Karen Walker's most recent collection, a tribute to the suffragettes, was full of upbeat, laid back looks with an undercurrent of edge. Walker explored new territory outside of her previous collections, incorporating black and a bold hand, hammer, and broken-heart print. Paying homage to the suffragettes through accessories, she included bags emblazoned with phrases such as "Liberal, Miserable & Cynical." Walker explained backstage that she was interested in the ways women turned whatever they had at hand into a prop for their cause - re-stamping pence coins, making their bags into placards, etc.

I absolutely adore this collection and there is an outfit that could fit any style or mood that I am in for the day, from uber feminine, chic and classy, to an artistic edge.

Misha Nonoo had a fabulous season as she played with opacity, transparency, and both real and implied textures. The highlights of the collection were the sheer fabrics, cut-outs, and large interwoven panels and hemlines that added a unique point of interest to the designs. The collection also featured interwoven hemlines, which Nonoo paid special attention to the inner construction of, using a splicing technique so that no stitches could be seen on the outside. "I think about the inside of a garment as much as I do the outside," says Nonoo.  Her attention to quality and detail has certainly paid off. This is one collection I would be proud to wear in it's entirety, except maybe the detachable fox collars which are not my style.

Designer Calla Haynes invented a story for this collection about a brokenhearted girl leaving Paris to move to Nashville, Tennessee. Calla pulled inspiration from her beloved Chow Chow, Lilybear, to create many of the graphic prints and also drew inspiration from the style of the renowned country musician, Porter Wagoner. The collection is fun, youthful, and full of gorgeous print, textures, and silhouettes. My favorite pieces are the grey Chow Chow sweatshirt and the plaid coat or croptop.

So I know that I have been M.I.A. lately but things have been crazy at work! The textile design company that I work for is about to launch a new collection with one of my designs and we are trying to get it ready as quickly as possible! Anyway, I hope everyone had a fun new years!! I wore a sparkly dress with a sweater over it to go to a bonfire party, half froze, drank a lot of champagne and Disaronno, and pretended to be a wizard with my sparklers. My new year's resolutions are to eat healthier, work out more often (i.e. at all), start cooking more, and to update this blog more often. So for those who haven't already seen them, I wanted to share some images with you all of eco-conscious designer Yeohlee's Pre-Fall collection for 2014. I love the stark, mostly black and white palette and gorgeous silhouettes, loosely inspired by early modernist architecture from Rudolph Schindler's Los Angeles works. Yeohlee says "I try to create clothes that have kinetic energy and are full of movement". She focuses on both sustainability and functionality. The collection features practical outerwear such as a water-resistant coat and hooded rain slicker. Enjoy! 

Jacquemus is a label created by fashion school dropout and self-starter Simon Porte. Simon attended ESMOD in France for only two months and left spontaneously to start his own clothing line. Named in memory of his mother who had recently passed at the time, Jacquemus was born. The Spring 2014 collection La Piscine was debuted at Paris Fashion Week where it made quite a splash (haha cheesy, I know but I couldn't resist)! Porte is only 23 years of age and still works during the day as a sales associate for Comme des Garçons in Paris. He says this allows him the chance to learn about what customers like and do not like which he can use to refine his designs in his free time. I just love the understated and raw feel to this collection, which seems to be directed towards the slightly listless youth who still have an edge about them. I would totally rock the Le Pull Marine top inspired by the 80's french music video for "Pull Marine" by Isabelle Adjani.

Visit the Jacquemus site to see more of this collection and others and check out an interview with Simon here.
I do not own the rights to any of the photographs featured. 

I hope everyone had a great labor day and that you all got to stay home and sleep in late for once like I did! Things have been kind of hectic at work this week so I haven't had much time to post. I do however have some wonderful things planned to share with you guys in the near future. For now, here are a few things that I am currently drooling over...

1. Lionette Andaman Hand Bracelet in White -- I've been looking at hand bracelets/hand jewelry a lot lately. And while there are many lovely inexpensive pieces that can be found (such as this one here), this piece is my favorite that I have seen all year. I guess for $730.00, it better be. Sigh, if only I had a disposable income that would allow me these luxuries...
2. Vintage Lace Dress -- I love Pixie Market and I am constantly checking their website to fulfill my grunge style addiction. I am a woman of many tastes and styles. I love high-end designer and couture, but I also love thrift store finds and re-fashioning and everything in between. Anyway, I saw this "vintage" lace dress and I thought it was beautiful. It could be styled so many different ways. I didn't buy it though because it looks like it is pretty sheer on top and also has the completely sheer V, making it difficult to find the right slip to wear underneath. I usually prefer clothes that I can just throw on and wear without having to worry about whether or not the world can see my boobs.
3. ModCloth Stitch a Ride Flat -- I love all things embroidered! These adorable embroidered flats from ModCloth would be great for a casual day with dark skinny jeans and a t-shirt. They only have a few left in stock but they only cost $32.99!
4. Tibi Shane Clear Strap Pump -- I know I already shared this shoe with you guys on my shoe obsession post but I had to put it on here again because they are no longer on the Tibi website and they are sold out on Shopbop. I want these shoes SO bad. They are absolutely perfect! I couldn't afford them when they were available and now they have forever gone into shoe heaven. 

I am all about simple, functional, and sophisticated fashion for everyday wear. But I also enjoy little touches of something unique to make an outfit special. All of these qualities can be found in Juliette Hogan's Summer 2013 collection "Kaleidoscope City", as well as her Bridesmaid collection. One of my favorite pieces from the Summer collection is the linen pantsuit. Linen is one of my favorite materials because it is light enough to wear in warmer weather but versatile enough to be used for pieces that require a little bit of structure. I seriously want that blazer and those pants! I'm also in love with Juliette Hogan's choice of prints, which is no surprise since she did study textile design. 

Don't all of those dresses look so simplistic and feminine, and completely comfortable?