouts.
Accessories Report: Metallic belts expressed the architectural theme of the collection.
What’s Wearable: On the red carpet, we expect to see the high-waisted cap-sleeved black dress with metallic gold hardware–the perfect silhouette for women looking to visually elongate their legs.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: In a season of intense wearability (hello, Betsey Johnson), we took an intermission at Heatherette, where we saw no shortage of neon colors, fanciful silhouettes, and eclectic detailing. Lots of layering, hordes of warming sweaters, some punk and some ski-inspired looks made their way down the purposefully wild runway. If a skier and a punk-rocker fought each other in a deathmatch, their remains would resemble the Heatherette Fall 2007 show.
Color Palette: Every color under the sun, including purple, bright blue, neon yellow, red, hot pink, silver and gold.
Silhouette: Equally voluminous and skin-tight. Voluminous looks included bubble skirts, sweaters, ponchos, zip-up hoodies, and Tarzan dresses. Streamlined looks included high-waisted skirts, short shorts, leather bathing suits, and leather pants.
Accessories Report: Sheer tights, ankle boots, layered and chunky bangles, and hats.
What’s Wearable: Almost nothing in Heatherette’s collection is directly translatable to the streets. But then again, do Traver Rains and Richie Rich really design for the common folk?
What’s Not Wearable: We’d like to point out the Dorothy-inspired costume and the leather accessories (which scream S&M).
February 9th, 2007
Love the extended placket and the coolly chic black and white.
$288 at Azalea SF.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Shorter and sexier, Doo Ri Chung’s Fall 2007 collection mixes her signature architectural draping with a darker edge.
Color Palette: Black, with touches of gray and navy, and bursts of yellow, teal, and bourdeaux. In keeping with the metallic trend of Fall 2007, shiny sequins made their appearance as well.
Silhouettes: In a word, short. Doo Ri’s signature draped dresses, paired with dark tights, hit above mid thigh. Skinny, high waisted pants and skirts with bubble hems were paired with babydoll shapes and capelets. Detailing included fur, lace, and bows.
Accessories Report: Smolderingly sexy elbow-length black gloves were the standout accessory of this collection.
What’s Wearable: Cap sleeves and kimono sleeves favor those who want to cover up heavy upper arms.
What’s Not Wearable: We love Doo Ri’s draped dresses, but they’re cut too short to be worn without pants off the runway.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: A refreshing change from the boxy shapes of past seasons, Kati Stern brought back floaty shapes and 1940’s Hollywood glamour. Models seductively strode down the runway to old-school hip-hop beats with romantic Veronica Lake hair wearing knee-length dresses of chiffon and fur coats paired with slim oatmeal-colored leggings. Delicate chiffon followed luxurious sable, satin and velvet down the runway. Lowered pockets, bows and piping accentuated the luxurious feel of the collection. Key trends included: sleeved dresses, voluminous sleeves, oversized collars, oversized buttons, pocket detailing, plaid, and fur.
Color Palette: Sand, wood and charcoal-inspired colors let us reminisce about faded sepia prints from grandma’s boudoir.
Silhouette: A-line skirts and slim pants complemented Little Red Riding Hood capelet fur coats. Romantic silk and chiffon dresses were slender and form-fitting with hemlines that ranged from knee-length to floor-sweeping. Waistlines varied, sitting at the natural waist to the hipline. Leggings–a continuing trend–were also featured.
Accessories Report: A shoe for every occasion – t-strap heels for long flowy dresses and Mary Janes for sassy shorter dresses. Belts and bows were wide with a soft sheen, and large floppy sable hats perched jauntily on top of long loose hair.
What’s Wearable: We loved the layers upon layers of chiffon and silk in the dresses – controlled volume with a lot of romance.
What’s Not Wearable: Skip the socks with your heels–wear stockings or go bare.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Like Marc Jacobs, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough reached back to the 1920s for inspiration. Cloche hats topped off vaguely masculine silhouettes, full of flat-chested tops and dresses. A dash of 80s style–broad shoulders and pouf sleeves–added to the distinctly retro feel of this collection. Key trends included: menswear as womenswear, voluminous sleeves, knee-length skirts and dresses, and fur.
Color Palette: Blacks and greys mixed with olive green, a dusky red, and a deep blue. Sequins and shine, as appropriate for the 1920s/1980s theme, appeared on a number of the looks.
Silhouettes: Masculine silhouettes predominated in this 1920s/1980s mix. Boyish, flat-chested looks were interspersed with the broad shoulders and poufy sleeves. Garment classifications included wide pants, knee-length skirts, drop-waist dresses, and bustier dresses. Of note were the geometric fabric pattern "ribbons" decorating the dresses.
Accessories Report: Cloche hats and a heavy use of belts, which sat at the natural waistline.
What’s Wearable: The collection’s 1920’s inspired pieces are great for women with boyish figures, as they are designed to minimize the bust. For more curvy women, the wide trousers will help balance the upper and lower body.
What’s Not Wearable: The exaggerated poufy sleeve is difficult for real women (and even models) to pull off successfully.
February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Derek Lam jumped on the 1980s bandwagon with skinny riding pants, off-the-shoulder tops, broad shoulders, oversized coats, and asymmetric draping.
Color Palette: Black, white, grey, and shades of brown were accented with blue and gold. Plaid patterns featured prominently.
Silhouettes: Big on top, small on bottom. Broad shoulders, oversized outerwear, kimono sleeves, and off-the-shoulder tops were paired with legging-style pants and short, swingy skirts. Cocktail dresses featured asymmetric draping, 80s style. Detailing to note: zipper details, oversized collars, metallic shine, plaid, and decorative pockets.
Accessories Report: Boots and belts accessorized the 80s style outfits coming down the runway.
What’s Wearable: Kimono sleeves work well to camouflage thick upper arms, and broad shoulders help balance wide hips.
What’s Not Wearable: Horizontal stripes only visually widen your body, and the severe, skinny riding pants will only work on stick-thin women.
February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Narciso Rodriguez has been experimenting with the same sleek, structured forms for the last few years, but his work appears fresh and innovative against a backdrop of designers moving from layering and volume to a long and lean silhouette. Key trends for both men and women included: slim silhouettes, geometric patterns, and colorblocking. Key women’s trends included sleeved and asymmetrical dresses and long gloves.
Color Palette: Black, grey,beige, and white were spruced up by teal and a dusky emerald green. Colorblocking added a graphic feel to the collection.
Silhouettes: With touches of 60s elegance, Narciso showed slightly big over small, or small over slightly big silhouettes. Overall, the looks were long and lean, with precise tailoring for a snug fit. Structured coats skimmed over skinny pants and dresses. As a nod to seasons past, Narciso showed a few body-hugging, empire waist sleeveless dresses. Other dress trends to note included sleeved dresses and asymmetrical frocks. For men, the look was either slim all over or slightly big over small. Of note was a "paint splattered" graphic print tee–a departure from Narciso’s past menswear.
Accessories Report: For women, the big accessory was long gloves; for men, it was the skinny tie.
What’s Wearable: For women (with a slightly curvy figure), we love Narciso’s signature body-hugging empire-waist dresses. Silhouette-wise, it’s tough to go wrong with the slightly big over small and the small over slightly big silhouettes. For men, the slim cut suits with skinny ties are great for adding visual height.
What’s Not Wearable: For women, avoid dresses and skirts that hit you at mid-calf, as the awkward length visually shortens you. For men, steer clear of pants with tiny patterns–they look more like pajamas than street pants.
February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: As expected for Oscar de la Renta, the show exuded unadulterated luxury–for both young and old. Key trends included: fur, controlled volume, embroidery, shine (sequins and metallic fabrics), ruffles, and geometric patterns.
Color Palette: Earthy with blacks, chocolate browns, and greys, accented by jewel tones of deep purple and ruby. Metallic sheen made an appearance, as did shiny sequins.
Silhouettes: Controlled volume at the waistline, hemline, and sleeves. Outfits were gently cinched at the waist with seamlines and belts. Voluminous coats felt wearable, with the shape not overly exaggerated. Oscar fell in line with the sleeved dress trend, but upped the drama factor with asymmetric styles.
Accessories Report: Belts drew attention to the waistline. Bug eyed sunglasses shaded the models’ eyes, while fabric-covered bulbous necklaces adorned their necks. We noted the occasional fur hat, along with handbags with chain straps. Tights were layered under Oscar’s dresses and separates, as appropriate for cooler temperatures.
What’s Wearable: Small geometric patterns work well to disguise problem areas. We loved the oversized collars, which draw attention to and frame the face. Sweaterjackets provide an unstructured alternative to traditional winter outerwear. Bottoms, which sat at the natural waistline, will flatter those with long torsos and short legs.
What’s Not Wearable: Fur made too many appearances on the runway for our taste. Besides, didn’t we all decide that Fur is Out?
February 8th, 2007
Designer Farah Aponte was inspired by one of her best friends (and a fellow artist) to create the Virginia Multi-Chain Necklace. Farah took Virginia’s three best qualities–elegance, funk, and a dash of toughness–and translated them into jewelry.
How to wear the necklace? Farah suggests pairing it with either a low-cut neckline, a boatneck top, or a series of layers. "I wear it with a blazer or with a little hoody left open with a tank top underneath."
Fun fact about Farah? She still thinks Cookie Monster is hilarious. Sometimes, she’ll tune into Sesame Street just to watch him.
Enter coupon code OS40 for 40% off on all styles at Side Dish Bijoux.
$68 at Side Dish Bijoux.
February 8th, 2007
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