NYFW SS'13: Jason Wu *Updated*

NYFW SS'13:
Jason Wu

Jason Wu is just one of those designers who I feel could design anything and I would wear it. His SS'13 collection showed that fact off to a T with a series of leather looks, sheer lace-y pieces and three of the most amazing evening gowns that I have seen from each of the shows at NYFW this SS'13 season. 

There was a very structured, yet soft approach for SS'13 from Jason Wu; with a mix of leather and lace or soft draping fabrics in neutral tones or classic black. Belted waists, frisky harnesses, studs, peplum waists and panel placements that resemble corsets all contributed to the hard-yet-soft structure of the SS'13 collection. There was a slight colour injection with navy and coral to an other wise monochrome collection which helped keep the look fresh for Spring. The sheer sleeved shirt right below might just be on my top five picks from NYFW this week.

The finale gowns. Well, those are possibly three of the most stunning gowns from all the shows this week at NYFW. Floating sheer organza with a peek-a-boo bodice underneath, belted at the waist (of course) with harness detailing: they were edgy yet sophisticated and just jaw-dropping-ly gorgeous. What else is there to say?

What did you think of this collection?

Photo Credit: vogue.co.uk - edited on Polyvore 

NYFW SS'13: Rodarte

NYFW SS'13:
Rodarte

What was there not to love at Rodarte SS'13? Oriental style opulence, glamour, elegance and a complete raw edginess just rounded off a perfect collection. There was a strong eye for detail in every look shown with chains, gold detailing, woven jacquard and impeccable embroidery that will have you left staring for hours and you would continue to find some new little detail that you didn't quite notice the first time round. Leather fringing and lace-up leather leggings were thrown in for good measure, paired with geometric patterned jumpers - I would actually consider attempting said look if I'm honest.

I don't normally go for the regular T-shirt silhouette in dresses, however I like how the cut gives a more laid back feel to such an opulent evening wear look. I think Kristen Stewart will be a big fan of this collection to be honest - at least on the red carpet anyway, don't you think?

Photo credit: vogue.co.uk - edited at Polyvore

NYFW SS'13: Oscar de la Renta

NYFW SS'13:
Oscar de la Renta

Would any NYFW be complete without some sort of acknowledgment to the one and only Oscar de la Renta? Absolutely not. Collections from Oscar are always whimsical, elegant, aesthetically pleasing and just generally amazing as a whole: and SS'13 did not disappoint. 

Opened by the lovely Karlie Kloss, the collection began with a very sophisticated, yet edgy day look consisting of: red high shine latex top (even ODLR reads Fifty Shades clearly...), chunky waist belt, high waisted cream pencil skirt with thigh-high slit, power dressing black blazer with shoulder padding and a statement rose necklace. The continuing looks featured a lot of sheer lace, high belted waists and a serious colour injection: turquoise, pink, red, yellow, gold, black, white and beige-y tones. It really was like being in a candy shop and your eyes take an orgasm over the amount of colourful treats on offer. The finale gowns were simply stunning: full skirts, belted waists and hi-low hem lines updated an otherwise classic silhouette. 

The hair? Well is it just me, or does it actually look like something from the Time Warp? Or the type of style that you see on some sort of Transylvania cartoon woman? Either way, I like it and I definitely think that coloured hair will be a trend for SS'13 - in NY at least!

What do you think of the SS'13 collection from Oscar de la Renta? 

Photo Credit: vogue.co.uk - edited at Polyvore

NYFW SS'13: Bibhu Mohapatra

NYFW SS'13:

Bibhu Mohapatra

And so the reports have began. Rather than suffer nightmares consisting of a mountain of NYFW reports swallowing me up whole, I've decided to skip on the beauty sleep and dive straight in to making some what of a dent in said mountain. First up: Bibhu Mohapatra SS'13.

The SS'13 collection from Bibhu Mohapatra was once again influenced by the designers Indian heritage in terms of colour choice and sumptuous fabrics. Origami florals resembling stained glass windows took centre stage on many of his designs, with structured silhouettes and peplums softened slightly with the lace inserts and sheer panels on his evening wear designs. My favourite aspect of the collection however, was the flowing fishtails on the evening gowns and the show stopping stained glass prints: It's definitely a collection that will have heads turning  in Spring/Summer 2013 on both the streets of NYC as well as the red carpet. I would love to see newly wed Blake Lively in either looks from the bottom image, left to centre actually.

What do you think of this collection? Any collections from NYFW that you would like to see in the spotlight at Vita di Moda?

Photo Credit: www.vogue.co.uk - edited on Polyvore

NYFW SS'13: Day 7 Round Up!

NYFW SS'13:
Day 7 Round Up!

Who would have thought it? A nine day week at NYFW - not that I'm complaining: the more fashion the better, but it does start to test your time management skills and ability to get a collection report done on each of your favourite shows: what I would do to have a team right now like Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire etc. I wouldn't have to put together collage's to show you which shows I'm coveting each day. Instead, I could get a report up for every show quicker than you can say "Fashion's not for sissy's!"

NYFW SS'13: Day 6 Round Up!

NYFW SS'13
Day 6 Round Up!

Ok, so day six of NYFW gave us SS'13 shows from the likes of: Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon, Reem Acra, Mandy Coon, Marc Jacobs, Gilded Age and 3.1 Phillip Lim - however, here is a little collage of my favourite looks from a few select designers. Enjoy and don't forget to let me know which designer caught your eye!

NYFW: By Misha: Wishing Well SS'13

NYFW:
By Misha SS'13 - Wishing Well

When I was invited along to the debut NYFW SS'13 collection from By Misha and realised that I unfortunately wouldn't be able to attend, I was crestfallen. The preview illustration was just so beautiful, I knew that the entire collection would follow suit and be a great event: so to have missed out on the opportunity to view the collection in person was just so disappointing. My spirits were soon lifted a little however, when the event images and video fell into my email inbox - so I'm going to share them with you and give my thoughts on the collection as a whole!

                        
                                           By Misha S/S 2013 NYFW "Wishing Well" Presentation

The collection overall was very feminine, colourful and fresh with the use of coral hues, pinks and yellow: colours which have just exploded all over the runways at NYFW this week and are proving major trends for Spring/Summer 2013. The floral applique and ring finger manicures were cute little details which, combined with the models poses and smiles, gave the feel of the collection a very fun and flirty vibe. I've definitely found myself lusting after a few pieces from the collection: if only...

What do you think of the new By Misha collection?


Photo Credit: courtesy of DDPR

NYFW SS'13: Day 5 Collage

NYFW SS'13:
Day 5 Collage

Rather than stress myself out with a load of detailed reports on my favourite shows from Fashion Week each day, I am going to put together a little collage for you and then get to the reports a little later on. Fashion Week combined with moving to Newcastle this week is getting a little stressful: I mean, I didn't go to sleep until 5am and then I was up at 10am this morning. I have dark circles. It's not a good look.

Anyway, enjoy!

Photo Credit: Images via vogue.co.uk - edited by myself on Polyvore

NYFW SS'13: Day 4

NYFW SS'13:
Day Four

Things really started heating up on day four of NYFW, with quite a few of my favourite designers showing their SS'13 collections: Alexander Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Prabal Gurung and Marissa Webb. Designers such as Lacoste, Ruffian, Altuzarra and Jill Stuart also showed their collections, however for the purpose of this update, I am going to focus on the shows which I enjoyed the most!

Alexander Wang: There was a very space age-y and futuristic feel for the Alexander Wang SS'13 show, with boyish-boxy silhouettes and metallic fabrics. Leather panels were separated with nothing but a string holding them together and python prints covered the majority of garments. Colours were very muted with shades of black, white and taupe and if I'm completely honest: it looked as though the models had just fought for survival after being abducted by an alien planet. If the collection wasn't interesting enough, the finale featured each model standing apart on the runway whilst a UV light shone over them and exposed them as the intergalactic beings that they were being portrayed. 

Monique Lhuillier: Oh my, my Monique Lhuillier. She will design clothes and I will forever love every single garment. For her SS'13 collection, the designer used a range of jewel tones in blue, gold, black, red and deep berry and created garments for both day and night with feather prints that verged on resembling an under water adventure. Known for her red carpet looks, the designer did not disappoint when it came to the finale gowns: those were just exquisite as they glittered and swayed their way down the runway. To be honest, the collection speaks for itself so just have a look at my picks below and fall in love just as I did.

Prabal Gurung: Prabal Gurung is known for his structured and slightly aggressive aesthetic when it comes to his collection, however for SS'13 he appeared to have softened a little and gave us a collection that flowed and softly made it's way down the runway with ease and confidence. The opening look, worn by none other than Joan Smalls, featured a white silk-cotton jacket that when turned around, boasted a floaty, A-symetric hem that trailed behind. Sheer shawls covered simple feather graphic T-shirts and pant/skirt ensembles and showed a more athletic look for SS'13. There were plenty options for evening wear, with drop waist sleeveless dresses, embellished with feathers and beads, as well as a handful of dresses featuring pleating, pinched and gathered hems ending just above the knee. The metallic fabric used in a few of the designs, again looked futuristic - but then again, that was a trait from his Fall 2012 collection as well and seems to just apply to his design aesthetic in general. I can definitely see it being a trend for SS'13. 

Marissa Webb: What can I say about Marissa Webb's SS'13 collection, other than "Can I have EVERYTHING?!" The small collection featured a series of very wearable looks with a lot of white, leather and very sporty looks. Tweed jackets, leather trousers, skirts, waist coats and cycle shorts. Sheer shirts, tailored blazers and a few bold looks in red and all over print created a collection that appeals to the modern city woman: whether at work or college. My favourite look has to be the top left image - those leather cycle shorts just makes me want to embrace the trend (seen at a variety of SS'13 shows already this week) right this second. I love the high necklines and that structured power blazer is just amazing. Overall, this might be my favourite wearable collection so far.

What do you think of the shows so far from NYFW SS'13? Who are you most looking forward to seeing, or have seen?

Project Runway: Starving Artist

Project Runway:
Starving Artist Episode 8

Oh God. NYFW is catching up on me already and it's all because of time difference. The things we do to watch the shows and then blog about them is just terrible for those dark circles we all have around this time of year! So I'm going to try and keep this recap of Project Runway short, so that I can get at least 4 hours sleep (as if). 

This week on Project Runway the designers were split into three teams and given the initial task of creating some T-shirts with a few arts and crafts supplies, which they would then sell on the streets on NYC in an attempt to raise money to then buy fabric for this weeks challenge. The challenge was to create two cohesive looks for Fall, with at least one aspect being outerwear with whatever money they raised from selling their T-shirts. Obviously some designers had reservations about working in teams - especially when they couldn't chose their own team mates! In team one we had: Dmitry, Alicia and Elena (can anyone say drama?!). Team two consisted of: Melissa, Fabio and Ven. And finally team three included: Christopher, Gunnar and Sonjia.

Dmitry, Elena & Alicia

Melissa, Ven & Fabio

Christopher, Gunnar & Sonjia

Guest judge this week was fashion designer Anna Sui and alongside our regular judges: Nina, Michael and Heidi, they decided that the winning team was Christopher, Gunnar and Sonjia, with Sonjia being the overall challenge winner with her tailored jacket. The losing teams were both of the remaining teams, with Alicia being the one to leave the competition this week.

Starting off with Dmitry's team: First off - the drama. Oh my lord. They bickered during the challenge and they even had an outright fight on the runway in front of the judges. Can't say I saw that one coming, did you? I kind of liked Dmitry's dress mainly due to the fit and cut at the shoulder: however the exposed darts was a little out of my taste and the shawl was just an attempt at mixing hard with soft gone wrong. A nice idea, but not together. Elena's coat I think could have worked better if it was tailored properly and fit the models proportions a lot better. As it is, it's just too chunky and those shades with the outfit were just a terrible styling decision. I can't really say much about Alicia's contribution this week as she just didn't stand out for me to either love nor hate her designs. They were hidden and combined with her her lack of passion towards her designs are the reasons that she was voted out of the competition.

As I mentioned above, the winning team consisting of Christopher, Gunnar and Sonjia. There was a surprising turn out to this particular team actually: Christopher and Gunnar actually got along with one another. It was really nice to see actually, as I had originally thought that the two would get along from the very first episode. Maybe they've turned over a new leaf and will start to get along? Who knows. Gunnar designed both dresses and tan scarf for the looks, whilst Christopher created the camel hair trench and Sonjia the Hunter green jacket. I loved each designers contribution to the challenge, however I did agree with the judges on the fact that Sonjia's fitted jacket was the star of the show. I thought the fit and construction was just amazing and I wouldn't mind having a jacket like it in my own wardrobe for Fall. 

 I can't really say that I have much to comment on Melissa, Ven and Fabio's designs. They managed to raise the most money out of the three teams, yet their looks just appeared boring, lack luster and inexpensive. Both looks just lacked any kind of spark in my interest if I'm honest.

What did you think of this weeks challenge and the designs? Did the judges make the right decision with Alicia being voted out of the competition?

Also guys, make sure to follow Vita di Moda on both Instagram and Twitter, as I will be tweeting and uploading my favourite looks and opinions on some of the shows from NYFW and beyond this month! You can find those links at the side over there ---->

NYFW SS'13: BCBG Max Azria

NYFW SS'13
BCBG Max Azria

Straight up - amazeballs. I know that's not exactly a description that you would read at say, Vogue or Harper's Bazaar, but I just can't think of any other way to describe what I saw at that runway show yesterday. Well I can, but amazeballs kinda gets my point across a little more effectively. Max Azria really knows how to pull out a collection that will have me lusting after every single piece and yesterday's show for the BCBG SS'12 collection is certainly a collection that I want one of everything in. Coral tones, black, white, geometric shapes, lace panels, sheer fabrics and a little bit of bondage style harness detailing up top - it was just perfect. The garments were full of movement and suited the general girly-girl, however with the addition of a harness in black or white, brought the outfit into the eyesight of the more modern and edgy woman. Shoes were platform heels verging on a wedge with ankle cuff detailing, made from perforated leather in white or black and had a coral colour block stripe around the sole. Very chic actually. Bags were oversized leather envelope clutches in tan, black, white and  and complemented each of the looks well. It was sort of space age-y, with a feel of female dominance, sex appeal and a good dollop of flirting going on for good measure. 

Thoughts on the BCBG Max Azria collection? What was your favourite show from yesterday?