Jil Sander Oscar Night

I’ve been really lucky to be exposed to designers in the industry that I haven’t directed much attention to in the past. For the past year, I have been focusing on the US and UK markets. Admittedly, I have formed quite a fondness by working with them. Watching UK designers like Chris Kane, JW Anderson, Acne, and Marios Schwab blow up has been really cool. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say that most of my favorite designers are young Americans like Derek Lam, Jason Wu, Thakoon, Altuzarra, and Cushnie!

Now I’m falling for long established players in the French and Italian markets, which I'm currently working with on daily basis.

My point is that this morning I took a look at the Jil Sander Fall 2012 show, which will serve as Raf Simons last contribution as creative director to the brand (interestingly, Jill Sander will return to the brand as creative director). What a shame Raf is leaving because the show was wonderful!

I’m a sucker for pink and classic shapes, but the show was modern, retro, and new all at once. Pinks and reds ruled Raf’s runway, but classic navy and black also made appearances.

 Look 9

My favorite looks include a pale pink gown that hits subtly at the ankle, a white and pink jacket clutched demurely at the model’s chest, a navy gown, and the perfect silver Oscar dress worn with a cocoon style coat. I would wear the entire look on the red carpet, if I was attending! Someone should!

 Look 1

 Look 20

 Look 28

Emily

Downton Abbey Style

I'm currently obsessing (as is everyone else in the world!) about PBS's hit show Downton Abbey. I saw the show snag a few Emmy's at last year's ceremony and then caught the show on Netflix. I finished in about a week. Then I even cheated and watched the whole second season in a weekend over the Christmas holiday.

Of course, the fashion world and the TV world frequently collided. We saw quite a few collections devoted to Gatsby style wears. Though Downton is set in the mid-1910s through the early 1920s, there are some clear nods to the Spring runway in the show's costumes.

 A cast photo in which the girl's outfits mirror these looks from Calvin Klien:

 Look 21

Look 18

 The scene stealer: Lady Mary Crawley in a garden party outfit...

Would be a perfect match for Calvin Klein look 29.

 A ladylike cloche-style hat and floaty dress look great in the early 20th century...

As well as modern day on Ralph Lauren look 21.

 A beaded number for a formal dinner

 a red carpet event (Ralph Lauren look 50)

or to get some drinks. (Marc Jacobs look 35)

 An image of the three Crawley sisters who would look chic and modern in...

This Marchesa look 23.

Emily

In Chic Company

Happy New Year everyone!  2011 was a very busy year for me in my school and interning life. I also stopped blogging for half of the year because of my busy life! I had no idea how long it had been until recently!

I don't know how often I'll be blogging in 2012, but I miss it and I'd like to keep it up.


To the point: I found these famous friends photos a while back and I unearthed some famous fashion eye candy!

Here's Audrey Hepburn and chic costumer Edith Head.

Above are Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld and Vogue editor Grace Coddington. I would love to hear the conversation happening above.

*Above are the Princes of England William (left) and Harry (middle-right) and the princes of rap music and clothing designers Kanye West (between Harry and William) and Sean "Diddy" Combs (far right).

*I know you know who these guys are, but must be thorough!

Hope everyone had a great week!

Emily

Christmas Wish

I'm backdating this post because it's been waiting to be posted since before the holidays.

It's my wishlist for Christmas! Thankfully, I got my wishes granted!

This J Crew sequined tee was an item I've been coveting for a long time. A chic, sparkly, classic piece is important for any wardrobe.

My glitter obsession has really hit a stride, but after a season of black what could be more fun than some sparkly pumps?

I always need more winter dresses. In the cold months my wardrobe is consumed with wool skirts and warm tights. It's my uniform. This J Crew drop-waist dress was too cute to resist.

I first smelled this fragrance in an issue of Marie Claire. My mom always gets us a perfume for Christmas and I knew I needed it! Of course it was sold out everywhere, but I finally found my very own. I love it. Candy!

One of the editors I worked with got some black velvet slippers as a gift. Since then, I have been looking for a pair of my own. Why not in bright pink?

This J. Crew factory skirt was too bright and sweet to resist! Perfect for the season!

This was a surprise my mom got me. We admired these vintage reissue Fossil bags in the store months before, but I didn't think to ask for one. I love the one she got me. I can't wait to take it to class!

I hope you got everything on your list!

Emily

Hot, Hot Summer

 Well, I really am crazy. Wearing three-quarter sleeves during the dog days of summer? Hilarious and totally crazy. It's safe to say that I regretted wearing this baseball tee all day long. Lesson learned!

 I paired it with my favorite summer skirt. It just seemed like a good match. And it was, but maybe more for an early fall day with temperatures swirling in the 70s or 80s rather than hovering around 98 degrees for most of the daytime hours.

Make no mistake, that smile on my face is the result of pure three-quarter sleeve related desperation. I wanted to take pictures quickly, so I could get back inside into the A/C. Unfortunately, down here in the southwest, summers aren't the ideal time to be outside. Not until about 10PM, that is.

And my dogs. They never leave me alone. And they love being in my pictures.

For this very choppy post: I'm wearing an American Apparel baseball tee, a Gap skirt, and wedges from Payless.

Hope you are staying cool. I'm doing it by steering clear of long sleeve tees until autumn comes along!

Emily

Street Style Bazaar

One of my favorite Harper's Bazaar shoots ever is this one photographed by Tommy Ton (you may know his blog Jak and Jill or you may have seen his fashion week coverage on Style.com). It's styled (brilliantly) by Bazaar's Joanna Hillman.

I'm in love with every photo.

Check out the rest of the photos here or in the August issue of Bazaar.

Emily

Retro Modern

I hope you all got a chance to see the shoot with Elle Fanning in the July issue of Marie Claire. I'm still referencing it for ideas. It was such a great retro/60s style shoot (ie Tons of Prada!).

Photos by Tesh  

Styled by Alison Edmund

Lovely, right?

Emily

Lust

I never go online and look at items I can't (by any means) afford. It's absolute torture to do that. I limit myself to salivating over expensive wears at work and on magazine pages. Beyond that I try to stick with sites and items that fit in my budget.

So naturally, when I visited Saks.com to check out which of this season's fantastic Miu Miu's would make it to retail, I had to pick some favorites.

 A version of this shoe have been all over the glossies. I particularly love this version. Bows and sequins are irresistible to me.

 These are simple, everyday kind of pumps. If you don't mind shiny shoes during the day, that is...

These are Prada and are pretty much the perfect fall shoe. Classic black and a chic touch of leopard. I would wear these out, if I could get my hands on them!

What items are you lusting after for fall?

Emily

Summer Love: Orange

Summer time is great for so many reasons: the weather, the dresses, the shoes. Come on! Aside from the stifling heat where I live, the getting is generally pretty good in the summer.

My uniform of choice is usually a sundress and wedge sandal combination.  Why complicate things with scarfs, jewelry, and belts, when simplicity does the trick?

Sorry for the many pictures, but I love the lighting. And I paid for it because it was over 100 degrees when I was taking these photos.

But down to business: I got this dress at Target for less than $10. Sometimes it amazes me that people can't see the possibility in a simple cut and a fun print. But, then again, how on Earth would we ever score great sales on underdog pieces?

The shoes are from Payless, which I think I scored as a part of their famous BOGO sales. I've never really considered Payless as a shoe option, but I've really liked and enjoyed wearing some of their shoes over the past few years. They wear pretty well!

 I had to include this last one as a blooper because I almost fell while trying to take it. I'm surprised I'm still smiling in this photo. But after all it is summer and that's something to smile about.

Emily

White Out

I wish I hadn't taken such a long hiatus from blogging. But I'm sure as most bloggers know that once you stop, it's really hard to jump back into it again. Somehow I made my way back, though.

Summer is always the season of white and I've been spotting some excellent white duds lately.

Take Mrs. Obama in white Alexander Wang (a designer I now hold dear to my heart after spending six months working with the American fashion market).

It's really a stunning gown, especially paired with some regal, long gloves. I'm not the First Lady's biggest fan fashion-wise, but I'm not afraid to call out a great ensemble.

After the royal wedding, I was pretty convinced that hats are just about the worst accessory in existence. Then I saw the new Duchess of Cambridge sporting a fantastic tan, beret-style hat by Phillip Treacy. Chic! Paired with a beautiful Reiss dress and jacket by Nessie. UK fashion brands are definitely starting to peak my interest.

I have a HUGE girl crush on J.Lo. I think she is the bees-knees. It's white. It's Monroe-esque. It's classic with a modern twist. It's a perfect match with the hair and shoes. It's genius.

I'm a firm believer that everyone should rock a white Marilyn Monroe style dress straight out of The Seven Year Itch once in their life.

If only but to spin in it!

I'm back readers and it's summer time! Can you feel the heat, yet?

Emily

(Images via Harper's Bazaar, Just Jared, People)