fashion week

“The New Look” has a new age. In 1947 after the war, Dior made its name by giving women what they wanted, clothes that made them feel like women again! Because fabric no longer had to be rationed for the war the skirts got bigger and the waists got tinnier. This style of dress was dubbed “The New Look” by Harper’s Bazaar.

From the looks of the runways and the red carpets I’d say that good times are ahead! Full skirts and small waists are the way to show off your figure without striping down.

Jessica Alba has been spotted wearing this ultra-femme trend from Paris to Berlin. She looks gorgeous in this Hugo Boss sleeveless checkered dress. By belting this full skirt dress with a gold belt she has taken this dress a notch higher for night.

I found a similar dress from Forever 21 for $24.80. Instead of a checkered pattern this dress has an owl print. It’s not as full as the Hugo Boss version but it will do the trick.

While many of us can not afford Hugo Boss we need other options to keep up with this trend. Check out you local vintage boutiques and try something on with this shape, you might be surprised with what you find. For those who would like something a little fresher, Mod Cloth constantly has this classic look popping up.

Have fun accessorizing these dresses by adding belts and funky shoes to keep it young. In your new throw back outfit you will feel sexy without having to bare it all.

More Kimchi & Blue…

One thing that I love doing is searching other people’s blog’s and sites to see what they are writing and talking about. There is so much out there to explore and see, that I find myself hours later still sitting at the computer clicking away.

This week, I had the chance to talk with Frederic, creator and photojournalist of the site “Easy Fashion in Paris”. I am a sucker for street fashion blog’s and this one tops #1 on my list. Paris is the mecca for everything fashion, so it’s not surprising that EFP captures some of the most chic and trendy individuals. Read below to find out how EFP got started and why it has been so successful.

Why did you start “Easy Fashion in Paris”?

I started EFP because maybe I am a frustrated Press Photographer (photojournalist) and in France, the Press is breathless. I was looking for new ideas. In the Press, new technology brings only disorder, no projects, no imagination and no chance for people like me to do things different. I had the chance to work in Japan for 3 weeks and was so inspired by the Japanese looks I saw on the streets of Tokyo that I decided to do my own blog on street style fashion when I went back to Paris.

Where do you take your pictures?

Paris is one of the biggest places for street fashion. I was born in Paris and I love this town. I know where to go to have a chance to find people. Most of the time, I stand in front of clothing stores selling vintage things and waiting for who seems to be the right stuff. During fashion week, I love to take pictures around the fashion shows and when it’s finished, I go back to the streets of Paris. I like to mix looks…supermodels and unknown people, girls and boys, sneakers and Louboutins, vintage and high-fashion.

How do you chose who you are going to photograph?

I am not here to judge people’s look. I just ask myself, is this look original? Is this person showing something that could interest people visiting EFP? Is she representative of what I see in Paris streets? And I mix with people wearing crazy things when I have a chance to find some.

What are people’s reactions to you photographing them?

I am not only taking pictures of people. I speak with them before and after. I want to know them for a few minutes. I ask some questions about fashion and life. At the beginning, they are a little bit shy but usually they don’t have much time and I have to work in a rush. Most of the time, they accept but not always. That’s the game. Sometimes I meet people several times and we remember each other and I take pictures again with a different outfit.

Where do you find your inspiration?

No doubt that Paris is inspiring to me. But I like to go out to meet for a short time people that I don’t know. I read a lot of things in their eyes, the way they speak and the clothes they are wearing. I like that. I find inspiration in the time I am living.

Check out http://easyfashion.blogspot.com for a more in-depth look into Paris street fashion. If you enjoy EFP also check out http://stylescout.blogspot.com/ for a look into London street fashion or http://stilinberlin.blogspot.com/ for fashion on the streets of Berlin.

Enjoy!!

When Spring 2010 Fashion Week is full swing you can count on 3 things; beautiful models, trends, and diversity amongst clothes, hair and makeup. Having worked back stage at NYC Fashion Week for over eight seasons let me de-mystify one thing- not every model has perfect skin and these tricks of the trade come in handy when you have 15 minutes to get tired, dehydrated, just-came- from- my-fifth-show-today-skin, runway ready! Take note- when you only have to worry about your own face here are some simple tricks of the trade to prep your face everyday to look runway ready even if it’s ‘just’ for work…

1. Exfoliate: in the shower after cleanser and before moisturizing. Prior to doing this- feel for surface dryness on the skin that may be catching makeup and sitting on surface on skin

2. Moisturize: no matter what you do this will always set the tone for how your makeup wears. Try Remede Alchemy for drier skin or Lancome Aqua Fusion Crème SPF 15 for oilier skin.

3. Remove any trace of leftover eye makeup: This is a huge issue I see with women- left over liner that muddies up the eye and hinders today’s application. Use a pointed q-tip like Eye Tees and an oil based eye makeup remover- I love Lancome Bi-Facil, and run back and forth. Lash line should be squeaky clean before reapplying!

4. Use clean brushes: Clean brushes will set the tone for how well the pigment adheres to your skin- whether eyes, cheeks, or lips- women tend to work harder with unclean brushes and use more pressure to harshly apply so pigment shows up. I love Cinema Secrets brush cleaner for in between applications

5. Hydrate lips: Don’t forget the lips. Dry skin anywhere ages a face and chapped lips are included. Use a hydrating balm like Rosebud Salve and apply liberally and often

And for even more tips on how to get your makeup to stay on better this season pick up the October issue of Glamour and look on page 85!

You’ll never look as good as you do today…

Dara

I was lucky enough to have backstage access to both Brian Reyes and Tibi for their incredible Spring 2010 collections earlier this week so I grabbed my tiny video camera to shoot this story for NBC 10… I’m so excited to share my first effort (EVER)-behind the camera- at Mercedes Benz Fashion week!

All in all it was such an amazing experience…I saw so many shows, met some amazing people and saw some drop dead gorgeous fashions that have me truly excited for the upcoming season. Here were some of my favorite trends…

BOLD COLOR

Color was all over the runways and while many designers did show a ton of neutrals, that just doesn’t light my fashion fire quite like a neon green dress does!  Look for crayola brights come spring!

THE PEG LEG

Well, at least that’s what I’m calling it because Harem Pants are so 2009!  These pants are not the most universally flattering look if you’re not model tall but I’m going to give them a try come spring because I think they look so modern and just plain cool!

SPARKLE AND SHINE

I fell in love with all of these looks because I’m a total sequin whore!  The shinier the better and I also want to point out that this is also a trend that’s happening right now (for Fall) so you don’t have to wait until next year to wear it!  Bring on the bling…

As with any season, there were a dozen trends that I really liked…especially those flirty Skorts (Short+Skirt), Peek-a-Boo sheer fashions and all of the blazers… but I just can’t possibly cover it all…a girl’s gotta sleep! =)

For a closer look at all of he collections, head over to STYLE.COM for amazing photos from all of the shows!!

The day is finally upon us…the start of Mercedes Benz Spring Fashion Week in New York.  I must say that I’m really excited to see what these designers have in store for us this season  and I always enjoy these collections way more than the Fall ones for a few reasons…

First, it’s BEYOND freezing in February so no matter how cute you may want to look for the shows, in my book, being warm trumps everything when it’s 22 degrees and sleeting! September is the perfect time of year to “dress to impress” and who isn’t excited to break out all of their new Fall fashions! I also find that designers tend to take more risks with color, cuts, prints and fabrics in their Spring collections so it makes for a more exciting runway show.

Anyway, I’ll be doing a recap of the shows and highlighting what I see as the must-know trends for Spring 2010 so stay tuned for all the backstage action and reports from the tents at Bryant Park!

Oh and before I forget…CheapChica’s turns 1 on September 21 so mark your calendars!  I’ll be celebrating the anniversary with lots of fun surprises and give-a-ways that you won’t want to miss!!  But first things first…bring on the shows!

Leave it to sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the women behind Rodarte to show us some of the boldest and most daring footwear to ever be seen during any New York Fashion week!  This kind of footwear/hoisery (?) is something I would expect to see at the couture shows in Paris but these girls never fail to bring it and I’m dying over these thigh-high, leather, bondage, multi-strapped, creations!  I doubt they will ever acutally make it into production, but they’re inspiring and over the top and isn’t that what Fashion Week is all about anyway??

Click here to check out the rest of their show!

I’m at the Brian Reyes show right now, getting ready for our interview and I can’t wait to see his new collection walk down the runway… right in front of me!  In case you don’t know too much about Brian, here are some of his most recognizable looks worn by my favorite young starlets…

Fashion Week is just getting started and while I won’t be posting about it each day, I will do a quick round-up of my favorite looks throughout the week. Here are the standouts from this weekend…

During Fashion Week, I’ll be working as a correspondent for American Latino TV so I have the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at fashion darling, Brian Reyes. He’s one of my favorite new designers and I can not wait to meet him!! I’ll be covering all the pre-show madness and preparation from his showroom in NYC, all the backstage action from the runway show and then I’ll be doing an exclusive interview with Brian himself on Thursday…so stay tuned for some amazing pictures, gossip and news! I am BEYOND excited!