dolce and gabbana spring 2011

Talk about a summer blockbuster with an all-star cast. The titans of the modeling world were in full-force at Dolce and Gabbana, including my hometown hero, Samantha Gradoville (interview someday, perhaps? Lemme talk to her dad and see what I can do). As though they were exiting heaven, all ladies began the show dressed in head-to-toe white, which was so elegant and summery.

The attention immediately turned to Victoria's Secret model, Alessandria Ambrosio, who juxtaposed the purity with an all-black ensemble. She came back a second time donning another black look, which I have to say, was absolutely beautiful on her.

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Just to show that, no, they're not totally innocent, a little bit of leopard was included. One of the dresses was a lace-leopard fusion mixing the two trends in one. The only other print was a greenish floral. This was a highly-wearable collection that was kept simple with two main colors and two prints. The way in which they married the prints and the lace was lovely. I imagine I would enjoy mixing the leopard pieces with the floral as well. 

It says a lot about a designer (or in this case, two) when they are able to book most of the greats, past and present. Dolce and Gabbana continues to establish their dominance in the fashion world, and they have the gorgeous designs to back them up. 

photos: style.com

burberry prorsum spring 2011

You think you know Burberry, but you have no idea. The iconic London label goes so much deeper than the signature plaid and rainboots. Burberry Prorsum is not all about dressing like Paddington Bear, rather, it captures the edgy British street style in one fierce sweep.

The man responsible for the neon, leather, and spikes this season? He's Christopher Bailey and he's turned the Burberry name upside down from a preppy connotation to classic with an edge (case-in-point: highlighter-colored belts and leather pants with a camel coat).

The tough London girl look wouldn't be complete without a studded leather jacket with some leopard in tow. While last season was definitely geared towards the military and sherpa trends, this season is all about the leather and camel. 

Where I'm from, it seems most people aren't really interested in Burberry unless it's blatantly, obviously Burberry (a plaid scarf, plaid headband, plaid handbag, anything that screams "I'M WEARING BURBERRY! ENVY ME!"). Generally, people are like that when it comes to labels, period. Why buy it if the whole world isn't aware that you're sporting a designer brand? Pity, because as far as slick designs and gorgeous tailoring is concerned, Burberry is really one of the top dogs. Christopher Bailey captures a cool London culture that deserves to be celebrated in every collection. With every piece, he makes me want to travel across the pond even more than I already do. 

Take that, plaid!

photos: style.com

alexander wang spring 2011

An Alexander Wang collection with no black? Say it ain't so. But the reigning king of cool made his collection just that with lots of white, metallics, and a flash of camel. A nod to the heroin chic days of Calvin Klein, the models appeared to have vaseline on their faces and hair slicked back with white paint. No exuberant hair and makeup (well, as far as fashion shows are concerned) or any bold accessories to speak of, Alexander made it all about the clothes and less about the entire aesthetic. 

He's been called the champion of reinventing sportswear and making it more modern. He incorporates an industrial look, almost utilitarian with the clothes donning straps and boots made for serious walking (behold the treaded hiking boots...love, love). His mint green and nude pieces show that Alexander indeed possess knowledge of the rainbow. He just chooses to not always show it, critics be damned. 

If Alexander wanted ethereal downtown Manhattan, he got it. I tend to prefer darkness in my wardrobe, but he proved with this collection that he's capable of going soft while remaining tough. 

photos: style.com

prada spring 2011

As Rachel Zoe would say, this Prada collection was "BA-NANAS!" No, really, there were bananas. Banana prints, that is, amongst a myriad of other bright, smack-you-in-the-face prints. There were even monkeys and striped furs!

I have to hand it to Miuccia Prada: she doesn't half-ass it when it comes to being bold. She stays committed to it. She went for a futuristic Tommy Bahama look with tropical prints and one shirt that looked like a Hawaiian button-up paired with a banana skirt that I will covet for the rest of my life.

I love when designers clash prints. It makes me feel like my being lazy when choosing an ensemble was actually a cool thing to do. If wearing head-to-toe mismatched technicolor stripes is wrong, I just don't want to be right.

This was my favorite look. What a gorgeous dress. The print is sick, but even without it, it's still such a beautiful design and the fringe (or pipe cleaners?) at the bottom is a perfect detail. The whole outfit looks amazing. If I had money, I'd buy the whole look right off the runway.

This is Samantha Gradoville. Her dad is my dentist. NO BIG DEAL.

Homerun, Prada. Carmen Miranda would be proud.

photos: style.com

links a la mode, september 23rd

 Independent Fashion Bloggers was gracious enough to choose my post as one of the best of the week! How exciting! Check out all of the other posts too. Thanks, IFB!

xox
Jessica

Are You a Follower of Fashion?

Edited by: Ann of Holier than Now

Last week marked the end of New York Fashion Week. Post-show, the editors, buyers and bloggers went to work to define and list the trends, hoping we'll follow along. But for many of us, the sheer shirts of Spring '11 were are about as realistic for our wardrobes as a meat dress. Instead, we looked outside of Lincoln Center at the street style of individuals, hoping to find the inspiration to zig when everyone else is zagging. This week's post celebrates the path less ... followed, with counterpoints on everything from current trends to blogger compensation and competition.

Links à la Mode: September 23

• Any Second Now: Dolly Bats & Clobber at Bona Drag
• A Pretty Penny: Newsprint Manicure
• Beauty and The Recession: They Put WHAT in Your Lipstick?
• Beautifully Invisible: The Meat Dress: Fashionable, Art or Just Controversial?
• Beyond Fabric: How To Pull Off A Bow Tie
• Cloud of Secrets: Wishing for a Spirit Style Guide
• Despising Life is So Passe: The Glories of Thigh Highs (and How to Make Them Work)
• Gretchen Blogs: When To Work For Free
• Holier than Now: Animal Print, Rainbow Hair, Layers - It Must Be Fall '10. Or Is It?? A Contest.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Evolving Influence Recap: Love & Links
• It's Symmetrical: A Shopping Revelation Inspired by an Anonymous Comment
• My Closet In Sketches: Unlikely Combinations for Fashion Inspiration
• Oranges and Apples: On Competition in the Blogosphere
• The Button Owl: On Liberation in the Age of Implants, Pornography and Pole Dancing
• The Chic Addict: A Pale Skin Girl in a Tan Obsessed World
• The Column of Samantha Tyler: A (Sarcastic) Look at Winter's Hot Trends
• The Daily Julie: fashionSpark: Fashion Design, North Carolina Style
• The Pursuers: A Love Letter to Legwear
• Tickle Me Chic: Labels that Lie: How Vanity Sizing has Become an Epidemic
• View from 5 ft. 2: New York Fashion Week Street Style - The Pictures You Haven't Seen
• Violet Revolution: Edgy and Stylish Fall Fashion

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betsey johnson spring 2011

What's it like to be in a fashion show for the industry's most cuckoo-adorable designer? The models give it away: most of them are smiling the whole time. That says a lot coming from the notoriously-stoic, icy cool creatures. And how couldn't you? Everything about Betsey Johnson makes you smile, especially when you're wearing a dress that looks like a delicious neon cupcake.  

And the trends...well, what trends? Betsey doesn't care. She was inspired by cyclists for this collection, thus the grand entrance she made at the end on a pink bicycle. Trends are often thrown out the window and replaced with bat-shit crazy designs and eye-popping pinks and blues. A true Betsey collection just wouldn't be complete without sparkles, pinks, and florals.  And that is why we love her. 

photos: style.com

z spoke by zac posen spring 2011

In the grand tradition of sister labels with lower-price points, Zac Posen has intelligently jumped aboard and introduced Z Spoke. Reminiscent of Marc Jacobs and his Marc line, Z Spoke is the cartoony, youthful answer to his chic namesake label.

This debut collection was really sweet in terms of eye-catching colors and prints (how amazing is that face-print he uses on the shirts and onesies?). And for accessories, pops of red are queen and compliment every look.


photos: style.com

i love the '90s

When I was in 5th grade, I desperately wanted my first pair of Dr. Martens. I saw them at my local department store (okay, at Von Maur): the tortoise shell patent leather 1460 8-eye boot. I couldn't wait until back-to-school that year so that I might beg my parents for a pair for my school shoes for the rest of the year, NAY, the rest of my life! It was a sad day, come the end of August, when they were out of my size and another pair could not be located because they were so special. They were the ones that got away.

I settled for a pair of basic black boots which I wore to death until my feet grew out of them the next year. Last week, I requited my long lost love with a pair of black patent leather boots from Zappos.

When I wear them, I feel like a more grown-up version of myself at age 10. I love that we can all take things from our childhood that meant so much to us and still make it apply to who we are now. I can't say that about many things, especially things I wore. A lot of them represent who I was in the past, and that's where they'll stay.

Some fashion trends were too cool to be a memory frozen in time. I've seen a huge resurgence of '90s-ish clothing these last couple of seasons. As a child of the '90s, naturally, I feel comforted by these trends and reminded of how simple my life was watching Nickelodeon and reading The Baby-Sitters Club. I wanted to be just like those girls from the books and Melissa Joan Hart's title character from 'Clarissa Explains It All.'

Clarissa (Melissa Joan Hart) was fearless when it came to her outfits. And, hey, look! Patent Docs! 

Claudia Kishi from The Baby-Sitters Club, as portrayed by the book cover artist.

We don't always have a picture of what Claudia is wearing, but we usually get a vivid description in the books. She has an extremely eclectic sense of style, always described as wearing things that you would never imagine to go together, but she makes it look amazing. Like Clarissa Darling, Claudia loves bright colored leggings, big earrings, vests, lots of denim, and cowboy boots. Claudia and Clarissa would've probably been friends had they gone to the same fictional junior high school. Also, they would be great thrift store shopping buddies.

In contrast to the bright colors and prints, the '90s also had its share of moodiness. Charlotte Ronson's Spring 2011 collection was inspired by Claire Danes' character on My So-Called Life (Angela) with lots of flannels, shirts tied around the waist, florals with boots, beanies, and denim shirts.

Angela was angsty and post-grunge adolescent to the max.

Seeing these trends making a comeback makes me happy. It's not even completely that I loved wearing them, but because they remind me of when I was a kid and how excited I got over everything. Life was just good. No stresses over work or school. And the TV shows? They were so good! I feel sorry for any generation that can't grow up with Nickelodeon or TGIF. Not the crap Nickelodeon has today, which is basically a pre-pubescent version of MTV, but the old stuff. It's comforting and nostalgic when you see stuff from your childhood that brings back fond memories. I'll probably have a new pair of Doc Martens when I'm in the retirement home just to make me remember those days.

xox
Jessi Lou

my fair ladies

(Left to Right) Supermodels Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Shalom Harlow, and Karen Elson

What do Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Shalom Harlow, and Karen Elson have in common? Beautiful and successful, most certainly, but it's their creamy fair skin that sets them apart from the bronzed ladies walking the Victoria's Secret runways. The desire to be tan has long since been the most coveted trait for girls and women, especially the ones my age…and especially in Omaha. You'd be hard-pressed to find a strip mall that doesn't have a tanning salon of some sort, and the number of self-tanning products sold in grocery stores is at an all-time high. With so many models and actresses embracing their pale, why is it that tanning is still the most sought-after physical attribute? 

Everyone has their thing; I know many people who cannot imagine not hitting the tanning beds at least once a week. I know people who won't dare step into the sunlight without being slathered in SPF 100 (myself included…and, yes, they make such a thing). It used to be that being tanned was seen as "lower-class" because it showed that you were working outside all day. Nobility had the very fair skin because they were able to lounge around indoors. Certain societies would actually try to whiten their skin.  How did it all turn around? I blame Coco Chanel.  She inadvertently bronzed her skin while vacationing in Cannes on a yacht. When she returned to Paris, everyone wanted her golden glow. And so the trend began. Thanks a lot, Coco. Flash forward to 2010: the uber-classy ladies of 'Jersey Shore' have such a deep tan, it's practically orange. Marc Jacobs has his models in the Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 show donning a vintage look, completely with fair skin and curves. Who do you want to emulate? 

Snooki from MTV's Jersey Shore and Jessica Stam at the Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 show

Having been extremely pale my whole life, I've experienced my  "fair" share of alienation and teasing in grade school. Even today, I can't go in public without people staring at my ghostly white legs. Yet, strangely enough, I've never felt the urge to join a tanning salon or lay out in my backyard. I think people should embrace what they have (naturally) and look to role-models who do the same. I love reading French Vogue and Nylon and seeing the cover girls rocking their porcelain complexions, some of them. Most models featured in any fashion magazines today are imperfect or, dare I say, even strange looking. Pale skin, crooked teeth, gap-toothed; It's what makes them so interesting and beautiful.

(Left to Right) Fair actresses Anne Hathaway, Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz

                      

So for those of you who share my plight, remember that you're beautiful the way you are, tan or not. Pale skin is glamorous and healthy; it's okay to be different. And being true to yourself? It's fabulous and always in vogue. 

xox

Jessica

marc by marc jacobs spring 2011

It's never a good idea to eat highly-caloric chips and dip while you watch a fashion show. First of all, you get distracted and spill. Second, you see perfect-legged models rocking hot pants. Yes, it's a '70s kind of summer on the horizon for everyone's favorite budget-friendly line, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

The bucket-hat clad models and flashes of persimmon was a youthful contrast to his dramatic sister show the night before. A hip, upbeat dance track had his models (namely Karlie Kloss) dance-walking down the runway, all side pony-tail bounce and flounce of bright striped skirts. Not unlike his original namesake label, orange was all over for this season. The models wore it brightly and boldly on their lips, and the accessories were stark against gray backdrops of skirts and tops. And luckily, the gray and orange combo is not exclusive to just spring and summer. It reminds one of fall leaves and pumpkins, too, not just of eating a dreamsicle on a hot summer day.

For those of us who got a little too zealous with the romper trends of last summer (myself included), you invested wisely. Marc keeps this trend alive by showing some pant-onesies along with some breton stripe tops to keep things classic. 

Just when fashion week starts to get a little too serious and posh at time, Marc Jacobs breaks up the banality in a single show. Watching a Marc by Marc Jacobs show is like going back to your childhood when you weren't afraid to be daring with your clothes and dance down a runway.

xox

Jessica

photos: fashionologie.com

edited by me on my picnik.com account

marc jacobs spring 2011

After having been sick all day, not even that could keep me from watching my favorite designer's spring debut. I dragged myself out of bed to visit the live link to Marc's website sent to my e-mail. It was an invitation, and I'd be rude not to attend. In my delirious state, I had convinced myself that Marc himself had invited me and me alone to watch the show. I still like to believe this is true.

And just like that, I was cured. Vivaldi's "Summer" raced with dramatic violins over the speakers to announce Marc's spring 2011 collection. As several models at a time came out of what appeared to be a circular cave in the middle of the runway, it was clear that shades of orange, mustard, fuschia, gold, and plum were the dominant hues. The models also donned oversized sunglasses and floppy hats complete with giant floral corsages which were very reminiscent of the plastic flowers atop the Lola perfume bottle. In typical Marc fashion, it was very '70s-inspired. The girls looked a great deal like Jodie Foster's character in Taxi Driver with the frizzy hair, kohl eyeliner, short-shorts, wide-leg pants, and platform shoes.  As per usual, Marc gives us little kid-pre-Christmas-giddiness for the next season. 

photos: fashionologie.com

edited on my picnik.com account