Right on target!

Happy Hanukkah!  So it is still a few days out but to all those money savvy fashionistas out there, it is time to be stoked about Rodarte for Target.  The big box retail giant is no stranger to designer collections, with Proenza Schouler and Alexander McQueen being bulls-eye alums.  This time around, the sisters Mulleavy, Kate and Laura, are rolling out their cutting edge designs for our favorite discount chain.  Of course all fabulous items need to be picked up quickly, as they are only being sold for just over a month, from December 20 through January 24 at select Target stores.  Perhaps you can pick up a hot dress for those New Year's Eve soirees!

(mc)Queen of Hearts

And my heart, Alexander McQueen has right now.  Many of you may wonder whom or what I decide to write about in my blog.  Usually it's an event that triggers excitement for a style or designer or brand that makes me swoon, and in that swoon moment, I realize that I need to share it with my online friends.

Just a couple of days ago, I saw the brand spankin' new video for "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga, and nearly passed out by it's brillance and even more so by the fabulous pairs of Alexander McQueen platforms and the head-to-toe straight off the Spring 2010 runway undersea outfit that Gaga wears during the bridge of her song.

And let's look back (or currently) at the Fall 2009 clutch in red leather with a detachable fingerless glove.  MJ would be proud.

But it's the baby pink platforms for this spring that really have me going gaga! 

Run away to wonderland at www.alexandermcqueen.com

New Digs

Hello to all my friends out there in Cyberland.  I have been on sort of hiatus for the last month as Jason and I recently made the big move to Hollywoodland and we are loving it.  We live in a great place in Studio City, and everyday we are discovering new delights that our new city has to offer.

I am stoked for the California weather, especailly that it actually gets cool enough in the winter to wear fabulous outerwear.  I am obsessed with outerwear, with fun hats, stellar gloves (and armwarmers that I am totally onboard for...check out Donna Karan's Fall 09 collection).  

I am thrilled to be living near the ocean.  Ever since I was a kid, I dreamt of the ocean, and now I finally have one within a half hour drive, and does that ever feel fantastic.

And the most important reason why I love LA, which is the reason why I moved here, is the FASHION!  LA definitely has it's own personality when it comes to what they are wearing, and I truly enjoy seeing all ages here embracing fashion trends and making it their own.

Go Lakers!

Camp Caten

Dsquared.  My absolute favorite brand.  Period.  Clearly I have many favorites in the designer world, but nothing gets my heart racing like walking into a major retailer in San Francisco or Los Angeles and stumbling upon the men's collection of Dsquared beautifully displayed on the rack.  Jason witnessed this on our recent apartment hunting trip to LA.  I might have even squealed when I saw the brilliant textiles.

Dsquared ready-to-wear can be difficult to find in the States, as the price point is extremely exclusive, even more so than Dolce & Gabbana or Gucci, thus the brand is mostly seen on celebrities, supermodels, and the super rich. (Britney commissioned the Caten twins for the costumes in her "Circus" tour.)  Their ad campaigns and runway shows are cocky, overtly sexual, and have a bit of campiness thrown in for good fun.  These elements have created a cult following for the brand.

For the Spring 2010 shows, the boys and girls of Dsquaredland are going to camp, and it looks as if they are having a darn good time.  The Caten twins were playing with plastic for their women's line, as some of the dresses and bags were waterproof, perfect for looking elegant in the elements.  One look was a pair of plastic overalls that were converted to a dress.  For the men's line leggings were introduced with shorts.  I have a love/hate relationship with leggings on women, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the look with the men's collection.  What I love most about Dsquared shows is the amount of layers that are thrown together.  Worn all at once, it creates "a lot of look" as Tim Gunn may say, but each layer is very wearable, an aspect retailers are definitely looking for in our current state of affairs. The cheekiness of Dsquared was seen throughout the shows, with band-aid laiden models and swim trunks complete with ants.  It is all the fun of camp, and I'm stoked for this  luxe wilderness adventure.

 

Grab your canoe and head to www.dsquared2.com

Burberry: More than just the Check

What British designer Christopher Bailey has done for Burberry is sheer brilliance.  I have been a big fan of his work for several seasons, most notably because he has taken an iconic British luxury brand with it's classic trenchcoat looks, and turned it into an edgy display of fashion.  It was just a few short years ago that the 153 year old company was dealing with image problems as its tartan plaid check was being embraced by the British "chav" subculture.  "Chav" being a term to describe young deliquents or hoodlums that used the Burberry check to establish dominance in the subculture.  Bailey has revived the brand by putting less emphasis on the check and more focus on design.  

Burberry Prorsum, which is the luxe runway line from Burberry is what I most desire from the brand.  Prorsum is the Latin term meaning "forwards" and a fashion forward look is most evident in Bailey's Spring 2010 collection.  Pulling from his earlier days at Gucci and Donna Karan, Bailey has made a much more tarted up version of the grecian/ draped trend we've been seeing from other designers, even taking the traditional Burberry trench and making it sexy and sleek.  The men's collection has bit of a bondage feel with straps criss-crossing the torso.  Pushing the envelope is Christopher Bailey's forte, and he give us something more to love than just the Burberry check. 

Go prorsum at www.burberry.com

How the West was Won

To my loyal readers, I apologize for my brief hiatus.  I have been busy prepping for my move to the City of Angels, but never fear, I have been flipping through the runway shows from NYC, London, and now Milan, from my Blackberry, so I am eager to bring you my favorite looks for Spring 2010.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I am drawn to the edgy looks of D&G, and this Spring is no exception.  Perhaps it stems from my childhood fantasy of moving to the Wild Wild West, or that I secretly adore Carrie Underwood songs, this Spring collection from Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana is home-on-the range meets LA chic, and does it ever pack some horsepower.

Nothing is more American west than denim, and there is denim all over this collection.  We have been seeing a big trend of boyfriend jeans this Fall, and D&G has come out with a great interpretation for Spring 2010, along with some fantastic denim mini's and tops.  But what has me enchanted about this collection are the fringe boots.  I love a boot, especially when it can be worn in Spring & Summer, and with the yummy browns, and delicious fringe, these boots are the perfect pair to wear with your denim cutoffs next year.

Rope in the style at www.dolcegabbana.com

Wu the crowd!

And wooing the crowd is exactly what 26 year old, Jason Wu, is doing at New York Fashion week with his Spring 2010 collection.  From the new Spring collections that I have view thus far in NYC Fashion Week, Wu is definitely one of my early favorites.  Even our first lady, Michelle Obama, is a Wu fan - she wore a beautiful white one-shouldered gown to the Inagural Ball.

Wu has a very flirty but lady-like sophistication to his designs, definitely a throw back to the day dresses and party dresses of the post-World War II era.  My favorite look from this collection is the nude-pink feathered party dress that closed his show.  Delicious.

 

  

  

Be wooed over at http://www.jasonwustudio.com/

"Black Friday is so retro wack...We can call today Fashion Christmas!"

The Fashion Christmas phrase is what Sean Combs tweeted on Twitter tonight at New York's Fashion Night Out.  This marks the beginning of New York Fashion week (and also many new blogs this month about my favorite new looks for Spring 2010).  Even though it may have been a rainy evening in The Big Apple, it sounds like one helluva party was going on at all the best fashion houses and boutiques.  There were special appearances from the Olsen Twins, Samantha Ronson, Hugh Jackman, and of course, THE Anna Wintour.  Style.com, one of the very best websites to view the collections, has been posting the Twitter feeds from their fashion friends running around the city, going from store to store, party to party...some of my favorites from tonight include:

glad it's raining felt like an ass in rainboots.

about 3 hours ago by Fashionista

 

Dudes are shotgunning beers at Prada. For reals.

about 2 hours ago by Fashionista

Blake Lively at the Ralph Lauren store on Bleecker. "It feels like Halloween, with all the people and live music and excitement," she said.

about 3 hours ago by Womens Wear Daily, WWD 

Fundamental issue with Olsen [twins] melee: The girls are simply too short to be visible when surrounded by a crowd. Midget fail. 

about 3 hours ago by The Cut Blog, New York Magazine

Vena cava/bird FNO event.sadly missed celeb dunking.Face paint in full effect though: Lisa's got sparkly whiskers, Sophie psychedelic swirls

about 3 hours ago by Refinery 29 

Zero cabs on Fifth Ave. Pedi cabs are looking mighty tempting -- except they're all taken too. Anna, what have you done to us? 

about 3 hours ago by The Cut Blog, New York Magazine

Reading the feeds makes me feel like I am there, apart of the party, and I am definitely there in spirit!

Read all the Twitter posts at http://fashionfeed.style.com/ 

I can't HARDY wait!

No, I am not referring to that sparkly t-shirt brand.  I am referring to the artistic stylings of Pierre Hardy. He is definitely a Parisian man that you need to put on your designer radar.  Hardy, who once was a dance student, started his fashion career designing shoes for Christian Dior.  He has done shoe collections and fine jewelry for the famed Hermes house, and in 1999, he unveiled his first collection under his own name.  His collections are a fabulous mix of funky and high-fashion.  For his Fall 2009 collection, I have simply fallen in love with his paillettes sandal (seen above).  They are simply stunning, and all you need is a little black dress!  Gentleman, you haven't been left out.  Pierre Hardy has a cult following for his sneaker collection - check out the brilliant checkered high-tops he has for Fall.

And, ladies, if you aren't quite ready for the high prices for his shoes, Mr. Hardy is once again creating a small collection for The Gap this fall.  Check out the three exclusive styles below.  The suede ankle boots are going to blow out of the stores.

 

 But my favorite collaboration, the reason why Pierre Hardy became one of my personal favorite shoe designers, are his visionary shoe collections that he creates for Balenciaga.  Hardy has been working with Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière since 2001, and it has truly been a genius marriage of talent.  Ghesquiere's futursitic, chic collections, and Hardy's keen, cutting-edge, and sometimes quirky, designs, make for a perfect blend of footwear that the fashion press, and customers, go wild for.  Take a look at his Fall 2009 designs for Balenciaga below.  They are sheer insanity, and I love it!

Go wild at www.pierrehardy.com and www.balenciaga.com .

La Dolce Vita!

 

Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana are back at it again for Fall 2009.  And in this fantastic men's ad for D&G, which could easily be a cover shot for a Coldplay album, it's apparent why this design duo gets so much love.  Now to clear up some confusion, Dolce & Gabbana and D&G are two separate lines created by the pair.  Dolce & Gabbana is Prince William, playing polo and then having tea with Miss Middleton.  D&G is Prince Harry, playing polo and then getting blitzed with a couple of the Balmain girls (see previous Balmain post).  Both brands, especially the menswear divisions, are dripping with luxury, but it's the irreverent take on classic sheen that I love about the D&G line.

The old-world style military jackets, mixed with gorgeous ox blood leather weekend bags is what I shall covet this Fall!

 

 

 

See both collections at http://www.dolcegabbana.com/