9 Cool Beauty Looks from Fashion Week
As much as we love checking out all of the new collections designers roll out, when you have backstage access it’s all about the beauty! The world’s best hair stylists and sought after make-up artists create the fabulous looks we see on the runway that set the trends for real life. Here are our picks of the coolest hair and make-up looks during New York Fashion Week.
9 Trends to Watch from Fashion Week: Fall 2012
During Fashion Week it’s easy to get side-tracked with celeb sightings, crazy street style and after parties! The shows and presentations are a big production and what they are really all about is forecasting next season’s trends! We saw a ton of chic looks and put together our list of the biggest trends for Fall Winter 2012. From feminine menswear and fabulous furs, to sophisticated cut outs and sensual pleats, we can’t wait for another fall to arrive!
Melissa’s Tips, Tricks and Product Picks: Purple Love
This season I’ve been OBSESSED with all things purple. Here are some of my favorite purple purchases:
Ramy Brook Casey top, Buy Now, $395
Thakoon Sand-Wash Side-Drape Dress, Buy Now, $525
Nike Dri-FIT Wool Half-Zip Women’s Running Shirt, Buy Now, $80
BY TERRY Crayon Khol Terrybly in Purple Label, Buy Now, $33
Sue Devitt Hydrating Marine Minerals Destination Eye Palette in Kilimanjaro, Buy Now, $37.50
Rag and Bone EXCLUSIVE Midrise Skinny Twill Leggings, Buy Now, $185
Edit New York: Melissa’s Fave Upper East Side Shopping Spot (and one of Leighton and Blake’s, too!)
One of my fave places to shop on the Upper East Side is Edit New York – I live in all the clothes I buy there! They carefully “edit” the best styles from designer brands like Alexander Wang, Rag and Bone and Phillip Lim and offer great personalized service. One of my favorite go-to dresses is a T by Alexander Wang black dress that I bought there last season. I paired it with a the cutest fur vest by Rebecca Taylor, also from Edit. For fall, I love this gorgeous Proenza Schouler dress and the sand-washed ruffle side dress from Thakoon, two of my favorite designers. Shopping in Edit’s gorgeous and townhouse is just divine. I am not alone here–Gossip Girls Blake Lively and Leighton Meester were just spotted shopping there recently!
Fashion Week SS2012: Favorite Fashion Round-up
Fashion Week was a whirlwind of outrageous styles, sky-high heels, glamorous parties and celebrity sightings. We spyed Emma Roberts, Alexa Chung, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Stam, Beyonce, Heidi Klum, Johnny Weir, Nigel Barker, Olivia Palermo, Ramona Singer, Whitney Port, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Rutherford and Kourtney Kardashian, among others. Everyone loves to spot the celebs at Lincoln Center but fashion week is really about the designers and showcasing their new collections for Spring 2012. What shows stuck out in our mind? Read on for our Fashion Week faves!
Zac Posen is known for ultra-feminine and figure-flattering styles (see picture above). This season he went retro chic, too, and we loved it! Flirty dresses in fab prints and colorful solids. No wonder he is a celeb red carpet favorite.
Rag and Bone was sporty with hoods, drawstrings and pops of neon orange. Super young and fresh!
Rebecca Taylor was also a feminine favorite with muted grays, flowy florals and lace cutouts.
We loved Diane von Furstenberg’s use of lace and color blocking. Her clothes were very wearable, as usual!
The Pamella Roland presentation rocked with models that turned up the attitude with dramatic poses and chic shades! Gowns and sequins galore, real Hollywood glamour.
Rachel Roy’s last look was absolutely breathtaking: a fabulous blue dress with a dramatic back was our hands-down favorite.
Models at Elie Tahari donned tailored pieces paired with gladiator boot-sandals for a Greco-Roman look. Tailored and at the same time feminine.
Ralph Lauren was total modern elegance. Think silk pastels with feather and sequin accents…very Spring!
This year Christian Siriano’s collection was his signature oversized chiffon ruffles and edgy footwear meets J.Crew-esque nautical striped tees. (PS, Did you know you can get wearable versions of his glam shoes at Payless?)
Jill Stuart used lots of pastels including pale coral, yellow and blue. There was a great mixture of pants, dresses, flowy skirts and silk fabrics in solids and soft ethereal prints (lots of Hermes orange too!).
Yigal Azrouel’s contemporary line Cut25 used color blocking to create a line of flawless casual basics. Sporty, clean lines reminiscent of 80’s surf culture.
Narciso Rodriguez’ collection was full of graphic prints, pretty below-the-knee shift dresses and lavender. Feminine and modern.
Donna Karan featured tribal prints and flattering fits with lots of a-line styles. Favorite cocktail dress: short purple, one shoulder number with perfect ruching.
Michael Kors went for an African-inspired collection with flowing earth tone fabrics and neutral animal prints. The accessories (bags and belts!) were the highlight.
Prabal Gurung had one of the best collections we have seen! Lots of violet, fabulous use of sheer fabrics and prints, black and white. Simply gorgeous…We want everything!
Helmut Lang is one of our all time favorite designers and this edgy collection did not disappoint. We love his signature use of draping in severe black and white with a splash of daffodil yellow for spring.
Backstage at Rag and Bone
By Jennifer Wright
It is Fashion Week and I am ready! I am excited – the shows, the parties, the fashionably clad people running madly across town. So, for my first event for the week, I was delighted when Ask Melissa founder Melissa Meyers asked me to join her backstage at the Rag and Bone show. As I would have expected, Melissa saluted the designer’s taste, looking fashionista fantastic in a bright green slouchy Rag and Bone dress.
Backstage is a wonderful education on how tall, young and thin women can be transformed into runway models. No sooner did we arrive than we met the dashing Frenchman Teddy Charles, the lead stylist representing Frederic Fekkai. (“I am working for Frederic for the next three hours,” Teddy remarked.) In addition to the Rag and Bone show, you can see his work featured on the Yigal Azrouel runway. Collaborating with the designer, he had a very specific vision for the models’ hair in this show. Teddy wanted every model to look “like she quickly threw up her hair . . . but still the look should be beautiful and elegant, with personality and style.”
Stylist to the stars Marshall Lin of Frederic Fekkai, seconded the notion of elegant hair, stating that this season, “bangs are in, as is long, elegant hair, with strong lines and without too many choppy layers.” Marshall is well qualified to make such a trend-setting statement as he has five years of experience at Frederic Fekkai. (Look for him at the SoHo salon.) Marshall has also styled for the Proenza Schouler and Rachel Roy shows.
The models not only had great hair for the show, they also had terrific make-up. I learned how many issues arise when hair, makeup and beautiful clothing must seamlessly combine. Yes – there were signs reminding the models to put on turtlenecks before their make-up was applied! Fortunately, Revlon’s artistic director, Gucci Westman, had the situation under control. Gucci began by affixing a white paper mask with eye and lip cutouts to each model’s face. She then applied lipstick followed by eye shadow, before removing the mask. Many of us wondered precisely what function the paper masks served; Gucci explained that “when they’re removed, they provide the dewy glow that we’re trying to create.” Ms. Westman would know – she’s applying her considerable talent for the Jason Wu and Max Azaria shows as well. You might also want to check out her upcoming, specially formulated lipstick called Mori Red.
Being backstage allows you to browse through the designer’s upcoming collection as though you were at Barney’s. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love Rag and Bone’s new pieces. The colors are the same slate grays and blacks that Rag and Bone specializes in, but the styles all have a certain 1960’s flair to them. There’s a black, one shouldered cocktail dress that is absolutely to die for.
A glimpse at the people doing the work behind the scenes at the shows helps us understand the enormous effort that goes into a successful fashion event. Thanks to Teddy and Marshall and Gucci and all their staff, the models walking in Rag and Bone were polished perfection rather than raggedy.
