Tadashi Shoji Spring 2013

Tadashi Shoji's spring 2013 collection was feminine with sheer lace, and translucent layers.  Known for his creations worn by many celebrities, his work has been seen on the likes of Tyra Banks, Kate Beckinsale and Katy Perry. 

Red Carpet Fashion at Emmy Awards

It was a sea of aqua, canary yellow, crimson red and sparkles at the Emmy Awards last night.  Fashion lovers look forward to the red carpet style of all the celebrities as they make their way into the ceremony.  

Who did you think had the best dress at the event?  My personal favorites included Heidi Klum's seafoam, fluid dress with the super sexy slit and Padma Lakshmi's orange strapless gown.  

Lucy Lui dazzled in this Atelier Versace number. 

                               

Padma Lakshmi was radiant in this strapless dress by Monique Lhuillier. 

Ginnifer Goodwiin in an embroidered dress by Monique Lhuillier. 

                            

                      

Julie Bowan (Getty Images), Julianne Moore in Christian Dior (Wire Image), Kaley Cuoco wore a gown by Angel Sanchez,  Claire Danes in Lanvin (Getty Images),

Sofia Vergara wore a mermain inspired dress by Zuhair Murad. (Getty Images)

Heidi Klum floated on the red carpet in this sexy high slit dress by Alex Vaulthier.
(Getty Images)

Kerry Washington sparkled in Vivienne Westwood. (Wire Image)

                           

Kat Dennings in a sweetheart neckline dress by J.Mendel, Jena Malone also in J.Mendel, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
in Vera Wang.  All were looking great in autumn colors of blood-red, cranberry and cherry.

Gucci Spring 2013

Frida Giannini brought a soft flirtatiousness to Gucci for its spring 2013 collection.  Taking cues from the 1970s, tunic suits, loose trousers and caftans were the core ingredients in this collection.  Silhouettes were Japanese-inspired with billowing ruffles and bell sleeves.

(Photo: vogue.com)

Giannini said she was inspired by the portraits shot by photographers Richard Avedon and Gian Paolo Barbieri.  The color story included salmon, cobalt blue, crisp white and yellow.  Styling throughout the show was minimal however, necklines were decorated with brightly colored, chunky necklaces.  

The few printed items were vivid, over-sized patterns on simple styles.  This was a collection about living in vivid color and comfort with an air of easy elegance.  A certain gracefulness to each piece as the models strutted down the runway with ruffles floating.

Overall Gucci's spring had a consistent theme.  It didn't have a wide variety of design elements but rather, a strong sense of  a few ideas.  A sense of ease, it was all about the sleeve, ruffle and clean lines.  Trousers were fluid yet lean, dresses feminine and simple while the suits were classy with a leisure inspired feel.  It was an illustration of a bright and breezy lifestyle. 

(Photo: vogue.com)

London Fashion Week Wrap Up

Spring at London Fashion Week

At Mulberry runway show.  Anna Wintour sits among fashion elite.  (Photo: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)

After a week of frenzied shows, London Fashion Week wrapped up on Tuesday.  London usually sets the stage as the most cutting edge when it comes to experimenting with street style and creativity.

Vivienne Westwood used her show to make her views and statements known.

 Vivienne Westwood, best known for her punk roots, street-edge clothing, and references to old-English style, used her show to proclaim her stance about the climate and her environmental position.  She also had some in the front row wear shirts that declared her support of Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks.  Her Red Label collection could be described as having an edgy sophistication.

Throughout the week of shows there was no definite strong theme but rather serveral smaller trends that would echo from one show to the next; color, texture, shine, layers, cut-outs and of course retro.  London always has a way of defining it's style using retro or street influences.

Burberry, known for the traditional trench coat and classic tartan print, brought us to the future with its metallic leathers through their collection.  Elements of the future through shiny fabrics, foil textures, metallic gold and silver was one of the trends for next year.  

The softness of the season came through light feminine sheers, chiffon and layers of organza.  Residual influences of the Olympic games came through a sportswear influence seen on the runways of Rag & Bone and Richard Nicholl.
   

New designer Simone Rocha, spring 2013. (Photo: Carl Court/AFP Getty/Getty Images)

Sheer panels, gold, floral patterns and neon brights were all part of Simone Rocha's spring collection.  Color dominated again for next season. Bright lemon yellow, citrus orange, Olympic blue, pink and emerald were all highlights on the runway.

Orange, yellow and mustard continued to dominate for spring. (Photo: PR/PA/PR)

Kate Moss sits in the front row at Mulberry.  (Photo: Dave M Benett/Getty Images)

No shortage of celebrities at the shows, Kate Moss took in the show at Mulberry.  Other celebrities included Lady Gaga (who appeared on the runway for Philip Treacy), Emma Watson, Mischa Barton, and Naomi Campbell.

Metallics were a big trend on the runway.  

Sportswear influence at London Fashion Week.  Antonio Berardi, Richard Nicoll, Rage & Bone.

Fashion Rumor: Adele May Design for Burberry

Word in fashion circles is that singer Adele may be slated to collaborate with Burberry in designing a plus-size line.  To date, both Burberry and Adele have declined to comment on the rumors.  Reports say that the singer will work with Christopher Bailey in creating a bespoke collection.

Adele admits to being a fan of the brand for a long time.  She told Vogue UK, "I've always loved Burberry.  I remember saving for three years to get my first bag before I got signed."  The 24-year old singer has worn Burberry in the past including on the red carpet at the 2011 MTV Video Awards and the Brit Awards.

Kate Moss stars is the current face of Burberry.

Sources: Vogue UK, NY Daily News

Ralph Lauren signs Plus Size Model

Robyn Lawley in Ralph Lauren

Australian beauty, Robyn Lawley has made history by becoming the first plus-size model to be headlining a campaign for Ralph Lauren.  The 23 year-old stands 6'2" tall and wears a size 12.  When you look at her the last thing that comes to mind is that she's a plus-size.  In the real world she is considered slim and women would love her figure.  But in the world of high-end fashion that's not the typical industry size.  Last year she made headlines when she landed the cover of Vogue Italia along with two other curvy models.
 

Vogue Italia June 2011, photos by Steven Meisel.

Her success proves that there still is room in the business for change.  The fashion industry has long been criticized for its use of underweight models.  Typically a fashion model is size 2-6, half the size of Lawley.  The last few years have seen small changes in the industry.  One of the biggest being Vogue's announcement earlier this year that they would restrict using models who had visible signs of eating disorders and Israel's government also banned the use of underweight models.

Lawley is happy to be in the position she's in and expressed her views on the business and how models her size are not the norm on an appearance on Australian television.  Watch the video below for more on her story.

Metallics at Burberry Show

Burberry show at London Fashion Week for spring 2013.

A white cape over a pink metallic corset swimsuit opened the spring 2013 runway show for Burberry.  Followed by a white trench coat with cape-let detail over the shoulders and a sea of metallics.  A rainbow of metallic trench-coats tightly belted that made their way down the runway along with cocoon shaped sleeves, coats and capes.  

Christopher Bailey, head of design at Burberry, said the collection was inspired by photographer Norman Parkinson's images from the 1940s and 50s.  The collection had models in pencil skirts, corseted bodices and dresses in pinks, sapphire blue and shades of beige.  Body-hugging, slim silhouettes were paired with cropped jackets or capes.  

  

Bailey also told the press he looked at the Burberry archives for an added source of inpiration.  The trench is a signiature Burberry item that goes back to its beginnings.  It was seen throughout this collection restyled for the modern woman and with the cutting edge touch of metallic color.

Watch the full runway show below:

Madonna's Brother Launches Shoe Line

                                                   

 

Christopher Ciccone (Photo: Dailymail.co.uk)

When your big sister is a worldwide superstar, it's hard to step out of her shadow.  Christopher Ciccone, younger brother of Madonna, is showing the fashion world his sister isn't the only one with creative talent.  The artist/interior designer just launched his first shoe collection at London Fashion Week.    

Being the brother of a music and fashion icon can be something of a challenge to create product that would been seen as innovative and to garner the respect of the design community.  The collection includes rubber boots, brogues, sneakers, sandals and his version of riding boots.  Most of the styles use rubber, leather and canvas to create pieces that have his artistic stamp on it.  Ciccone's designs were inspired by Mondrain, Delacroix and Georgia O'Keeffe.  He says that doing shoes isn't like his artwork because with this anyone can have a pair.  But with art it's limited to one buyer.  

He told CBS.com, "The difficult task was to bring something new to the market and give (the shoes) an uplift and make them a bit more interesting to wear as fashion as opposed to something that just keeps your feet dry."

He chose to debut the collection in London because he says that he's always had a connection to the city.  "I think the footwear connects to the city itself from the design point of view and from a functional point of view."  The shoes, with their rubber soles are definitely suited to wet weather conditions London is best known for.

The Ciccone Collection

                                         




References: cbs.com, Yahoo! News, Reuters

     

Lady Gaga Walks the Runway

Lady Gaga opens the show for Philip Treacy's runway show at London Fashion Week.

Lady Gaga brought star power to Philip Treacy's catwalk at London Fashion Week.  The show, which was themed after Michael Jackson's comeback show, opened with Gaga wearing a bright pink cape-like garment and saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest milliner in the world: Philip Treacy."

Treacy is best known for designing hats worn by many celebrities and the royal family.  The runway show featured clothing from Michael Jackson's career on stage paired with Treacy's elaborate hats.  The items from Jackson's collection included the red leather jacket worn in the Thriller video.  It was a show like no other.

PhilipTreacy spring 2013 hat.

Philip Treacy, spring 2013

                 


                                  

The State of London's Fashion Business

Analysts talk about the state of the fashion industry just before London Fashion Week kicked off on Friday September 14, 2012.

STYLE | London Fashion Week: Bora Aksu

As quickly as New York Fashion Week came to a close, London Fashion Week opened with an ecclectic range of designers.

          

The romantic inspired collection by Bora Aksu was made fit for a queen.  Aksu, who is a London-based Turkish designer, told the press he was inspired by the queen of Romania who was also Queen Victoria's grand-daughter, Marie.  Models were adorned with paper crowns with a child-like feel of innocence.

The fabrics were soft, flowing, and delicate.  The color palette was in soft shades of lavender, ivory, grey and yellow.  Some models legs were covered in patterned hosiery that looked like tattoos.  The collection was feminine with patterns printed on organza that seemed influenced by the Art Deco period.

http://boraaksu.com/

Victoria Beckham Spring 2013

Victoria Beckham takes her moment after her spring 2013 showing at New York Fashion Week.
(Photo: Getty Images)

This past Sunday (Sept 9, 2012), Victoria Beckham proved once again that she is not just another pop star who ventured into the fashion arena.  She is a true bonafide designer.  Beckham, who catapulted to worldwide fame as a member of The Spice Girls, has often said that she designs clothing that she would actually wear.  Her attention to detail and creating items that frame a woman's figure are what she's known for.

Victoria Beckham spring 2013. (Photo: Peter Michael Dills - Getty Images)

For her spring 2013 collection models wore shirt-dresses, light a-line skirts and lingerie-inspired pieces.  Color was reduced to a minimum with black, white and light neutrals being the focus with a few pops of color.  Fabrics were lightweight and very feminine; perfect for spring.  She told the New York Daily News, "It's the first time I've gone so delicate, but I wanted the design elements."

NYFW: Michael Kors Spring 2013

Michael Kors collection for next spring was absolutely delightful.  It was classic American style at its best.
Simple, clean lines, bold color and geometric patterns were core in his line for spring.  It was a mix of city lifestyle with hints of the traditional American style of Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren.  Color-blocked pants were paired with rugby-striped tops.  Red, green, yellow and navy combinations on silhouettes reminiscent of 1960's mod style.  Overall a very straight-forward collection that's well suited for the modern woman or man.  

Photo: firstVIEW

Photo: firstVIEW

Photo: firstVIEW

Photo: firstVIEW

Watch this video for the full collection.

Full Figure Fashion Week

Full Figured Fashion Week took place this summer in New York City for the fourth year in a row.  Each year both retailers and independent designers showcase their latest collections.  This year designers included Savanna Red, Youtheary Khmer, Lavender Jungle, Jill Alexander, SWAK, Jibri and Curvato.  Celebrities including R&B singer Faith Evans were even spotted in the front row at the shows.

Times continue to change as designers and retailers are recognizing the importance of fabulous style for the curvy woman.  The plus-size fashion business has grown into a 17 billion dollar industry and isn't showing any signs of slowing down.  Women wearing over size 14 are demanding stylish clothing and retailers are finally recognizing how important that is.  International retailers including H&M, The Gap, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and Calvin Klein now carry an assortment of styles in plus sizes.

Youtheary Khmer collection at Full Figured Fashion Week.

Theary Sim is the designer behind the label Youtheary Khmer (pronounced yut-terri-come-air). She once worked as a celebrity stylist and now creates clothing for the curvy woman.  Her latest collection was full of fun, bright and youthful colors.  She brings her eye for style to the average woman who doesn't fit the 'stick' figure of a model.

Ashley Stewart show at Full Figured Fashion Week, New York. 

Ashley Stewart is a powerhouse when it comes to style for women over size 14.  They are one of America's biggest retailers for plus size fashion and presented a collection at this year's event.
Click here to watch the full runway show.

http://fffweek.com/2012/home

London Calling

With New York Fashion Week wrapping up in a couple of days London is preparing for fashion's elite to descend upon them.  London Fashion Week will be September 14-18 and is sure to be packed with the UK's best in design.  Known for it's street edge, creativity and outrageous style, the city of London promises to deliver the best for spring 2013.

Click here for the show schedules.

Diane Von Furstenberg Brings Google Glass to the Runway

Diane von Furstenberg wearing Google Glass

Diane von Furstenberg will forever be known as the designer who brought women the figure-flattering wrap dress nearly four decades ago.  This weekend she presented her spring 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week.  

Not only did she show a beautiful collection for next season but she also introduced fashion's finest to Google Glass, the latest hi-tech glasses that Google has introduced.  Models wore them while strutting down the runway.  Even the designer herself came out wearing a pair with orange detailing at the end of the show.  

Even though the glasses have been dubbed as looking geeky, they are being hailed as the next thing.  Google co-founder Sergey Brin made an appearance on the runway with von Furstenberg.  She pulled him out of the audience to join her in the finale.  He told the Hindustan Times, "Beauty, style and comfort are as important to Glass as the latest technology. We are delighted to bring Glass to the runway together with DVF."

You might be asking what exactly is Google Glass anyway?  It's a product that Google is still developing and plans to have on the market by 2014.  Worn like glasses, they have functions very similar to smart-phones.  With only a piece of glass over the right eye, they have the ability to take photos, check calendars, record video and much more.  Each pair worn on the runway was designed to match the colors in the model's outfits.  Some models even turned on the device to record footage during the show.  DVF plans to release the video as a short film on Google+ this week.    

As innovative as the new product is, it didn't take away from the collection DVF presented for next season.  It dubbed with the name 'Palazzo'; the color palette of brights like blue, coral, yellow and green were both confident and full of life.  A mixture of caftans, draped dresses and layering, the clothing was soft and fluid with layers framing a woman's figure.  

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

                           

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

                           

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

                          

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com                           

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

                       

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

                       

Photo: Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com

                       
www.dvf.com


Watch the runway show below: