Amazing Looks from Jessica Leclere's Graduate Collection

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I'm was blown away when I saw these intricate, beautiful pieces created by Jessica Leclere. It completely proves that little details are what make design! I'm looking forward to seeing her future work.

Latest Obsession: Mathieu Mirano Fall 2012

(See the full collection here)

Back in February I was invited to designer Mathieu Mirano's presentation of his fall 2012 collection, but due to scheduling conflicts I was unable to attend. I deeply regret missing it! This collection was such a strong debut, and I can only imagine the amazing things he will present once he becomes a more seasoned designer. His fabric choices are visually stunning, and I love seeing which fabrics he chose to pair together (I love the fur and sheer pieces!). I'm so excited to see what he has in store for us in the future! I'm counting on great things from this man. 

Checking Out Laura Siegel Fall 2012

During NYFW I had the pleasure of stopping by a snazzy little pop-up showroom at ACE Hotel to get an up-close look of Laura Siegel's latest creations for fall 2012. I'm not sure if I can say enough nice things about Laura and her wonderful work! There are a lot of designers who are hardworking, but Laura's got the heart to boot. She's incredibly passionate about her work and the artisans that she collaborates with in order to create her incredible clothing. The best part is, it's not just her. I really felt like ever member of her team saw her dreams just as much as she did. It was really very moving and refreshing. You see the young designers on TV shows throwing hissy fits and complaining about how badly they want to 'make it.' They should really take a lesson from Laura and her hard work instead of being divas.

Laura's impressive resume includes studying at Central Saint Martins in London and Parsons School of Design in New York, as well as working with Luca Luca and Yigal Azrouel. Her design talent is simply breathtaking. There wasn't a single piece I saw that I wouldn't wear immediately (it also helps that most of the pieces were very dark, and that's the only thing I wear. haha). Laura worked with skilled artisans across the globe to produce the collection.  Everything about the collection was done by hand- stitching, dying, embroidering, etc! She even worked with cotton spinners!

Below are the stamps used to print the fabric. This is called Ajrakh Block Printing, and it comes from a family in India who has been printing fabric this way for ten generations. The stamps are carved out of wood, dipped in bees wax, and then pressed onto the fabric. The portion of fabric that was touched by the wax remains un-dyed, giving the fabric a cool contrast. The grey dyes come from eucalyptus while the purple comes from the matta root.

Enjoy!

The clothes in the collection were really wonderful. I could see myself wearing everything! There was a common dark color scheme, but each piece was original because of its print and material (materials in the collection ranged raw silk, bamboo, jersey, merino, alpaca, and eco-cotton.) As you can probably guess, everything felt just as amazing it looked. The cuts were interesting as well, and the collection featured many maxi skirts, asymmetry, and thoughtfully-placed cut outs. 
The fit in the collection was rather relaxed. No pieces were too tight, but none were baggy and lazy either. Everything had just the perfect amount of flow and fall. 

When working with embroiderers, Laura gave them a rough outline and told them her inspiration; she then let them interpret it as they wish. The result was beautiful!

I love this print! The dying is all-natural, and it comes from Munnar, a city in the Indian region of Kerala. 

The pieces within the collection have such promising layering potential. I can look at each piece and think of at least six ways to style each one. Don't you just love it when chic goes versatile?

The blouses were some of my favorite pieces; they have perfectly rounded shoulders and they're the perfect cut (not too baggy, not too fitted). Want. Want. Want. The details were fun as well: over-sized stitches, embroidery, 

I found out that Laura makes THE perfect pair of printed pants that'll give Isabel Marant's stamped jeans a run for their money.

Actually, she just makes really good pants in general. haha.

The jewelry was part of a collaboration with Nicole Messina. The bells used were from Indian cowbell makers! Laura told me that the men who make the cowbells thought it was really amusing that American woman would want to wear their handy work. I totally fell in love with the braided rope-and-cowbell bracelet!

I was so grateful for the opportunity to stop by! You can find more of Laura's work online at http://www.laurasiegelcollection.com/. I have loved keeping up with her success and achievements and I know that there are many, many good things to come for this girl.
 Which pieces are your favorite?

Visiting Oscar de le Renta- The Spring 2012 Collection Part 2

If you missed part one, see it here!

"I love these... all of these..." I said talking about some of the lace pieces. "Oh, they're lovely." Said of of the stylish ladies working in Oscar's PR department. I really think "lovely" is the perfect word to describe anything Oscar de la Renta. Ladylike, sophisticated, chic, and never dated. It's easy to see why it's one of my all-time favorite brands. (It's probably why it's one of yours too.)

How stunning is this embroidery?

These are just a few of many simple cotton dresses that just stole my heart. The prints were just too good to be true.

Did I mention that this one has pockets? That makes it 1000 times better.

 The amount of detail on a mere sleeve is incredible.

Ombre de la Renta. I like it.

I'm in love with this fabric!

Every time one of the ladies at Oscar looked at a dress or told me about a piece, they got so excited about it. It was like the first time they were seeing it. They had so much enthusiasm and passion about the clothes and it's not hard to see that they love the line and they love what they do. 

So... prettiest coat ever?

To my great sadness,  I had seen the whole collection, and it was time to say goodbye. The front had already closed and I was led out the back. "Come on," I was told. "We'll take you out the same way we take Sarah Jessica..." 
Huge thanks again to OscarPRGirl and to my good friend Ashley for letting me borrow her fantastic camera.
See part 1 of my visit HERE. Stay tuned for the third and final part tomorrow!