The Row of Dreams

The Row has once again caught my attention and had me vividly dreaming of it's beautiful clothes. Let it be noted that I am still not over their last collection, so the fact that this one has also impressed me has me making outfits from both collections for my dream life. I know am in this awkward phase where I am dreaming of mixing Spring and Winter clothes. I'm perfectly fine with it however, seeing as The Row creates collections that make you want wear them year round.

Here are my favorite looks from the most recent collection of the Olsen Twins.

Let's take the time to admire the beautiful fur coats, and the dress. I mean I'm sure that the fur dress has been done before, but this piece is so beautiful. The creamy off-white fur is so alluring. I think the color goes so well against the skin, and I love the sheer back that is incorporated throughout the collection. I love the length of the two fur coats. Not only are the colors just remarkably stunning, I love the way the coats have this length that takes up about 75% of your body, but doesn't really drown the body in fur. The cut of the second fur coat really caught my eye. It's like and elegant loincloth-coat. It really creates this original shape that really catches the eye of the beholder.

I really love the neutrals colors in the collection. It really brings me these sandy vibes, which ironically go well with the sandals. The colors are so refreshing, and it could be the fact that I'm just obsessed with neutrals at the moment. It makes me happy that I will still see neutral colors next season. Now let's talk about my favorite accessory of NYFW. THE ROW FANNY PACK. I would be able to look so effortlessly chic while walking around town with my leather fanny pack. No need to carry big bags, or fill your pockets with stuff, when you conveniently have a rosy-nude leather pouch. I just planned so many outfits that I would wear to different places, just based around this fanny pack. The first that came to mind was making my long awaited trip to the zoo, with a satiric kangaroo inspired outfit. I make my self so emotional with my ideas.

Sheer clothing is my weakness in life. The Olsen Twins really perfected sheer by making it so elegant. You always run the risk of looking vulgar with sheer, however it is incorporated in such a beautiful manner in this collection. The cuts of the creamy sheer pieces are so nostalgic, and look like they flow so gracefully when you walk.

I'm content that the Olsens have managed to become such respected designers. They really are the future of American fashion. I was reading an article the other day, and it talked about how all the powerhouse designers were so late and age, and how there was a fear that the American Fashion Industry would be affected when they stopped designing. I however have no fear, because The Row is here. I really think that The Row is going to expand into such a powerful position in the years to come.

Photos provided by VOGUE.

Pastel Brunch

Recently I attended a Brunch which I decided to go more traditional, and wear nice pastels to (This was back in January, but I wanted to save it for later due to that I was looking for more inspiration, and I thought it would be perfect to start off the month of December with). I have really fallen for the pastel trend this season. I see a big difference in my outfits compared to last year's outfits around this time. 

So a little of catch up time first. February for me is usually nothing special. It is filled with the cliche Valentines Day celebrations, which I usually don't mind. I'm just a busy person and find myself to me quite complicated for a relationship at the moment. I really only like the day AFTER Valentines Day because all the chocolate is cheaper and I am able to indulge without having to go broke. Plus February is a Fashion MONTH, so I'm too busy keeping up everyday to even think about what I'm going to give my Valentine, if I happen to have one which is rare. February this year should be very inspirational. I'm working on a couple of cool projects that I can't wait to show you. 

H&M coat, Dior shirt, grandma's necklace

This whole post was pretty much inspired by Karl Lagerfeld's new cat, Choupette. I mean look at how innocent and cute it looks. It is pretty much the classiest cat to have ever existed in the history of cats. This is like the Queen of all cats here. It's a CHANEL cat. I love Karl's bathroom. The Kaiser shows of a beautiful bouquet of roses that just make the whole picture so serene and effortlessly beautiful.

This was a little tribute to me, seeing as whenever I go jogging with my family, I always look like I'm dressed for something pretty important. I mean I jog and walk faster when you think of life as a fashion show.

I just wanted to point out how proud I am of Allison Harvard. She was my favorite contestant in ANTM, and now she is walking in New York Fashion Week and even covering WeTheUrban's first printed issue. I mean she's the only model from the show that I know actually did something with her modeling career. I feel like I might be wrong, but Allison had such a cult following that she was really the only important one. Her latest appearance in ANTM All Stars was such a disappointment since she wasn't allowed to succeed and it seemed like the show was making her fail. She serisously has a lot of modeling talent, and the show went for a new direction and made everything seem like they were trying to see who could be like the Kardashians (I mean they made them SING and do a lot TV personality stuff that just wasn't what a fashion model did). I was upset she didn't win, but that is ok because she is doing fine, and her career is actually going somewhere. She recently favorited a tweet I sent to her, so she had me cheering like a fan girl. I tried to conceal my emotions from her, in order to avoid looking slightly creepy.

I'm also EXTREMELY proud of Lana Del Rey. Her debut album recently debuted at #1 on iTunes. Many say she debuted higher than Rihanna, and other artists. She is really talented, and I am so proud that her album is just pure magic. She is extremely poetic and just speaks to your soul. Her new cover on Vogue UK is really nice in my opinion. She is wearing Louis Vuitton, which is already a dear favorite, and she looks so soft with the pastels, yet really fierce with the long nails. I am really considering buying this issue, and just waiting for American Vogue to put her on the cover.

Givenchy Couture this season was perfect. I'm sure you have all seen it by now, so I'm not going to explain what has already been seen countless amount of times. I really like how Tisci took the nose rings and jewelry to the next level, compared to the men's show which also featured the nose ring. It made me really admire my grandmother's necklace more because it reminds me of Givenchy's metal accessories. 

I have a big feeling that this month will go by so fast, and March seems just around the corner. I will hope I have the time to do all I want to do for this month in time. I know that by the end of the month I will be quite content with all my monthly accomplishments. 

Alexander Wang

I came home right after school just because I was so excited to write this review. I didn't socialize, and just told everyone I had too much homework just so I could get home to write this before I dove into a pile of homework. I mean Alexander Wang's (I was going to just say Alexander's but I don't know if we are on a first name basis yet) collection had me going crazy in class. Usually collections just enchant me in the moment, then I forget about them until they start showing up in magazines; with the exception of my favorite brands of course. I'm going to be completely honest here and just say that Alexander's (heehee) last collection was one of those that had my attention for about a day. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but as Fashion Week continues you are often distracted by all the flashing new clothes that you just are overloaded with so much that one or two collections ends up slipping your mind.

This year was such a different story. I actually watched this collection through livestream which I only usually do for one or two shows because the time zones just mess me up completely, and I never have time. I do tend to like collections that are great, if I see them live (of course I mean live through my computer screen since I haven't been actually invited to any show yet). I had the luck to be able to catch this show, and I will never regret it.

 

 

The mesh was really one of my favorite parts of the whole show. I mean the way it let the color under it seep through the holes to just allow this bright display of awesomeness was just simply incredible. Yeah i know it isn't something that is new, but I mean I hadn't seen a designer actually do something like this and deliver such a wonderful presentation. I really understand how the "critics" are saying it's too sporty, because when I went back to look at pictures I was reminded of my times in middle school when I had to wear those dirty mesh jerseys when we played soccer. However, I don't think the collection was too sporty, it was defiantly sporty but it fit and it made sense. The MESH POCKETS  had me dying. I love my pockets. I use them for everything because well most guys don't carry bags so we need a place to put things. I like to put my hands in my pockets when I try to channel Coco Chanel, so these are like the perfect shorts for this. I really like the way the long sleeved shirts make it seem like the whole body is consumed into a mesh bubble, when you also put your hands in the pockets of the mesh shorts.

Usually I disregard criticism on collections I like, because I think everyone is entitled to their opinion in fashion; which since fashion is art it is really seen differently by different people. However I do not understand some of the criticism for this collection. "It is like a sportier version of Balenciaga" "It looks more like a Fall collection than a Spring/Summer." Well you know that last comment pisses me off more than the first (because well I just hate when people think that some little thing means that a designer totally ripped off another), because I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WANT SPRING TO LOOK LIKE!? Is a Spring collection supposed to be all florals or crop tops? Or maybe it's both...floral crop tops. I just hate this idea that Spring is supposed to be like what the cliched idea of Spring is. To me this collection was PERFECTLY Spring. It was something you could get away with anywhere. I see this as more casual clothing, but it fits because it was Alexander who said: “Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress on their days off that is the most intriguing.”. I live by this quote, because it is extremely true. Now with this new collection people can look amazing on their days off, or you know what ANY TIME THEIR LITTLE HEARTS desire!!!

As the show progressed we saw some more textures. There was printed leather and sheer, and also there were these cool little outfits that had a bunch of holes everywhere, which was referencing the mesh in the beginning of the show. If you notice also the leather dresses/skirts also seem to have that mesh reference on the sides. It was like a fashion allusion. Then we begin to see the arrow pattern on the dresses, which make the models look like angels by the way. I think it's the fact that the sleeves are sheer and relate sheer to angels.

Then there was the the sheer and the arrows; WHICH I LOVED! Besides the mesh, this has to be my favorite part of the whole collection. Some of the pieces included the floral print that some of the other clothes had (just so you "too fall" haters can shut up). I loved the tunic tops because they are so perfect for summer, getting out of the pool, at the beach, or just out on the streets if you wear the right things. The arrows were really such a good part of the collection, I believe Wang called the arrow pattern clothes racing suits, because well it does resemble NASCAR sort of. It just went really well with the sportswear theme.

There were a lot of other different types of prints and clothes (including the full body "racing suits" and the floral suits), but these were really the most important (and my favorite) parts of the collection. I know there was a lot of talk about the helmets, but I didn't really pay much attention to them.

The accessories were so spectacular. They had these "golf bag" bags (which is what everyone called them), and they had those in smaller versions to make like "mini golf bags" (which is what I called them). The leather bandannas were a nice touch, I mean I'm not a bandanna person, but Im going to be a label whore and admit that I would wear an Alexander Wang leather bandanna if I had one. 

The shoes were the only things that weren't sporty. Which was completely cool, because it added that feminine touch to the collection. (I think that is why I liked the collection, because I could probably get away with wearing most of the things) The shoes were beautifully crafted. Some of them had this paper mache look the them (it was like if they were just mache-ed onto the model's feet). Then other pairs were smooth and clean, but in the end Alexander always impresses with his shoes. I really think that is what he is best at, but I mean his designs are wonderful so it is perfectly okay.

The set was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! It was one of my favorite parts of the whole show. When the first model walked out and you just saw her image race across all these different directions I just gasped. This continued on for about a third of the show. I was also impressed by the fact that (I believe) the seats were set up to imitate the arrow patterns. This picture was taken by Julia Chesky of Blackberry Vision. I envy her so much for being able to witness this live.

I usually don't do this for runway reviews, but I just need to acknowledge my favorite people who attended the show. CARINE ROITFELD + JULIA RESTOIN-ROITFELD. I mean the fact that they both attended was amazing enough, BUT CARINE (yes I feel like her name deserves to be in caps) wore GIVENCHY; which just won me over (if I could be won over since she already has me worshiping her). Mother and daughter looked extremely amazing. They always seem to exert this presence that just has me in awe (it might be their French swagger). I believe Julia is a close friend to Alexander so it was really another reason to watch the show, since I knew she would be there.

Julia and Carine Roitfeld with Linda Evangelista

This is such a memorable show. When I think Spring/Summer 2012, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY THINK OF THIS SHOW. It is one of my favorites of the season. If you also haven't already noticed by my syntax, I am really passionate about this show.

To see my reaction to other shows follow me on Twitter. I get really passionate. 

Runway pictures provided by Vogue and the Julia and Carine's pictures are from TFS.

The Row

Waking up and having to catch up on all the NYFW news is a lot of work. However this work is so much more amusing when you have wonderful collections. An early favorite of mine was The Row's S/S 2011 collection. What I loved is that they had the perfect balance of hair, makeup, and setting. The whole collection was in white, off-white, cream, and light, light blue. I love simple colored clothes for spring, because I hate the assumption that spring/summer clothes have to be all these floral shades.

Everything was so effortlessly fabulous. The way things were layered only intrigues me more, because it makes me want to see every single item individually. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen really impressed me with this collection. There is always that fear, the fear about celebrity designers. The Olsens are known for their fashion sense (and I myself am a big fan of their style), but I never really looked too much into their collections because I didn't want their image to be ruined for me. This was a collection that I actually put much attention on, and I was really content with it.

The whole collection to me reminded me of Morocco. Even though I have never actually been there, I have seen many pictures of the fashion and of the country. It is one of the places I want to visit sometime in my life. This collection was just perfect for something to walk in around Morocco's city's and deserts. Not only is this wonderful for the Moroccan desert, but also for New York City's summer heat. The clothing is light and cool, which is really refreshing to wear in the heat, but also to cover your skin from the Sun's rays. (The tunics are a perfect summer outfit)

 

My favorite part of this collection was the fact that every individual piece was perfect by itself, and then put together it was even more extraordinary. Everything was so angelic, and that was the Olsen's goal. “We wanted something floating and angelic, but also to have things that made a sound.” , Mary-Kate told Vogue. The lighting created that angelic presence and the hair allowed the model's faces to look soft yet striking. 

 

I love that the clothes are so casual, because in reality we really do spend most of our time dressing up in a casual manner than in a formal manner. To me this is casual, and it's perfect. My idea of casual isn't a t-shirt and jeans, but dressing more minimal yet in a very presentable manner. This could be worn coming out of your NYC apartment on your way for lunch with friends, and some pieces could even be worn at night if put together with the correct things. The pajama-y pants are my favorite, because I am sweat's #1 enemy so this is a more stylish replacement. A relaxing day at the park wouldn't be complete with these pants.

These last pieces show off a more formal side of the collection. The shells on the clothes add a nice touch to the clothing, and I mean if you want to get cliché you could wear these pieces to a beach-side beach party. The kind where volleyball and actually touching the sand isn't part of the party. I can only imagine the way these clothes sound when they have someone walking in them. The shelled top almost imitates the idea of suspenders; yet at the same time has a very sexy cut that is very feminine.

I am actually going to pay much attention to The Row now after this collection. Mary-Kate and Ashley have proven that they never will disappoint. A perfect collection to look forward to in February.

Photos provided by VOGUE.