Portfolio - ALEXANDER WANG

Portfolio will be a section that includes recent works of an impressive designer, some may be very famous, some may be newcomers. However, the point is to layout an artist's work and see the progression and theme of the season. Sometimes, similar silhouette or technique could be observed and it is just kind of cool to see how much an designer were able to create.

Alexander Wang's collection this year was impressive and beautiful. I am pretty sure all of his dresses in Spring 2013 Ready-To-Wear are featured somewhere in fashion magazines, especially the fishnet connected dresses. His inspiration were different animals, but he interpreted it very abstractly and went towards an unpredictable collection. These original designs landed Alexander Wang an even higher acclaim than he already has.

Alexander Wang Autumn/Winter 2013 collection was also another groundbreaking design, with a lot of fuzziness, just like Lots-O the Hugging Bear in Toys Story 3. Of course, oppose to strawberry smelling comfort, Alexander Wang's fluff is tougher, darker, and much more badass. The medieval chain helmet inspired hoodies, the leather skirts, and the sweaters are all beautiful, and the show was absolutely perfect.

Then news broke out about how he is the "next of kin" of Balenciaga, a historical design house that emphasizes structure. Many people were astonished by the news and were "terrified" of how Alexander Wang were going to execute it since he tends to be on a more "casual, street wear" type of route than super Balenciaga-high-fashion. I must say, he NAILED it. Although I agree that the collection doesn't have the Balenciaga "pop" and wow factor, the collection is definitely sophisticated, composed, and well-structured. The results were impressive and Alexander Wang gained my trust.

Alexander Wang Autumn/Winter 2013

ALEXANDER WANG AUTUMN/WINTER 2013 

Barbara Casasola - Autumn/Winter 2013 Ready-To-Wear

Do you remember at the beginning of this year that I introduced a beautiful fashion designer named Barbara Casasola? She is a London-based Brazilian designer and she started her "parred-down occasion wear" in 2012. She only had till a Autumn 2012 and Spring Ready-To-Wear 2013 back then, and they were beautiful. Her style are very simple and chic. They tend to be longer gowns with flowy type of fabrics and the colors are usually restrained and rarely has more than two colors in one look.

This season, Barbara took a lot of risk comparing to her past. She had pants and shorter dresses with mesh and mix-matching colors. The use of chiffon is more prominent in this collection, comparing to her last Autumn/Winter collection where its mostly velvet. This new collection is beautiful and sophisticated like her other designs, and there are definitely some gowns that I will like to steal.

What do you think of this collection?

Fashion Corner - Katie Eary

Overview

Very sexy, sensual and different. The two collections Katie Eary produced that are on display on Style.com are stellar! I've always loved designs that are sexy, high-fashion, and a slight dramatic touch. Katie Eary's collection are definitely all 3. Her Spring 2013 RTW collection were very high fashion, with baroque-inspired spring fashion. The model in Fall 2013 RTW were very sexy in the clothes and her vampire fangs. The collections are definitely very eye-catching ones to wear to the street. My favorite selections are in the "overview", because they are relatively simple and not over-complicated, but still very chic and fashionable.

Katie Eary is a London-based fashion designer. Apparently her focus is on Men's Wear, which explains the little women collection, and her style is usually described as aggressive. She garnered a lot of attention when she graduated from Royal College of Arts in 2008.

Check out her Website!

Also, if you want to own some of these awesome clothes, Go shop! There are certainly a lot of T-Shirts that are super stylish and fancy that I would love to have.

Fall 2013 RTW

Cheap Monday - Featured Designer of Stockholm Fashion Week A/W 2013

Cheap Monday Logo

Stockholm Ready-To-Wear Fashion Show has one spotlight - Cheap Monday! I first noticed Cheap Monday on my favorite Korean Pop band, 2NE1. It is a Swedish brand that has weird quirky designs and funky shapes. I think all of the dresses and bottoms in the collection is super badass. The garments are all perfect for everyday wear. My favorite would be the jeans on the last look. The red and black and white blend created a very unique texture that will look great on anyone.

Their Spring/Summer 2013 Collection is on sale now, and do check it out, it is totally worth it. I will be putting together a huge list of what to get from there so, wait for a new post within a few days! Cheap Monday Shopping edition coming soon!

Visit their websites for more!

Academy of Art University - Featured Designer of New York Fashion Week A/W 2013

Fall 2013 RTW - Overview

Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week is a one of the biggest celebration for all fashion designers. Only with rare opportunity will a designer be able to be part of it. Fortunately for fashion students from Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA were able to participate in this week-long celebration. I must say, I am very impressed with this group of students. Fashion designing students collaborating with textile students creating the perfect balance of style, beauty, and high-fashion. I thought it is so great that Mercedez-Benz gave them their chance to show their talent. 

Designers included are Chenxi Li, Heather McDonald, Heather Scholl, Janine M. Villa and Amanda Nervig, Qian Xie, Teresa Field, James Thai, and Leah Aripotch, Yuming Weng. They are all very talented students and each presented six to nine pieces during the show. All of their designs are displayed below, please look at them and more information about each collection may be explained in details later!

Check it out below, and stay tuned with the university's fashion communities, there are a lot of rising stars there and they may be the future of the fashion scene! 

Fall 2013 RTW - Janine M. Villa and Amanda Nervig

Designer(s): Janine Villa and Amanda Nervig 

Degree: M.F.A. Fashion Design; M.F.A. Knitwear Design
Inspiration: Vintage Welsh Rugs. 

Trend - Fashion Week A/W 2013 GLOVES

Gloves is always important during winters, and this season it is a highlight during fashion week. Granted, not all designers utilized gloves, but many have and they are gorgeous! They are generally chic and stylish, emphasizing the looks over form. However, there are some that looks both stylish and warm. Alexander Wang's boxer gloves inspired furriness is one of the great examples. I would love to wear a pair and experience the warmth. Chanel had four pair of gloves that are super stylish looking. Some of them even look like those armors in video games. Finally, Alexander McQueen has the most unique gloves. They are not really gloves per say, but they are the coolest looking. They are as if claws. 

Keep looking to look at the variety of gloves we have this season, you may be surprised :)

Fashion Corner - Wren

Overview of Wren

Melissa Coker, the founder and designer of Wren, was born in Illinois. She started her career by interning with Helmut Lang, then she worked in Vogue, Detail, and W. She finally began her own line in 2007 and named it after Jenny Wren. The line is based in Los Angeles, which is quite evident with the happy colors the collection has.The collection is, according to their website, "emblemized in the line's air of free-spirited exuberance, restrained elegance and low-key sophistication.

So far, I like what I see with the collection. They are very chic and some are quite girly. I believe the description of the collection actually is spot-on because they are all designs that are a fun and interesting, but at the same time they are all elegant and well made enough to be worn to any formal events. Every season has a pretty clear theme, and they are quite easy to distinguish between the spring and fall seasons. It may because it is a designer based in LA, so there aren't many heavy jackets or fur or thick sweaters for fall. There is actually not much leather either. The designs are all pretty light and happy. My favorite collection is probably Spring 2012 and Fall 2013. They are all simple enough for me to buy them without worrying about whether or not it is worth it, and they are all unique enough for me to want to show them off. Great collection!

Be sure to check out their website!

Fall 2013: Ready-to-Wear

Trend - New York Fashion Week A/W2013 SHOES

I've been intending to do this post for a long time now... SHOES! I've loved shoes for the longest time, and whenever I can choose between an awesome pair of shoes and a great jacket, I will go for the shoes 9 out of 10 times. For me, the choice of shoes are one of the easiest way to dress an outfit up or down. As a student, I usually wear a simple pair of jeans and knit top. However, if I feel that today is a special day, I will wear a pair of fancier shoes instead of a pair of sneakers, or wear a type of shoes to impress people. So it may not be a huge surprise that I want to talk about the shoes trends this season. 

there are six general forms of shoes presented for the Fall 2013 collection: heels, ankle booties, mid/lower-calves boots, knee-high boots, strappy heels, and alteration looks of traditional shoes (I'll explain in a bit). I've gathered photos from the runway shows and hopefully provided an easier view of this season's beautiful shoe collection! I had There are a few designs that are my ultimate favorites, but my favorite designer throughout the season would be Prabal Gurung. His designs and I looks chic and empowering, and I would do anything to get a pair (especially one of these boots!)

Now, let's start analyzing the season!

Ankle Bootie

A/W 2013 Ready-to-Wear: Ankle Bootie 

Lace-Up and Leather. These boots are generally ankle high, and some has platform, some doesn't. Platforms are slowly beginning to phase out and we may be able to see that in more pictures below.

Fashion Corner - Vika Gazinskaya

Highlights of Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear

Vika Gazinskaya is probably the cutest designer I've written about so far. If you look closely, you can discover the childish elements and motif within the sophisticated silhouette and constructions of the garments. You cannot deny the maturity of her Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear collection, and you cannot deny the young hear that is within it either.

Vika Gazinskaya

Vika is a Russian fashion designer who started in Spring 2007. Her collection each season has awed me by the creativity, adorableness, and the high-fashion taste. I was only able to steal the lookbook photos from Style.com, and only Vika's Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear was available. However, there are a lot more to impress. Please go take a look, you will not be disappointed, I promise!

Alexander McQueen - Featured Designer of PARIS Fashion Week A/W 2013

Sarah Burton, the creative director for Alexander McQueen, is pregnant and she did this collection while she's in the last stage of her pregnancy! In other news, the collection was mediocre! (Please don't hate me). 

However, let's talk about the positive before we move on to the negatives. There are a lot of beautiful and detailed craftsmanship, awesome runway show, and the theme of the show is very clear. Below are the detail shots of the show, and needless to say, it looks like it took a lot of hardwork. The head-cage itself are made of beads and combined together, presumably, by wire or those fishing threads. The result is beautiful. My favorite would be the corsets in the last set of the photo. The very traditional silhouette along with the complicated needlework (along with more beads), it's not hard to imagine how long it took. 

The details and craftsmanship are on par, just as usual.

The show was fantastical, unique, and emphasizes the show is just as important as the collection itself. Alexander McQueen's show has never fall short from a drama point of view, and today is the same. There are 10 looks in total, when actually its five themes with two variants. The theme was the Catholic church. The theme is divided into five different subgroups: Communion, nuns, cardinals, popes, and angels. If you really look at it, the inspiration is clear as day. This centraled inspiration helps the collection to be more grounded. 

The video below is the show itself. The music and how the models walk down the runway, interweaving into each door and synchronizing with each other, the show did not disappoint.

The McQueen signatured meticulous craftsmanship is still there, the out of the box thinking is still there, the signatured silhouette is still there, so what was missing?  I guess I was just expecting more.

Vivienne Westwood - Featured Designer for PARIS Fashion Week A/W 2013

Vivienne Westwood design has always been crazy and very different from usual designer wear.  This ready-to-wear collection was inspired by Illuminated Medieval Manuscripts. They are those old book pages with drawings. The color-scheme certainly matches the inspiration, and some motifs are similar to these manuscripts. To be honest, I thought that it may have been inspired by Zombie's too, since the make up for the models are all kind of gross and icky, while the garments are all drapey and dirty looking.

None of the looks are wearable on its own, but each garments are certainly edgy and they may be cool additions to one's wardrobe! I was a little shocked when I saw this collection. Even though she is known to be a bit out of the box and crazy, her "Red Label" tends to go on a bit safer side than this. This was an eye-opener and I admire how she executed such a complicated design. There are some looks that are beautiful and some that aren't on par as much, but in general, it was a striking collection that I would love to see again next season!

Fashion Corner - Dean Quinn

His quest for becoming a fashion designer is magical. It is just like one of those inspirational movie that is released in the summer. Dean Quinn is a great fashion designer who went through a fairytale like story to get where he is now. He left home at 16 and went to London to find an apprenticeship. He finally got an offer from Zandra Rhodes, who encouraged him to get a degree in Women's Wear Designing from Central Saint Martins. Upon graduation he got an offer from Versace and his door went wide open. He created his own fashion line and they are stunning.

Both season he only created 14 looks, which is great for me to pick and choose because they are all beautiful and it would've been difficult to narrow down only a few to display. His style is very simplistic and elegant that is suitable for almost any occasion. I wanted to find more information about him, but unfortunately there aren't much digital footprint for him. Hopefully we will be able to see a more beautiful website soon.

Spring 2013

Looks - Prabal Gurung's Floral Crush Shorts

Well it has been a long time, but we finally got another styling shoot! Today we are featuring the super cute pair of shorts featured in the Prabal Gurung for Target - LOVE collection. The collection was sold during the mid-February (during Valentines Day) and it was an absolute shopping frenzy. When I first went to the store, it was already sold out and I was lucky enough to find it in the Target at New Jersey. The shorts was adorable and comfortable. The print is one of the signature prints in the collection (along with the "First Date Print").

Because the print is already so colorful and eye-catching, there is no need to match it with crazy tops or some big chunky jewelry. In fact, big jewelries may cheapen the short because of its adorable nature. I matched it with a black top and cardigan simply because I want it to stand out, but it'll do great with other color tops too as long as its something that coincide with the palette of the shorts. If you really want to pair it with a crazy top, make sure the pattern matches and is from the same corner of the color palette to avoid looking like a clown. I wore it with heels, but it is also perfect for sneakers or flats, as long as the color matches!

Dolce & Gabbana - Featured Designer for MILAN Fashion Week A/W 2013

As you may remember, we did a highlight coverage and review for the New York Fashion Week that happened earlier this month. I wanted to do the same thing for the other 3 fashion capitol's fashion week, but I'm not sure if I want to make this place into completely fashion week packed. So I decided to only pick out some shows that are so awesome that it is a sin to not share.

Today, we will visit Dolce & Gabbana at Milan's Fashion Week!

Before we get into the designs, I must say that the presentation of this show is fantastic. The entire show. It was amazing, breathtaking even. The music and the collection and the atmosphere come together perfectly. Even the walk of the models are well coordinated that has layers and dimension. The style of the walk was required also because of how big the collection was, with 76 looks in total. The music started off with a beautiful orchestra piece that creates a peace and eerie tone of the show, and suddenly the tone of the music changed and it has become a bit more satirical and a bit circus like. The highlight was when the band of models walk out of the backstage in their striking red dresses. It is definitely something that anyone interested in art should watch.

Seriously. Click on the video. It is worth it.

To encourage you to read further, I am here to tease you with the glorious accessories D&G offered. The accessories are already this beautiful, are you sure you don't want to look more and check out the collection itself? Trust me, the awesomeness here is only a tiny fraction of how magnificent the collection is. I would read along more if I were you! 

Oh the mighty crown for the beautiful Zuzanna Bijoch

GORGEOUS clutch. Look at those intricate stitch work!

Rose-vine Heels - Adorable and Sexy.

Beautiful sets of cross earrings and
the details to see the bejewled dress.

Fashion Corner - Rachel Zoe

Logo

Rachel Zoe was a fashion stylist, and now is a fashion designer. Her first collection came on Fall 2011. She is a George Washington University graduate, which is kind of bizarre and impressive as a fashion stylist that doesn't come from a fashion-oriented university (its not even a very fashion-centric city). She started off as a stylist, who styled for many celebrities. She is kind of a celebrity herself, having her own shows - The Zoe Report, and books.

 

Rachel Zoe

From observing this brand of hers, one may be able to see how there is a universal theme to it. Her clothes are all very wearable, professional, and comfortable (at least it looks like it). There are a lot of things I like about her collection such as how coherent they are, but I would also like some variety. A common theme is suits and baggy suit-pants, very flowy long skirt dresses, and similar color palettes. Her collection is very safe, and sometimes that is not a bad thing since it guarantees customers and the commercial quality would be great in the long run. 

Not that she needs any promotions, but go check it out and support!

Fall 2013

TOP 5|10 - New York Fashion Week A/W 2013 RUNWAY MOMENTS

Now that New York Fashion Week is two weeks behind us, I want to slowly roll out some general opinions and analysis for the season. So I will be starting a new thing called "Top 5|10". Basically they are the top 5 or 10 *insert category* and give me my reasons why I think so. Today, we will be focused on runway moments.

Of course the designs of a collection is the main point of a fashion show, but it doesn't hurt to have a fantastic presentation. The show aspect of it is just as important as the designs itself. It sets the tone and forms the atmosphere. Today, we will be presenting the top 5 runway shows that we think is worthy of the time to view it. (trust me, they are AWESOME.) Betsey Johnson, Prabal Gurung, Thom Browne, Alexander Wang, and Tess Giberson has the five shows that I think are memorable and it definitely helped them to enhance their collection even further.

Betsey Johnson: Oh awesome show. There is no doubt about it. The models look like they are having so much fun, and in the end when Betsey Johnson started to work out with her models were quite a scene. Although the runway seems a bit messy because its crowded and the models weren't in sync, but the idea of it is great. The fashion industry has become so serious lately it is nice to see someone take themselves less seriously.

PRABAL GURUNG LOVE Target Styling

You may have all remembered the Prabal Gurung frenzy in Target. Prabal used his sense of print and added some incredible colors in Targets everywhere. Out of all of the different prints, my favorite is the "First Date" Print. They are all incredibly gorgeous pieces that are classy, chic, and very easy to dress for. However, some may tend to dress them with simple jeans or skirt, and not taking these tops to its full potential.

Here is a suggestion on how to dress it for the different persona that is in you! Adding a leather skirt, it can be dressed into a badass look, along with the studded booties. Then there are the classy white-gray shorts that can be quite formal that may be worn to a meeting (in the spring, of course, don't wear it in the winter and freeze!). Lastly, there is the simple jeans (of course) for the more laid-back look. However, don't go for the classic blue denim, but choose some other pastel color! then spice it up with jewelries that is also included in the image. Enjoy!

PRABAL GURUNG LOVE Target Styling by chicace-mcmix featuring a black beanie

Fashion Corner - Richard Chai Love

Richard Chai Love is a native New Yorker who studied in Parons School of Design. After his academic career, he delved into many different assistant designer positions for many different designers such as the Armani Exchange, Donna Karen's DKNY - D collection. He then become a design director of Marc Jacobs and launched the men line for Marc by Marc Jacobs. He is all about details and craftsmanship. If you look through the pictures included below you may notice that prints is also his thing. There are a lot of structuring in his clothing, and the suits he created are all very well made because of his experience with men's wear.

Go check it out and support! 

Fall 2013

Donna Karen - Featured Designer of New York Fashion Week A/W 2013 02/11

Donna Karen

Donna Karen's a/w collection goes with the extremely simplistic route. As she is not using any prints for the fabrics, they are all deliberately cut and put together. For Look 1 through 6, even she only uses black fabrics (which I am a huge fan for) they all look very chic and sharp. With the unique collage of the close color tone fabrics, she makes these a/w looks more avant-guard but in the same time very wearable.

In this collection, she uses many smooth and floating lines for the hem of the dresses. And clearly, Donna Karen really likes to play with asymmetrical lines. Her exquisite cutting skills reveals in how the lines of these designs make the models' body shape look even more beautiful. In conclusion, she successfully builds up the toughness and elegance elements into these ready-to-wear a/w collection.

To read about the other designers on this day (February 11th).

Jeremy Scott - Featured Designer of New York Fashion Week A/W 2013 02/13

Jeremy Scott

Jeremy Scott has always been the designer with crazy prints and extremely creative graphics, using cartoon characters (like the Simpson or Mickey Mouse) to spice up his collection. Today the carton character that starred his show is a green monster. I see it as the incredible hulk.

All of Jeremy Scott's garments are extremely wearable, and presumably comfortable because of the material he uses, cotton jersey and knit wear. However, that is to say if one has the guts to wear it. I mean, the last look with all of the fur is quite insane. Some pieces that are a bit more modest are look 2, look 5, 9,12, 13,14. However, with his stuff, I always felt that getting the crazier looks are better since it is what Jeremy Scott is all about.

To read about the other designers on the day (February 13th).