Color At The End Of The Runway!

     Lanvin put construction front and center in this Springs fashion show.  I found myself admiring these garments one by one and trying to solve the mystery of how they were constructed.  Many garments were half of something.  For example, half of the top would be a tank and the other half would be a blazer.  That's what I mean about the construction being a mystery that I, Harriet the spy, have to solve.  Thankfully my technical vision goggles were spot on.  I have to say that some of it was a bit out there in left field, like the one shoulder swim suit that's worn with belted loose fitted pants.  But it's different and different keeps the people intrigued and coming back for more.  

     Viewing the collection, it seemed like a contemporary tailored look was going to exist throughout the show.  But the deeper we went the more exotic it got.  Graphic dresses to glitzy jumpsuits changed the mood of the show and added an edgy look to a softer collection.  I also noticed the accessories were quite over the top but I found myself looking past that and saying that they actually work well with the chic punk mix that's going on.  

     In closing, literally, the show ended with a bang.  We saw black and white for the entire show and then a rainbow bomb went off.  This short lineup of petite satin shift dresses seemed to have such simple construction behind them, but then the surprise panels on the side flashed beads and beautiful embroidery.  These looks are simple and elegant but have such a loud statement due to the shocking color choices.  It was a fantastic show! Lanvin truly never ceases to amaze.

So Lanvin-esque!

Ciao, 

Annie May

The Middle Ages of Paris Fashion Week!

     Fashion Week has changed destinations, just a Euro Star ride away from London straight to Paris.  Just a few days into PFW and we are already traveling back into the Middle Ages, with a modern day fashion twist, of course.  

     Gareth Pugh's Spring 2013 collection opened with this veiled face, tall, rectangular headdress that billowed behind the model when she walked and a deep black high necked gown.  This set the stage for the rest of his collection.  It was a pure example of extreme modern fashion with jutting necklines, frayed hems, tattered and torn drapery and intense headdresses.  

     Generally, with fashion, you can picture someone wearing the garment, right?  After all, that is why clothes were made.  But for some of Pugh's designs, unless you are a gothic vampire getting ready for a bloodshed, I cannot imagine anyone wearing these sever bellbottomed pants with rebel looking pointed trains.  But hey, there are some far fetched people out there!  Looking past the extreme of all extremes, the majority of this collection is chic, made of delicate fabrics and represents such meticulous hand work.  I think Pugh should make arrangements with the cast of True Blood!

See no evil!

Ciao, 

Annie May

   

And It's A Plus For Lauren!

     There is a first for everyone and size doesn't matter for designer Ralph Lauren.  He has gone against the "only tall skinny mini's can be models" rule and decided to take the plunge and chose his first ever plus-size model.  The gorgeous Australian model, Robyn Lawley, is 23 years old, 6'2 and wears a size 12.  This was a big decision for Mr. Lauren and he let the world know that high fashion is beautiful in any size.  Lawley, however, has become quite an icon in the modeling world of fashion.  She has been shot in Vogue Italia and French Elle, and now, kicked off the beginning of plus size models to star in Ralph Lauren campaigns.  For so many years, models were told the skinnier the better but, in our day and age more and more agencies are focusing on embracing your body structure the way it is.  It's the start of something new.

Fabulous at any size!

Ciao, 

Annie May

Meanwhile, at the Emmy's!

     The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 23rd to honor the top award winning actors and actresses of the creative arts.  But more importantly, for me, was the red carpet event.  I love seeing what these actresses and their stylists come up with.  Let's dive right in and see what my top five fabulously ravishing gowns are!

     Starting with the lovely Leslie Mann wearing a Naeem Khan Spring 2013 gown.  This stunning two toned dress paired with beautiful bright blue jewels really wowed the viewers.  The dazzling marigold full skirt with the cream hand knit bodice made this look my favorite at the Awards.  Being bias to the color turquoise, I think this is a perfect example of how a color pop can work even with formal wear.

     I haven't seen anything like this tangy hand made couture Monique Lhuillier gown worn by Ginnifer Goodwin.  I cannot get over how amazing the structure of this gown is, never mind the tangerine and transparent color combo.  The beautiful nude under layer was a great basis for the orange maze of fabric to lay on.  As we saw on the Spring 2013 runway, the belted dresses are going to be such a hit and Ginnifer certainly got a home run with this one.  Her matching Christian Louboutin heels sealed the deal!

     

     Another beautiful Monique Lhuillier gown worn by award winning Julie Bowen strutted down the carpet this Sunday.  This Modern Family star blasted the runway with her vibrantly trendy yellow gown.  Many designers have been captivated by shades of yellow as we saw on the Spring 2013 runways a few weeks ago.  What I like most about this look is how she kept it simple.  The fact that her gown was so vibrant was enough to catch peoples attention and keeping her accessories simple was the way to go!

     The young Modern Family's, Sarah Hyland graced the red carpet in a sparkling Marchesa gown.  But that wasn't the only sparkle we saw from her.  She embraced the edgy nail art trend by rocking the glittery tips as well as, added a little color with her Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.  The crossing of fabric added such a flowing effect to the gown and the beaded outlining was spectacular.

     Julia Louis-Dreyfus won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series while wearing a striking Vera Wang gown.  This crimson colored mermaid style dress accented her curves to the best of a dresses ability.  The crisscrossing mesh fabric that tied into tiny knots at the shoulder was and unusually beautiful addition to a simple gown.  Like Julie Bowen, Julia accented her gown with robins egg colored earrings that added the perfect pop to the gown.  

Truly smashing!

Ciao, 

Annie May

And Over In London!

     Meanwhile, over in the land of the Royals they had a tastefully exciting Fashion Week full of cupcakes and fabric.  When viewed together it was a week of whimsical meets luxurious meets fluffy marshmallows.  I found that comparing the garments to food not only made for an entertaining time but also created an amusing way to relate to the clothing structure.  Let's begin with breakfast.

     Mulberry's delicious collection consisted of colors like camel, mint, black and white.  First, let's indulge in the chocolate chip pancake look that we see at the top.  The long oversized coat adorned with small black flowers paired with the ever so popular knee length skirt are two practical pieces that are long-lasting.  Carrying on with the camel on camel look the leather top creates this scrumptious muffin top as it softly drapes over the waistline of the pants.  Londoners like their tea with breakfast and this minty outfit flows agains the body so silky smooth with pleats to create a subtle ripple effect.  I'm loving the solid colored outfits that we are seeing throughout this collection. 

     John Rocha's blasted the runway with a fruit salad collection of colors.  Can we please start with the head wear?  That is no cherry on top, it's more like a puff pastry that has consumed the entire plate, if you get what I'm saying.  More over, the dresses all resemble one another with their frilly bodice and similar fabric choices.  From the apple, to the lemon, to the raspberry is a fresh array of beautiful evening wear.  

     Meadham Kirchhoff fruitfully designed an out of the box and over the top collection, as usual.  From top to bottom, the marshmallow puffed overcoat with azure blue bows trickling down the from made for an unusual and individual look.  The cupcake puff skirt paired with checkered mid-thigh shorts was such a picnic friendly sight to see.  Lastly, to throw a little lemon zest on top, the full body jumper was quite attractive and the whipped cream bows with cherry colored gems put the icing on the cake for Kirchhoff.

Now I'm starving!

Ciao,

Annie May

3 Fall Necessary Accessories!

     Adorn your wrist with a flashy two toned watch this season.  As we are well aware, the stacking of bracelets and watches has become a statement in modern day fashion.  The more the better!  It's easy to mix and match when you have a watch that's in both the silver and gold family.  Watches are no longer made just to tell time.  Pshh, that's old school.  Michael Kors watches are one of my favorites because they are affordable and very fashion forward.  There are so many different shapes and sizes of two toned watches out there so, take your pick.  These pieces are timeless, no pun intended, they have been in style for ages and have yet to timeout, yes pun intended.



















     On those bitter Fall mornings wrap yourself up with a knit scarf.  Scarves have been a trend for a while, especially the knit ones.  To be honest, it's quite simple why they are worn by so many women.  Because they are versatile and almost always appropriate.  I know, I know, I'm not telling you something you don't already know, especially if you are fashion savvy.  But, I do want to tell you that the graphic scarves will be in this Fall, in full swing.  But so will those solid colorful ones.

   


















     OK, so my mom hates them and I love them...head ties.  I don't know if they are taking place of a hat, probably not because there is nothing warm about them, but they are being hated by some and loved by many.  As I was strolling down the streets of the Big Apple, I noticed that these head ties are worn in such a variety of ways.  Generally, with your hair down, they create a nest like shape on top of your head and it's kinda fabulous, when worn right.  I've seen thick ones, thin ones, beaded ones and more.  Depending on the shape of your head, I feel like they can be pretty fun to play with.  Try it out!

Go get em'!

Ciao, 

Annie May

Awkward Change in Season!

     It's that awkward fashion time of year.  When you aren't really sure what to wear because it's in between seasons.  One day you can get away with your skimpy revealing sundress and the other you're searching for that one garment that will keep the cool morning breeze from standing your hair straight up.  I have to confess that I do love the change in seasons because it causes me to dig into my fashion dictionary and mix and match the warm with the cool.  Let's see how these women have mastered the shift in seasons.

Seasons of love!

Ciao, 

Annie May