I don’t really have any of those things. I’m dead broke, have gained a lot of weight since returning home from California, and I would say that my face is “average.” I’m going to be 25 at the end of the month, and I don’t really have anything in the way of a career. My house and studio are often a terrible mess, and neither is really “decorated.” Yes, I reduced my hours at my crappy retail job to stay home and work on my business, but that hasn’t really taken off for me in the way I thought it would. Frankly, if things don’t work out working for myself, there’s a very good chance that I will end up back in the mall working 35 hours a week doing something I absolutely HATE. The alternative to that would be going back to school and getting a degree in something I’m not interested in, and hoping that by the time I finish school THIS TIME, the economy will have picked up enough for me to actually get a job.

And let’s get another thing straight: I don’t want to work for someone else, ever again.

After thinking all of this over I decided that maybe instead of focusing on what I can’t blog about, I should blog about the things that I can: weight loss, projects that I’m working on,  the way I did my nails this week, etc. I can’t really offer much in the way of journalistic or editorial content because most of my time is spent developing new products for my shop (or as was the case this week, wallowing in a very pathetic depression), so I may as well blog about it.

I don’t know if anyone will read it, but no one can read something that doesn’t exist either.

So for this “first” post back on the blogosphere, I just want to lay out a couple of goals for my blog and for my life that I will be shooting for in the next couple of years:

Blog Goals

• Recipe Wednesday
• Weight loss Progress Updates
• Manicure Monday
•  Illustration/Painting/Sketching Updates
• Sewing/Jewelry/Product Updates
• Lots more, and better quality cat pictures ^_-

• Get rid of all of my current supply stock by the end of 2012 (That means constructed and sold!)
• Develop a Business Plan by the end of 2012
• Continue to grow as an illustrator/painter
• Develop a collection for Spring/Summer 2013

Hopefully I’ll be able to do the occasional Fashion Week Favorites post, but by the time I dive headlong into developing a REAL business, I definitely won’t have time. Thanks for reading, if you are, and I hope you continue to do so

(an excerpt from Wikipedia)

“Haute couture (French for “high sewing” or “high dressmaking”; pronounced: [ot kutyʁ], English pronunciation: /ˌoʊt kuːˈtʊər/) refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture is a common abbreviation of haute couture and refers to the same thing in spirit.^[1]

In France, the term haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris based in Paris, France. Their rules state that only “those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves” of the label haute couture. The criteria for haute couture were established in 1945 and updated in 1992.

To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture must follow these rules:

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.
• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.
• Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

However, the term haute couture may have been misused by ready-to-wear brands since the late 1980s, so that its true meaning may have become blurred with that of prêt-à-porter (the French term for ready-to-wear fashion) in the public perception. Every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing^{[citation needed]}. Falling revenues have forced a few couture houses to abandon their less profitable couture division and concentrate solely on the less prestigious prêt-à-porter. These houses, such as Italian designer Roberto Capucci, all of whom have their workshops in Italy, are no longer considered haute couture.”

It only barely mentions it here, but other sites on the subject, as well as a few of my instructors at school mention that a certain very high percentage of the work must be done entirely by hand. That means NO SEWING MACHINES. AT ALL.

Obviously, in America, anyone with enough ego can call their label “Blank Blank Couture,” but we all know it isn’t really. ANYWAYS, Spring Couture fashion week happened! So I’m here to share some of my favorite glorious-made-completely-and-painstakingly-by-hand-garments!

Chanel

Why not start us off with the ultimate classic? The way I feel about Chanel is always somewhere in-between wowed and unimpressed. No complete collection has ever blown me away, and I think the main reason for that is that I don’t really care for the Chanel Suit. Oh no! Fashion travesty, right? Well, thankfully this time around Karl has designed a few coats around the same idea of the Chanel Suit that I enjoyed.

Note the feminine cut in place of the traditional boxy silhouette of the Chanel Suit.

There you are, all of your coat-bases covered! Beaded, double-breasted, and a fun spring color. Also rather digging the sequined leggings, which of course look more like skinny pants on those lithe models.

Another ultra femme coat, and a healthy dose of ruffles for Spring.

I don’t think anything quite gets me in the mood for Springtime like mountains, cascades, and flourishes of pastel ruffles. I really don’t care how much volume they add to my personage. It’s completely excusable in the springtime to want to look like a cotton candy cloud, in my opinion.

Three dimensional florals are another springtime favorite. Also: pastel pink pants.

Last year when I was planning this Spring’s Neighborhood Story collection it included three-dimensional floral applications and pastel pink pants. I could show you the Jo-Ann’s receipt I scribbled it on! I don’t care if everyone thinks I ripped off Chanel, either! I’m doing it! If anything, it just validates the fact that I have my entire fist on the pulse. And of course those beaded jackets are absurdly impressive as well. But FLOWERS, OOO AHHH PRETTY.

Maxi-skirts stay in for Spring.

TEN MILLION BEADS were used in this collection, you guys. TEN MILLION little beads all sewn on by HAND. I think that task alone would probably give me arthritis. What really caught my eye here though, were the skirts. I love the layers multi-colored layers of organza, and the long, full skirt embellished with tufts of maribou. Gorgeous!

I must admit, when maxi-skirts started gaining popularity I was a bit skeptical about them, but I think I’m coming around.

Moving on!

Elie Saab

Variations on a skin-colored theme.

I’ve never been a huge fan of this particular peachy-nude color, that on the right person, would blend right into their skin. I LOVE the construction on these dresses, however. In the first picture, the nearly bare neckline doing a downward crescendo into a full skirt of floral ruffles. The second, the entire length of the dress being tightly clustered bouquets of floral ruffles, with barely-there chiffon sleeves. And the third; the ingenue’s Oscar dress for sure. Short, sweet, with a touch of barely there lace on top.

Lilac is an always welcome Spring staple, sexified with strips of lace.

APPARENTLY Elie Saab has a reputation in the couture world for showing a bit too much. A little nipple here, a little thigh-high slit there… Personally I don’t mind it. In fact I really like the combination of sweet and sexy in these purple offerings. The skirt on the first is reminiscent of lingerie, especially when paired with the peek-a-boo lace on the bodice. LOVE THAT. And of course I’m going to be drawn to that gorgeous engineered floral print! The way he layered it to look like the flowers are spilling out from the skirt instantly caught my eye.

Just to round out the evening, a bit of black and white.

Somewhere between the gorgeous lilac and floral prints was a parade of BRIGHT RED, which is a color I find kind of trite and laughable in evening wear applications most of the time, and CHARTREUSE which when immediately following red is even more vomitous than usual. BTW vomitous should take its rightful place in the english dictionary. Anyways, I thought the black one was the best of the all black grouping, and I just HAD to include la mariée, n’est-ce pas?

Dior

I always have really high hopes for Dior, and I wasn’t completely letdown this time because the vision behind this collection was really, really cool.Before designing for Dior, John Galliano studied fashion illustration at Central St. Martins. So as a tribute to René Gruau, the illustrator for Christian Dior in the 40s and 50s that helped define their iconic look, Galliano created a collection of illustrations brought to life. I have to show you some of Gruau’s work first so that you can fully appreciate what the house was able to create in fabric, what he did on paper.

Some popular illustrations by Gruau.

Layers of organza create a "shaded" effect.

One thing that did kind of disappoint me about this collection was the disjointed color story. There were too many bright colors that didn’t really match each other parading down the runway one by one. It made it look kind of like “student work” to me. Which is ridiculous because all of these garments are extremely well made and expensive looking, but I feel like in some cases they ended up looking cheap.

Bright pink injected in between two muted colors, and paired with other very 80s brights...

I picked these for their resemblance to Gruau’s work more than how much I like them. I don’t like the way Galliano used Magenta in this collection especially.

Sky blue over an amaretto beige bring Spring-time lightness to heavy gowns.

This group of blue and tan dresses are by far my favorites in the collection. I love the way he layered the colors, and the fullness of the skirts. Agh! They just make me want to get all dolled up for no reason at all!

It wouldn't be Spring without easter-egg colors, now would it?

I love pastels, full skirts, and delicate embroideries/beaded embellishments. Notice how every single garment with embellishment is only done on the right side.  I think it’s an interesting nod to the way most fashion illustrators will only hint at the detail on a garment by filling in one side of the illustration.

Cat mask!

I’m not usually very taken by headgear in runway shows, but what’s up Cat Woman? I’m totally going to make myself a sheer cat mask now!  Oh and the dresses are cool too. XD

And finally…

Givenchy

Basically… Givenchy wins couture fashion week once again. They took inspiration to a place that I wish more designers would go in design. Ricardo Tisci was inspired by Japan. BUT NOT GENERIC KIMONO/GEISHA/DRAGON JAPAN. No, he took inspiration from Japanese toys and turned it into amazing couture. This collection is my favorite of the season, hands down.

Zomg crane appliqué!

The number of pieces involved in these garments is pretty mind-blowing.

I also really like the white and neon combination.

If this isn't one of the most amazing things you've ever seen you have no soul.

"Oh my god, she's like a Gundam! ... a NAKED Gundam..."

♥ That’s all for now, but don’t worry! Fall 2011 fashion week is starting soon! ♥

So instead, here is a picture post of things I got for Christmas/bought for myself with X-mas gift cards!

My dad got it right selecting this off of my extensive Amazon Universal Wishlist. How can I not love something that’s covered in giant rhinestones and pearls?

Urban Outfitters

How cute are these! They’re just the right amount of naturey for me, and they came in gold!

I’m a little afraid these aren’t going to fit me when they arrive, but I had to give it a shot. I’m so tired of displaying my ass crack at work whenever I bend over. Plus high-waisted pants/shorts are super cute, and will hopefully add some more variety to my wardrobe.

Nice and witchy. I even ordered the matching ring!

… which unfortunately is backordered until February!

Forever 21

I’ve wanted a pair of loafers like this for a long time, but I’d never been able to find a pair in my price range that were the right color, until now!

One word: STARS. I won’t be able to wear this one to work, but it will be nice to have another casual dress in my closet.

I LOVE ROMPERS, and this one looks comfy and cute. Plus I’m sure that little peek-a-boo will look great against my tattoo.

It wasn’t until I saved this photo that I realized that the majority of what I had ordered was navy. How silly am I? We had this jacket at my store but it sold out in my size, so I couldn’t resist buying it from the website. Hopefully it is warm enough for everyday wear, because I’m sure everyone is tired of seeing me in my parka.

Once again kind of afraid these won’t fit me, but I really need some pant options. I only have two pairs of jeans right now, and they’re the same style in different colors.

In other news, I made a prototype pair of feather plugs the other day for myself, and snapped this photo of questionable quality with my iPhone to share with everyone!

♥ That’s all for now! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year, see you soon ^_- ♥

I’m really bad at being a blogger. I’m even worse at being a fashion designer. I don’t know if I just have horrible luck, or if I’m going about things in all the wrong ways. I was/am planning a Fall collection based around Red Riding Hood. It should be out right now. A Fall collection should have been done in the Summer, waiting to be shipped out in September. None of it is done. I can’t find fabric I like, and the company I wanted to print my t-shirts and sweatshirts went out of business. The other company I contacted about it told me that my print might not turn out the way I want it to, and their printing costs are considerably higher than the first company (that was also run by a fellow FIDM alumni, who MIGHT have given me a discount.) I just don’t know what to do, and no one will help me. Every time I ask someone successful for their advice, they either ignore my question, or shoot it down. Should I scrap the collection and work on my Spring line instead? The whole thing has already been designed, it’s up on my bulletin board right now.

I’m also not really sure what to do to get my plugs to sell. I’ve sold only one pair. When I made them, I was certain I’d stumbled on a really great idea, because at the time no one was really making cute plugs. Now there are dozens of sellers on Etsy making “cute” plugs, that I feel aren’t even as good of quality as mine, and their product is moving while mine is sitting next to me here on my desk.

Some people feel like I should just give up on fashion entirely, sometimes I feel like that myself. But I can’t give up on it. I’m not giving up on my blog either. Someday I’ll figure out how to balance my stupid day job, creating fashion and art, and spending the time to create quality blog posts. I just wish that I had someone to help me, instead of constantly being ignored and frustrated.

Anyways, enough whining! I moved into a new apartment recently, and I bleached most of the color out of my hair to make way for something new!

Please excuse my strange facial expression. I’m not wearing make-up, so I was trying to take the picture at an angle that wasn’t completely horrifying XD! I’m excited about the prospect of the new color, but I also kind of like the way this ice-blue/seafoam color looks. We’ll see what happens.

The past couple of weeks I also received two commissions for Ramona Flowers jackets, from the Vol. 5 cover cosplay I did last year! Here are close-ups of the jacket I made for myself:

The jacket has a built up neckline instead of a collar.

Each sleeve has five rows of straps, which are actually made up of two pieces.

…which is a total of 10 strap pieces. Sewng them together isn’t a big deal, they’re three straight seams. But then I have to turn them inside out, which can be a pain at that size! The reason I chose to do them in two parts is because if you have a strap around a tube (in this case a sleeve) you need something to support it. I thought having a one-piece strap held on by what are essentially belt loops (like the neck and waist straps are) would be an uncomfortable thing to have under your arms. so I opted to sew them into the seam itself.

I scoured the entirety of Vol. 5 for every instance of Ramona in this jacket.

The random seams on the front are Brian's fault.

And one more time, for funsies, here is the famous picture of me wearing the jacket at San Diego Comic-Con 2009:

♥ That’s all for now. I’m going to work on some print designs, have a wonderful night! ♥

So, I believe I posted about this project when I STARTED it, which was probably over a year ago! AND THEY’RE FINALLY UP ON ETSY!! You can click on the photo to go to my shop. Or you can read more about the process:

Cupcake Love from the Cupcake Queen

When I started working on this, there were almost ZERO cute plugs on the internet. ANYWHERE. Since then, people have gotten wise, and the threat of competition is what finally drove me to power through everything and get them posted.

The face of the plugs is a laser cut acrylic shape that I designed myself in Adobe Illustrator, and sent out to be cut by a professional company. Some of them have little heart cut-outs, while others are slightly smaller, without the cut-outs.

I stuck with my original idea, that I would do a limited number of plugs to start out with, keeping the bases and the face pieces separate, so that the customers could order them in their size and I wouldn’t have to worry about ordering more laser-cut pieces for a while (because it was expensive!!). For the photoshoot, I used double stick tape to keep the bases and the fronts together. It worked out really well! I’m really grateful that I have such a wonderful photographer as a friend (Nikki Marsh), and that she did such a great job photographing everything for me!

Anyways, after the plastic parts arrived, I spent hours gluing each individual rhinestone down, making sure they were aligned on top of the markings I had the laser company engrave on them for me. After that, it was a simple matter of gluing matching cabochons down, most of which I acquired on Etsy!

♥ I’m super happy with the results, and I can’t wait to make MORE! ♥

Who is surprised? Hmm!? Anyone? I haven’t blogged in a while because it usually takes up so much time, that I just feel daunted at the idea and I’ve been busy lately! SHOCKING. Anyways, I had already compiled a significant amount of images on my desktop of things that I LOVE, so I figured now would be a good time to purge it all into a blog post!

ANYWAYS, inspired by a formspring question my new friend Betty Felon answered on her Tumblr, it’s the e-window shopper edition! I recently gave myself a budget on clothing so that I can save money to MAKE clothing, so I spend a lot of time drooling over things I can’t buy… here are some of them:

♥1

Forever 21 is where I commit most of my cash-depleting crimes… mainly because I work there! It’s so hard, you guys!!

1. High-Waist Leatherette Shorts $17.80 2. Woven Cargo Jacket $29.80 3. Rugby Stripes Ponte Skirt $11.80 4. Woven Harem Pants $27.80 5. Denim Shirt w/ Belt $19.80

6. Floral Freestyle Romper $19.80 7. Denim Swing Skirt $22.80 8. Rose Knit Leggings $10.80 9. Starry Night Chiffon Blouse $22.90 10. Boho Fringed Vest $24.80 0. Colliding Stars Pullover $16.90

♥2

I used to shop at Delia*s all the time in highschool, and as it turns out, they still have some really cute stuff!

1. Piper Tee $34.50 2. Ella Printed Dolman $24.50 3. Créme de la Créme Knot Racerback $19.50 4. Stephie Floral Romper $34.50 5. Camilla Floral Top $34.50 6. Anchor Boy Tank $19.50

7. Taryn Lace Top $34.50 8. Rishita Multi-Stranded Bracelet $12.50 9. Dr. Marten’s Floral Boots $129.50 10. Wanted Belfast Oxford $39.50 0. BC SOS Oxford Sandal $49.50

♥3

And finally, 80′s Purple. A store I really like, but can rarely afford…

1. Wildfox Couture Flower Girl Stripe Dress $82 2. Purple Label Avril Woven Pants $42 3. Rebel8 Pegacorn Revenge Tank $28 4. Insight High and Mighty Tube Skirt $40.80

5. Wildfox Couture Shell Necklace Tee $77 6. Alternative Apparel Pony Tee $38

The first is… Native American/Tribal motifs! Okay, there are still applications of both of these things that I dislike quite a bit. HOWEVER, the recent incarnations of these design inspirations in fashion has swayed me slightly. Here are a few pieces I think speak very well for this trend:

Forever 21, $24.80

It’s really the color scheme that did it for me. It came in at our shop, and I immediately declared my undying love for it and put it in a highly visible spot on one of the walls. I bought it as soon as I got my next paycheck.

Something Else @ ASOS, $93

Once again, the color scheme here really drew me in. My biggest problem with a lot of tribal incarnations is that they use absolutely dreadful color schemes. But this is lovely; Aurora Borealis lovely. And we all know how I feel about that.

Oasis @ ASOS, $93

Another homerun at ASOS. What I like about this one (aside from the bright colors), is that it’s very vaguely tribal. It almost looks like it was inspired by something digital!

Billabong @ Essential Apparel, $34

More pretty colors, from a brand I don’t usually love.

Forever 21, $8.80

This one I was kind of on the fence about, only because the pattern is so… childish looking. But again, THE COLORS. Are we beginning to see a pattern here?

Intermix, $235

GOR-GEOUS, but painfully expensive.

Forever 21

This was an online exclusive item that SOLD OUT before I had a chance to get my hands on one T_T. I am SO upset about it.

Torn by Ronny Kobo @ Shop Bop, $93

Are you surprised that this is black and white? I would never wear this, because I don’t wear white. HOWEVER, I love the print, I just wish they had printed it on a different color.

Tarina Tarantino, $125

Spikes + sparkle = yes, please.

Forever 21, 14.90

I generally don’t like shirts that are claiming to be something they’re not (IE a shirt from a hotel in Mexico), but this is cute. And there’s pink metallic ink on it! I CAN’T NOT LIKE IT. SHINY!

Maurie & Eve @ Bunny Hug, £62

CUTE, but once again, I wouldn’t wear it because it’s white. WHAT A SHAME.

Ruche, $48.99

I like this, but I feel like I would like it more if the colors were slightly different.

LA Native @ Etsy, $28

Oh, like I wasn’t going to include something from Etsy?! This is really super cute. It tempts me to wear bracelets, and I don’t wear bracelets EVER.

Forever 21, $19.80

I really, really like this top. It’s also beaded in certain places on the print, which is an added sparkle-bonus. However, it is practically white, and has a ruched band at the bottom, which is another Jamie no-no.

Vintage @ Ebay

I’m pretty sure this auction has ended, so there’s no link but… WHAT AN EPIC SHIRT.

Miss Selfridge, £35

I am still anti-thong sandal, however, these are kind of cute!

Catherine Malandrino @ Saks, $595

Here’s a little designer selection for you. I was actually pretty disappointed with a lot of what big designers had to offer for this trend. Probably because all of their clothing is marketed toward old women.

Forever 21, $14.90

Feathers + metallic ink? What’s not to love?

Billabong @ 17th St. Surf Shop, $23.95

Love the design, love the loose fit tank…

Now Discount Shoes, $14.99

Never before have you seen so many little stones for $15.

Fred Flare, $42

Haha, I love Fred Flare! “Hurry, only 4 left!” See, I know what I’m doing.

Disney Couture @ Fred Flare, $50

The Disney Couture line is always so cute, it’s a shame it has to be out of my price range

Purple Label @ 80s Purple, $28

HOW GODDAMN ADORABLE ARE THESE SOCKS!?

Balmain @ Bergdorf Goodman, $836

Oh good, they’re on sale.

Urban Outfitters, $12

I almost hate them for being so clever. Cheeky bastards.

*phew* There you have it folks! I just conceded to liking something I previously said I hated.

And as a special bonus for all Love In Strange Places posts, I will keep you updated on things that I still absolutely HATE:

#1: White

#2: Thong Sandals/Flip Flops

#3: HOOP EARRINGS!!

#4: UGG BOOTS!!

♥ What about you? Have you come to love something recently that you thought you hated before? ♥

]]> http://neighborhoodstories.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/love-in-unexpected-places-1/feed/ 0 neighborhoodstories f212 asos1 asos3 billabong@essentialapparel f21 intermix f213 tornbyronnykobo@shopbop tarinatarantino f216 maurie&eve@bunnyhug ruche lanative@etsy f215 ebay1 missselfridge catherinemalandrino@saks f214 billabong@17thStSurfShop nowdiscountshoes fredflare disneycouture@fredflare pl_w504-12-1 balmain@bergdorf UO http://neighborhoodstories.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/fwf-london/ http://neighborhoodstories.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/fwf-london/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:00:23 +0000 neighborhoodstories http://neighborhoodstories.wordpress.com/?p=262 ]]> Obviously I fell down on the fashion week posts. The number one reason for that being that if you didn’t already know, I’m kind of homeless right now! I’ve been jumping from residence to residence since I moved back to the PNW, and it has been a very uncomfortable couple of months.

When I first got my (part-time, minimum-wage) job, I was staying at my (now ex) boyfriend’s house. I didn’t have my sewing machines, or either of my computers. I would occasionally drive up to my mom’s house and do a little computer work while I was there, but a 3 hour drive just to post in my blog? RIDICULOUS!

A little over two months ago, my brother agreed to lend me his walk-in closet as a work space. I was able to set up my sewing machines, and a little table for patterns. It wasn’t so bad, except that being there made me slightly uncomfortable. I felt like I was always in the way, or inconveniencing my brother and his roommate just by my being there (and occasionally using the bathroom.)

After I broke up with the (now ex) boyfriend and started dating Connor, I had to “move in” to my tiny closet workspace. Sleeping in there didn’t really appeal to me at all, and after maybe one night, I started “staying” at Connor’s pretty much every night. A couple weeks ago we had a discussion about how I was feeling useless for not getting anything done, and not being able to work, and he allowed me to move my sewing machines and computer over here! I guess I basically live here for the time being.

ANYWAYS, I want to start blogging more, so I figured I would start by resurrecting this partially completed fashion week post (which no, I am not going to finish because *gasp* another Fashion Week looms in the near future!), with a little explanation as to what has been going on with ME.

♥ Read on for a little review of the Central St. Martin’s grads from London Fashion week, and I WILL SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW! ♥

Central St. Martins MFA Graduates

There was so much white in this show! Normally I’m not a fan of white, especially in body-covering columns, but I thought some of the designers did interesting things with it.

I don’t even know what technique he used to get those pleats to stand out like that. Maybe some kind of inner construction? Anyways, I thought it was an interesting enough detail to overlook his color impairment. Plus, slapping some some medium pile shearling in the middle of a pure white garment was pretty ballsy. I mean, it kind of looks like she has wicked chest hair.

MORE WHITE. It almost boggles the mind. The rest of this dude’s stuff was pretty boring, but I chose these pieces because I thought the twisty lapels, and giant sleeves with the perfect little folds where they meet the body, were kind of awesome.

OU LOOK, FUR IN DIFFERENT BUT EQUALLY POOFY SHAPES. Also, white.

It’s hard to see in these small photos, but those are STACKS of fabric. How very interesting! Not something you see very often. That little rectangle in the chest seems to be a popular theme this season as well. You’ll see more of those later, I guarantee it.

It was rough, but I managed to wrangle up over 150 Fashion Week Favorites from New York Fashion Week. Yeah, next time… definitely doing a post each day of fashion week as opposed to doing it all at once. Pretty close to tearing my hair out at this point. ANYWAYS, it’s pretty obvious to me already what the biggest trends for fall are going to be:

♥ Goth (Won’t the Portland witches be delighted!)

♥ Minimalism (BLEH)

♥ Wild West

♥ Long Pile Fur

♥ Fall Florals

♥ Brights (YAY!)

♥ Chunky Sweaters

♥ Military/Scouts

♥ Bohemian (Double BLEH)

♥ Pale Velvet

♥ Sparkle (Sequins, paillettes, rhinestones, etc.)

♥ Yellow

♥ Metallic

Also, just so you know, if you click on an image it will take you to the page containing the entire collection.

LET’S START THE SHOW!

Alexandre Herchcovitch

This collection was a punked-up/urbanized take on Russian traditional dress, which I like to begin with, but slap on a pair of high heel combat boots (!!!) and fishnet stockings and you have my attention for sure!

Loving the use of embellishments on rough woolens.

♥ Military/Scouts

Swirly cloud-like appliqués, fur, and open knits covered in sparkles? Yes, please.

♥ Goth

Mr. Herchcovitch has definitely cultivated some shoe-cravings in me. I’m not sure I can wait until fall to get my hands on those beauties… or reasonably priced facsimiles XD. Ou, I decided I’m going to tag each one with the trend it falls under so you can see how often this actually happens. And if you click through to the rest of his collection, you’ll see that there are more definitive hints of the Bohemian trend to which I am so vehemently opposed.

Altuzarra

I don't know about you Miss Kitty... but I'm feeling much yummier.

♥ Goth ♥ Long Pile Fur

I’m not quite sure what his intention was, but my first thought upon seeing this collection was: “Ooo! Catwoman!” Michelle Pfeifer, not Halle Barry. I’m still kind of torn on this whole long pile fur thing… It kind of looks like human hair to me, especially when it’s all one color like this. I don’t know, it grows on me every time I look at it, but I prefer the minky and fox varieties.

Anna Sui

Couldn't resist the picture perfect mountain sweater.

♥ Military/Scouts ♥ Bohemian ♥ Sparkle ♥ Pale Velvet

Ok, here’s the deal with Anna Sui: She’s probably one of the best designers alive today. I have the utmost respect for her as a designer; her collections are some of the MOST cohesive, beautifully flowing, and well planned BAR NONE. She also obviously doesn’t fear color and always has some of the most exciting color palettes on the runways. HOWEVER, the woman is obsessed with the 70s and I just CANNOT like most of her designs because they’re mostly all just a bunch of goddamn hippie clothes! I did like these couple of looks though. It’s just really heartbreaking to me that someone so talented is so obsessed with such a horrible era in fashion. My boyfriend will probably love her because I think you can see a little peek-a-boo of paisley going on in the first picture >_<. GAWD.

P.S. Agyness Deyn looked way better as a blonde! JUST SAYING.

Chris Benz

OOO, SHINY.

♥ Sparkle ♥ Yellow

Yeah, this is about how much of this collection I liked. But the weird purple oil-spill fabric is wicked awesome and not a typical choice, so I thoughtit was worth mentioning. Also, I like yellow and sequins.

Diesel Black Gold

I'm a sucker for anything that looks like it's probably REALLY, REALLY soft.

♥ Goth

I wasn’t really expecting to like anything from this show, and the rest of it is pretty much standard fare, but I was drawn to this stringy demon smoke looking lacy shit people are doing these days. Also, leather.

Doo.Ri

I normally don’t really like Doo.Ri ’cause she’s all about the minimalism and the drapey jersey dresses, which I think is kind of boo.ring, but she left her comfort zone a little bit this season.

Bright orange is a refreshing take on a Fall standard.

♥ Sparkle ♥ Military/Scouts ♥ Metallic ♥ Brights

The editors at Style didn’t like the sparklies, but obviously I thought there one of the only parts of the collection worth looking at. It’s like a party is happening all up on ya body. Oh and that interference blue/black jacket is pretty sweet.

Does your coat complete your outfit? Or maybe your coat IS your outfit.

♥ Long Pile Fur ♥ Sparkle ♥ Goth

I love coats in general, but I especially love when a designer makes a coat a STATEMENT piece. The one on the right is a little bit warrior-woman-esque, don’t you think? DELICIOUS, and the embellishment around the neckline is just the right amount of sparkle.

Erin Fetherston

"If she did wear dresses, what would they look like?"

Erin Fetherston has kind of been a bit of a disappointment to me for a few seasons now. When she first started out, her clothes were SUPER femme, almost bridging the fashion-lolita gap. I guess she had to succumb to pleasing the buyers and editors in the end however, and toned down her looks quite a bit as a result. Anyways, her muse for this collection was Nico! Which is the only reason I actually looked through her entire collection this time around. It was okay. I like the bird print, and the lace insets.

An interesting take on the bow and the stripe.

♥ Goth

Generra

The hipster in me can't help but like this.

♥ Chunky Sweaters ♥ Brights

Apparently Generra was responsible for the heat responsive t-shirt in the 80s, so it’s understandable that they would go for the 80s nostalgia brand’s resurrection. I was immediately attracted by the bright colors, and the print on the third look reminds me of Gwendolyn from Odin Sphere! Instant win!

G-Star

HOLY WOW SHIT COLOR EXPLOSION!!

♥ Yellow ♥ Brights

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. I never really paid much attention to G-Star before. But I guess one way to remedy that is to make your clothes in CRAZY BRIGHT COLORS. And lets not forget to mention sweaters that look like they are super duper soft!

*Sidenote/funny story: My bf and I were at the mall the other day, and as we were riding down the escalator I saw a guy carrying around a stuffed Pikachu and said “look baby, that guy has a Pikachu!” Dante responded by pointing at a girl at the bottom of the escalator wearing a yellow toggle coat and said “look, that girl IS a Pikachu!” Hahaha oh, Dante. ♥

These guys are quickly becoming outerwear favorites for me.

♥ Brights ♥ Military/Scouts ♥ Chunky Sweaters

Love the denim on denim nod to the working man, and the monochromatic sweater with woolly accents. YESSSS.

Helmut Lang

Hip urban pieces for a younger generation.

This whole collection was pretty basic, but this group in particular really hit a note with me because well… lets face it, I think we could all see me wearing each and every one of these pieces. Really want that dress and a pair of those jeans.

Very, very stripped down version of steam punk?

I dig the rusty, splattery print. It reminds me of Silent Hill, and an über simplified steam punk. *thumbs up*

J. Mendel

POUF!

♥ Long Pile Fur ♥ Sparkle

Not really much to say about this one. A relatively boring collection with a few cute things. Also, HELL YEAH, MUFFS! The end.

Jason Wu

Sheer for Fall? Sure why not.

Oh look, more splatters! Maybe I should make that a trend… Anyways, The rest of this collection was frightfully boxy. I mean, that first coat is a pretty good indication of the way most of the styles in this collection were cut. I mean, I know models hardly have bodies to begin with, but why make matters worse with shapeless tailoring? BUT there were quite a few attractive pieces in this collection as well. Anything transparent always gets my vote.

Splish splash, I'm taking a gold bath!

♥ Metallic

In general I think butterflies are stupid, but I like what he did with them. Also, it’s hard to tell at this size, but the skirt in the middle is made of feathers.

I also like anything that can be described as "frothy."

Mmhmm.

Jen Kao

Gothy! Bondagey!

♥ Goth

I normally think cut-outs are atrocious, but the way that first dress is shaped is just perfect. Too perfect even. How dare you? I’m loving the pieced together leather and mesh bodysuit too, very fetish. HOT.

Mmm, fur as a trim...

♥ Goth ♥ Metallic

Oh man, that first dress is almost like a high fashion gothic lolita… LUST. I want poufy furry sleeves!! Roar.

Jeremy Scott

I don’t know about y’all, but I can definitely appreciate a designer with a sense of humor. Enter Jeremy Scott.

More furry sleeves! And on a hoodie no less!!

♥ Goth

You guys, I almost can’t take this. I need fur sleeves, like right now.

Biggest belt buckles ever?

Oh, Jeremy Scott! You so crazy! I just had to include these because I mean… RIDICULOUS.

Bang bang!

♥ Chunky Sweaters

Metal tags as an alternative to studs... I can dig it.

♥ Goth ♥ Sparkle

L’Wren Scott

(No relation)

It's almost as if Mary Poppins were an icy bitch.

♥ Sparkle

I think it’s pretty clear to everyone by now how I feel about suspender skirts. Also really digging the ice blue color scheme. Frosty.

Leather and feathers!

♥ Goth ♥ Sparkle ♥ Military/Scouts

Leather shirtdress?! ARE YOU SHITTING ME!? AWESOME.

Catherine Malandrino

More black... I know. It's hardly my fault, though.

♥ Goth ♥ Long Pile Fur

The rest of this collection was all… afrikana, which I really dislike. Although Im’ digging the crazy Whoville hair-dos.

Marchesa

Apparently I am a huge fan.

Look! More color!

♥ Brights

I LOVE the way the fuchsia dress has that bit of satin poking through the back. Plus, COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RUFFLES. And it’s hard to see, but the third dress has two really fancy horses on it, fighting each other (or something).

That dress looks like a cloud!

Gossamer is another favorite descriptive word of mine, and I think it suits the first look perfectly. Also, blazer dress and shooting stars!?

STARS!!!

♥ Brights

Seriously… I need to own that star dress. RIGHT NOW.

Marc Jacobs

Holographic clear raincoats with fur collars...

♥ Sparkle

Okay, when someone like Marc Jacobs takes a break from being all bat-shit cray-cray, you know something is wrong with the world. These were seriously the most out there pieces from the whole collection… I LOVE the holographic pvc though. AMAZING.

Michael Angel

Laser-cut dress! Also, nipples!

♥ Goth

Apparently this Aussie designer has made a name for himself as a digital print master, but he set out to expand his horizons a little with this collection. I can definitely see his print-making talent reflected in the first and last dresses… I love the “stained glass” effect on what looks like a beautiful sunset. And the cutwork on that third dress!  Gorgeous.

Monique Lhuillier

One of the only successful FIDM graduates of all time decided to base her Fall collection on Chinese traditional dress, and just like I would expect from your average FIDM-ite, went about it in the most cliché way possible. Way to fail! I mean, literally… shiny dragons and high collars a la Chi Pau. COME ON. This was the only decent dress in the whole lot, because it hardly has anything to do with her theme at all, and isn’t completely boring.

OH LOOK, SHE'S A JADE DRAGON OR SOMETHING.

♥ Sparkle

Mulberry

Denim and gold is such a classic combination.

♥ Military/Scouts

These are actually really simple looks… it’s probably just the styling that drew me to them in the first place. I really love that denim jacket though!

RUFFLES. 'Nuff said.

♥ Yellow

Also that tiny collar on the yellow blouse is pretty cute.

Nanette Lepore

Lovely Fall layers.

♥ Military/Scouts

I’m glad the whole dress-over-a-shirt things is back this fall. I’ve always liked it. Also, nice sturdy wool dresses are really pretty I think. Digging the drapey lapels and bubble hem on that coat, as well.

Peter Jensen

D'AWW

♥ Brights

Hell yeah plaid velvet bloomers! Also, a refreshing take on the hoodie with a kerchief tie on the hood! Digging the ruffly MJs too.

Philosophy

More sheer black things...

♥ Goth

Kind of a yawn, but egh, they’re pretty enough.

Proenza Schouler

Splattery pants and chunky sweaters!

The boys at Proenza been spending too much time in Brooklyn? ^_-

Rad Hourani

If I like your menswear more than your women's then there's probably something wrong.

♥ Goth Sith ♥ Sparkle

You know, on second glance, the boys kind of remind me of Anakin when he started going Dark Side.

Reem Acra

Pretty dresses... and stuff.

♥ Sparkle ♥ Metallic

I like the “floating rhinestones” application outside of figure skating. It’s relatively difficult to pull off without making it look like a costume.

Richard Chai Love

Hey baby, I stole your pants, that cool?

♥ Fall Florals

I hate long skirts, but it’s kind of cool that it’s knit. I also like the sort of urbanization of menswear suiting going on in the second look.

Ruffian

I was promised outer space and this is what I get?

♥ Sparkle

I guess the vintagey outerspace print is pretty cool, and the sequin moon is cute. But I was reading the review and it was all “space!” and I was like “fuck yeah!” and then I look at the collection and it’s mostly busted jackets and lots of moire taffeta, WHICH IS ALWAYS AWFUL. And has nothing to do with space.

Tess Giberson

What did I tell you about that rectangle!?

Ouu, trees! And I know models are generally pretty pissed off looking, but this girl is beyond sourpuss and she’s not even very cute.

Tibi

What's this?! Jamie likes something with "dusty" colors!?

♥ Military/Scouts

I’m generally not attracted to subtlety, and I don’t typically like dusty or muted colors, but this Tibi collection was really well done I think. The military influence was applied with a light hand, and it works really well with the color story and it all just… comes together.

And AWW, who doesn't want a cute little belt pouch?!

♥ Military/Scouts ♥ Chunky Sweaters ♥ Metallic

Vera Wang

Hey look! Another chest rectangle!

♥ Sparkle ♥ Minimalism (I’m referring to the middle one, in case you were about to FLIP OUT)

♥ HOLY CRAP. I’M FINISHED. Well, I hope you liked this because it took me all goddamn day to finish. Stay tuned for LONDON. ♥

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