Jewelry – These accessories sparkle and shine without tacky rhinestones or matching set disasters. If you’re looking to stand out with bold statement pieces, look no further than our top five.

Clockwise from top left:
Trina Turk Nugget Earrings $70, maxandchloe.com

Robindira Unsworth Juicy Bangles $450, robindira.com

Kenneth Jay Lane Turquoise Beaded Octopus Ring $165, macys.com

Lagos Caviar™ Ring $375, nordstrom.com

DANNIJO Florence Necklace $545, dannijo.com

Shoes - Get your head out of the prom salon and into something that will make a statement. If you chose a dress based on elegance, minimalism and fit, an architecturally divine shoe will be a perfect pairing for your frock.

Clockwise from top left:
Chinese Laundry Hot Island in Red Suede $200, chineselaundry.com

House of Harlow 1960 Pearl Pumps $169, bloomingdales.com

United Nude Frame Shoe $545, solestruck.com

Bebe Gold Brice Pump $144, heels.com

Rock & Republic Loretta Chain Platform $295, zappos.com

Bags - Why settle for a plain, boring bag when you can turn up the volume and the bling? These bags won’t be tossed to the side after prom night is over because they’re too cool not to carry again.

Clockwise from top left:
Whiting & Davis Art Nouveau Wristlet $145, endless.com

Chloé Elsie Crystal-Embellished Leather Clutch $1,835, mytheresa.com

SANG A Plush Clutch $1,740, kirnazabete.com

Paco Rabanne “Le 69″ Bag $1,152, colette.fr

Botkier Night-Out Crossbody Clutch $137, couture.zappos.com

Hair – You don’t need to be queen to flaunt a regal hairdo at prom. Feathers, crystals and flowers add a fun touch to a sleek hairdo. Ditch the curls and braids for one of our five favorites above.

Clockwise from top left:
Jacques Vert Dusty Blue Royal Affair Fascinator $129, houseoffraser.co.uk

Eugenia Kim Claudia Feather-Embellished Headband $125, net-a-porter

Topshop Large Lime Orchid Clip $25, us.topshop.com

1928 Winging It Filigree Vintage Hair Barrette $14, 1928.com

Colette Malouf Crystal And Pearl Flower Wire Comb $96, boutique1.com

How do you plan on accessorizing for prom 2011?

While Haute Couture is highly celebrated on the red carpet, many fashion insiders seem confused over the true concept of the term.

In order to best understand, I like to refer to the designer pyramid, where haute couture is positioned above all else. While haute couture designs that are featured on the runway, may sometimes resemble artwork more than wearable fashions, they are in fact the inspiration for almost every piece of clothing you will ever purchase. When these collections are created, they set the standards for what will filter down to designers such as Prada, Dolce & Gabanna, Marc Jacobs and Diane Von Furstenberg, who then create prêt-a-porter (ready-to-wear) collections. Many designers have couture departments; an example would be Atelier Versace. An extension of Versace, the atelier (tailoring workshop) creates many of the long evening gowns and one-of-a-kind designs that are made to order to fit an individual’s body like a second skin. One step down from designers who have runway collections, are retailers such as Zara, Mango, Karen Millen, Reiss and Bebe. These stores have a higher turnover of clothing production and their designs are often copied from the ready–to-wear runway shows. Eventually, all of this is filtered down to companies such as Primark, Kmart and Wal-Mart, who mass-produce clothing that consumers can purchase for the fraction of the cost of the original design.

The origin of couture dates back to mid-nineteenth century Paris, when Empress Eugénie elicited the dressmaking services of Charles Frederick Worth, an English designer who was known for his luxurious choice of fabrics, sumptuous trimmings and attention to detail. Her refined tastes set the style of the court and won Worth the title of Europe’s very first Couturier. Before long, Worth was patronized by many titled, rich and notable women. Being a savvy businessman, he took advantage of the growing demand for his work by opening a showroom, La Maison de Couture in Paris. Interested buyers would come to view his latest pieces on live models and order their garment of choice. Worth would then recreate the chosen garment in his atelier, modifying it to the client’s taste and precise measurements. This business model provided the foundation for modern day couture.

Worth has not only been credited for being the inventor of couture, but also for inventing the modern day press kit. Before the photographic era, he was the first to promote his work by sending out miniature dolls wearing his designs, which journalists then reproduced as illustrations, thus creating the original fashion editorials.

Haute couture, when translated, simply means high dressmaking, but is the most celebrated fashion honor. In France, the term is protected by law and defined by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris. There are currently only eleven official members and three correspondent (foreign) members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, all of whom have been invited for membership and must follow certain rules in order to use the term in their advertising.  Within this set of rules, each house is expected to operate a Paris-based atelier and show two full (thirty five pieces) collections, twice a year. These shows, which make up Paris Couture Week, are held during January and July and are not to be confused with the regular ‘fashion week’ which showcase the ready-to-wear collections.

Kirten Lea at Armani Privé – Video Direction by Durrant Kellogg

Armani Privé, Valentino and Chanel are among the names currently boasting the most prestigious empires. Many see the stunning dresses featured on the red carpet, but are unsure as to how one would go about purchasing one. I recall seeing what would be my first haute couture gown, worn by Katie Holmes at her wedding reception. Even on the dimensionless page of a magazine, the dress spoke to me, implanting what would become a deep passion and lasting appetite for couture. It was only in my quest to purchase a gown of my own, did I learn that the ceremonious process by which one procures a couture dress proves as intricate, as the design itself.

Most designer stores, such as Giorgio Armani, are not closely connected to their couture house, and therefore it is mandatory for a new client to have a formal introduction to the atelier.  This will usually require a new client to fly to Rome, Paris or Milan simply to view the look book. If one is interested in a particular gown, then that dress must also be flown in from wherever it is in the world, at that particular time.

Originally made for runway models, each sample garment is a prototype made specifically for runway models. This means they are made for women who are at least 5’10” tall, extremely slim, with almost no bust and a long back. The sample garments are later fashioned with elastic rigging, so to accommodate clients with more curves than zero.

It is at the atelier, where one discusses any modifications, to ensure that a dress will suit the client perfectly. The couturiers have great wisdom regarding which colors, necklines, hemlines and silhouettes enhance each individual body size and shape. And, when you’re buying a dress that costs in the region of $160,000, it doesn’t hurt to seek professional consultation. Ordering couture is about teamwork and creativity, a process in which the customer is a vital part.

Haute Couture garments often require three or four fittings. While it is helpful if the client remains the same size, the very nature of a fitting is to continually adjust the garment to fit one’s body like a second skin, so it is expected that women may lose or gain a little weight, particularly if they are leading up to an important event. By the end of the fittings, no matter how revealing a dress may appear to be, you will feel completely comfortable and secure wearing it.

Usually more so than any other dress you have ever worn.

With an estimated 2,000 people worldwide who still purchase haute couture, but as few as 150 individuals who are regarded as regular clientele, designers go to great lengths to build a sense of loyalty amongst their clients. Giorgio Armani, for example, hosted intimate dinners during which clients are brought together to share their passion for, knowledge of, and experiences with couture. The attendees are not the spoiled individuals some might expect. We share our thoughts on the latest collections and what we believe inspired them. We discuss plans to attend upcoming shows and most importantly, we rely upon each other to compare experiences of buying from one designer over another.

The 2011 Official List of Members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture

Adeline André

Anne Valérie Hash

Atelier Gustavolins

Chanel

Christian Dior

Christophe Josse

Franck Sorbier

Givenchy

Jean-Paul Gautier

Maurizio Galante

Stéphane Rolland

Correspondent (Foreign) Members

Elie Saab

Giorgio Armani

Valentino

Maison Martin Margiela

Invited Members

Alexandre Vauthier

Alexis Mabille

Bouchra Jarrar

Julien Fournié

Lefrant Ferrant

Maison Rabih Kayrouz

Maxime Simoëns

Watch Video Here

Photo Credit: Elle.com

In a celebratory month of love, and lust, it’s no surprise Ana Beatriz Barros, is sporting all the right colors for Elle US Magazine February 2011. Let’s review the favorites pieces of Missoni, Versace, Lanvin,  on this hottie with the body.

Converting Ke$ha’s not so successful ice blue lips into the color of her nail polish is a number one on anyone Spring list, bright tribal prints and 90′s style belly cut tanks, fiercely strutting her banana yellow dress, transitioned into a more minimalism look of an all white ensemble paired with her 70′s inspired cork wedges… and of course for those New York City girls, we can’t forget to tie up the ends with an all black “less is more” look! Need I say more March 20th (first day of Spring) please get here soon!

Photographed by Max Farago

I really don’t see the point of this brand trying to act like people care about the exact same pencil skirt coming down the runway each season, it’s the equivalent of Express trying to convince us that anything ever changes in their mens collection, not happening.

So when they decided to host a fashion show, you can understand my apprehension towards attending. I thought about hitting it up, but when I didn’t get a seat confirmation, I skipped it and decided to just watch the drama unfold on the twitterverse.

Big surprise, drama ensued.

Aside from having 200+ people in standing room, a number of guests were left outside. To add injury to insult, top blogs like Styleite where forced to mingle with the common folk as they watched toddlers seated front row. Guess someones baby mama at Bebe took a seat over child support this month.

Eitherway, the show seemed to be a total bust, with most editors annoyed with the massive crowds and random frontrowers. Here’s a few of the most entertaining tweets…

@CombineCouture I love that a basketball player is being interviewed on the red carpet at #bebe and giving his opinion on the show #nyfw #mbfw

@cutblog We are sensing fire-code violations ‘a plenty at #bebe. (five times more people than ought to be jammed in here) (via @fuggirls) #nyfw

@AllTheLooks #bebe running over 40 mins late and counting

@cutblog Front row at Bebe: LA Laker Ron Artest. (via @fuggirls) #bebe #nyfw

@Styleite Kate Lanphear and Robbie Myers are front row at #bebe. That is a sentence we never thought we’d type.

Ouchies.

LINK LOVE: See Jesus Luz’s New Campaign; Givenchy Muse Launches Funeral Couture

Add Your Own Stories on ENVY The Fashion Network

1. Sarah Pallack is booking DJs and working on special events for the W Hotels Arrivals Lounge backstage at Bryant Park. She is currently downing water by the bottle in hopes that it will help her feel (and look) more alive once all the craziness that is Fashion Week officially starts. She’s excited that Fashion Week gives her an excuse to pull out all the fancy clothes she’s been dying to wear.

2. Elaine Drebot is organizing press appointments and special events at the W Hotels Arrivals Lounge backstage at Bryant Park. To de-stress, she cuddles with her beloved dog, Moe. She’s excited about all the amazing DJs the W Lounge has this season – including Semi Precious Weapons!

3. Claudine is working a bunch of fashion shows including YEOHLEE, GILDED AGE and Emu and on the JOONBUG.com party on Feb 13th with Elle and Style 360 and cast of Ugly Betty. She is also djing for the first time along with her buddy, Mike.

She is going to be playing songs that inspired Walter, Bess, Yeohlee, Brian Reyes and others to create their Spring 2010 collections. So she has been practicing for that in her spare time. She is really proud of her team and thanks everyone for working so hard during this busy time. To unwind, she works out with her buddy, Amin, and loves to do tons of jumping jacks and bench jumps. Beyond that she is really looking forward to having the support of a lot of her college friends on the 13th and having a good time dancing with them.

She also loves to write up some personal happenings at www.caravangirl.com.

4. Madeline Amato is thrilled that THINK’S model casting is complete and that the most perfect girls were found to compliment all of the fabulous looks for the EMU of Australia Presentation. She had gotten tired of eating salad every casting day; it is not easy holding your own in a room full of fashion models! However; she is dying to sample the chocolates from Michel Cluizel, the official chocolate sponsor of the YEOHLEE show this season.

5. Bailey Horn is working on overall STYLE360- STYLE360 serves as the alternative Fashion Week destination, hosting a series of shows, presentations and after parties. She is coordinating RSVPS and overall requests for the event. She is also reaching out to press about feature stories on STYLE360 in general. This is her first experience with STYLE360 and is very excited for fashion week to start. She is a huge fan of Kim Kardashian and Watches Keeping Up with the Kardashians all the time.

6. Andrew Young is spearheading both the Gilded Age and EMU Australia fashion shows for the upcoming fashion week. Creating looks, casting models and following up on invitations becomes a full time job during fashion week and Andrew is convinced the key to keeping it together is staying as pragmatic as possible. “If you’re calm and systematic about fashion week it’s really just a piece of cake” he explains, albeit a very glamorous cake. He adds, “I also want to make sure I make the most of this fashion week while it’s still at Bryant Park. Although I’m excited about change, I’ve had some of the most exciting moments of my life there and will miss it terribly!”

7. Laura Neroulias is working on the bebe-Kardashian’s fashion show and the grand opening of bebe’s new SoHo flagship. As she coordinates all the requests with Kim’s personal publicist and bebe’s PR team, she stays calm with the help of a box of rice krispie treats hidden under her desk. She has an amazing group of people coming for the show and store opening and can’t wait to see it all come together!

8. Hillary Beulah is working on the Yeohlee Teng fashion show this season. Hillary is liaising with Yeohlee’s internal PR team to seat the show, monitor requests, backstage interview and photographer access, post show interview, both pre and post and a very exciting live streaming component. Yeohlee’s show will continue to explore the urban nomad theme that she has made famous so it should be a sensory experience. Expect a veritable who’s who of the fashion world to attend. She is excited to meet Stephen Kolb from the CFDA because he has always been one of Hillary’s idols; she rocks out to the Rihanna Rated R album to keep stress levels down; it’s all about unleashing her inner DIVA!

9. Amanda Esposito will be the eyes and ears of the W Hotels Arrival Lounge this Fashion Week, which hosts editors, celebrities, designers and models in between shows. She is super excited about Danny Roberts from Igor and Andre, who will be visiting the lounge this season to sketch!

10. Marie Dasaro Cuccurullo is senior account executive at THINK PR and works on the W Hotels account. Marie is getting ready to spend every day at the W Hotels Arrival Lounge, backstage at the Bryant Park tents. The W Hotels lounge is an exclusive spot for the biggest VIP names at fashion week, including major designers and A-list celebrities. This season, Marie will also be utilizing the lounge to meet with magazine photo and booking editors to speak with them about existing and upcoming W properties that may be a fit for future photo-shoots.

11. Lauren Larkin (Account Executive) – I am working on the Clandestine Industries by Pete Wentz fashion show and after party, coordinating with Pete’s team to schedule interviews and control the RSVP list. I am also handling press for our STYLE360 series as a whole and working on the Gilded Age menswear presentation with Andrew. I drink lots of water during Fashion Week to stay hydrated and focused and am super excited for a successful fall season!

12. Reshma is working closely with everyone at THINK to ensure we have another killer fashion week that we can be proud of. (See everyone else’s summaries for specific events.) For anyone experiencing Fashion Week-related stress she recommends that you:

- Adopt a pup from http://www.barcshelter.org

- Listen to the new Vampire Weekend album

- Tell your husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/ to take you out for a yummy dinner at Marlow & Sons (order all of the specials!)

13. Claudine is working a bunch of fashion shows including YEOHLEE, GILDED AGE and Emu and on the JOONBUG.com party on Feb 13th with Elle and Style 360 and cast of Ugly Betty. She is also djing for the first time along with her buddy, Mike.

She is going to be playing songs that inspired Walter, Bess, Yeohlee, Brian Reyes and others to create their Spring 2010 collections. So she has been practicing for that in her spare time. She is really proud of her team and thanks everyone for working so hard during this busy time. To unwind, she works out with her buddy, Amin, and loves to do tons of jumping jacks and bench jumps. Beyond that she is really looking forward to having the support of a lot of her college friends on the 13th and having a good time dancing with them.

She also loves to write up some personal happenings at www.caravangirl.com.

So glad I didn’t get up for this show this morning, looking at the photos this is probably on the same level of awful as the Lindsay Lohan/Ungaro collection. Do the Kardashian’s realize that we are in Fall, not Spring with their boring Old Navy worthy shorts (even in leather, which we saw last season) and J.Crew like tops. Besides denim and tee shirts, which came straight out of a Joyce Leslie store, there were equally bad dresses made for a twelve year old skank, or the likes of (again) Lohan. The only halfway decent, partly original piece was a leather corset worn over a plain jersey dress.

Entire collection here.
Thanks Cotourture for the pics.

First of all, it is my opinion that celebrity designers should NOT show at the Tents at all, I think it’s an insult to the industry and takes the spotlight away from talented designers who have worked long and hard for the chance to present at fashion week. That is why when I hear that the Kardashian sisters are set to show their Bebe line I want to cringe and boycott Mercedes Benz totally. These untalented media whores are on the OFFICIAL calendar in between TSE and Derek Lam, which pisses me off beyond belief. How can Fern Mallis allow this?

LINK LOVE: NY Mag

Pefume developer Francis Kurkdjian has decided to take on BeBe! The fashion chain with two prior perfumes under their belt seemed to be overdue for a fresh fragrance. Bebe’s Eau de Parfum will be available later this month along with matching beauty products!

LINKAGE: Now Smell This

I for one, am glad to see the jumpsuit making yet another comeback.

They are easy to wear and most are very comfortable. I personally favor the ones that are loose, as they are very flattering to the figure. I love the “long and lean” look, as most accentuate the legs making them appear long whether you have long legs or not. The more “tailored” looks from Ralph Lauren and Yves St. Laurent are perfect to go from day to night with a change of shoes and accessories. In my book they are a definite “fashion do”. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Here are just a few of my favorites. From top to bottom the designers are as follows: PHILLIP LIM, PROENZA SCHOULER, YVES ST. LAURENT, RALPH LAUREN, DEREK LAM, BEBE and ANTHROPOLOGIE.

LINKAGE: Jumpsuits are everywhere!

Some girl from Northeastern University said ”Wearing her clothing line tonight was really an honor.” Well, apparently this girl was flattered that she was one of the many cotton dress wearing, cheap black belted, frontal hair poofed models. Good job Conrad, you gave daddy’s little girl 5 minutes of fame other than when she gets voted make-out slut at Saturday night frat parties. 

Another spectator at the show said ”A cotton dress for $200 is overpriced, just because of the name that’s on it? Come on. But, I mean, I would totally buy it, just because it’s a Lauren Conrad dress, I totally would.” Excellent, another label whore. Totally kill yourself. Totally. 

Thanks NY Mag!

The Original by Herve Leger

The copy-cat by Bebe

Can you say lawsuit?

[Source]

Tara Subkoff knows how to draw attention to her new Bebe line: lesbianism. She’s shooting a promotional film starring Lydia Hearst to play in Bebe stores. Hearst already spilled about the film in Page Six Magazine. Subkoff captured Hearst smooching Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane outside Butter on Monday night for the short film, and today it wound up in “Page Six” in the newspaper.

And we totally fell on the lesbian bandwagon yesterday when we wrote about the smooching between the two blonds. Now we find out it’s only for publicity…Guess we should have known that these desperate celebs would stoop to anything in order to get their names into the newspaper one more time! Wonder how much they got paid to whore themselves out?

This time of year, most of us are pretty much broke; between the wads of cash that we so generously spent on people we really couldn’t afford to, and the amazing “deals” on fabulous items we couldn’t even dream about buying before the season was over (not that they aren’t probably still overpriced) there’s hardly anything left for… Valentine’s Day!

So it warms my heart (or maybe that’s just the extra insulation from the dough lining my pockets,) to know that Tara Subkoff  of Imitation of Christ is doing a line for Bebe (insert amazement, yes Bebe is still around).

I mean sure, she leant her name to Easy Spirit before, but those shoes were way too editorial, and nowhere near reasonably priced. This time around, however, the prices range from $59-$189.

Think ’40s, with a hint of pinup. I can’t wait to add the Ruffled Wrap Dress to my collection of “fabulous and (subsquently) memorable items” that I can, for that reason, only wear a handful of times. But its the “nature of the beast,” I suppose. Besides, a portion of the proceeds goes to charity. See, we all win!

-Virginia Jackson-Reed