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

Fashion Week!!!

New York Fashion Week kicked off today! As much as I love the sweaters and coats of fall and winter, I get super amped for the Spring/Summer shows. There is something about seeing all the skirts and dresses in their bright, warm-weather glory that brings a smile to my face and makes me excited for the coming of the new fashion year. Here's the short list of the New York shows I'm looking forward to seeing.

Vera Wang

I have loved this woman's work since I discovered her when I was 14. Her expert draping and her luxurious fabrics and colors never cease to make me drool a bit. I wait on pins and needles each season to see what she will come up with next.

Steven Alan

Steven Alan has 10 stores worldwide and a 10 year old brand, but his nyc show will be his first. I came across him in the Style.com preview and was instantly taken by this mood board. I looked up his website and am exicited to see what he has to offer.

Imitation by Tara Subkoff

Half of the duet that started Imitation of Christ back in 2001, Tara Subkoff is back with her own line, Imitation. Her new collection reflects her evolution as a person; Subkoff says her goal, "is to make dressing easy for women. You shouldn't have to think too hard about what you're going to wear every day. I think of Imitation as clothes that will leave your mind free for other things." I'm genuinely curious to see how she translates that into clothes.

Calvin Klein

Francisco Costa has been doing wonders at Calvin Klein since he joined the brand in 2003. I love his clean silhouettes and muted color palettes; while is garments might look deceptively simple, lines like his take some serious pattern making skills.

Baubles, gems and jewels, oh my!

I've never been one to wear much jewelry, but I LOVE a good ring. I used to wear several rings on each hand, but grad school changed that. Working every day with my hands, rings just tended to get in the way. Now, finished with school and out in the working world, I've taken to wearing one or two "statement" rings. Lately, I've been seeing them in droves. Fabulous jeweled cocktail rings...funky icon rings...sweet, delicate rings. They come in a range of colors and prices, but it's good thing I'm sticking to a budget because one of the gems I'm eyeing would break my piggy bank. Here are some of my faves...

My recent acquisition: Selene ring, Banana Republic, $39.50

The Ring and the Motorcycle, Modcloth, $15.99

SLRing, Modcloth, $9.99

Bow ring, Kate Spade, $75

Held Dear ring, Anthropologie, $58

Sequin Cluster ring, Nordstrom, $68

Ippolito Disco Ring, Neiman Marcus, $795

Cocktail Party Ring, Banana Republic, $59.50

Roses are red...

I am being followed by a jacket. A red, rosette-covered jacket, to be specific. I have seen this jacket four times now and each time I'm so overwhelmed by its sudden appearance, I take no notice to the person actually wearing the jacket. I have no idea if there are 4 different women who own the same jacket or if it's being worn by the same person each time. I've searched the internet high and low, and having not been able to find it, I'm guessing it's a one-off, possibly vintage.

This is a statement jacket. It's fitted, it's cropped, it has some serious shoulders, not to mention the entire thing is covered in rosettes, front and back! What's more this is not a jacket that will look good on just anybody. The cropped length of the jacket's body combined with its peaked shoulders makes it an extremely tricky garment for shorter women to pull off; however, don't go thinking that simply being tall will make it a great addition to your own wardrobe. I'm just over 5'8" and I would never attempt this! For starters, nothing cropped has ever looked good on my body and secondly, my shoulders are too wide.

I want to say I like this jacket. Conceptually, I think its amazing! Someone put a lot of work into this piece. I'm guessing each rosette is hand appliquéd. The jacket is a stand alone item and it needs to be worn in a clean and unfussy way. I've seen it with a black, high-waisted paper bag skirt...terrible! Black was good choice of color, but the paper bag skirt was entirely too much volume for one outfit; the woman looked like she was trying way to hard to to make the jacket work for her. Another time, the jacket showed up with a long olive drab t-shirt with a shirt tail hem. She had also donned a pair of equally drab skinny cargo pants. Errrr. I have no idea where to even start with this one.

With a item like this, the jacket wears the woman and not the other way around. The pieces paired with the jacket need to be kept simple and streamlined. I'd start with a pair of skinny gray jeans and an easy white silk tank. To top it all off, a pair of black peep-toe booties would do the trick. Easy breezy.

But for me, the jury is still out. I'm completely on the fence with this one. What do you think of the jacket? How would you wear it? Let me know!