Living The Daydream Of Valentino

I want to live in the dresses of Pierpablo Piccilo’s Autumn 2017 collection. And, while I’m inhabiting his daydream, clothed in his tunics and frocks, I’ll reside at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild where he unearthed his romantic, strong and vibrant collection fit for a modern-day princess.

Piccilo’s mood boards were a study in the fusion of opposites: Victoriana and Memphis Group — an Italian design and architecture group founded in Milan by Ettore Sottsass in 1981, and inspired by Art Deco, Pop Art, and the emerging postmodernism movements. Nathalie du Pasquier and George Sowden were cited by Piccilo as his main influencers, with fabric designer Pasguier priming his numbers, serial florals and hand motif graphics.

There were plenty of the beautifully intricate, high-waisted and high-necked Victoriana dresses that have been a house staple of late, but it was the Memphis inspirited dresses that really stole my heart. The flowing, waistless, knee-length dresses in lemon yellow satin, colorful sequins, and black and white patterned prints, along with the hands and numerals print maxi dresses, paired with rugged to-the-knee boots that will surely be touted in all the upcoming fall fashion magazine issues.

Now excuse me while I go buy my lottery tickets, a girl has to finance her daydream somehow.

Valentino’s To Die For Accessories:

See the entire collection Valentino Autumn 2017 Collection here.

Some of my other favorite from the Paris collections.

Christian Dior // Dries Van Noten // Loewe // Nina Ricci // Balmain // Mugler // Balenciaga // Off White // Rochas // Chloe  All Autumn 2017

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Our Best Backstage Photos From Paris Fashion Week’s Fall 2017 Shows

Styling Tips By Kristin

Neck to knee leather doesn’t have to be gothic or ultra-edgy. Cameron Diaz, proves the point in her dress by The Row, seen here at the London premiere of The Other Woman. Keep it uber simple and chic by pairing minimal jewelry, simple hair and nude pumps like Cameron’s Manolo Blahniks.

Jamie Chung, at a screening of Only Lovers Left Alive in NYC, sports the perfect transitional look. Lend a casual cool vibe to your ensemble by pairing leather skinnies  with a floral sleeved varsity jacket, and navy pumps.

At the Montblanc Celebrates 90 Years of Meistruck event in NYC, Chanel Iman sports the cut-out trend splendidly. To stay ladylike stylish keep accessories to a minimum and shoes in the same color family. A-line skirts are a must when baring a lot of skin.

Seen here at the Marianne Williamson event in LA, Kim Kardashian proves wearing all black doesn’t have to be boring. Try a skin baring bustier paired with draped satin pants, try adding a tailored jacket to keep the look clean. Bring in a pop of color via minimal accessories – sleek necklace, small clutch with matching strappy sandals.

Emma Stone tries on the tailored masculine look in Balenciaga while hosting an Earth Hour event in Singapore. Keep the hues neutral and the lines clean, top it off with a sexy pair of heeled sandals to preserve a feminine vibe.

Sporty, sexy, casual and downright chic, Miranda Kerr, took her fresh style to the Reebok Skyscape party in Tokyo. To create your own sporty style, try bright flirty lips and soft luscious wavy hair for a dose of femininity. And remember to keep jewelry subtle and to a minimum.

Also at the Marianne Williamson event in LA, Katy Perry dons two hot trends – floral and cutout – in one smashing dress. Always keep your skirt length on the longer side when baring your midriff to keep it classy. And, you don’t have to be Katy to add a pop of neon color to your hair to let loose your fun side.

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Say Good Bye To Paris (For Now)

“I was in search of simplicity,” Ackermann said backstage, and women around the world are rejoicing. Not only did he create lucidity within the clothes he sent done the runway, but a collection with a chic, elegant and graceful slant on the menswear for women trend. A collection that will make you want to, as Ackermann encouraged his models, “to face life with gracefulness and just go.”

Standouts were those incredible snake-skin cropped pants, short jackets that had the designer’s signature pinched peplum at the back, and black crepe dresses — one whose top’s fabric delicately skimmed down the body until mid-thigh. Brilliant!!

More of my favorite exits from Paris’ Fall 2014 collections.

Clockwise from top left: Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Christian Dior Heel, Lanvin, Christian Dior – All Fall 2014.

Canne’s Best Looks – Nicole Kidman A Standout

Hollywood, actors, models and directors from around the world descended upon the French Riviera yesterday. The 2013 Cannes Film Festival will showcase over 90  movies – with about 20 films competing for the Palme d’Or, from May 15th to May 26th. Yet movies aren’t the only draw at Cannes, hundreds of gowns will grace the red carpet. Between all the many screenings, cocktail parties and charity events, celebrities can make up to 3 changes a day – Nicole Kidman donned Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior and Dior Haute Couture, and looked divine in each one!

Here are a few of my favorite look from day 1 of the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

Group 1 – clockwise from top left: Elizabeth Debicki, Nicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen, Cary Mulligan in Christian Dior, Zhang Ziyi in Dior Haute Couture, Naomie Harris in Calvin Klein Collection, Cara Delevingne In Burberry.

Group 2 – clockwise from top left: Cary Mulligan in Balenciaga, Solange Knowles In Stephane Rolland, Lana Del Rey, Nicole Kidman in Dior Haute Couture.

Resort 2013 – European Invasion Part 1

European designers invaded New York last week with their Resort 2013 collections. The precurser to spring collections were full of vibrant hues, soft appealing pastels and cheerful prints – with the focus on floral prints so vivid you could almost smell them. In fact, these collections were so uplifting you wonder why they were shipped over to New York, with the state of Europe’s economy they could have used them to brighten their days.

Gucci’s streamlined, gorgeous 70’s tinged collection is thus far my favorite collection. Frida Giannini created the perfect resort collection – something for vacations, the girl who has to remain in the city to work and the delectable runway pieces everyone wants to see.

Pantsuits in denim blue and lavender with elongated jackets and low-slung, skinny flares along with A-line shifts and long narrow evening numbers in solid shades of yellow, turquoise green, and raspberry were all stand-outs. But the star of the show was the Flora print (originally lifted from a fifties Gucci scarf made for Grace Kelly) finding its way on to everything from a fresh white linen pea coat to tapered pants to long column dresses.

I can’t get Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli’s long tulle dress appliquéd with lace flowers off my mind. The high neck, sheer long sleeves and declotte and full skirt made for a stunning show-opener. The designer’s Andy Warhol portrait paintings lined resort mood board was the inspiration for the opening dresses and much of the rest of the collection’s color palette – neon pinks, sky blues, electric oranges .

This is a collection full of party ensembles – dresses in floral brocade, guipure lace and chiffon with a smattering of  tapered ankle length trousers paired with flirty peplum tops. The single pantsuit in the collection came in a leopard print which also made its way onto a pink/purple silk chiffon tiered dress. Another stand out in MC and PP’s feminine but hardly demure collection (it’s one full of attitude) is the exquisite guipure lace emerald-green pantsuit.

A surprise discovery of costumes that Cristobal Balenciaga made for a ballet performance of Ravel’s Boléro in the 1930’s inspired Nicolas Ghesquière’s resort 2013 collection. Not just the fluidity but also the color palette – baby blue, baby pink, and a barely there shade of yellow he called bergamot. There was a hard/soft motif that played throughout, classic draping fabrics like jersey and chiffon georgette were married with a scubalike and stiffer neoprene fabrics that created sculptural, three-dimensional ruffles.

Look for European Invasion Part 2 tomorrow.

First group of 4 photos – Gucci Resort 2013  2nd group of 4 – Valentino Resort 2013  3rd group of 4 – Balenciaga Resort 2013.

Spring’s Color Trends

Fashion trends seem to change pretty quickly these days, and this time of year can be a bit confusing because the weather still feels like Winter but the stores are stocking up on Spring like it’s 80 degrees out. Mix and match the bright colors that will be on trend for spring, which are bright pink, yellow, blue and green, with winter blacks and grays to get a head start. Once Spring truly arrives these colors will transition well with shorts and white skinny’s.

Minka Kelly was seen at the Art of Elysium gala in a bright yellow Oscar de la Renta gown and Tiffany & Co. jewels.

Taking her usual fashion-forward stance, Diane pairs her yellow-and-blue chiffon Prada gown with bold House of Lavande bracelets and a hot-pink Prada clutch.

Katherine Middleton’s little sis Pippa livened up her plaid Maje shirt and black Zara blazer with pink jeans by SuperDry.

A royal blue canvas and neon pink patent form a graphic design that create a hint of structure on a fun Balenciaga tote. Use it now as a laptop case and pack it later with a towel, a book and a bottle of wine and you’ve got an instant vacation—no beach required ($945;Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière Seashore Tote www.balenciaga.com).

The Real Real – The Luxury Online Consignment Storeomail.com

There are a lot of great consignment stores in every major city, but when it comes to shopping online the selection narrows quite a bit. Thank God for The Real Real.com, a new luxury designer resale store that opened (online) this past July, and is the first one to offer stylist-selected, amazingly priced designer luxury items as flash sales.

RealReal was started by Marcy Carmack and Julie Wainwright, both who are San Francisco based.  After moving to San Francisco, Marcy launched her west coast styling business in 2003 and was soon voted Best of the Bay by San Francisco magazine. Marcy does personal styling, for both men and women, styles fashion shows, photo shoots and does large-scale costuming for parties. Ms. Wainwright has over 25 years of consumer and deep consumer internet experience. She founded Pet.com in 1995 and is recognized by various media sources as a leader and pioneer in the Internet.

There are 2 types of memberships at RealReal, The first look membership, which is for the serious shopper who loves a fabulous deal and the perk of early access. As an exclusive member, sales are available 24 hours in advance starting on Sunday at 10am PST and continuing throughout the week for only $5 per month. The General membership is for those who love a great deal, and who doesn’t. Daily sales become available starting Monday at 10am PST and membership is free. Enjoy both memberships and customize your experience with style profile to receive personal messages have sizes and styles.

The RealReal carries over 100 top designers and their stylists comb some of the world’s most fashionable closets to bring you their well curated selection of previously-owned jewelry, accessories, and clothing–from Hermes and Louis Vuitton to Balenciaga and Chanel–at up to 90 percent off retail price.

Marcy and Julia are as devoted to quality, style, and fantastic deals as they are to charitable organizations and environmental causes; each make the world a happier, healthier place. Expect to see future fundraising events on the site.

For all you insomniacs, you can now cruise the network 24/7 for designer goodies with out spending a fortune. The best of both worlds.

Go to realreal.com to sign up now!

Clockwise from top left: Chanel Military Jacket $350.00, D & G Asymetrical Print Top $75.00, Current Elliot Skinny Jean $45.00, Sergio Rossi Suede Heel Boot $ 125.00,