Scarlet and Armor and Jewels, Oh My!

photo courtesy of styleite.com

The biggest red carpet of the year came and went last night and it certainly wasn’t without its share of winners.  From bold color statements to armor-like appeal, the dresses were to die for… and then resurrect and die for again!

Proving that the red carpet can’t keep that hue all to itself, stars from Jennifer Hudson to Sandra Bullock took a cue from the very ground they walked on and wowed us in crimson shades.  The striking palettes didn’t stop there as Best Actress winner and soon-to-be-mama Natalie Portman stunned in an off-the-shoulder aubergine Rodarte gown.  Maybe there was something in that Black Swan water because costar Mila Kunis swept in on the same purple trend, opting for a lavender shade in her Elie Saab lace dress.  But don’t let these ethereal ladies fool you, there was plenty of toughness at this A-list event.  High collars, broad shoulders, structured bodices, and metallic fabrics define the armor trend taking over Hollywood and stars of all ages gave into its ferocity.  Cate Blanchett went high fashion with Givenchy Couture while winner Melissa Leo brought some femininity to the look with her Marc Bouwer laser-cut gown.

And what’s an outfit without the right accessories?  This year diamonds sat back seat to costume and color.  The ladies of last night dripped in bright baubles and gutsy designs, confirming that the only wallflowers around were stylishly placed upon their ears, necks, and wrists.

Click here to see a full list of the evening’s winners as well as the red carpet’s trend setters.

Guess Opened in Manhattan

Guess Inc. just recently opened their biggest worldwide store in New York City. The extremely large 13,000 square foot Fifth Avenue retail store is just the beginning of the Guess expansion in New York. The company hopes to open others on Third Avenue, 34th Street as well as in the Flatiron District.

“This is a big step for us,” said Paul Marciano, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Guess Inc. “We’ve never had a major location on Fifth Avenue. We found a store that’s a little bit big, but it will cover every avenue of our business. We have collection of lingerie and underwear, but because of space issues, we’ve kept it in Europe and Asia. I will [now] have the space.” (WWD.com)

Customers can expect to get a special treat in the new store such as an exclusive international jewelry line, pricer than the normal accessories sold in the other stores. There will also be exclusive handbags sold in Fifth Avenue along with watches that cost from a couple hundred dollars well up into the thousands for a limited edition style.

Club Monaco’s Summer Preview

While everyone is focused on spring fashion, we feel it’s time to start putting our feelers out for summer styles. Club Monaco has some fresh new looks that include a mix of different fashion trends.

Caroline Belhumeur who is the brand senior vice president of women’s design says that July will keep the sixties with looks that are “very naive and simple.” (WWD.com) A more contemporary take will occur once August and September comes around with breezy lightweight fabrics in neutral tones and pencil skirts with leather detailed pockets for some edge. September brings sexy miniskirts with fur trimmed coats and burned out tees in soft satin.

For the men, we will see chinos in a slim fit and shorter cut blazers in July, and as the summer roars on the clothing will take a different stroll with “indian madras” that include denim jackets and ripped chinos, a sense of preppy grunge. Soft sweaters made out of mohair along with corduroy pants will be the look for the start of autumn along with relaxed wool blazers that match just about everything.

Coming Home To Diane von Furstenberg

Can’t get enough of Diane von Furstenberg? Well now you can sleep with her, well sort of. Bloomingdales is selling the designer’s latest creation, Diane von Furstenberg Home. The one who is so well known for the wrap dress will now be known for everything from bedding to bakeware. While she has done some previous home inspirations prior, this is initially DVF’s first debut line for home decor. And our first post about something you can’t wear on your body.

Bloomingdales shoppers can expect to see bright, bold patterns of DVF’s signature clothing on items like plates, cups, cheese platters, duvet covers and porcelain.

“It’s different. It’s got color. There’s a lot going on,” Bloomingdale’s chairman and chief executive officer Michael Gould said. “We have been a partner with Diane for close to 40 years. Her DNA and our DNA are very similar.” (WWD)  FS agrees.

New Designer Lines Coming to Forever 21

Target and H&M have taken on designer lines so why shouldn’t Forever 21? The trendy store had a designer t-shirt line back in August made by Brian Lichtenberg and now they are taking on two more.

Last week Petro Zillia’s bright and fun collection was revealed in Forever 21 and Rory Beca’s super chill line will be introduced to all 250 stores on March 4.

“This is sort of new for us,” Linda Chang, daughter of Forever 21 founder Don Chang said. “We want to be able to keep fresh new designs in our stores so that our customers want more and different things. We’re not really concerned with the financial impact [of the partnerships]. Our mind-set wasn’t that they’d be profit generators. We always like to be on top of trends, and collaborations are a trend in the industry.” (WWD.com)

The prices for these collections will fit nicely into the inexpensive retail tags that Forever 21 is known to have, ranging from $5.80 to $32.80. There will however, be a few fancy pieces that will be on the pricer side like the Petro Zillia’s Aztec-inspired silk chiffon top for $148.

Donna Karan’s New Take on Trunk Shows

First its sample sales going global and now its trunk shows. Donna Karan knows how important it is to be “in the know” with the online media that we have all consumed ourselves with over the past few years, and she is using it to her advantage. For her latest fall collection she will be hosting her trunk show online.

Donna Karan will be showing her collection on the company’s Facebook page on Monday, February 14th at 2pm. Look under the “What’s New” tab to find the runway show stream live. Viewers will then be able to take part in pre-ordering Karan’s favorite items from the collection at Neiman Marcus starting February 22nd.

Karan’s objective here is clearly advertising for the modern woman, who wants good fashion right at her fingertips. “Making the Donna Karan brand available to women wherever they are is one of our top objectives,” said Carole Kerner, president of Donna Karan New York. (WWD.com)

Hello Bright Eyes

Color is all around and for spring its no different, especially when it comes to your eyewear. We have been seeing some vibrant hues being sported with some pretty cool looking frames like the latest styles from Escada and Thierry Lasry, which both have the cat eye style. These shades are cool with the 50’s inspired vibe but the bold colors of reds, yellows and greens make them fresh and fun especially when the warm weather hits.

Other designer brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Vera Wang are bringing in the pastel shades with their wire frame aviator styles. The lens colors are soft but noticeable in shades of golds, purples and blues.

Spring is all about color and wearing sunglasses is the easiest way to achieve it. Simply put on a pair of transparent frames with a bold lens and you are ready to hit the streets in style. A perfect addition to your super cool outfit for Fashion Week might we add?

Ralph Lauren’s New Take on Denim

Denim never looked so good. Ralph Lauren just recently created a new line, Collection Denim and there is nothing ordinary about it. The new luxury denim line includes more than just jeans, although that does make up for a lot of it. The collection features not only “super skinny jeans” but also leggings, trench coats and tuxedo jackets–yes all made out of denim.

Of course there are other items in there as well that aren’t denim-made like tuxedo blouses and shearling vests. These pieces are simply put in there to actively achieve the overall glam style that Lauren definitely knows how to pull off.

Sure, we see denim all the time, but this collection is so much more. There are cargo pocket and button details on the jeans and the jackets are coated to have a smooth look of make believe lush leather.

You will be able to get your hands on these fancy new duds coming this July, with prices ranging from $300 to $2,000.

“You see jeans for kids, but you don’t see them for women who want something more sophisticated,” Ralph Lauren said. “I thought there is a woman out there who wants to wear denim. Denim is not the newest thing in town, so the question is, what’s new?” he said, scanning the lineup. “This looks new. I think it’s a real new category. I was very excited about this category, because I feel that it hasn’t been done before.” (WWD.com)

If we’re not stranded somewhere or stuck in our apts due to this weather, fashion’s got us covered: Pajamas are on the Runways!

I don’t feel so badly now being house-bound (and cozily dressed). While wide leg trousers and jumpsuits are big trends next season, designers also worked the Spring 2011 runway with some pretty hot-looking pajamas. We saw all over sheerness, with hints of lace and lots of sultry silks and satins. Alexander Wang showed delicate, feminine frocks with soft pajama pants and kimono style dresses (fashionetc.com). Thakoon displayed some sassy see-through styles that fit perfectly for the bedroom, while Michael Kors paired some hot satin pants with a black trench (HarpersBazaar.com).

How could you wear something like this in public?  While you might not want to run out in your REAL skivvies, you can wear lingerie inspired clothing like a sheer blouse under a jacket or a pair of flowy printed pants with a fitted top, to get that casual cool “pajama look” for spring!

Perfect for a night out. Or in.

Can Kmart Get Sexy?

Apparently this megastore is going to try. Sexy Modern Family TV star, Sofia Vergara is going to have a collection in Kmart made of leggings, miniskirts, dresses, footwear, handbags and leopard print bustiers (ThreadNY). “We’re trying to fill in a hole in the store. They wanted to appeal to a younger woman with something a little spicy. The times are changing” (WWD). 

That they are. So why Kmart? It has a lot to deal with the large Latin clientele and sticking with a place she knows moms are comfortable shopping at. “This is not a new store for me. When you have kids you don’t go to Bergdorf Goodman to buy underwear and socks- you go to Kmart.”  Vergara apparently signed a “long-term contract” and the saucy collection priced around $9.99-$59.99 is expected to launch next fall.  She will also be the exclusive model for the collection.   The young, style-conscious woman has a new budget-minded place to shop for racy intimates, handbags, shoes, and plenty of bling.

Hmm, maybe Kmart can be cool after all.