Resort, Shesmort

Resort collection is one of those crucial summer staples. Personally, I never consider the summer to be a fashionable season; my hair is always frizzy, I'm super sweaty, and try to wear minimal clothing. Anti-glamour. Resort is a friendly reminder, and a shove if you will, that you should always be stylish. And Resort 2012 was no different. Sure there were some collections I didn't love- Bottega Venata, for example- but most of them were utterly fabulous. So, in order to give you the creme de la creme of Resort 2012, I give you my top eleven. Why eleven? Well, I was originally doing a top ten but then Prabal Gurung blew me away. The usual. I'm a strong believer of an inevitable beauty within everything; therefore, I'm not ranking these. I was enamored with all ten of these collections, for some reason or another, so they all win!

PUCCI

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Ever since I can remember, Pucci has always been the epitome of fun summer-wear: the prints, the colors, the copious amount of maxi dresses. If that doesn't say summer, then I surely don't know what is! And this Resort collection didn't fail me! I loved the pastels/white/ black color scheme. The colors suggest a very laidback summer; however the seriousness of some of the cuts and frequent suits gave us something in between. Just when you could write this collection off as boring and professional, you get something so summery and so right on. It's that versatility and juxtaposition that I truly loved about this look. I think the most juxtaposed, aka strongest, piece of the whole collection was this zebra-printed jacket with pastel blue pants. Somehow, it wasn't overbearing, just funky! Funky in a good way, nonetheless. And in general, I wholeheartedly approve of zebra prints with pastels. When I get some zebra print up in my closet, I will definitely be trying that! I also need pastels...hmmm...well clearly, I need to go shopping!

J.MENDEL

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Before my lovely friends picked me up for our Hamptons escape, I was wearing my dark purple leather vest and my floral maxi. My mother, who I think I'm starting to portray as my fashion foil, hated that look. I guess it may have been too hot for that kind of attire, an aspiring fashionista NEVER listens to the weather, but I thought it looked cool. Anyways, J.Mendel totally backed me up on this  idea. Whenever I think of J.Mendel, I always think "Oh...so this is what Taylor Swift will be wearing to an awards show." Now don't get me wrong, I love soft and girly. But sometimes, I crave something a little more...tough.  That's exactly what J.Mendel gave us for this Resort season. Don't believe me? Just check out this colored fur! Who even does colored fur? J.Mendel, I'll tell you that! Of course, we also got our share of frilly feminine, but I'm so happy with the crisp silhouettes and color-blocking. I love how some of these looks may appear to be really minimalistic but, if you look closely enough, has some kind of detail to make it uber edgy and sharp.Thank you, J.Mendel, thank you very much!

LANVIN

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First and foremost, I think it's actually impossible to not love a design house when they incorporate BABIES. Not only were the model insanely cute, this girl was my personal favorite, but the clothes were undeniably chic! But besides the babies, I love the eclectic aspect of this collection. Yes, there are so many "rustic chic" looks; however, Lanvin gives us all a little something to tickle our fancies: metallics, ruffles, fringe, and some lace! My absolute favorite feeling when looking at a collection is not the tingly goosebump feeling, although that is quite fabulous, but the running thought of "this needs to be my closet." With those kind of collections, such as Lanvin Resort 2012, there's no need to pick out your favorite and obsess over it; all of the pieces are distinct enough that the whole sha-bang could create a wardrobe. I mean, do we need anymore reasons for Alber Elbaz should win the coveted Dior prize?

...

Just what I thought.

JASON WU

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I tend to think that I have a quasi-semi-totally- skewed view of reality. Prime example: I believe that I will one day go to the MET Ball, accompanied by Jason Wu. Why Wu? Why not! I'm consistently impressed by his collections. Resort, quite obviously, is no exception. In my mind, this looks like a modern version of Louis Vuitton's 2011 Resort. What's best about this whole collection is its mixture of chicness and wearability. In every collection, Wu successfully "edges up" a classic femininity. I don't look at this collection, wishing I had a place to wear this or that to. Instead, I think, "this is a better version of something I already have." For example, the hoodie? I'm not one to go crazy over sweat apparel, but I was obsessed with this! In short, everything Jason Wu does is pure magic.

NINA RICCI

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Okay this Nina Ricci collection may not be quintessential "resort," but I am enamored with it nevertheless. This sounds like a really dumb thing to say, but all of it is so pretty! The details on each piece is truly something. As a result, I become inspired. Not inspired in the sense that I want to change my look to "rich socialite," but inspired to accomplish all that I want so I can wear fabulous pieces like these. Anyways, more on the actual collection: it's so brilliant how the separates are paired in such a nonchalant manner. These looks aren't sloppy; however, these pieces are more approachable: Nina Ricci Resort 2012 is not just for Upper East Side Mommies!  My favorite look of this whole collection is the black mini with the lace front: the silhouette of the dress is so tea party, but lace makes it a bit more sultry. All in all, it was beyond.

NAEEM KHAN

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Well, this collection wins for funnest collection. Sometimes I consider going to the west coast after graduation; if I want to be a celebrity stylist, is there a better place than Hollywood? But there's one thing  that scares me about the west coast: color. Don't get me wrong, I do love some pops of color; however, I am urban at heart and do love my darks. The colors in this Naeem Khan collection inspired me so much!   Khan cleverly mixed extraordinary colors with rather simple silhouettes, thus creating beautiful pieces. The red brocade (it sure looks like brocade) mini? It was life-changing.  I thought it was really interesting how she had two looks with the same exact silhouette but different colors (see: here and here). A lot of times, people really do forget how fun fashion can be: it's always what's on trend and who will take over Galliano's position (not knowing is killing me slowly inside). Khan's collection, however, reminds us that fashion is about taking risks: wearing bold colors, sporting some feathers just because, and not being afraid to really sparkle. In my mind, this collection is all about bravery, which I love.

MARC JACOBS

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Usually, I'm never completely obsessed with a Marc Jacobs collection; however, I love love LOVE this resort collection. If you couldn't tell by this blog post,  I'm love juxtaposition in fashion; after all, that's what makes fashion unique and fun. This time, it's the juxtaposition between boyish and, well, feminine. This collection, more or less, represent a transition. The beginning,  really masculine and boring. Very Royal Tenenbaums, don't you think? Throughout the collection, the looks get more and more feminine: we see a full skirted dress and some sparkle until we finally get the finished product, a completely feminine look. I love when a collection tells a good story, or a collection has enough of a plot so-to-speak that I can create a story. Also, I really want that pink skirt.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

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I remember looking at the collection, convinced I would hate it.  But, when you really examine the details and review the collection as a whole, it's really something spectacular.  I don't know about you but during the summer,  it is imperative to be chic and comfortable: when I get sweaty and my hair starts to frizz, the last thing I want is a body-con dress. Unless I'm going out for a night on the town, that's another situation. Anyway, the shift-esque silhouette gave me extreme ease: Mr. Valli, you get me and every other aspiring fashionista suffering from heat exhaustion and humidity. But fear not fashion lovers, this collection is both pragmatic and stylish.  There are so many vibrant colors , quirky silhouettes, and so much leopard, you're bound to find something you love!  Speaking of leopard, don't you love the leopard hareem pants? I died. And the maxi dresses? Absolutely gorgeous.  It just goes to show you, don't judge a book by its cover! 

CYNTHIA ROWLEY

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If anyone asks me to sum up Cynthia Rowley's Resort 2012 collection, I would simply say it's "the functional anti summer." There's a common misconception to think of Resort as solely shorts, mini dresses, and beyond fabulous bathing suits. In my mind, Cynthia Rowley but an end to that. While looking at her collection, I noticed that most of the looks were not your typical summer collection: the hemlines are longer and there are so many long sleeves. If the fabrics were changed, this collection  could  easily be Pre-Fall or maybe a small Fall RTW collection.  Even some of the colors weren't very Resort-esque. Yet it worked: this is a Resort collection and a fabulous one at that. What I loved about this collection is how some of these looks can easily carry you into the fall. And we aspiring fashionistas do have to wear an outfit more than once!

VERSACE

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Versace, like Pucci, is one of those brands I constantly associate with Resort wear. The label is always so fun and sexy and isn't that all we want to be during the summer? What I found most interesting about this collection was the frequent use of black and white. But black and white is so boring, right? Wrong. Through incredible silhouettes, unique prints, and your occasional splash of color, this collection was divine. And that's the beauty of Versace: the constant innovation to make something out of a potentially boring situation. As much as I love a LBD, they can get a little boring. But the Versace LBD this collection? The sheen on the fabric gave an allusion of leather: fun and sexy!  Some of these looks don't say, "this is so Resort;" however, they're totally summer friendly. And the detailing was absolutely phenomenal. J'adore.

PRABAL GURUNG

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The only way I can accurately express my love for this collection is with one word: fabulous. Everything about this collection was truly fabulous. The polka dotted looks were fabulous retro, like something you would see out of an old movie. But, mixed with a floral top, polka dots look so relevant. Amazing. And the red and black dress is my personal favorite. And the evening gowns were so beautiful. This is one of those collections that I can't pinpoint the exact reasons for loving it, but it's seriously outstanding.

Sorry this blog post took absolutely forever to complete, but Resort was awesome and there was so much of it!

xx

Her Skin Type Maybelline

So I've been a terrible blogger lately and have simply not had the time to discuss INTERNATIONAL FASHION WEEKS. In my opinion, IFW (look at me and my acronyms) is where it gets interesting; as an American, some of the looks I question but that's what makes fashion fascinating. It's dynamic and culture specific. While Vivienne Westwood's collection kind of made me anxious  and Mugler almost brought me to tears of sadness, I wonder if I would love it if I was from somewhere else.

So without more procrastination, here's some of my favorites from IFW!

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Well Antonio Berardi had basically everything and anything you could want in a collection: fur, extreme jackets, lace, pants, dresses, shimmer. Needless to say, I loved it.  While the show wasn't entirely cohesive, the progression from white to colored to blacks was effortless and logical, which made the show feel more cohesive. I loved how this collection and outfits that would actually look good on people who are not size 00: the chunky coat would be flattering on almost anyone. Some of his sexiest dresses, on the other hand, would look so feminine on a Kim Kardashian figure. And, for the record, I am head over heels obsessed with the textured tuxedo. And this toughie blazerish dress ensemble. It was just awesome

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I'm going to be really short about Dior. John Galliano has made a fool out of himself and I believe that the damage is irreversible. That being said, Dior had a heavy dosage of ruffles, and I kind of enjoyed it. This collection, in my mind, was very Florence Welch mixed with a very other randoms. The colors were appropriately "fall/winter" and there were a lot of separates that will make for an extremely chic season. Like there's this orange fur coat that I kind of need. Oh and I loved how many hats there were!  But most importantly, the ending was hoping and inspiring- just what Dior needs right now. 

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For now on, I am referring to this Lanvin collection as "Tim Burton's Tea Party". Why? This collection started off as, for lack of a better word, "normal": everything was rather plain and simple: simplistic silhouettes and not many accessories. But then, everything changes and, in my opinion, for the better because minimalism is annoying. Silhouettes became more interesting whilst the proportions were out-of-whack. Although some simple pieces still walked the runway, like this canary dress, Tim Burton's Tea Party was invaded with feminine pieces that had a darker and more artistic flare, hence the nickname.  Even though I refuse to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas because it's really scary (my mother can attest to that), Tim Burton is so artistic, individualistic, and eery. Which is what I thought of this collection. But unlike The Nightmare Before Christmas, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection: it was chic, thought-provoking, and art. Just what fashion should be.

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Essential question: Can Prada ever do wrong? This collection screamed 1960s retro and let's be honest, who doesn't wish they lived in the swinging sixties? The people who actually lived then. To describe this collection in one word, besides "retro", this collection was "fun". Good 'ol fun!  The repetition of the drop waist belt  added some funk to what would be a rather typical jacket or outfit. The fur was so care free and I'm really upset I don't own at least one of these! AND THE SEQUINS?!  Amazing. I was so pleased when I saw all of the sequins! I think in order to wear this collection, you need confidence. I think this is one of those collections where people who don't love ridiculous avant gardish fashion will cringe, while the others with coo.  I  AM OBSESSED WITH THIS COLLECTION. That is all.

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I think what I really love about Balmain is how they are rather consistent with their silhouettes and looks altogether. While I know that being too consistent is a bad thing, Balmain is like comfort food: if you want long sleeved minis that have a hint of edge, you go to Balmain. That's just how it works. This collection; however, I really enjoyed. Of course, there were the trendy long sleeved minis that I love oh so much, but I really loved all of the tuxedo  sets and jackets that strutted down the catwalk. I love the metallic striped pattern that they displayed: it reminded me of Chanel with a twist. Whenever I think of Balmain, I always think of fabulous and really sharp: fabulous because all of the sparkle and sharp because of the rigid silhouette. Never change, Balmain.

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Nina Ricci's collection is the girliest collection, I think, of this season. Needless to say, I absolutely fell in love with it! The blacks, pinks, and blues of the collection reminded me of a 1950's Barbie, which I thought was fabulous. For fall, designers usually stick with blacks and darker colors so the change in color was incredible.  Like so many collections, I love Nina Ricci's use of lace and sparkles! And I loved this one look with a jester collared and trousers. Speaking of trousers... can I get these velvet trousers? Also, the final was FABULOUS! I wish I could wear it. I feel like a non-pregnant Natalie Portman would look stunning in this collection!

xx