Inspired by ... NYFW Street Style Looks

Like every fashionable girl, I've been glued to my computer/iPhone absorbing all the information I possibly can regarding New York Fashion Week. I pretty much love everything about NYFW - the excitement of the runway shows, the discovery of a new talent and the impeccable style of the fashion mavens attending the shows. The looks off the runway are just as fascinating as the Spring/Summer 2012 collections being shown in the tents, perhaps more so since you can actually buy/wear them right now. Here are some of the street style looks I'm loving from the ladies at the tents:

Eva Chen - Beauty Director, Teen Vogue
{via Vogue}

Lisa Marie McComb - Stylist, Visual Therapy
{via The Cut}

Caroline Cissa - Executive Fashion Director, TANK
{via The Cut}

Amanda Weiner - Senior Fashion Editor, GOTHAM
{via The Cut}

Taylor Sterling - Founder, Glitter Guide
{via The Cut}

Joan Smalls - Model
{via Harper's Bazaar}

Katie Ciepluch and Morgan Wendelborn - Shopbop
{via Harper's Bazaar}

{via Vogue}

{via Vogue}

What have been some of your favorite street style looks from this season?

Prabal Gurung Resort 2012 Film

I've been a fan of Prabal Gurung for the past three seasons, falling more and more for the Nepal-born fashion dynamo. With the launch of this music video for his 2012 Resort collection, featuring Rye Rye, I am officially in love. Snaps for the kid ...

Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2011 Lookbook Video

I want to marry Tom Ford. That way I can be in the presence of his pure glamourosity [yes, that is a word] and have him create a new fabulous ensemble for me every day.

For your viewing pleasure, I present his Autumn/Winter 2011 collection:

New York Fashion Week's New Home at Lincoln Center

As the curtains closed on Bryant Park as long time home to New York Fashion Week back in February, fashion fans the world over were curious to see what the new Lincoln Center location would have to offer. As day two of NYFW comes to a close the reviews are in and fashionistas are thrilled with the new space.

The entrance to the tents, created to mirror the facade of the Metropolitan Opera House.

I keep using the term grande to describe Lincoln Center and I mean it both in size and impression. Lincoln Center is one of the most beautiful spaces in the city, created to showcase art in all its splendor. From a functional standpoint there's a third more space to the tents this year with more lobby space and courtyard lounges as waiting areas.

Mercedes Benz SS 2011 Fashion Week Livestream Calendar

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week kicked off yesterday at its new home in Lincoln Center, where 98 designers will showcase their Spring/Summer 2011 collections. While fashion week will forever be associated with Bryant Park I've grown immediately fond of its new grande space, thanks in part to the magical setting it offered for Vogue's Fashion Night Out show. Was I seated in the audience with other fashionistas? No ... I watched with thousands of others as it streamed live on CBS.com/FNO Tuesday night.

As the elitist walls built around the fashion industry crumble, more and more designers are opening the doors and allowing fashion fans everywhere the opportunity to take part in the runway experience. You miss out on the excitement of physically being in the tents, but you're actually getting a much better view of the show. I'll be viewing most of the SS 2011 shows in this manner and it's easy for you to join in the fun from your own laptop, desktop, iPad, iPhone, etc.

Fashion's Night Out Must List

If you're anything like me, you've planned and replanned your outfit for Fashion's Night Out but woke up this morning thinking "FNO is TOMORROW and I have no idea where I'm going!!" Fear not, after my morning epiphany I made sure to head over to the website and create my own personal itinerary. Last year I didn't venture outside of the Meatpacking District, but I will tempt fate this year starting in Soho and ending at Bergdorfs!

Here's my guidebook to all things fun and fabulous for FNO:




Bergdorf Goodman
754 Fifth Ave at 58th Street New York NY 10019

Appearances By: Jason Wu, Mary J. Blige, Nicole Richie, Simon Spurr, Thom Browne, Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham.
6-11pm: 5F Photo Studio.
6pm: Face-Off Makeup Artist Competition with judges BryanBoy, Catherine Malandrino, Hamish Bowles & Trish McEvoy.
7pm: BG Best In Show: Designer Dogs Take The Catwalk! MC Robert Verdi. Judges Kelly Rutherford, Monique Lhuillier & Tinsley Mortimer.
8pm: Play With The Pros With athletes Georgina Bloomberg, Joey Cheek, Sarah Hughes & Tim Morehouse.
9-10pm: Karaoke! Special host Patrick McMullan.


Diane von Furstenberg
874 Washington Street New York NY 10014

Diane von Furstenberg takes Fashion’s Night Out to the digital universe with The DVF and HP Experience Lounge, a multimedia event that will transform the DVF boutique and gallery into an interactive fashion playground. Hosted by Refinery29.com, the evening will feature cutting-edge fashion installations, complete with a ‘Fall Favorites’ photo booth featuring DVF items curated by Refinery29.com editors on display for shoppers to utilize when browsing their most-desired DVF looks. Photos can be printed, posted to Facebook or streamed live into the lounge on social feed monitors, allowing guests to engage with the fashion community and interact with DVF. Computer terminals and touch screens will feature up-to-the-minute news about FNO from around the city, and the world!

Links We Love | Fashion News and Style Inspiration

Happy Friday!

Here's my curated list of fashion news and inspiration to take note of for this past week:

Fashion News

The Washington Post (Robin Givhan): Essence's Hiring of White Fashion Director Should Be Symbol of Inclusiveness

The Cut: Where to Be on Fashion's Night Out

The Cut: Three Ways to Check In to Fashion Week With Lincoln Center's Fancy New Computer System
Fashionista: Crystal Renn on Her New Chanel Campaign, That Whole Retouching Scandal and Acting

Fall Fashion
StyleStance: Be Inspired By Uniform Project
TheFabChick: Fall 2010 Handbag Trends on Polished Image and Style
Eat Sleep Denim: Trending - When & How to Buy Trendy Denim


Style Inspiration (I LOVE these Stylistas!)
Cupcakes and Cashmere: Studies in Sequins
Fashion Bananas: Warm Chocolate


Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did!

Official 2010 Fashion's Night Out T-Shirt and a BIG Vogue Announcement

Fashion's Night Out 2010 is less than 6 months away and I for one cannot wait to join in the fashion debauchery that will occur on the streets of NYC this year. One of the highlights of last year's event was the official FNO T-shirt, on-sale at a number of boutiques off- and on-line and selling out is a matter of days (I distinctly remember grabbing the last t-shirt in my size around 9:30pm at the Theory store in MePa.) I'm happy to say they're keeping the tradition going ...


Vogue offered a sneak peek at the 2010 FNO T-Shirt (modeled by Liya Kebede and Raquel Zimmerman) on their website and announced that there would be several styles available this year, including a tank and hoodie version (be still my heart ... I'm a sucker for a cute hoodie.) The shirts will go on sale mid-August and 40% of the proceeds will go to The New York City AIDS Fund. Keep your eyes one the prize people ... we'll make sure to update you as soon as the shirts go on sale so that you get your hands on one for yourself.


And now on to our main story ...


A MAJOR announcement came down today from Madame Wintour herself  - Vogue, in collaboration with SPEC Entertainment, will launch FNO 2010 with a large-scale fashion show that will *gasp* be open to the general public! The show will take place on September 7th at Lincoln Center, NYFW's new home, and will focus on the key trends for Fall '10 as depicted in Vogue's September Issue. I'm sure the hope is that seeing the Fall clothing on the runway will spark the shopping bug in us all and get us to buy, buy, buy more, more. more the actual day of FNO (September 10th.)
I wonder if this is part of a new movement by the powerhouse that is Vogue. The May issue did include a piece by Plum Sykes on how disjointed in-store seasonality is becoming (with swimsuits on sale in the middle of snowstorms and sundresses impossible to find in mid-August.) Perhaps this is the start of a campaign to bring in-store seasonality more in line with actual shopping needs. One can only hope ...

“We felt it is important for people to see what wonderful fashion will be in stores at that moment,” said Vogue editor in chief, Anna Wintour. “This show will focus on the key trends we’ve identified for Fall so that shoppers will have plenty of inspiration to join the fun during Fashion’s Night Out.”

Tickets for this event will go on-sale through the Lincoln Center Box Office at some point this summer, with a portion of those proceeds also going to The New York City AIDS Fund.

Runway Report | Pucci FW 2010

It was extremely difficult to pick my favorite looks from this collection as I was in awe at every look that came down the runway. For Fall, Pucci should be the collection that all of young hollywood sources for their red carpet looks (in place of the overdone Herve Leger bandage dress.)

 

It was all about the super short dress in this collection. Several options were provided, all in lengths that only the most daring could pull off. Yet, somehow the pieces still came off as sophisticated ... with an edge. Black was the key color of the collection. Not basic black ... textured black that glistened with sequins and sprouted with feathers. The leather and fur trend for the season also continued here, with several fur jackets and leather accents making their way down the runway.

The show wasn't a total blackout. Splashes of color appeared in golds, greens, blues and reds - the latter in a full on ensemble of high-waisted pants, sheer blouse and leather cropped jacket. All of the looks were accessorized with cage-style black platforms.

I honestly loved every piece of this collection and would kill to own just one of the minidresses. I think I'm daring enough to pull it off. How about you?

Photos courtesy of The Cut.

Runway Report | Dolce e Gabbana FW 2010

The Dolce e Gabbana show opened with a short video of the designers crafting and fitting the looks in the collection, a behind the scenes look at the creative process and an introduction to the collection - Sicilianità, Sartorialità, Sensualità (Sicilian, Stylish, Sensual.)

The video continued as the first models took to the runway in basic black suiting. If anything the jacket was the key piece of this collection, paired with lingerie style camisoles, slim pants and sheer pencils skirts. I was surprised to see so many suits, but there were several options in including knit versions and Chanel-style boucle. Lace was another key element, appearing as accents or full on in impeccable dresses and skirts. A super short houndstooth wool skirt with lace trim appeared and I immediately fell in love. Bursts of florals were featured on dresses and coats.

The mostly black collection did feature some splashes of color with pleated and draped velvet dresses in deep red and forest green, red and gold satin shifts, and bright colored under-dresses paired with black lace. There were also some fun and sexy pieces - coin covered rompers and jackets, lots of hotpants, sheer skirts, leopard print in skintight dresses and corset tops (often paired with the polka dot skirts).

Can't forget accessories as several models came down the runway with a new take on the doctor's bag - black leather with coins or fur trim, all-over camel colored fur. LOVE them.

The show ended with what I thought was a fitting tribute to all of the people who worked on the collection, shown on the video screen for all to see as the last model walked off the runway. The finale showcased every model, dozens of them, in a blazer and hot pants as they walked off the runway (including Chanel Iman and French Vogue cover girl Rose Cordero.)

Theatrical and technically beautiful, I loved this collection. It definitely is a departure from the more overtly sexy collections of the past, but its still classic Dolce e Gabbana in the details. There's so much of this collection that I would love to own for Fall.

Photos courtesy of The Cut.

Runway Report | F/W 2010 London Fashion Week

Once fashion week in New York was over, I was ready to breathe a sigh of relief. Even though I was only able to attend a couple of shows, the whirlwind of following all the goings while my day job hit work overload was a little overwhelming. Taking this mental break, I unfortunately missed a good portion of London Fashion Week. The horror! Luckily I was able to immerse myself in all of the runway reviews and bring you my favorite looks from the London Fall Winter 2010 shows:

Matthew Williamson - Loved this collection! The dresses in multicolored prints, the leather accented pants.

Burberry Prorsum - I definitely want the over-the-knee boots and the bomber jackets, but I know I'll pick up one of the wool military-style coats.

Issa - I have always loved Issa's dresses and this collection offered some great options, along with leather pants and knit jackets.

Sass & Bide - A great mix of prints and rocker edge. Lots of black and white, with leather and textured accents. Loved the leather above-elbow length fingerless gloves.

Mulberry - Bright colors ruled the runway at Mulberry - turquoise, fuschia, yellow and orange - infused with texture.

Fashion's Night Out on CBS!

The buzz around the fashion world today has been the confirmation that Fashion's Night Out will be broadcast on TV. A documentary style behind-the-scenes program will air on CBS a few days following the event in the Fall, focusing less on fashion and more on the day-to-day work of pulling off this grand event. I'm certain we'll get an inside look at the planning, preparation and execution of the the event. Just imagine ... Anna Wintour and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg strategising over traffic patterns for getting from Bergdorfs to Saks.
Jokes aside, this is great publicity for what I believe is a good cause. The economy has hit the fashion world really hard and that affects more than just the fancy designers who have their names on labels. Think about the seamstresses, assistants, IT, maintenance and I could go on. So if I have to shop until my Amex card is setting off smoke detectors to save their jobs then I will.

The program is scheduled to air on September 15th at 8pm. Setting my DVR in 3...2...1

Runway Report | Backstage at DKNY, Prabal Gurung and Moncler

At s+s we always aim to bring you an personal view of fashion and we loving giving you a behind-the-scenes look from industry insiders. Here's an insider's view at on some of our favorite FW 2010 Fashion Week shows from Malika Lecole of Nunu Taught Me:


Lights, Camera, Action
It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, it's not the holiday season, it's Fall Fashion Week. Since its inception, New York Fashion Week has long been considered an ultra swanky, ultra exclusive event, privy only to fashion editors, buyers, the elite and the famous.

If you didn’t make this season’s list of invitees, lament not. I’m here to bring you a behind the scenes glimpse from 3 of the hottest shows this season, Prabal Gurung, DKNY, and Moncler. As a dresser, I’m lucky enough to see all of the pieces before they hit the runways. Mayhem and pandemonium go hand in hand backstage, but the end product is always a seamless parade of fashion must-haves from designers old and new.

Prabal Gurung
To most, Prabal Gurung isn’t a well known designer, but he’s definitely one to watch.

If his garments are any indication of what to expect this fall, then expect only the best. Black, gray, and red are just some of the colors that we’ll be seeing in the fall. Before the models hit the runway,the queen of fashion, Anna Wintour graced us all with her presence backstage as she gave the line her personal seal of approval.


DKNY
Donna Karan has always been more than just a designer. She’s a brand that is synonymous with class, timelessness, and quality. Fall Fashion Week came alive at Weiss Studio as Donna Karan previewed pieces from her DKNY line. Showcasing a mix of rich fabrics, assorted patterns, and men inspired suits, the line is guaranteed to take you from the day to night. And don’t put away those sequined tops and dresses, and booties because they’ll still be a haute commodity this fall.

Moncler
When it comes to outerwear Moncler definitely has the game on lock. For their fall preview, the Italian brand opted for a non traditional approach to the traditional runway show. Models donned the new Grenoble line as they were stacked onto four story scaffolding for three hours at Chelsea Piers’ Golf Course. The line,comprised mostly of black and grey pieces for both men and women, can be best described as ski chic. Small suggestion—if you’re thinking of purchasing one of these trendy jackets, start saving. They could easily run you $1000.

Lust of the Week | Marc Jacobs FW 2010 Sequin Dress

When this look came down the runway at the Marc Jacobs show on Monday I was stunned. The fit, the gloves, the neckline, the ankle boots ... chic and gorgeous!

Image courtesy of The Cut

Runway Report | Rachel Roy FW 2010

Rachel Roy has been one of my favorite designers for a few seasons now, having followed her career from her days at Rockawear to being taken under the wing of icon Andre Leon Talley. Her eponymous line exudes timeless elegance and sophistication. I also love the youthful spirit of her diffusion line RACHEL Rachel Roy.

FabSugar was able to talk to the designer backstage before her show about what inspired this collection:



It's great to hear a designer talk about the woman she designs for as if she actually exists (or could exist.) Its clear that Rachel Roy has an idea of who this woman is at heart - her desires, interests, travels, lifestyle - and how she evolves season to season. This season the RR woman was all about "opulence."

Elegant dresses, tailored suits and separates were elevated via fabric - velvets and brocade - and pops of color. All looks were accessorized with elbow length leather gloves and shoes from her collaboration with Manolo Blahnik (LOVE them.)

The evening looks included burnout velvet gowns, metallics and gold brocade. Some of the more elaborate pieces near the end of the collection included sheer delicate lace and netting. You could clearly see her vision in this portion of the line.

I liked the overall collection and can see these pieces appearing at major events all over NYC. For me ... I'm really excited to see what Fall 2010 will look like for RACHEL Rachel Roy.

Check out more looks from the Rachel Roy Fall 2010 collection on The Cut.