Fashion News

It’s always fun to watch fashion week unfold and to see the similarities and differences between each collection. Although it is a long wait until Fall 2010…there is no reason to get a head start on the great new trends. Here’s a look at my 3 faves:

Trend: Feathers
Collection: Alice + Olivia
Love it…because what’s better than accessorizing your clothes from simple to glamorous? Update those sequins, glitter and chains to some lightweight feathers. Tacking it on hair accessories, skirts and shoulder pads for an extra feminine touch, Alice + Olivia created a lovely and TDF trend.

Trend: Layers
Collection: Rebecca Taylor
Love it…because you can shop right from your closet! Rebecca Taylor paired frilly skirts, thigh-high boots, long-sleeve T’s and oversize sweaters to create a chic and fabulous look. I am digging this trend!

Trend: Hip Line Dresses
Collection: Diane von Furstenberg
Love it…because who doesn’t obsess over everything Furstenberg creates? Although I love the beauty of waistlines and cinching sweaters and dresses for that perfect figure, there is something girly and romantic about moving that hemline down a few inches. Between an array of lightweight fabrics and beautiful patterns, Furstenberg once again hits the mark on making pieces that flatter a woman’s figure.

…at a beauty counter near you!  Like the rest of the world, I was shocked to hear that my 2nd favorite person on The Rachel Zoe Project had left her fearless leader.  I kind of knew this was coming and hearing her ask Rachel time after time for more responsibility to no avail must have been really frustrating for her.  An endless cycle of returns–albeit at stores that I can’t even imagine setting foot in –was not exactly challenging for our dear Taylor Jacobson.

She announced she was leaving the company last fall and after months of wondering where she went, she’s finally re-appeared as a spokesperson/brand ambassador for a company called Everyday Minerals.  She’s even got a super cute blog on their website with details on where you can find the things she can’t live without…Raybans, a sideways Cross necklace, and her super dark nail polish!

It seems like she’s serving as a muse for the brand and I personally love Taylor’s style so hopefully we’ll be seeing more Taylor-inspired products…and I for one hope we get to see Taylor styling some of Hollywood’s biggest names in the future! She might just give Rach a run for her money!

Don’t forget to head over to Lucky to check out my guest posts starting today!

I’ll be blogging for their site all week and have some fun and fabulously frugal finds to share that you!

Up first, the best boots on the web for less than $100…

click here to check it out!

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t tune into the SAG awards on Saturday night because it was a good friend’s birthday  (Happy 25th Julie!) and we had other plans…but after seeing the dresses online, I’m kind of bummed that I didn’t watch!

It was clear that white was a dominant color on the red carpet and the ladies above look radiant…Kate Hudson is totally wow-ing me with her choices!  Who even cares about the rest of the cast of Nine, when she’s wearing this white hot,  plunging back Emilio Pucci gown accessorized with over $1.75 million worth of Cartier diamond jewelry!?!

But my favorite of the night is Diane Kruger.  And I know this won’t be a crowd favorite but like I said last week–I really appreciate a risk on the red carpet and this shade of marigold is no short of a very, very bold risk.

Her off-the-shoulder Jason Wu gown is everything I love about retro Hollywood glamour and Kruger is really stepping into her much deserved role as a movie and style star.

And let’s not forget about the hair and make up…perfection!  But perhaps my favorite thing about her entire look is the Harry Winston ruby jewelry.  Like Angelina did last year, she went for contrast instead of complimentary jewels and those earrings totally made the dress!

Target is at it again!  The mega-store has partnered up with Zac Posen to bring help bring his designer vision to the masses.  This latest round of designs looks very true to his style and while it’s full of girly dresses and light on the separates side, I’m never one to complain about that.

The prices range from $16.99 for a “Zac” tank top that I’m totally buying to $200 for a red leather jacket that screams Michael Jackson and there’s even a few swimsuits in tie dye and gold lame…obvi to wear on the yacht you’ll be staying on this summer!

But you won’t have to wait until the summer for this fun and feminine collection, his designs hit stores on April 25th!

Oh awards season, how I love you!  This is just the start of my sports season and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the shows.

Now, just like everyone else on the blogosphere, I’m entitled to an opinion about what I think the BEST and WORST looks of the night were, so feel free to agree or disagree but here are my picks…BTW, I literally shed a tear when I had to list two of my absolutely fave women on here, Marion Cotillard and Ms. Cruz.  On first sight, I was totally amazed with Marion’s Christian Dior…the color, the sculpted bodice and the simplicity of her hair/make-up, but then E! had to go and do their pan down and to my horror there was some kind of lace slip where the slit should be? WTF? Oh and don’t get me started on her Steve Madden (circa 1998) strappy platforms.  I mean you have access to Atwood and Louboutin…why Marion, why?

Now on to PP.  I love her and she is a fashion dynamo, but this Giorgio Armani Prive dress proves that no matter how much money you spend on a designer dress, horizontal stripes (even in black) make everyone look fat.  Sorry, but she looks about 30lbs heavier that she truly is.  Big mistake.

Tina Fey: See exhibit above.  No words needed.

Then there’s Julia’s sorry excuse for a dress.  Did she think she was going to dinner at The California Pizza Kitchen?

Now for the good stuff…topping off my list were the following women who despite the monsoon like rain, killed it on the red carpet!  And excuse me, where did Jennifer Garner get that body??? Didn’t she just have a baby like six months ago?

O.Wilde can do no wrong in my book and I think she’s a totally sexy screen siren and that Gucci dress is totally amazing on her!

Emily Blunt I heart you and your Dolce & Gabanna dress and BTW, you look so good in love! The fit on this dreamy chiffon gown is incredible and the color proves that you don’t have to spray tan to pull off a lighter color.  Her skin tone looks radiant against this soft pink.  And props to her (and her stylist) for wearing her hair wavy and not trying to fight the downpour. It might feel a bit messy to some of you, but it was a lose lose situation tonight because of the weather.  Humidity sucks!

Finally to Drew…I forgive you for your last red carpet disaster ONLY because you’re rocking this rediculously unique and one-of-a-kind Atelier Versace dress.  The shoulder detail is so hot right now and it’s perfectly balanced with the hip detail.  Not to mention, the hair is perfect and so is the make-up…she looks beautiful!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dress! If only I had 20K and a Golden Globe nomination!!

After one too many hit or miss seasons, H&M has turned up the heat (and hired some very talented new designers) with their latest and appropriately titled, The Garden Collection.  Aside from featuring various takes on floral prints (the watercolor ones are amazing), all of the garments have been produced using sustainable materials or using recycled PET bottles making them a truly green fashion statement.

I for one am buying every single piece above…seriously.  And if my husband is reading, I’m budgeting for this, so don’t worry!  While some prices have been way too high (hello Jimmy Choo for H&M) at the store recently, everything I featured and most of the entire collection will be priced for less than $50 and it hits store shelves at the end of March.

Where in world are you going to get dresses this fabulous and feminine for that price?  Let’s just hope all H&M stores get the same delivery or I’m going to have to start stalking the flagships in NYC to get my hands on these precious pieces!  Thank you H&M for giving us something beautiful and vibrant to daydream about during this horribly cold and grey winter!

I don’t usually do this, but LUCKY is one of my favorite magazines and I’ve been reading it since day one, so to be included in their Web Pages this month is a true honor…

If you’re new to the site, welcome and I hope you enjoy all of the frugal fashion finds the site has to offer!  And to make sure you never miss a deal, click here to get The CheapChica’s Guide delivered to your inbox every morning!

Check us out on pg. 44 of the their February issue and if you don’t subscribe, pick it up for invaluable fashion tricks and tips on where to spend (or not) your money each month!  I’ll also be guest blogging for Lucky on January 25-29th so make sure you check that out…

And I want to thank the fabulous and incredibly stylish Elise Loehnen for making all this possible!  You must check out her Style Steals section on Luckymag.com for a world of must-have bargains!

If you’ve never heard of The Gilt Groupe, then you need to stop what you’re doing and sign up right now!  They offer up to 70% off the most coveted designers in the world (um…Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Herve Leger...)  through their members-only, online sample sales.

Since we all know I would NEVER pay full price and I know my savvy shopping readers wouldn’t either, this site is a total godsend for all of your frugal fashionistas! It satisfies your designer sweet tooth without having to give up your entire paycheck and Gilt has stuff for your home, for your kids, for your man and my personal fave…Gilt Fuse which offers more contemporary, less expensive designer merchandise.  And to help you get started on your Gilt spending, we’ve teamed up with them to give-a-way a $100 gift certificate that can be used for anything on their site!

All you have to do, is sign up for exclusive membership through this link…and if you’re already a Gilt member, just leave a comment with your Name and email address (that you use for your Gilt account) on this post and you could be the lucky winner!

I recently had the chance to sit down with the beautiful and incredibly intelligent, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson–who you might otherwise know as one of the founders of The Gilt Groupe.  Along with her BFF, Alexis Maybank, these two fashionistas are leaving their name all over this industry and have revolutionized the sample sale game!

Here’s a few fun facts about Alexandra–she’s a fellow Latina, she attended Harvard Business School, she might just be the cutest pregnant woman I’ve ever seen, she used to work for Bulgari, her Mom meakes a mean tres leches,  and she loooooooves Zac Posen…scroll down for the full interview!

LV: How did you come up with this genius concept?

AWW: Both Alexis and I loved shopping sample sales and we would often find ourselves at these sales on our cell phones talking to friends and family who wanted us to buy beautiful items on their behalf.  It seemed a shame that only those living in NY or LA could benefit from great fashion at amazing prices so the initial idea for taking it to the masses sprouted from attending sample sales.

LV: How did you start the site?

AWW: Gilt Groupe launched with just five of us doing everything from merchandising to marketing to packing boxes!  There were many long hours and a lot of testing!

LV: Has this been something you’ve always wanted to do?

AWW: I have always had a love for fashion and I have been very fortunate to work with incredible companies such as Louis Vuitton and Bulgari. Now that I am at Gilt Groupe I have to opportunity to work with the best brands from around the world. And I have always been an entrepreneur at heart!

LV: How do you decide on what to buy for Gilt Groupe?

AWW: There are the obvious brands that are highly coveted by fashionistas, the established luxury players like Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Phillip Lim etc. but there are brands that are under the radar that have so much creativity and we feel that our members would jump at the chance to buy them if only they were aware of these designers and had access to them.  We are partners with the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) so we are very fortunate to be able to tap into such a wonderful resource for new talent.

LV: How in the world to you get these amazing deals?

AWW:  It really is dependent on the brands. We negotiate directly with our brands to bring our members the best deals possible.

LV: I notice a lot of product become “sold- out” quickly. What are the chances of getting it if you sign up for the “wait list”?

AWW: My sincere advice is to always click on the waitlist button!

LV: Who are your 3 favorite designers you’ve featured in the last year?

AWW: The brands I was most excited about this past year were, Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, and Rodarte, all designers whose shows we sponsored this past SS2010 fashion week.

LV: What’s one thing that you want your shoppers to know about Gilt?

AWW: We want our member to look to Gilt as a trusted source within the fashion industry.  We not only bring you amazing prices on fantastic well known brands, but we also introduce our members to up and coming brands and we share with them insider info on events, cool websites, blogs and general fashion info.

LV:  Will you be expanding the site into anything else?

AWW: We have already expanded into beauty, home, children, men and travel so I think we have quite a few bases covered for now but I am sure that Gilt will always find new ways to surprise and delight our members.  Just this past weekend we had our first contemporary art sale so you never know what you might find on Gilt! And today we are selling wine!

LV: Why is the site for members only?

AWW: Similar to live sample sales we wanted the site to feel private for our members, making them feel like they are part of the “fashionista” crowd.

…but don’t worry…you can get access to their site by clicking this link and don’t forget to refer your friends for a $25 credit to your account if/when they make a purchase!

NOTE: This give-a-way ends on 01/15/10 and the winner will be notified via email that day.

Remember all this fabulousness from Fall 2009??

Well Rodarte is coming to a Target near you and with the debut of the collection a mere two weeks away (it launches on December 20th) you better figure out what you’re going to buy!

According to the press release:

The amazingly-priced collection of women’s apparel, belts and legwear, will be available through January 31, 2010.  Ranging in price from $9.99 – $79.99, the line includes a variety of statement-making pieces. Rodarte for Target introduces inventive, avant garde apparel to the GO International program, presenting affordable luxury fashion to women everywhere.

I’ve seen a few pics of what’s to come and while it looks really cute, it’s all styled in a very punk/goth princess sort of way… I’m just worried about how that will translate to real life since I threw my Doc Martens out back in junior high.

I’m most excited about the sweet, vintage inspired lace dress for $39.99 that I saw in People a while ago.  It’s the perfect party dress and I can totally see myself wearing it non-stop.  But since it’s uber feminine, it’s going to need a black bootie with some serious edge to balance it all out.

So are you excited for the collection?  What piece catches you attention most? The Anna Sui one was a little bit of a disappointment (IMO) but Kate and Laura Mulleavy can do no wrong in my book so here’s hoping that the collection exceeds all of our expectations.

When I lived in Madrid, I couldn’t go two blocks without seeing a Mango. They had the best inexpensive, fashion-forward staples–well the kind of staples you need when you’re only job as a study abroad student is to explore la marcha, gorge on red wine and check out the best beaches the country has to offer.

I digress, point of this post is to let yall know that one of my favorite stores has decided to take over middle American by partnering with JC Penny.  For those of you that aren’t familiar with the store’s oferings, click here to check out their inventory or think of it like a less expensive Zara.

According to a press release issued today:

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and Mango today announced plans for JCPenney to become Mango’s exclusive department store retailer in the United States for the “MNG by Mango” brand. Mango, one of the world’s top international “fast fashion” retailers with more than 1,300 stores in 94 countries, is known for rapidly delivering European runway fashion at affordable prices.

The MNG by Mango brand will include a full lifestyle offering of career and casual sportswear as well as accessories sold only at JCPenney.

JCPenney plans to launch MNG By Mango in 75 JCPenney Stores and on jcp.com by Fall 2010… so here’s hoping that the prices are better than what they are in their current US stores.  I don’t know if it was an exchange rate thing back in 2001, but the clothes seemed much more affordable than they do know.  So get excited for more cute, fashionable and affordable clothes thanks to JC Penny!

Who ever thought that cooking could be chic? Well, according to the CFDA it is!

The Council of Fashion Designers of America which include DVF herself, got together to create the most fashionable accessory for our kitchen. Yes ladies I did say kitchen! Besides clothing, shoes, accessories and how-to books… we now have The American Fashion Cookbook to add to our fabulous lifestyle.

This season dish into the recipes that all your favorite designers like Zac Posen, Tory Burch and Cynthia Rowley love to cook. This book includes over 100 designer recipes that scream de-lish!

So tonight clear your afternoon schedule and get to the kitchen because something a little avant- garde on your plate is always worth eating. Bon Appetit!

That’s right, I said and I’m not embarrased one bit!  Stella McCartney’s new kids collection debuts at the Gap on November 2nd and you can bet that I will be squeezing myself into one of those military inspired jackets seen above.  I can usually fit a size 14-16 at both Old Navy and Gap so I’m hoping the store here in Philly gets at least a sampling of this adorable collection.

And if you’re sad about the collection not coming in adult sizes, at least you can make a child in your life a mini-fashionista!!

If you’re lucky enough to live in a city with a Madewell then you need to get yourself to the mall for this awesome event!

Madewell, one of my favorite stores and the more affordable cousin of everyone’s favorite J.Crew is the best place  to shop when you’re looking for just the right pair of jeans…and who isn’t this time of year?!

This week and next, they’ve teamed up with Lucky Magazine to go on a denim tour across the country.  In each city, they will host  Lucky’s editor-at-large, Elise Loehnen in the store to help shoppers style their looks the Madewell way and Elise will also be giving great fashion  tips!

And aside from FREE fashion advice, you’ll also take away some pretty cool gift bags and be eligible for some great discounts!!  Check out the Madwell site to see if there’s a store near you…

I’ll have an exclusive interview with Elise later today so if you have any questions about jeans, what to wear them with or style in general, please leave a comment with your questions and I’ll be sure to ask her during my interview and post her answers here for you to read!  And in the meantime, check out Elise’s fab blog, Style Steals!