New Love...Steven Alan

While he's not a newcomer to the industry, Steven Alan is new to the Fashion Week circuit this year. I came across him on Style.com's Spring 2010 Preview. The website had posted part of Alan's inspiration collage; I was drawn to the simplicity of the images as well as Alan's sketching style, and I listed it it here as one of the shows I was looking forward to in the New York line up.

I was not disappointed either. Choc full of easy summer gear for men and women, I could actually envision myself in a number of the pieces. Alan said his clean, beach-casual looks were inspired by a recent trip he took to Spain and the Mediterranean.

For the ladies, Alan offered a mix of dresses, easy wide-leg pants and sweaters in a gorgeous array of linen, light weight denim and Cupro. I loved his use of straw Panama hats for women and the Espadrilles, both wedge heeled and flat.

I loved these two jackets. The one of the left is a beautiful denim Cupro trench, so fab and great for Spring weather. I love the camel colored one on the right because it looks exactly like its sketch. As a designer myself, I love to seeing how pieces come to life in fabric. Sometimes a sketch looks like one thing but the item in question, be it a jacket, a dress or a pair of pants, becomes something else entirely when it's made. Alan's lovely cotton trapeze coat looks brilliant and just as I envisioned it.

This look took me completely by surprise. These two photos are from two different sites. The one on the left I found at Womens Wear Daily. I loved the white linen blazer and I'm a sucker for just about anything polka dot. I assumed this yellow beauty was Alan's take on the romper, which is everywhere these days, and I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the photo on the right on Alan's own website. It's not a romper but two separate pieces that remind me of 40s style bathing suits. LOVE IT!

For men, Alan's collection was equal parts beach-casual and Ivy League Prepster. These two looks were the standouts in my humble opinion. Alan gave men a new option for pants: a cinched waist, gusseted "mountain pant", he believes will make a great alternative for denim in the warmer months. I think they look great, but none of the guys I know will be wearing them (sadly most of my guy friends are not so fashion forward). I also really like Alan's bow ties. I didn't even notice them at first glance, they were so unobtrusive and subtle, made from the same fabrics as many of his shirts.

All in all, I was quite pleased with my new find and I'll definitely be look out for his collections in the future.

To see his current collection, check out his fall look book or read his own blog, check out Steven Alan.com