spring 2011

The Fashion Statement: Stripes, Polka Dots and Plaids

Filed under: Apparel, The Fashion Statement

'Tis the season to break out your spring wardrobe (if old man winter would ever go away). But if you don't have this season's take on stripes, polka dots and plaids, get thee to a boutique toute de suite. This is not a time for wallflowers.

These prints have very little in common with the classics. This year, designers painted stripes with a bold brush, used variously-sized polka dots head-to-toe, and paired plaids with floral blouses.

The key is to break every rule your mother taught you: Mix and match patterns. Select stripes in contrasting colors, pair the polka dots with stripes and spice up florals with any geometric design. Just make sure the contrasting patterns have a consistent theme, use the same color palette, or same motif.

Prada and Jil Sander presented some of the best collections of the season. Sander sent out a floor-length gown contrasting vertical black-and-sheer stripes on the bodice with the skirt's pink-and-white horizontal stripes. Prada took a white blouse with a navy monkey print and paired it with a black-and-fuchsia striped skirt. That same skirt served as the foundation for a blue-white-black-green striped top.

Tags: Dolce and Gabbana, Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Moschino, plaids, polka dots, Prada, Spring 2011, Spring 2011 Fashion Week, stripes, The Devils Cloth, The Fashion Statement

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Henri Lou Spring 2011 Collection, Handbags of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Henri Lou's Spring 2011 line of handbags is all rich jewel tones and sherbet pastels, mixed and matched in your choice of six styles and fine textured leather or suede. Styles are on the casual side and range from slouchy and laid back to structured and sleek, perfect for bringing a little spring and summer with you wherever you go. Henri Lou bags are all hand-sewn and feature thoughtful details like hand-braided leather handles, choice of hardware, and grids of color options like lavender, pink, orange, and teal. I'm partial to bucket bags so my personal favorite is the E Bag, shown above center, in crackle blue ($260).

Gallery: Henri Lou's Spring 2011 Handbag Collection

Tags: handbag, handbag of the day, henri lou, spring 2011

MaxMara's Convertible Cube Puffer for Spring 2011

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Although spring may seem a long way off the holidays are over and we're past the half-way mark in January so it's high time we all start planning ahead for warmer weather. The transition from winter to spring can be a tricky one but MaxMara's Convertible Cube Puffer Coat is made just for the occasion with removable sleeves, hidden buttons that allow for lengthening or shortening, and interchangeable hood and cuff options that will have you ready for a snow storm or a spring rain in minutes. And that's not all -- if you're not looking for either it can fold up into a nifty little tote bag for storage.

The Spring 2011 version comes in four styles and a variety of colors (including happy ones like yellow and orange) so you can brave the weather in bold and perfectly personalized style. $750-$4,350, depending on options and trim.

Source

Tags: coat, maxmara, spring 2011

Neiman Marcus Creates Virtual Fashion Week

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

NeimanMarcus.com has announced a virtual fashion week to highlight the spring 2011 collections. Starting January 10th and running through January 13th, videos of the Spring 2011 designer runway shows will be showcased daily from 11 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST. The show looks available for sale will be shown on the site in each designer's boutique. During the airing of the runway show, the looks available for sale will be available for viewing at the same time. Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing will call out highlights of the day's fashion line-up while Roopal Patel, Senior Market Editor, Fashion Accessories, will draw attention shoes and handbags that were seen on the runways or were inspired by what was seen on the runway.

"Runway videos capture all the exuberance and excitement of the catwalk, " said Ken Downing. "From her own virtual front row seat, our customer will be able to shop the hottest trends of the season, in the season."

Each of the runway videos will be archived on the neimanmarcus.com website through January 21st. The full schedule is after the jump.

Tags: fashion week, neiman marcus, spring 2011

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