Alexis Times Two

The Moment (T Magazine's blog) posted that the latest Alexis Bittar campaign will feature Joan Collins in her legendary Dynasty character Alexis Carrington.
Absolutely, 100% brilliant.

I love Alexis Bittar's jewelry. And I REALLY love Joan Collins, particularly decked out in Alexis Carrington attire. Hailed as the 'original cougar' and known for over the top glamour, Collins is the perfect fit for the modern yet opulent costume jewelry. Both are heavy on animal prints and jeweltones--ideal for accessories and actresses.

This genius pairing makes me think that perhaps there are other celebrities and fashion campaigns to be matched up:

Chris Benz and Tiffani Amber Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell
Chris Benz is hip and fresh and all about bold colors and a 1990s inspiration, so who better to represent the line than Kelly Kapowski herself (Tiffani Amber Thiessen in character, of course)?

Other ideas:
-Michelle Pfieffer as Elvira in Scarface for Issa London's slinky silk dresses.
-Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green on Friends for Theory.

So long, Bryant Park

This is a momentous year for Fashion Week. It's the final season of fashion shows at Bryant Park before the whole week packs up and heads to Lincoln Center.

Setting the tents behind the majestic New York Public Library smack dab in the middle of Manhattan seems like a pretty strategic move, and a good one. The tents aren't terribly far from the garment center and are a reasonable distance from the Chelsea and Meatpacking district venues like Milk Studios.

Changes are afoot, but for now, everything is staying right where it belongs, at 42nd street.

Hits from Paris Couture

The couture shows in Paris always deliver a few different things: meticulous attention to detail, some red carpet glamour and occasional avant-garde designs. This season's couture shows were no different.

Armani Prive
Armani Prive did exactly as expected. There are some structured suits, some cocktail length dresses, a handful of evening gowns and a lot of sparkles. Most looks were champagne or pastels with a few scattered black or deep metallic cobalt blue. This isn't groundbreaking design necessarily, but it doesn't have to be. Right now, Armani Prive is known for drop dead gorgeous red carpet looks, and this season offers plenty of gowns for the Hollywood set.

Jean Paul Gaultier
Few designers have the creativity and innovation (an balls) that John Paul Gaultier has. This collection was clearly influenced by all things south of the border. Exotic looks inspired by Mexico and its culture ranged from pieces derived from everything from the people to the nature of the country.
This look was shown on many sites as THE iconic look for the collection. The summation of the collection. The defining dress of Gaultier's presentation. I don't think it should be the first image of the collection or any kind of a symbol of it. I love the colors, the detail is incredible and it looks like what you think of with the word 'couture'. It does not, however, sum up the collection.

Chanel
Chanel, like Armani, was familiar territory. It started with classic, tweedy suits with the modern twists of full shorts and lots of sequins. Things really picked up in the second third of the show where Lagerfeld presented white satins with an almost liquid quality covered with silver beading. The show closed out with what almost could be wedding dresses on steroids. All gorgeous.

Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci continues to shine as brightly as his recent Givenchy collection. Sequins and bold colors decked out these body conscious silhouettes. The rest was gorgeous tailoring and and brilliant black pieces, two of Tisci's better skills.

Chistian Dior
One part 1980s socialites, one part Mommie Dearest and a dash of Dita Von Teese topped off with John Galliano's over the top drama--that is the Christian Dior couture collection. The colors are fantastic, it's heavy on textures like smooth satin and heavy beading. I'm totally into the idea of opera length leather gloves. And dear God, get me those shoes.

Most of the couture collections fell in line with what you expect of these houses in ready-to-wear, and why not? Couture is about craftsmanship and detail, not over the top statements and envelope pushing. I'm satisfied and looking forward to the shows next month.

(photos from style.com)

Sitting Pretty

Designers these days are all about branching out into other business endeavors. Fragrances, mens/womenswear, restaurants. The new, chic thing to do, apparently, is home decor. The latest designers to jump into the furniture world are Diane von Furstenberg and James Perse.
These representative looks of the two brands (top DVF, bottom James Perse) are stand ins for the furniture at this point. While Diane's collection will be focused mostly on kitchen and bath accessories and home accents, James Perse's line will be comfortable and functional couches and furniture, just like his cool-casual t-shirts.

Other designers have found great success in the home decor industry. Missoni prints easily translate to covetable linens and colorful accessories. Armani Casa's sleek minimalism certainly has a consumer base. Maybe there will be more expansions afoot is DVF and James Perse are successful as well. Maybe home accents from Vena Cava or modular furniture from Helmut Lang (ideally).

Groupthink/dress

Ivygate and Jezebel have tracked down an email from the Cornell chapter of the sorority Pi Phi that outlines some pretty strict and arbitrary regulations about what to wear (and not wear) for the first rounds of rush (I can't believe this is my alma mater). Rather than say 'cocktail attire' or 'smart casual' the email goes into extreme detail with Dos and Don'ts.

Some highlights:
-"Denim-legging" is appropriate as long as it's done right: aka, not from American Apparel and worn with chic, cool chunky boots over them and a longer top. NO camel toe.
Let's face it, if you're pledging a sorority that recommends jeggings (yes, jeans + leggings = jeggings) perhaps you've made a few wrong turns in life.
-No: leggings worn as pants
Apparently it is only okay if they are denim.
-No: Sleeveless shirts
It's Ithaca in January, this isn't a sartorial mis-step, it's a safety one.
-If you're wearing cheapo shoes, make sure they don't look it
Well this is just good sense.

Most people are making obvious connections to the plastics from Mean Girls joking "Wednesdays we wear pink!" or my favorite line from that film "Because that vest was disgusting". Frankly, I don't see it as a huge deal. This is a voluntary organization. The girls receiving this email are choosing to be a part if this group. If they're still eager to pledge a house that tells them what to wear down to shoe color, then they probably need a lot more life instruction than wardrobe dos and don'ts.

Fashion Friends

If you love Revolve Clothing so much, then become a fan of them on Facebook. Sure, Revolve benefits from getting the name out there more (I guess, though to me fan pages don't seem super effective in terms of getting customers). The real winner in this is you, because for becoming a fan you get a coupon code for 20% off an online order. My suggestion: hold off and use it on sale merchandise and get clothes for extra cheap.

Here's a Theory

I have a question: Is anyone buying Theory at full retail price anymore? My daily barrage of shopping related emails contained one from Revolve that noted they had 'New styles from Theory!' pretty enthusiastically, and sure enough, the website prominently features the brand.

I've always been a huge fan of Theory clothing--great suits, perfect slim tanks--but the price point has gotten absurd. A full suit (meaning only a blazer and pants) is close to $1000 at this point. If you want a special piece, like a silk dress or a leather jacket, you're looking at anywhere from $300 to $900. For basic contemporary apparel that's pretty pricey.

The real puzzling thing though is that easily 1/4 of my local Loehmann's is Theory merchandise. Their AMAZING Bram Stay tanks are usually like $24 (instead of $66), various styles of pants are around $79 and blazers are around $140. And that's all before any sales and discounts. The styles don't change all that much from season to season. Outside of basic pieces and suiting, the trendier pieces can usually be found from other designers for less, so unless you are a die-hard Theory fan, you can do better.

(Photo courtesy of Shopbop)