Oscar de la Renta Resort 2012

Oscar de la Renta showed his newest installment at his 42nd St. showroom in New York City last week.  The collection, inspired by his Spanish roots and cubist elements from Picasso’s works, was modern, cool, and inviting.  Ensembles ranged from the ladylike and demure to the uber saucy.  Scribble patterned sheath dresses in black and white and occasional brights and patchwork appliqués were plentiful and easy to wear.  Crisp boleros paired with skinny trousers, flouncy bright colored one-shouldered gowns with high slits, and voluminous gowns with sashes  evoked the pageantry of a bullfight, but somehow on a sophisticated and tasteful level.  Zorro-style hats tied it all together.  A smart ¾ sleeve polka dot knee length shirt-dress was juxtaposed with black leather skinnies and a midriff-baring sweater to highlight his range.  A black and white tweed short-suit and coral dress-and-jacket combo were classic crowd pleasers  updated for the season.  A black and ivory shimmery ensemble of boy shorts, tank and cardigan was the perfect off-duty outfit for cool girls everywhere.  And then there were the gowns.  Body hugging, fish-tail silhouetted, ruffly concoctions in basic black and vibrant jewel tones rocked the show.  Streamlined, floor length sequined strapless numbers had their place too, as well as quiet and  softly ruffled frothy pastel looks.  Something for everyone… bravo!

via Oscar de la Renta Resort 2012 | Renowned Designers.

Nigeria’s Duro Olowu Makes US Debut With Fall 2011 Line At NY Fashion Week

Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu debuted his Fall 2011 collection as part of New York’s Fashion Week. It was his first-ever show in the United States and featured contrasting colors and textures, as well as a mix of prints.

The “Urban Gaucho” collection was inspired by Harlem’s Renaissance era and included silk print dresses, swing skirts, tweed jackets, cropped pants and wide-leg trousers.

“I’m always very inspired by women. I want to make clothes that woman can wear. And I hope that’s what I’ve done,” Olowu said. “I design for an independent spirit who want clothes that make her feel alluring.”

The collection debuted at Milk Studios on February 13, 2011.

via New York Fashion Week – Duro Olowu’s Fall 2011 Collection Pics | Hello Beautiful.

The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection: New York Fashion Week 2011

Two nights ago Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection fashion show was a rousing kick off to New York Fashion Week Fall 2011 at Lincoln Center. Celebrities like Dita Von Teese, Cat Deeley and Camila Alves walked the runway in designer red dresses to help raise awareness of heart disease as the #1 killer of American women.

Other participants in this year’s show included Ann Curry in Carmen Marc Valvo, Audrina Patridge in Badgley Mischka, Dania Ramirez in Catherine Malandrino, Eva Amurri in Chris Benz, Garcelle Beauvais in Monique Lhuillier, Giuliana Rancic in Notte by Marchesa, Julianne Hough in Swarovski, and Katrina Bowden in Oscar de la Renta, among others. A very pregnant Laila Ali walked in A Pea in the Pod, while Linda Gray in Pamella Roland, Patti LaBelle in Zang Toi, and Suzanne Somers in Ina Soltani all looked radiant.

Natasha Bedingfield in Reem Acra closed the show, performing her song “Strip Me” accompanied only by a guitar.

Walking the red carpet to support partner Camila Alves was Matthew McConaughey, while Susan Sarandon cheered on daughter Eva Amurri, and Bill Rancic accompanied wife Giuliana. Lisa Rinna, Kat DeLuna, Nigel Barker, Miss J Alexander, Jay Manuel, Johnny Weir, Countess Luann deLesseps, Carson Kressley, Mary Amons, and Sonja Morgan were also in attendance.

Love the dresses? For the third consecutive year, The Heart Truth, in partnership with Clothes Off Our Back, will auction a selection of designer dresses worn by celebrities in the fashion show. Proceeds will benefit the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and will be used to further efforts related to women’s heart health awareness and research.

via The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection: New York Fashion Week 2011 | The Fashion Spot.

Fall fashion week preview: Jeremy Laing, Mark Fast and Calla Haynes

We asked some of Canada’s finest fashion week exports, Jeremy Laing, Mark Fast and Calla Haynes, to give us the scoop on what they’ve got planned for the upcoming season in New York, London and Paris.

New York: Jeremy Laing

Concept: Everything lunar, but from an earthbound perspective.

Muse: Jane Eyre, Kate Bush

Fabrics: Fabrics are light and very fluid, with either a sand-washed surface texture or a mottled dye effect. Jersey is everywhere and we focused a lot on easy layering, as in a pant, tunic, jacket and coat all in the same Japanese liquid drapey fabric. Everything is soft, long and unstructured. The palette centres on dark saturated indigo and navy, with smoke grey, rust, and mossy greens.

London: Mark Fast

Concept: The collection is inspired by the concept of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the fierce mystery under a gentile spirit.

Silhouette: Laced up, rouleau loop dresses, transparency and exaggerated proportions of volume.

Inspiration: Oil running through a rusty, torn down industrial steel yard, wolf packs and sheered sheep

Muse: Jen Brill, Caroline Sieber, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Carine Roitfeld. These are my power women!

Paris: Calla Haynes

Inspiration: F.H. Varley, my grandmother’s cats, and Antarctica.

Fabrics: Incorporating prints in playful ways and with new innovative techniques.

via Fall fashion week preview: Jeremy Laing, Mark Fast and Calla Haynes | At the shows | fashionmagazine.com.

Bas Kosters: anti this, anti that

Bas Kosters is anti. He gives anti-parties, makes anti-fashion and gives anti-fashion shows. Hence the models weren’t tall, size 0, nor walking straight up on the catwalk. Instead the models were long, short, skinny and sizeable. The movement of the models was also more akin to dancing on the catwalk, as opposed to pounding down it.

This was an Amsterdam fashion week showing that kicked off with an image of Bas himself that transformed from weird haircuts to animals and, a sign of the times, a creature from Avatar. With the music kicking off, courtesy of well-known Dutch DJ Joost van Bellen, the models came out with the colourful clothing and animal masks that drove home the message that this was a fall 2011 showing that was more like a big party than a fashion show.

via Bas Kosters: anti this, anti that > Fashion show coverage.

Addy van den Krommenacker: glam warrior

Known for his glamourous red carpet dresses that are in hot demand from many a Dutch celebrity, designer Addy van den Krommenacker opted to use Amsterdam fashion week’s catwalk as the tool by which to reveal his winter 2011 / 2012 pret-a-porter collection. This year’s collection marked something of a point of difference for van den Krommenacker’s ready-to-wear offerings with the designer opting for a stronger design aimed at women who are willing to show off their figure. Out was his common use of red, pink and other bright hues, as the colour green and different cuts came to the fore.

The army and nature were inspirations for the show. We saw a lot of feminine and elegant dresses in the colours green, gold, brown and floral prints. And by a lot, I mean a lot! A somewhat epic endeavour, the show comprised a great many dresses. Every time you thought it was the final piece, there came another dress that was even more beautiful than the last!

The show contained a lot of A-line frocks with long voiles. And while there was a lot of glitter and gold in the show, it stayed within the bounds of being elegant and classic. Overall he used a lot of fabrics that can easily be seen as cheap, like panther prints; but Krommenacker is someone that can turn these fabrics into very elegant pieces. Krommenacker also showed some dresses with big collars, that gave a charming twist to the dresses.

via Addy van den Krommenacker: glam warrior > Fashion show coverage.

Arizona Muse: A Model’s Meteoric Rise (Forum Buzz)

22-year-old model Arizona Muse opened and closed the Spring/Summer 2011 Prada runway show, and as often seems to happen with Miuccia Prada’s chosen ones, her career has been heating up ever since. Muse seems to be everywhere this month – and tFS members are taking notice. “I think it is safe to say that this girl is gonna be huge,” predicts Northern Star.

Muse landed the January 2011 cover of Vogue Italia with Freja Beha Erichsen, is currently starring in S/S 2011 ad campaigns for Prada and Yves Saint Laurent, and she has editorials in the February 2011 issues of Vogue Paris, US Vogue, Vogue UK, and Vogue China, among other assorted projects.

“For the moment, Muse has got the face everyone wants to shoot and the haircut that all the chic girls want to have,” says zoom. But it seems that there’s really something more – Muse isn’t just a pretty face; she has something special that is making her stand out and really break through this year. “She’s slaying me,” says Carla-A. “I love love love that she’s not afraid of venturing off the beaten path when it comes to posing. She really renders the studio shoots she stars in a little less generic and brings the clothes to life.” Youarearockstar agrees, stating that Muse “commands the studio space,” and that “her posing is really sublime!”

Without a doubt, Arizona Muse is one to watch, and you can bet our forum members will be doing just that.

via Arizona Muse: A Model’s Meteoric Rise (Forum Buzz) | The Fashion Spot.

Spotlight on Ewelina Barlak

Polish-born Ewelina Barlak’s label, EwelineB, launched in 2007 in Germany and has already shown at New York Fashion Week (in 2010). Greatly influenced by the screen sirens of classic movies, her Fall 2010 collection was inspired in particular by Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind.

And the inspiration for Spring/Summer 2011? Roman Holiday, of course. The collection is a total throwback to another time and era, and is testimony to the fact that Barlak follows her own sensibility rather than passing trends. The clothes are utterly feminine, with cinched waists and precious details. Playful rompers, floral dresses with ribbon sashes worn with gloves, and streamlined pastel suits all have their place in this innocent collection. But Barlak hasn’t forgotten that Roman Holiday was a comedy—her clothes exude a sense of fun as well. The wearer feels invited to deconstruct these clothes a bit and make them her own.

Barlak’s pieces just beg for something mischievous to be added—a quirky shoe, fun accessories, crazy hair. So although her spring collection may hail from another era, personal and modern touches will keep the clothes looking timeless without losing any of their old-fashioned femininity or nostalgic power. Barlak designs for the strong modern woman who still wants to look like a lady. And at the end of the day, doesn’t that include us all?

via Spotlight on Ewelina Barlak | Emerging Designers.

Nude Study

Nudes and fleshtones present an elegant alternative to this season’s rainbow brights

via Nude Study – fashion trend and tipson VOGUE.COM (Vogue.com UK).

Calvin Klein Spring 2011 Campaign Preview

Now in her second season as the face of Calvin Klein, Lara Stone takes on an androgynous look for the Spring/Summer 2011 campaign, as captured by Mert & Marcus. The preview released shows Lara posing in two crisp white suits in front of a stark black background, one which drops dramatically to her waist revealing a triangle of flesh, the other which features a pair of tailored yet baggy pants which fall over her feet nonchalantly.

via Calvin Klein Spring 2011 Campaign Preview | Front Row View.