Fashion's Night Out

Fashion's Night Out is thursday September 8th! Celebrate fashion! 

Fall 2011 Couture- Valentino

My favorite from the collection! (nymag.com)

If you haven't seen Valentino's Fall 2011 Couture Collection, you should definitely check out this link! I love every ensemble in it. Just looking at how the fabrics move down the runway and they just look... priceless.

Valentino is definitely one of my favorite designers. I hope that his fashion house will be around for a looooong time. 

Valentino Fall 2011 Couture

Valentino's Life Story Might Become a Musical

Picture from article (nymag.com)

Oh wow! I was super excited when I read this article form NYMag.com. Apparently people are discussing making Valentino's story into a musical! The article is short and sweet!

Valentino's Life Story Might Become a Musical

Are you guys excited?!

Fashion Battle: Louboutin vs YSL

What do you guys think of the article? Do you agree with the final outcome?

Louboutin loses to YSL in battle of red soles.


[Image]: queshoes.com

Trend Watch: Varsity

So I've been online shopping lately and what have I been seeing everywhere? Varsity, varsity, varsity! Letterman jackets, track sweaters etc.! I really like this somewhat preppy trend, I think its a great way to add a hint of school girl/boy without looking you stepped straight out of the hallway. I just ordered a lovely track inspired cardigan from Forever 21, looking forward to wearing it to school this fall!

Guys can even rock the look as well!

[Photos From Forever21.com]

A Vintage Affair

So a few weeks ago I was at Target scouring the shelves of books for a good one to read when I came across one such book with a voluminous red dress on the front of it. A Vintage Affair, I read by Isabel Wolff, "hhmm that sounds interesting" I thought to myself. I naturally picked up the book due to the alluring title and the color of the lovely dress, and read the back of the book.

It's about this woman who leaves her job to open a vintage clothing store in London. To her "you're not just buying fabric and thread-- you're buying a piece of someone's past." In this story she'll come across one such garment that will change her life forever. She will see a connection between herself and its owner allowing her to heal the pain she has from her own past and will allow her to love again for her future.

Praise for the book:

"Romantic and sumptuous, this is a must for fans of vintage dresses and vintage romance." -Hester Browne

"This colorful new novel has something for everyone, There is mystery, romance, great characters, as well as London and France." -Naples Daily News

"Deftly blends past and present, romance and mystery, and a theme of forgiveness and redemption." -Mary Kincaid

Reading this book really made me appreciate vintage clothing much more than I ever have. It made me see the clothes as more than a piece of worn down fabric that was a little frayed at the edges. It made me regard vintage clothing as a story, it made me realize that it has so much more to offer than just a timeless outfit, or a piece of cloth. The book was very well written and the language with which Isabel described the scenes of her story were just... mouth watering. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fashion, there is much more to it than just the modern brand new clothing scene on the runway, fashion has character, fashion can tell a story.

"Every dress has a history. And so does every woman."  

Vogue, July: Emma Watson!

Oh my goodness! I got my Vogue magazine in the mail a few weeks ago, and I was delighted to see Emma Watson on the cover!

She deserves it! She's a wonderful role model and it seems as though she's balancing school and her acting career well. I have not yet read any articles in the magazine as I am saving it for July, once I start reading, its hard to put it down until I've finished the whole magazine.

Anyways, I knew we would see more from Emma, and here she is on the cover of American Vogue! This girl is going places, can't wait to see more!

Rights of Passage

So as a girl who's journeying her way through learning about the fashion world, I only naturally subscribed to Vogue. Pretty much the fashion magazine of all fashion magazines I would say. 

Anyways in this months issue (June) I was leafing through its wonderfully glossy pages and read the Up Front and Nostalgia columns. I really enjoyed them. Both individuals (women) went through, I guess you could call it, a Right of Passage, as everyone does. For some reason both stories spoke to me. Maybe it was because the first one (Up Front) was about a girl, Gully Wells, moving to France, and practically living on the beach, and having a seemingly magical life, and one day she meets a boy. It may have been the wrong guy, but it was a guy whom she shared her right of passage with (if you catch my drift).

"I, on the other hand, had been transformed. Surely everybody could tell just by looking at me? I lay down on a towel and began replaying scenes inside my head, amazed and thrilled by my own nerve." 

The second, is about a woman, Julia Glass, who shunned fashion. After years of having people tell her how beautiful she was and looking endlessly at fashion magazines, she realized something, "When those models made eye contact beyond the page, it wasn't with me; it was with someone male standing behind me." After that she dressed as much against the grain as she possibly could. Julia's right of passage came about while at an exhibition of Norman Parkinson's. As she gazed at a photo of a female model, for the first time, "That smile, half obscured, turned away from the light, says not 'Choose me' but, rather, 'I choose myself'." Soon after this realization, "I began to dress as I had never dressed before: to please myself." Her right of passage came in the form of a picture, a picture that reminded her of the happiness one obtains when dressing for oneself and nobody else. 

Trend Watch: Red Shorts

Summertime is officially here! And with it, I am delivering you a new trend! Red shorts!

I love this trend and I'm going to buy myself a pair of red shorts! Red is my favorite color, and I think this is a really fun way to wear it other than on my shirt or sweaters.

Their are many different ways you can wear red shorts. Here are just a few:

Look great with a bold pattern on top!

Pair your red shorts with something blue

Pair your shorts with a top that has
red embellishments 

You can wear red and black. Always a
show stopper.

You can dress up your red shorts with a
flowing shirt.

Beat the Summer heat with red shorts! Have fun with your look! 

All photos courtesy of teenvogue.com 

Trend Watch: Tribal Print

One of the Summer's hottest trends this year is tribal print!

Tribal designed pieces are a fun way to add color, patter, and a certain level of interest to any outfit. Tribal patterns are just as versatile as stripes are. You can wear it on your shoes, shorts, shirts, dresses, bags, anything. Just remember, don't wear to much at once!

Alexander McQueen

Jimmy Choo

This summer trend is sure to heat up your summer wardrobe, so give it a try, and as always, have fun with it!

Fashion Icon: Hailee Steinfeld

This young starlet has made her way onto the Hollywood scene with her stunning role of Mattie Ross in True Grit. She has attended several award shows due to her grand success, and has many a times found herself on Best Dressed Lists. There is no doubt this young 14 year old starlet has remarkable fashion sense.

In May 2011 Miu Miu announced that she would be the new face of their Ad Campaign. Hailee is set to play the role of Juliet Capulet in Carlo Carei's newest rendition of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I look forward to seeing many fabulous new ensembles and movies from Hailee Steinfeld.

Below are some of my favorite Hailee Steinfeld looks! Enjoy, I've got a feeling she'll be around for a while (:

Prada

Calvin Klein

Marchesa

Marc Jacobs

Miu Miu

Stella McCartney 

Stella McCartney

Trend Watch: Red Lipstick

Red Lipstick.

Its empowering. I feel like the most powerful woman in the world when I wear it. I feel as though I can walk into a room and just, command it.

Red, is also my favorite color, what more fun way to wear it then on my lips?

Red lipstick is also a Spring and Summer trend! Bright colors! I recommend it for sure! Red lipstick can look great on anyone! Just make sure you get the right shade. The best way, I think, is to go outside, and take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist, if you can see them (they are blue) then that means you should chose a cool colored red, and if you can't, go for orangey or warm colored reds. Red lipstick is also a fast automatic tooth whitener! Best of both worlds here, I hope you have fun with this summer trend! I sure am!
I am wearing Chanel Rouge A Levres Creme Red coral Lipstick.

Sorry the pictures aren't that great, I took them on Photobooth...

Designer Day: Alexander McQueen

The greatly talented and now greatly missed Alexander McQueen was born in Lewisham London on March 17th 1969. His father, Ronald McQueen, was a Scottish taxi driver, and his mother, Joyce McQueen, a social science teacher.

Alexander was the youngest of 6 children and grew up in Stratford while attending Carpenter Roads Primary School. At a young age McQueen discovered his passion for fashion while making and designing dresses for his sisters. Leaving school at the ripe young age of 16, McQueen found an apprenticeship with Savile Row, and went on to hold apprenticeships elsewhere. The indelible experience and knowledge he gained from these enterprises helped him win such a reputation as "an expert in creating an impeccably tailored look".

After returning to London after a time in Italy, McQueen submitted an application to work as a pattern cutter at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Because of his dazzling portfolio, the Head of the Masters suggested he take the course as a student. When McQueen received his masters and graduated, fashion stylist Isabella Blow suggested he go by his middle name, Alexander, rather than his given name, Lee. And thus, Alexander McQueen was born.

McQueen's early shows gave him quite the reputation and he received mixed reactions from the London public. He became known for his intricate shows and outlandish show settings (i.e shipwreck 2003, and human chess game spring 2005). For these bizarre show ideas and out of the ordinary clothing designs, McQueen's collections "brought drama and extravagance to the catwalk".

Human Chess, Spring 2005

From 1996 to 2003, Alexander McQueen was known as the head designer at Givenchy, it caused a stir when it was revealed that he had beat out John Galiano for the position. With the end of his contract, McQueen was free to create his own line.

Accomplishments of Alexander include being one of those youngest designers to receive the title of British Designer of the Year winning it four times between 1996 and 2003 ('96, '97, '01, '03). In 2003 he was announced International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers. December of 2000 McQueen acquired a partnership with Gucci who gained 51% of his label with him as the creative director. In 2005 he worked with Puma to create a line of trainers, and in 2006 Alexander released McQ, a younger, more hipster low priced line for men and women. McQueen was the first designer to create his own cosmetics line with MAC, the inspiration for the line came from Elizabeth Taylor's movie Cleopatra.

As for personal life, in 2000 McQueen unofficially married George Forsyth on a yacht in Ibiza. The relationship ended a year later, but they kept close contact.

On February 11th 2010 Alexander McQueen's death was announced. His house keeper found him in his wardrobe hanged by his "favorite brown belt". He left behind a letter saying "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee". His funeral took place on February 25th 2010 and his ashes were scattered on the Isle of Skye.

His final collection was shown at Paris Fashion Week in 2010. After the confirmation of the continuation of his brand, Sarah Burton was named the new creative director. She showed her first collection in September of 2010 in Paris.

Alexander McQueen's legacy will live long past his death, and the continuation of his brand will continue to produce noteworthy clothing. Long live Alexander McQueen!

Sources: www.alexandermcqueen.com
                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_McQueen

Coming Soon: Alexander McQueen

I am SO sorry I haven't been posting recently, I've been SO busy! BUT, I promise, coming soon is a post on the late (and great) Alexander McQueen! I wanted to make the post worthy of the wonderful designer so I am probably going to take a day or two to write it. I promise to post soon! 

Trend Watch: Bold Stripes

This Spring is all about bright colors! Bold stripes provide a great way to add color and fun to any outfit. You can wear vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, or even diagonal ones!

Stripes can work with just about any figure, vertical stripes make you look tall and thin, while horizontal stripes make you look wider. It's just about what looks good on YOU!

Stripes' versatility can let you wear them on a shirt, pants, shorts, on your shoes or on your handbag!

Have fun with this new Spring trend!!