QUEST: Are Overalls Back?

Edited by ShirleyWarner

Please say it ain’t so! Okay, I know I don’t have to wear them, but just the idea conjures up visions that are very unflattering. It’s just that there are so……many beautiful and feminine looks around, that I hope that we don’t slip back into sloppiness which also includes the grunge thing. I’m aware that there are “earthy looks” and that some people prefer things are bit more “understated,” but my hope is that things will continue to be pretty, frilly and classy.

THE TEN: Rules for Fall

Edited by ShirleyWarner

There are actually thirteen according to Harper’s Bazaar:

RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Awe…Marchesa S/S 10

Edited by ShirleyWarner

This is the collection that I have been waiting for…….I knew that it would be spectacular, but the ladies have managed to take things beyond my expectations! Marchesa was a favorite of mine from day one. Their beautiful gowns and dresses have that “old Hollywood glamour vibe.” Each and every one is this collection is stunning. The fabulous lace, bows and laser cut details are immaculate. If you’re seeking a “head-turner,” this is the collection that has them all!

Georgina Chapman leapt from ancient China to the lush exoticism of Madame Butterfly this time out, still taking her cues from the Far East yet showing even greater ambition in her craftsmanship. “I wanted to [capture] the real look of Japan, create layers and bits of origami,” Chapman said at her presentation, which opened with an elegant duchesse satin “obi coat,” hand-painted — a first for the designer — in black-and-white leaves.

While origami pleating wound its way into many of the gowns via stiff tulle and crepe overlay, the motif was quite literal on a series of black matte crepe dresses and a brilliant pale pink gown, each bodice piled with white origami flowers (also handmade). Using horsehair to sculpt her signature swirling, curling dresses, Chapman lightened the palette for spring — minty green and violet — and showed her hand at embroidery, splaying draped shoulders and cascading satin skirts with silver crystal leaves. Chapman indulges in fantasy, yes, but her technical skills are clearly real, and the impact was both powerful and mesmerizing.

WWD)

“Men, Get Your Shoe On”

Edited by ShirleyWarner

Very stylish shoes for spring from British brand Harry’s of London……nice.

Size 10 Model Lara Stone Captivating the Runways

Edited by ShirleyWarner

Lara is also being referred to as he girl with the Brigitte Bardot looks…..okay, I can see some of that, but what I’m most excited about is, the fact that she has a “real body.” You all know what I’m talking about. The opinions and comments that I express here are not in anyway meant to offend anyone, but it is quite refreshing to see someone who can put on a dress and actually “fill it out.” I’m aware that it is the designer’s choice as to the models used to “sport their wares,” but some of the young ladies with the ribs showing and the knees that look as though they are about to snap in two if they walk too fast are a bit too thin for some of the clothes. Hats off to the designers who are using Lara in their shows! read more below from the actual article.

Every so often a truly original model emerges. Lara Stone is 25 – comparatively old in an industry where most are deemed past it by the time they reach their mid-twenties. She is a relatively curvaceous British size 10, with feet that measure a six (instead of sample size seven to eight), wispy fair hair and a noticeable gap between her two front teeth. Yet somehow it’s a mesmerising combination.

Stone’s unique look has designers and fashion editors swooning; Prada contracted her for a semi-exclusive catwalking deal (preventing any other designer from using Stone before she walked in its a/w 09 show), and French Vogue dedicated its entire February issue to her – marking the return of sultry, Brigitte Bardot-esque, womanly proportions. Born in Holland, Stone first emerged when she entered the Elite Model Look competition in 1999. She didn’t win, but the Elite judges glimpsed a flicker of potential in the 15-year-old, and agreed to sign her regardless. After several frustrating years her breakthrough finally came when she made it on to the books at IMG International, and a prestigious catwalk debut in Givenchy’s a/w 06 couture show followed.

This season has seen the renewal of contracts with Givenchy and Hugo Boss, and Stone has also been signed as the face of Jean Paul Gaultier and Jaeger – whose chief executive, Belinda Earl, is quick with praise for the star of its new campaign. ‘Lara is stylish, confident, chic, and most importantly she’s a real woman.’

Perhaps these defining qualities go some way towards explaining the fact that for a/w 09 Stone walked in no fewer than 14 ready-to-wear shows in 19 days, not to mention a further three in Paris last July, when she opened both Chanel’s and Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture shows. She might not fit the stereotype, but this certainly hasn’t stopped her from having the fashion world at her feet. Welcome to a season in the life of Lara Stone.

1.Lara Stone models Jonathan Saunders, February 15, Marc Jacobs, February 16, Diesel Black Gold, February 17.

2. Lara Stone models Anna Sui, February 18, Zac Posen, February 19, Prada, March 1.

3. Lara Stone models Balmain, March 15, Isabel Marant, March 16.

4. Lara Stone models Jean Paul Gautier, March 7, Givenchy, March 8, Stella McCartney, March 9.

5. Lara Stone models Chanel, March 10, Hermes, March 11, Miu Miu, March 12.