Orange County Fashion Week Recap

This week I had the pleasure of attending Orange County Fashion Week, where emerging and international designers showcased their collections, while industry insiders had the opportunity to network and celebrate. What's unique about OC Fashion Week is the coastal-cool feel with a global flair. 

Day One

The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach served as the beautiful location for Industry Night.

Designers such as Ionica Moldovianu (of Ionica), previewed the collections they'd show during the week.

Nasim Nelson, the creator of Lebrisa Designs, had her beautiful jewelry on display (I'm obsessed with her body jewelry) and I loved chatting with her about styling! Her gorgeous pieces have been featured in Sports Illustrated.

Renowned photographer Viktorija Pashuta kicked off OC Fashion Week with an enlightening symposium on fashion photography. She is also the Editor-In-Chief of the incredible BASIC Magazine. It was inspiring to hear her speak about her experiences in the industry.

Day Two

The second night's event was held at the Orange County Museum of Art, where I had the pleasure of speaking with Anum Tariq, the super talented (and sweet!) fashion illustrator who I've followed on Instagram for years (@anumt). If you aren't already familiar with her work, go check her out now! 

Fodada's coordinating adult and kid's clothes were so cool and the line funds free programs for Dads and their families.

Cash and Puppy's line of casual wear featured many mix-and match pieces for effortless dressing.

Charmaine Joie Couture's collection had a chic cocktail dress to suit anyone's style!

I loved Neon Beige's line of sexy athleisure wear. The sheer and cutout details make her pieces unique. CJ Franco, the designer, shared with me that she wanted to create pieces that she would love to wear also! Check out the finale video above.

Ionica's collection was timeless, with elegant pieces including the gorgeous black sheath in the video above. 

Day Three

Colorful designs with a multicultural inspiration were showcased by Tatiana Shebelnik.

Berenice Gonzalez showed gowns that were elegant with an edge.

Menswear in the Paris Homme Collection featured fresh colors and prints. One of the chicest moments of the week came when model Cole Woods strutted out in the blazer-hoodie, showing how fly unisex dressing can be!

Special-occasion dresses in a variety of chic styles were shown on the Dominique Mearns runway.

Saul Lizacri closed the night's event with a gorgeous parade of dreamy gowns with beautiful embellishments. The finale video, above- is a must-see!

Day Four

Ms. Morales Couture's high-end lingerie line started off the exciting final night of OC Fashion Week.

Colombian designer Pedro Pablo Pacheco showed his resort-ready line of breezy dresses and chic accessories.

Coral Castillo's breathtaking line of gowns with fitted tops and flowy skirts also featured incredible strappy designs on the backs. Notice her killer details in my video of the finale, above! 

With sensational venues, captivating guests, and fabulous fashion ranging from lingerie to athleisure to haute couture, 2017's Fall/Winter Orange County Fashion Week was a hit! This week, I loved spending time with fashion industry friends new and old who are all super talented at what they do! I encourage you to check some of them out:

Fashion Bloggers:

Kendall of My Styled Life

Alison of The Frugal Fashionista of OC

Jen of The Retail Princess

Vlogger:

Kriscia of Outfit of the Dreamer

Makeup Artist:

Stirling Gill

Models:

Maryela Pinkston

Cole Woods

Zoe Birdsell

Photographers:

Viktorija Pashuta

Angelito Vandam

 

Paris Fashion Week Trend Report: The Astronomical Aesthetic

Paris Fashion Week closed out a month of international designers touting the best of what's to come for Fall/Winter 2017. Perhaps with a nod to the political chaos affecting our world, many French designers looked to the escapism of the sky for inspiration. Looks featuring celestial elements were definitely trending on the runways in Paris, so you can expect supernatural style to be big.

Chloé's minidress had a chic graphic print with faces and shimmering stars.

Dior showed several looks with the phases of the moon printed with beautiful effect on sheer black tulle.

Isabel Marant's street-style ready denim look was embellished with stars and a glittering lapel.

Manish Aurora showed galaxies and rocket ships embroidered on this cocktail dress, which was accessorized with a planetary bag.

A gorgeous sunburst highlighted Alexander McQueen's ethereal top, accentuated with feathers over wide-leg pants.

Mugler chose to use star shapes as the cutouts on skirts, dresses and jackets in this collection, unearthing cool new silhouettes.

At Nina Ricci, gold and navy stars were printed on skirts and dresses to amp up an otherwise Western theme. Space Cowboy chic, if you will.

Finally, at Karl Lagerfeld's spectacular Chanel show, complete with an explosive rocketship liftoff, chic dresses covered in astronaut prints were paired with glittering space boots.

For Fall 2017, there will be many options for this trend, whether you want to go full-on galactic glam or just add some cosmic cool to your wardrobe. From graphic lunar prints to sparkling star accessories, a touch of the ethereal will make you look out of this world.

Milan Fashion Week Trend Report: Fall Florals

As Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep) in The Devil Wears Prada famously quipped: "Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking." However the just-wrapped Milan Fashion Week showed just how florals can be innovative when worn in Fall and Winter. Amidst a backdrop of classically autumnal hues, flower motifs look bold and smart.

A gauzy gown with floral appliques actually looked perfect for Fall, given the brown and blue overtones used at Alberta Ferretti.

Bluemarine updated the off-the-shoulder cocktail dress by giving it a sheer long sleeved built-in top with a floral pattern matching the flirty frock.

The rose could practically be the mascot for Dolce & Gabbana due to how much as it's incorporated in their collections each season. Fall/Winter 2017 was no exception, and here the flowers were shown on a casual look, embroidered onto denim.

Etro's world-traveler inspired collection featured a mashup of prints and textiles. Their re-imagined tuxedo jacket represented this theme with floral panels in darker hues.

At Gucci, Alesandro Michele took a look into the fashion house's history and used the floral prints from scarves in the Gucci archive. In this look from the runway, the flower power was doubled by pairing the dress with printed tights.

The entirety of the ethereal Luisa Beccaria collection had flowers incorporated into it. Most models even wore flower crowns. This particular look was striking in the way the sheer floral shirt was styled to peek out from under the sweater of the traditionally Fall outfit.

No. 21 took the classic bomber jacket and added miniature roses. The red color popping over the black background is a fresh look for outerwear.

The gorgeous kick-flare silhouettes at Prada invoked a femme fatale. The painterly floral print on many of the pieces were able to uphold that theme due to their pairing with feathers, and boxy coats that look like they mean business. 

The best part about the floral trend for Fall/Winter is that your Spring and Summer pieces can pull double-duty. When layered and paired with darker hues, flowers will bring an unexpectedly chic edge to your cool-weather wardrobe. You might even say that it is groundbreaking.

Oscars 2017 Fashion: Black Out

If the Academy Awards can announce two Best Picture winners, then I can report on two major fashion trends. Another color theme for the night was the prominence of black gowns. In a parade of dresses in the darkest hue, stars showed up to the Oscars in their best SBDs (Special Black Dresses).

Alicia Vikander, ever the minimalist in hair and makeup, chose a corseted Vuitton dress with lace tiers.

Brie Larsen stunned in a velvet Oscar de la Renta frock with just the right amount of flounce and restraint in design.

Jennifer Aniston's go-to black gown got a sexy upgrade with a high slit, low-cut bodice and sparkling embellishments, courtesy of Versace.

Selma Hayek was a McQueen dream in a sheer black gown with artful gathers and drapes.

At the same time mysterious and classic, these stars showed that black gowns can be anything but ordinary on the red carpet. If you don't already have a favorite SBD in your arsenal, now might be the perfect time to get one.

Oscars 2017 Fashion: Gold Game

The Academy Awards represent the culmination of the awards season and the most highly-anticipated red carpet of the year. As such, it should be no surprise that some of the best dressed of the night did so in the color most associated with winning: gold! From champagne to gritty metallic, the spectrum of golden hues were on display.

Dakota Johnson chose a 24-karat Gucci look fresh off of the Fall 2017 runway. She upped the glam factor with Cartier jewelry and a gold pin in support of Planned Parenthood.

Kaufman Franco's gilded long-sleeved gown was perfectly accessorized with a spiked bib necklace from Tiffany. This was a fashion risk that paid off.

Snagging what will likely be the last red carpet look by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy (he is leaving the fashion house for Versace), Emma Stone's gold deco-inspired dress was fun and fresh. She also accessorized with a golden pin supporting Planned Parenthood just below her shoulder strap.

In black mesh layered over perfectly pleated gold lurex, Charlize Theron's Dior look was elegant and unexpected.

From a subtle shimmer to all-out metallic wattage, gold is definitely a winning pick when getting dressed up. With a range of styles and inspirations, these red carpet styles prove that all that glitters really is gold.  Who were your best dressed stars of the night?

London Fashion Week Trend Report: Helter-Skelter Sweaters

London is a city known as much for traditional style as it is for grey skies. As such, outerwear like trench coats are often expected on the runways during this part of international fashion month. For Fall 2017 Fashion Week, British designers instead brought back the sweater and remixed it, giving the functional piece a twist. With unexpected styling and reconstructed form, the sweater took a new shape.

Eudon Choi showed chunky knits meant to look half-on, half-off. What better way to show off the great shirt you've got on underneath?

At Casely Hayford, the look was given an athleisure spin: a peacoat/sweater hybrid was paired with trainers.

Christopher Kane's alternative ladylike vibe featured a mis-buttoned cardigan with slits mirroring the jaquard skirt. 

Joseph's oversized sweater with off-center buttons was gorgeously paired with a flouncy calf-length skirt (a winning silhouette). 

Showing how the look can translate for evening, Pringle of Scotland's golden maxi was styled with a dark knit draped sideways atop one shoulder and tied around the waist.

Burberry took the "See-Now-Buy-Now" approach and showed the Spring 2017 collection during this Fashion Week. Seemingly centered around the many ways a sweater can be reconstructed, this runway signaled that you don't have to wait until Fall to start wearing this trend.

An easy way to take a shot with this trend is to use a cardigan you already own, buttoning and folding it in a new fashion. Or play with draping and wrapping your favorite oversized sweater. Not only is it a chic way to show off your layers, but you just may find a new silhouette that flatters you and looks fresh.

NYFW Fall 2017 Trend Report: Style With A Statement

New York Fashion Week draws to a close today and many of the designers pointed to the current social and political turmoil in the world as an element they could not ignore when coming up with their collections. As Prabal Gurung put it, "fashion and politics can no longer be mutually exclusive". The social statements were included in every facet: from the runway music choices (Raf Simons chose David Bowie's 'This Is Not America' for his Calvin Klein debut), to the staging (Adam Lippes had a pre-show photo session in the street where models in his newest designs held protest signs). The prevailing trend was definitely tops with slogans that let your clothes speak for themselves. 

Alice + Olivia's sequin pant suit was topped off with a tee encouraging you to "Be The Change You Wish To See In The World"

Cinq à Sept's muse has an open heart in her "I Love Everyone" shirt.

Half of the proceeds from the silkscreeneed "We Are All Human Beings" jumpers at Creatures of Comfort go to the National Immigration Law Center.

Prabal Gurung finished his show with a parade of models in slogan tees with statements including "We Will Not Be Silenced", "The Future Is Female" and "Nevertheless She Persisted".

Public School rebranded the red cap with a new motto: "Make America New York", nodding to the diversity that the state is known for.

The Row's statement button-downs featured small embroidered words like "Dignity" and "Freedom".

Christian Siriano's "People Are People" shirt was inspired by the Depeche Mode song and sold with proceeds going to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Dozens of NYFW designers (including Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, above) wore "Fashion Stands With Planned Parenthood" pins for their final bows. These pins were seen on fashion editors, buyers and it-girls throughout the week as well.

The inclusivity and activism theme was heard loud and clear! The styling of these shirts proved that they look great whether topping off a romantic, athletic, casual or glam outfit. Fashion is definitely asserting itself as part of a revolution and empowerment tees are a way to further express yourself through what you wear. New York Fashion Week's message was that not only do we aspire to look good, but we need to do good for the world we all live in too. Will you incorporate the statement tee into your style?