From Fashion Week to the College Campus: How to work the Fall/Winter 2013 Runway Trends into your wardrobe!

           

In order to look runway ready (even if you’re just planning on walking across the quad) you’ll need to invest in a few key pieces, most of which are probably already hanging in your closet.

The mixture of contrasting textures defined the Fall/Winter 2013 runway collections. Feathers and furs dominated clothing and accessories as handbags were covered in luxurious mauve ostrich feathers and sweatshirts made to look like marble with a varying hues of grey fox fur.

(Dries Van Noten photographed by Style.com)

The juxtaposition of patterns derived from various cultures and time periods stood out as a major trend on the runways. Designers drew inspiration from all around the world as patterns reminiscent of Chinese prints, European baroque portraits and 30’s florals littered the garments adorned by the models.

 

                                            (Dolce and Gabbana photographed by Style.com)

Like previous spring/summer collections, pastels refused to back down this season, bringing a bit of warmth to the dreary winter months. Long felt coats and silky dresses were saturated in cool lilacs, grey-blues and light pink bringing a 60’s Jackie O vibe to the collections.

                                                 (Simone Rocha photographed by Style.com)

Lastly, oversized silhouettes were incorporated into every designer’s show, whether it embodied the grunge or ultra-feminine trend. These silhouettes made typical pieces unique and noteworthy, accentuating various stylistic choices made by the designers.

                                                       (Celine photographed by Style.com)

We Put on a Fashion Show!

            Walking backstage at the first-annual FADs fashion show, it felt as though one was entering a venue such as New York Fashion Week. On one side of the room, models sat perfectly in a row – some speaking to each other in exotic European languages – their figures growing even taller due to their perfect posture.  Hairstylists and makeup artists stood behind them, pulling their hair into tight buns and livening their faces with shimmery blush, thick eyeliner and mauve lipstick. An atmosphere of controlled chaos rapidly formed as students dressed in head-to-toe black rushed between the rolling racks that lined the walls, carefully inspecting every student-designed garment. As the show time approached, garments were plucked from their hangers and furiously steamed, and models slipped into their black pumps in order to practice their walks on the runway. The chatter backstage dropped to a hush as the audience began filing into their seats, a signal which cued the models to begin changing, a team of assistants hovering at every angle to help them into their garments. As remixed French pop began filtering through the speakers, the models began to strut down the runway in the order of the Polariods that dotted the lineup board.

            Immediately one designer stood out from the rest, his designs dominating the show’s lineup. Lung Ung, a student studying fashion design within VPA, created a collection reminiscent of Alexander McQueen’s theatrical, yet elegantly tailored, designs. When speaking to him he described being inspired by asylums. His stiff garments were drawn from the constricting silhouettes of straight jackets. When speaking about his originally designed and hand-dyed textiles, which displayed random ink-drip patterns, he described them as being reminiscent of the

“vision and psychological testing used to evaluate patients in which they would be tested to see if they were able to identify images within the random patterns.”

From the Runway to the Street: Street Style Spring/Summer 2014 Fashion Week

            Fashion month wrapped up this past week, models traveling the globe in order to walk for the prestigious fashion houses. However, The Sartorialist, Tommy Ton, Style.com and WWD pointed their flashbulbs towards the street rather than the runway. The styles adorned by models, socialites, actresses and artists alike became a major focus this season as their effortless compilation of past trends became a show itself. These fresh and unique looks stood just as predictive of current and future trends as the collections that walked the runway, as these looks actively brought together the contrasting aesthetics from the past season’s runway shows in a tangible, non-fabricated, setting. 

            These girls embraced the juxtaposition of last season’s trends, pairing boxy oversized silhouettes with airy diaphanous slips. Structured origami skirts, stiff jackets were made from luxurious brocades and painted in unexpected baroque florals and muted pastel patterns. Similarly silk robes splashed with minute flowers were paired with dominating leathers and ominous military jackets to create eclectic (and unexpected) fashion forward looks.

(Tommy Ton for Style.com)

(Tommy Ton for Style.com)

(Tommy Ton for Style.com)

(Tommy Ton for Style.com)

            Its been (I wish I could even say 'nearly') a year since my last post which is entirely unacceptable. But between the relentless nag of college applications and my recent enrollment in college, there has been absolutely no room for anything other than stress eating, retail therapy (which I often regret after viewing the dwindling balance in my account) and binge watching episodes of Friday Night Lights. So I thought I would post, in rapid succession, some of articles I have written for a fashion publication I write for at my school....

Spring/Summer Trends to get college Students through the Merciless Syracuse Winters

Noa Wolff-Fineout

            Fashion month is almost to a close as the final looks walk down the runways at Paris Fashion Week. The gorgeous Spring/Summer 2014 collections are making the approaching winter season  

and its accompanying Michelin-man parkas, baggy sweats and ever-so-ugly snow boots even more dreadful. However, unlike previous spring/summer collections, this year diaphanous dresses that evoke thoughts of sunshine did not capitalize the catwalks but instead stood in contest with a far more rebellious trend, in which designers allowed shapeless boxy dresses and pleated leather to dominate their collections.

(Mary Katrantzou photographed by Style.com)

The color palettes and fabrics chosen for the garments greatly dictated the tone of the shows. Collections by designers such as Rodarte, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang epitomized the grunge look that so many designers clung to this season. All three designers made the un-cool cool by deconstructing and exaggerating the qualities simple, typically overlooked, pieces such as the pleated skirt, military jacket and sweatshirt. Their garments embodied this underground punk look as they were all muddied by dark hues and constructed from materials such as perforated leather. Conversely, designers such as Mulberry and Giambattista Valli allowed the spectrum of pastels that splashed across their silk dresses, chiffon blouses and brocade blazers to define their collections. These collections stuck to the traditional route for Spring/Summer attire and kept the public yearning for the steamy days when these garments are acceptable. While most collections were very polarized in their aesthetic, some designers, such as Jason Wu, Mary Katrantzou and Oscar de la Renta  chose to experiment with juxtaposition of trends, combining boxy silhouettes with delicate florals and creating masculine military jackets from flimsy chiffon.

(Alexander Wang photographed by Style.com)

(Giambattista Valli photographed by Style.com)

Fall/Winter 2012 Trend Report

Fall/Winter 2012 Trend Report

The fall and winter seasons signal the replacement of the whimsical flower-child with a much more sophisticated and luxurious girl. One who discards her diaphanous pastel sundresses, oversized sunnies and gem-encrusted sandals for sumptuous (p)leather, rich oxblood and glamorous brocade. This season is all about indulgence and requires the adoption of a lifestyle, not a closet.

Some designers opted for a tougher look this season, trading extravagant baroque influences for something much more dangerous. These designers armed their models with thick glossy leathers carefully laced to lend an air of seduction, embossed to assume the characteristics of freshly-skinned alligator, or laden with zippers to craft a quality of mystery.

 

Most designers, however, took their audiences back to simpler times – or at least for European Royalty – where all things were baroque and extremely lavish. For design houses such as Balmain, this meant creating skin-tight skirts, dresses and pant suits embellished with thousands of miniscule pearls and jewels in order to replicate the intricate geometric patterns found in palaces.

 

Oscar de la Renta showed the world that he could make Anna Dello Russo’s (you should know who she is) dreams come true by defining  fashion as opulence and making flashy accessories inseperable from the garment. Oscar proved that costume and fake jewelry are equally deserving of envy as the real stuff!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING!

HOLIDAY SHOPPERS! enter 'ornament' at checkout to receive 25% off shipping! http://www.etsy.com/shop/MatiaCollections

The holiday season is upon us. I know this because the dry frigid air has finally tamed and beautified the usually poofy mess that rests atop my head into a sleek and shiny mass I like to call hair. As global warming takes its course and the usual white blanket of snow is replaced dreary rain-filled days, will the typical wool jacket and cozy cable knit sweater still be at the top of our holiday wish lists, or will they be replaced by rain boots and trench coats? Although I am currently cuddled under my comforter cover, lulled by the pitter patter of rain hitting the sidewalk outside while contemplating  - and worrying about - picking out an outfit that will survive the soggy sprint from the car to my birthday bash tomorrow, I will never compromise my list of Christmas-themed gifts, even if they do not comply with the current climate.

This is what I'm wishing for right now
1. Baroque, Baroque, Baroque... Who wouldn't love it. Its a style I've been in love with for ages (my signature Matia Collections trend being the damask pattern) and I cannot hide how thrilled I am that I can't enter a store without seeing it!

2. Oxblood... yet again a fab color I have always liked (its the same as burgundy, just a fancier name) that mixes sophistication with fun. Not to mention its also a very similar color to Rudolph's red nose.

3. Leather, I mean P-leather... If you know me, you know that I am an avid supporter of animal rights and therefore I refuse to consume any food made with animal products or even buy incredible pieces that include leather, whether that be goat, lamb or cow. However, I have always loved leather and my decision to go vegan in the fashion department has been detrimental to my shoe and handbag collection, in addition to my ability to purchase leather garments. This is why I am ever so happy that leather has become such a huge trend this season, not because I'm a rocker - lets face it I'm much more a Blair Waldorf than a Jenny Humphry - but because the extreme popularity has caused many major fashion labels to create faux-leather pieces for lower price ranges meaning I can finally fulfill my dreams of buying fabulous leather pieces.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo