Fall 2010: Color Tease

I wasn't surprised to see a small amount of color at New York's fall 2010 Fashion Week. Fall is my least favorite time of the year because of the color choices that are made. I am not a big fan of colors such a brown, gray or navy. Black does however take up half of my closet, and the rest is color-coded with bright colors. While looking through all of the designer’s collections, two designer’s shows really stood out at me.

Vera Wang’s collection titled “The Bride Wore Black,” is absolutely gorgeous. Every piece in her collection is black, and somehow she managed to make each one unique and exciting by playing with volume, style and texture. Black satin, tulle overlays, and pearls adorned most dresses. Who knew black could be so romantic? Vera Wang is a genius in my eyes.

Diane Von Furstenberg impressed me with her color choice, fabrics, and embellishments. This is probably my favorite collection of hers yet. The prints are fun for fall and aren’t as boring as the other designer’s. Her theme consisted of gold lame, chiffon, and chunky knits, and in my opinion was the best of Fashion Week.

It’s too bad we all have to wait so long to be able to purchase these items. For now, Diane Von Furstenberg’s website has her spring collection available for purchase. You can ‘shop the show’ at www.dvf.com/dvf/shopTheShow.jsp. Most spring dresses can be transformed into fall dresses by pairing them with a jacket and boots.

There are two items in Diane Von Furstenberg’s spring collection that I NEED to splurge on right now. The first is her white “Arcelia Lace Dress” and is available at shopbop.com for $425. The second is her “African Sugar Scarf”, also available on shopbop.com for $165. This scarf is a great accessory to buy right now because it can be worn until the end of spring and can also add a splash of color to your wardrobe this fall.

I look forward to the next Fashion Week. ♥

Warhol Inspires the Best

Every day objects, bright colors, and repetition is what I saw in most paintings when I visited the contemporary collection at the LACMA. I absolutely love looking at the paintings with bright colors as opposed to muted tones in Monet’s paintings, so this was very inspiring. It is so funny to me that people love paintings or pieces of art that are of objects we see every day, and I am one of those people. Going to the LACMA game me the chance to see some of my favorite artists and paintings I have studied in school. My favorite artists at the museum were Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and John Baldessari.

Koon’s paintings and sculptures included the Triple Hulk Elvis and Balloon Dog (blue). Koon’s Balloon Dog was the focal point of the whole room. I was very impressed to see that someone could use material to resemble a balloon so well. I could not look away.

http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibBCAM.aspx

My absolute favorite artist has always been Andy Warhol. His pieces at the LACMA included his camoflague textile design, the electric chair, can of soup, and his Kellog’s boxes. Relating this trip to my love of fashion was easy. Whenever I pick out my clothing (beside all of my black pieces) I look for something that’s bright and stands out. My favorite designer, no surprise here, is Betsey Johnson. Ever since I was a little girl, her frills, colors, and styles have wowed me. I visit her site about every week, and it just so happens that right now she has some Marilyn Monroe prints on her tops. In high school, I had a poster of Warhol's Marilyn Monroe screen print above my bed. Not only does it inspire me, but I'm happy to see it inspires Betsey Johnson. I do not have much spending money since I am a full time student, but I love to splurge every month to get something special for myself. This month I plan to set aside my good meals and drinks for one of Betsey Johnson’s Marilyn sweaters.

The intarsia cardigan can be found on Betsey’s website www.betseyjohnson.com for $228, and the long sleeve tee for $78. Hopefully they will go on sale soon. Until then I’ll be looking for my next splurge.