Christopher Kane for Topshop

I don't really shop at Topshop too much, I admire from afar but I shop there very seldom. I think it's kind of overpriced, especially since a lot of the items are so trendy that they will go out of style soon. However, I just laid my eyes on Christopher Kane's latest collaboration with Topshop and I may just have to start saving my money now. I love so many of the 39 pieces Kane created for the store, not to mention the shoes are gorgeous! Here are my favorites below, now I just have to decide which one piece to spend my money on...perhaps the crocodile dress, but I bet every girl will be walking around in that one (there's a tee version too), so then maybe one of the beautiful black dresses, but I already own a lot of black, so maybe a colorful baby-doll dress or the embellished tights are also a big contender. I just can't pick one, but thankfully I have a couple of weeks until the line hits stores to decide!


(Pictures via Nymag.com)

Working 9 to 5

So my 2nd day in NYC I landed a fantastic internship and I'm loving every minute of it! I think the only thing stressing me out about this new job is finding something stylish and chic to wear to work every day. This is especially difficult since I am not living in my own place yet and so all my clothes are in 4 very unorganized suitcases. Anyways on to the point of this post, while browsing through my favorite fashion sites last night I found two collections that I would love to wear to work. Unfortunately as I am only interning now, I will not be able to afford these clothes for a while, but at least they can inspire me when I get dressed in the morning!

Firstly I stumbled upon Chloe Sevigny's line for Opening Ceremony, which was designed brilliantly to be unisex. The collection is made up of clean basics that when styled together create simple, yet effortlessly chic looks for men or women. The black skinny pants are especially cute when paired with the pink plaid button down and I love the sleek look of the wide-leg pants as well. I also like the scarf pullover sweater, which shows influence from one of Chloe's favorite designers, Miguel Adrover. All these pieces can be easily mixed and matched with one another or other items in your closet OR even your boyfriend's closet, since as Chloe shows us here unisex is the new black!
The second collection that I would love to wear to work is a more affordable diffusion line from Swedish label Minimarket, adorably called Mini for Many! I love the colors incorporated into this collection, the bubblegum pink, silver, and rich orange combine wonderfully with the neutrals. There is also a great variety of styles including skinny pants, flirty summer dresses, sleek pencil skirts, and striped espadrilles. Oh and these images are definitely making me want to try out the equestrian cap! Overall I think Mini for Many is full of fun and sweet pieces that are still chic and smart enough for the 'fashionable' office.


(Pictures via Openingceremony.us and Refinery29.com)

Boys & Girls

Check out this music video by Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette! All the clothes are designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, and the master himself even makes a cameo!

XOXO

Back in May I posted my predictions for Anna Sui's collaboration with Target and now the pics of the actual collection are finally here. Overall I think my picks were pretty accurate and I can't wait to buy some of these pieces when they come out in September! Check out how Sui created 4 different styles inspired by Gossip Girl's 4 girls (click to enlarge):

BLAIR

I think this is pretty right on for Blair- the blue shirt dress would be great for school/work and the white lace number is so sweet!

SERENA
I really love the 2nd dress, the embellishment on the neckline is so unique and I also like the jacket and skirt oufit, I would definitely wear that! However I think this line could be more 'Serena', it needs some more color and a little more boho chic.

JENNY
I think Sui got it right for Jenny except I think Little Miss J would accessorize more to add a bit more edge. The lace dress with the diamond cutout is my fave and I like the layering of the 4th outfit.

VANESSA
These outfits are cute but I don't understand the sole use of autumnal oranges and browns. I think Sui could have mixed it up a bit more here to show Vanessa's eccentric mix and match style.

Invention, Design, & Function

"Timeless style is the definition of modern fashion"

That quote is from the revolutionary Norma Kamali, who started making her mark in the fashion industry in the 60's & 70's. She created innovative designs like the sleeping bag coat and parachute clothing and today she is continuing to evolve and push the envelope. Norma has so many amazing skills, she knows how to flatter a woman's body and also is an expert at including functionality in her designs, but also she strives to empower women and give them more confidence. I think this is such an amazing design philosophy and looking through her looks I can see how she achieves this. Her clothes are sexy, stylish and classic, and they all seem to have a great sense of strength and power to them.
Her swimsuits are gorgeous- feminine, retro, and sexy. Though I know I wouldn't be able to pull some of them off, many of them look as if they would flatter many body types.
Her skirts and dresses are fun and flirty. I really love her use of studs, fringe, and even safety pins!(Click to enlarge to see the neck and sleeves of the 1st dress below and 1st bathing suit above) She also offers a lot of career looks, like the navy blue suit below which is so stunning and chic!
Another amazing skill that Norma has is her ability to continually evolve with the times. With the economic recession she is involved with 2 different ventures that aim to allow people to continue to shop without having to spend a fortune. First she is offering a 'Try before you buy' option which gives shoppers the smart alternative to try out the clothes for 48 hours before making their final decision. Norma explains that this will help people to avoid emotional buying and spontaneous spending. To add on to this, for the past 2 years she has also been collaborating with Wal-Mart to create an affordable chic line of casual and career pieces. The clothes are very reasonably priced with most ranging from $15 to $20. She offers some great basics for work as well as some really cute casual/athletic wear that I would love to wear to dance class or the gym. I am also planning on getting the amazing, versatile 'All-in-one top' that can be worn 8 different ways!
I just really love when designers see that everyone, of any financial background, should be able to purchase fashionable clothes at reasonable prices. I have always felt this way, and now with the economic downturn more and more designers are finally stepping up to the plate. As Norma so brilliantly says on her site:

"Through the Wal-Mart stores and website I can reach more people and affect more lives than in any other venue...This project allows me to think out of the box, and with new ideas, practicality, and price, it could be the most exciting opportunity of my career"

(Pictures via Normakamalicollection.com and Walmart.com)

Anna Sui + Gossip Girl = A New Target Collection!

Anna Sui is following in McQueen's footsteps and will collaborate with Target this fall. Sui said that when she travels people all around the world are talking about Gossip Girl, so her collection will be inspired by the show's 4 girls- Blair, Serena, Jenny & Vanessa. I think this is a great idea because each of these characters has such a distinct style so the line will have something for everyone! And I think Sui is definitely the designer for the job as over the years her collections have offered a variety of styles from boho chic to rock 'n roll. The clothes will be made from materials like metallic jacquard, silk, herringbone, and chiffon with tulle, lace, and sequin detailing. Sui's designs are scheduled to hit the store September 13 and will be sold through October 17. I am especially excited for this collaboration because I will finally be in the States and will at last get a chance to buy something from it! My anticipation has led me to eagerly go through Sui's past shows and pick out looks that I thought fit each Gossip Girl's character!

Jenny:

Serena:

Blair:

Vanessa:

(Pictures via Style.com)

Space Age Chic

I love these futuristic jackets- they're exactly what I would imagine a fiercely stylish female astronaut would wear! NASA should definitely get some of these! They are part of Hogan's spring/summer '09 capsule collection created by guest designer Thakoon Panichgul. They are made of gold and silver, water-repellent tin-foil making them very lightweight. Thakoon was initially inspired by the foil wrappers that runners use after a marathon and the athletic influence is definitely evident in their shape and features. I especially love the asymmetrical zippers and high collars!

(Pictures via Stylefinder.com)

The Visitors Must Be Amused

I have always been in awe of Karen O's out of this world costumes and today I stumbled upon the designer of all these incredible pieces- Christian Joy. Joy has designed most of the Yeah Yeah Yeah singer's costumes for her performances and also magazine features. Her pieces are bold, creative, and showcase Joy's fantastic imagination! However she also has a ready-to-wear line for those who are not quite as daring as Karen O. This line is much simpler, but has great construction details, interesting silhouettes and maintains Joy's great sense of originality. If you want to see more of her costumes or collections go to her official site HERE. In February this year Joy had her first solo exhibition at the Audio Visual Arts gallery in New York's East Village. For this show, entitled The Visitors Must Be Amused, Joy decided to be resourceful in her surroundings, which basically consisted of a huge pile of left over scraps from her past projects. She used these materials to create innovative and striking representations of female beings based on descriptions given to her by friends and family, who in return interpreted her piece and incorporated it into a photo or creation of their own. The pieces are so vastly different and so inspired that no description could do them justice, so below are my 3 favorites shown along with the description that they gave to Joy (click to enlarge).

Black Lacquer Smile, interpretation & description by Karen OAlien Space Suit, description by Marci Leiseth & Eduardo JaurezGhost With Boo Sign, interpretation & description by Nick ZinnerThere are many more stunning pieces- have a look at the rest of the exhibition HERE.

(Pictures via Christianjoy.us & Audiovisualarts.org)

Fast Fashion

I think it is really important that great fashion is readily available and affordable for everyone, especially in this economic climate, and I love that more and more brands and stores are now offering more reasonably priced items. Everyone should be able to express themselves through fashion at any price, and it's definitely smart to buy trendy items at a lower price because in a flash they will be out of style! I think Target does a great job with this, they team up with great designers like Johnathan Saunders and Alexander McQueen (shown above respectively). I also recently discovered this fantastic collection they have called Go International. The concept behind it is to offer the must-have trends of the moment at great prices ranging from $17 to $45. They call it 'fast fashion' since every piece is sold for only a limited time and new designs come in quickly, so you can always go back and find something fresh! Below I picked out my favorite designs. I love the 'bandleader' vest- it's a good way to get that Balmain look and the grey bustier top is spot on with the inner wear as outer wear trend and has an Alexander Wang feel to it. The collection also has a great selection of dresses varying from cute and young styles to a more sleek and sophisticated look. I especially adore the grey and black blocked strapless dress and the watermelon colored tiered dress. Check out the rest of their collection HERE.

(Pictures via Target.com)

Do the D.A.N.C.E

I am currently saving up money for NYC by teaching dance (hip-hop & jazz) in Bangkok. Since I have been doing this for about 4 years now I am sick and tired of wearing sweat pants and tank tops everyday to work. So over the years I have been getting more interested in sports fashion and trying to find different ways to look fashionable while at the same time being able to dance in the clothes comfortably.

Nowadays sports brands are much more aware of and affected by fashion and trends, which has led them to not only offer more stylish pieces but also to collaborate with designers (Puma w/McQueen, Adidas w/Stella McCartney and Yamamoto, Nike w/Comme des Garcons). I would love to be able to afford Adidas by Stella McCartney (shown above), and I really love how she creates unique runway shows for this line with trampolines, treadmills, and often real athletes.

Above is the result of my searching through all the sports and dance wear brands to find fashionable and interesting pieces. Looking through all their clothes the influence that the brands take from current trends was very apparent. Nike actually has their own dance line which I love and I was actually lucky enough to receive a free pair of those white Nike dance shoes shown below (except mine have a gold swoosh!). I love them because they look like normal shoes, much unlike my old black clunky dance shoes, and yet they are very functional and comfortable to dance in. Nike dance wear offers a lot of basics that I just passed right by, but their colorful and patterned pieces drew me in. I like the pink and black hoodie and the black and white 'urban' leggings, the colors and patterns are very M.I.A. One dance brand I found, called Balera(shown inset on the right hand side), had some intriguing options that had similarities to the Fall 2009's runway including Preen's sheer geometric cutouts and Alexander Wang's slashed dress. Another vital trend that has been picked up by the sports wear industry is eco-conscious fashion. Adidas SLVR is a new line launched in February that uses sustainable materials like organic cotton and soybean fabric. They also try to reduce the amount of material they use, for example the 'zero waste tee' is made with only one piece of fabric that is cut and sewn with just one seam.

It is also going the other way around with sports wear inspiring the clothes we see on the runway. My favorite example of this is Alexander Wang who made sweat pants so sexy and chic (see above). I only wear my sweat pants to dance class or to bed, but Mr. Wang is making me rethink all this. His grey and black cropped, slouchy sweat pants look so good with his heels and loose tops. This is how I want to look at work, effortlessly cool, except I dunno if I could dance in those heels!

(*Click pictures to enlarge-runway pictures from Style.com, sports wear pictures from Nike.com, Adidas.com, & Dancewearsolutions.com)