CFDA 2013 Nominees

The CFDA awards are the Academy Awards of the fashion world, it is the most prestigious award you can get as an American fashion designer. Once a year the Council of Fashion Designers of America come together to decided who were the most influential members of the fashion community that year. Past winners include Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Reed Karkoff, Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Tory Burch, and many more, so the 2013 winners will be in great company. Just last week the 2013 nominees were announced for the upcoming June 3rd event. The categories are as follows:

Womenswear Designer of the Year
Alexander Wang
Marc Jacobs
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

Menswear Designer of the Year
Michael Bastian
Thom Browne
Steven Cox and Daniel Silver for Duckie Brown

The CFDA Awards

Accessory Designer of the Year
Alexander Wang
Phillip Lim for 3.1 Phillip Lim
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

Swarovski Award for Womenswear
Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters for Creatures of the Wind
Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs for Cushnie et Ochs
Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis for Suno

Swarovski Award for Menswear
Tim Coppens
Todd Snyder
Public School’s Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design
Irene Neuwirth
Jennifer Meyer
Pamela Love

Some of my picks for winners include Alexander Wang for womenswear designer of the year , Phillip Lim for 3.1 Phillip Lim for accessory  designer of the year, and Jennifer Meyer for the Swarovski award for accessory design. 

PFW: Chanel

Chanel Runway

Fur Helmets 

Paris fashion week is a time when the most prestigious designers come together to show the world there newest collections and Chanel is by far the most popular and anticipated show every season. Karl Lagerfeld introduce his latest creations to the fashionistas on March 5th under a ornate glass ceiling, at the Grand Palais. The beautiful round runway had a gigantic globe in the center with tiny Chanel flags marking where the brand is sold.  

The look that Chanel gave this season was sporty chic. Lagerfeld worked Coco Chanel's classic and timeless designs into pieces that have definitely been on trend with what we have already seen from fashion week, such as oversized coats and chunky knit sweaters. Chanel is famous for their signature tweed jackets and Lagerfeld gave a modern twist on this look for the latest show. He remade the classic tweed jacket into a fringe tunic that was worn over a hoodie that gave it a modern and edgy look. He also did a longer version of the tweed jacket and put patches of the tweed fabric onto jeans. In terms of accessories the models, who wore fur helmets and glittery eye make up, carried oversized quilted leather clutches and lego like clothes (which were popular bags carried by people throughout fashion week) and chain-decorated biker boots were definitely the shoe of choice!

Overall I was pleased with Lagerfeld's newest collection! Although it wasn't as breathtaking as some of his recent collections he had some great commercial pieces that will keep Chanel fans coming back for more! 

Best and Worst of 2013 Oscars!

Jessica Chastain in Armani Prive

The Oscars Red Carpet is by far my favorite TV event of the year! Its the time when the stars bring out all the stops in hopes to land on the best dressed list. This year year I was not as blown away by the fashion and glamour and the carpet as I have been is past years. However, there were still some absolutely amazing and memorable looks! 

Anne Hathaway in Prada

In terms of best dressed I think that Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, and Naomi Watts were all standouts. Jessica Chastain wore a beautiful Armani Prive beaded dress in a beautiful flesh tone. Her look oozed Hollywood Glamour with with her beautiful pin waves and red lips. It was the perfect look for a best actress nominee. Jennifer Lawrence looked absolutely stunning in her pale pink Dior Couture dress. She complimented the look with a classic but modern undo and wore a beautiful diamond chain draped down her back which gave the outfit a younger look, since she is only 22! She made such a statement in the dress and was a perfect choice for the oscar winner to wear. Naomi Watts wore a gorgeous custom asymmetrical gunmetal dress also designed by Armani Prive. Metallic, especially shades of silver were definitely a trend on this years carpet. All three best actress nominees looked like absolute stars and deserve recognition for their fashion choices as they do for their acting! 

In terms of worst dressed my picks have to be Anne Hathaway and Renee Zellweger. Anne Hathaway was confirmed to be wearing Valentino and last minute changed her mind and decided to wear a pale pink Prada dress. Although the look was very on trend with the other pieces Prada showed in their Fall 2013 collection but the dress seemed uninspired and was definitely not something that a nominee should of worn. Although Renee Zellweger was only a presenter her look was still all over the place, which matched her behavior during the award show. She wore a metallic look that was custom made for her by Carolina Herrera. Although the dress itself was pretty it did not flatter her and the jewelry and bag did not go with the look at all and her hair looked messy and unfinished. 

Overall the 85th Annual Academy Awards delivered, as it always does, giving us looks that we will remember for years. 

Best Fashion Instagrams!

Instagram has become the most popular method for picture sharing as of today and everyone is noticing it. Although Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion last April Facebook still feels the pressure to make picture sharing more user friendly and popular on their own site. One of the reasons I love Instagram so much is because during times like fashion week you are able to get a sneak peek at some of the shows before reviews are even online, its almost like having a front row seat. So I wanted to share with you all my favorite Instagram accounts in the world of fashion!

All of the major fashion magazines always have front row seats to every show so you can always count on them for the most up to date and cutting edge pictures in fashion. My favorites this year were definitely Teen Vogue, Allure Magazine, and Harper's Bazzaar. They all had great pictures of the runway, the models and occasionally some from backstage.

Neiman Marcus is one of the most popular high-end department stores in the United States so there were of coarse buyers in the front row of every show. They all made it there mission to upload pictures of the events but also report on the trends to give followers a sneak peek as to what you major trends for fall will be. 

Blogging has become a way one is recognized in the fashion world. Everyday people are able to relate more to personal blogs however some of the bloggers have become famous from their work and designers are giving them front row seats to their shows because they know once they blog about the show it will reach the masses. My favorite blogs to check during fashion week have always been The Man Repeller and Cheyenne Meets Chanel. They had amazing Instagram pictures during fashion week, not only during the shows but of street style as well, 

Cara Delevingne, the recently crowned Model of the Year, graced the catwalks of every major designer this year at NYFW. Her Instagram was the place to look if you wanted to see backstage or a behind the scene look at all of the major shows!

Overall Fashion Week and any other fashion events have been able to reach the masses thanks to Instagram!

Marc Jacobs to Close NYFW!

The Runway

Fashion week made its grand exit tonight with the Marc Jacobs Fall 2013 show. As I said in my last post, I was highly anticipating the Marc Jacobs show and it blew me away. After showing the collection he did for Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week I didn't think it could get any better. For the Louis Vuitton show he used escalators to transport the models from backstage to the runway, it was so innovative and unlike anything I had ever seen before. Because of the overwhelmingly positive response from that show he had even more pressure on him to make his collection for his signature line just that much better. Due to the huge snow storm in the Northeast Jacobs had to postpone his show from the 11th to the 14th and I think it was the perfect show to end New York Fashion week because I don't think anyone else could top it. His elaborate production, that centered around a giant harvest moon, was held at the Lexington Avenue Armory. Although people were blown away by the theatrics of the show many people were disappointed that the giant moon was the only source of light during the show because they weren't able to really see the clothes until the encore when the lights went on. His collection was the epitome of old hollywood glamor, with many of his looks consisting of fur and sequin pieces. A statement coat is a trend we have seen a lot of this fashion week and Jacobs had serval versions of a statement in his collection. One of the most shocking looks was a topless model who wore mens wear inspired trouser shorts and long gloves with her arms positioned across her dress. Overall I think the collection was the perfect note to end on as Marc Jacobs is a designer who truly represents New York City. He left the audience in awe and wondering where he will go next! 

The Start of NYFW!

Yesterday marked the start of New York Fashion week! One of the most thrilling times of year in New York City and throughout the rest of the world for fashionistas! New York is like a completely different place during this week! Just walking down the street you feel like you are at one of the tents at Lincoln Center because everyone is dressed to the nines. The whole "street style" phenomenon started at fashion weeks years ago so people-watching has become as big of an event as the actual shows themselves. Even the freezing cold weather a lumming snow storm dubbed "Nemo" hasn't stopped anyone, fashion comes first. The shows that have impressed me the most so far were Jason Wu, Kate Spade, and Jennifer Meyer. 

Jason Wu Show 

The runway at the Jason Wu fashion show was unbelievable, almost as impressive as the Louis Vuitton shows escalators at Paris Fashion Week last year. It was a gorgeous black and white marble square runway with a breathtaking crystal chandelier in the middle of the runway! After designing Michelle Obama's dress for the inaugural ball there was a lot of talk about his collection and he definitely did not disappoint. His collection was the perfect mix of feminine and sporty. The crimson hue that was used for Obamas dress was definitely this inspiration for his collection with additions of black and white. My favorite look was a red striped sweater with a black leather skirt, perfection! 

Kate Spade Taxi Clutch!

The Kate Spade presentation was the complete opposite of Wu's show. Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year they decided to go back to where it all began, New York City. When asked about the inspiration for the collection Creative Director, Deborah Lloyd said she "looked to the sights and sounds of New York City including such urban icons as the Empire State Building, hot dogs, street signs, and the like which were part of a colorful, confetti-like print splashed on a short dress." My favorite item of the collection was a darling neon yellow clutch bag with "Taxi" printed on one side and "off Duty" on the other, so New York! 

Jennifer Meyer Jewels 

I have been a fan of Jennifer Meyer's classic but innovative jewels ever since I can remember so when I heard that she would make her debut at fashion week this year I was so excited. Her long awaiting, palm tree inspired collection definitely did not disappoint her fan base. For her presentation she arranged all of her jewelry on different types of leaves, which was a nod to her leaf charm piece which made her famous. Her collection consisted of lapis, amethyst, custom cut turquoise, and of coarse, diamonds! My favorite piece was a golden elephant with its tusk up, its a sign for good luck! 

I have been amazed by fashion week so far and cannot wait to see what the rest of the week brings! I am most excited to see what Marc Jacobs, Monique Lhuillier, and Tory Burch have up there sleeves this year! 

Goodbye to Saks and Barneys!

Saks Fifth Avenue at the Galleria

  I have had a passion for fashion every since I can remember. Growing up in the New York area I was exposed to some of the finest retailers in the world! During my college search, both the city of Dallas and SMU instantly appealed to me for many reasons. One of the reasons was all of the amazing stores, from Highland Park Village to NorthPark Center and the Galleria. The options were endless! Two of the most famous and signature stores of New York City are Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue. So, the fact that both of those department stores are here, in Dallas, was like having a little piece of home with me. 

Just this Tuesday, after more than 30 years of business, Saks announced that they are closing one of their 46 stores: the Dallas Galleria and Belk. However, a more affordable department store option, will be replacing them. This announcement comes off the heels of Barneys New York's announcement last April that they were closing their location at NorthPark Center. This means that two of the most high end shopping destinations in Dallas will be gone within the year. 

Some might speculate that these stores are closing because of changes in the economy, especially since Saks isn't closing its Off 5th location, but I see it differently. As someone who is very familiar with the merchandise sold at Saks and Barneys locations in New York City, I was extremely disappointed when I visited their stores in Dallas. Although they have elements and items that are signature to each chain, the merchandise at both stores was very disappointing and not up to par with other retailers in the area, such a Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. 

Barneys New York at NorthPark Center

Retailers like Zara and H&M have come into Dallas in the last couple of years and fashionistas have definitely taken notice. Famous for having fashionable looks for a minimal price, people who frequent the upscale department stores of Dallas are now just as likely to shop at Zara. For, Zara's business strategy is to mix high and low price points and that strategy definitely hasn't helped Barneys or Saks. Overall, as much as I love both of these famous New York City department stores, I think it is time for them to move on. Hopefully there will be more success with Belk and any other department stores that open in Dallas in the future! At least we still have Neimans and Nordstroms!