February 2011 - Page 4

Pre-order these Fall 2011 Proenza Schouler bags while you still can

Feb 16, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Proenza Schouler Fall 2011 may have walked down the runway less than an hour ago, but Jack and Lorenzo have already made three of fall’s bags available for pre-order – a PS1 pouchette ($975), satchel ($1925) and weekender ($1585), all in black leather and a jacquard blanket print. The bags will ship by mid-October, which … Read more

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York: Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2011 Handbags

Feb 16, 2011 by Amanda Mull

With every season, it seems as though Diane von Furstenberg gets more and more serious about this whole handbag thing. Almost every look of Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2011 had a corresponding tote, shoulder bag or clutch, and the majority of them were the kinds of bags that you want to start incorporating into wardrobe immediately without waiting the requisite six months for them to arrive at retail.

In keeping with last season, von Furstenberg’s small shoulder bags and clutches are by far her best work; the diminutive size and more rigid structure allows the designer’s signature mix of textures, colors and prints to be vividly realized in wearable doses. If you’re sick of taking a black clutch to every party on your calendar, DVF has about a dozen alternatives for you, all of which will likely be less than $600 when they reach retail. Back off the cerulean Harper Day Bag, though – that one is mine.

Want it Wednesday: Hermes ï»¿ï»¿Roulis

Feb 16, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

This Wednesday I want so many things. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York is tempting me with every bit of clothing that we will not see for months to come. We will continue bringing you Fashion Week news, but I don’t want your handbag-loving-hearts to ache for bag updates and us not to deliver.

So I am bringing a gorgeous spring bag from Hermes to you all today.

Fashion Week Handbags: Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2011

Feb 16, 2011 by Amanda Mull

There’s surely plenty to be said about the women’s handbags that graced the runway at Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2011 (hello, dear-printed shoulder bags), but the more I look over the collection, the more I find myself wanting to talk about the men’s bags. Marc by Marc Jacobs has been a unisex presentation for some time now, and this year more than any in the past, I’m feeling a little envious of what the male models got to carry.

With the exception of a few beautiful garnet bags and one orange suede clutch, the women’s offerings felt like a fairly straightforward rehash of 70s shapes and ideas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, naturally, but I was hoping for something a bit more. The men’s begs, on the other hand, felt almost uniformly luxurious, interesting and functional. I bet I could wear the snake-embossed crossbody satchel every day and no one would think twice about the gender for which it was originally intended. Come fall, I might do just that.

Bags coming soon to Net-A-Porter

Feb 16, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

We are on the cusp of spring bags arriving to all of our favorite online retailers. While some sites have the bags available for pre-order right now, Net-A-Porter is giving us a little peek at what is to come.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York: Badgley Mischka Fall 2011

Feb 16, 2011Feb 15, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Amanda told me earlier today, “It is easy to write about pretty things”. This is precisely how I feel about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York’s Badgley Mischka Fall 2011 line which strutted down the runway today. The presentation from Mark Badgley and James Mischka brought us eveningwear that has our minds thinking ahead to the Academy Awards. And clearly this is what the duo wants.

The feel was vintage and inspired by party scenes from old films like “The Women”, “Dark Victory,” and “All About Eve”. We were wooed by tiered gowns, jeweled colors, and beaded-sheaths. Celebrities in the front row, including Kelly Osbourne, Rumer Willis, Lo Bosworth and Kellie Pickler, oohed and ahhed over many of the items, no doubt planning for the future times and events to wear them.

As much as we expected and saw couture and collection pieces, outerwear and sportswear were also debuted. It was a nice way to break up the gowns and pepper the runway with tuxedo pants and a shearling bomber.

Perfect In Red

Feb 15, 2011Feb 15, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York: Herve Leger Fall 2011

Feb 15, 2011 by Amanda Mull

In a criticism class that I took in college (yes, journalism school includes instruction on being effectively judgmental), we were taught that the best way to review anything is to decide what the artistic goals of the person who created it were, and then evaluate how well those goals were met. That way, the personal taste of the critic takes a back seat to the objective success of the person who created the work, and I shall try to do just that while writing about Herve Leger Fall 2011.

The prospect of reviewing a collection of bandage dresses was a bit puzzling even before the collection debuted earlier today, because it’s sort of like trying to establish the relative merits of your mom’s Thanksgiving turkey – you knew what was coming, you knew what it was going to taste like and getting anything different would have completely collapsed your worldview as you know it. Herve Leger means bandage dresses, whether you like it or not.

Fashion Week Handbags: Marc Jacobs Fall 2011

Feb 15, 2011 by Amanda Mull

There are a lot of reasons that Marc Jacobs’ shows are fun – the front-row celebrities, the unexpected set designs, the crazy tales that emerge from the after-parties – but from a style point of view, they’re fascinating because we never know where Marc will turn next, but wherever he goes, the majority of the fashion world will go with him in a few months’ time. Particularly for accessories enthusiasts, Jacobs’ handbag vision will play out far and wide across the industry, culminating in his Louis Vuitton show in Paris and starting last night with Marc Jacobs Fall 2011.

Not only did the tailored, constricted feel of the clothes represent a full 180 from the loose, flowing colors of Jacobs’ Spring 2011 presentation, but the two types of bags within the collection were almost diametrically opposed to each other. On one end, we had fluffy, shapeless, polka-dotted bags that looked like they had been made out of someone’s bathrobe, and on the other, uber-structured, ladylike handbags that felt both current and wearable. For such a strong, severe collection, the bathrobe bags seemed like something of a joke. Let’s hope that they were and we’ll only see the others in stores come fall.

Fill in the blank: The Stella McCartney Botantical-Print Tote is…

Feb 15, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Fill in the blank in the comments below: The Stella McCartney Botantical-Print Tote is _____.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York: Donna Karan F/W 2011

Feb 24, 2011Feb 14, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

If I could only use one word to describe Donna Karan’s Fall 2011 show it would be brilliant. The scene, the ambiance, the models, the clothing…the glorious clothing. The selection of dresses, blouses, jackets, skirts, and gowns was so gorgeous that there are not enough superlatives to explain the femininity and elegance of the collection.

The clothing was a mix of urban meets uptown. The palette was muted neutrals, which allowed the intricate cuts and draping to take center stage. Everything was about fit, as each item perfectly hugged the models’ bodies. And while most of us do not look like runway models, Donna Karan creates the kinds of garments that look just as good on a real woman as they do on a catwalk professional.

We saw sheer fabrics and shearling along with long gloves with fur cuffs. As far as accessories go, bags were structured and ladylike and mostly served as an accent to the expertly crafted ready-to-wear. The show finished with gowns that anyone would deem Oscar worthy. More than anything, though, the collection left us feeling at peace. Maybe the colors were not eye-catching, but the designs were so seamless and exquisite that I craved attending an event that would warrant one of the looks.

See the full gallery of images after the jump!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York: Carolina Herrera Fall 2011

Feb 14, 2011Feb 14, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Make no mistake about it: Carolina Herrera makes clothes for grown women who have grown social schedules and grown bank accounts. If ever you had any doubts (and how could you?), Carolina Herrera Fall 2011 should more than assuage them. This wasn’t a revolutionary collection by any means, but Herrera hasn’t staked her name on being a revolutionary. She’s staked it on making luxurious clothes for women who are used to nothing less, and this collection is exactly that.

From the expertly cut coats to the furs to the ball gowns, I’m sure that this collection will appeal to its target demographic. I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, though; I kept waiting for a true “wow” moment, which can usually be found in a collection’s last few looks if no where else, but it never came. Since Herrera’s particular brand of luxury lends itself so easily to classic, timeless gorgeousness, I can’t help but see that as a small failure for this collection.