new textures

Alexander Wang's much lauded debut at Balenciaga proved that the storied fashion house is in elegant, capable hands.  My 2 favorite looks combined a sleek black pant with crackly painted knits...a look that will surely spawn some DIY attempts across the blogosphere. I think I'll leave the experimentation up to the experts though (Ivania, I'm looking at you).

THE OSCARS (what they should have worn)

 L to R: Jessica Chastain in Marchesa, Amanda Seyfried in Elie Saab, Anne Hathaway in Christian Dior Spring Couture, Jennifer Lawrence in Ulyana Sergeenko and Naomi Watts in Zac Posen

The Oscars were a big fat HO HUM when it came to fashion this year. I mean, don't get me wrong, everyone looked...pretty. Pretty and safe. There were enough pale strapless fishtail confections to blanket the Dolby Theater and not one risk-taker (unless of course you count John Travolta's lace front wig). If I were styling the stars, they would have walked the carpet in looks decidedly less forgettable. The Spring and Fall runways provided plenty of non-pale, non-champagne colored options for red carpet wear, so I fail to see why every starlet on Oscar night opted for such snooze worthy "safe" and "pretty" looks. I can honestly say there wasn't one standout in the bunch. Everyone looked great, but nothing moved me. So I photoshopped people's heads (poorly) onto a few of my favorite looks from the Spring Couture and Fall Ready-to-Wear collections. Voila!

IMPRESSED: eudon choi

Eudon Choi FW 2013 via Fashionising

When I'm scanning Fashionising or The Cut for the latest from Fashion Week, I'm usually drawn to looks that fit into a larger vision and collections that tell a consistent story. With nods to Russian Folklore, the 'it' color of the season (red) and some refreshingly elegant slouchy low-waisted leather pieces, FW 2013 collection of Korean-born Eudon Choi definitely stopped me dead in my internet tracks. I'd take one of each please and thanks.

fashion week trivia

Guess who designed these looks? Hint: you'll never guess.

Yup, these are part of 16 looks presented by Manny Mashouf for Bebe. You know, the Bebe you totally begged your mom to buy your 8th grade graduation dress from even though she deemed it too short, but you begged and begged and she finally acquiesced and as payback, that popular jerk who ditched you at the mall one time ended up wearing the same dress in a different color. That Bebe.

Teenage nostalgia aside, my favorite thing about chain store brands is that no matter how many ill-advised forays into cheap, shiny fabrics and Kardashian Kollections they dabble in, there's always the possibility that, put in capable hands, the brand can suddenly become relevant and desirable again. For proof of concept, one need look no further than what Jenna Lyons has done for J. Crew. I remember a time in the not-so-distant past when J. Crew was synonymous with whale embroidered kelly green chinos and a bunch of other boring, made for Connecticut WASPY shit. I'm glad these brands can change and evolve with the times. And I'm still hoping for a Gap comeback one of these days. Stranger things have happened.

F/W MVPs. How utterly sick are those schitzo Chanel sandal/boots? And burnout velvet Balmain boots? And printed Suno booties? And Dolce needlepoint maryjanes?!

Microtrends

Please excuse my long overdue and unsolicited roundup of Fall 2012 fashion month. Truth be told, I was barely paying attention, but I've diligently spent the last two three nights sifting through the collections and while I came away with a clear sensation of the obvious references--pantsuits! 60's! orange! baroque opulence!--I was also able to pick up on a few trends that were being quietly whispered as opposed to loudly proclaimed. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Cankles: boots were slouchy in the weirdest places this season--or covered in hair. Either way, this can only mean one thing: ankles are OUT and log legs are IN! (L to R: Givenchy, Moncler Gamme Rouge, Aquilano, Alexander McQueen)

2. Head-to-toe wallpaper prints. See? I knew I was onto something with my grandma couch print pants. Just call me a trend forecaster. (L to R: Sophie Theallet, Anna Sui, Carven, Miu Miu)

3. Powderpuff coats. These guys are all roomy through the shoulders and arms. They came in other colors, too, like the ubiquitous powder blue (as seen at Acne). (L to R: Jil Sander, Antonio Berardi, Lyn Devon, Chloe)

4. Needlepoint. Insert joke about "not your grandma's needlepoint." Because seriously, it's not at all like your grandma's needlepoint. (L to R: Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana)

5. Wide horizontal stripes on dresses. Slimming schmimming. Who cares if you look like a double wide--these stripes are graphic, bright, and cheery. (L to R: Otswald Helgason, Carven, Victoria by Victoria Beckham, Ohne Titel)

6. Split hems. Such a tiny detail but one that I noticed right away. Looks especially fresh on a slim, cropped cut. I foresee some ill-advised at-home DIY attempts to get this look with a pair of scissors. My pants are quaking in fear. (L to R: Rachel Comey, Rachel Comey, Rebecca Taylor, 3.1 Phillip Lim)

my weekend, instagrammed (predictably)

I've decided I'm going to devote myself full-time to becoming a flamboyant sculptural hat-wearing person. The hat I'm wearing above was originally created in Warner Brothers' costume department, and I like to think it may once have graced the famous noggin of Joan Crawford or some other silver screen legend. It comes from my absolute favorite vintage/consignment store in the world, What Poppy Wants in Larkspur, CA. I've written about the place before and have gotten more amazing pieces there than I can count. The owner, Valerie, didn't even want to sell this hat, so she'd set a price of $425...which she quickly reduced (drastically) because she knew I'd make it a good home. I heart her long time.

Nails are actually from a couple of weeks ago (but I never got around to posting them) and the candy is just one of the delightful offerings on display at Miette in Hayes Valley.

The magical forest-scape is from a hike I went on with my mom on Saturday in my nascent quest for a healthy lifestyle. Because let's be honest, I'm not going on another cleanse anytime soon.

And finally, I just had to show some of the beautiful little tchotchkes at Reliquary, which is a store whose aesthetic I'm absolutely obsessed with. They're all pocket knives, handmade in New Mexico.

So tell me lovelies, what pretty (or not-so-pretty) things did you do this weekend?

trendhunting: nyfw

Clearly an individual with far too much time on my hands, I assembled the following trends during my obsessive internet wanderings.

Faux Bois--which is a the snotty French way of saying 'fake wood'. Whatever you want to call it, there was more wood grain in the Spring 2011 collections than in your uncle's Cadillac.

L to R: Rodarte, Diesel Black Gold, Christian Siriano, Chado Ralph Rucci

Collars--not necessarily in conjunction with button-downs either. Some were just added to sheer tops and black shift dresses.

L to R: Isaac Mizrahi, 3.1 Philip Lim, Davidelfin, Cynthia Rowley

Triangles--whether in cutouts or inserts, the thrice pointed shape was having a moment.

L to R: VPL, Juan Carlos Obando, Max Azria, Prabal Gurung

Plastics--or plasticine finishes were errwhere. Shiny rules.

L to R: Rad Hourani, Acne, ThreeAsFour, Reed Krakoff

Hip Curtains--Don't know what else to call these. Hip drapes?

L to R: L'Wren Scott, Sophie Theallet, Erin Fetherston, Herve Leger

Pointed Hems--adds interest to the season's new minimalism, or mixed prints.

L to R: Cushnie Et Ochs, Julian Louie, Kimberly Ovitz, Rodarte

the best/worst of nyfw

Judging by my butt hurt silence on the subject, I'm sure you can guess I did not receive a special invitation to sit front-row at any New York Fashion Week shows. HOW RUDE.

I did however, deign to sift through all 9,000 photos on Style.com to pick out my favorites and least favorites.

First, the highlights:



Candy-colored paint splatters (and kick-ass platforms) at Alexandre Herchcovich, supreme print-mixing at Proenza Schouler, and sporty stripes and roomy slacks (and a blue turban that I need on my head right now) at Jason Wu.

Loving the long, neutral silhouettes brought to us by Bensoni, Prabal Gurung, and Matthew Ames

Woodsy prints at Rodarte, tea-stained lace at Vivienne Tam, and furry, pom-pom knits at Frank Tell

And now, the lowlights, AKA anything so ugly that I would rather wear a dead baby or strap flaming turds to my feet.



The only addition that could make this dress more suggestive of female genitalia would be to have a long red chiffon scarf poking out of the middle--or a babydoll head. (Marchesa)
This outfit is available for less at your local Wilson's Leather (Ralph Lauren)

Not sure whether a hip pocket for your electric razor and a couple of tubes of lipgloss is an amazing idea or just a really really misguided one. Thanks, VPL, for thoroughly confusing me.

Do you want the world to be your gynecologist AND make it look like you don't have a waist?!? Then boy oh boy do I have the monokini for you... (Staerk)

What were your favorites/least favorites from NYFW?

maxed out

No, I haven't had time to pore over every detail of the Fall collections and no, I probably never will. However, I have been pleased to notice the following developments:

- Plenty of floor-sweeping hemlines

- The triumphant return of Isaac Mizrahi (love his hooded evening dress above)

- Luxe layering

- Rich prints, textures

I'll probably end up relying on my fellow bloggers to help me pick through the best of the best, but rest assured I have extended hemlines on my radar.

best in show: chanel pre-fall 2010

I haven't queefed over a Chanel collection this much since Kunty Karl sent models down the runway with these lightbulb heels in 2007, but I am smitten. I was originally going to do a pre-fall post but decided I needed to dedicate an entire entry to Chanel and this mix of rich pattern and texture with positively futuristic cuts and silhouettes.

For me, this is everything fashion could and should be: playful, elegant, sumptuous, intellectual without being inaccessible, and rooted in tradition while still looking to the future. Bra-fucking-vo. I'll take one of each.