February 22, 2012

Lia Sophia Social Fashion Suite at New York Fashion Week

While in New York for Fashion Week, I attended the Lia Sophia Social Suite to preview their latest jewelry selection, including the debut of the Zingara Red Carpet collection designed by Nylon’s Style Editor-at-Large, Dani Stahl.

Both collections have statement-making jewelry and also some smaller pieces that are great for layering. My absolute favorite was this necklace that came in a few different colors (but purple’s my favorite!) and thanks to the lovely Lia Sophia team, I got to take it home with me…

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Here’s some of the Lia Sophia jewelry you can look forward to seeing next season…

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Yes, those are all bracelets!

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February 21, 2012

Emerson Fall 2012: Dresden Dolls

For Fall 2012, Emerson designer Jackie Fraser-Swan was initially inspired by an antique art piece of a porcelain doll, known as the “Dresden Dolls.” When she found out this originated in Dresden, Germany, which was severely damaged during WWII, she became more and more intrigued, so her research into the 1940s began…and ultimately led to the inspiration for her latest collection.

Some further ideas that are incorporated into Emerson’s Fall 2012 collection include: the black and white images of the WWII aftermath, women’s roles changing and heading into the work force and their development of style, beauty and independence. I love both the masculine and feminine elements of this collection along with the color palette. I’m a sucker for purple, which was one of the main colors seen throughout this collection, and shown with the grey print was a really great combination.

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Let’s just say that the ombre wool poncho (pictured above) will be mine.

Images via WWD

February 20, 2012

Pamella Roland Fall 2012: Aspen Landscapes

Aspen has always been the “home away from home” for Pamella Roland and her family, which is why she chose the city’s iconic landscapes as her inspiration for Fall 2012. Combining femininity and a strong fashion edge, this collection features soft blends, strucutred silks, metallics and subtle jacquards. Pamella Roland is known for her evening gowns, but she still comes through with luxurious separates that are perfect for layering.

For the first time since the label’s launch, she showed both real and faux fur which I thought was a nice touch. My favorite part about this particular collection is that that the production of the actual runway show was spot on with Pamella’s inspiration. The lighting above the runway resembled snow-touched branches, and just as the lights went out before the first girl walked the runway, gusts of wind played throughout the speakers and actually gave me the chills!

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Here’s some of the key looks from Pamella Roland Fall 2012…

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Yes, it’s Maria Menounos wearing the finale look!

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Pamella and her family close the runway.

Runway images via Zimbio

February 19, 2012

Sachin + Babi Fall 2012: Leather Love

On Valentine’s Day, the husband-and-wife duo behind Sachin + Babi held their first ever runway show during fashion week. The 2 1/2 year old label has shown presentations in the past but this year they decided to do things a little differently. Although this was my first Sachin + Babi experience, I’m glad it was shown in runway form because the clothes moved beautifully and deserved to be seen on models in motion.

The key material shown throughout this collection was leather. In a variety of colors, textures and silhouettes Sachin + Babi is all about leather for Fall 2012. The coolest part about this is that they wanted to show the softer side, which they did by pairing it with other materials such as chiffon. The contemporary label also expanded into more gowns, which would be killer on the red carpet with those magnificent slits.

One of my favorite things a designer can do is play with texture, which is exactly what Sachin + Babi did this season. Most looks were shown in black, speckled grey, deep red, teal and purple yet the way they were styled and constructed made them wearable and interesting at the same time.

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Images via Style.com

February 18, 2012

J. Mendel Fall 2012: Pure Luxury

Regardless of the season, Giles Mendel will always show luxurious looks with feminine silhouettes, and of course with the most amazing craftsmanship. This season, he really focused on soft shapes in a neutral palette (with of course some burgundy throughout the collection…stock up now because it’s Fall’s biggest color trend!), along with gorgeous textured fur that appears voluminous yet light at the same time.

The eveningwear was stunning as per usual. Gold tones mixed with nude and the most intricate beading, these sure have a chance landing on the best dressed list at the Oscars next weekend. Another big trend seen on the Fall ’12 runways and also for J. Mendel are cut outs. I love this look because it’s a cool, subtle way to show some skin. And with the class J. Mendel brings to every collection, these cut outs were done perfectly.

When I was at this show I honestly couldn’t even believe I was there. The clothes were beyond stunning, the music was electric and there was a celeb-packed front row where I was even a little starstruck (which is not something I can say often). It was a surreal moment and I’m so thankful to be invited to see such an incredible designer’s collection first-hand.

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No you’re not seeing double…it’s Mary Kate and Ashley looking fierce in all black in the front row.

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Caught her as she almost fell (looks kinda cool though, right?)

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Giles gives out hugs after the finale!

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The look on the right (on Lindsey Wixson) is my absolute favorite from the collection.

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Some exciting J. Mendel news–this was the first time in-house designed handbags were shown in a collection. Yes, Fall 2012 is the debut year of J. Mendel bags! Crocodile with mink and alpaca fur lining? Would expect nothing less from J. Mendel.

Images via WWD

Runway images via Zimbio

Images via Style.com

Runway images via Style.com