Forget the mini or the maxi, this season it is all about the midi!
Whether for a casual day or formal affair, there’s no need to have a fashion Goldilocks moment. Never too short or too long, mid-length is just right! Our Cacharel floral print skirt exemplifies what designers such as Miu Miu, Michael Kors, and Louis Vuitton have set as the length for Fall 2011 and still can’t get enough. With Spring 2012 shows currently under way, designers like Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga are showing that this trend is here to stay and works for any time of year. Whether a 50s A-line or a sleek and modern cut, mid length is the way to go! Also check out our 70′s Sonia Rykiel printed skirt.
Last night the New Yorkers for Children Fall Gala took place, bringing out celebrities, socialites, and philanthropists alike to honor the cause. The high society charity bash saw Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan transformed into a stunning set for the evening of auctions, dinner, and dancing. Amongst the fashionable guest to attend the charity was food critic, novelist and former wife of Billy Joel, Katie Lee Joel, wearing none other than FROCK Vintage. Katie went with this simple yet intricately beaded Stephen Burrows jersey dress. She looked absolutely fantastic in the black jersey number. The multi-color beaded bodice and asymmetric cut took her laid back style to the next level!
Check out the latest ads for H by Halston featuring a gorgeous vintage Halston gown from FROCK!
H by Halston is one of the diffusion lines from the famed 70s designer who was known for its luxurious but minimalist modern designs. In these advertisements, stylist Elizabeth Sulcer combined the old with new, pairing this sexy burnt velvet dress with the line’s new accessories. The piece’s luxurious yet simple design epitomizes Halston’s aesthetic, easily making it one of our all time favorites to have had here at FROCK! This just goes to show the timeless appeal of Halston!
Sifting through the carnage of another New York Fashion week, we can always look to Cathy Horyn to make sense of the madness. She can pinpoint the trends and map the relationships from one designer’s show to another. We are always anxious to hear what we can be expecting to see coming down the pipeline, and we were thrilled when Miss Horyn mentioned “the soft, below-the-knee dress (whether it’s a lean wisp of silk or a blousy Rodarte number)”. Could this mean the end of the too short hemline and a return to a more sophisticated length? And, as Cathy Horyn points out, designers have choose to use silks and “blousy” chiffon for their below the knee looks. The light, and seductive fabrics add a sensuality to the clothing that offsets what some may see as a “conservative” silhouette. (Although these days wearing a skirt that hides your underwear is bordering on prudish). We can only hope that the romance and elegance of the midi dress or skirt will translate to consumers next Spring.
Just last week, the streets of New York City were cluttered with crowds aimlessly walking, girls roaming barefoot with heels in hand, extravagant costumes that rival Lady Gaga’s wardrobe, and free booze. No, Halloween did not come a month earlier this year, this was just the scene caused by Fashion’s Night Out. The event, created by Anna Wintour in 2009, was intended to reboot the struggling fashion industry by encouraging consumers to get out there and spend their money, but it seems more like a night to go store to store trick or treating for free booze.
Major department stores such as Macy’s and Bergdorf Goodman bring in the celebrity names to attract consumers and force them to spend money in order to meet the stars. But what about the little guys? Smaller stores and boutiques, the heart of New York City fashion, can’t afford to bring in the big names and end up spending more money than comes in. Page Six is reporting that the staff at Vogue organizing this event may be calling it quits since it creates too much work and nowhere nearly enough revenue for stores. This year some stores had already decided to opt out of participating in Fashion’s Night Out and now it seems everyone else will be following.
While there have been many exhibitions devoted to great fashion designers, only a few have focused on individual women of style. Yet certain singular women play a crucial role in fashion. Known as fashion or style icons, they are a special type of fashion insider, one who not only inspires designers and brings their clothes to life, but actually creates a look that affects the way other people dress and/or think about dressing. The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology has done just this. Focusing their latest exhibition on the iconic Daphne Guinness and her extensive collection of one of a kind couture. The exhibit officially opens today and will be on view through January 7, 2012 and features approximately 100 pieces from her personal collection.
Although Guinness has inspired some of the world’s greatest couturiers – from Karl Lagerfeld to Valentino – she says that she is “not a muse,” but more like “a bee” flitting from one designer to another. This is proven by the array of designers whose work will be on display. A close friend of the late Alexander McQueen, the exhibition will include more than two dozen McQueen garments which have never been displayed.
Mary-Kate and Ashely did it again- this time with caftans, corsets, and clear (well, sheer) elements as their guides. The duo, inspired by Tibetan aesthetics and the feeling of ‘floating’ (see Freja Beha Erichsen’s neck tattoo**), delivered 22 perfectly tailored yet loose looks. It seems that the décolletage was the key highlighted area of the body throughout the presentation- attaining the perfect juxtaposition of coverage with muted sex-appeal.
Staying true to their own aesthetic of dressing, the twins sent a few dressy, tailored looks down the runway, some of which we felt would be perfect choices for a summer, outdoor wedding- drape-y in the lower half and fitted in the upper. The pant and caftan/dress layering effect accomplished in almost 2/3 of the looks drove home the lax-ed and almost Stevie Nicks-esque attitude that the pair may have been trying to convey. Olsen tested, FROCK approved.
Fashion Week is once again upon us! That time of year when models stomp down the runway showing off the newest styles we’ll all be wearing in a few short months. Only a few shows have hit the runway so far but we already feel the vintage love!
One of FROCKs favorites, Luca Luca, put on a bright and feminine show earlier today. The draped and tucked fabrics, mixed patterns, vivid colors, and basic whites had us anxiously scrolling through style.com to see the next look. Some of our favorites definitely took us back to the 70s. Like the loose black tunic style dress draped over matching wide leg pants.
We couldn’t help but think of this amazing new 1970s Chloe sheer chiffon slip and overlay when we saw this piece …
These amazing royal blue polka dot pants screamed 1970s Ted Lapidus
And this ultra feminine white draped dress is reminiscent of this 1980s Yves Saint Laurent white linen dress with gold trim
We love seeing how modern day designers interpret their vintage inspirations!
“Bye-Bye bandage dress. This fall, designers are offering up a new, confident vision of dressing inspired by the grandeur of midcentury couture”. This is the opening line to this month’s Elle article “Some Like it Haute”… and we could not agree more! Yes we know skin is in. Men love a good rack and derriere, but really ladies, do we have to show everything all at once?! When did two feet of fabric tightly wrapped around our bodies become couture? Where have the classic looks of Christian Dior and Cristobal Balenciaga gone?
According to Elle, designers such as Raf Simons, creative director of Jil Sander, have not forgotten the classic women of the past. Simons says “Let’s say you are in an environment where 50 women are dressed in mini dresses, body stretch, or something with a clear accentuation of the body. And then there is one woman who is very much the opposite- she would have a white shirt on, say, and a huge. couture inspired skirt. Me as a person, I would be much more attracted to that woman, because she has a fascinating and different approach”. More and more designers are starting to see the light! Like Junya Watanabe, who brought new life to Dior’s New Look with molded leather, motorcycle jackets, and punk statements. Silhouettes such as these concentrate on the true essence and elegance of a woman. Sophistication rather than body. And honestly ladies, don’t you really dress for your girlfriends anyways? It seems designers have taken a turn towards the past, back to the days of couture. We only hope it translates into our every day lives.
Our good friend and celebrity stylist Cristina Ehrlich has launched her own line of contemporary woman’s wear for QVC! Watch the video above as she talks about the inspiration for her new collection, and how FROCK vintage is her “fashion library”!
Chloe
Michael Kors
Balenciaga
**
