BALMAIN
White is the New Black
What do you wear when you have nothing to wear? The go-to, monochromatic, sartorial fallback of an all black look, of course. This season, designers (literally, almost all of them) have presented a “brighter” option for our old monochromatic standby, showing head to toe winter-ready white in the form of chic eveningwear, tailored pantsuits and everything in between. Lyn Devon goes super sweet and retro chic with a modest angora sweater and tea-length duchesse satin skirt. Cushnie et Ochs offer winter white separates as sleek tailored trousers paired with a sheer collared top make the trend as seductive as their curve-hugging dresses. Alexander Wang doesn’t disappoint with his edgy twist, detailed with pearlescent fringe and black fishnet stockings.
If you missed the first part of the Fashion, A-Z exhibit at Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) that ended May 8th, have no fear! The second exhibit is up and running until November 10th where more than 60 garments and accessories from FIT’s permanent collection will be on display for the public to view.
If you are not familiar with these fabulous fashion exhibits, we shall give you the run down. FIT organized two exhibitions titled “Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT” and part two is currently on display. The presentation is set up in The Fashion and Textile History Gallery where 50,000 garments and 30,000 textiles from the museum’s vast collection have been meticulously combed through to bring together the best of the best for your enjoyment.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian stepped out at the the Wednesday premiere of Cruel Summer, West's art installation/art film in Paris. The couple were reported to be inseparable and stealing kisses every chance they had. The film is one of the first projects of the rappers' Donda creative firm and as we all know Kanye does not shy away from creative projects, he also has clothing designer on his resume.
Kim wore a Balmain dress with a very sexy short hem paired with booties and Kanye kept it simple in a blazer and jeans. The couple were also accompanied by the rappers best friend Jay-Z sans Beyonce.
Worn by Anja Rubik in Balmain’s Fall 2012 campaign, this jacket stole our hearts in March and we’ve been lusting after it ever since. Silk fringes of gold, white, and navy scattered with embellishment of Swarovski crystals and mirrors create this show stopping striped blazer. Our only opposition is the $31,095 price tag! However, we just can not let this look go, so we have found a way to get it for less.
The look revolves around the jacket, and we love this sequin and silk piece by Parker . Channel the stripes and embellishment with rows of sparkling, two-toned sequins and keep the structure with an exaggerated shoulder. Grab a simple, comfy, white tee shirt like this one by T by Alexander Wang . It's sheer, cool, and layers perfectly with a statement jacket. Next, add a pair tailored skinny pants. Nez trousers by Hakaan boast a perfect fit, with a flattering front pleat and comfortable low rise.
Balmain, the high-end fashion powerhouse, is planning to launch a new, more affordable line called Pierre Balmain, come December. The new line will be designed by a separate team than Balmain's main and include both women's and men's wear.
Future efforts will have the main Balmain line concentrating on creating sophisticated and couture designs, while the Pierre Balmain line will be focusing on looks that adhere more towards a general market.
There are rumors that an official launch for the Pierre Balmain line will be occurring sometime in September (probably in order to coincide with New York fashion week).
Check out some sneak peaks from the Pierre Balmain line in the slideshow below.
During last night’s MTV Movie Awards, we saw all of our favorite celebrities decked out in their best Award-worthy outfits. We saw everything from ball gowns to mini dresses to even rompers, and we loved them all (for the most part!). Some of the major trends highlighted were lace, animal print, and metallic designs. Here are our top 15 favorite looks from this year’s event...
1. Selena Gomez’s Giambattista Valli-designed look topped our list. The Disney starlet opted for light, summery-toned separates and a clutch designed by Cecilia. She told MTV's red carpet reporter and Project Runway alum Christian Siriano that as soon as she saw the trendy, but age-appropriate look, she was sure it the one!
Now that Fashion Week is quickly closing in on us it's time to start finding some answers to that all too important question, "What should I wear?" Granted Fashion Week is a perfect excuse to find some new gear, but unless you are an heiress with money to burn or happen to be bff's with a major fashion publicist who will let you borrow the latest and greatest Balmain ensemble, you will have to plan your outfits according to your budget. And with so many parties to attend, it can be hard not to go overboard and not dip into the rent money. Now, I find that whenever this time of year rolls around and I need a few pieces to update my wardrobe without incurring any over draft fees is to hit the all too lovable madhouse that is Forever 21. It is a one stop shop for fun Fashion Week friendly pieces that will not leave you dead broke and eating tuna and crackers for the rest of the month. Here are a few of my picks that will give your closet just a little boost without breaking the bank.
Guy or girl, studded shoes are just in. You can go from something as simple as a pair of studded flats our outrageous with a pair of super duper high heels. Gotta make the guys drool some how right?
As the New York weather rises in temperature by the week; New Yorkers embark on traveling to the Hamptons (some singing the lyrics to Money Can’t Buy You Class by Countess Luann of The Real Housewives of New York); summer island wedding trekkers are eager as Cynthia Rowley prepares to unveil her bridesmaids bevy (June 3rd) and I’m en route to my hometown of San Francisco for a short vacation. The challenge: considering the chaos of events, meticulously packing not only a few of the belongings I arrived to New York with, gifted garments from fashion shows, vintage shop finds and exceptional sales that will accept my developing New York stance. What began as a floor filled of clothes never worn, ended in a pile petite enough to fit into a Manalo Blahnik shoebox.
Though our New York toes were practically left back at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, we think we'd be able to do it all again for Paris. But, since we're not and New York is lingering with events post-fashion week, we figure it wouldn't hurt to hear what the anti-Paris anythings have to say about fashion. In tow of Loris Diran's anniversary party, we opted to attend a showroom invite to The Gallery NYC in the fashion district. We didn't get to see all of the labels they promised in the invite, but we did pick-up a few tips and tricks along the way:
- No matter what Mother Nature is telling us via the constant stream of blizzards, spring is still on the way - and unfortunately so are rompers. Tube top rompers. Bold and bright prints that would make Diane Von Furstenberg jealous flooded entire racks. Though there were plenty of printed prairie-styled dresses from Mimi Chica, we couldn't think of anything but summer in Central Park.
- Baggu has to be the most convenient and innovative thing to date. That is, if you are a bag lady. Just imagine if you had all of the cute totes and colors the Gap ever created and were able to fold the tote into a small bag that could fit in the pockets of your next Balmain purchase. Stellar!
- The designer, Matthew Henri, from Free Gold Watch was really cute. Really. Luckily, we have photos to remind us of his menswear t-shirt label. Oh, and of course there were watches. But, we also learned that design school isn't for any and everyone - Henri, a former graphic designer, launched his collection with a dream and a screenprinting machine. Which is quite impressive and totally buyable.
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