Saks Fifth Avenue, New Orleans

It gives me great pleasure to formally announce my position with Saks Fifth Avenue.  After months of interviewing and a week of training, I am the newest member of the Women's Designer RTW team.  With labels like Marni, Etro, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Yigal Azrouёl and Burberry to love on all day, I am further sharpening my eye for detail and design in addition to having a fantastic time.  


So stop by, spoil yourself, stroke on a few pretty garments with me and try something on.  Saks Fifth Avenue;  301 Canal Street, second floor...

The Pretty Parade...NY Fashion Week Spring 2012

Here is a quick re-cap of the collections I've viewed from New York's Spring 2012 Fashion Week that concluded this past week.  Enjoy and be inspired...

My Favorite Trends...

1.  Longer shorts:  Mid thigh walking shorts that are cut slimmer than their traditional counterparts can be found in a number of collections.

 Thakoon

2.  White:  The classic color is holding strong yet another season.

 Altuzarra

3.  Geometric prints:  From digital to tribal, linear prints and detailing are everywhere.

Preen

4.  Sheath dresses and pencil skirts:  Often right above the knee and super slim.

 Donna Karan

5.  Asymmetry:  Found in many blouses, blazers and skirts.

Jen Kao

6.  Florals:  Prints to silhouettes, flora has inspired a number of the Spring 2012 collections.  

Tadashi Shoji

7.  Circle skirts:  In varying lengths and fabrics.

 Donna Karan

8.  Mono-print ensembles

 Peter Som

9.  The suit:  With interesting lapels and modern detailing, suits are in every hue, length and material for the spring.

Zac Posen

10.  Wide sleeves in stiff fabrics

Derek Lam

11.  Sheer pants

Vera Wang

12.  Thigh slits:  In long flowing skirts

Doo.Ri

13.  Symmetrical prints and adornments

Badgley Mischka

14.  Shift dresses:  Falling right above the knee or higher

Phillip Lim 

15.  Tulip shaped skirts, pants and shorts

Carlos Miele

Other trends to consider...

*Deep pant cuffs or trim in a contrasting color*

*The colors coral, lemon, lime, violet, soft grays, cantaloupe and mint*  

*Pleats*

*Plunging neck lines*

My Favorite Collections...

Cushnie et Ochs...(pronounced kush-nee et oaks) Décolletage, geometric detailing, full skirts and structure meeting delicate folds.  Powerful and feminine.

Zac Posen...My absolute favorite thus far.  1940s style super slim suits, fish tails everywhere, sculpted bodices, exaggerated hips and amazing varying sleeves.  So glamorous!

New York Fashion Week: Spring/Summer 2012

Today marks the beginning of the highly anticipated Mercedes Benz NY fashion week showcasing top designer's Spring/Summer 2012 collections.  I'm not sure I care yet...I'm gearing up for Fall and super excited about blazers, boots and breaking out my coat collection.  


For those of you who shop out of season (which I recommend and rarely do myself) or enjoy layering over last season's picks in the cooler months this event is worth paying attention to.  I will document the lines that catch my eye here as YouTube videos become available...

7 Tips for Blending Vintage and Modern Clothing

1.  Think in layers from essential wear on up.

Great chefs know that a fantastic dish consists of complimentary and delicious layers.  As you dress, assess your silhouette at every stage.  With pre 60s vintage dresses in particular, a strong foundation is important.

2.  Research the styling from different eras.

Vintage is a broad term that encompasses all things 25 years or older.  Even though most decades of fashion have strong visual themes, there are many obscure looks and concepts to be uncovered.  Watch films, rifle through photos and advertisements from various periods for inspiration.

  

Christian Dior skirt from 2 piece suit, Vivienne Tam wrap sweater, vintage Dior hat, Eye Been Framed browline glasses, Ancestral Art jewelry, Chanel pumps and vintage corset.  

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3.  Consider the details of vintage and modern ensembles.

Outfits are art.  Use the same eye exercised when viewing a painting to ponder the individual elements of a look and how they relate to one another.

4.  Fit is everything. 

Don’t compromise fit for style; especially when wearing vintage clothing. 

5.  Think accessories.

Jewelry, gloves, hats, shoes, handbag, scarves, glasses, hand fan, parasol, legwarmers, belt, fascinator and countless other accessories are great tools when creating a look from various periods.  

DeWeese vintage terry cloth cardigan, "Jazz Fest" mini wrap skirt, Eye Been Framed cateye glasses, Ancestral Art jewelry, vintage corset and Chanel pumps.  

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6.  Have fun.
Do you remember paper dolls?  Constructing endless outfits using stiff icons?  Invoke that spirit of play when putting your wardrobe together.  Set a time for you and your imagination to go through your clothes and have a ball.  Music and wine are optional.

7.  Follow Confess Apparel’s blog.

Clearly, for information like this from a woman dedicated to helping everyone look their best.

Spectacular Spectacles

 Eyewear is to an outfit as the bass is to music.  They anchor the harmonic structure of an ensemble while possessing the ability to rock out on their own. 

The color, finish, shape and lenses unassumingly restructure the wearer’s face and shift the viewer’s focus making glasses my favorite little accessory.

Butcher or Artist?

I’ve been spectacle dependent since the age of 12 and felt early on that awesome rims were imperative.  After years of lackluster satisfaction with mid-range designer sets that prematurely shed their accents or fell apart, I found Eye Been Framed; a French Quarter based business that sells DEADSTOCK vintage glasses from the 1950s to the late 80s.  Hallelujah. 

Eye Been Framed is a treasure trove of reasonably priced, unworn eyewear in styles that make the modern mock-ups appear shameful.  Each pair is like a finely tuned custom Cadillac.  They are the epitome of face jewelry that make believers, and junkies, out of all who witness the collection first hand. 

With modern designer labels recreating cat-eyes, aviators, exaggerated 80s style and browline glasses, the fashion savvy now have options.  You can spend considerably more investing in replicas that were mass produced for inflated profit margins and global markets OR you can purchase the vintage originals that were artisan built to last out of sheer innovation.   

To attend the next Eye Been Framed party and view this incredible collection, contact me.