Fashion Week In Istanbul!

     A month long span of fashion shows was not enough for these apparel lovers so, off they jet to the land of the Turk's.  Week five of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week has come and gone and was held in the colorful, exotic, spicey city of Istanbul, Turkey.  If you're thinking, "I've had Fahion Week up to my eyeballs" then at least relish the cultural infusion you've received as you've travelled the globe hot on the heels of the latest and greatest.  I personally don't think anyone has had that thought ever - so let's proceed!  We (people that obsess, drool and die over fashion) are getting to see the world, through our Jackie O sunglasses, and it's quite fabulous, actually.  Besides the absurd Turkish baths, the rainbow spice markets and the unbelievable mosaic Mosques, what did the Turk's show us? 
     Among many wonderful trends that were revealed during Istanbul Fashion Week I found myself asking the question, "Did I miss the revolution where undergarments became acceptable to be well, visible street style?"  Isn't the operative word here "under"?  Clearly, because it was a pattern among these designers that the exposure of undergarments is acceptable in fact, it's in style and if you are lacking coverage than so be it!  This reoccurring theme (or lack there of!) between designers wasn't your average cheery floral print or high low skirt trend.  I mean, I suppose their motto is 'less is more'.  Who really knows?  I guess I am going to have to take the plunge and let my granny panties peek out for the world to see.  If Turkey is doing it, why not bring it stateside?   That does it on my coverage - so to speak - on Fashion Week - Istanbul!
     

Elif Cığızoğlu

Elif Cığızoğlu

Red Beard
No slip required here!

Red Beard
Or here!

ADL+CENGİZ ABAZOĞLU

ATILKUTOGLU 

BEGÜM SALİHOĞLU COUTURE
Don't even need a top!

BEGÜM SALİHOĞLU COUTURE
Free ballin'!

Images thanks to mbfashionweek.com!

 Less is more and nothing is more!

Ciao, 

Annie

The Milan Fashion Shoe!

    The clothing that circulated during Milan Fashion Week was wondrous but the shoes, they were extraordinary.  These agile photographers can really get down and dirty to get the perfect shot and not even one blurry heel, amazing!  It seems to me that we are expecting a wide variety of style for Fall 2013.  I'm not here to talk about the clothing though.  I'm talking below the belt, like way below the belt, all the way to the floor in fact, to the soul!

       Above we have designs from the talented Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.  For years they have been capturing inspiration from the tiny Italian island of Sicily and have been transforming these ideas into exceptional collections.  Each shoe has been carefully put together to represent the Venetian and Byzantine mosaics that harken back to the twelfth-century cathedral that sits quietly in the city of Monreale.  This bejeweled look transcends the entire collection and really makes the footwear elegant and intricate.  Looking like they came right out of the twelfth-century Dolce & Gabbana store (no, that didn't exist), these shoes really bring the time period to life and the fabric and jewel choice could not have been any better.

         

     And Salvatore Ferragamo...one of the sleekest, sharpest and minimalistic brands of Italian fashion.  Massimiliano Giornetti, the creative director, was previously a menswear designer.  So, he did what he knew best and carried over his menswear past to his women's wear present.  Worked pretty darn well if you ask me!  This construction, not fit for comfort, but made so clean and sharp that you wonder if anyone really cares about comfort?  The entirety of his collection was understated with such grace that his accessories shined, not just because they were patent leather either.  They were a bit edgier than the clothing, but still followed that sleek look Giornetti was going for.
     The shoe market is just thriving.  It always amazes me from season to season when I come across shoes that I've never seen before.  I mean, how many different shoe designers can there be?  And not only do we see new and exciting shoes from season to season, but it changes from designer to designer.  Ahhh, I love it!

     Next Up, Paris Fashion Week!

Ciao,

Annie

When Jealousy Took Over!

     As I was groggily walking back to my apartment after a day of sorting out size 7X muumuus I received a text message from my Aunt.  It reads, "Can you please get L and D from your uncle's office on your way back from work and bring them to the apartment, M and I are heading to a fashion show, tell you more later!"  I take a glance at the message and to avert walking into a tree I didn't fully finish reading it, I just decided to call to make things easier and less dangerous, for all.  She clarifies that she no longer needs me to fetch the kids and that, "the thing didn't last as long as I thought."  So, I frantically hung up because I was going under ground, where the rats party and the service sucks!    Gasping for air once I hit Christopher Street, I decided to reread my messages just to avoid that awkward eye contact with the women that stand outside of the lotion store and asks me everyday, "Can I ask you something?"  NO, you cannot ask me something!
     As I near the end of the message I see fashion show.  Wait, WTF, fashion show, they are going to a fashion show and I am on Washington?  That's so wrong in so many ways.  Not the kind of wrong when you're heading into the dressing room and grab a size 2, but you meant to grab a 4.  It's the kind of wrong when you buy the 2, get home and try it on, only to realize that you can't zip it up and that it was a $300 final sale.  It was that kind of wrong.  So, needless to say, I called her.  She gleefully answers, "Annie, i'll explain as soon as we get to the apartment."  Well, those 5 minutes felt like 5 hours.
     So, they walk in the door with a goodie bag that consists of Karen Walker's new look book along with a shleeda pair of $345 dollar glasses.  We sat.  They proceeded to tell me that a friend of a friend got them tickets and from there on all I heard was blablabla because my jealousy took over.  Fast forward to right now as I'm laying on my bed writing this post.  I noticed that they never mentioned seeing any bloggers or fashion icons.  I yelled to the other room, "Did you b****'s see anyone worth crying over?"  The answer was no and that made me feel a little better.  Until this.  I pulled up a picture of Leandra Medine, The Man Repeller.  I said, "Not even Leandra?"  After all, last week she posted a whole page on the lovely Karen Walker, she must have been present for her show.  M comes a bit closer to the screen and then lets out this earth shattering scream, "Yesssssss, she was front row, had a stunning red skirt on with a red lip and bangs!"  My thoughts - should I hit her right here and right now? - but then I realized she was 10-years-old, so I refrained.
     Now you can see that not only new fashions and trends come out during fashion week, but the claws do as well.  I know that there is no crying during fashion week, but hell, I was tearing up when I realized my 10-year-old cousin went to a Karen Walker fashion show and saw Leandra Medine AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT!

Leandra Medine

Karen Walker Shades

Blogger envy!

Ciao, 

Annie

No Rest For The Wicked!

     Well folks, fashion week is creeping up right around those sewing machine corners.  February 7th-14th is the showing of the Fall 2013 designer collections.  Per usual, Mercedes Benz fashion week will start out with designers like Nicholas K and Kenneth Cole then come to a grand finale with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.  We have all seen the pre-fall collections, right?  And, designers have been saying that those mini collections are a great indication of what is to come.  It's kinda like taking a sneak peek at some of your presents before Christmas, but when the day actually arrives you are completely surprised by the things you didn't find (great analogy, I know!).  I anticipate that we will be seeing lots of quilted pieces, an array of colored outerwear, and everything inspired by menswear.  How about those leopard spots?  Looks like we will still be seeing them trouncing around the streets.  Oh, those tartan plaids, the Irish in me says yes!  And of course, the black and white trend that has adopted the trickle down theory each and every season, this one just isn't going to fade so, hold on and get ready for the ride.  Here are some of my favorite pre-fall designs and I hope we see more like them next week.  But, we all need that little surprise factor that I know those slaving designers are preparing to show us.

Chloé

Chloé

   

BCBG

BCBG

     

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Alice & Olivia

Alice & Olivia

It's almost here, hold your horses!

Ciao, 

Annie

The One And Only!

     Can we first focus on the unusual eco-friendly "runway" set up that we saw in the hall of the Grand Palais.  It appeared to have been made from solar panels that lay side by side with the occasional wind turbine that sprouted up in forest like form.  Karl Lagerfeld wanted to use these turbines because he said they were "beautiful modern architecture".  I think Karl was looking to connect the idea of future technology with fashion.  He used fun and playful accessories like large Lucite handled bags and wide brimmed molded plastic hats.  In my opinion, these are all extreme but somehow, maybe just because it's Chanel, it worked.  There were 80 looks that paraded down the runway from denim, the original Chanel tweed, long sophisticated evening gowns, linen, to beachy numbers.  There was so much going on in this collection that I decided to break it down into three sections, the ones that stood out the most to me.
 

     First, pearls, pearls, pearls and more pearls.  I noticed that the signature braids and chains were not a focus at this fashion show, but pearls were.  Leave it to Karl to change things up, throw a curve ball, mix and match...you get it.  Out of the ordinary, they were used to adorn dresses, cuffs, jackets and more.  But, holy shit, they were also used as necklaces.  Huge chokers with pearls the size of golfballs heavily adorned the necks of these tiny models and it was to die for.  This little pearl collection, within the large one, consisted of the wonderful, black and white.  These styles were stiff and gave the models bodies a break, allowing them to breath a little, unusual I know.  This look is unique, just like finding a pearl in a clam.

     Onto the cropped tweed half jackets.  Ok, unless you are a tiny little fairy with no mid section, these were a bit funny, if that's not a sin for me to say.  I know the cropped look has been in for a while but I feel like it's out dated now but, Karl has proved me wrong.  If you look carefully you can see that all the collars were slightly different.  We saw an oversized lapel, puritan collar, mock turtle necks and more.  There was an unusually wide variety of colors used in these baby jackets, but I liked it.  Ok, so they are starting to grown on me a little.

     Lastly, the feather burst of colorful fabric hanging off of well, everywhere.  I know it's atypical but I actually love it.  It's so curiously different that it's just fabulous.  The shag that hung off the delicate black sheer fabric give you something to ruffle over.  The extreme pants and tunic with furry cuffs shouts, "lions mane, gone colorfully wrong", but who cares?  I'd roar while wearing it and look chic doing so.  There really isn't much to say about this, just look, quietly and observe it.

       Chanel makes a statement all the time.  It's over the top and that's why everyone loves it.  But alongside the innovations, there was a set of skilled hands that touched each and every garment on this runway.  Lagerfeld did a wonderful job reinventing the ever so simple windmill with three-dimensional embroidery and collections of fabric.  Fashion changes with the times and this world is only getting more technological and modern as it goes on.  Good future thinking, Karl.

Ciao, 

Annie

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