Chanel Cruise 2013 - Runway Review

With the spectacular fountains and waterfalls of Louis XIV’s gardens as a backdrop, Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel Cruise 2013 collection was a fanciful riff on Rococo (“Coco Rock,” as he put it) with plenty of charm abound: fichu necklines, straw cartwheel sun hats and ruffly-skirted milkmaid silhouettes. There were plenty of Chanel tweed jackets and suits on parade—straightforward and those special pieces to entice a new generation of Chanel devotees. And while evening during this season doesn’t call for black tie (we hope), it’s good to know Chanel has pristine white dresses, detailed at the waists with rich imperial red or purple embroidery, at the ready.

Miu Miu - Runway Review

Björk’s lyrics on the soundtrack seemed to say it all: “Violently happy!” Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu army stomped down her lacquered beige runway in some fabulous footwear, paired with pants (the designer’s current obsession) that appeared to have migrated from the Prada runway in Milan. Plenty of whiffs of dandyism were evident in the late sixties/early seventies vibe of the garments; you could almost see Sir Paul or Mick Jagger rocking one of these androgynous suits on stage. It was a tad hipster meets classic Miuccia color palette: mustard, blue, magenta—all packaged intuitively with deco flowers. The tunic and pant ensembles cast a flattering silhouette on the body, while suede tunics embroidered with reflective sequin discs were nothing short of party-ready.

Louis Vuitton - Runway Review

Inspired by the tale of two Belle Epoque archrival divas, Marc Jacobs declared, “No girl will carry a bag this season.” Instead, each model had her own personal porter—both of whom emerged from one jaw-dropping full-scale locomotive cast in navy blue with the Louis Vuitton name emblazoned on the tank in gold lettering. Set in a temporary LV train station at the Cour Carrée du Louvre, the blasting steam was a precursor to the beautiful clothes that were to come. One by one, elegant ladies emerged in crumpled ponyskin hats and sky-high, ballet toe Mary Janes. While the bags were absolutely fantastic—sure to be a big hit come fall—the clothes held their own. And rightly so.

The classic silhouette was an elongated tri-layered look—coats worn over skirts worn over cropped pants. Lovely. There was a focus on textured fabrications, i.e. the jumbo mosaic beading, a floral ponyhair “plaid” on coats and skirts and holographic tweeds in trippy shades of green and purple. The bejeweled buttons on jackets and the cuffs of pants, meanwhile, were actually elaborate brooches.

Valentino - Runway Review

It’s official: black is back. From a house so synonymous with red, Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Churi wonderfully utilized textures to morph black into a multitude of personalities: goth, sleek, dominatrix and apocalyptic. A closer look at the cape, culottes, white shirt, an all-leather jumpsuit and a long, narrow black trench coat reveals the fine delicacy in which the designers have navigated some rather basic wardrobe elements. The duo sought inspiration in the “modern world of folk” for a hippie-luxe lineup that steered clear of any tourist traps in favor of some elegant carpet-patterned maxi-coats scattered with gypsy rosebuds.

P.S. Hirshleifers carries Valentino! :)

Stella McCartney - Runway Review

Stella McCartney has officially become the go-to-designer for this generation of modern and working women. Fall 2012 comprised every trend the season has thus presented, but finessed with her lifestyle in mind. There was the presence of oversized proportions; boxy eighties-influenced shoulders, many of which were adorned with zippers, high-necked blouses and the signature chunky, textured sweater. There’s always a masculine element to Stella’s designs; this was reflected in a pair of slouchy pants. The leaf-embroidery on a series of separates and dresses she showed was feminine yet commanding; it looked particularly sharp as a crisp button down.

Salvatore Ferragamo - Runway Review

A gilded life coupled with Czarist Russia served as the starting points of Salvatore Ferragamo creative director Massimiliano Giornetti’s collection for fall. What resulted was a dramatically different aesthetic than in past season, with the strong results garnering even stronger impressions among the front row set. The strictness of the military silhouettes enveloped within a soft romance continued to propel Ferragamo beyond just a dusty accessories house. The results were favorably appealing, such as in a structured gray military coat teamed with an ultra-feminine paisley dress. There were also an abundance of super luxe outerwear pieces, including when astrakhan was used like fabric. That’s not to say there weren’t romantic moments; the flared chiffon dresses with their gold motifs were modern despite their gypsy-like profile.

Etro - Runway Review

The concept of neo-Edwardian dandy suiting, which settled in nicely as a trend during the New York shows, was more than evident at Etro, with Veronica Etro incorporating her house’s signature paisley prints into a longer, leaner, more body-conscious line as evident by the velvet evening gowns. The idea was to feminize an otherwise masculine suit; to wit, her jackets were sharply waisted and pronounced at the tips, emphasized that much more so by the superslim pants

Fendi Fall 2012 Runway Review

At Fendi, the fur is back. And more fabulous than ever. Truth be told, fur never really went away at the Roman fashion house, but Karl Lagerfeld’s use of the decadent material was so embedded in his fall show that it was hard to pay attention to much else. But there were plenty of goodies to be had.

The interplay of textures, silhouettes and colors made for a symphony of eye candy—add to that the angular shapes and patch-worked skirts and you have a truly modern collection. A clear standout was the navy crocodile skirt with both a peplum and bustle, as was the nipped-waist antelope suit with upstanding feathery “tail” perking up in the back of the jacket.

While the dresses were feminine and figure-flattering, this season it was all about the coat. Clean and fuss-free, they utilized some marvelous cutting techniques: laser-cut navy leather, slices of geometric pleating and glossed-over patent leather.

Burberry Prorsum Fall 2012 - Runway Review

The whiff of Downton Abbey we experienced at the end of New York Fashion Week courtesy of Ralph Lauren surfaced at the Burberry Prorsum show in London on Monday. Front row aside—will.i.am, Jeremy Irvine, Eddie Redmaybe and seemingly every “It” London girl—it wasn’t that far a stretch given Burberry’s heritage and brand history.

But this was no lace and crinoline affair.

Right from the get go, one could see Bailey’s new obsession with the waist. The emphasis was more than evident in the giant pockets flanking the fronts of jackets and skirts worn below the waist to create that hourglass silhouette. Keeping it all cinched together were a series of accessories, including ruched velvet ribbon belts that, when flourished with a bow, cinched those waistlines tighter still. Truly packed with outerwear, this collection cross bred country and chic—never once leaving out the chic.

And while outerwear may continue to be the Burberry brand bread-and-butter, the complementary dresses and separates spoke no less of its wearer. A charming Thirties chrysanthemum print played into the shift dresses, one of which had bows at the shoulders in lieu of the epaulets.

Accessories, meanwhile, came in the form of doctor’s bags fastened with pale gold owl-, dog-, or goose-head clasps, and the charming umbrella handles carved with similar animal motifs.

Ralph Lauren Collection - Runway Review

A little Downton Abbey—yet still classically all Ralph Lauren. The designer’s fall show, set to the popular show’s theme music, might have seen a bit direct in influence, but this show—a love fest to grand English country living—had all the cinematic qualities that have come to be synonymous with the Lauren name. Watching this show, one couldn’t help but think of shooting parties, candlelit dinners and black tie balls a la The Great Gatsby. Tweeds, Fair Isles, jodhpurs, bias-cut slips and flapper style dresses exquisitely beaded all made for a complete revolution that was, in a nice twist of fate, completely wearable in the 21st century.

Every gamut of a Ralph Lauren life was addressed. From the opening looks that featured a heavy menswear emphasis and cozy separates to a full-on glamour fest that was breathtaking. The wider leg silhouette of the trousers was simply beautiful. There were some darker moments, such as when a black moto jacket came out or a chic black skirt that featured a pleated skirt sliced with sheer panels. And for evening? Long gowns any girl could easily love; among the best, a column black velvet beaded at the neck.

Marchesa - Runway Review

Bar Refaeli, Stacy Keibler, Petra Nemcova and Taylor Momsen were the starlets front and center at the Marchesa catwalk Wednesday, where Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig presented yet another elaborate and absolutely exquisite collection that truly spoke volumes. Inspired by painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s angelic work, “A Soul Brought to Heaven,” the dresses followed the consistency of drama. Pale shades of nude, cream, ivory and blue were brushed with flowers and cascaded like feather details. The bronze and silver fabrics were all hand embroidered with gilded accents. In keeping with autumn winter’s sheer theme, shimmering skeleton body suits peaked through the dark shades of lace. A teal hand embroidered illusion dress with full tulle skirt was remarkable, as was a hand-embroidered gold and cream coat with pleated tulle bursting from underneath the hem. These gowns screamed for an Oscars moment two weeks from now.

Victoria Beckham - Runway Review

Jason Wu - Runway Review

With China being the buzzword on every designer and luxury retailer’s mind right now, it was only a matter of time, really, before Jason Wu, himself of Chinese descent, would channel the inner glory and power of his Motherland in his designs. From the moment those massive Mao-like red doors opened and smoke filled the venue, one knew that Wu had entered into a dramatically different aesthetic. These were his army of power women, marching in sexy stilettos as they brought to life Wu’s interpretations of China: militaristic communist green uniforms, Qing Dynasty embroideries that were rich and tackled with brocades and thirties glamour as exemplified by Marlene Dietrich in “Shanghai Express.”

A military green wool cape coat paired with delicate lace, a quilted vest trimmed with black fox and a fitted trench shown in leather and dyed silver fox—all examples of his military influences. Yes, the lines were strict and unforgiving, but were they oh-so-sophisticated. For Wu’s finale, he sent out a series of show-stopping 3-D black velvet gowns, each with a high slit, that were infused with hot pink satin, cording, jet crystals, tassels and beads that provided for a modern update of the cheongsam.

Miu Miu - Runway Review

She designed the collection in 15 days. Yep, you read that right. Miuccia Prada—she who showed Western-folk art patterned tooled leather boots with 3-D roses, she who showed Provençal prints all patchworked together—had the chutzpah, not to mention undeniable talent and financial backing, to deliver such a clear-cut collection. The A-line skirts, the bra tops with off-the-shoulder capes, the trapeze dresses and A-line coats—all in somewhat mundane colors like gray and burgundy. It was Miuccia blending multiple trends from the season in one. The best part? They were still simple to wear.

Louis Vuitton - Runway Review