bermuda, bahama, come on pretty mama...

Even though its the middle of summer, I'm dreaming of somewhere warm for the holidays. As much as I love fall/winter fashion, I had the midwest winters filled with snow, slush, and sub-zero temperatures--ick. But the Fashion World has unveiled their Resort 2009 collections, allowing me to daydream about fabulous fashions in warm locations--and give me inspiration for my own designs as well! My tastes for this season are all over the board, but most things have a commonality in the simplicity of the garments. These looks are very comfy and have a slightly casual element to them, whether they're for lounging on the back terrace or going out to the local cantina for a cocktail on the ocean-view patio. A lot of the looks could also be transitioned back into outfits that are office appropriate. I could have done another entire post on Rag & Bone, but i held back, showing one look at left, and another in my list of favs. They combined the perfect amount of slouch and structure, such as satiny pants with ties at the ankle, knit dresses, and skinny jeans, as well as sticking to darker colors, with pops of fun, like the red of this blazer to the left. But even their slouchier pieces had an element of tailoring to them, with everything hanging just-so away from the body. [ Can you tell I'm in love with this company? :) ]

Here are some of my favorite ensembles of the Resort 2009 collections [all images from style.com]

       

L-R: 3.1 Phillip Lim, ADAM, Alexander Wang

       

L-R: Balenciaga, Brian Reyes, Celine

      

L-R: Cynthia Rowley, Doo.Ri, Erin Fetherston

      

L-R: Jenny Kayne, Lucca, Louis Vuitton

      

L-R: Catherine Malandrino, Marchesa, Naeem Kahn

      

L-R: Zac Posen, Rag&Bone, Ralph Lauren

      

L-R: Stella, Temperley London, Tory Burch

      

L-R: Vena Cava, Vera Wang, Yigal Azrouel

cinderella, they aren't sluts like you...

Michigan State University's Student Apparel Design Association held their annual Fashion Show on April 19th. [Yes, I realize it's now July. But in my defense, I have been meaning to do this since that point.] The theme for the show was "MUSE." Each student designer was to create a collection of at least three looks inspired by a style icon from past or present--BUT: no one got to pick who their inspiration was, it was drawn out of a hat. This was done to challenge the designers; to make them fuse their personal style with that of their randomly selected icon.  

I was fortunate enough to have Courtney Love as my icon. Now, I know what you're thinking [as most people did]--'why would you ever want Courtney Love??? She is crazy!'  I even heard some of the judges--who, to be fair, didn't know it was my collection--go "Ha, I wonder if the models are going to have track marks on their arms??" But I think I was lucky, and she was a fantastic icon to be inspired by. Courtney Love would wear--and has worn--everything and anything. I had a lot of freedom to do whatever I wanted, which was exciting. I knew I wanted to create a glammed-up version of the grungy look she was known for in the '90s. [you know, that time when she looked fairly clean :) ] My color palette was smoky grays, purples, and blues, with pale mint, a touch of gold, and some basic black thrown in. I tried to use some of the "classic" Courtney silhouettes--the baby-doll dress, and the skinny, skinny pant, with a few hints of modern looks thrown in. I came up with seven looks, and created five of them, but due to a few reasons, only presented four of them at the show. This is also the first collection I've ever rendered using Photoshop, which is super exciting to me. As much as I love hand-rendering and sketching, I love the clean, graphic look to these croquis. 

    

  

I also switched things up and had my models strut their stuff to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, and I even had my sister wear Converse [look-alike] low tops as a mini-homage to the late, great Kurt Cobain [he was a big fan of the brand :) ]

     

     

Suffering from OJD?

Summer is in full swing, which can only mean one thing--it's cute boy season :) And lately, theres been an abundance of stylish cuties in the celebrity scene. One of my favorites...well, three of my favorites...happen to be the Jonas Brothers. Their huge hit 'S.O.S' gets stuck in my head on a nearly daily basis, and while 'When You Look Me in the Eyes' might be one of the corniest songs I've heard in a long time, I still belt it out when I'm driving. Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas are always seen wearing trendy, well tailored, and well styled suits, tees, and jeans, despite their young ages [20, 19. and 15 respectively]. They're even pretty talented in the accessorizing field, usually sporting a hat, tie, or scarf of some kind. And they have pretty good morals, too, making them a great role model for the tween set both in everyday life, and fashion :)

The JB tend to dress up their jeans with tailored pieces such as vests, button down shirts, and blazers. In the above photo, Joe, center, accessorizes with a tie, and Nick, right, rocks a fedora and scarf.

No strangers to red carpet fashion, the brothers pull out the stops. This pic from the Kids Choice Awards features the JoBros in well tailored suit coats and trousers, but they also show off their young, fun, personalities with the brightly colored shirts, ties, or as Joe, above-center, is seen wearing, a tucked in ascot.

Fun shades, monochromatic pallettes, and well tailored looks make these boys look like men.

The boys also sport pocket squares from time to time--a look i love!

Even for a more casual red carpet, they still bring their A-game. In the pic below, taken at the Disney Channel Games, [L-R] Nick, Kevin, and Joe take the nerd-chic trend, and give it a vibe that is much more age appropriate. I'm also digging Joe's headband. It works well with the stark white vest, and plaid tee.

And if you haven't figured it out [or caught it yourself!], OJD = Obsessive Jonas Disease :)

spotted on the UES...

S & B dressed to the nines, as usual. S & B being the fictional Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf of the CW's hit series 'Gossip Girl'. Yes. I am still terribly obsessed with this show, and no. I'm not in anyway ashamed to admit it. This show continues to inspire my designs, from subtle influences in accessories--hello, patterned tights!--to the great mix-and-matching of classic looks with a modern flair. 

But, what would any decent prime-time soap opera be without the boys? Gossip Girl's three main hotties are also expertly styled, each with their own little spin--at least when they're seen out of their St. Jude's School for Boys uniforms.

 The guy everyone loves to hate, Chuck Bass, played by Ed Westwick, is hardly ever without his scarf, a bow tie, or something plaid--all attributing to his signature look. He's always a little bit classier, and more dressed up than the others, which definitely gives him that snobby, rich kid appeal.  

"Lonely Boy" Dan Humphrey, played by the talented Penn Badgley, is NYC's answer to Seth Cohen :) Residing on the wrong side of the tracks--in this case, Brooklyn--Dan's style is a little more indie-rocker, and a little less pretentious than the other boys. He favors neutral colors, and clothes with less structure and more laid-back attitude--just enough "emo" without being overkill. 

The last--and my personal fav.-- UES hottie is Nathaniel Archibald, aka Nate, played by Chace Crawford [sigh.]. Nate's look is a much more relaxed version of Chuck's--preppy, but with a casual quality to it. He also tends to wear a lot of blues, which is fine with me--it brings out his eyes :)

[i had to put the last one in <3]

and in true soap opera fashion, they're pretty consistently on the arm of a different girl--making them the best accessory of all...

[all images courtesy of CW online]

i can't help but wonder...

who isn't tres excited for the Sex & the City movie? I'll admit, I was never the biggest fan of the show the first time around. Sure, I'd watch it occasionally in reruns, but the fabulous lives of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends never consumed my life, much less a half hour of my precious free time.

But now, I am a full blown S&TC addict. I have been pouring over old episodes in reruns and on-demand viewings, trying to fully educate myself on Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Mirandas previous doings, so when I see the movie, I won't miss an inside joke or reference to their pasts.

On Entertainment Weekly's website, they have a full section of their page devoted to the release of the movie featuring photos, headlines, and a comprehensive "every-episode-ever" guide to the series--which really came in handy for me!

Carrie's fabulous tutu makes a cameo in the movie!

[photo from entertainmentweekly.com]

this fantastic necklace is avaliable on costume designer Patricia Field's online store--and is totally customizable!

[photo from Patricia Field]

previous 2 photos [and top photo!] from
Entertainment Weekly Online

Carrie and Big <3

[photo source unknown]

and for the record....I'm a Charlotte<3