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Fashion Friday

Prada FW21

For today’s Fashion Friday we of course must discuss Prada.

The F/W21 collection walked yesterday.  It was the second womenswear collection co-designed by Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada.

Did I love it?  No.

Did it get better than their debut?  Yes.

Am I worried for the future?  Kind of.

At this point I’m really uncertain if I will see a collection that makes me cry.  Or a collection that sends the “take my money” meter off the charts.

What I liked

Prada FW21Prada FW21

The outerwear: loved the cocoon coats and sequins oversized pea coats.

The vibrant color pairings with juxtaposing gloves and boots were fabulous. The pockets on the gloves were weird and kitchy and totally worked for me.

I’ve never been a huge Prada Cleo handbag fan, but after seeing the ginormous one walk the runway, I’m officially a convert.

What I didn’t like

Prada FW21Prada FW21

There were way too many similarities to the menswear collection.  The idea of knit bodysuits isn’t super appealing to me.  I wasn’t a fan of all of the prints.

The faux fur was my biggest issue.  It just looked cheap and unattractive.  And let me be clear – I am 100% against using real fur.  I just wish the faux fur would have been cut altogether.

Where do we go from here?

Prada FW21Prada FW21

I love Raf.  I think he has a lot of gifts.

But as this second womenswear collection walked, I am leaning more towards believing he will not be with Prada long.  His short stints at Calvin and Dior (I actually loved both) is making me worried that he is in yet another place where he doesn’t quite fit.

In my eyes, his most successful run was at Jil Sander.

So where do we go from here?

Only time will tell.

Images used with permission via (C) IMAXTREE

Fashion Friday

NYFW wrapped this week.  This is the second season of fashion month amidst a pandemic and the majority of shows were digital or sans guests.

Some designers sat out entirely, begging the question of whether fashion week as we know it will ever return.

Personally, I don’t see myself returning to the shows until 2022.  And I do think they will look a lot different then.  The core system will always remain, but I think more and more designers will do their own thing on their own calendar.

Let’s jump into my favorites from NYFW Fall/Winter 2021.

3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim F/W21 3.1 Phillip Lim F/W21 3.1 Phillip Lim F/W21

This was my favorite RTW collection of NYFW.  Each look stands strong on its own, but when you look at the collection in its entirety, you immediately recognize how strong it is.

The colors, the silhouettes, the prints, the styling, the SHOES.  I loved it all.

Aknvas

Aknvas F/W 21 Aknvas F/W 21 Aknvas F/W 21Aknvas is a new line from Danish designer Christian Juul Nielsen (who also designs Herve Leger).

I always judge a collection by a “take my money” meter and after seeing this, it was off the charts.  The colors, the bralette detail, the layering.  I.  WANT.  IT.  ALL.

Veronica Beard

Veronica Beard F/W 21

The advanced contemporary designers were really strong this season.  I adored every piece of Veronica Beard’s collection.  It was practical and versatile while also giving me enough of an elevated feel to be excited about getting dressed post-quarantine.

The entire collection is available for pre-order here.

Staud

Staud F/W 21 Staud F/W 21 Staud F/W 21Staud was another favorite.  These leather pieces and colors!  And talk about a smoking LBD.

Victor Li

Victor Li F/W 21 Victor Li F/W 21

Victor Li is a menswear and womenswear designer and I loved his take on suiting and denim.  Several of his looks contained original sketches on fabric.  Finishing most looks with cowboy boots sealed the deal for me.

What were your favorite NYFW collections?

Images via IMAXTREE

Fashion Friday

If you haven’t seen The New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, it’s a must-watch.  It uncovers some very real, very heartbreaking facts about a woman who has given the world SO MUCH.

Let’s keep the momentum alive.

#FREEBRITNEY

From a fashion perspective, Britney gave the world a lot.  Her outfits from the late ’90s and early ’00s set the trends.  Today I thought I’d unpack these trends to see how much they’ve influenced what we wear today.

Crop Tops

Britney rocked crop tops.  Her closet seemingly had an endless supply.  Some were tube tops, some metallic, some with crazy embellishments.

How does this translate today?

Younger aimed brands like Urban Outfitters and Free People are still heavily relying on this trend.

Even athleticwear has embraced the mid-drift.  I myself have several of these longline bras/crop tops to workout in.

Flare Leg jeans

Britney almost always paired her crop tops with flared jeans.  The proportion makes sense – fitted on top, voluminous on the bottom keeps the eye moving.

While I love a 70s inspired wide leg, I can’t say I’m in love with flare leg jeans.

What about you?  Did you wear them?  Do you still?

Bucket/Floppy/Cowboy Hats

Britney wore a ton of hats (literally and figuratively).  You probably remember her feathered fedoras or hot pink cowboy hats.  The ones I associate most with Britney are bucket hats.  They have absolutely made a comeback in the past couple of years.  Do you own one?

Unpopular fashion opinion – you will never catch me wearing one.

Bug-eyed Sunglasses

Britney wore either Elton John round, colored lenses or huge, bug-eyed frames in the ’90s and early ’00s.  Big sunglasses are still absolutely on trend (and the tiny lenses had their moment in recent seasons!) but have gotten more rectangular.  I for one, love a big pair of dramatic sunnies.

Uggs

Britney’s most infamous outfit was probably Uggs with a denim mini skirt.  You probably wore that exact look in the late 90s but don’t care to admit it.

What she did was set the trend for comfy, Dad shoes, or normcore.  Crocs became a thing soon after and Birkenstocks resurged in popularity (although one could argue they never went away).

Ah, Britney.  You gave us so much.  Here’s to your freedom.

#FREEBRITNEY

Fashion Friday

Haute Couture S/S21 walked this week and there is much to discuss!  Check out the highlights below.
Alber Elbaz Returns to Fashion

AZ Factory AZ Factory AZ Factory AZ Factory AZ Factory

Alber left the fashion world in 2015 seemingly without a trace.  Many thought he would reemerge at a major house, but he spent his time reflecting, connecting and creating far from the public eye.  For couture week he unveiled his new line, AZ Factory.

Meant to be a “dream factory” the clothes are made for women of the NOW.  Built as a capsule collection, each piece is meant to be mixed and matched and take you from day to night.  Kind of like Multiples from the 80s but way, way more chic.

I love that he created a sneaker as his sole shoe for the collection.  Crafted with a pointy toe, it’s a heel/sneaker hybrid for optimal versatility.

The scuba suit leash zippers on dresses were hatched for the independent woman – why should you need help getting dressed?  And the fabrics were created to hold you in and let you loose in all the right places.

I, for one, will be pre-ordering.

Kim Jones Debuts First Couture Collection for Fendi

Fendi S/S21 CoutureFendi S/S21 Couture

This was a hold-my-breath moment, and when I saw it walk, I breathed a sigh of relief.  While I didn’t love it, I felt Kim stayed true to the DNA of Fendi.  After the Matthew Williams for Givenchy botched debut, I was so afraid Karl’s work and the Fendi family legacy would be dragged.

Not the case here.  While it was mostly “fine” in my book, there were a few looks I loved.

Sadly the most notable moment of the show was probably Demi Moore’s new face. :S

The Valentino Shoes

Valentino S/S21 Couture Valentino S/S21 Couture Valentino S/S21 Couture Valentino S/S21 Couture

This collection was a super interesting choice for Pierpaolo.  If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love Pierpaolo for Valentino.

Rather than the Roman drama we expect from him, he gave us a subdued (well, minus the shoes) collection.  While there were a few maximalist looks, the majority stayed true to clean lines, relaxed tailoring and layers upon layers a la Phoebe at Celine.

So, let’s talk about the shoes. Analysts have pointed out that during times of recession, the heels get higher.  We all need an escape.

While I will not be buying these – you know I only do a massive platform if it’s accompanied by a massive block heel – I did appreciate the apropos nature.

We are all ready for an epic escape.

Iris Van Herpen and Those Headpieces

Iris Van Herpen Iris Van Herpen

Iris Van Herpen always brings the wow factor with her sculptural works of art.  This season she worked with artist Casey Curran for the headpieces.  You must check out a close-up of these beauties by watching a video – they are absolutely incredible.

All images via IMAXTREE

Fashion Friday

Fashion FridayFor today’s Fashion Friday, I wanted to throw it back to the first iteration of this series: Fashcap.  I created Fashcap in 2014 as a quick way to share new and noteworthy stories in the world of fashion.

Here are the deets for this week.

  1. H&M taps Simone Rocha for its next designer collab.  The collection will be released on March 11 with a focus on sustainability – an important attribute for Rocha.  She said to “be surprised” with the quality they were able to achieve at affordable price points.  Besides women’s, the collection will include men’s, kid’s and beauty.  Will you be shopping?
  2. Poshmark’s IPO. The app-based reseller far exceeded their initial offering at $100 per share.  This continues the prediction that vintage and resale will be the name of the game in fashion going forward.  Do you shop on Poshmark?  Check out my closet here.
  3. Nordstorm debuts a clothing donation and beauty recycling program.  I could not be more excited about this!  I’m a Nordstrom girl for life and these added sustainability features make my heart happy.
  4. Paul Frank sells all intellectual property.  As a kid, Paul Frank was all the rage.  I wanted anything brightly colored and cartoon-looking.  Paul Frank’s library is now in the hands of Futurity Brands, a Swiss company that plans to continue the legacy with a refreshed update.  The cost of acquisition was not disclosed.  Hmmm… any guesses?