best dressed: cfda

The CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) awards were earlier this week, and of course, the most exciting part was seeing what the attendees were wearing. Overall, I wanted to see more drama and more risk-taking, especially given the lineup of fashion all-stars. But there were some absolutely STUNNING looks from the evening, and I've narrowed down my favorites.

Joan Smalls in Michael Kors

My absolute favorite look of the night. Model Joan Smalls looks absolutely killer in a fresh, simple high-low dress with beautiful gold accessories to top it off. She looked like a Calvin Klein ad from the '90s. Simple and gorgeous.

Arizona Muse in Diane von Furstenberg

I love the unexpected element of the high boots with the mini dress. It's chic and very mod. 

Jessica Chastain in Prabal Gurung

Of course I had to pick Miss Babecity herself, Jessica Chastain. The always-gorgeous actress glittered in a shimmery dress with a cape and gold heels. I didn't get the best picture of her face, but her makeup was absolutely flawless as well.

Zoe Saldana in Prabal Gurung

Another knockout in Prabal Gurung. This dress was made for Zoe. She looks so high-fashion and insanely beautiful. 

Rachel Zoe in Rachel Zoe :)

The glamorous, exuberant Rachel Zoe shimmered and shined in a sequined gown designed by her. I would've expected nothing more from the always-fabulous designer. 

Jessica Pare in Jason Wu

The lovely actress was simple and fun in this electric pink and lace dress. I love the collar and the hair is perfect with it. 

The Olsen twins with Lauren Hutton

The three people that define personal style and effortless chic posed together in very different, but amazing looks. Hutton was cool and relaxed in a crisp white suit, while Mary-Kate (left) and Ashley (right) wore their designs for The Row.

the wu wait is over

Everyone eagerly awaiting Jason Wu's Target collection was pleasantly surprised to see that Target's website was not on the fritz this morning. Nor were the lines and crowds too insane (at least not in Omaha, Nebraska). I went to my neighborhood Target this morning about an hour after they opened to find that there were just a few ladies browsing the racks. However, a lot of sizes had been snatched up. Luckily, there were still a few left of the one item I came for:

Jason Wu for Target Pleated Shift Dress

Let me just say the lookbook photos do NOT do this dress justice! A lot of people (surprisingly) were not into this dress; I loved it based on the photos, but it's even more beautiful in person. It's a chiffon material and it has a little bit of lace trim on the front. The colors are soft and feminine, and it fits perfectly. It's also a lot longer than I thought it would be (I'm 5'10" and I bought a small, to give you an idea of the length).

The accessories, on the other hand, were pretty picked over after only an hour. I was curious to see what the bags looked like, but all that was left were a few tote bags and wallets.

golden girls 2012

Awards season 2012 begins! And holy crap were there some amazing gowns tonight. There were the simple, the dramatic and the unusual. Here are some of my favorites:

Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci. This immediately caught my eye because of how insanely glamorous and intricate it is.

Charlize Theron in Dior. OMG. She is ethereal and gorgeous in this dress. I love the hairpiece and the leg being showed off. This is a MOVIE STAR dress. 

I didn't put this one first, but I do think it is my favorite. It's Zooey Deschanel in a one-of-a-kind Prada. So amazing. I love the fluro green detailing. I have a feeling this will be one that some people won't understand, but Zooey pulls it off so well. You can't see it in the photo, but she had tuxedos painted on her nails. Adorable. 

One of the evening's winners Claire Danes in J. Mendel. I love the detailing, especially on the back.

My girl crush, Jessica Chastain, in Givenchy with Harry Winston jewelry. She looks so elegant and vintage Hollywood. Very lovely. And I love a girl with pale skin and red hair. 

Michelle Williams wearing Jason Wu (side note: I can't wait for his Target line next month!). She stays true to a vintage style, and I love it. She's also pretty versatile with it. This dress is major, and I'm obsessed with the sapphire shade. Another great hairpiece too!

Art Deco is one of my favorite designs and I was so glad that Nicole Richie wore it in her Julien Macdonald gown. She's also carrying a clutch from her House of Harlow 1960 line (one of my favorites). Nicole's style has evolved so much over the years, and this was absolutely breathtaking.

Another Nicole who nailed it. Nicole Kidman wore a gorgeous Versace with beaded embellishments that reminded me a little of Cate Blanchett's 2011 Oscar gown that I adored. 

I was so glad that Angelina Jolie did something a little different. This Atelier Versace gown is unique and gorgeous, but the real beauty is how amazingly it fit her. It literally looked like she was sewn into the dress! Again, I'm not sure how other people will respond to this choice, but I love risk takers. Plus, can she ever really look bad? 

Last but not least, ultra-cool girl Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci. This was my second-favorite look from the evening. She looks so high-fashion and effortless. I'm happy to see she stayed with a look she was obviously comfortable with. Who can go wrong with a gorgeous black dress anyway? 

What were some of your favorite looks?

xox

jason wu s/s 2012

color, blocked

Where I live, there's snow on the ground. The only thing that gives me hope for pleasant weather is looking at bright colors and loud prints. This spring, we can look forward to the trend that keeps going strong every year: colorblock! Personally, I love this trend because there are no rules. Anything goes with colorblocking, and the bolder, the better with this one. 

The inspiration: Louis Vuitton Spring 2011

 Jil Sander Spring 2011

 

 

 

3.) Cooperative Platform Square Heel   4.) Jason Wu Pre-Fall 2011  5.) Marc by Marc Jacobs Colorblock Tote  6, 7, 9.) German Vogue editorial  8.) American Vogue editorial  9.) Christian Louboutin heels  10.) Christian Dior runway makeup  11.) Dee-Lite's "Groove is in the Heart" video  13.) Nicole Richie in Lucky magazine