Project Runway: The Finale

Tonight marked the last episode of Project Runway season 5. Finalist, Kenley, Korto, and Leanne showcased 10 looks from their collections centerstage during Spring 2009 Fashion Week at Bryant Park.

First to show was Kenley. I will be the first to say that I admire the fact that each piece Kenley designs makes a bold statement and is a true testiment to her work as a designer. Her knack for breaking out of the box and taking a chance is surely apparent; however, her collection lacked the cohesion it needed to make a clear statement. There were bright colors, painted fabrics, rope, full skirts, a mish moch of too many things at once. Also, Kenley's lackadasical attitude towards viewers' comments on her similarity to pieces from other designers is unacceptable. How can you be a designer and not be aware of what's going on in the industry around you? Foolish. On the lighter side, there were individual pieces I enjoyed from Kenley, my favorite being the dress worn by her muse model:

Korto's line premiered next. With pieces inspired by her African heritage, Korto's line showed clear vision and wearability. While many runway shows leave the average 'Jane Blow' dumbfounded at how the looks could be translated to everyday, Korto succeeded in producing piece after piece that could take you from lunch with friends to a night out on the town. The colors were vibrant and the craftmanship impeccable. This is my fav. piece from Korto:

So the last designer, and this season's winner was Leanne. The theme of her show was waves and water, which was quite apparent from the bland color pallet and the virtual sea of waves that walked down the runway in every look.

While I'm a clear fan of cohesion, no one likes to be lead astray, I felt this collection was too one dimensional. Vests, jackets, skirts, and dresses all layered in these waves and petals. Don't get me wrong, the waves clearly showed Leanne's level of talent but also made me yearn for something more. I couldn't help but be reminded of Prada shoes fall'08 virtually EVERYTIME I saw one of her pieces. Here's my favorite from Leanne:

I'll come straight out and say that I was quite disappointed in the results of tonight's show. Although I wasn't from the very beginning, after watching all 3 collections, I was team Korto all the way. There was just something about Korto's pieces which let me know she had an understanding of the female body and the way garments should be made to present them in the most flattering light possible.

What do you all think?? Please, agree to disagree if you must ;0)

Fashion Find: Luc Kieffer

So a few weeks ago I was in Henri Bendel and ended up passing on this glam ring for this fab Member's Only leather bomber jacket that was on major clearance.

While I am absolutely in love with my jacket, I couldn't help but continue to think about the ring I passed up. It was a simple, clear lucite ring but it was just so cute! I didn't check to see who the ring was by or anything, so finding it online was like looking for a needle in a haystack until today when I was searching for jewelry on one of my favorite wed shopping site, shopbop.com.

After searching a couple pages I came across pieces similar to the ring from Henri Bendel! Low and behold I didn't find the exact ring, but there were quite a few items by the same designer. The ring is by Luc Kieffer. Kieffer is french designer whose pieces mix resin with unlikely materials to create beautiful, unique jewelry. Here are some of my fav. pieces from his collection:

These are all just so fun! Ranging in price from $187 to $218 and can either be found on shopbop.com or revolveclothing.com. Def. check Luc Kieffer out if you're in the mood for something different and sure to get attention.

Item of the Moment

So anyone who knows me and has seen my 3 tier shoe rack that I cherish, knows that I love love LOVE shoes. So I would say it is no surprise that my item of the moment once again is a shoe.

This beauty is the $925 cutout wedge from Dior. The deep purple suede is absolutely stunning and there is no denying that purple is the fashion color for fall. With fall in full swing, this shoe is still covered enough to be worn as the temperature cools off. With a shoe like this, all you really need is a simple black dress and some black opaque tights. Here are a couple options for style sthat I think would look fab with these glamourous shoes:

a. Ever Coity mini dress $385 b. Geren Ford lack dress $350 c. Elizabeth and James $395

d. Myne black mini dress $299

Since I know I can't afford these shoes, I will def. be on the hunt for cheaper alternatives. I will let you all know how well that hunt goes.

I'm back!

Dear blog,

I have not abandoned thee!

Style tip of the day:

Use accessories to reinvent an old outfit. In this tough economy where everyone is pinching pennies and rubbing nickles together, jewelry, belts, handbags, shoes, etc. are the perfect way to add color and spice to any outfit.