Bows and Stripes from Sonia Rykial for H&M - First Look

I walked over to the H&M near my apartment to see the Sonia Rykiel Collection yesterday morning.  I was amazed at the frantic young women disrobing in the middle of the store desperate to try on as many items of clothing as possible.  I managed to browse through the highly publicized collection in a calm private corner thanks to a lovely manager.  I was very satisfied with the quality and execution of the clothes which I had only previously seen through their windows .  The signature oversized sweater dress was nicely made and true to the colorful nature seen in ads - it is truly oversized which will make for interesting layering or synching, but either way I suggest you buy the smallest size possible.  The striped cardigan with pink bows was another favorite of mine - it had the perfect weight for Spring and had lovely knit patterns on the sleeves.

I decided to forgo the fitting room and bought a few different sizes of the items I liked.  I will be listing the ones I don't keep on ebay for those of you who weren't able to get to a "select" H&M store.  You can find them HERE.

These are some of the pictures of my favorite item:

NY Fashion Week Fall 2010 - Hilfiger Accesories

It's been a long time since I looked forward to a Tommy Hilfiger Collection - but this year when rumor spread that Peter Som was consulting for the Fall I knew something good was in store. It is good indeed. A youthful, it-girl vibe emanated from this collection, and the accessories were not spared this honor: Wood-heeled OTK duck boots, wrap-around watches, colorful messenger bags. I'd like to buy them now. Please. The clothes are just as covetable (post coming soon).

Here are my favorite accesories/shoes:



source: NYMag

Sonia Rykiel for H&M

Sonia Rykiel for H&M debuts this Saturday (on my Birthday!) at the H&M on 1025 F Street NW.  I drove by there yesterday and saw they were putting up the window display already.  The colors look bright and pretty up close - very true to the Rykiel aesthetic and a great punctuation to a simple outfit.  Here are some pictures I took of the window display plus a video introducing the collection:


Rykiel window display H&M -  F Street


Close up of the coveted over-sized jumper sweater  ($49.95)


Yellow frill sweater and skirt ($49.95, 29.95).  Black jumpsuit and stripped sweater ($69.95, 24.95)

NY Fashion Week - Fall 2010 - 3.1 Phillip Lim

Phillip Lim knows his girl - She's charming, she's young and quirky, she likes tuxedo jackets in golden colors and and she loves sequins... purple sequins.  So this year for Fall 2010 he designed another collection filled with perfect pieces just for her.  I'll take one in every color please.

These are some of my favorites:

NY Fashion Week - Fall 2010 - Rodarte

The Rodarte sisters' Fall collection was inspired by the romantic idea of sleepwalking - Arisen by their road trip through Texas, their Mexican roots, Ciudad Juárez, the landscape... and maybe ghosts. Somehow that mix of inspirations led to some beautiful ethereal dresses, sort of woven together and destructed in a macabre yet heavenly manner.  Ironically, I think they would make a pretty perfect wedding gowns.  These are some of my favorites:

NY Fashion Week 2010 - Victoria Beckham

Who would have ever thought Victoria Beckham would design a dress as demure as a wool crepe long-sleeve tunic or try draping or relaxed shapes.  For her latest collection at New York Fashion Week she included all those in her designs and they worked perfectly.  I loved the tunic dress in the gorgeous bright red color, as well as the long flowy cyan dress and the draped turquoise mini.  I actually liked all the items in her collection, she showed some very restrained design which manifested itself well when paired with bright colors.  Here are some shots from her show:

NY Fashion Week Fall 2010 - Trends - Oversized Knits

A few of the runway previews gave me the hint to expect heavy, oversized knits for Fall.  Coincidentally, I have been doing a lot of knitting lately including a big heavy scarf, so this trend is right up my alley right now.  Some of my favorite examples are at Cushnie et Ochs with lighter-colored, structured knits and Yigal Azrouël with long, patterned cardigans.  Rag and Bone also showed some oversized scarves that were wrapped in front and belted which I really liked.  All these are so fitting for the bone-chilling temperatures in NY!

Cushnie et OchsKimberly Ovits

Yigal AzrouëlHelmut LangJeremy Laing

 

Rag & BonePorts 1961

NY Fashion Week Fall 2010 - Trends - Layering

I've noticed an early trend on the first few days of fashion week this year.  It happens to be one of my favorite ways of dressing in the Fall and something I have been doing very often - Heavy Layering.  Some of my favorite examples were at Rag & Bone and Richard Chai.  The former has an urban equestrian feel, layering plaid skirts, heavy sweaters, big jackets all over leather leggings paired with military boots.  Chai's layering has a sportier, sleeker look - light cashmere sweaters and wool pants under sequin vests and simple jackets paired with tan chukka boots.  This trend is one of my favorites because it doesn't require new purchases, just "re-shopping" your closet and putting together items you already have to look completely different.  I'm sure we'll see more of it as the week goes on.
 

Rag & Bone

 

Richard Chai Love

Charlotte Ronson, Ports 1961, Richard Chai

Fashion in the Snow

NY Fashion Week is upon us and from the few early previews, it looks like we're in for some great shows.   Few of us will be lucky enough to be able to travel despite the treacherous snow on the ground, but you can watch some of the shows streaming live from the comfort of your own home.

Here is the list: 

Thursday, February 11 at 3pm EST - PORTS 1961 vogue.com
Saturday, February 13 at 5pm EST - Alexander Wang live.showstudio.com
Sunday, February 14 at 2pm EST - Men’s Calvin Klein Collection  - facebook.com/calvinklein
Monday, February 15 at 8pm EST - Marc Jacobs -  marcjacobs.com
Tuesday, February 16 at 12pm EST - Rodarte live.showstudio.com
Tuesday, February 16 at 7pm EST G-Star Raw g-star.com
Thursday, February 18 at 3pm EST Calvin Klein Collection facebook.com/calvinklein

I will hopefully be sharing with you some shots of the runway as well.  Here is an early preview of one of the collections I'm excitedly waiting to see - Yigal Azrouel.  Love the over-sized knits mixed with structured pants and edgy shoes.








Images: Elle News Blog

Solitary Confinement

Designers can be crazy. Minimalist designers are even crazier. Take The Selby's feature of Edward Leida, design director of W magazine, as an example. His apartment may be a bit sparse, and he may not hang any pictures on his walls (which are all white). But, every object represents an intensity of choice that is only common in the living spaces of a designer. The vintage, bright green, Panton Cone Chairs are not easily acquired. And the easels upon which his art rests were not bought in a store but designed by the man himself. His teapot and Egg chair are designed by the same man, Arne Jacobsen. As you page through the additional photos over at The Selby, you can imagine what it would be like to live with a man like this. You can, under no circumstances, just buy something on impulse. Everything must have a story, a deeper meaning and conviction. It may not be the life for everyone, but you must respect the discipline and beauty that is the result.











Link to The Selby: here
Edward Leida's personal site: here

Jean Paul Gaultier for Target

We were able to get our hands on Target's newly released lookbook for the latest Designer Collaboration - Jean Paul Gaultier. Known as the "bad boy" of fashion, Gaultier who currently designs for Hermes, used the American Woman as his muse and inspiration for this collection. You can clearly see several iconic American styles in the clothes - from rock-and-roll to Southern Belle, this collection might have something for everyone. I love all the florals, the trench coat and the cropped biker jacket. The collection will be available in select stores and online March 7 - April 11, 2010.

These are a few of our favorites.

6 weeks to Spring

Oh the beautiful weather, I'm really starting to long for blue skies,  sun and maybe a palm tree - Instead the North East is buried under 30 inches of snow.  And today, we have blizzard-like conditions, the weather channel told me not to attempt to drive or go outside due to "life-threatening" winds!  So I've spent my secluded time crocheting (I learned how to a couple days ago), working on my thesis, and of course shopping.  Today, I came across the newly released designer collections for Payless (Spring) and although I found the Christian Siriano one a bit dissapointing, the 'Alice and Olivia' and 'Lela Rose' collections have some adorable items.

These are my favorites:

alice + olivia metallic gladiator sandal

Lela Rose Paloma Envelope Clutch with over-sized Knot

Lela Rose Hampton Woven Bow Pump