Fashion Week Staples

Here are some fashion week must haves for half the price! Click on the image to take you to site of origin.

SHOES

DRESSES

TOP FAVORITES

My favorite handbags

I have been a big fan of Nicole Lee's handbags since my best friend Adriana introduced me to them. They are all she carries, no matter the occasion because they go so well with anything and everything. The handbags are statement pieces in and of themselves so if you are having a day where you feel the need to be monotone throughout, grab one of her handbags. Trust me, people will stare, and some people might approach you. Do not worry--this is the general reaction we all get. Trust me, it's worth it.

That being said, we will be giving away four handbags from their Fall 2010 collection to four lucky girls (or boys, that's cool..)

Here are the rules:

Send me an email (my contact information is on the right), with one completed outfit (See here for examples) using one the following handbags from their Fall 2010 line (note that these handbags will not be the handbags Nicole Lee is sending me):

**These are just a small sample of the handbags for their Fall collection, I just picked my favorites.

If you do not happen to be one of the lucky winners, the Fall 2010 collection will be available in stores and online beginning in October. Click here to find a store near you.

You have until September 30th to email me your outfit. I will pick my favorites and post them here. I will post pictures of the handbags they send me, and the first place winner will choose first, second place will choose second, and so on. You get the deal.

Please do not send me emails asking me to give these bags to you as a favor, I will not respond.

Ready, set....GO!

I JUST FOUND THE COOLEST SHOEMAKER

IN THE WHOLE MFKIN WORLD!

Kobi Levi is a genius. Click HERE to see more!

Spasming as I write this.................

Top of the Charts

I recently introduced a friend to Topshop, a trendy store with shops all over the world. She ordered a military inspired coat, and now insists on buying most of her clothing from their website. You may have heard about the store, as Kate Moss is their poster child and has an eponymous line with them. They are known to sell really good quality clothing at really great prices.

I was introduced to Topshop when I did a photo shoot a couple of months ago (I'm a makeup artist) and I kept asking the stylist where she purchased the one-of-a-kind shoes. She referred me to the SoHo boutique, and I have since jumped on the wagon and joined their cult-like following. Here is just a sample of what you can find there *my favorites.

*In a couple of days, I will have these looks completed with matching attire from the Topshop website, styled by a good friend of mine, Gabby. For now, here are the separate pieces:

Reminds me of Valentino this past year. Click here to see more.

Ah...the brogue/loafer. This was introduced a couple seasons ago as menswear hit the trend watch, and it is still in this season. Pair it with an outfit that brogues normally wouldn't be paired with if you want to stand out from the rest. Click here to see more.

I love pairing simple T-shirts with evening wear. You can go from day to night in five seconds flat. Click here to see more.

Clogs are in people! Please make me happy and wear them this fall. Click here to see more.

This is something you won't find anywhere else. People will have their eyes glued to you--the mix of materials, pattern, and texture are so unconventional yet so simple and elegant. Click here to see more.

Jeans, cropped jeans, tortured jeans, jeans that make you look effortlessly badass/hip/sexy. I can see Agyness Deyn in this. Click here to see more.

Pierre Hardy inspired, i'm sure. Sporty casual will never go out of style. Click here to see more.

This shirt/jacket cinches at the perfect spot on the waist, giving you a slimmer, more hourglass figure. I love curves! Click here to see more.

This is not an easy look to pull off, and be careful if you try too hard. Simplicity is key as this is such an overpowering statement jacket/coat. We'll have to wait and see what Gabby pairs this with. It's going to be a challenge for sure! Click here to see more.

The perfect flats for every season minus winter, and for every occasion minus weddings. Click here to see more.

My favorite item of all. I want these on my feet. Now. The chains are so bulky they will make your feet look smaller in contrast. Click here to see more.

Outrageous pants make for an outrageous outfit. *Note: don't wear them as sweatpants. Click here to see more.

Do not, under any circumstances, pair these with the cropped jean jacket shown above. Monotone is a fine look when you're pulling off Margiela but do not try to recreate the look with denim unless you are joining a hippie colony. Click here to see more.

Three Thousand Miles Away...

As New Yorkers, we are sworn under oath to hate anything and everything Los Angeles; we are under the assumption that we have the better coast, better fashion, and a tighter grip on reality than those of the West.

I am (as of very recently) concerned with this ideology, although I myself have bad-mouthed La-La Land for many years. However, I had not taken the time to actually look at anything fashion related that came out of L.A., and any reference made merely distracted me from my arrogant state of mind, but unfortunately not long enough for me to question myself. What I disliked most was the way LAians dressed because they lacked individuality, or perhaps they flourished in it far too long and too many alike. The only trip I took to L.A. was in 2007--there really isn't much I can elaborate on as I was not awestruck by the fashion in even the slightest sense of the word.

It was only until last week that I decided to do a little research after Illia, an L.A. based brand, sent me their look book for their Fall 2010 and Holiday 2010 collections (both will be available in stores and online beginning in October). They just opened a new store on Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA. Their style is some sort of fabulous, and not at all what I had expected from an L.A. brand. It is so very important to understand the diversity of fashion from all over the world. In celebration of me overcoming my ignorance of west coast fashion, I will show you my favorites from both of Illia's look books. Bon Appétit!

......................................

FALL 2010

>>I wear a lot of jackets, and I love to find nice fitting jackets that last me a very long time. They don't have to be expensive, but they do have to be the right material. Not too much polyester, and not too little so it doesn't shrink, it can't be too itchy or too heavy or too flimsy or too see-through, and it has to be the right color as well, and most definitely not too tacky. I love these jackets by Illia because they are so versatile. I can wear them with anything, play them down or up.

Also, take note that a lot of the fall trends this year are going to include western influences, such as brown suede, brown leather, cowboy boots 2.0, fringe, and a wonderful mixture of all of the above.

Asymmetry will always be in. Always.

Be careful when wearing clothes that hang off the body, especially in only one place. If you don't have the right body type for it, it can make you look like you are swimming in fabric, or if you have a slightly larger frame, it can and will make you look chunky if it is the wrong fabric and cut. Also if you have a bigger bust, stay away from anything that would create an unbalanced effect such as too much fabric hanging from that area. This shirt is perfect to wear with skinny jeans or leggings. It can also be paired with a brown trouser for a more professional look.

Holiday 2010

>>For their holiday collection, I see some influences from bigger brand names, more notably Proenza and Lanvin. That is always a good thing if you are going out and want to be noticed. People want to look at what other people are wearing, so if you are wearing something that catches my eye and makes me question the look for even a split second, you deserve my attention and I have my eyes glued to your clothes for the remainder of the night. If I had a dollar for every time I had to explain to someone that it wasn't them I was checking out but rather their ensemble, I would be a VERY large shareholder for LVMH.