#7 Chanel Spring 2012 Trunk Show

Trunk shows are a perfect way for high-end designers to display garments and accessories from their recent collection to special customers. Not to be confused with a fashion show, trunk shows are extremely exclusive and prestigous. Models also do not walk down a catwalk to present the clothes, but instead are used only to display the merchandise. During the trunk show, the people attending can purchase merchandise before the collection is sold to the general public, giving them to opportunity to wear it first. In my opinion, trunk shows are like extravagant parties where you get to socialize and purchase wonderful clothing to wear before everyone else.


Chanel recently held a trunk show presentation in February at Bergdorf Goodman. The trunk show featured the Spring 2012 collection and gave attendees a chance to see the garments again and purchase whatever they wished (that is, if they could afford it). Unfortunately, pictures of the trunk show are not permitted but I was able to grab some photos of the garments sold there from their runway show. 


The collection showed a lot of pastels like pale pink, sea foam green, light powder blues, and lots of ivory! I also noticed a lot of gorgeous, flowing garments that looked quite feathery and extremely feminine. But instead of the tight-fitted hourglass silhouette, I picked up a lot of structured and geometric silhouettes. This type of silhouette can be seen is a lot of the jackets featured in the collection. There is also some great metallic accents, patterns, and details on the garments that I thought added just enough shine and dazzle without anything looking tacky. And of course, we saw a lot of tweed garments which is iconic of the Chanel house.

#6. Venexiana Fall 2012

I know, I know. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was weeks ago and I still haven't posted about my amazing experience at the Venexiana show. As some of you may recall, I had the wondrous opportunity to sit front row to view the collection designed by Kati Stern.

After swindling mine and my friends' names onto the guest list for standing, we entered the room and were eager to find a good place to go stand. However, one of the men who was seating everyone grabbed me by the arm and took me to the runway and by some stroke of luck, he told me to sit down in a seat near the end of the runway that was in the front row! How lucky! I felt like Ana Wintour for a split second!

But enough about me. Venexiana was formed in 2003 by the designer Kati Stern. The collections are sold  at Neiman Marcus and Saks fifth avenue and her garments are elegant and rock infused. I loved the materials she used throughout the collection, which ranged from silk to fur to chiffon with metal accents. She used a wide range of color throughout the garments as well which included metallic coppers, velvety sapphires, sleek grey, vibrant oranges, and pungent reds. But what really struck me was the keen attention to detail that can be found in all the garments. Whether she focused on floral lace accents, exquisite beading, the stitching of the pieces, or the way the skirt was ruffled, she made it work in a way that made the woman wearing it look confident and sexy as hell.  But instead of me blabbing on about this collection, take a look for yourself at this video I shot at the end of the show! Enjoy.

#5 The Spring Approach

          With the winter season finally coming to an end, New Yorkers are eager to ditch their winter jackets and furs, and begin throwing colorful and lightweight garments on. Even though we had a relatively warm winter, there's no doubt in my mind that we're all excited for the beauty of spring to hit us. And along with a season change comes my favorite part; an excuse to go shopping to vamp up my wardrobe!
          This spring, I'm extremely excited to see a revival of the nautical look. We saw it last spring and I was such a big fan of it! Stripes are my forte, and color is my passion. However, last spring we saw mostly navy blue, white, black, brown, and pops of red. This season, I'm expecting more color! Yellow, orange, light blue, burgundy: all seem to be some pretty big colors and I already love the look. I'm also seeing a lot of naval stripes, cotton cables, shorter and more fitted shorts, anchors, ropes, and toggles. But instead of me rambling on about this, lets get down to some snapshots!

Band of Outsiders Spring 2011
Burgundy and grey-blue

Nautica Spring 2011
Yellow jacket with cuffed pant

Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2011
Orange striped polo

Gant by Michael Bastian Spring 2011
Yellow Rain Jacket

Junya Watanabe Spring 2011
Toggle jacket

Prada Spring 2011
Nautical blocked stripes

Michael Bastian Spring 2011
Orange stripes

Perry Ellis Spring 2011
Orange stripe sweater

#4 New York Times Fashion Blog Review

     Cathy Horyn is the main fashion critic for The New York Times and has been since 1999. Her entries are posted on the "On the Runway" section of the times, and she's all about being completely honest of her opinions, no matter how brutal they are. She pays a lot of attention to detail and style when reviewing a particular show and freely comments on her feelings toward the collection, which I find rather important and sometimes amusing. I hate when I see people review collections and all they do is talk about how delightful they are and how original and creative the designers are. Let's all be honest for a second now... Some collections flop! Some designers send creations down the runway that look like a drawing given to me by my 4 year old cousin! Its cute when the little ones do it, but just disappointing when a designer does it. Ms. Horyn won't hold back if she thinks your collection looks stupid, which is why i find her posts so credible and fantastic.

• Silhouette and Design
• Bell shaped coatdress
• Feathery and fur coats
• shapes become monumental

• Details
• Helmet like, white-blond wigs
• Eyes shielded by visors
• Feathery

• Color
• Snowy white
• White-blond wigs

• Fabric
• Laser-cut calf skin
• Resembling lace
• Fur coats

• Creative Jargon
• Magical rendering
• Turned up the volume
• Dandelion heads before the wind catches them
• Riveting- how it affects your eye