Vera Wang Bridal

Although Vera Wang is a fixture in the NY Fashion scene, she is best known for her wedding dresses. Many celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Mariah Carey, and Kate Beckinsale chose to wear Vera Wang for their special day. It's no wonder that her 2010 Bridal collection is something to be in awe of. The collection is what I call 'beautifully disordered' because even though the ruffles have raw hems and are arranged randomly, the effect is still elegant. The amazing part is that Vera has lowered her median price point 30 to 40 %, from $5,500 to $3,800.

'The Dress' I would happily get married in.

Images: FWD

Breakout Designers Shine for NY Fall 09 Fashion Week

There's definitely a different atmosphere this year at New York Fashion Week. Everyone's grumbling over the recession and how designers are scaling back their shows and parties. While the big designers are trying to combat shrinking wallets by going for classics and cutting costs, the unknown designers are pulling all the stops to make their collection stand out in a difficult time for the fashion industry. Not to say the major designers didn't have a great showing, but for me, the smaller designers were the ones that really shined.

For example, Frank Tell's collection blew me away. I'm going to let the collection speak for itself.






With its fairly muted palette of black and white, the collection really focused on details and structure. The clothes manage to be both sweet/flirty and hard/edgy. As a personal preference, I love that juxtaposition. The knitwear is fantastic as well.




Another collection I really enjoyed was that of ChoCheng's. Named one of the top five Chinese designers to watch, the Hong Kong based designer has produced a collection of tailored blazers and coats. Although the collection is not on the cutting edge of fashion, it does have jackets that any girl would be happy to own. I am particularly eyeing the sky-blue winter coat which would make any winter outfit look fantastic. I did feel that the evening gowns were a much weaker showing. The last gown billowed out like it was made for maternity wear.










I am a recent fan of Bensoni so I was ecstatic that NY Mag covered their Fall 2009 show. Their clothes have a quirky lady-like sophistication, similar to that of soon-to-be-closing Mayle, that I adore. I admit there are both hits and misses but the odd pairing of different patterns and texture is what makes this clothing line fun and lovable. Nothing is super matchy-matchy.






Finally, I have to show love to the winner of Project Runway 5, Leanne Marshall. She staged a 9-looks presentation, with only 3 weeks preparation! She showcased more structural draping rather than just ruffles and pleats this time. The long column gowns are drop dead gorgeous. I also loved the grey coat and actually wish she made more winter coats in the collection. Leanne really set a high standard at the Project Runway finale that she doesn't quite meet this time around but that's reasonable considering she did the entire thing in three weeks.

Milan SS09 9/25- MaraMax

Wow, I was completely underwelmed with this show. I didn't see an ounce of creativity or vision in the collection. I'm sure there were some great basics, but the complete look felt too bare. I could see the same items at a Alexander Wang show, but A.W. sells cool, dark, and chic. Alexander Wang is selling an image that is based off of great basics. What I missed in MaxMara is the inspiration, or how these basics should be put together. There's nothing to differentiate a MaxMara sequin dress from another designer's. In the end, what I saw was a moving clothing rack that could have came from any department store.

I Want a Piggy Ride too Heidi!

How cute is this picture taken backstage of Christian Siriano's SS09 show?! I love this picture for two reasons. 1) There's such a big height difference that Christian is a good two feet off the floor and 2) Heidi is actually supporting a Project Runway winner.

Here are some of the dresses from his show. L-O-V-E, Christian's proving he's not just a one hit wonder.





I think he really used vertical pleats, sheer fabrics, and bright bursts of yellow and red thoughtfully. The overall look was polished and not overdone.

Armani Privé Couture S08

I must say, I adored this show- definitely one of Armani's bests. The show consisted of a mix of sexy, punging v, business suits and artful pleating/rosette detailing. It was all very chic and very beautiful. The best looks were silver or black and white. I loved most of the dresses, but I found a few too overworked. The construction was exquisite, but to pair that with lots of color was a mistake. I felt some color combinations clashed and it was distracting.

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture S08

I thought this show was a lot of fun- and tastefully so. It started with beautifully tailored dark suits- similar to the Armani and Givenchy show this year. Instead of boring, I thought these suits were witty and sexy- although that just might be the wet hair. Slowly, Gaultier revealed the true theme of the show- mermaids. There were glimmers of the theme in the suits, but by the end, some outfits were nothing more than classier renditions of Ariel’s costume. Overall, I really enjoyed this mix between fashion and fantasy.

Chanel Couture S08

Some people have been blogging about how amazing the Chanel show looked this year- but I don’t necessarily agree. Chanel went back to its roots this season, going back to the classic Chanel jacket. The theme was unsubtly manifested in the giant Chanel jacket that graced the middle of the runway. Most outfits consisted of the Chanel jacket, a mini skirt or mini dress, and flats. I like each of the elements separately, but together, the make even tall lanky models boxy. The few that didn’t look boxy were saved by a black outfit paired with black leggings and black shoes. Overall, Chanel '08 was not good, not bad. I did like Devon Aoki closing the show.

The few stunners in the show.

Elie Saab Couture S08

His clothes are stunning, no doubt about it, but year after year, Saab creates the same look. The different seasons all look the same; no dress or season stand out. All Elie Saab dresses are silky, draped, beaded, and glamorously red carpet. I can’t say the Elie Saab shows are particularly interesting or surprising, but they display the most beautiful gowns ever created. If I ever have the money to afford a couture dress, it will definitely be an Elie Saab one.

This baby blue dress is my favorite for '08.

How I wish I could buy it.

Instead I will lust in vain.