Atelier Versace Fall 2011

Forget Gucci premiere, it's all about Atelier Versace. The intricate details and the overall sex appeal of these dresses go well beyond stunning; they're practically art and for good reason since the label is it's couture line. It's definitely a great follow up presentation from they're last collection. I'm almost certain many celebs will be flocking towards this fall collection for countless red carpet events. Katy Perry's already worn a piece of the collection during the MTV VMA's.
From Fashion Gone Rogue.

Barney's New York: Carine's World

Now that Carine is officially a stylist and freelance contributor for Barney's New York, it's no surprise that the infamously chic retailer is taking full advantage of the opportunity to pick the ex-editrix of French Vogue's mind. As a part of Barney's The Window, the fashion retailer created a campaign entitled Carine's World, which campaigns "individuals cast by Ms. Roitfeld from various aspects of her life, including those with whom she has worked throughout the years, others she has admired for their style, and some of her closest friends and family." Barney's was also able to tap it's photographer, Mario Sorrenti into filming a quick documentary following the daily and might I add, fabulous, life of the incredible, Carine.

Carine on Naomi:
“I met Naomi 25 years ago at the beginning of her career and worked with her often. She is of course a legendary model and an icon, but one thing that people don’t know about her is that she has a very big heart.”
Carine on Vanessa:
“I once saw Vanessa at a dinner in Paris with her mother, Danielle Steele. She was in Balenciaga and I thought, “Who is that girl?” She had such an expressive and fascinating face. Later, she became my intern at Vogue.”
Carine on Joan:
“Joan has a tremendous natural beauty and carries with her the feeling of her native Puerto Rico. I always knew she would be a very big star.”
Carine on Fei Fei:
“I find Chinese women exquisite. I had never worked with Fei Fei before, and I found her absolutely ravishing. She has the grace of a child; she is bewitching, like a fairy tale.”

For the entire story, click here.

Carine's World Part 1 from Barneys The Window on Vimeo.

New York Fashion Week: Simon Spurr Spring/Summer 2012

I love a good mens collection and there's been a lot of buzz going around with Simon Spurr; and for good reason. Simon Spurr was said to be one of the latest designers to watch according to VP and Mens Fashion Director at Saks Fifth Avenue, Eric Jennings. I'm sure Eric was at the ss 12 collection and was thoroughly impressed. I absolutely loved the leather infused sleeves to his coats and double breasted sport coats. TO DIE FOR. I loved the entire collection, especially the crazy striped patterned suit, the leather sleeved double breasted coat, the leather jackets, the three piece pinstriped suit, and the knee high boots. Our NYC store is extremely lucky for carrying some Simon Spurr...
From The Fashionisto.

Pharrell + Palladium Presents Tokyo Rising Campaign

Besides Pharrell's talent in producing some of the best music today and that he's got one dope house, he's also quite the entrepreneur. I found his documentary titled, Tokyo Rising extremely interesting from start to end. The film follows Williams around the extremely inspirational city of Tokyo as he explores it's hidden treasures, the aftermath and effect of the 8.9 earthquake, and interviews of city locals. View the rest of the film here.

“Palladium’s core message is about urban exploring and putting your boots on to find out what’s beyond the tourist guidebook,” said Barney Waters, vice president of marketing for Palladium. “Tokyo is one of the great cities of the world and we felt there was a whole layer of the city’s story that wasn’t being told in the aftermath of the natural disaster of 3/11. We wanted to go back and see for ourselves how the young creative class was dealing with the aftermath, and what their vision was for the vibrant future of Tokyo.”

“I find great inspiration in Tokyo from the people,” said Pharrell Williams. “To me, the way that the Japanese people regard life and culture is completely unmatched. Tokyo is my second home and I jumped at the chance to come back and reconnect with friends during the exploration.”

Photo Diary: Jennifer Chung Album Release Party

As some of you may know, youtube sensation Jennifer Chung happens to be a great friend of mine and this past weekend, she held her first album release party in Hollywood at the Hotel Cafe and let me just say that she's incredible live. I have a few friends that can really sing, but to have one that's really taking off in her career is another story. I remember meeting Jen for the first time when I studied abroad in Paris last summer and at that time she was only writing a few songs here and there and now she's come out with a full fledge album! I am so proud of her. At the party, I was also able to reunite with my long lost friends from Jen and I's time in Paris. Shout out to my girls Megan, Priscilla, and Krystle; and to Alli and Brian who couldn't make it but where there in spirit obvi. It was so great to see them and catch up. I've missed them so much! Enjoy the photos and little video I took of Jennifer covering one of my favorite songs by one of my favorites artists, Adele's Someone Like You.

New York Fashion Week: Spring/Summer 2012 Favorites Part One

BCBG Max Azria - I absolutely loved the abstract printed and modern approach to BCBG's Grecian theme to their ss 2012 collection. From the colors to the cut, it looked light, effortless, and chic. I loved the shoes and how all the models had slicked back here; clean and fresh to match their perfectly refreshing spring collection. View the entire collection here.

Jason Wu - Jason's spring 2012 collection started with incredible retro inspired silhouettes with a black and white theme with touches of leaf and houndstooth patterns. No one can do classic femininity quite like Jason and I loved how he added pops of pink and lime green to the collection as well as leather to toughen his girly ensembles. The overall styling of the collection was also incredible with the models parading down with orange lips, spiked hair pieces and long dangling earrings. Jason noted that pop artist Kaws was the inspiration for this collection, which can be translated through the speckled prints and pops of color in the presentation. Towards the end of the collection, Jason really picked it up a notch with more haute couture like pieces that remind me of vintage Balenciaga via Cristobal Balenciaga. Some of the pieces are so classic they also remind me of something Jackie O would wear or even Audrey Hepburn. View the entire collection here.

Altuzarra - Despite some Alexander Wang and Givenchy references (or perhaps inspirations) I personally see in this collection, Altuzarra created a very sexy ss 2012 collection that I think most women will want. I enjoyed the play with leather, knits, mesh, and tropical prints. I also loved the parachute harness detailing. It seems like knits are a big trend next spring and pointy toed heels are also staying next season. The coats in this collection were bananas. View the entire collection here.

Alexander Wang - Doing what he does best with American sportswear, I think Alexander really brought out a strong ss 2012 collection. With emphasis on netting, aerodynamic stripes and road sign shaped patterns, his motor cross/race track inspired collection proved to be a strong one. Along with his eclectic presentation, Wang accessorized his ensembles with backpacks, motorcycle helmets, and perforated head scarves. Subtle hints of a tropical print in grey and and blue hues added a great touch of femininity to his sporty collection. View the entire collection here.

Derek Lam - The variety and range of Derek's collection was great. I absolutely loved the abstract patterns that came out towards the end of the collection, and I also loved the wearability of the entire collection. His presentation contained a great deal of what I think a lot of women want, practicality no matter what age. I could totally see Anna Wintour rocking the black knit and printed skirt ensemble, while I see Diane Kruger in the sparkling number. What makes it even better is the fact that he totally added twists to modern classics; like his abstract printed pant suit or two-toned pant suits. View the entire collection here.

Prabal Gurung - By far my most FAVORITE collection during NYFW (so far). The entire collection was genius and will probably be seen on a variety of celebrities. Not only was every piece red carpet material, but it was also very current and I was seriously yearning for more. I loved Prabal's play on purple and black; and the print that was present during the collection was absolutely stunning. The presentation also showed a wide range of pieces from shorts, pant suits, coats, short dresses to full on floor-length jaw-dropping gowns. OMGAH, and those GLASSES?! I haven't seen ferosh sunglasses since those Lanvin shades that walked the mens spring 2010 collection. The Nepalese designer has been a favorite of mine recently and from what I can tell, I'll be a huge fan for a long time. An absolute masterpiece of a collection. View the entire collection here.

Indispensable Style

According to this article Mr. Porter put together and after reviewing this list, I still have a long way to go as a working man trying to obtain the perfect and most practical wardrobe. As a man working in the fashion industry, sometimes I forget to shop for the necessities or what's trendy for men, because I'm so focused with women's fashion. But as the Brand Ambassador for the Mens Collection at SAKS, I'm really trying to focus and extend my wardrobe to include the must haves and also some fun/trendy pieces.

I definitely don't have ANY navy suits and it's definitely the next suit I'm planning on investing, even though I'm loving all the grey window pane and tweed suits I'm seeing this season in editorials and catalogues. All the mens magazines and fashion books geared for men explain how crucial a navy suit is for a man, and I need to get my shizz together and invest in one; perhaps Theory or Huge Boss. I am also in desperate need of a black turtle neck and some black penny loafers, which would go great with my tweed MMJ suit for the f/w. I agree with having 6 blue and white button up shirts whether they're twill, button cuff, french cuff, oxford, linen, or patterned. I don't quite have 10 ties, but I'm almost there. I think this list is also missing tie bars and pocket squares. But I guess you could say those are a must for the sartorial man.

God, I hope my wardrobe will be as eclectic as Oliva Palermos, but a males version of course. Perhaps like Francesco, Milan or Angelo.

Fashion's Night Out: Saks Fifth Avenue

My favorite Brazilian Bombshell (at work), Julie & I.

Even though we didn't have Joe Jonas, Anna Wintour, or Lea Michele at Saks unlike our NYC flagship, my small Santa Barbara store still had a lot of fun during our FNO. We whipped out a red carpet, a DJ, a bar, heure d'oeuvres, and a photo booth. I honestly wish we pulled the big guns and had local celebrities host our FNO like Katy Perry or Oprah! I still had fun even though it seemed like no one was really celebrating. I had the most fun playing in the Chanel boutique trying on the latest and most classic bags. The mademoiselle, as modeled by GG starlet and Anna Wintour favorite, Blake Lively, was my favorite. I worked the whole day before FNO started at 6pm, so I decided to keep my attire simple.

I wore a Burberry coat, Alexander Wang Tee, Uniqlo cargos, and a pair of white Converse.