Favorite Fashion Week trends

I've been poring over photos from style.com picking out my favorite looks and trends. It's been a fun six weeks and I can't wait until next season!
What were your favorite trends?

Sheer (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Comme des Garçons, John Galliano, etc)

Sheer was seen across the board at Paris Fashion Week. In fact, I was surprised when a designer didn't have a sheer piece in their collection. Louis Vuitton's sheer tops (with a hint of nipple) were in gorgeous hues like this burgundy one. Makes you almost not want to ruin it with a slip underneath. But if you're gutsy enough (and have perky ones) go for it.

Tribal (Marc Jacobs)
Head scarves, ethnic jewelry, loose frocks: There were many interpretations of Marc Jacobs's S/S 09 collection but a tribal theme emerged with the accessories and the shapes of the dresses. I pictured a young, modern African mother going out for a night of dancing.

Futuristic (Balenciaga, Gareth Pugh, Maison Martin Margiela)

Nicolas Ghesquiere always bring the future to us and this collection was no exception with space-age dresses, laser cuts and shapes that were almost alien-like.

Plastic (Gareth Pugh)

The way Gareth Pugh shapes plastic is out of this world; they are shaped and bended into frills and pleats so that they look like they have the movement of silk. Too bad it's not eco-friendly but the result is stunning.


Draping (Lanvin, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen)

No one can drape a woman like Alber Elbaz and this collection showed off his unique sense of drapery. The way the clothes fold together is so natural and effortless.

Corsets (Alexander McQueen)


Even today, corsets are making us faint. Model Abbey Lee was reported to have fainted at the end of her runway walk and who could blame her? The corset looked tighter than the one Rose's mother strapped her into in Titanic.

High-low hemlines (Nina Ricci, Marc Jacobs)

I can Olivier Theyskens trying to fend off Rachel Zoe over this collection of beautiful dresses that will definitely be seen at the Oscars. A beautiful mix of sheer fabrics, brocade and silk made this collection unforgettable. But it was the high-low hemlines that took it to the next level and made it dramatic.


Retrospective (YSL, Maison Martin Margiela)


Stefano Pilati paid tribute to the late Yves Saint Laurent in a collection filled with updated looks (like Le Smoking) from the master couturier.


History (John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Gareth Pugh)


A parade of Marie Antoinettes sporting British and Napoleonic hats trotted down the runway at John Galliano. It was a playful look back to the fashions that started it all and to the trendsetters that still inspire us centuries later.

(Photos: Style.com)

Dreaming of faeries

Ever since I became obsessed with Prada's S/S 08 fairy collection, I've become entranced by fairies. So much so that I've seriously been thinking about getting a fairy tattoo. My co-workers say it's lame, my cousin (who has at least a dozen tattoos) says to do it. I think I should wait at least a year and see if I still like the idea, but right now, if I were walking by a tattoo parlour, I would drop in and get inked.
But there are so many beautiful fairy designs out there so it's going to be hard to pick one that I would love for eternity. Which is why I ordered the book Fairie-ality" The Fashion Collection From the House of Ellwand.
Here is a description of the book on Amazon.ca:

In the fairie world, there is only one top designer of couture and accessories . . .

Prepare to be enchanted! While humans go about their workaday lives, there is a secret world of well-dressed fairies flitting about in fragile fashions that would take your breath away - if only you could see them. Well, now you can. For the first time ever, elusive fairie couturier Ellwand allows mortals a peek at his ethereal designs in FAIRIE-ALITY, a catalogue so spectacularly crafted it befits a fairie queen herself. Showcased are nearly 150 creations - including dresses, jackets, trousers, shoes, hats, and delicate unmentionables - fashioned wholly from feathers, flower petals, shells, seeds, and other materials from nature. Consider these special features:

Extraordinary production elements, including three specially selected paper stocks; metallic inks; fold-out booklets; vellum envelope with removable fashion card; and numerous half-, third-, and quarter-pages, notably to showcase garments for a playful mix & match, offering dozens of outfits to create.


Filled with authentic fairie lore that will lure fairie lovers by the legion, this superbly designed volume also offers many clever nods to human fashion history. Its fun, fanciful costume descriptions will amuse the fashion-savvy everywhere, while the stunning array of fashions themselves - a veritable dress-up dream - will leave readers of all ages spellbound.

Here are some images from the book:






Although Summer is almost over (sad!) there is still time to dress like an enchanted nymph.

Nina Ricci S/S 08 marched a disheveled wood elves down the runway with whimsical dresses and feathered hair accessories.

Erin Fetherston's S/S 08 models also wore feathers and shimmery silk dresses as if they were ice fairies or angels.

Alexander McQueen's models were dark, gothic fairies with black, sparkly wings.

Prada of course had the most obvious fairy inspiration with James Jean drawings of sensual nymphs and sprites on sheer silk tunics and chiffon dresses.

Here are my fairy inspirations:


Think any of these would be good for a tattoo?

Fascinated by feathers

I have been finding mysterious bird feathers lying around my house in the past several weeks. I hope it's not the tragic remains of some poor bird that my cats have killed. Instead I like to imagine that the breeze carried them into the house, as I always leave my back door wide open to let the cats (savage brutes) in and out as they please.
This got me thinking about how much I used to love playing with feathers when I was a kid. I used to collect them and put them in my hair or make a necklace or tie them around my waist. I don't do that anymore for fear of bugs or whatever else birds pick up, but I still appreciate their beauty.
The Fall collections also featured a lot of gorgeous feathers: McQueen made them into regal dresses, Ralph Lauren added long, exotic feathers into hats and Carolina Herrera made them into necklaces and other décolletage. The results not only make you wish you could own these stunning pieces but also appreciate how nature's beauty and the creativity of the designers and artists can meld into something breathtaking. Mother Nature is truly the best accessory.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2008


Alexander McQueen Fall 2008

Carolina Herrera Fall 2008

Carolina Herrera Fall 2008

Carolina Herrera Fall 2008
Ralph Lauren Fall 2008

Ralph Lauren Fall 2008
Ralph Lauren Fall 2008
Ralph Lauren Fall 2008