Monday, September 30, 2013

Paris Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 4

It’s been a bit rainy in Paris, but that never puts a damper on street style. In fact, the slight dip in temperature has brought out some of the season’s most impressive suiting. Let’s start with Caroline de Maigret in a moss-colored version, smiling—probably because there are few things as fun and comfortable as a cool suit with boots. Vika Gazinskaya puts her own twist on the look: in a blush pink oversize blazer with pale lapels. Moving on, we see a cropped pant worn with classic black Converse and Anya Ziourova in a pair of perfectly tailored Ostwald Helgason tuxedo shorts. If you have Savile Row on the brain for fall, Paris has all your inspiration—so suit up!

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Runway Beauty: "Glowy" Skin and Beachy Waves at Isabel Marant Spring 2014


Isabel Marant’s woman is a study in the kind of uncomplicated French chic that has long been the envy of many an American, a quality that extends as much to the designer’s beauty codes as her approach to clothes. No matter who is doing the hair and makeup each season, the adjectives natural and easy tend to fly around backstage at her shows. 

“[Isabel] had a specific girl in her head, the kind of girl who has come back from vacation and has highlights,” hairstylist Didier Malige explained of the slightly texturized strands he was creating backstage, which were organically parted and thickened with extensions where needed. “It’s almost beachy, without the salt.” He was skipping the usual ubiquitous bottles of ocean spritzes in favor of OSiS+ Hairbody volumizer and Shu Uemura’s Satin Design Polishing Milk for a soft, not “sticky” finish. “Everyone tries to get back to [looking like] this kind of happy and healthy girl,” he surmised.

Paris Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 3

In Paris, fashion statements are always simple but pronounced. At the moment, we’re seeing women rocking at least one bold color in their looks. Take Fan Bingbing in pastel pink, Holli Rogers in hot red, and Ulyana Sergeenko with a pop of royal blue on her turban. The trick is styling your vivid signature with black and white. It’s an effortless way to dress without submitting to monochromatic basics. Maybe it's the answer to the Parisian je ne sais quoi!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Runway Beauty: Futuristic Metallic Brows at Dior Spring 2014

Paris Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 2

Everyone in Paris has been marveling at the good fortune of an Indian summer during Fashion Week, and while some took the sunny skies as a directive to dress equally as bright—such as M.I.A. in rose red prints and booties or Stephanie LaCava in emerald green Carven—others opted for a fall-like approach, regardless of the temperatures outside. Anne-Catherine Frey’s subdued take on camo was a lesson in how to restrain a showy trend, while Chiara Totire’s study in gray displayed how even the dullest of hues, when layered just right, can create a perfect autumnal palette. Another thing to note was the unique look of many of the outfits. A cream-colored coat was backed with a rooster, and  Sarah Chavez's crimson floor length sailor esque coat are both something I haven't seen before. There is no doubt that today PFW is about showing off your own.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Kaleidoscope Crazy

Paris Spring 2014 Fashion Week Part 1

"Welcome to Paris, land of the dramatic statement piece. Voilà: Yasmin Sewell’s sweeping black skirt, and Giovanna Battaglia’s spotted vintage Alaïa dress. These are classics, and yet when you see them on the street at Fashion Week, it’s as if it’s for the first time. Same for Caroline Brasch Nielsen’s Calvin Klein denim overalls (and matching staple Chanel bag), and one showgoer’s stunning Ghesquière-era Balenciaga trench. It doesn’t take much accessorizing, just one incredible favorite."
- Vogue
Paris has always been seen by me as the city where showgoers opt to wear basics. They dress is relatively simple, stylish, not as colorful as Milan FW looks. However, the idea of spring has seemed to inject color in the air - and in fabric.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2014 Review and Runway Photos

Italy can hardly complain that Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana don’t play their part in glorifying their nation: its life-affirming embrace of womanhood, la famiglia, the monuments, the sunshine, the culture. If there’s an Italian tourist department award, by rights these two should win it. What with their depictions of signorine and mamme, lotharios and curates, ragazzi and bambini, their advertising campaigns (let alone the inclusive attractiveness of their clothes) double as Italy’s most visible promotion. As the whole of the Milanese fashion industry has been stirring itself this week to invite visitors to sample the beauties of Italian life, it would be churlish not to acknowledge that Dolce & Gabbana was out there ahead of them, seasons ago.

The collection the designers sent out for spring was roughly part five (it’s hard to keep count) in their long-running serial about Sicily, Domenico Dolce’s place of birth. The thing about that island is that it’s full of archaeology, overlaid with layers and layers of history, religion, drama, and cinematic representation. Endless angles to dig into. This season they excavated the Greco-Roman aspect. Imagine a tour of the Greek ruins at Syracuse in springtime. The other part of the equation was the almond blossom embroidered in sprigs in the ultra-pretty side of the collection. “It’s a dream of Sicily,” said Stefano Gabbana. “Like, you go on holiday to Syracuse or Taormina, and you see the Greek theater, then you come home and dream about it.”

That meant that there were Greek-monument tourist souvenir prints, belts emblazoned with emperor-head medallions, shoes with hilarious Greek-temple columns for heels, and at one point a gladiator girl dressed in a gold tunic constructed, Paco Rabanne–style, of faux Greco-Roman coins, who was walking on gold-and-rhinestone studded sandals. That did not prevent a full display of the kind of dresses Dolce & Gabbana have down pat for every woman who needs to face a summer cocktail party, evening event, twenty-first birthday, illicit rendezvous, wedding, or, indeed, funeral. All conventional female needs are catered for on this runway, from pretty, sparkly hair jewelry to dainty gilded lace kitten-heel slingbacks. It may not have set any new fashion agendas, but who cares? What Dolce & Gabbana do, in all their departments, reaches over the heads of fashion insiders to touch a human chord with a much wider public. Not many can say that.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Milan Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 3

I love a great walking street style shot: a woman on the run, typing on her phone with an invitation tucked under her elbow. But there’s also dynamism in the shots captured when showgoers are standing still. There’s a power stance that comes with wearing clothes that make you feel strong and excite you. Take a look at Nicole Warne: a force in her long yellow blazer and black shorts. Shala Monroque’s pearls are delicate and elegant, but her sunglasses and crisp white dress are all business, meanwhile, Phil Oh captures a model in head-to-toe 3.1 Phillip Lim with her hand on her hip. Getting snapped is expected on the walk into a show, so why not own it?

The Beauty Look For Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2014 RTW

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Anya's Birthday + The Start of a New Series

Send Me Questions, My E-Mail, and More

       THE NATIVE SHOE
                    EMAILS

Video: Teen Vogue October 2013 Issue Favorites

Milan Spring 2014 Fashion Week Part 2

Today in Milan, midlength skirts are all over the sidewalks, but what other hems are sneaking up and down? Here, you can observe three different takes on a simple white shirt and black skirt ensemble: a white button-down with the sleeves rolled to the elbow worn with a miniskirt, another with the sleeves worn down with a midlength zip-front pencil skirt, and a short-sleeve take with a long skirt below the knee. Though they’re rooted in the same basics, they become completely different because of where the garments end. There are other pieces to observe, too, like wide-leg pants cropped to midcalf (all the better to see those metallic mules), and a woven dress whose sleeve ends just above the wrist bone. You see, it’s not just about mixing prints or finding the most unexpected sweater. Leave it to Milan—where tailoring reigns supreme—to make street style all about the proportions.

Milan Spring 2014 Fashion Week Part 1

Bags are where the fun’s at on the streets of Milan today. A fuzzy candy-pink Christopher Kane clutch is a playful complement to a graphic Nasir Mazhar skirt and studded white boots. Zhanna Romashka catches our gaze by matching her cow-print clutch to the heels of her wild shoes (also bearing witness: her Kenzo eye-print jacket, which we’re seeing everywhere), and Elisa Nalin flashes a huge smile as she zips off on the back of a Vespa, holding a cool silk-embroidered Katrin Langer clutch. Then of course there are models toting backpacks in the sun, Candela Novembre holding a bag that has LOVE spelled out on its flap, and Tallulah Harlech dangling a furry monster keychain from her shoulder bag outside Fendi. These fun accessories are bringing out the fanciful side of Milan street style.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

London Spring 2013 Fashion Week Street Style Part 3

When two friends who work in fashion walk side-by-side, it creates a beautiful dialogue between their personal styles. Think Harley Viera-Newton and Poppy Delevingne outside Burberry. Viera-Newton opted for a classic tan trench, while Delevingne wore an oxblood-latex update. It’s like witnessing the evolution of Burberry’s history in one photograph. Next, it’s time to see who’s hanging out in Milan!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Thirteen of My Favorite Nail Art Looks From Spring 2013 NYFW

Looking back, I think my interest in nail art started at dance. To be more clear, from my classmate. She, being Vietnamese, and also born with an amazing passion for art, has developed amazing nail art techniques that she has worn countless time - on her nails. In a school where the uniform is a solid colored leotard, pink tights, and footwear that ranges between the soft cloth ballet-flat to the hard-shanked pointe shoe, nails are a unique avenue to express oneself. Over the years, she has moved the the traditional text-on-the-nail look to more complex designs of marble, roses, balloons, and basically whatever else she can fit in onto her ten fingers. Looking at her nails, I was taken with a special interest in my own nails, and immediately set to look online for more inspiration. One of the chief avenues I've found is Fashion Week. Twice a year, designers show off their clothes in the best possible light - and that includes nail art. While fashion editors are looking at the clothes, beauty editors scrutinize faces, hair, and yes, nails, in search of next season's trends. In this post, I have collected thirteen different manicures from the runways of NYFW (New York Fashion Week) and each with a caption on what polishes were used, as well as how the look was created.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Bella Thorne's NYFW Photo Diary

London Spring 2013 Fashion Week Street Style Part 2

When I think of LFW, I always think of the grunge, punky look. In this city, no one is afraid to go wild, go punk, or go casual. Fashion week is all about the comfort here, and showgoers look to convey that. Here is Susie Lau in a colorful Mary Katrantzou dress, but look again and you see the Meredith Wendell backpack and Nike sneakers. At Topshop Unique they strive to shine in ripped denim, while Marine Deleeuw makes a comfort statement in overalls and Nike sneakers. After all, fashion is the art of expressing yourself, and today it is being expressed just fine.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

London Spring 2013 Fashion Week Street Style Part 1

A few September showers are hardly a surprise in London—there were plenty of smart coats, elegant trenches, and abbreviated trousers being worn by the well-prepared—but what is unexpected is that we’re seeing a slightly more playful take on bracing for the rain this season. One example? Outside J.W. Anderson, cropped bell-bottoms are interesting and efficient; they don’t drag on the wet streets, and they showcase your waterproof footwear, which is where the real story lies. Forget the Wellington boot. The rain-shoe-of-the-moment is a chunky platform—the London fashion crowd is clearly taking the night road this fall.

Preen Spring 2014 Favorites

Seeing the Preen Spring 2014 collection, the first thing that popped into my mind was kaleidoscopes. Multi colored, brightly hued, uniquely designed, mixtures of light and color. Preen's latest collection evoked a sense of modernity that looked like an exhibit in a modern art museum - new and pleasing to the eye. Footwear was outfitted with standard white, but the straps were a collection of bright pinks, greens, matte grays, and robin's egg blue. Undoubtedly, this spring will be a sea of color and creativity.

Richard Nicholl Spring 2014 Favorites

The London show schedule is so overpacked these days that Richard Nicoll, who has an accessible line in tailored daywear, ended up showing his collection after dark in a subterranean carpark. Well, needs must when there’s so much to fit in, but it wasn’t an ideal atmosphere for viewing a summertime wardrobe. Sunshine and a brisk, edited breakfast presentation over coffee would have served his purpose better. 

That said, Nicoll has a formula for spring which efficiently fits in with the trend criteria for the season: plenty of white, layered transparencies over a base of camisoles and slip dresses, shorts, the illusion of double and treble hemlines that are appearing everywhere. Also, stripes made a returning statement in not only black in white but a new palette of pinks, grays, and woven threads of silver. The show alternated (in rather too-clockwork repetition) between the jackets he’s good at (light bikers, blazers, tailored vests, and sleeveless coats), and variations on the raised-waist structured dresses that are a strong commercial seller for him. Throughout, there was a play on dogtooth pattern in sheer knits and fille-coupe fabrics. In other words, this was Nicoll playing safe and reinforcing what he knows his customer buys.

Marchesa Spring 2014 Runway Show


Looking back at what my blog was almost a year ago, I find it hard to believe that time has flown by so fast. It seems only yesterday that I was dreaming of making my voice heard on a blog, no matter how small. Something I saw to be pretty popular were my runway favorites. I, honestly, got bored with having to choose favorites from endless collections, so I decided to quit doing them. Also, it was around that time that I wanted to try and do outfit posts, so I decided to try and make my blog all about my own images, my own outfits, my own beauty looks, and I have only recently begun to expand back into fashion week photos, as well as street style snaps and trend reports. Nevertheless, here is my runway favorites brought back in a more exquisite, complete mode. Instead of choosing just a few snaps of certain runway looks, I'm doing the entire collection, (yes, the entire one) and also providing detailed shots of fabric, necklines, shoes, accessories, and more so as to truly see the beauty and splendor of this collection.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 7

Street style on the last day of New York Fashion Week is pretty graphic. Shooting outside Jeremy Scott, photographer Phil Oh captured legendary stylist Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele sporting a mind-bending optical illusion tracksuit, and model Ruby Jean Wilson toting a fresh-from-backstage bag emblazoned with a rainbow TV No Signal color block. And aside from plaids and Goyard bags, there was Natalie Joos's sweeping caped dress, resembling blue china with gold leaf. As we move on to London, these popping prints will keep New York emblazoned in our minds (or at least, on the Pinterest boards).

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

I Just Wanted To Say...


Today is the twelfth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and I just wanted to ...

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 6

The beginning of the week was all about jeans and sweaters, so it's exciting to see colorful skirts and dresses making an appearance. There are hemlines of varying lengths, but a dressier vibe all-around. For these elegant women on the sidewalk, it's less street-style and more just—style.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Video: The Beauty Look For The Jason Wu Spring 2014 Runway Show

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 5

One accessory that has been on the street as of late is the bike helmet—the statement staple of the season, introduced as a compliment to the convenient Citi Bikes. An obvious perk (aside from exercise and keeping green) is the front basket. Perfect for tossing in a clutch between shows. Of course, not all fashion is always bike-friendly, but it seems like many showgoers and models off-duty are divvying up their looks according to planned transport. Jeans for cycling days, slit Céline skirts and billowy dresses for the rest. For those of us in school, think about riding your bike to school for a few days. You will soon find that with the quick, independent transportation, you will be pretty happy with it.

Vogue's Cynthia Smith's Jewelry Styling

I literally live for Vogue's Five Days Five Looks One Girl posts. Basically what they are is this; every once in a while, (I think they are posting them every month, but I haven't checked yet) vogue.com posts an article in which one of their editors, fashion assistants, ect. are followed for five days by a photographer and photographed. Well, at least what they're wearing is. Then, once all the photos are in one place, the special woman in question goes back and talks about the story of each part of her five outfits in detail. After reading the latest one here, I was immediately struck with the idea of showcasing some of the jewelry that was photographed. Ever since I started reading these posts, I have noticed the great way the Vogue girls assemble their outfits, particularly their jewelry, which really catches my eye in terms of beauty and styling quality. Here, Cynthia Smith, Vogue Fashion Associate, stars in this arrangement of jewelry looks.

Monday, September 9, 2013

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 4

There are two sides to the fashion spectrum at play this week: the ladylike and the ultrastreet. Some other equal-but-polar-opposites: Miroslava Duma in a ladylike but daring multi-colored mini dress versus model Shu Pei’s slip-on sneakers and Brian Lichtenberg’s popular Homies sweatshirt. Or Nadia Sarwar
with bleached eyebrows and nose ring and earring connected with a long, silvery chain. Then there are the women who play both sides brilliantly, depending on the day. For example, Susie Lau wears Whistles camouflage accessorized with a pair of white headphones draped around her neck while just the day before, she wore a neon pink ASOS dress. Whether sweet or street, however, what’s exciting is that every look is a statement. There are no apathetic in-betweeners in New York this week.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Gloomy Therapy


Dress; Xhilaration, Shoes; Kelly and Katie, Clip-on earrings and rings (not shown); Vintage

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 3

The cool thing about a palette like black-and-white is that the spareness allows the details of construction to shine through. Just compare the silhouettes on Emily Weiss and Caroline de Maigret at Alexander Wang. The crisp contrast makes Weiss's thigh-high boots even more jaw-dropping, and de Maigret's oversize blouse and trousers sit away from her body in a way that's elegant and effortless. Miroslava Duma and Lily Kwong are also in on the classic color combo (or lack thereof), proving that sometimes the most basic ideas in fashion can be the most inspiring when brought to the street.

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 2

New York Fashion Week is crazy for denim this season. We’re seeing the comfy blue weave in countless iterations: on models off duty worn with cool jackets and blazers; shredded pants on editors on the go; and boyfriend jeans slung around the hips with a chic belt. It’s unlikely that many of the women in these photographs are headed home to tend their farm after the shows (Hanneli Mustaparta’s white overalls make us wonder, though), but so far, on the street, the classic all-American fabric is winning out over its high-fashion counterparts.

Friday, September 6, 2013

New York Spring 2014 Fashion Week Street Style Part 1

Is it just me, or is comfort a big trend happening on the streets of New York this season? Sneakers and loafers seem to be the shoes of choice (not to mention summer’s favorite comeback: the Birkenstock sandal), worn with easy dresses and blazers. Also, the brand of choice seems to be simplicity-full Celine. A patchwork denim dress is paired with a sleek, low ponytail, and a feminine floral-print skirt is worn with a clean white tee. Showgoers may just be warming up to being back on the grind, but in any case, casual ease looks great on everyone.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

From Fashion's Eyes: The Models, Editors, and Designers Share Their First Day of NYFW Photos

For those of us "stuck" in our homes during fashion week, the internet is always our best source for what is going on at the moment - this time in NYFW (New York Fashion Week). Collected here are just a fraction of behind the scene shots scrounged up from social media sites where the members of the fashion world are present. I might be doing more of these behind the scene shots, but it all depends on the success of this post, as well as my time limit. So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this post!


jasonwustudio
via instagram
It's show time ya'll!!!!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

What To Expect For This Coming Fashion Month's Street Style

One of my very favorite parts of the fashion weeks are seeing the fantastic street style looks. I, personally, can't wait for the start of fashion month - I am eagerly awaiting the new street style looks almost as much as seeing the collections, if just on the internet. As to give you all an idea on what to expect (even if you can't expect anything when it comes to fashion), I have put together an array of photos from past fashion weeks, all from Australia to Milan to London to Paris, not to mention the Big Apple. Hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Tip: Hairspray Not Just For Hair

There are so many things you can do with just the ordinary, household and/or things that you already have in your bathroom or in your possession. The first of this is ............ Hairspray! Today I have three tips for this product - one fashion related, one beauty related, and one pointe shoe related. At least one tip for every kind of girl!