Diane von Furstenberg Shows No Minimalism

After being "Phoebe Philo-ified" this fall with all our camel and minimalism, it looks like this Spring and next fall we are going to be "Prada-ified." Miuccia Prada declared she was tired of minimalism, and was she ever. Her bold color blocking, crazy prints, and colored furs from the Prada Spring 2011 show are appearing in different iterations on the NYC runways for Fall/Winter 2011. Throw in some old West American spirit and you've got Diane von Furstenberg's "American Legends" Fall 2011 show.

Wide-brimmed hats with stampede strings and suede accessories accented with fringe indicate that Fall 2011 will head in a decidedly Western direction. You have to look closely but if you look at the boots on the right and left images you can see the fringe swinging in the back, and you can see the fringe coming off of the coat the model wears in the center image. 

I've never been happier that I own a pair of cowboy boots. I also own a gorgeous camel sweater with fringe that runs along the back of the sleeves and across the back. I will definitely be taking these items out next fall!

These are merely two images (of many possible options) from the show to illustrate that Diane's customer should have no fear of print. Prints certainly gel with the tradition of the house, but I think there were a lot more over-the-top prints on top of prints at this show. And of course, runway shows are not how things get styled on the street, so this is naturally open to interpretation by the consumer, but this consumer is not going to be afraid of getting noticed next fall. Speaking of getting noticed...

You best not be afraid of color! The colors are certainly in a different palette than Prada's, less bright more deep, but the boldness is the same. I love the center image with the aubergine coat over the raspberry dress. Beautiful color combination. Also, colored fur is reigning supreme for next fall.

And finally, here is my absolutely favorite look from the show. I want to buy it NOW. I would wear it to a nighttime summer wedding:

King of NY Fashion Tells Us What to Wear

Marc Jacobs tells us what we will be wearing next season. His Spring show featured bold colors and 1970s silhouettes. Check out any website or fashion magazine right now and what trends are they touting as the musts for spring? Oh that's right, bright color mixing and 1970s inspired outfits.

So what now Mr. Jacobs? What will I be wearing next fall? It looks like I will be wearing a lot of plastic, deep, strong colors like black, white, gray, cognac, navy, maroon and hunter green, tons of polka dots, longer lengths, lace, and even some polka dots mixed with lace. Let's take a look at the trends Marc Jacobs set for fall 2011 on February 14th, 2011.

This fall 2011 woman is bad. ass. She isn't about easy dressing, that's for sure. She is about highly structured and honestly, not the must comfortable fabrics - like rubber. According to style.com, Marc worked with House of Harlot to create these skirts and dresses out of rubber to look like sequins. We are about 100 miles away from the floaty, effortlessness of his spring collection.

As you can see, polka dots EVERYWHERE. Covering the entire garment and in accent, big polka dots, small polka dots, and on tights. Just. Everywhere. Embrace it. It's happening. These looks also give you a good sense of the color palette. 

 And here is the lace! I actually LOVE the bits of lace applique applied to the skirts and tops. The broad shoulders and structured silhouettes don't exactly cry out "feminine," so the lace elements are a nice touch. In the center we have polka dots mixed with lace and a touch of the Wild West in the collar there (a trend echoed in DVF and Rodarte, and a couple other of the later looks in Jacobs' show). And finally, we have that gorgeous red all-over-lace dress.

Jacobs is certainly sticking with the trend of longer lengths that we have been seeing the evolution of lately. Skirts and dress that graze below the knee and mid-calf are going to carry us through spring to next fall. Start your shopping list folks, we have got a lot of Fashion Week to go...

Looking Forward To...

 I cannot wait for the Proenza Schouler show today. I have planned my schedule today around watching it live on their website airing at 8PM EST. Above is a look from the Fall 2011 line, and I can't wait to see the larger collection that it fits in with. 

The image is from Vogue.com's "First Look" series where they offer one look from fashion shows before the show takes place - it's a great inside look. Read the brief article about the collection here, it really sounds spectacular.

Wear With Two Tone Brogues

 

 

A fun and more prepster way to wear two-tone brogues is by pairing black and white brogues with an on-trend black jumpsuit.

Over the jumpsuit, wear an American classic - the denim jacket. Throw on a circle scarf with thin black and white strips to ramp up the prepster vibe, and then wear an oversize gold watch. I love Michael Kors watches, how they are refined and yet mens-like because of their oversize.

More Rachel Pally...

Wear With Two Tone Brogues

An unconventional way to wear classic menswear two-tone brogues is to make them edgy. Wear leggings as pants - a controversial choice, I know - but I do think it's okay if your top covers your bum.

Therefore, wear a long tunic in a fun pattern - like this leopard tunic. It looks sheer so I would wear a black tank top underneath. Obviously it's freezing outside, so wear a shearling lined leather jacket over the printed tunic. Finally, wear a neutral colored scarf, like this sand colored one in a nubby, natural texture.

More Quiksilver...

Wear With Two Tone Brogues

My favorite TV show of all time is Gilmore Girls, and as a part of Rory Gilmore's high school uniform, she had to wear saddle shoes. I understand that brogues and saddle shoes are different - brogues are characterized by a decorative toe cap, whereas a saddle shoe has the decorative "saddle" over your foot - but they seem very similar to me so when this trend came across my radar all I could think of was a private school girl's uniform. However, with the right outfit, a private school uniform will not even cross your mind while wearing two-tone brogues (seen on several celebrities lately). 

Here is one suggestion of how to create an outfit around a pair of brogues:

These brogues are a pinkish leather with dark brown accents. This pair of brogues are certainly eye-catching, so keep the rest of the elements of the outfit in basic colors. 

Wear a khaki brown pleated skirt (and I wouldn't object to tights in this weather). On top, wear a slouchy boyfriend tee with a tailored blazer. The blazer draws in the tailored structure of the shoes, and the oversized tee keeps it casual and cool. 

Throw on a scarf for warmth in a creamy winter white. And you've got a pitch-perfect outfit that will complement the shoes without pulling attention away from them.

More Forever 21...