Blogger is letting me down...

Okay, well, apparently I can't upload pictures right now, so my awesome fall fashion post has to wait.

But I can bore you instead with a random idea.

One thing that I would like everyone's opinion on is a question that I have been pondering for quite some time, and I puzzle over it every fashion week without coming to a successful conclusion. So, the question is: Is it a DO or a DON'T to wear a designer's clothes from previous seasons to their fashion show?

Many celebs do this, as well as mere mortals who just so happen to be fashion-forward enough to blend in with the glitterati. However, the only positive aspects of this I see are, of course, the flattery factor (maybe if I show her how much I love her designs, she'll float me some free samples?), and the quirky convenience of a walking comparison. (Oh, I've heard of this designer before but I can't for the life of me remember what her last collection looked like?)

But my opinion, overall, is that this just looks tacky and generally embarrassing. Especially for those stars who conspicuously change outfits between shows just to make sure they are showing up in a particular designer's pieces.

However, maybe a good middle-of-the-road solution would be to wear several pieces, all from different designers, and attend all of their shows the same day? I'm not sure how well that would work schedule-wise, but it would save you alot of wardrobe changes!

Go ahead and sound off your opinion in the comments. I want to hear different spins on this and other possible solutions to not look completely dumb when attempting this extreme act of flattery.

PS: Temporary change to the layout. New colors, etc. It's only until I get the time to create some new graphics and other fun stuff, but I did notice that the bright colors of the other layout were hard to see on some people's screens, so if you have any suggestions regarding viewability, let me know.

Sorry about the hiatus

Sorry, everyone, I haven't been up to my usual postings at all lately. The last couple weeks have been pretty crazy, between finals, car shopping, moving and getting a new job....wow. I don't even have time to unpack! But, I promise, posting will resume shortly, including the "featured sites" that I've neglected for the past few weeks (the next one will be at least twice as long, so be prepared). I also just got all my magazine subscriptions finished and I have a bunch of new tidbits to share. And, of course, all of the replies and emails I have recieved will be filtered and posted shortly. Just bear with me.

However, while you're waiting, check this out:

Ali G - Bruno Fashion Show (yay for satire)

Blog Roundup: I seem to always be bored on Sundays

I've noticed that the last couple of these that I've done have fallen on weekends, so it would be a safe bet for you all to expect this from me every Sunday, if not a bit earlier. But anyways, without further ado, here are some more great posts for you guys to check out! Enjoy!

First up, Second City Style reports on changes in bridal trends, which caught my eye since I, like everyone, seem to have wedding fever even though I'm not getting married for a few years yet. (my fiance and I are both poor college students, I don't even have an official engagement ring yet!)

Yet another from Second City Style, a feature on FAME 2007, Fashion and Media Extravaganza, which took place at the Illinois Institue of Art-Chicago, and more specifically the show put on by students in fashion design.

Since I haven't done a designer spotlight in a while, I share this one with you from Sassybella, featuring Soaked in Luxury.

An interesting series for you to check out, StyleBites is teaching all of you wannabe's how to break into the modeling world. You can read part one and part two now, part three will be available Wednesday.

Yet another post on a student show, J'Adore Couture offers commentary on the latest and greatest new designers graduating from Academy of Art University, including pictures of the designs that they presented on the runway.

India: Fashion's "most anticipated new market"

Now, I normally don't cover the economics side of fashion, since that's not my expertise, but this is a possibility that's just too interesting to ignore.

According to the JC Report, "India, hot on China's heels, has received acres of coverage over the last year in the business press as the next important emerging market, with great emphasis on the rise of the middle class, the new money billionaires, and a growing appetite for luxury goods."

So what does this mean? Is India soon to become another Fashion Week destination? Will it become the new Tokyo for its adventurous designers and outlandish runway presentations?

From the looks of things, India has its own unique influence, but a couple of the designers, including London favorite (he went back and showed his collection in Delhi as well) Manish Arora reminds me of my Japanese love, Tsumori Chisato.

There are also not one, but two major cities for fashion in India, one being Delhi and the other Mumbai. (Once again, read the JC Report for the full story on the great shopping experiences in both cities) Here are a few pictures of my favorite Indian designers thusfar, from their AW07 collections:

Manish Arora, Delhi

Ashish N Soni, Delhi

Anupamaa Dayal, Mumbai

Tarun Tahiliani, Delhi
[all photos courtesy of JCReport]

It goes without saying that these designers have some serious potential, and I'll bet you the A-list is going to be all over these unique pieces in a few months. As far as I'm concerned, this is a great reason to book a vacation to India, no?

Designer Spotlight: Tsumori Chisato

Now, this is a designer that I recently discovered while finishing my research on Paris, and I must say, her collection is stunning. From the reviews I've read, it isn't meeting too much fanfare with the "fashion elite," but I see alot of promise in it.

My first impression was definitely a good one, especially after seeing beautifully structured pieces such as this dress:

I've also noticed that she has a real flair for combining her ethnic influences with today's trends. This minidress is a great example. I also appreciate the fact that she pairs it with tights to give it more of a fall vibe, unlike many other designers.

I also love the ease of these pieces, from the color to the structure. These actually look street-worthy (except for the headgear of course).

This coat is equally amazing in its use of color. I wish we saw more pieces like this on the runway. It just screams functional.

My favorite piece was this ultra-feminine-looking dress, complete with a stylish print and metallic gold accents. The fact that it's paired with boots adds to its appeal for me, because I simply love that silhouette.

Normally, Asian designers tend to go a little over-the-top with their runway presentations, but I think that Tsumori does a great job in connecting the nature of the designs to the runway show itself. I only wish she were more popular in the United States!

A blurb about Paris.

I know I said I wasn't going to do a blog about Paris, but I promise, this won't be a long one.

To tell you the truth, there weren't any full collections that I liked, just bits and pieces from each one. I will say that my two favorites overall were Valentino and Christian Lacroix.

Oh, speaking of Christian Lacroix, there was a rather unexpected visitor at his show...

PETA cracks me up. I had a feeling that this was going to happen. It never fails, really. It's only a matter of when and where.

However, I will say that her flats are very stylish. =]

Also, I'm really liking the oriental theme that's prevailing on the Paris runways so far. Other than that, I'll try to get through the rest of the week with an open mind.

What are your thoughts on the collections so far, or even on PETA? Does anyone our age even support them anymore?

Milan Fashion Week Review

I'm not the first to say this about this year's Milan Fashion Week, but I was...disappointed. Normally Milan is my favorite, because designers seem to unleash more of their creative flair during these shows. However, this season, New York actually took the prize for that one in my book.

Anyways, on to the trends!

Well, to start off with: Milan, like the rest of the shows this season, kept it simple with a primarily neutral palette.

My favorite monochromatic looks came from Antonio Marras.

Very Elegant, no?

There's that menswear again!

Another trend that I noticed was all over the Milan runways, but was only touched upon elsewhere. That would be of course the numerous shoulder- and back-bearing dresses, which are only wonderful for fall if you're indoors, but I can see them easily translating to spring and summer as well.

My favorite back-bearing dresses are these two from Salvatore Ferragamo.

Incorporating two more trends - metallics and feminine details, such as the bow

This is possibly my favorite. It's very young looking while still being elegant.

One unique element that I would like to point out are the tights at Emporio Armani. They compliment the clothes very well, and emphasize the emerging colorblock trend. Not sure how street-worthy they are, but they were a great addition to the show.

Aren't those great?

But dear Emporio didn't stop there with the colorblock. This cute minidress was one of my favorite pieces from his collection. [Once again, it's obviously not cold-weather-ready, but that's fashion for ya]

Very tea party-esque, no?

As far as I can see right now, I don't think I'm going to be covering Paris, simply because nothing thusfar has caught my eye, but I will definitely keep you posted! There are a lot of great things happening for this blog come closer to spring, so stay tuned!

Menswear - Yes or No?

According to sources such as the JC Report, menswear is back in full swing for Fall 2007.

However, I will admit that I've never been a big fan of boy-meets-girl style. So, I'd like to get a few more opinions on the issue by offering a few examples that showcase the different aspects of this look.

In London, designers such as Paul Smith somehow found out to make menswear cute, as you can see in the following pieces.

He also brought a bit of retro flair to his collection, envoking a 1920s and '30s feel by taking a simple suit jacket, adding feminine details such as the bell sleeves, and pairing it with a velvet dropwaist dress.

However, this baggy style was questionable. It doesn't seem like it would flatter many figures other than stick-straight model types.

Balenciaga's Prefall 07 collection gave us a sneak peek of a different type of menswear- a more straight-laced, military-inspired version.

In New York, Marc Jacobs also harnessed a bit of a vintage feel with this simple suit ensemble. [I might also add that, as usual, he uses color very well here]

Overall, this style is pretty straightforward. For the most part, it involves clean lines, expensive fabrics, and a can-do attitude.

So what do YOU, the readers, think? Is this type of style street-worthy? What looks do you love? What looks do you hate? Let me know!

Headgear - yes or no?

One recurring theme on the runways this season was the use of headgear. The looks ranged from normal, everyday hats to scarves, and even more ridiculous forms of headwear.

Now, I completely understand the functional attributes of having the models wear different types of hats on the runway. However, can this concept be applied to everyday fashion?

Let's look at a couple of the more extreme examples.

Jill Stuart, Fall 2007

I'm not really sure what you can even call this furry- for lack of a better term- animal. I think the purpose of this one was to give a more wintery feel to the looks, but on the street, this would look absolutely ridiculous.

Felipe Olivera Baptista, for reasons completely unknown to me, decided to have some of his models wear horse heads - yes you heard me correctly - horse heads. The black and white variations mimicked the color pallete of most of his pieces, and also added to the horse hair motif found on the extremely high platform shoes the models wore. But, Felipe, why horses? That happens to be the last thing I think of when I think of fashion.

Erin Fetherston, Fall 2007

This look, however, is one that I can see easily translating to everyday life. It reminds me of a sequined swim cap, or winter beanie. This happens to be a more glamorous take on normal winter headwear, and maybe it could catch on.

And of course, the wearing of scarves has been around in the United States since the days of sharecroppers, and it may be the most functional type of headwear known to man.

So, what's the verdict? How do you see headgear translating from the runways to the streets, and what's your take on some of the more extreme looks on the runway this year?

Applied Style: Fall 2007 Runway

First post! And what better way to start out a new style blog than with NY Fashion Week highlights!

Now, one trend that swept the runway this year was this idea:

Use a heavily neutral pallette with only a small a splash of vibrant color.

DKNY exhibited beautiful layered knits in different shades of gray...

...as well as a splash of bright pinks and purples.

BCBG's collection included more extremes, with monochromatic styles.

They also included more creams and browns in their collection, offering more diversity.

But once again, with the occasional splash of red or pale blue.

Miss Sixty approached the monochromatic look with eye-catching metallics...

...and neutral prints.

They also took the "splash of color" concept a bit further with red accessories...

...like these patent leather boots.

I believe that this trend is the most "wearable" for the upcoming fall season. It will be incredibly easy for anyone to replicate this particular design concept, even someone on a tight budget (I'm a poor college student, believe me, I know). Even if you don't buy the pieces featured here, or ones similar to them, the overall concept is universal - and in the fashion world, it's really nothing new.