Archive for the ‘Designer Fashions’ Category
Designer Fashions, Designers, dresses, Gallery, New Fashions, New York Fashion Week - Runway
By emilyborrett on September 15th, 2011
Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2012
New York was transported to the plains of Africa yesterday as the legendary American designer Michael Kors unveiled his new Spring/Summer 2012 collection, which had clear tribal world-traveller vibes with rusty khaki shades and lush animal prints.
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is all about the Michael Kors show, so naturally we were excited to see what the newly-wed designer had come up with this time. Like Diane Von Furstenberg earlier this week, there was an obvious African inspiration, though Kors’ designs and prints were less graphic and more earthy than DVF’s, working in shades of khaki green, stone, fawn and rust with a few splashes of zebra and snake-print here and there.
It was primarily a casualwear collection, sportswear and casual separates being what Michael Kors usually does best, but naturellement he didn’t leave us high and dry when it came to glamour, either. His high-waisted 50s-silhouette swimming costumes and bikinis came either in rustic-looking batik or snake-print, while his evening dresses and skirts came as incredible weathered-looking ruffled creations made out of tiny feathery strips layered over one another, in cheetah print, cream and scarlet, leaving the models looking like amazing exotic birds.
All in all, it’s another excellent collection from Kors that I can’t really fault. The styling was perfect, too – I’m so hankering for those knee-high black leather gladiator sandals that all the models got to wear. I think teaming the edgy fetish-y footwear with draped batik fabrics and animal prints is a cool, modern new take on the world-traveller look.
Check out the gallery above to see the highlights from Michael Kors’ Spring/Summer 2012 collection.
Tags: african, animal prints, bohemian, mercedes benz, michael kors, New Fashions, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, Project Runway, spring/summer, SS 2012, world traveller
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Designer Fashions, Designers, dresses, Features, Gallery, New York Fashion Week - Runway
By emilyborrett on September 13th, 2011
Zac Posen Spring/Summer 2012
Lovers of grand, lush eveningwear should get ready to gasp and flutter their hands as we take a look at Zac Posen’s new Spring/Summer 2012 collection, which was showcased at New York Fashion Week this Sunday. The result of another season’s toil over a new collection was a mouth-watering collection of day-dresses and evening gowns which were evocative of old 1940s Hollywood starlets.
What we love about Zac Posen’s work is that he obviously has a woman’s femininity in mind when he designs his gowns – these are designs that would leave the wearer feeling beautiful and special, with a veritable array of dresses with form-fitting dresses that hug in all the right places but artfully skim over the main problem areas. With off-the-shoulder sweetheart necklines, fitted busts and huge silk ruffles, it’s no wonder that Zac Posen is every celebrity’s red-carpet favourite.
As usual some of the gowns are truly spectacular, our absolute favourite being the collection’s black chiffon fishtail gown with an absolutely stunning black chiffon hem that we’re hoping we’ll see a celebrity wearing very, very soon. There’s definitely a darkly glamorous goth vibe to the gowns, as Posen has opted for deep navy, black and wine-red chiffons for an incredibly dramatic effect. The styling for the show was picture-perfect too, with the models wearing absolutely pristine finger waves in their hair and costume jewellery.
A grand salute to Zac Posen and his genius Spring/Summer gowns – ShinyStyle bloody loves ya.
Tags: "designer dresses", 1940s, catwalk, evening gowns, fashion week, features, fishtail gown, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, runway, vintage, Zac Posen
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Gallery, New York Fashion Week - Runway, Project Runway
By emilyborrett on September 12th, 2011
Christian Siriano Spring/Summer 2012
My crush on Christian Siriano might just be getting serious now – in fact I think it might be love thanks to his new Spring 2012 collection which totally and utterly blew me away. He may have started out as a reality TV diva in Project Runway but now there can’t be any dispute over Siriano’s talents. He really is incredibly creative and gifted.
Those familiar with Christian’s designs know that most of all he likes to work in an incredibly dramatic avant-garde vein of design which is to me is reminiscent of classic, old Paris couture from the 1950s. Anyone who was hoping for another spectacular, fantastical collection won’t be disappointed by this one.
There was a lot more use of bright colours in this collection, surprisingly, as normally Siriano works with a darkly glamorous palette of gloomy colours, but this season the dresses zinged in bright lime, coral and peach. He seems to have found his way more as well in his use of silhouette – in place of his usual explosions of chiffon-balls and giant shoulders we instead had cool, breezy sportswear styles that were reminiscent of the work of other great American designers.
Naturally no Siriano collection would be complete without his ridiculous old-school couture gowns, though – I was especially breathtaken by his hot coral-red ball gown which seemed to sweep along the model’s body in dreamy, fluffy chiffon whisps.
J’adore Christian. He has a little way to go before he is perfect – but he’s damn close right now.
Tags: 2012, chiffon, Christian Siriano, gown, Heidi Klum, mercedes benz, New Fashions, New York Fashion Week, Project Runway, sportswear, spring/summer
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Designer Fashions, Designers, dresses, Features, Gallery, New York Fashion Week - Runway
By emilyborrett on September 12th, 2011
Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2012
As we all know by now, Jason Wu’s runway show is always an absolute highlight for me when NYFW rolls around again. I love his cool, nonchalant approach to fashion, which is perfect for city-slickers and sleek fashion-lovers everywhere. Those people won’t be disappointed with his new Spring/Summer 2012 collection.
Like his previous collection, this collection featured heavily on contrasting shapes and silhouettes as the young designer paired form-fitting, almost Oriental structured blouses and shorts with billowing, slouchy coats for an edgy take on city dressing. Again, much like last season, Wu used the blouse as a staple in his work with an array of crisp white shirts with gem-encrusted collars. Workwear just got taken up a notch.
As for colour, the collection was a pretty myriad of soft peach-pinks with dark blue and grey prints which played off well against each other. I’ve got serious designer lust for his high-waisted, uber-sexy 50s style bikini in a dark grey and blue Eastern floral print – it manages to give a cheeky wink to pin-up girls of the past while still remaining a modern classic.
To see the highlights of Jason Wu’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection, check out the gallery above.
Tags: 2012, blouse, Designers, Gallery, hotpants, Jason Wu, mercedes benz, New Fashions, New York Fashion Week, print, spring/summer
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Celebrity gossip, Designer Fashions, Designers, Gossip
By emilyborrett on September 8th, 2011
The fashion designer Roland Mouret has revealed that he refuses to take a muse as inspiration for his designs, as he prefers to be inspired by a variety of different women at once.
His celebrity fans will be weeping into their designer hankies at this news. I bet Victoria Beckham and Kate Middleton are dying to take up permanent residence as a Roland Mouret muse, but the designer says this will never happen.
He told vogue.co.uk: “I design for any woman. I don’t like muses, if you have a muse you put someone on a pedestal. I prefer seeing women as they are, I design for women who enjoy being women.”
One woman he does take a lot of inspiration from, however, is the American Wallis Simpson for whom King Edward abdicated his throne so he could marry her in 1936. All very dramatic and romantic, no?
Mouret gushed about Wallis Simpson: “”Physically, she was very skinny – it was the person that was really attractive – her charisma; how beautiful and sad her life was. She was sexy in a painful way; a painful sexiness. The clothes she wore were austere, but sensual. It was the movement of her body that made her attractive – she was like a perfume, or the way a veil moves – like a ghost almost.”
Well Roland, if you ever change your mind about needing a muse, I can be available whenever you like. Just putting that out there..
Tags: celebrity gossip, Designers, fashion inspiration, gowns, Haute Couture, muse, roland mouret, wallis simpson
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Designer Fashions, Designers, dresses, Gallery, New York Fashion Week - Runway, Style spotlight
By emilyborrett on September 7th, 2011
Jason Wu Autumn/Winter 2011
And so the Fashion Week fun begins, girls and boys, as one of our favourite fashion months of the year starts off in New York today. I don’t know about you but I’ve been waiting for the NYFW mania to begin for a while now – and while I wait with baited breath to see what the USA’s finest will come up with this season, I’m taking a look at one of the Big Apple’s best designers: Jason Wu.
Wu, who has a large celebrity following including Michelle Obama and Diane Kruger, is one of my favourite Manhattan-based designers because he simply knows how to make a girl look good. His collections may not have the over-the-top couture drama of iconic designers such as Dior and Gaultier, but they are something far more important – truly stylish, wearable designs for real women. When I imagine who Wu, in his mind, designs for it is not a madcap Isabella Blow character but the average fashion-savvy woman on the street.
His last two collections or so are particularly special to me because to me, they show that Wu has really hit his stride now as a designer and found a trademark in elegant tailoring and cocktail dresses. My dream Jason Wu piece? The slate-grey men’s coat from his Autumn/Winter 2011 collection (pictured above in the gallery) with the black lace sleeve details. Such a modern take on masculine fashion.
Take a look at my favourite Jason Wu moments in the gallery above – and keep checking back on the site for NYFW updates.
Tags: Bryant Park, cocktail dress, designer spotlight, Designers, dresses, Gallery, Jason Wu, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, runway, tailoring
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Celebrity gossip, Celebrity Style, Designer Fashions, Fashion News
By emilyborrett on August 23rd, 2011
The Olsen girls have revealed that they didn’t initially want anyone to know that they were the creative force behind their most famous fashion line, “The Row”.
Apparently, Ashley and Mary-Kate were reluctant to let anyone know that they were the designers behind The Row when the project was just starting out and were almost tempted to hire someone to front the brand for them – they were having “far more fun” knowing that potential clients didn’t know who they were.
Ashley said: “We didn’t want people to know that we were behind it. We’d learnt so much about building brands and talking to a specific customer. We did it with our faces at the beginning, and we knew we didn’t want to do that any more. It’s far more fun this way.”
But we think the Olsen girls are far from just pretty, famous faces to sell a product. For starters they’re actually good designers with impeccable taste, and their various sartorial ventures such as Elizabeth & James and The Row have won them a whole ton of respect from the industry. Forget about being a famous face, girls – just be proud of what you’ve done!
Tags: Ashley Olsen, celebrity gossip, designer gossip, elizabeth & james, fashion gossip, Mary-Kate Olsen, Olsen twins, the Row, twins
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Designer Fashions, Features, Gallery, Haute Couture, Trend Alert
By emilyborrett on August 19th, 2011
Diane Von Fustenberg Autumn/Winter 2011
Colour is always a daunting aspect of fashion for me – as an ex-goth I still find myself dressing head to toe in black out of comfort, too scared to try anything more adventurous. But this season I think I might be able to get on board with colour. In the spring, thanks to Jil Sander it was all about eye-watering bright, almost fluorescent colour – no thanks, not for me – but this season all the designers are working with rich, sultry jewel colours of emerald, blue, turquoise, purple and ruby red. Mmm. There’s just enough dark glamour in this trend to give me the confidence to try it out..
This is one of the biggest trends this season, as opulent jewel colours were literally everywhere. Diane Von Fustenberg, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Pucci.. all the big names’ collections were showcasing these colours. I’m particularly interested in how DVF presented the trend – the models wore contrasting jewel tones of green and blue head to toe for a dramatic, glamorous and vintage look.
There is quite a retro feel about these colours, whether you want to be a 70s siren or a 1940s beauty. A good way to work the trend is a deep, bold pair of wide-legged trousers in dark red or green – team with a slippery silk shirt and red lipstick and you’ve got yourself one strong look already.
The high street is totally behind the jewel trend already – hooray! Check out the gallery above to see our favourite pieces.
Tags: autumn/winter, diane von fustenberg, dress, emerald, Gallery, green, gucci, Haute Couture, jewel colours, new season, purple, ruby red, silk, Trend Alert
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Bargain POTW, Designer Fashions, dresses, Gallery, Runway to Reality
By emilyborrett on August 19th, 2011
Warehouse Multi Silk Bird Print Dress
We absolutely love the '40s style and elegant bird print of this dress from Warehouse - it's so similar to the dresses seen on the Miu Miu catwalk, and it's only £65.
I don’t know about you, Fashion Week lovers, but for me one of the ultimate highlights of the Autumn/Winter shows was Miu Miu’s 30s and 40s inspired collection of wrap dresses and coats. And it seems that celebrities feel the same way as I do – everyone wants to get their hands on the collection’s key piece, the elegant bird-patterned wrap dress. Hailee Steinfeld and Michelle Williams have already been papped wearing dresses from the show. You can get the real deal (pictured left) and shop the collection at Net-a-porter.com if you’re a squillionaire, but sadly most of us aren’t.
Why do I love Miu Miu’s Autumn/Winter bird printed dress so much? As a lover of vintage fashion and designs that celebrate the female shape, this dress ticks every single box to me – I love the Oriental vibe of the shimmering birds against sultry dark fabrics, which combined with the classic twisted tea-dress shape give a wink to old Hollywood glamour.
To own the real thing is the dream for me – but until then I will happily settle for Warehouse’s gorgeous high-street version, priced at £65, which is extremely similar to the designer version. Check out the dress in the gallery above – we’ve also included a few suggestions of ways to wear the dress. Thankyou, British high street.
Tags: 40s, autumn/winter, bargain alert, bird print, high street copy, miu miu, Paris Fashion Week, vintage style, Warehouse
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Features, Gallery, Trend Alert, vintage
By emilyborrett on August 18th, 2011
At Givenchy, there were a lot of granny-chic sweaters and jumpers with eye-catching designs. One of the best collections we saw at Fashion Week
It’s almost time to start wrapping up warm again (as I write this the house is cold and it’s raining outside, guh) – I am always sad to see summer go, because it’s my favourite season, but I always manage to cheer myself with the thought that colder weather means NEW JUMPERS.
Luckily, jumpers and pullovers are one of the key pieces that you’ll need this A/W if you want to keep in with the current trends. Thanks to Givenchy’s mental, luxurious take on grandma-wear which included shiny sweatshirts with prints of naked pin-up girls and wild animals on them, it’s all about silly, kitsch and often quite tacky knitwear.
The more stuff crammed into a jumper design, the better. If it makes your eyes water a little bit when you look at it, it’s probably perfect for this season. If you want to find something quite as spectacularly kitsch as the designs we’ve seen at Givenchy then you’re best off looking in vintage and charity shops, or having a quick flick through your mail-order catalogues. Or, if you just want a statement jumper there are also some cute pieces on the high street.
Check out the gallery above for our favourite statement jumpers.
Tags: Givenchy, jumper, Knitwear, print, quirky fashion, Riccardo Tisci, silk, statement, Trend Alert, velvet, vintage
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Designer Fashions, Fashion News, Features
By Elisabeth on August 17th, 2011
Singer Beyoncé Knowles has revealed a sneak preview of pieces from her new fashion collection which will hit UK stores next month.
In the photos Beyoncé – who has revealed she could soon be ready to start a family with husband and rap star Jay-Z – is sporting French knickers and lace-high socks. It comes as no surprise that B is modelling the range herself, just look at those legs!
The new House of Dereon range will be launched at Selfridges, London, in September – coinciding nicely with London Fashion Week – and Beyoncé is set to fly in for the occasion. Her second collection, which by the looks of it will include tribal-prints, will start at £80 and be exclusively available in Selfridges for six week before going into other stores in October.
Tags: Beyonce, Celebrity designers, house of dereon, London fashion week, UK fashion range
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campaign, Designer Fashions, Ethical Fashions, Features, Gallery, New York Fashion Week - Runway
By Elisabeth on August 17th, 2011
Summer seems to be over judging by the measly 14 degrees as I left the flat this morning. But that means autumn is just around the corner, and with it an abundance of big jackets and chunky, comforting knitwear.
If you’re after expanding your winter wardrobe but want to do it with a green heart and choose eco friendly fashion, Edun is the brand for you. The brand of Ali Hewson and Bono, offers an array of stylish yet sustainable fashion perfect for wintery fun.
Edun’s Autumn/Winter 2011 collection focuses on fashionable, utilitarian outerwear, particularly jackets and coats that combine leather and wool. The catwalk also showed textured knitwear made in Africa by nuns (!): dresses, cardigans, pullovers and skirts in variations of the classic Fair Isle pattern.
In contrast to the more heavy winter wear were girly draped dresses and blouses in intense patterns and vivid colours.
Check out Edun’s Autumn/Winter menswear collection here.
Tags: eco-fashion, Edun, Edun autumn/winter 2011, ethical fashion
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Features, Gallery, Trend Alert
By emilyborrett on August 9th, 2011
Designers like Marc Jacobs (pictured) and Stella McCartney were all over the polka dot trends this Autumn/Winter
It’s a big hooray from me as one of my absolute favourite trends is back again for this Autumn/Winter – this season it is all about bold graphic prints, specifically the polka dot, as seen on the catwalks at Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney.
I love polka dots because they can be either sexy or girl-next-door depending on how they’re worn. Want to be a ’50s sex siren? Team a sheer spotted pussybow blouse with a hip-hugging pencil skirt and stilettos for a fiercely sexy look, or look for vintage-style sundresses and skirts for a look that’s girlier.
In the past polka dots have been small, dainty prints, but on the catwalks this year they’ve gotten bigger, bolder and more graphic. If you want to copy Marc Jacobs’ severe secretary style, Asos does an amazing black and white pillbox hat that is almost exactly the same as the one seen on his runway. We also love River Island’s sixties-style polka printed tunic – just team it with a jewel bright duffel coat and some sharp ankle boots for a look that’s perfectly on trend this season.
Check out the gallery above for our favourite polka-dot lovelies.
Tags: autumn/winter, blouse, Marc Jacobs, pill box hat, polka dot, Stella McCartney, Trend Alert
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Celebrity gossip, Designer Fashions, Designers, Gossip, Red Carpet
By emilyborrett on August 9th, 2011
The Lebanese fashion designer, Elie Saab, has admitted that he much prefers to see actresses and celebrities wearing his designs instead of models, because they are much more like “real women”.
His collections are well known for their sparkle-encrusted feminine dresses, and have been favoured for the red carpet in the past by the likes of Emma Watson, Rihanna, Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. Saab feels that women like these “do justice” to his designs.
He explained to Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “Unlike the catwalk, where the 17-year-old models are so tall, the red carpet is like a podium for real life – it means so much more to me to see them in my dresses.”
We’re real women! Just send us a dress and we’ll wear it for you! Might have to take it up a couple of sizes though..
Tags: dress, Elie Saab, event, gown, Kristen Stewart, Oscars, Paris Fashion Week, Red Carpet, Rihanna
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Accessories, Designer Fashions, Gallery, Haute Couture, How to Wear, Trend Alert
By emilyborrett on August 3rd, 2011
Marc Jacobs included hard pill-box hats for vintage mystery in his Autumn/Winter 2011 show
If you’re looking forward to planning your new A/W wardrobe then buying a few new accessories is a great place to start – and Mr. Marc Jacobs’ recent Autumn/Winter ’11 with it’s prim skirt-suits and 194os pillbox hats have got us coming over all wistful for an era we were never in. Luckily stores are already cottoning on to wartime-style fashions, so it’s time to get nostalgic with some vintage inspired headgear.
Hats are a huge part of this year’s Autumn/Winter dressing, as the season’s fashion heroine is a mysterious femme fatale who knows her stuff about tailoring – a good dramatic hat can add mystery and old Hollywood glamour to any outfit.
There are a few good pillbox-style pieces already available on the high street, though we reckon there will be more to come. If you can’t find a style at the moment that tickles your fancy you could also opt for a fascinator headband – lots of high street stores such as Lipsy and RockNRose are already making bands complete with large flower detailing and veils.
Check out the gallery above for our favourite pillbox hats and fascinators.
Tags: 1940s, Accessories, autumn/winter, fashion week, Hats, Marc Jacobs, trend, vintage
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From:Debenhams show us how to avoid tanning disasters this year