Playing with Metallics

Trends: Fall '10

Coming from the Spring ’10 runways, we saw lots of pattern and pattern mixing from stripes and plaids to outrageous graphic and futuristic prints. The military inspired dressing took off, especially at Balmain and we saw sporty-inspired garb by Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang. And there was no shortage of sheer fabric and exposed lingerie, think bustiers and bra straps under sheer tops and leggy hemlines, think really high slits and short shorts.

As we look to the Fall ’10 collections of Lanvin, Prada, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang, we see some predominant trends emerge and things look, well, rather somber. The color palette has gone very muted with camels, grays and blacks reigning the runways. We see the return of the suit, loose and three-pieced at Marc Jacobs and fitted and deconstructed at Alexander Wang. We see shimmery, crushed velvet mostly in pants and a deep red dress at Alexander Wang. Prada, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang all showed us oversized chunky knits that added a bit of color.

Fur seems to be making quite a showing. We saw it in big, full coats at Lanvin and used as an accent along collars and hemlines at Marc Jacobs. And perhaps the most overarching trend we see, across all four of these collections, is the dropping hemlines, in skirts that hit below the knee, mid-calf and longer, in sweaters and jackets that hit below the hip bone and coats and dresses down to the knee and below.

Fur

Marc Jacobs

Lanvin

Velvet

Alexander Wang

Marc Jacobs

Heavy Knits

Alexander Wang

Prada

Keeping It Long

Lanvin

Alexander Wang

Suits: Three-piece and Otherwise

Marc Jacobs

Alexander Wang

images: style.com

Emmanuelle Alt Style: Vogue Paris April '10

models.com

Emmanuelle Alt's styling for this editorial is impeccable. I swoon over the seemingly irreproducible combinations...blue floral, fringe, fur, red and white polka dots, stripes, chains, strands of beads...all woven together into the perfect study on mixing texture, color and pattern. Love.

Spring Flowers

I went a little overboard on the floral for a very springtime inspired, Easter day bloom of flowers, color and cheeriness.

Do you Polyvore?

It's like publishing my own little online fashion magazine, where I'm part Anna W. and get to pick what goes on the pages and part Marc J. creating mood boards for inspiration and creative spark...if you haven't signed up yet, you probably should.

Barneys Picks

I always love when my Barneys catalog comes in the mail, it has such attitude. The photography and styling are awesome and it inspires me to start compiling a "if i had this, then i would buy this" list. Here are the top three shoe picks on my list for spring..the metallic wedge, the buckled, open-toe wedge, and the cork lace-up...so want.

From Day...

...to Night

This gray, harem-style onesie from Cop.Copine is a total favorite of mine, and goes so easily from downtown daytime outing to Saturday night birthday bash.

For day, I belted it with my coin-studded Furla belt, put on my stripped Marc Jacobs cardigan, a couple of bangles, a primary color vintage scarf and my Stuart Weitzman t-strap sandals and I was ready to go.

For evening, I layered it with my Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent metallic, drapey top, accessorized with my World Market earrings and cuff, Nine West jeweled bracelet and my own ring. And then finished it off with my MaxStudio heels and Barney's Co-op clutch.

Trench Try-On

I picked up these four different style trenches, all pretty classic in color, and tried them on for a little show-and-tell. The 3.1 Phillip Lim trench was a less structured, more feminine interpretation that made me feel pretty while the Calvin Klein version had clean lines and felt very crisp and fresh. I loved the fuller shape and shorter hemline of the H&M version that was a nice variation on the classic, straight lines. And of course the classic Burberry made me feel extra sophisticated and like I was wearing a coat that knew exactly who it was supposed to be.

3.1 Phillip Lim $695

Calvin Klein $128

H&M $59.95

Burberry $795

The Trench

Carine Roitfeld has a zebra one, John Galliano closed his Spring 2010 Dior show sporting one, Scott Schuman photographed 100 stylish people wearing them and for years Burberry has been telling us to own one, the trench.

For Spring, Burberry and Dior showed modern, feminine interpretations on the classic trench, with ruched sleeves, leggy hemlines, and softer colors.

Burberry Prorsum S/S 2010 Dior S/S 2010

images: zimbio.com, nymag.com, artofthetrench.com