Show Review: Anna Sui

Anna Sui‘s show was my last of Fashion Week, and one of my favorites.

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Ms. Sui drew inspiration from a period of intellectual enlightenment in late 19th-century France better known as the Belle epoque, an era marked fashion-wise by feathers, gathered fabric treatments, and waist-defining silhouettes.

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As respected as she is in the industry and beyond, Ms. Sui takes a decidedly laid-back approach to fashion, and her shows are always fun, glittering affairs. This one was no different: French indie rock blasted, golden light permeated the room, and the fashionable packed the main tent with a festive air.

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From my seat at the end of the runway, it was easy to see that the signature Sui quality went heavily into these pieces: intricate fabrics, carefully tailored pleats and tucks, and lots of bold accents. Her designs are always deliberate yet effortless, perfect for the fashionista who appreciates style without taking herself too seriously.

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Plain and simple, I really enjoyed this collection. Ms. Sui managed to capture the bon temps of the period without making the pieces too costume-like or gimmicky, for the most part. Strengths lay in dresses and jackets (two of my favorite clothing items), and when I learned that Anna purposely kept her production costs down as much as possible to make it more affordable for shoppers, it made me love it even more!

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What do you think, Bombshells?
~Adriana

Hot! or Hmm….: Armani 5th Avenue Store Opening

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Remember when Solange mentioned she would be attending the 5th Avenue Armani event? Well, our girl came through and looked stunning:Love the ensemble, and I love how the pink CC Skye clutch adds some color to the outfit. A definite hot!

Zoe Saldana was there looking cute in this white dress paired with a black velvet coat.
I like the outfit. She looks hot, and the hairdo is en pointe.

Kevin Liles also made an appearance with a guest…
I like the look, but something makes me go hmm… He looks like he’s going to a DJ’s birthday party and not so much an Armani event.

And looking more Armani appropriate is fab couple Fuane Chambers and Fonzworth Bentley:
Cute look for Fuane. And I’m totally digging Fonzworth’s scarf and that flower on the lapel.

Alicia Keys made her way on the black carpet looking pretty fab.
She looks hot. I love the color of the dress on her, but I wish she vamped up the dress a little more. Peep the shoes though! They more than made up for the simplicity of her dress.

Lastly is our girl Chrisette Michelle
She gets a hot from me. Love the dress and the bolero. And her makeup is flawless.

Looks like fun times all around. What do guys think?

~Vuitton

*Apparently Solange passed out not long afterwards due to complications from flu medicine. Remember when she said she was sick? Let’s hope she feels better…

Show Review: Nanette Lepore

Nanette Lepore’s Fall ’09 collection was a jumble of colors, textures, layers, and playful hemlines that, disappointingly, felt like it’s been done before. I call the look Bohemian Gossip Girl.

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It was one of the first shows of Wednesday morning and the fashionable trudged in with lattes and iced coffees in-hand, still a bit foggy-eyed from the huge Armani store opening party the previous night. When the lights came up, though, everyone perked up a little at the bright rustic tones, sequin accents, and animal print accessories that made their way down the catwalk.

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I was in the 3rd row for this one so I got to see the collection pretty up close. Looking through the photos now, the pieces photograph *much* better than they appeared on the runway, which makes me wonder how they’ll fare in stores as opposed to online retailers (and will Web shoppers be disappointed once they open their packages)?

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That aside, some of the individual pieces were lovely: a tweed dress with a triangular sequin panel and fishtail hem, a filmy red-orange mini-dress with balloon shoulders, and a shift dress done in an intricate–you guessed it–tribal-like pattern, were singular standouts. I’m with y’all about “tribal”: it needs to be retired or left up to the tribes themselves at this point.

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I’m normally a fan of Nanette and while this collection wasn’t a failure, it didn’t exactly break new ground. Still, there were some very wearable coats and frocks (two of the label’s strengths) that I’m sure stylephiles will snatch up come September.

~Adriana

Hot! or Hmm…: Estelle at the Brit Awards

Estelle is known for taking fashion risks, and her choice for the Brit Awards was no exception:

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The length is cute and age appropriate, but the embellishments (bows, clasps, beading, brooches)….hmmm…

Say your peace!

Real Style: Richie Rich

Last night after the MCM party, I hit up the Richie Rich show at the Waldorf Astoria:

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Lots of colorful characters came to watch, including these friends:

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Eclectic, funky, fun…what do you think of their style?

PS Peep all the Louis Vuitton x Sprouse action in the background!

Interview: Veronica Webb at MCM and W Lounge Event

Hey!
So yesterday I took a break from the shows to just chill and party it up a bit. I ran into model extraordinaire Veronica Webb (who we wrote about here)…

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…and had to ask her about the perennial issue of diversity on the runways:

Fun!
I also chit chatted with Gossip Girl’s Nicole Fiscella for all your GG fans. See that video here.
I’m running out of questions to ask…If you met your number one celeb, who would it be, and what would you ask them?

Real Style: Bryant Park

Kanye’s Style Crew definitely has some competition in these dapper gentleman I met at the Tents the other day:

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Louis V? Check. Fur? Check. Fabulous??? Triple Check.

I especially loved one of the guys’ bags:

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I’ve gotta get one of those!

Turns out the guys work for a website called www.projectblackout.org. Check ’em out and tell ’em I sent ya!

Show Review: Baby Phat Fall 2009

While Adriana covered Tibi in the tents, I power walked down to the Baby Phat Fall 2009 show:

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This time around Kimora ditched her usual Roseland Ballroom venue for the smaller, more recession friendly Gotham Hall. Admittedly, Roseland is usually a zoo, crushed with celebrities, editors, and fans–but it also typically has a vibrant energy that makes the Baby Phat show more of a party than a focused fashion event. As a former bank, Gotham Hall had a much more serious atmosphere, but no matter: without all the distractions we were left to focus on the clothes. Thankfully, Kimora put some work into offering interesting silhouettes and pieces real girls would unflinchingly wear.
For fall Kimora went for frills and lace for a girly flair…

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..instead of looking cheap, the pieces offered an updated classic, Victorian sensibility that carried over to her reinterpretations of Chanel quilted bags and layered pearl necklaces:

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While the lace and frills were fun, my favorite part of the show had to be the outerwear. Cute capes, wool toppers, plaid jackets, and fur collared tweeds cascaded down the runway in silhouettes that would work for anyone from a college girl on the go to a young professional in a funky creative industry…

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While some options still looked like a juniors department nightmare with tie dye jeans and bedazzled t’s…

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Overall Kimora delivered a solid, wearable collection, upping the quality and ante for the Fall 2009 season.
After the show, I walked over to say hey to a few well known faces:
Teyana Taylor looked retro chic with a cute hat, hairdo, and fitting dress:

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I said wassup to Ray J, who was putting his VH1 show on hold for the night:

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Chit Chatted with my girl Monica about Atlanta and a few of her upcoming projects (Check out my interview with her here):

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And girl talked with Dwight from the Real Housewives of Atlanta!

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He was working it in a fur coat and all white suit! No sightings of Nene or Sheree all fashion week, but Dwight was fab-u-lous, and working his outfit!
Yet again, a fun time at Baby Phat:

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And of course, I caught the final walk for ya:

I love how ‘My President is Black’ was the song for the final walk. Very apropos for a show and a President that are all about business!

What do you think?

Bisous!

*Dress from Pieces Boutique, Necklace and Earrings by Jenny Dayco, Chanel 2.55 Quilted Evening Bag care of Avelle.