Masked Magic

There is nothing I love more than feathers, lace, leather and tulle. Combine all of these, add some Pucci, Gucci and Givenchy, include the world's top models, editors, photographers, celebrities and socialites equipped with seductive masks; don't forget the four foot high tower of macaroons and tiers of red berries... Add up all of these factors and you get possibly the world's most glamourous, stylish and imaginative event of the year.

Yes, I'm talking "Le Bal Masqué": The Paris Vogue 90th anniversary masked ball which occurred a few weeks ago in mid-October. After flipping through 100 plus photos on the Vogue website, it was obviously a night of unadulterated magic. The best dressed of the night seemed to be the fabulous ADR in her custom-made Emilio Pucci white gown and that unforgettable grey feathered head-piece; Natalia Vadianova in that sheer black-lace mask and her black-tinted translucent Givenchy gown. 

 

If the gowns, dresses, shoes, and masks weren't enough to make you swoon, look at the choice of desserts! How beautiful is the design and layout of the cakes, pastries, macaroons and berries! Gorgeous and chic ways to display food at events somehow always inspires me.

When I read about parties like Vogue's fantastic masked ball, I can't help but think how cool it would be to plan events for a living. 

This was absolutely a night to remember: a night of masked faces, high fashion, and simply delicious deserts. I almost feel like I was there!

What do you think of Le Bal Masqué? Chicest night of the year? I think so...

NOTE: photo sources include the following: Paris Vogue website, http://heroesofcouture.tumblr.com/post/1225461230/sasha-pivovarova-and-maryna-linchuk-at-vogue-paris; http://prettypay.wordpress.com/category/fun/; http://www.vogue.it/en/shows/fashion-events/2010/10/90-vogue-paris-anniversary; 

A Spirit Resurrected

It seems the whole world sat in the front row with baited breath. I'm sure you could almost hear the ticking of a Cartier watch, the tapping of a red Louboutin heel, or the crinkle of an editor's notebook. A thousand questions surged through my mind when, less than 24 hours after the show in Paris, I loaded the Alexander McQueen page on Style.com here in Hong Kong. 

Where was the label going? Would the new-comer Sarah Burton live up to the McQueen expectations? Would the editors-at-large like the collection? Would Burton fail to impress the carnivorous fashion kingdom? 

Well, no. She wouldn't. In fact, you could say Burton-who really is not a new-comer at all- designed the best collection of Paris Fashion week. Miraculously, she created a collection that not only paid homage to the late Lee McQueen, but that also surrendered to a slightly softer, more feminine demeanor.  

Sarah Burton, who worked closely with McQueen throughout his designing career, clearly showed she was capable of taking over the label with her spring/summer collection. Similar to McQueen collections in the past, this collection clearly had an animalistic and nature-like vibe. However Burton softened the pieces with angelic feathers, warm sepia-toned ruffles, and an overall light palette.  

Perhaps what shocked me most was the minute details of the collection- from the ripped-open shoulder padding, to the stunning butterflies creeping up the neck of a model. 

This McQueen collection is certainly one to remember, and I think if Alexander McQueen himself was alive to today, he would have been proud of Sarah Burton's skillful work.

The Lanvin Affair

Since the dawn of Paris fashion week, I have only fallen head over heels for a few collections-one of which is Lanvin, of course. Alber Elbaz has done it yet again. Which really should be no surprise... From the bright pinks and neons to the chic skin-tight neutrals, the spring/summer 2011 Lanvin collection is certainly one to lust over.

On the Bright Side
Looks from the s/s 2011 Lanvin Collection 

Neutral Africana
(How gorgeous are those tunics?)
Looks from the s/s 2011 Lanvin Collection 

The Moments....
Looks from the s/s Lanvin Collection

If any of you saw a video of the Lanvin show, you'll have experienced two magical moments, which for me were the show's opening- watching model Frida Gustavsson strut down the runway in that beautiful flowing pastel-like skirt- and of course, my absolute favorite moment: when Karlie Kloss slinked down the runway in that stunning bright, redish-pink one-shoulder gown. Karlie and that gown were a perfect match-I think my heart might have skipped a beat.

Elbaz is a genius in both tailoring and finding the most flattering lines for the body of a woman, and I loved that (while he used many bright colors) he also used neutral colors- navy, black, camel and deep greens. Yet another aspect of the collection that I loved was that he paired flats with many looks; his pieces were ultimately wearable, effortless to pull off, and simplistic in nature.

Alber Elbaz always knows how to make a woman feel beautiful in her own skin.

What did you think of his spring/summer collection?

The Gardener

 

Although Carolina Herrera's spring/summer 2011 collection debuted a few weeks ago during New York Fashion week, I can't help but remember the botanical print gowns, and well as the tall sun hats and full length skirts that graced the Herrera runway this season. This collection is a perfect tribute to spring: Can't you just imagine a Herrera-clad woman in her blossoming springtime garden? 

The illusion the collection created this season was simply elegant and in my opinion remains one the most beautiful this season. The tailored pieces were classic, and who could possibly dislike the famous Carolina Herrera white blouses? 

 

Bohemian Rhapsody

Looks from the Spring/Summer 2011 Pucci Collection

I know I will keep saying this but here it is: I have a new favorite collection. The Grecian-Island inspired Pucci collection was absolutely breathtaking- chic, exotic, feminine and very bohemian all at the same time. Not only was the use of fabrics spectacular (in an interview with the designer, Peter Dundas reveals that the whole collection was inspired by a shirt he found in Greece while on holiday) but so were the details- from the tassels and stitching on a short long-sleeve ocean blue mini-dress, to the criss crossing straps on flowing brown and deep blue paisley dresses. And of course I must mention the over-the-knee boots. How fabulous do they look with gradually descending hemlines? The hair was perfect- understated and relaxed, while the make-up was minimal. Next summer this Pucci girl is most certainly taking a trip to Greece!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Looks from the Spring/Summer 2011 Etro collection

This season's Etro collection was very chic, and had touches of bohemian-style details in the jewelry and overall shape of the clothing.  Surprisingly the collection was less embellished than usual however the house did not run short on colors, patterns and shapes. From the long, loose-fitting maxi dresses to the one-shouldered puff-sleeve gowns, to the short patterned shift dresses, the entire look seemed to cry out summer in the Mediterranean. I felt the Etro collection was all about low key, easy looks with a spark of color with ornate designs. 

White Out: Spring 2011

I can no longer ignore the fact that the 2011 spring season is all about white minimalism. It was undeniably clear when the color dominated the runways at New York fashion week, and now brands like Antonio Berardi are making an ode to white at London Fashion Week.

Here are a few of my favorite white looks this season: 

ANTONIO BERARDI
While white was certainly accentuated, the Antonio Berardi collection had a whimsical feel to it- flowery flowing white dresses, however with a few crisp tailored jackets here and there. The overall effect was beautiful, and perhaps my favorite part of the collection was the pop of color in the shoes and accessories such as the orange sandals and oversized earrings. Surely Berardi's looks will make it onto the red carpet this year!

THAKOON
This spring the Thakoon collection is definitely one of my favorites so far- the vibe is ultra-cool and sophisticated. Girls walked the runway wearing triangular shades, short hemlines, relaxed hair and white, white, white. From the crisp mini-dresses and skirts to the heels and bags every look was illuminated with coolness. 

DOO.RI
The Doo.Ri collection featured chic looks including both slouchy trenches and structured blazers, loose fitting pants and above-the-knee one-shouldered dresses. And the color of the collection? WHITE. 

What do you think of the all-white theme for spring 2011?

With Fall Comes Spring: Jason Wu

In my hemisphere it is barely fall yet, however New York has turned to spring 2011 in the midst of cool September days: after much anticipation, fashion week is finally here! So far, the collection I've been most keen on is Jason Wu who uses color to great extent this season.

As seen in the above images, Jason Wu's collection features sheer fabrics, below-the-knee skirts, and beautiful ruffled tops. Every detail alludes to a certain elegance: the high feather-like collar on a bright lavender gown (above right), to the sleek hair and makeup.

The colors and textures within his collection are diverse, and every piece-from the flowing gowns and floral-like patterns, to the super-chic sunglasses-conveyed the very spirit of spring.

Chanel Royalty

The Chanel fashion shows are never just shows, but they are experiences. Experiences- or exhibitions, if you will- of garment making at its finest. A Chanel haute couture show is another story entirely, and this season Karl Lagerfeld's creations were magnificent as usual. The pieces in the show had a certain elegance that one could only equate with that of royalty- from the majestic and deep color tones, to the romantic floral embroidery and embellishments. Yet another detail that reminded me of high royalty was the recurring symbol of the lion- particularly the 40 foot statue of the creature, under which models weaved around its paws, displaying the finest of Parisian couture.

 

Historically, the lion represents bravery, dignity, power, and often royalty. Lagerfeld's choice of color palette within the collection compliments this overarching theme perfectly. The rich hues- particularly the reds  and blues, emphasize the feeling of royalty, along with the show's commonly found color of gold- whether seen in the statement jewelry, the stitching on a jacket, or on the outlandishly large lion-statue. 

 

Another aspect I loved about this particular show was the hair and makeup. While many couture shows are known for their creative and partially insane hair styling, I really appreciated the simplicity of the hair and make up of this Chanel haute couture show. 

There was just about no sign of eyeliner anywhere- the bare eye created the "minimal make-up" look, however the dark red lips really gave an otherwise boring look a pop of color. Especially after the crazy hair for the s/s Chanel show the blown out hair at the haute couture show was refreshing to see. 

Finally, the front row of the show must be commented on, as the celebrity spectacle always plays a very large part in the Chanel shows. Blake Lively was seated next to Anna Wintour (gasp) while other guessed included Elisa Sednauoi, Natalia Vadianova, Clemence Poesy, and Leighton Meester. 

There is always just so much to say about a Chanel show! I hope you fell in love with the show just as much as I did!

Jacket, Anyone?

Whenever I think of the word resort, I think of a warm beach location, generally somwhere in the tropics. However I was surprised to see many fall and winter looks within this years resort collections- perfect for a vacation in a certain chilly destination. Brands like Tory Burch went all out winter; and as I flipped through the images I assumed this season the Tory Burch girl would be vacationing in the alps. However there were some other labels who's looks were rather fall and winter-like as well. Whether the collections were targeted for warm or cold environments, I saw gorgeous jackets everywhere.

 

Looks from Rag & Bone; I really like the look of the long sleeves under both jackets and I adore these boots. I love Rag & Bone in general- my favorite pair of jeans are from this brand and they fit super well. 

This trench-inspired coat by Thakoon; it looks great with the legging-type pants however I think I prefer flats with this look as oppose to the sandals. 

The trench on the left is by Lanvin; while the defined-shoulder trend has disappeared somewhat, I really love that this jacket's structure is strong and slightly masculine. The look on the right is Doo.Ri; it's simple and vaguely military-esque. 

The Celine resort collection was fantastic- ranging from short shift dresses to highly tailored tunics and pantsuits. The above look is one of my favorites of the collection. The length of the jacket is perfect, and compliments the trousers and blouse wonderfully. 

I'm definitely having a jacket moment! I recently purchased a beige blazer and I wear it with practically everything. Lately I've been wearing it with cutoff shorts and gladiator sandals. Even if the weather is warm you can always find a jacket to fit the circumstances. 

What do you think? Are you a jacket fan as well?

Summer Blush

I've finally caught up on all of the resort collections, and as I went through looking at each one I realized there are far too many looks to share individually. So I decided I would incorporate all of my favorite looks of different designers into several different posts with different themes.
This post happens to be full of color! As I looked at my desktop full of resort collection images it was the pink and red colors that really popped out at me. While some of my favorite looks were darker colors (no surprise there) some of the colors designers used were spectacular (the pinks and reds in particular).

Left to right from top: A Herve Leger famous bandage dress; Nina Ricci; Jason Wu; One Lanvin's glamorous swim-suit looks; Yet another Lanvin swim suit; Rag & Bone (One of my favorite collections); Thakoon; Nina Ricci

I was surprised to find that I really loved so many of the Ricci looks. Ever since Oliver Theyskens' spectacular gowns ceased to hit the red carpet I haven't been paying much attention to the brand and its creations. However I am loving Peter Copping's designs. For the resort collection he did a lot of draping, and almost every look consists of a light summery pallet- mostly pastel colors. Here are my other two favorite looks: 

What do you think of Copper's collection? Are you loving the pink and red shades as much as I am?

STELLA STELLA STELLA!

I am going to dedicate part 1 of my resort collections posts solely to the Stella McCartney collection, because not only are the clothes fabulous, but the event itself was super chic as well.

Models lounged around playing chess or dancing to a musical quartet, while guests at the event-including Kate hudson and of course the designer herself sipped cocktails and nibbled on hors d'oeurves. 

The pieces are sharply tailored- each sleeve or collar or shoulder is well defined, however to me, the botanical themed pieces are really the epicenter of the entire collection. Here are my two favorites:

While Stella's prints are fantastic, the majority of the collection is quite minimalist, and the cuts are dramatic and often geometric and square. 

I also really love the varying lengths of this collection- the shortness of the dresses seem just right; not too short but enough to create a spark in the look. This last black dress is one of my favorites too- it's classic and refined. Lately I've been really into the one-shoulder, asymmetrical trend. Yet another feature of Stella's collection is lace, and she used the material beautifully. Here are a few of the lace looks:

The cuts on these four dresses are extremely flattering, and once again for each style the length of the piece really looks great. Don't you love the shoulder on the blue and white lace dress? Notice the asymmetrical cut. 

What did you think of the collection? Wouldn't you love to wear these pieces on your next trip to paradise? After all, that is the idea of the resort collections, isn't it?