Alternative Animal Prints

Animal prints like leopard, zebra, and snakeskin are essentially becoming wardrobe staples. It's safe to say that this trend is morphing into a fully formed classic. While the more basic animals prints are ready to stick around in our closets for a while, some new and interesting alternative animal prints are also emerging in the fashion world. What sparked my interesting in researching some new print trends was a post I saw on Refinery29 (here!). It was all about a deer spot print trend from this Fall. I really loved what I saw in the photos included in the blog's post. I think this deer print trend could be really fun and unique for Fall!

Other exciting takes on animal prints include using an actual picture of the animal as a print, rather than using their token fur or feathers. Moschino Cheap & Chic did a swan print dress for Pre-Fall 2013 that is incredibly adorable. Meanwhile, Asos has cute trouser pants printed with tiny swallows as a pattern.

Another cool concept, for animals prints, is designs that are abstracted in some way. The streetwear photo below shows off a snakeskin print jacket. But, instead of using traditional muted or neutral colors, the design is bright yellow giving it a distinctive flare. Nicole Miller also created a pant for Pre-Fall 2013 which was sort of a hybrid leopard-giraffe print. I think this idea of combining two animals is also super chic! Lastly, for McQ by Alexander McQueen, abstracted symmetry prints displayed imagery resembling insects. These last two designs (along with the deer spot prints from above) are some of my favorites! They're so special and stylized! Anyway, how do you feel about trying some of these new prints in your wardrobe, yay or no way?

Walk on the Wild Side

Honestly, fashion shows can get a little repetitive. I mean it's definitely always fun to see the new looks and creative designs that designers come up with each season. But come on, can't we spice it up a little sometimes? Everything is more interesting when designers really set a mood and theme to their entire showcase. In my opinion, well thought out decor, new concepts of display, and originality always make for a better runway show. So, in my search for designers who were making these more radical decisions, I stumbled upon a list of some of the worlds "craziest catwalks."

These shows included a variety of styles. One in Germany is held completely underground...in the subway. Yep, in the actual subway cars. Oh yeah, and the train is moving. Sounds fun right? I just hope no one has a model fall on them...or maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing for everyone. Anyway, this show features newer designers and is set up as a way for them to display their clothing in a less expensive format. 

Berlin's insane subway runway

Other shows on the list include Fendi's F/W 2007 show which was held on none other than the Great Wall of China. It also lists the Chanel Metier's d'Art Pre-Fall show as one of the craziest catwalks. This show was luxurious and incredibly gluttonous. The Karl Lagerfeld created show was held at the Chanel Grand Palais in Paris, and involved both fashion and feast. Show goers sat behind long dining tables, with beautiful meals in front of them, as models the runways in between.

One of the most exciting shows on the list was that of New Zealand designer Kylee Davis. By partnering with a real estate company, Kylee has managed to rent out empty high end apartments as a venue to hold her runway shows and all of its counterparts. Her first show was held at a multi-million dollar penthouse. What makes her event so unique is that guests are able to see all the different aspects of the show and its production. Guests can explore the varying rooms of the apartment to see things like fittings, presentations, musicians, style tip sessions, and of course the traditional runway show.

Designer Kylee Davis

Look Out!

Lookbooks are a great source of inspiration, as well as an amazing way for designers and stylists to flaunt their talents. You can find beautiful lookbooks in a variety of platforms from print to websites to social media. Everyone loves the site lookbook.nu which allows users from all over the world to basically create their own lookbook of their personal style. Though this website doesn't show off one specific designer's collection, it is an incredible source of inspiration for styling and design. It's a cool way to see what people are wearing all over the world and to follow these personalities' style evolution.

As you can imagine designer lookbooks can take on a variety of styles. Designers create lookbooks that best suit their garments, theme, and aesthetic. Some lookbook layouts will be simple like this one for a Mary Katrantzou & Current/Elliott collaboration...

...or they can be way more stylized like the F/W 2013 lookbook for an LA boutique called Myrtle. Below are some images from the store's fall lookbook which were illustrated by 6 different artists.

Check out Myrtle's complete fall lookbook here, because it's amazing!

*Also, you should definitely check out Rachel Antonoff's lovely Spring 2014 lookbook which features Parks & Rec star Aubrey Plaza, a laundromat, and a cute poodle! Link to that here!

Trunk Shows Galore!

Whether you're in a big city like New York City or Los Angeles, or in a small town in the middle of the country, you never know when a trunk show might pop up. In order to find these gems, you've got to do your research. Designers are setting up trunk shows around the country to increase sales and publicity for their brands.

Trunk shows seem to be pretty popular in the bridal industry. This makes a ton of sense because, no matter where you live, every woman wants to have a stunning gown for her wedding. These trunk shows make designer bridal gowns available to people all over the country.

Some brands, like Stella & Dot, have created charitable trunk shows. In this case, part of the proceeds from selling merchandise at the trunk show goes to one of a variety of charities.

But the most interesting kind of trunk show I stumbled upon was the "virtual trunk show." Stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Net-A-Porter have all held these types of online trunk shows in the past. The virtual trunk shows work well for both the fashionista and the retailer. The retailer gets to sell high quantities of high priced merchandise, while the customer can get the exclusive designer clothing they desire.

If you're feeling like you need a new designer piece in your closet, maybe it's time to check if there are any trunk shows coming up soon near you!

BFFs (Best Fashionable Friends)

Rachel Antonoff puts an interesting twist on your conventional runway show. Instead of hosting a runway show for the Fall 2013 collection, the label created an imaginative fashion video showcasing the season's new styles. The concept for Fall 2013 followed the theme of "best friends." The video follows two characters who are roommates as well as best friends. We shadow them throughout their daily activities, quirks, and laughs. But, these two ladies aren't just best friends, they're also fashionable best friends. All their apparel is comprised of Rachel Antonoff designs. This type of fashion video definitely lightens up what is typically presented by designers (think--serious, dramatic, & intricately planned runway shows).  This RA video is playful and enjoyable, all while displaying fashions in a unique and effective manner. As we observe these best friends, we also take in their lovable outfits...and hopefully want them to be ours. I know I do!

Check out Rachel Antonoff's Fall 2013 video below!

& check out her past collections here.

Black & White in the Spotlight

If you walk up and down 5th Ave in New York City, you may get the feeling that you somehow fell into a vintage black & white film. Why's that you ask? Because among the already gray toned buildings, stores are now flooding their window displays with black, white, and other neutral toned fashions. Not only is the clothing unsaturated, but so are the mannequins. The visual merchandising from stores like Saks, Lord & Taylor, Aritzia, Michael Kors, and BCBG Max Azria make it clear that neutral hues are in for fall!

Lord & Taylor displays

BCBG Max Azria

Aritzia

Chanel windows at Saks 5th Ave

Saks

Michael Kors

This color trend reiterates itself on fashion forecasting sites. Fashion Snoops predicts two color trends with a similar palette to these visual displays. The first is called Cubist and the second is named Film Noir. Both incorporate a ton of neutrals. They are comprised of blacks, whites, grays, and a few nude and bronze colors. Doneger has also forecasted similar neutral tones for apparel. In edition, they predict the use these colors in heavy weight tweed and plaid fabrications. These types of fabrics are perfect for fall, and it definitely shows by looking at the current visual merchandising!

Cubist Color Trend

Film Noir Color Trend

Warm Neutrals, thick Tweed and Plaid fabrics

One color pop that did occur was the use of rich but slightly muted hues of maroon and brown. This somewhat less neutral color was used in displays at Saks, Aritzia, and at Michael Kors (in his leopard print and fur pieces). This color works well with the very black, white, and gray color trend that's happening right now. These maroons and browns spice up a monochromatic outfit without it being too jarring to the eye.

All in all, you can never go wrong with black & white. Neutral tones are extremely popular and look good with almost anything! This newspaper colored trend is good news for anyone who's like me and loves to wear black alllllllll the time!

Dissecting the NY Times Runway Blog

This week, I read an article from the New York Times "On the Runway" blog. The post I interpreted was by Cathy Horyn and was titled "Prada: Working Girl." In the article, Cathy describes the Prada Spring 2014 runway show and shares her thoughts about it. I've separated Cathy's vivid language into 5 categories: silhouette, details, color, fabric, and creative jargon. This break down should help everyone better understand fashion language, and get a feel for what the overall appearance of the Prada runway show was like.

• Silhouette - sleeveless, dresses, leg warmers, web sandal, box-pleated skirts, schoolgirlish coats, shift and coat shapes, simple sportswear, shifts, coats, bags
• Details - ribbed, sports elements, varsity stripes, box-pleated, freckled with colored stones, chunky embroidery, printed

• Color - colored stones
• Fabric - viscose knits, wools, screen-printed silks, printed mink
• Creative Jargon - schoolgirlish, femininity, lavish compositions, transparently muscular, feminine portraits, poster art

Here are some of the shots I liked best from the Prada show...

Overall, I was impressed by Ms. Horyn's writing.  Her use of descriptive words is out of this world. I'm impressed by and respect her vocabulary. She paints a picture of this runway show with ease. However, I was surprised by her lack of color language in this article. The only word she used to describe the colors in this show was, in fact, a pretty vague word, "colored." This could mean many things to a reader (multi-colored, red-colored, complementary-colored -- which one is it?). To a reader with limited visuals this could pose a problem. 

After looking at the show in its entirety, I think color plays an important factor in this show. Prada used a wide range of colors in this collection. Dull neutrals like deep army green, grays, and blacks were mixed with pieces of richly colored hues like bright yellow, pumpkin orange, and cobalt blue.

Other than the lack of color emphasis in Cathy's article, I really enjoy what she has to say. I agree with some of her opinions on this show, like how she wasn't crazy about Miuccia Prada's use of graphic portraits. Something about this Prada show just wasn't on point for me. I think the collection had a little too much of a mishmash of different design elements. Prada's designs were a little too out there for me, and that's coming from someone who usually appreciates a crazy runway show.

Read Cathy Horyn's full article here.
& watch a recap of the Prada Spring 2014 Runway here!