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.

Live at Bryant Park

So I finally found my way up to the tents today, not for the shows per se, but simply to be a part of the buzz. Although the evening sky was filled with ominous clouds, the scene was alive with photographers, reporters, fashion mavens, and model types. I went to the tents expecting to see stylish individuals galour but found myself pretty disappointed.


It wasn't until I was on my way away from the tents that I saw a young woman, or more appropriately, an outfit that caught eye.

Now what may look like a simple outfit to most, was so much more than a black top and skirt with lace detailing. The picture does them no justice but the shoes pictured here were absolutely stunning. These black patent t-strap stiletto pumps are a part of the 2008 collection from Miu Miu by Prada. Take a closer look:

She then topped off the look with a quilted leather Marc Jacobs handbags similar to the "kid bag" pictured here:




Fab!

Thanks for being a part of my blog!

A Taste of the Tents

Who says spring fashion needs to be about bright colors and vivid patterns? Certainly not Rock & Republic. The theme the spring '09 show seemed to be "black, white, and grey all over". Known for it's denim, the Rock & Republic showed maturity with a broader range of assortment ranging from sculpted leather jackets to long flowing gowns. The influence of Victoria and David Beckham was definitely easy to spot. The male portion of the show definitely took back seat, with mini dresses of all varieties playing a focal role in the spring line. While I def. feel R&R has some growing to do, I look forward to the future that lies ahead for this brand. Here are a few of my favs from the show:

Herve Leger by Max Azria continued to epitomize feminine power with its showcase of bandaged dresses and swimwear. 'Oozing sexuality' seemed to be the theme of the evening, with skintight bondage-like dresses being the focal point for Spring '09. For the most part, color was kept simple and straitforward but bold at the same time.

Season of love, circa 1968, seemed to be the theme for Diane Von Furstenburg's spring collection. Models were cloaked in flowing dresses made from DVF's signature colorful printed fabrics. While dresses, from mini to floor length, dominated the show; suits, tunics, and swimsuits also made appearances on the runway. Here are my picks:

Look forward to more reviews from this week's events! For those in NYC who don't have hands on access to the shows, check them out on NYCTV, channel 25.

Are you ready???

Yesterday kicked off the beginning of fashion week. One of the most exciting weeks of the year for the fashion conscious. Designers from around the world will be unveiling their Spring '09 lines in the tents of Bryant Park as well as other locations across Manhattan. While the shows are the most exciting portion of fashion week, in addition to all the great parties, I wanted to take a look at the Conde Nast 5th Anniversary Fashion Rocks concert that took place last night.

My favorite look of the night belongs to:

I'm loving the total package. I'm not sure whether to refer to this dress as ombre or tie-dye but I love it! I'm feeling the python clutch and as always Mary's blond bob. The total package gets an A+ from me.

Other favs of the night include:

Dress cute. Shoes fab!

I really was ready to give Bey an A for this look, until I saw the back. I don't know what's going on around the rump, but it's definitely not flattering.

I'm loving the silhoutte of this dress

Songstress Leona Lewis is just too adorable in this babydoll dress!

Fergie rocked the laidback fab look. I love the studded Gucci stilettos.

Yes, I was surprised too but I think this look on Miley Cyrus is extremely cute.

Valentino's dapper look made him the only man to make my best dress list. And who says you can't wear white pants after Labor Day???

These celebs left me straddling the fence on whether their style was hot or not:

Ciara is gorgeous in this dress. However, all the sequence makes her look more like a pageant debutant than a popstar.

I'm loving the royal purple as well as Hilary's swank (Hilary... Swank, get it... nevermind) new hairstyle. However, something about the extra draping on the dress doesn't do it for me.

I'm usually team Rihanna when it comes to her style, but this dress doesn't do it for me. I love the top of it as well as the jeweled belt, the huge pockets surrounding the skirt of the dress kill it for me. Sorry Rih.

And now for my catastrophy list:

The worst part about Lil Mama's look is that the dress is actually cute. Where the top hat and satin varsity jacket fit in, I have NO idea. Horrible.

It looks like she has a feathered umbrella on her shoulders and it's raining glittery sequence. I just don't get it. Major catastrophy!

So this look isn't that horrible, but I expect much better from JT. What's really going on with the ashy wash jeans and the 5inch cuff?? So, unfortunate.

Even if this dress were cute, the knee socks alone would have still ruined this whole look. Try again Vanessa.

Beyonce's look for her performance with JT. What in the sequined hell is Beyonce wearing? I mean the whole thing is nothing but sequins and it's atrocious. I hope this si a themed performance or something.

If you want to see these celebs and others in action, make sure to catch the concert when it airs the 9th at 9pm on CBS!

Back and In Effect

I'm back after my computer did a brief stint in the doctor's office (aka Geek Squad) due to a virus or three. Seems like I'm back just in time to make sure to tell all you NYC fashionistas out there to scurry on to the infamous Barney's Warehouse Sale.

It only happens twice a year, and for all those sample sale freaks who can't get enough chic for cheap, this is the sale to attend. Even though this is the 2nd week of the sale, now is the time to actually go. Experienced sample sale goers know that the real price slashes are made towards the end of these sales. Most of these sales are replenished every day so don't think that just because you go towards the end, there will be nothing left. I went on one of the last days of the sale and still scored these cute Louboutins

Don't wait too late though. The sale ends September 1st and is located on 17th st. between 7th & 8th ave.

Item of the Week

Today marks the end of an extremely busy week so I will keep today's post short and fashionably sweet. Today I want to highlight an item that I spotted on one of my fav fashionistas, Rihanna.

As soon as I saw these shoes, I was instantly in love! These shoes are a part of the Gucci fall collection and can be found on Saks.com for $995.

I actually prefer them the way Rihanna is wearing them. These shoes are so hot, Saks had to limit customer purchase to 3 per month, WOW.

I knew gladiators and gladiator inspired silhouettes would be a hot trend for the summer, but who knew the trend would spill over into fall??

I've got mine, do you have yours??
So after much anticipation, my July Vogue Italia is finally here! It looks so perfect, I don't even want to take the plastic off.
When I finish admiring it, i'll be back with a full review. I already have some thoughts on how I feel about this issue, but I don't want to give my opinion until I've given it a thorough look through.

*Fashion News*
Powerhouse LVMH just recently settled a dispute with Sony BMG Music. Louis Vuitton Malletier filed complaint against three of Sony's artists: Britney Spears, Ruben Studdard, and Da Brat due to unauthorized use of their trademarks. To settle the dispute, Sony agreed to pay LVMH 100, 000 euros, the equivalent of $155, 830.
Interesting. Louis Vuitton Don beware.