Jewel Tones, Leather And Red Carpet Gowns at Sachin + Babi Fall 2012

It was Valentines Day in the big apple, and I was busy freezing my toes off and hurriedly making my way to Cedar Lake for the Sachin + Babi show.  It was an incredibly intimate affair- there were four or five rows for seating on either side of he runway and several dozen people standing. The collection was drop dead gorgeous- leather pieces and gem stone colors paraded down the runway while a thumping beat paced the models. 
I love that they decided to do a feminine, sophisticated take on leather- it was everywhere! It really gave the collection a rocker edge. There were many dresses done in leather that would have been terribly sweet and girly in any other material. They also showed some incredibly beautiful red carpet-ready gowns which had breathtaking movement and striking color.The styling was wonderful because it was easily achievable without being boring, which is something I really appreciate.
I love it when I can see each piece in a collection instead of designers piling a million things on a model at the same time There were several vibes going on in the collection, but they were all very cohesive. It all reminded me of a ladylike fashion 'it' girl who got dipped in a vat of goth style and who went on her merry way. There was many contrasts throughout the collection such as ostrich feathers and crocodile, strict pencil skirts and and maxi skirts, and leggy gowns and conservative day wear. Another collection highlight was the seriously amazing coats and some sweet ladylike skirts- some done in leather pieces and some featuring ostrich feathers. Hands down one of my favorite collections from New York Fashion Week! 

My pictures from the show aren't too stellar, but I picked some of my favorite looks from Style.com to show you. 

Big thanks to Sachin + Babi for letting me attend the show. You can check them out on the web here and show them some love on twitter here!

*Photos by myself and style.com

Prete and Bruno Fall 2012

Here's some of my favorite shots from the Prete & Bruno show back in February. The brand's debut collection was bursting with velvet, gold, green, sheer, and feathery looks. Trend-wise they were spot on; green, black and gold were very prominent on the fall runways. Although there were pieces that apply to every consumer age, I would have really loved to see more of a focus. Who is the Prete and Bruno woman? It would appear that she's a schizophrenic Italian woman who can't decide if she's clubbing or having tea, and she's not sure if she is 18 or 60. The inspiration was classic Hollywood glamour, but it was taken rather literally. I would have liked to see more of a modern take on the theme. I call collections like this '-esque' collections The green tweed suit was Chanel-esque, the tight sparkle mini dresses were Versace-esque, etc. Nothing was terribly new, and unfortunately doing so much gold makes things look rather cheap and gaudy. My favorite pieces were the green and black fly-away skirt (seen in picture four) and the tweed coat in picture eight. Don't get me wrong- I'm a really big fan of these boys. Their passion and hard work was really evident in their presentation. I just hope that in time they will be able to present collections that are more relevant to fashion now.

Majestic

via Street Peeper, Tumblr, Vanessa Jackman


Per. Fec. Tion. 

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?