Saturday, October 15, 2011

OBSESSION: Givenchy T-Shirt

Printed, painted, pinned, slashed or sequined the tee is God's gift to fashion. Anytime you combine fashion with comfort you have my attention. Thanks to Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci the classic t-shirt has moved from an afterthought to the forefront of fashion.

I'm not talking about the 'disheveled-i-don't-care-how-I-look' t-shirt of the past. No no, It's all about picking the perfect fit and expressing your personal style. The options are endless; punk rock slashed Balmain tee, the Givenchy bulldog print, fitted, oversized or perhaps simple luxury like The Row's high-twist cotton with a single seam, either way you can't go wrong. Let's not forget the finishing touches like scarves, blazers, vests, etc. Get inspired and then go get dressed...

Must have: THE TOTE

One of my favorite things about fashion is the constant evolution. A certain style/silhouette that has been done a hundred times can somehow look fresh and new season to season with a different textile and a few tweaks to the design details. Accessories are no exception; this season's trends ranged from framed lady-like bags (Prada) to polka dot hobos (Marc Jacobs), but a classic we've come to love and deserves acknowledgement is the tote.

There's nothing to complicated in the design, I mean two top handles and a large square silhouette is not ground breaking. With that said attention must be paid to those masters of design that can give new life to a classic. My favorites: Fendi's chameleon it combines color and texture to give a unique personalized look for the carrier. Of course Celine's luggage tote is a must-have, the label's signature minimal aesthetic is interpreted into a chic/functional bag. And then there's the surprising celebrity turned designers. I usually don't condone such a combination but once I saw the attention to detail, craftsmanship and materials I quickly changed my mind. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's line The Row debuted their accessory collection and it was love at first sight. The design is clean, classic and functional. What makes them stand out is the luxe materials and construction that goes into each piece. Enough discussion just see for yourself.....

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Fashion Sketches

It's been a while since I posted any sketches, maybe it's because I've been busy or because I still don't have a scanner, or perhaps I'm just lazy. In any case I finally got one for you. I design all the time...but they're usually more doodles than sketches really just to practice. Rarely do I finish the damn thing and add color. Well, I finally got a little creative bug and thought I'd share...






Saturday, August 20, 2011

Shoe Star: Walter Steiger



Walter Steiger has been bringing cutting edge style to the shoe world since the 60's and the label's current collection continues the tradition. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is the label/shoe of the season. It's all about the curved heal, the perfect pairing of art and fashion.

Adventures in Accessory Design

Every now and then I get a little creative buzz and have to channel it into something. I may have strayed from my background as a fashion designer to the more style side of the industry, but when you've spent a buttload of money on an education it's kinda mandatory that you practice those technical skills from time to time. Hence, the experiment below; keep in mind even when I was in school the patternmaking/sewing was never my forte (and that photographing a black bag with out special lighting/camera equipment is a task in and of its own). With all that said here it is, a fairly simple black bag good enough to tote around until I find that splurge worthy piece for fall. So what do you do when you get that creative itch?












Saturday, August 6, 2011

OBSESSION: Hermes Birkin Bag

The holy grail of handbags: The Hermes Birkin Bag. This is the thing dreams are made of, exclusive, expensive, and the epitome of luxury and craftsmanship. So it's really no surprise it's an object of obsession for most fashionphiles, hell there are books written on obtaining this prized bag. All those wonderful qualities of the Birkin bag mentioned earlier are actually negative for us who are unable to drop five figures for a bag, even if we were able to track one down.

Now that I have your fashion sense tingling I suggest to you the Birkin-alternatives. NOT knock-offs! Rather designer bags that reference or pay homage to the Birkin. I'm not talking back alley bags, no these can be seen on celebrities like Mary-Kate Olsen and Kirstie Alley, and they can be found at your nearest Nordstrom, Henri Bendel, etc. The designers I'm talking about Marco Tagliaferri, Liebeskind, and Leah and Bliss to name a few. You can get the idea by checking the images at the bottom of the post....happy shopping


And now for the Birkin alternatives.....you be the judge...


TREND: Menswear inspired shoes

The Fall season is like the play-offs for the fashion obsessed. It's that time of year when everything seems new, shops are filled with the must have pieces, sidewalks tend to morph into runways and the Vogue September issue becomes the survival guide for life...okay maybe it’s not that serious but you get the picture.

You guessed it, I'm officially over summer and counting down the days 'till the air gets cooler and the leaves change color. Aside from the change of season, there’s the FASHION. Sure we got a taste of it during fashion week but, there seems to be something shiny and new to lust after every week as we get closer to autumn. This year the Menswear inspiration continues and what better way to incorporate the trend into your wardrobe then through your accessories, specifically SHOES. At this point I shouldn't even be calling this a trend as it seems here to stay, so get on board and get ready to invest. There's much to choose from; loafers, monk straps, chunky heels, wedges...my picks....

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Men's Style: The Clutch

Let's not forget about the fashionable guys...that's right the clutch craze has translated into the men's market as well. Just a few of my favorites from the runway to the street: