Style Surplus

Winner for Creepiest Runway Designs

The award goes to...Gareth Pugh's FW07 all black-and-white collection! Sorry but this is certainly not an honor.

"Welcome to the insane world of Gareth Pugh, a young man capable of distorting the human body almost beyond recognition. Get sucked in for a moment, and you can believe you're watching characters from some monstrous sci-fi computer animation coming to life before your eyes."
-Style.com

How do the models even see where they’re going? I give it a ‘nay.’ Sorry, Gareth.

Newfound Love for Stella

I never realized how much I like Stella McCartney until just this afternoon. I was browsing the dresses at Net-A-Porter and every time I saw a dress I liked (or LOVED in some cases) it ended up being Stella McCartney. I didn’t even recognize most of the dresses from her Fall 2006 collection without all the melancholies of the show. The clothes looked much more modern and youthful on the website than in her collection. Well, despite her poor show designs, I am definitely giving her a second chance.

Let me see your..what?

Grillzzzz? At a fashion show? Ah, right. As for Baby Phat, I don't even know if the clothes were good or not all I could see were those shiny fronts. I guess I have to give props to her for trying to appeal to a more "urban" market...

SS06/07 - Vera Wang

Former strictly-bridal designer Vera Wang still highlights elegance in her less formal collections, her S/S07 collection being a prime example. Like DVF, Vera’s use of black, white, and gold really won me over. The metallic fabrics and voluminous skirts could make anyone look like a million bucks without looking too “done up.” I also really loved the simple, white shoes. Although I’m not really a fan of a collection made up of mostly all neutrals, Vera makes it work. And that is quite an accomplishment.

SS06/07 - Y & Kei

This husband/wife team really brings their Buddhist background of simplicity and purity into their designs and the result is brilliant. Clean lines and neutral tones make this collection pretty and very wearable. With darling details like big bows and buttons on empire waist dresses and jackets, this collection has a very innocent look to it but with sleek, sexy twist.

SS06/07 - Diane Von Furstenberg

American designer Diane Von Furstenberg’s collection was a hit with the critics and consumers alike. Although called a favorite by many of the “it-girls,” this collection didn’t really dazzle me. Now this could be my young nature mind you, but I feel like these designs have been seen before (particularly the dress in the top left corner.) There were aspects of this collection I did love – namely the mixture of black, white and gold, and the rest of the color palette was nice. Oh well, guess I’m the only person not raving about this DVF collection…maybe next year for me.

SS06/07 - Anna Sui

My favorite designer, Anna Sui, has captivated me once again. This collection is everything you would expect from Anna – layered, colorful, patterned – but in a new way that is quite original. Maybe I'm the only one out there, but I love the way she can put together 4 different patterns and it looks great…hence me being a huge fan of her F/W06 collection. The bubble skirts and the trapeze jackets are just so gorgeous. Ah, well I could rave on and on about her!

Currently Loving:

Hats! In particular, knitted beret-like hats. Now, all this Spring/Summer has gotten me in a rather warm mood but let’s not forget about the season at hand. Hats are great solution for a bad hair day and go with any hair type/texture.

Celebs like Sienna and Ashley Olsen sport them

Knitted hats were all over Fall/Winter Runways

Thakoon, Sweetface, Temperley, Daryl K

Hats translate easily into everyday wear

Facehunter,Misshapes

LookAtMe, Moscow Street Fashion, The Sartorialist

SS06/07 - Luella

Luella’s collection this season was very hit-or-miss with me. “Miss” being any of the things plastered in giant black and white letters, the “hit” being…the rest. The big, crowded letters are a little “too Gwen Stefani,” (in the words of Michael Kors on Project Runway) and don’t really do anything for me. As for the rest of the collection, Luella really mixed feminity and strength in an innovative way. The colors and patterns are exactly right and the pants are daaarling.

View Entire Collection Here

SS06/07 - Alexandre Herchcovitch

"Since launching the collection in 1994, Brazilian-born Alexandre Herchcovitch has never compromised his vision, be it the freaky constructions of molded rubber and gargantuan sequins from his early years or the aggressively cheerful floral frocks he’s favored of late. The designer has branded his own signature quirky chic, and he branches out in equally interesting ways. Last year, he redesigned the uniform for McDonald’s employees in Brazil. Herchcovitch wares are loud, brash, and always fun to watch—or wear, depending on how fashion-forward you are."
-NY Mag

I liked this collection a good amount. A lot of the designs were very "loud" but I think paired with neutrals they could look really good. I wasn't really impressed with Herchcovitch's F/W 2006 Collection but in this line, you can really see the South American influence on colors, shapes, and patterns.

View Full Collection Here

SS06/07 - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Yes, The collection you’ve all been waiting for, Marc by Marc Jacobs. This very anticipated collection, dare I say, disappointed me a little bit. Now don’t be insulted, Marc. I did love it, it was just lacking a certain originality I had expected. However, I am loving the modern twist on the jean-dress. Well, whatever he lacked in innovation, he more than made up for in the footwear, so darn cute!

View Full Collection Here

Stay Tuned

Sorry the updates have been slacking lately. All my procrastination from summer is really catching up to me this week. Many more entries soon about S/S07 Fashion Week (duh!), Louis Vuitton, Hats, Skirts, everything really, filled with pictures and detailed trend reports. Keep checking back!

Metallica

Am I the only one who's noticed metallic tights/leggings popping up everywhere from the runway to street fashion blogs. The first time I saw these at American Apparel, I thought "seriously, who would wear those?!" (These are even more intimidating!) Lamè tights aren't exactly something you can just throw on the go to the supermarket. And also, you have to have a precise body type to pull them off. With all these precautions, I've decided they aren't for me. But that doesn't mean that can't look completely awesome on other people. For example..

Photos compliments of Facehunter, Misshapes

Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier (FW05/06)

Have I mentioned

Right now, I'm seriously obsessed with black and brown (together.) I've never liked fashion "rules" anyway.

-Facehunter

-Misshapes

-The Sartorialist

- Hel-Looks

-Catwalk City

Sweating It

The idea of a perfect autumn/winter outfit would be something comfortable, chic, stylish, and practical. But that’s not always so easy to come by. What may be trendy is not always warm while what’s functional for cold weather is usually layered and bulky. Fortunately, there is a perfect solution to this dilemma. May I present to you, the ingenious sweater-dress/tights combo. This style is so versatile that you can find a sweater-dress to go with any look or climate…

For a not-so-cold day, try a baggy sweater with sheer tights

Compliments of Apparel-Web, NY, The Sartorialist, and Philip Lim

For a more retro look, go for a colorful sweater with big prints or designs that echo the 80’s.

Compliments of Facehunter, Misshapes, and Apparel-Web, Tokyo

And of course, you can always opt to jazz up a simple sweater with awesome accessories like the ever-stylish Cory Kennedy and this Stockholm cosmopolite.

Compliments of TheCobraSnake and Stockholm Stil

Try a knitted sweater-dress with a plunging neckline for a low temperature fix.

From A.F.Vondevorst, Urban Outfitters, and Stella McCartney

And for a more “bohemian” look, try pairing your sweater with tights and boots

From Charlotte Ronson, Akris, and Chloe

The Classics

You know you’re a style icon when a picture taken over 30 years ago looks modern and stylish now-a-days.

For Instance,

Francoise Hardy

Audrey Hepburn

Twiggy

RIP Vincent

Am I the only one that kind of liked his design? Construction and fit were a little shabby but the design wasn't too bad..I will miss him though. He brought a little lunacy to Project Runway, am I right?

Quick thoughts on the season so far:

Uli - Pretty designs, a little on the boring side sometimes. This dress is gorgeous though.

Kayne- Off/On with good designs. Overall, not really cut out to be a RTW designer. Gowns are his thing though. I do like this dress, not the color so much..

Jeffrey - Hate his personality, love his clothes. That's all I gotta say about that.

Laura - Great style, but it might be nice to see something a little different. How surprising to see Laura doing a low-cut top...

Micheal - Love everything about him, although this isn't his best look of the season. I still hope he wins!

Strange Roles

Gemma Ward is set to make her first film debut in Paramount's The Strangers.

"The suspense thriller revolves around a couple in a remote suburban house who are targeted by three masked strangers. Tyler is the female half of the couple. Ward is one of the masked strangers. Production is currently scheduled to begin in the fall for an October 2007 release. Bryan Bertino will direct from his own script for Rogue Pictures." (Empire Movies)

I have to admit, I am dying to see this. Will Gemma be able to go from darling to diabolical? One wonders how this model-turned-actress transition will pan out. But the real question is, why would someone want to cover up that gorgeous face with a dirty ski mask for a whole two hours?

Anticipation!

With Olymus Fashion Week just a couple of days away, I figured I’d get into the runway spirit by reviewing my favorite looks from the 2006 Couture Collections (better late than...really late)

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)