Just in time for this weekend’s show at Sidewalk Cafe!

The video says it all. I’m most excited for the v-necks and pint glass. Time to start saving my pennies!

Special shout outs to all the creative people behind this video. You guys make me laugh at work and embarrass myself and I hope you’re happy.

Oh, who am I kidding? That was probably your intention. Hahaha.

See you at the show this weekend!

Before you read on, this entry contains spoilers about tonight’s episode of Project Runway, so if you plan on watching later or haven’t watched yet, you may want to wait before reading on.The moment we found out this was a paper challenge (and breathed a sigh of relief that there would be no garbage/recycling challenge) I was excited. This is the kind of challenge that separates the real designers and innovators from those who are squeaking by on mediocre sewing ability and other people’s mistakes.

Johnny’s first dress was a mess. I don’t know what he was thinking. It looked worse than that terrible Pepto pink polo he put on for Day Two. His second dress definitely wasn’t an improvement. It was a rushed mess.

Gordana’s was stunning…on the dress form. I’m not sure if I loved it on the runway.

Stars of the runway include Logan, Christopher, and Althea. Logan’s was something I would legitimately buy right now. Gorgeous. Althea just knows how to dress a woman.

Misses were Johnny, Epperson, Shirin, and Carol Hannah. Shirin’s was probably the bottom of the qualifiers. Epperson’s looked like it was about to rip through. And Carol Hannah’s looked like she barely put forth the effort some of the other designers did.

Christopher’s was my favorite (in fact he’s starting to be one of my favorite contestants); his gown was very SJP, very Oscar de la Renta or vintage Dior. I hated Shirin’s the most, but I think Johnny’s was the worst and he deserved to go home.

Disappointed that Irina won, but perhaps I’ll be proven wrong about her in a future challenge. I don’t see it yet. It was a coat. And everything else from her has flown under the radar.

All in all, a definite filler episode of PR. We all knew that Johnny and his tears weren’t going to hack it in the top ten, especially if he realizes on telling stories to stay in the competition. Bye Johnny. We won’t miss you.

Just saw this on NYLON, which then led me to The Lipstick Diaries, which in turn led me to Geekologie, which got this from NailChick27:

I never get fake nails (unless I break one completely off; happened once; I was blessed with long nail beds) so I can’t i would rock these, BUT MAN DO I WANT TO. Check out Nailchick27’s link at top for more awesome nail art. Such chicness for your geekness. Can’t handle it.

Narciso Rodriguez will always do things his way; from ready-to-wear to evening to party frocks. This season, Narciso took the trends we’ve been seeing all week (sheer silk, asymmetry, and brightest bolds) and elevated them to a new level: the Narciso level. And by the final look, there was no jaw undropped.

The first looks that struck me were the white silk/linen organza combos, including a jacquard dress (far left) and jacquard jacket & pant set (at left). They were so light yet still gave the feeling of effortless flow, perfect for work or a night out. We also saw another green-on-black piece (a surefire Spring trend) in a silk print dress that was simply stunning.

The color palette continued as muted until I spotted something else: the lining of Narciso’s mud cloth coats. I’m a sucker for great lining, especially those that give a pop of color to an otherwise darker, more drab coat. Though you can’t see it pictured at right (I’ll try to find a better shot), the silk mud cloth coat had a deep blood orange lining. It’s details like this that make Narciso one of my favorite designers.

He presented perfect suiting in black silk/cotton poplin & linen canvas and perfect proportions of silver silk and pink silk in a jacquard dress. When the color started to flow, I quickly noticed a bright pink crepe dress that was open on the sides while still providing support up front. If I buy anything from this collection, it will be this crepe dress as it was perfect for us small-chested girls (my friend Devon agrees with me).

Other big hits in this collection were the cone skirts in bone linen, bright violets and fuchsias, and a cut-out white silk crepe chiffon dress. There were some deep V dresses to give that edgy sex appeal, but it was the rain silk print (at left) that made me swoon. A deep midnight blue in an embroidered top, pants, and dress looked like it was covered in rain droplets. Personally i don’t want to wait until Spring to wear that print. It screamed Holiday wardrobe to me and I want it NOW.

The last three looks were evening done Narciso’s way: silk, trains, and VOLUME (while remaining weightless. The mercury/gunmetal dress was a perfect final look and I’m pretty sure some starlet will be wearing it to the Globes come awards season.

All in all, this collection was big on volume, big on flow without tradition, and big on sheer. I should also mention that the models donned non-platform stilettos. Is this Narciso’s way of phasing out the trend? Only time will tell. What we can say is that Narciso always keeps it classy and makes clothes that every woman wants to wear.

Fashion Week coverage will continue with a trend report, backstage report, and a personal post all about the wonderful friends I met throughout the week. Stay tuned!

Inspired by both Great Expectations and the supermodels of yesterday and today, Tibi presented a feminine collection full of florals, bright turquoise, drapey pieces and asymmetry.

The first piece I loved was this open drape back blouse (pictured from behind on the left). It reminded me of warm summer days going shopping in the Hamptons; a simple blouse to pair with any white trouser.

The collection continued with slip dresses, a perfect pleated trouser, silk blazers. and miniskirts with a bubble hem (guess those are here to stay).

As the show went on, I really fell in love with the trademark Tibi prints debuting next Spring: the Josephine is a large floral print which can be on white or black shorts & blazers. The Begonia print is simpler, with one bright flower on a black one shoulder dress (at right). The Evangelista and Calily prints are more multicolored and more abstract, lending their decorativeness to structural dresses and mini skirts. The hummingbird chiffon is also a great print i a goddess dress or a plunging back number towards the end of the show.

In the end, Tibi is always very wearable and very beautiful, but this collection didn’t blow me away as much as their F/W 2009 collection. I did love the suede fleurs and other embellishments; it’s nice to know that we can be all dolled up this Spring and that crystal and leather additions are not just for fall anymore.

Stay tuned for more New York Fashion Week.

A Snuggie built for two?

Thanks to the ultra-exclusive runway show for Snuggie, we were spared the untimely death by cuteness that was subject to The Cut from New York Magazine. After the jump, Fandom Fashionista gives you her review of the Snuggie Runway show.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back outside in cooler weather, Snuggie had a fashion show today. Thanks to the wonderful Twitpics at The Cut (follow @cutblog on Twitter!), I can now give you the run-of-show and my thoughts on Snuggie’s first “collection”.

Snuggie’s show began with Ross “the Intern” Matthews as emcee (or maybe just a double, I’m having issues confirming/denying this evidence; see pic) with a small runway: bare and poorly lit.

A somewhat "snug" runway. (Oh like you wouldn't have?)

I can’t tell you how excited I was to NOT be invited to the show. Luckily, Twitter makes dreams come true. An audience of 12 people, with one photographer and a few bloggers armed with camera phones sat to one side, ready for the show to begin.

All photos courtesy of The Cut.

Snuggie tried their best to be fashionable, presenting animal prints such as leopard and zebra print. What I’m curious about is who are the models and who’s styling the show. Pairing Snuggies with sunnies? I thought this was about keeping warm indoors and out. I almost never wear my sunnies indoors or outdoors on a chilly day. And in case they didn’t know, it’s mostly overcast when it’s Snuggie weather. Oh my god, did I just use the phrase “Snuggie weather?” Shoot me.

Now the dog-and-child portion fo the show is a brilliant idea. Get them started on the Snuggie early. But the REAL genius came with collegiate Snuggies. This is where they may actually have a decent marketing strategy. Lord knows we all go to sporting events (or are dragged to them by significant others) and the weather during football season can get chilly. This school spirit Snuggie has a viable market on college campuses, alumni websites, and in stadium gift shops all across the country. Whether or not they’ll be stocking them at every school with a Division One team is anyone’s guess, but I think if Snuggie focused less on the fashion-conscious and more on the sports-fan, they’d be increasing their revenue by a sizeable amount.

A poor decision sending out to red schools back-to-back IMO.

And just so you know, only the hopeless will be the other prints Snuggie will soon provide (some of those hopeless being my friends, but i till love em). Camouflage print will be perfect for hunting Snuggie-lovers (as long as a bright orange vest is a gift with purchase). The Phish fan in all of us will love the tie-dye Snuggie, as long as we can remember if and where we packed it in the car (we’re soooo baked).

In the end, you all know how I feel abut the Snuggie. We’re not stupid. We can tell this was a Fashion Week marketing ploy (technically, most of Fashion Week is one big marketing ploy for something or another), but we just want to know if Snuggie was really trying to take themselves seriously, why the poor haphazard planning? The low attendance? The lack of stars who are firm Snuggie-believers? Clearly the flacks at Snuggie’s team have yet to do serious research.

The defendant.

And by the way, has Snuggle Bear tried to sue for defamation yet? I mean they may as well have been showing Snuggle Bear-skin Snuggies on that runway!

The Gottex Spring 2010 Collection was reminiscent of old Hollywood luxury and glamour.

Sequin head wraps, silk caftans, and ornamental necklaces adorned the curvy beauties who walked the runway. While not straying too much from the basic shapes and styles of modern swimwear, Gottex came with asymetric and cut-out styles to be as innovative as possible.

While most of the cobalt blues and coral/gold pairings were run-of-the-mill, the star colors &  combinations included a natural sandy hue (almost like a dirty ivory; very chic) and  a gunmetal lamé paired with black grosgrain belts. We also loved the gold-disc necklaces.

The collection may have been less than thrilling, but it did remind the tent’s inhabitants of the warmer days of summer, which dwindle as we speak.

Pictures to come! Leave a comment if you like!

Now that the first half of Season 2 of The Rachel Zoe Project is over (only six episodes total? is this a miniseries or a reality show?), I’ve a sneaking suspicion that what I predicted from point one is true. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Taylor is a kvetching mess. Rachel hasn’t promoted her. She’s brought on other assistants. Brad has clearly become the favorite. What really confirms my suspicions is Taylor’s attitude towards clients, events, and Rachel.

She hates fashion week and leaves early. She throws a fit when she finds out a client’s photoshoot is more of a head-and-shoulders glamour style instead of a fashion editorial and that her work has been for nothing. She seems disinterested in all things fashion and wants only to be promoted so she can manage Rachel Zoe “the brand”. All of these things can only lead me to believe one thing: Taylor hasn’t really been working for Rachel since 2007.

Look at the facts.

She is never seen at fittings in the office with clients. She has described her boredom with the industry. She only ever complains about…well, nearly everything. All the promos from this season point to her leaving Rachel’s employ and the show at season’s end.

If you’ve got an opinion, make sure to leave a comment.

Oh yeah I forgot: BAH-NANAS. There.

Ever since I began attending New York Fashion Week, I never  miss the Custo Barcelona show. It’s always a party filled with European royalty, rockstars, and music perfect for a dance party. The Spring 2010 show was no exception.While I was nursing an injury and unable to take notes (see my behind-the-scenes report for more info), I was pretty excited to be sitting behind former Skid Row frontman (he was also Gil on Gilmore Girls) Sebastian Bach, but I digress. Let’s return to the runway.

Like I said, Custo does fashion the rock ‘n’ roll way: fast and loud. The words neon, electric, and garrish spring to mind, bu that really doesn’t do it justice. If I described the last Spring collection as “psychadelic wallpapers from your nana’s apartment,” then I’m calling this collection “what happen’s when Willy Wonka & Veruca Salt fall into the Gobstopper machine.” I love the cuts and the colors; I am a fan of Custo’s for life.

Beyond the high-energy and high-volume, what really made the show interesting was when couples (less arm-in-arm, more side-by-side) began walking in matching looks. A favorite of mine was the print that had big red lips on, in addition to the other wildly fantastic prints that will have fashionistas running to their SoHo store when the collection launches.

Sitting behind the exalted ones (IMG’s Fern Mallis and The New York Times’ celebrated photog Bill Cunningham) and across from Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford, Tuleh once again proved that clothes don’t have to be cray-cray dramatic to be glamorous.

Designer Bryan Bradley got back to his romantic side with silky skirts, a very light muted palette (almost no brightness, a welcome rest for our pupils), and soft curls.

There was no lack for drama however, as the collection ended with not one but seven bridal pieces (no, really). A little ridiculous perhaps? An answer to that came when Kelly Rutherford echoed our own sentiments with a few gasps of  “Really?” and stifled giggles.

All in all, Tuleh put on a great show and despite what happened to your favorite Fashionista directly afterwards (see my behind-the-scenes report for more on that) it was the perfect precursor to the second half of New York Fashion Week.