New York SS08 Fashion Week Wrapup IV

I've always thought that SS08 was a loooooong time away. And yet, here I am writing about the ins and outs of SS08 fashion already. YIKES! That means graduation and the real world cannot be far behind! On the bright side, I guess I can start getting some ideas on the oh-so-important question of what to wear to graduation... Anyway, back to the fashion shows:

Zac Posen
I can't BEGIN to comprehend what dear Zac meant by "Days of Heaven, the Shakers, and the wheat fields of the Great Plains," but the "wheat field" and "great plains" does pop out at me and strikes me as interesting, as I'd never dream of using those words to describe Zac.
First impression upon seeing the opening look (far left) was.... uh, the musketeers? The outfit that resembled Orli's costume in Pirates of the Caribbean (center) did not endear me to the collection much more, as much as I love Orli. And finding the dress (though nicely shaped, right) which looked like he stuck a model into a bundle of hay, did not help....
But for the most part it was actually a very soft, breezy and elegant collection. These outfits makes me want to go to a wheat field and spin around under a cloudless sky and just enjoy nature. And trust me, that is no easy feat.
My absolute favourite part of the collection was of course the dresses. I especially love the soft grey dress (right), with the elegant draping and the gently swaying skirt.
Then there were these dresses that are sharp in color but soft and romantic in cutting that is destined to grace the red carpet.
He ended with a series of dresses in this silky, textured blue/green material. Besides the one dress on (left) that looked like she was wearing a very stormy cloud on her shoulder (maybe a little cinching at the waist there?), I rather liked these dresses, especially the last one (right). It looked like they were nymphs walking out of the stormy sea.

Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren's 40th Anniversay collection reminded me why I loved RL so much (I remember thinking the last (or last last) collection boring). This collection embodied everything we love about RL with a sprinkle of new elements.
It started off with classic black/white pieces that were elegant, well tailored, ladylike with just the right hint of fun. The floral printed dress (center) reminded me of Chanel back in the 20s, elegant, fun and flirty. And I loved the simple but elegant style of the black dress (right) so much that I picked the white version of it and another similarly styled black dress when I was picking pictures to blog about before realizing how repetitive that would be. The cutting is just so modest yet sexy. Oh and don't you just LOVE those hats straight from the romantic movies back in the days?
The name of the look that involves top hats, polka dots, sharp cutting and black and white colors escapes me right now (magician like? tux?), but I liked it. Very clean but fun. And I thought the striped jacket over the floral dress with the hat (far right) was just genius. Print mixing for me never works out well.
Then there were some fun pieces: floral printed dresses (though not my favourites), equestrian inspired looks with a spice of neon colors and pretty sharply colored pieces.
Absolutely adore these classic RL dresses. Simple and clean cut. And that purple is both SO RL (the purple label....) and this season. And that sharp striped jacket over the soft ruffles of white dress is just the perfect contrast.
Gorgeous gorgeous dresses......

Image Source: Elle.com

School Bags 2007

I feel like I've written this post before, but school bags just seems to be one of those topic that no one ever gets tired of. Probably because we're all always on the lookout for that perfect bag that is stylish yet still practical for daily wear, and the definition of stylish changes every season. So lets start.

Luckily for my wallet, my tastes and definition of style varies little over time (some may even call me boring). So for me, the perfect bag for school is still the tote. This year I've gotten even more classic and have switched from my printed Coach tote to this classic black nylon Prada tote. Coach is still high on my list, but the one I had was suede and just a little too seasonal for me- I may bring it back out come winter. The black Prada one on the other hand would last me all year, rain, snow or shine, AND it is easier on my poor lopsided shoulder than the Coach. Another similar choice to the Prada that is cheaper but just as classic is of course the Longchamp bag. I'm aware that this has been on the "list" year after year now, but what can I say, some things never change.

Just because it is still high on my list, I'm still going to include a Coach tote here. And to spice up the tote mix a bit, I'm going to throw in this lovely Kate Spade creation, simple but elegant.

Going a little funkier, I am loving these bags from UO(left) and Top Shop (right). The print makes it retro and the color makes it versatile. Plus, its big and very shoulder wearable. I hate those bags that I can't put on my shoulders!

Something trendier, I am sure you've all seen the Prada messenger in magazines everywhere. The first thing that pops into mind when I see this style bag is- school! I wonder if my mom has one hidden away somewhere that I can "borrow"..........for a similar plain, lightweight messenger bag that is more affordable, there is my other school bag brand favourite- Le Sportsac (right).

And to get the best of the two worlds, there are these bags from UO. I am especially loving the electric blue (though I think the site calls it purple??!) messenger bag. its sooo this season! Anyways, I'm off. Have a stylish school year everyone!

Ps. The Prada tote is also great for work. Flights. All occasions really:)

PPs. I think you're right and next time I am going back to my old hair salon. Even with the DVD player, it doesn't compare to new salon doesn't compare.

Image Source: Coach, Saks, Kate Spade, Longchamp, Urban Outfitters, Top Shop and Le Sportsac

New York SS08 Fashion Week Wrapup III

New York Fashion Week is over! OK, so instead of going through a few shows like I usually do, I'm picking the outfits that I liked from Marc by Marc and Philosophy. Why those two collections? Not because they are particularly directional or Nina-Ricci-stunning, but because they are contemporary, young and affordable (if you only buy a few pieces.)

Marc by Marc Jacobs

I think this is the first Marc by Marc show that I didn't like on first sight. Usually I adore the way accessories are piled on seemingly randomly and the cute clothes. But this time, the clothes were just really colourful -and I mean lots of colour in single garments. This collection was definately not my taste. These three were practically the only looks I liked.

Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti

I've never paid too much attention to Philosophy until I noticed that the Co-ed dept of a department store I like sells it. I never seem to find anything I want on the racks but hey, I'm sure I'll find something someday so I'm keeping note of the runway collection.

I really like the dress in the middle but really, where would I wear it to? But the subtle black patterns are such sooo pretty!

The red beaded dress on the right is so cute, short and slinky. It would be such a fabulous flirty cocktail dress. Sigh, I'm already looking foward to next summer!

OK so here's a tiny issue BG and I are now thinking about. Our hairstylist recently started working for another hair salon. BG's not too fond of the new salon -it's not as comfortable and she liked the hair technicians at the old salon. So the question is, should we follow him to the new salon or stick to the old salon and change stylists? OK, like I said, not significant at all but just something that we are mulling over in the last few weeks of our summer holiday.

Image credit: http://www.style.com/

New York SS08 Fashion Week Wrapup II

More about NY Fashion Week...

Marc Jacobs
Woah, this collection was a bit unexpected. I've always imagined a lot of Marc Jacobs' normal typical clients liked cute, funky and clean-cut clothes, which is why this collection of sexed-up clothes surprised me. I'm not really loving the underwear theme or the random slits up the skirt or belly-baring tops, but a lot of individual outfits were pretty cool.

Looks like black sequins will still be 'in'. The dress on the left is so cool -I really like the deconstructed black sequin dress with the nude slip under.

The outfit on the left reminds me of Miu Miu FW07. Anyways, you can see a lot of body parts which are usually covered up.

The dress on the left is so pretty! I'm still not sure how I feel about the daywear though (like the one in the middle.)

A lot of putting-together of pieces. The thing with MJ is that even though just by looking at these photos, my first instinct is to dislike the red outfit (left,) I can imagine it looking cool and funky on certain people in real life.

3.1 Phillip Lim

Looking at Phillip Lim's clothes always makes me feel so sad and happy -Happy to see such girly, chic clothes, and sad to know that I can't afford any of them!

Love love love the cocktail dresses! They're so perfect for people in their 20's.

Everything here just looks so cool and chic, (although the outfit in the middle could do without that weird necklace...) Got to try that all-white with trenchcoat look some time in the future!

And more pretty eveningwear.

Narciso Rodriguez

Narciso Rodriguez is a brand that I actually really like the designs of, but I never notice it much in shops or think about it much because it's a) not suitable for my age yet, b) doesn't advertise much. But everytime New York Fashion Week comes and I see a new collection, I just cannot help looking over the collection many times. I love the clean, structured cutting and colour palette.

There was a lot of office clothes and simple, structured clothes.

And then there were the cocktail dresses which I LOVE. Take the dress on the left, I love the way the sequins are placed -it looks like black and purple were sprayed on. And I love that shade of purple of the dress in the middle and the way the fabric is draped. I want!

Image credit: www.style.com

Miu Miu: Satchel in Nudo

So this Miu Miu bow bag has probably been overblogged by now. But in the last few weeks, I can't help but feel that I am seeing it absolutely everywhere. Maybe its because I've had it for a year now and I just become more alert when I see it (like when I become instantly alert when I hear the msn alert tone), though this has only been a recent phenomena. So the first thing I'd like to conclude is that, yes, the satchel style is here to stay at least for another season. It is still in the stores and no, it is not on sale.
The next point I'd like to make is that I am LOVING the new color they have it in called Nudo. I'm seeing it in the streets everywhere, this brown yet greyish color is just gorgeous and perfect for this fall/winter. The greyish tint makes it even more easy to match with outfits than my brown one. It kind of reminds me of my new Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Nude Palette, brown with a greyish stone tinge. Bring on the greyish brown this season!

Image Source: Barneys

White Eye Liners

So now that it is the end of SS07 (where did my summer go?), I finally got around to testing out the white eye liners on the market, following the white eye liner trend this season. And judging from the recent catwalk shows, I'd say that finding a good one would be a good long term investment.
First I tried the white Mac eye liner, since I loved the black one so much. The effect was... not that impressive. The thing with white is that it doesn't go on as easily and smoothly as black does, but then you don't want to apply it too thickly either, because the effect is supposed to be more subtle. Least thats what I'm looking for....and even if you do manage to apply it thinly and well, for me the white always washes after a while.
But then, I tried the YSL long lasting eye pencil in white at the counter just for fun while I was trying out the Touche Eclat- which incidentally is amazing- and whoa. I was blown away by how smooth it went on and after wearing it for a day, how long lasting it actually is! I seriously wore it for a whole day and when I went to "retouch" it before dinner, I was surprised that I didn't need to! The only problem I have with this one is that it is so white that it applies on almost silver, so makes it more nighttime-ish.
For a more natural look, my friend has found the key. She uses a creamy white eye liner part of a duo from Shiseido. It applies smoothly and the creamy white color is very subtle but still very nicely opens up her eyes- perfect for day time! I can't wait to get one of my own next time I pass by the counter!

Image Credit: Mac, YSL and Shiseido

New York SS08 Fashion Week Wrapup I

It's fashion week! OK so I'm not totally excited about NY Fashion Week because few shows there are actually directional or gorgeous, but it is nice to look at new, modern clothes.

BCBG Max Azria

I never used to care much for BCBG until this summer's visit to LA, I realised that BCBG sells really useful, pretty, contemporary clothes that are affordable. This season's BCBG seems a bit inspired by Nina Ricci's FW07 collection. It used a lot of that sheer material to form a layer over the non-transparent layer. And note the belts tied at the waist -big trend this FW and probably next SS!

The dress in the middle is one of my favourites from this collection. Love the colour combination and the chiffon layering at the bust area.

Lots of sheer chiffon layering.

Erin Featherson

Remember how cute Erin Featherson's last show was? Everyone looked like fairies. For this collection, the models look like they're fairies just starting to work.

All the models had white eyeshadow and mascara on. Looks cute close-up, but...

... not so cute from afar! The first time I looked through the photos, I was so distracted by the eyes I hardly saw the clothes!

The silver dress is so cute! Very ballerina-ish.

Marchesa

Ah, the brand of gorgeous dresses! This collection was supposedly inspired by India, (although I'm sure some Indians would be a bit offended by how flashy or revealing some of the dresses are!) The dresses throughout the collection didn't connect that well to me, but there's no denying they're too pretty not to look!

The navy dress is so elegant -I love the crystal details at the waist!

Gorgeous dress! This dress looks like a bunch of embellished flower petals, doesn't it? The way the material is draped is so nice! If you're interested, the dress before this dress at style.com looks even more like rose petals -the model there literally looks like a rose bud!

Image credit: www.style.com