While their design aesthetics may be completely unique, the following ten designers have one thing in common: Asian descent! Here are our favorites:

1) ALEXANDER WANG

2) PHILLIP LIM

3) YOHJI YAMAMOTO

4) REI KAWAKUBO

5) THAKOON

6) DEREK LAM

7) ANNA SUI

DOO-RI CHUNG

9) JASON WU

10) VIVIENNE TAM

Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy aka the ‘First Ladies of Fashion’ met today in France, at the NATO Summit Arrival Ceremony at the Palais Rohan, Michelle Obama in a Thakoon coat, and Carla Bruni in a Dior suede coat.

After the ceremony, Mrs Obama revealed a more magnificent floral print Thakoon floral silk jacquard dress.

LINKAGE: Perez Hilton

The CFDA got around to announcing their nominations yesterday. Michelle Obama is getting some love from the group (aka they need a famous face to sell some tickets). She’ll be receiving a Board of Director’s Special
Tribute, whatever that means.

Marc Jacobs will receive an International Award for his work at Louis Vuitton. Anna Sui will get the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.

The other nominees are:

Womenswear Designer of the Year
Marc Jacobs
Narciso Rodriguez
Laura and Kate Mulleavy/Rodarte (Really hope they win)

Menswear Designer of the Year
Michael Bastian
Scott Steinberg/Band of Outsiders
Italo Zucchelli/Calvin Klein

Accessories Designer of the Year
Vera Wang
Marc Jacobs
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez/Proenza Schouler

Swarovski Award for Womenswear (Emerging Talent)
Alexander Wang
Jason Wu (Sucking Up to Obama Much?!?)
Thakoon Panichgul (Should definitely take the win)

Swarovski Award for Menswear
Patrick Ervell
Robert Geller
Tim Hamilton

Swarovski Award for Accessories
Albertus Q. Swanepoel
Alejandro Ingelmo
Justin Giunta/Subversive Jewelry

LINKAGE: 2009 CFDA Award Nominees

TRESemmé signed on as the official haircare sponsor of this year’s spring shows for NYC Fashion Week granting the
brand with backstage access at one of the industry’s biggest events. TRESemmé Celebrity Stylist Nathaniel Hawkins, who led the hair teams for Tracy Reese and Cynthia Rowley, dishes his secrets for getting the look.

“This season, we saw a return to simple, yet beautiful hair. Whether the look of the show was
soft and feminine or exhibited more of an edge, the common thread remained the hair looks -
face flattering and pretty. And the best thing about these styles is that they are easy to achieve
with the right products and tools,” says Hawkins.

Here are the trends, right off the runways, courtesy of TRESemmé:

Wave of Independence
“Gone are the days of binding curls and waves. This season, it is all about laid back, yet feminine glamour,” adds Hawkins. Rachel Roy, L’Wren Scott, Rebecca Taylor, Diane von Furstenberg and Anna Sui all sent this look down their runways. To get these hot waves:

1. Scrunch TRESemmé Flawless Curls Curl Hydration Lotion Crème into damp hair.

2. Blow dry the hair with a diffuser using the fingers or let it dry naturally.

3. Part hair evenly down the middle and finger comb each side into a ponytail.

4. Taking each ponytail, twist the lengths of the hair until it starts to twist onto itself,
creating a bun on each side of the head; secure each bun with a hair pin.

5. Using the diffuser, dry each bun and let the hair sit for 20 minutes.

6. Remove the pins and finger comb hair, creating beautiful, tousled waves.

7. Run a dime-size amount of the TRESemmé Anti-Frizz Secret Styling Crème over the
lengths of the hair to tame flyaways and add shine.

Mixed Up
“A lot of shows this season featured a dual-finish hairstyle with either a mix of shiny and matte or rough and smooth,” notes Hawkins who created such a look for Cynthia Rowley’s show.  Other designers who showcased the look included:  Alexander Wang, Erin Fetherston, Thakoon and Richard Chai.

To copy the ponytail follow these simple steps:
1. Pull hair back into a ponytail using a boar bristle brush

2. Work TRESemmé Anti-Frizz Secret Styling Crème into the hair at the top of the ponytail
but not throughout the lengths of the hair.

3. Spray the mid-shafts and ends of the hair with TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat
Tamer Spray.

4. Blow dry hair against the natural direction of the cuticle to create a rough texture, which
will contrast the sleek, shiny top section of the head.

5. Finish this look with a touch of TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Spray
throughout the ponytail.

Hawkins and the TRESemmé Styling Team tied shiny black ribbon on all of the models at the Cynthia Rowley show to add a touch of glam.

Soft Around the Edges
“Stick straight locks had their moment on the runway, but the look right now is all about smooth hair with some bend and movement,” says Hawkins.  This chic style was seen on the runways of some of fashion’s biggest names including BCBG, Doo.Ri and Donna Karen.  Hawkins loved the way this styled complemented the straight lines at the Herve Leger show.

Getting the look is simple:

1. Apply TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray to hair, followed by a liberal application of TRESemmé Thermal Creations Volumizing Mousse from the roots of the hair to the ends.

2. Blow hair dry with a medium-sized round brush.

3. Spray Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray onto the hair again.

4. Take sections of hair twice the depth of the flatiron plate, pull the iron away from the head to create a slight curvature.

5. Add runway-worthy shine by lightly spraying the TRESemmé No Frizz Shine Spray.

For the Thakoon Fall/Winter 09 Show, lead makeup artist Diane Kendal took inspiration from the 1940’s, reflecting the surrealist images of photographer Lee Miller, and a bit of 80’s rock and roll glam, to create a strong look without being too girly.

“The look is all about the eyes with soft matte lips for contrast,” said Diane Kendal. To bring strength to the face, Diane focused on creating smoky eyes and full brows, while downplaying the lips and keeping skin fresh with a light brushing of blush for a healthy glow.

Below is a step-by-step to recreate the look provided by NARS:

Face

· Use NARSskin Hydrating Moisture Cream to moisturize entire face

· Apply NARS Concealer as needed, to cover any imperfections

· Use a minimal amount of NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (NEW for Fall 2009)

· Lightly stroke NARS Blush in Gilda on the apples of the cheeks

Eyes:

· Use NARS Eyeliner Pencil in Mambo to line upper lashes and crease

· Blend over entire lid and up to brows, keeping dense color by lashline

· With Mambo, line lower lashes and gently blend

· Use NARS Single Eyeshadow in Bali to fill in brows

· Draw a very thin line on upper lashes with NARS Eyeliner Stylo in Black (NEW for Fall 2009)

· Curl lashes with NARS Eyelash Curler

Lips:

· Apply NARS Lip Therapy Treatment in Rain to entire lip

· Lightly pat a small amount of NARS Concealer over Rain to take down color

As a representative for the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation, Robert Verdi will bring his fashion expertise to this year’s Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation shows and events.

Now in its eighth year, the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation is proud to recognize the seven recipients of the 2009 awards: Cushnie et Ochs, Lyn Devon, Matthew Ames, and OHNE TITEL in the women’s design category; CORPUS in the men’s design category; and Monique Péan in the accessories category. EDFF also introduces its inaugural Sustainable Design category winner, Bodkin Brooklyn.

These future stars of fashion each received a $25,000 grant to help showcase their collection at New York Fashion Week this February. Past winners include Zac Posen, Proenza Schouler, Peter Som, Derek Lam, Thakoon, Rodarte, Erin Fetherston and Alexander Wang.

Gilt Group just listed nearly all of Thakoon’s Spring 2008 collection for 80% off.  I’d skip out on Target and just buy the real goods.

We announced back in August that Thakoon would launch a collaboration line with Target Go! International before the ball dropped, signaling the end of 2008. Well, here is a sneak peak of the line due to hit stores this Christmas. Although you probably can’t bust them out during a mid-January snowstorm, these pieces, ranging from $20-$70, are perfect for the sunny months of spring and summer of for you lucky ones headed somewhere warm this holiday season. The Thakoon/Target collection reminds me of the prints used in Thakoon’s Fall 2008 line, only with brighter, more vibrant colors. The prints may be a bit 90’s, but layer and style the pieces correctly, and you’ll be looking bold and beautiful!

Thanks NYLON!

Diane Von Furstenberg s/s 2009.

Oscar de la Renta s/s 2009.

Thakoon s/s 2009.

As if the looming economic crisis weren’t bad enough, the monetary mayhem is now causing retailers to cut orders by at least 10%-15% for the spring. Even New York flagship stores are lowering their buys by up to 10%, hoping that tourists around the holiday season can help them bounce back. These order cuts can only mean one thing…our favorite designers spring collections will be even harder to get our hands on. Designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta and Thakoon plan on shifting their focus to international markets. Other designers like Doo-Ri Chung plan on cutting back details to lower prices. Now, you won’t exactly go naked this spring, but if you absolutely must have these designs, I suggest you hop a plane to Milan and ransack them for all they’re worth. As for now, the availability for designer fashion come March is looking bleak. 

Thanks STYLE and NY Mag!

Thakoon Spring 09 is a hodge podge of other designers’ ideas thrown into a ditch and then regurgitated on to the runway.  The collection has elements of Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Alexander Wang, yet is made to look like some sort of bondage ready garments that have inspiration from your grandma’s closet. The floral cardigans and Gap-like trench coats are the worst pieces, while the long dress that is sheer from the knee down has some potential. Better luck next time…

Thanks Style.com for the pics

Target just announced Thakoon will design its next diffusion line. The collection will launch in December and be available in Target stores and online through January.

Thanks Glamour.

David Yurman

Tom Ford

Now let’s not get off on the wrong foot. I love sunglasses, nothing better than picking out the perfect pair of shades to complete an outfit that’s going to tear up the streets; however, the amount of designers manufacturing sunglasses nowadays has been getting absolutely insane. I mean come on, I don’t even know if there is enough room for all of them! The shades keep piling in, stores are stocking up, and designers simply can’t get enough of their unstoppable “creativity”. I understand that if you see someone else with bills flying through their fingertips you’re going to want a piece of that success, but let’s think of some alternate ways keep the cash flowing in. Designers need to stop producing eyewear just for the hell of it.

Giorgio Armani

Roberto Cavalli

Thakoon and Jeremy Scott? Really? Everyone please stop allowing them to think this is okay! We’re going to get to a point where designing sunglasses is a leisure activity. Their loosing their edge, their unpredictability and ultimately, the desire they use to attract their consumers. The amount of shades are making them too accessible and completely boring. Sorry to report the newsflash designers, but not everyone’s got the skill to craft shades; please, leave it to the professionals.

Thakoon

Jeremy Scott

Oscar de la Renta Presenting the award to Proenza Schouler

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has announced this year’s 10 contenders for the $200,000 award, which bestows $50,000 for each of two runners-up. Finalists include Albert Q. Swanepoel of Albertus Quartus, Alejandro Ingelmo, indie fave Alexander Wang, Irene Neuwirth, Jason Wu, Juan Carlos Obando, Swaim and Christina Hutson of Obedient Sons and Daughters, John Patrick of Organic, Richard Chai, and Lisa Mayock & Sophie  Buhai of Vena Cava, who were finalists last year as well.

Since its inception in 2003, the program has awarded over $1,000,000 to help build brands like Doo.Ri, Derek Lam, Proenza Schouler (above), Rodarte, Thakoon, Thom Browne and Trovata. The awards will be presented on November 17 at a private dinner in New York.

Really excited about this, crossing our fingers that we may get invited to the dinner…

Thakoon’s Fall 2008 collection proved once again that Thakoon Panichgul knows how to add some intrigue and mystery to a season that has been if anything but exciting.

I’m loving those sheer tights! Three words to describe this collection: crazy, sexy, cool. Fabulous combination of garments and fabrics. Thakoon is fearless when it comes to using patterns- flores, stripes, plaid.

The accessories absolutely add an extra something to theses outfits. The black leather gloves give it a punk rock look to “redefined silhouettes” of skirts and dresses. I guess opposites DO attract.

[Images Courtesy Style.com]