Forget “leather and lace”, willow’s interests this season were strictly “weather and space”. Organic-abstract prints and neo-grecian draping juxtaposed tailored-minimalist silhouettes with a controlled fluidity. Feels like summer in the city (New York, that is). Take a moment to reflect on some looks from this collection.
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KIBWE
No doubt, John Patrick culls from the wardrobe of the vintage-loving, hipster set for this collection’s inspiration. It’s as reassuringly familiar as peeping blog pics of Chloe Sevigny’s culottes or Daisy Lowe’s slipdresses. A minimalist styling approach kept it more “thoroughly modern metropolitan” than “thriftin’ Dunst”. Patrick made a compelling case for a new and decidedly dowdy dress lengths, but are we really ready to go to the dreaded mid-calf?!?!?…only time will tell. Take a moment to reflect on some looks from this collection…
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KIBWE
This husband and wife team of entrepreneurs continues to grow their branded ventures: they do extravagant embroideries for the likes of Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta, create dynamic interiors for chic boutique hotels, and now have shown their second RTW apparel collection. While not quite a stellar assembly of looks, what it lacks in focus, this collection pursues in high novelty. There is a “specialness” about these complexly wrapped slacks and jackets that cannot be disputed. Sachin and Babi, with the development of a slightly more sophisticated fabric story and the critical eye of a good stylist, show potential to make the sort of highly technique-engaging pieces that are rarely shown in New York. Take a moment to reflect on this collection…
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KIBWE
Sorry for the long hiatus, but I am on the final leg of my very last semester here at Brown and I haven’t had a second to catch my breath, far less post. I went home for Spring Break a month ago and stumbled upon this old pad with a collection I sketched in ’98!!!!!!…and the shocking things is (drum roll please…) I want to wear all of it now. And that’s not about me just wanting to love these looks because I sketched them: they really are so much of what seems right today…judge for yourself!…I give you: Ivy League Art Student
so where do you stand on this?…what old is new, for you?
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KIBWE
I’m still thinking about droppin’ it low: my hemline of choice that is. I know it’s spring, so instinctively one would think that mini lengths would be the most suitable. But they’ve just become to0 obvious, especially in the day…
Aquascutum has shown longer lengths for two seasons now, and I am loving how casual and easy they are making the proposition seem:
spring '10
fall '10
The Olsens’ debut presentation offered asymmetrical longer length hems, and the Olsens themselves seem to have embraced the gown length for day…
fall '10
thing 1, and thing 2
Check out this genius take on the longer length that I found on Forever21.com:
at $16.90, the racer back maxi dress is both a staple and a steal. It’s 100% modal which makes it a dead ringing for far more expensive versions offered by Alexander Wang’s genius “T” line. I love the idea of wearing it with brown leather accessories, don’t you?
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KIBWE
I will be doing my seasonal top ten wrap up of the collections soon enough, but in the meantime…I’ve been really into the longer length skirts and dresses that have resurfaced after years of mini ruling the runways…during a class today to couldn’t help but sketching some of the silhouettes and proportions that are really intriguing me right now…enjoy!
are you reading to take it to the floor next fall?…(or perhaps even this spring?)
PEA$E
KIBWE
I don’t know where you’ll be when those April showers begin to fall, but I’ll be right here in Providence, RI. Around these parts, spring doesn’t just burst onto the seen tossing buds and blossoms left and right; it kinda drizzles on in each year. This means that even when the temperature begins to warm up a bit, a puddle-riddled walk to class could spell ruin for your most prized of leather sandals. I like the idea of these injection molded sandals from Forever21.com because they are kinda like a hybrid of all of my favorite things: a Birkenstock, a TEVA, a jelly…a car seat, even?…Totally waterproof, they can stand up to just about ANYTHING, and they still have a spare minimalism (Raf for Jil?) about them that is really striking…
oh yeah, and they’re $6.80…run don’t walk!
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KIBWE
It has been deemed the tell-tale give-away of German site-seeing on Gmerican soil: the sock/sandal combo, but due to recent collections’ reworkings of an ages-old faux pas, I can’t get enough of this charming little styling trick. It’s most obvious to go after the look with black socks, but I’m more intrigued by the taupy neutrals that have been floating around the designer collections (and on this blog) for a bit now.
Burberry took the “hooker” out of platformed sandals via adding a putty toned sock:
This is brilliant, cause it really sells the whole “coat-come-dress” concept. You could totally recreate this vibe with these “catanese” platform sandals from aldo.com:
taupe "catanese" platform sandal, $100.00
…or you could pursue the less overtly sexy look perfected at the Rochas presentation. Here a more tailored sandal invokes a feminine dandyism:
…The socks even feature a tiny picot scalloped edge: this look is at once bookish and intimately alluring…that scallop makes me think of lingerie peeking out.
these “open-toe oxford heels” at forever21.com would be a brilliant interpretation of this Rochas concoction:
Open Toe Oxford Heels $25.80
If you are like me, you can’t wait to debut your spring looks. This is the perfect way to rock a sandal before anybody else…as though we were waiting?…lol
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KIBWE
Gone are the days when Hip Hop’s arbiters of style aligned solely with all things grimy, rough, rugged, and raw. Today’s new breed of transcontinental B-boys, bring the refinement in taste and sophistication in selection. They pursue focused color stories, subtle yet confident texture, and consider the nuances of sporty vs. athletic.
It’s like that ya’ll…and that’s the way it is!
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KIBWE
I wore sweatpants when I was in early elementary school, then swore them off for decades deciding that they were the best friends of veal buttocked couch-potatoes. When I headed back to University a few years ago I had a brief love affair with all things Free City, but as much as I love the concept behind them, they became the uniform of the sort of girls I just can’t bring myself to fully take seriously (let’s call them “Frapaccinistas”).
I’m ready for a sweatpant again, though. Well, it’s more like I’m ready for the RIGHT sweat pant. Let these images serve as direction:
www.balmain.com
paired with a green surplus military jacket?…say no more…
www.garancedore.com
with a little navy blazer and an unexpected boot?…I’m down
www.jakandjil.com
so many faves here: mariniere tee, chambray shirt, khaki trench…the sweats are the icing!
okay…so I had the recipes, but I was missing my main ingredient: the RIGHT sweat pant.
as usual, I found them at my home-away-from-home…Forever21.com:
Upgraded Athletic Pants $19.80
(don’t worry, I’m by no means wearing them in the uncomfortably “hoisted” manner pictured above)
I LOVE them…you’ll be seeing look photos as soon as I get back to Providence, I promise.
The only question that remains is, “are you ready to sweat?”
PEA$E
KIBWE