Flower Power

Floral patterns dominated the runways at Paris Fashion Week, proving that this trend isn't going anywhere for the upcoming seasons. While flowers often evoke a girlie visual, designers showed that the size of the pattern, colors used and silhouette can give this pattern a power boost.

At Giambattista Valli, an air of modern romance was achieved with a spray of red flowers on a beautifully draped gown.  Accessorized with a dark cinched belt, the look was kept from being overly sweet.  Ulyana Sergeenko used a floral trim on the straps and bustline of a velvet frock to balance the flounce of the hemline.  With exaggerated sleeves and a gauzy floor length skirt, Alexis Mabille used flowers to drive the romantic neo-Victorian feel of her couture collection.  Sexy cutouts and sheer panels laced with floral appliques donned the gowns at Tony Yaacoub, who designs for a woman who wants all eyes on her.  Maison Martin Margiela never fails to entertain, taking the quirky factor up a notch with full floral headdresses on many of his models.  His pastel swing coats lined with large blooms were countered with brown knee-high boots, proposing that come Fall/Winter, we will all be yearning for sunny Spring days and floral motifs.  

As with all Couture collections, these looks are meant to be a rarefied vision of the overall direction that fashion is taking.  For everyday ensembles, don't be afraid to mix floral with other patterns for a fresh look (for example, a floral top and striped skirt).  The general rule of thumb is to keep the size of the pattern varied- so if you use a wide stripe, keep the florals at micro-level.  Also, it pays off to have a 'base color', which is a color that is found in both patterns. 

Making Me Blush

Couture Fashion Week is a really exciting time to get a glimpse into the most decadent and gorgeous designs that will soon emerge as some of the hottest trends in every day fashion. One of the trends that really stood out at last week's Fall/Winter 2013 Couture fashion week in Paris was the dominance of nude colors.  On the runways at numerous shows, pale blush and light beige tones were showcased in various silhouettes and styles.

At Alexandre Vauthier, expert draping and a carefully corseted silk piece in nude showed that this color can still make a bold statement.  Elie Saab's long-sleeved gown with plunging neckline and embellished details was red carpet ready.  At Giorgio Armani Privé, one of my favorite collections from Fall/Winter Couture, all of the designs were based on this color story, showing the true multitude of neutral options. The chic tie-belt pants in this look were perfectly complimented by a sheer camisole and delicately bejeweled open blouse.  Zuhair Murad's romantic lace dress balanced a high slit and one gauzy shoulder strap.  At Jitrois, you can see how monochromatic nude separates work together for a look of modern elegance.

One of the great things about this trend is that it can flatter all skin tones- it's just a matter of finding the right spectrum for you! Add a dramatic smoky eye or bold lip color for some fun contrast.  Will you be working some nude and blush colors into your wardrobe for the coming seasons?

Cannes-piration: Keeping it Très Chic at Any Event

Every Spring, filmmakers, actors, models, designers and dignitaries flock to the French Riviera for the annual Cannes Film Festival.  This twelve day extravaganza not only celebrates the best in current and upcoming movies, but it also showcases the crème de la crème of fashion.  One of the greatest things about this festival is seeing the many different looks that celebrities have to pull together for all the varying types of events that they will attend.  Everyone can relate to having to pack for a trip that will require numerous wardrobe changes, which can be very challenging.  While these stars have stylists to help pull together their looks, we can still take a cue from how they chose smart-looking outfits that meet a plethora of functions.

Carey Mulligan wore a black jumpsuit by Alexander Wang for Balenciaga for the photocall for The Great Gatsby.  The modern, rounded neckline, beaded detailing and t-strap heels added a special touch to this decidedly more casual look.  Rosie Huntington Whiteley chose a creme Dior corset top and high-low hemmed skirt with pockets for the amfAR Benefit.  Her matching ivory pumps balanced the look with a prim yet not overly-done feel.  Olivia Palermo showed her innate sense of style in a short black Roberto Cavalli frock with varying textures and long sleeves.  The feather accents on her heel straps and her cobalt purse shows that it's all in the details for an evening out.  Also in Cavalli, Princess Charlene of Monaco proves that a pant suit can be sexy and sharp at the boat party celebrating the designer.  Her robin's-egg blue clutch is the perfect counterpoint to her dark ensemble.  You'll also notice that each of these women has chosen to forego jewelry or stick with very simple pieces - keeping in line with the "less is more" theory - especially when considering precious luggage space!

Yet there are those nights when you just know you want to pull out all the stops.  This was the case at the 'All Is Lost' Cannes premiere.  As Milla Jovovich shows, the red carpet was made for drama, and her sweeping Armani gown with a jewel-encrusted bodice and navy  silk skirt is a showstopper. Her dark nails, sideswept bangs, smoky eye makeup, matching clutch and sparkling cuff are perfect accessories for this glamorous yet French-chic look.

What did you think of this year's Cannes fashion?  Checking out the quick and varied ensemble changes that the attendees have to make, I definitely feel the need to keep my style quotient 'en pointe' while on business or personal trips! 

Rock // Stars

The Costume Institute's Metropolitan Museum of Art Ball is regarded as 'the biggest night in fashion'.  The very essence of the event is centered around all that is couture: the goal is to raise funds and celebrate the Institute's latest fashion-as-art exhibit, and it is tradition for designers to bring their current muse (see: model or starlet) as their guest.  The theme of this year's event was Punk Rock: Chaos to Couture and it was with high expectation that fashionophones awaited what designers, stylists and celebrities would come up with for this seemingly odd pairing of punk and haute couture.

Rooney Mara was co-chair of the event along with Anna Wintour (naturally!) and Riccardo Tisci.  She donned an on-trend white lace dress by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy.  While you'd expect this to be a more demure and ladylike look, what gave this ensemble the rock-star treatment were the structured shoulders, exposed zippers, plunging neckline, high center slit and dark lip color.  Anne Hathaway stunned in sheer and shredded black Valentino column with cut out panels.  Her brand-new platinum hair color added a bit of surprising yet balancing glam.  Model Rosie Huntington Whitely made a grand entrance in an olive-hued Gucci gown of silk, see-through fishnet and feathers.  

My favorite look of the night was Cara Delevigne, arguably the most sought-after model in the business right now.  Her custom-designed studded Burberry gown had a low neckline that showcased her layered and dripping necklaces.  She accented her look with her signature heavy eyebrows, smoky eye makeup and tousled hair.  Perhaps it has something to do with the precarious personality that she's known for, but for me she encapsulated exactly what this night called for: model cool and devil-may-care punk.

Who was your best dressed at the Met Gala?  Do these looks make you reconsider the juxtaposition of  unconventional punk and high fashion?

Gatsby: The Jazz-Age Aesthetic

"Can't repeat the past?... Why of course you can!" -  Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby

To say that I am excited about The Great Gatsby movie is a huge understatement.  Art Deco architecture and fashion have always topped my style list, and I've always been a huge fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, even when it was required reading in college.  Perhaps it was his apt accounts of the epic parties and grand fashions of the twenties, but the story that intertwined the opulent atmospheric descriptions made the whole era seem even more mysterious and elegant.  Leave it to visionary film maker Baz Luhrmann to amp my excitement up even more with the debut of his film adaptation, coming to theaters on Friday.  From the very first glimpse at a trailer for the movie, it's clear that the fashion in this film will be as legendary as Gatsby himself.

Baz Luhrmann turned to Miuccia Prada to design the over 40 bespoke costumes for the film.  Prada then pulled inspiration from her own archive to update and revitalize flapper-era fashion.  I love fashion sketches as they tend to shed light on the thought process and musings of a designer at work.  The recently released sketches above show Prada's initial ideas for costuming the film.  On the recent runways I've noticed many other fashion houses who have showcased an opulent twenties influence in their pieces.

At Naeem Khan, the entire collection seemed to be a nod to the twenties, with sparkling beadwork and deep hues.  Vanessa Bruno showed a modern update to the angular designs with a mini dress in an Art Deco print.  The sheer paneling that Elie Saab is famous for was highlighted with embellishments mirroring prohibition-era geometric motifs.

At Sao Paulo fashion week, Adriana Degreas showed Gatsby-inspired resort wear with plunging necklines and beaded caps.  Emporio Armani's accessories really gave his contemporary pieces a twenties touch with hats perfectly fit for Gatsby character Daisy Buchanan.  At Louis Vuitton, modern flapper-girl style was evident in the  hair and makeup as well as the feathered and beaded detailing shown on the jumpsuit above.

I will definitely be working Art Deco fashion influences into my wardrobe in the coming seasons.  Does Gatsby fashion inspire your style?

The Politics of Fashion: White House Correspondent's Dinner

Last night, Hollywood and D.C. collided at the annual White House Correspondent's Dinner.  Recently nicknamed the "nerd prom", this event allows for an evening of levity and laughs for celebrities and political heavy-hitters.  The red carpet at the WHCD usually skews less D.C.-serious and more towards awards-show fabulous due to the entertainment-industry quotient.  And with arguably one of the most fashionable FLOTUS' ever as hostess, the guests were well aware that the style bar is set pretty high at this soiree.  A sampling of the top looks of the night prove that point.

Robin Wright, who currently stars in the excellent D.C. drama 'House of Cards' rocked a navy Rolando Santana gown with a slight mermaid flare.  The curled neckline detail was just ruffled enough without being frilly and it framed her cropped hairstyle perfectly.  Robin's 'House of Cards' co-star Kate Mara's white Prada sheath provided one of the only non-strapless looks of the night.  Again showing that she and her sister Rooney are fashion forces to be reckoned with, Kate's unique styling brought this look to a new level with a lime green clutch, jeweled cuff and dark nails.  Jessica Paré, who has been making waves with her on-point fashion choices recently, looked elegant in Antonio Berardi's cobalt gown.  The velvet draping added just the right amount of texture to the structured dress.

Kerry Washington, who has been shooting 100% in the style playoffs, did not disappoint in Wes Gordon's printed gown.  From the halter neck, to the multi-level cascading hemline and on-trend black and white color story, this dress was a perfect choice for this glamorous yet political event.  She styled it perfectly with minimal jewelry and loose curls.

Did you watch the White House Correspondent's Dinner?  What did you think about the styles at this unconventional red carpet event?

Fashion Week Fave: Louis Vuitton RTW F/W 2013

I've covered some of the trends of the recent fashion weeks, but I wanted to stop and take a breather to really appreciate one of the most inspiring of the ready-to-wear Fall/Winter shows.  In Paris, Marc Jacobs once again brought the drama to his collection for Louis Vuitton.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly why he excels as the head of this fashion house, but his ability to fully realize who "the girl" is (read: the target consumer) for this particular season, is aspirational yet identifiable at the same time.  Marc's pieces were not only aesthetically beautiful, but the motivation behind them was thought-provoking.  He mentioned that the most fabulous place that a you can get all dressed up to be is your own hotel room or home.  Why not lounge around in berry lips and silk pajamas that could just as easily be worn out with an embellished coat and a bit of attitude?

In fact, it was these very embellishments that brought a cohesive theme to many of the collection's most stunning pieces.  Feathers fused to the edge of menswear-chic jumpsuits and trenches added movement and femininity.  On mid-calf coats and dresses, fur placed on the hems and throughout the lining added a lush touch of glam that skewed cool vintage versus gaudy.

Marc Jacobs' vision of relaxed elegance continued with the luxe coats over lingerie-inspired underpinnings.  The mid-length jackets came in shades of checked taupe and cobalt with ombre sequin details at the hem which really juxtaposed the seemingly contradictory theory of at-home special occasion dressing.  The cowl neckline on his 40's-style shimmering coatdress with fadeway plaid at the top was impeccable.

And it wouldn't be a Marc for Louis Vuitton show without his muse, Kate Moss.  She stunned in her rare runway turn by confidently flaunting a sheer embellished sky blue gown suitable for a woman who knows she can take the town's most posh events by storm, but would most prefer the most exclusive of them all: her own boudoir.  

I was very inspired by this collection for Fall/Winter 2013 and will be trying to incorporate elements of retro relaxed-glam into my wardrobe.  Did you love the collection as much as I did?