Guest Post! Chris Benz F/W '11

I was thrilled to receive an invitation to exciting up-and-coming designer Chris Benz's Fall/Winter 2011 presentation, especially when just hours before, at the Tweetup with Peter Davis, he kept saying that Chris Benz was the designer he was most excited about this season at Fashion Week! I was crushed when I ended up having to head back to DC before the presentation. That's when the lovely Jordanna from The Fashionisette stepped in to save the day, and cover the presentation for Fasshonaburu. Check out her review below, and be sure to visit her blog for more fashion goodness!

The long line wrapped around the block was a strong indication that the Chris Benz presentation was the one to see. While it wasn’t the easiest presentation to navigate through, the “round table of Benz” didn’t disappoint. The presentation was filled with ready-to-wear pieces that echoed the ease of southern hospitality, of which Savannah, GA was his inspiration. The collection offered multiple separates, creating versatility within the looks. I love when you can take a pair of pants or a jacket and mix it up with other pieces in a collection for an entirely different look.

The color palette was mainly grays, nudes, yellows, and blacks, with a dash of pink and plaids that all combined smoothly. From a college student to a successful femmepreneur, this collection fits the style of any woman who wants to dress up with that comfortable dress down feeling. Closed-toe platform wedges by Alejandro Ingelmo were the perfect choice to bring the collection to new heights, and the 70’s style fedora floppy hats [which I swooned over] designed by Patricia Underwood really topped off the looks. Suits, dresses, jackets, and pants were layered to create a dramatic juxtaposition that definitely worked.

With a mix of ruffles, fur, florals, sequins, plaids, and bows, this new “it” designer definitely will not be gone with the wind.

Some spottings were celebrity stylist June Ambrose, Gossip Girl’s Jessica Szohr, and celebrity/fashion stylist Brad Goreski.

See all of The Fashionisette's shots from the Chris Benz presentation below (or click the widget to view full screen):

Libertine F/W '11

During Fashion Week, I am always most excited to see the collections of creative and quirky designers. The ones that are doing something completely different from what everyone else is doing. The Libertine line fits that description to a tee, So I was pretty giddy with anticipation when I had the opportunity to attend the the Libertine Fall/Winter 2011 runway show. Well, suffice to say, I was the exact oppostie of disappointed. In fact, Libertine was my favorite collection for fall.

A model pauses during the busy backstage preparations to preview one of the runway outfits.

Models stepped on the runway looking like they'd been attacked by a horde of painters with textured paint rollers. large wool coats, tweeds, flowing dresses, blazers, tights and legging, even knit hats, nothing was spared from the frenzied paint-bearing gang. The painted effect was applied in a crosshatched pattern that faded in and out, smudged, or cut off at angles. The intense hues of the prints will definitely make an impact for fall, no dreary black on gray on black again for Libertine! Royal blue, sunny yellow, and bright fuchsia were among the many boldly combined colors that brought a sense of fun and vitality to the collection. Even the black and white outfits stood out with with eye popping whites over deeply hued blacks.

Home decorating tip: Liven up your living space, by placing this brightly clad model in an unused corner!

I would happily own any (every) piece in this collection. Creative, colorful, and fun, these pieces are right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, Libertine seems to be a hard collection to purchase, as I found virtually nothing available on-line. Hopefully this will change once the Fall collection becomes available. If anyone knows where I might be able to track the line down please let me know!

Don't lean against the wall! You already got wet paint all over the front of your clothes!

Jane Keltner de Valle. Fashion News Director at Teen Vogue Tweeted it best: "Don't try this at home, but if u dipped a tire in neon paint & rolled it over granny chic tweeds..voila Libertine!"

View Libertine's entire F/W '11 collection below, or click the widget to see the pictures in all their full-sized glory.

Schumacher F/W '11

I was invited to see the latest Schumacher collection and was, again, in love with the collection. I always look forward to Schumacher collections but this time I walked away keeping mental notes... of everything I wanted to buy for myself.The inspiration for this collection was Bianca Jagger lingering around Murakami's exhibit in Versailles. Lots of contrasts, in color and in texture. It's all very apparent in the bold colors juxtaposed with neutrals, in prim shapes with hints of the 70's. Fuller-leg trousers, maxi-skirts and dresses, floppy hats...these were all modernized so you won't look like you walked out of a vintage store. I was pleased to see that. Even though I normally shy away from brights, I loved that these pieces are so versatile. Like the runway look with a nude, patent leather cropped jacket paired with fiery red. I loved the nude scalloped-hem top that would look great on it's own (when it's warmer) or peeking out under a sweater.

Did you see the photos I took of the backs of some sweaters? A lot of times the back gets less attention in designs, so I love that there are cardigans that button up the back, or open in the back, like in the grey cowlneck.The accessories were worth drooling over too. My favorite is the patent ankle boot with scalloped edge that came in a higher or a lower heel! I don't normally wear hats but the floppy hats are so adorable, it makes me reconsider...I was so excited to hear that Schumacher pieces are now available online, with shipping to the US! I've already been to the website www.Dorothee-Schumacher.com several times to narrow down what I want!

Thanks so much to Anne-Kathrin for being the most gracious host!

Siki Im F/W '11

Although employing exclusively male models for his F/W '11 presentation, Siki Im's Facebook page lists his line as unisex, and indeed, the collection was presented worn by stern, androgynous, warriors. Siki Im clearly drew strong inspiration from Native American culture and spirituality. In an a minimal, industrial space, the models walked down a path of dirt that formed an angular figure 8, striding to the steady drumming beat and solemn chanting of live Native American drummers.

Siki Im comes from an architectural background, and as such, pays close attention to construction and shape in his designs. While the gray-black and deep clay tones of the collection hearken back to the dusty Midwestern plains, the angular cut and asymmetrical, geometric lines brought an edgy, modernism to the collection. Tall hats with wide brims were worn low over the forehead, hiding the models eyes, and lending a touch of mystery, while round circular jewelry further accentuated the tribal association.

The presentation was powerful and atmospheric, featuring a collection that draws from a culture of tradition and spirituality, while at the same time bringing a bold, yet wearable sensibility to the garments.

Siki Im colloborated with weaver Tahnibaa Naataanii to create beautiful, woven knits featuring Navajo geometric patterns.

Ok, I try to avoid the word, since it has become so overused, but there is no way around it, This guy is FIERCE!

View the entire collection in the slideshow below, click the widget to view full size:

Joy Cioci F/W '11

Joy Cioci designs romantic, feminine pieces with special attention to novel details and careful craftsmanship. This was Joy Cioci's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week debut. With the models standing around a single brightly tree surrounded by darkness, her Fall/Winter 2011 presentation brought to mind woodland fairies out for a night of mischief.

I love the contrast of the rustic, warm, textured tunic with the light, airy blouse.

The asymmetrical off shoulder styling of this dress gives it a look that is both feminine and haphazard, as if she's just come back from romping around in the forest.

"Plus size" model Marquita Pring. I didn't even realize she was a plus size model until I read about it later!

See all the photos of Joy Cioci's Fall 2011 collection below:

Top Fall 2011 Trends

While certain things came back, like mixed prints and velvet, there were a handful of trends that really stood out to me this season!
Tuxedos
This isn't you're everyday menswear, this is all sorts of formal!! Back in the 1960's, YSL brought Le Smoking Suit to fashionable women across the globe. This look is quite reminiscent of that, elegant and playing with androgony! Designers such as Ruffian, Jason Wu, Ralph Lauren and Yigal Azrouël showed tux-inspired looks. So get yourself some bow ties, white ruffled shirts, sleek jacket (even better with tails), and stripes down the sides of pants this fall!
Frontier Western
Yippie kayeah, mofos! Lots of designers, most notably Diane von Furstenberg and Kaelen, showed western-inspired looks for fall! Some went cozy with southwest prints on ponchos, some went boho feminine with praire skirts and some rocked a dusty utilitarianism! Western shirts are an easy way to rock this trend, but I'm loving the idea of long duster coats - think my 5'1 self could rock that?
Gaucho / Palazzo Pants
I AM VINDICATED!! I first demanded this come back about five months ago, and apparently the fashion gods listened! Palazzo pants were very common, they're flowy and wide legged. Gaucho pants are pretty much like cropped palazzo pants; they weren't quite as common but some major players did show them, including Diane von Furstenberg, Doo.Ri, and Tory Burch. I still own and wear my pair from high school as lounge pants for around the house. So you KNOW I'll be looking for a new cute pair!

I noticed some other trends, waaaay more than the average amount of red popped up, long maxi skirts and dresses, sheer details - common for spring but less so for fall, and more flatforms, woooo! But I think the top three were the newest and most notable - did I miss anything?

All photos By Vyque and Alyssa or pilfered from Style.com

Mara Hoffman F/W '11

I would sum up Mara Hoffman's Fall 2011 collection as abstract tribal desert nomad. Succinct, no? She was influenced by her artist husband Javier Piñón's latest work, O Babalon, a collage depicting a mystical earth goddess and her attendants. Mara Hoffman extended that idea into an exploration of the female spiritual being and warrior.

Setting the tone for the presentation was the Japanese band Water Fai, playing chill, etheral music that carried the viewer off to distant lands. The models graced the stage wearing dresses with bold, geometric prints that bore names like "Hunter", "Arrows", "Wolfy" and "Traveler." They were accessorized with stunning jewelry by All For The Mountain (check out their totally trippy website), turbans, and somewhat incongruously, flip-up sunglasses. In addition to the printed fabrics there were intricate knits constructed in Peru and a multi-striped wool tweed developed by Hoffman for the collection.

The turban, tasseled body jewelry, and heavily kohled eyes of the model, bring to mind an exotic princess in a far off land.

I love the colorful, almost kaleidoscopic pattern revealed between the zebra striping of this dress, but the pattern leads the eye directly to the model's lady parts...or is that just me?

Look at her nails! Look at her nails! I was geeking out so hard over the black markered fingertips. I wonder how much I would frighten my coworkers if I showed up to work tomorrow with my nails like that?

You know the drill, to see the whole collection, catch the slideshow below, or click on it to view full screen:

Various NYFW Street Style Pictures

I'm trying to do a better job taking pictures of everyday fashionistas and their get-ups at NY Fashion Week. Some of the people are probably famous in the fashion world, like Susie Bubble or Julia Frakes, but I think I kept this set limited to non-celebrities! So without further ado, here's a collection of my street style shots:

Some of the current (not fall) trends I noticed this season had to be: lots of red pants; wearing your outerwear on your shoulders; turbans; mixing prints; and long skirts!

Tweet-Up with Peter Davis

One of the last events I went to for NY Fashion Week was a Tweet-up in the American Express Skybox. For those of you who don't know, the Skybox is like a lounge at Lincoln Center that overlooks the two largest runways.

I've been to previous Tweet-ups here with Fern Mallis and Mickey Boardman, this time it was with Peter Davis. I originally knew him as a "mocialite," but he is really a style writer. Starting off as an intern at "Paper Magazine," he was just announced as Editor-in-Cheif for "Avenue," a glossy uptown magazine that would probably feature Serena and Blair on its cover every year.It was nice to hear him speak and answer questions. If you want to work in the fashion industry he recommends getting your foot in the door as an intern and dressing for the job you want. Obviously not everyone can afford a work wardrobe like Kate Lamphear, so he recommends buying a few expensive but classic separates and then rocking out trendy yet affordable accessories from places like Topshop.

Thanks for taking the time to meet with us, you can follow him on Twitter @PeterDavisNYC and hopefully you're already following @Fasshonaburu!

Monique Lhuillier F/W '11

Here is my last show from NY Fashion Week!! The last show I managed to make before leaving for reality was Monique Lhuillier. Miss Jay from Top Model, Brittany Snow (who apparently was everywhere) and Julia Stiles all sat in the front row. So did I, along with Sydne Summer, when people didn't show up!The collection aimed (and achieved) a dark and sultry look. There was a heavy use of black an a few pops of vibrant red, but I was especially drawn to the blurry leopard print!
Most of the day time looks felt lean and structured, though with frayed detailing. There were lots of high waisted pants and strong shoulders, flirty ostrich feathers, zexy lace and strappy stilettos by Manolo Blahnik.
As expected, her evening gowns were the show stoppers! Glittering embellishments and lovely draping started off evening, but soon truly glam ballgowns appeared, with textured skirts of tulle and silk organza closing out the show. Here are all my pictures, including some great close-ups of the details, plus a video of the final model walk!

Luca Luca F/W '11

Luca Luca is a luxury women's line known for unique color combinations and tight, feminine silhouettes. Luca Luca seems to have taken "Fall Collection" quite literally with some garments featuring the look of textured bark, ochre leaf prints and even a skirt consisting entirely of embroidered leaves. Deep, bright hues of color brought a dramatic flair to the runway, especially in the combinations of fushia and burnt orange. This was a collection for women with refined, yet bold tastes.

These jacquard pants feature a visually arresting, deep, bark texture I had a hard time tearing my eyes away from.

The layered textures and patterns in this blouse and skirt create an interesting look that is both dark and airy at the same time.

I love the color combinations here. Definitely not the outfit for a woman looking to fade into the background!

See the entire F/W '11 Luca Luca collection below, or click on the slideshow widget to view larger:

Tommy Hilfiger F/W '11

Tommy Hilfiger captured "the nonchalant style of a 1970s rock star's girlfriend" for the fall 2011 collection. A boho interpretation of menswear, there was lots of burgundy, Foulard prints, and preppy outerwear!Pairing mismatched Foulard print silk tops and pajama pants was pretty genius, no?
I loved the cable knit duffle capes, which had beautiful backs with classic toggles!
I saw lots of leather, pinstripes, and tuxedo pants! I loved the stripy tights and heeled penny loafers as well, I hope they're available in fall. Be sure to look at all my pictures and video here:

Diane von Furstenberg F/W '11

I was really excited to attend Diane von Furstenberg, whose collections I often use as a guideline for chic dressing season after season! This time she and co-designer Yvan Mispelaere's was "American Legands," which seemed to manifest in Western cowboy inspiration and occasional touches of Studio 54 disco. In fact, the entire runway seemed to be turned into a club with mirrored poles which looked great, but did make taking pictures a bit harder.I saw lots of palazzo / gaucho pants here, the fashion gods finally listened to my prayers!! Frequently they had large snaps up along the sides and were paired with fringy knee high boots, very yippie ki-yay! I heart those caballero hats, which are totally giving me Zorro vibes!
There was definitely some brightly colored looks, over the past month or two I've gotten really into the idea of monotone outfits like the one above. The trick is to not match the colors exactly!
I flipped over this blue sequin gown with kimono sleeves! Slouchy and sexy, it will certainly be worn on a red carpet sometime soon. Here are all my pics and one of my trademarked shaky videos of the final runway walk!

Zang Toi F/W '11

Zang Toi somehow managed to be both simultaneously rowdy fun and an elegant affair - no wonder he and Wendy Brandes are pals because that is a frakking dead-on way to describe her!!! Here she is with Mr B in a spring 2011 Zang Toi dress, with a cowboy hat that Zang himself made her wear!
Models walked slowly down the runway with amazing top buns I plan to replicate by winding my hair around a toilet paper roll. As soon as models starting coming out people would clap and gasp with amazement, so different (and better) from the stone cold silence usually at fashion shows. His daywear had luxe fabrics like cashmere, silk, tweed and fur and remained mostly neutral with a few pops of rich emerald green.
His eveningwear can only be described as opulent, with Swarovski crystal jewelry and embellishment, French lace and velvets! Real Housewife Jill Zarin closed the show in the above $30k dress! Here are all my pictures and a video of the final model walk:

Jenny Packham F/W '11

Jenny Packham was an extremely glamourous show full of bling! Flowing fabrics such as tulle and chiffon were embellished with sequins and beading to create a shimmering, water nymph effect!Slowly becoming a celebrity and red carpet stylist favorite, she showed multiple show-stopping gowns in black, gold and silver.

There were also some separates that were anything but ready to wear! Perfect for the MTV Awards or performing for a packed arena, these pieces had a rock star vibe. Love those leggings!
Here are all my pictures:

Study NY F/W '11

Study NY is an eco-friendly, sustainable clothing line by Tara St. James. A 2011 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Winner, her fall collection used locally sourced recycled polyester, hemp, Tencel, organic cotton, and reclaimed wool. Inspired by her mother's closet while growing up in the 80s, the collection had a lot of volume and colors included mustard, orange and burnt red.
A faux classroom was set up int he middle of the room, with models coming out and setting apples on teacher's desk - very cute!
The above skirt was made from 4,000 silk cocoons, the textile made from CPALI, a non-profit initiative to prevent deforestation in Madagascar. Here are all my pictures!

Behnaz Sarafpour F/W '11

Behnaz Sarafpour was the first designer to represent the US in Target's Go Internal design campaign - I just learned that right now! The designer used Constantin Brancusi's sculptures as inspiration for her fall collection, which was a very neutral black, ivory and grey.The collection was very tailored and featured leather and speckled black and white knit. Most of the pants were slender, and there were some fur accents.The details were certainly the highlight of the presentation! I've just learned that what I thought was lace trim at the bottom of a trumpet skirt and dress was actually woven, rubberized string!! And the matchstick guipure (guipire: a heavy large-patterned decorative lace) detailing on the cocktail frock and long gown are beyond dying for, I think I've been resurrected and died again!Here are all my shots!