Wake Up And Smell The Prints!

Even though the weather outside may be below 30 degrees, and the streets are painted white, spring is almost here! In the fashion world this is called resort wear; which pretty much is just an excuse for a prelude of what the spring season has to offer. One of my favorite things about resort wear, though, is that the clothes are made of warmer fabrics, but the clothes are intended for climates near the equator. Though almost every fashion house designs for the resort season, a few stood out above the rest. My favorite designer this season is Stella McCartney. She really transformed her masculine looks from the winter into more feminine fabrics and prints for the pre spring season. One of my favorites is this floral belted dress. I love how she incorporated more of modern floral print, that reminds me of Alber Elbaz's collection for Lanvin last year. The "etched" look of the flowers make the dress fun for the day, while still feeling sophisticated, and the belt gives the dress a beautiful silhouette that compliments the waist and hips. I also fell in love with Stella's striped flower sweater dress. With stripes coming back in style, I'm so glad that someone took the reigns to make stripes feel different. With the flowers "blooming" out of the stripes, the dress can make a statement that isn't over the top. But one should also take note on how the dress is fitted in the waist, but then simply covers the body comfortably. This dress is sure to look great on any type of body, because of its amazing fit. Stella's final outfit that stunned me was her white belted playsuit. I really loved the sailor attitude and inspiration that was taken to make the playsuit, and with a belted waist, this ensemble is going to be a great go-to for a day in the sun. The last dress to amaze me isn't designed by Stella McCartney, but designed by Diane von Furstenberg. Her colorful Josun strapless mini really just shows us that Mexico and France do blend well together, because they both can be seen within the design for the dress. Again, the belt compliments the bodice, this will definitely be seen everywhere from movie premieres to the club to dining at night. When resort shopping, remember to look for color, stripes, florals, romantic neutrals, and vintage inspired t shirts.

XO XO,

-Steven

How to...Travel In Style

Most people that know me know that I travel a lot. Whether Malaysia or Russia, most likely, I've been there. My experience of international long distance flights has been exactly 12 years long (I went to London when I was 4 for Thanksgiving), so during those flights, I always pondered on the question, "Can you look good and still be comfortable while traveling?" Now comfort usually isn't my strong suit, because usually I would recommend the 4 and 3/4 inch Christian Louboutin Very Prive pump, but I have put a lot of thought into what the credentials of this would have to be. Sensibility, durability, and breathability all come in mind. First I would start out with leggings. I would suggest stirrup leggings, like these Miu Miu ones, because they instantly make your outfit look more expensive. I would then pair them with a t shirt with a design on them, like this DAY Birger et Mikkelsen stripped t shirt, because it makes the outfit a little less monochromatic and a little more eye catching. I would also cover up with some type of cardigan. I really liked this Splendid merino-blended cardigan, because it was semi sheer, and the piping of the cardigan was silver, making it a little different than a typical gray one. I would then suggest stepping into simple black patent leather Lanvin flats, because they're super chic, and easiest to remove during security check. Finally, your magazines and passports should be thrown into a super light Goyard tote for your own maximum comfort and flexibility. Just remember, don't start out your trip wrong by packing your liquids in your carry on!

XO XO,

-Steven

PS1 is NOT a gaming system!

It's been ages since my last post, but I have been too busy with school to get to my creative side, but I'M BACK! One of my favorite "newer" designers is Proenza Schouler. Proenza Schouler is known for their edgier looks that are suitable for an Operation Smile charity event to a stroll down West 14th Street. But last Fall they finally created a bag that really puts Porenza Schouler into the classic category. With their creation of their PS1 bags, all that's recognizable is the bag itself. No logos or patterns needed here to spot this on the street. And just like their clothing collection, the PS1 bags can be worn to any kind of event, which makes them investment pieces. The PS1 bags come in 5 different types of skins: leather, suede, crocodile, python, and sueded python, and colors from black and grey to yellow and white and everything in between, which make them great to collect. Also, the sizes range from small (clutch) to extra large, which makes the collection very versatile for anyone's lifestyle. The bags all have an English banker briefcase meets underground trendy backpack feel to them, which makes them so different from any other bag that's out there on the market. Proenza Schouler really did an unbelievable job at creating a new style of handbag...the PS1!

XO XO,

-Steven

P.S. visit Barneys or Netaporter to see more PS1 bags

En Substitute for

Every year, there's always a new trend that pops up that was once frowned upon, but now it's respected. Fall's answer: over the knee boots sans pants. With blazers and t shirts getting longer and bigger, less and less of the butt is seen, so why not just get rid of the pants altogether? An over OTK (over the knee) boot is the solution.  One of my favorites from this season was Stella McCartney's perforated OTK boot. The two great things about this boot is its intricate design that gives it a sexy boudoir look, and its extra long length to it that leads all the way up the thigh. Stella also makes a similar boot without the perforated design. Other show-stoppers are this short-heeled Brian Atwood suede OTK boot, this military inspired Christian Louboutin OTK boot, this Gucci hybrid leather OTK boot, this black suede flat Henry Beguelin OTK boot, and this thick-heeled Prada OTK boot. Please Note, when going sans pants, look for a tighter fitted OTK boot to give that pant illusion.

XO XO,

-Steven

Birthday Suit

So today I turned 16; a big milestone for girls...not that big for boys, but a few of my friends mentioned that I should make a special post today to show what my ideal birthday suit would be without a budget and any rules, of course. One of my favorite ways to style clothes for myself is layering. So my outfit will embody that idea with twists involved so every layer can be seen at once. My first layer would be this gorgeous blue slim fitted Martin Margiela shirt. What I love about this shirt, is that it's very slimming to the body, and it has great tiny details in the woven stripes down the shirt. Over the shirt, I would layer on this grey and black trimmed Dsquared cardigan. What I really like about this cardigan is its trimming in a different color that gives it a sharp modern feel. On top of the cardigan, I would be wearing this gorgeous leather Balmain blazer. I really love this blazer's lapels, and that the leather is wrinkled to make the blazer seem less formal. I would pair all of these tops with a pair of these skinny clean cut dark jeans from Rag and Bone. For accessories, I would wear these very unique pair of Ann Demeulemeester high top black suede and leather sneakers, and this very chic black suede Burberry Prorsum messenger bag. What I really like about this outfit, is that there are a lot of different fabrics and colors that are paired together to give a certain look to the outfit. The outfit truly embodies my personal taste in menswear that I will hopefully someday be able to fully express through designers like Balmain, Lanvin, Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Margiela, and Rag and Bone.

XO XO,

-Steven

Designer Autopsy...Fendi Fall/Winter '09/'10

Everyone is familiar with Fendi as the Italian fashion house known for their famous "F's" print on handbags. But Fendi's clothes is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about this Italian-bred fashion company. Fendi's clothes are known to be very trendy but at the same time conservative. Each season follows these same guidelines, making each and every Fendi piece a long lasting collectible. For this upcoming season, Karl Lagerfeld most definitely kept in mind that a recession was taking place, because now more then ever, his ready to wear line for Fendi reflects a timeless feel about it that still seems very current at the same time. But Lagerfeld did not play it safe, which makes this collection so beautiful. Most people will not go out and purchase this leather bustier top, but its relatively low price for such a sculptural piece of wearable art still keeps it in the horizon for those fashionistas who like to stay on the avant garde side. Some of the high points of the collection were this effortlessly chic wool cardigan, this gorgeously mohair detailed high waisted wool skirt, this ultra cute faux bustier top, this romantic yet military inspired wool dress, and this fitted wool shoulder detailed dress. But my favorite piece of the whole collection was this ingenious pair of skinny wool pants. I love how it's Fendi's take on a pair of leggings; it's cropped, designed of wool, and can be worn as a trouser or as a casual pair of leggings. The greatest part about the piece, though, is it's incredible price point that makes it a true find. Hopefully Karl Lagerfeld will keep on delivering ethereal Fendi clothes in seasons to come. 

XO XO,

-Steven

P.S. To find out more of Fendi's Fall/Winter collection, check out Sak's, Neiman Marcus's, and Netaporter's websites.

How To...Accessorize A School Uniform

A main concern in the fashion world of prep school students in the city is how to properly accessorize their uniforms. Now more than ever, more and more city schools are joining an old age trend of enforcing school uniforms. Like it or not, you still have to wear it, but how you pair pieces with a uniform can make or break the 5 day a week standard outfit. One Winter trend that is popping up everywhere now is so simple and versatile with any outfit...a blazer. This staple can be worn at schools with a less strict dress code that involves only a skirt and a polo shirt or button down blouse. Because school skirts aren't very well fitted (unless you have an excellent couture tailor), I would suggest more of a cropped tighter-fitted blazer, because it gives you a better figure than a boyfriend blazer. One suggestion is this fitted gray Proenza Schouler blazer, which is a great investment, because of its color; grey matches with almost every color palette, and because of its fabric; a wool jersey is great for versatility and long lasting use. Another great jacket is this navy blue Steven Alan blazer.  This blazer is a great piece to wear over a blouse or polo shirt because it's cropped. Another way to stand out in school is to wear stand out shoes. A suggestion is to look for peep toe boots or booties, because they stand apart from a normal boot. I have fallen in love with Givenchy's peep toe ankle boots, because of their chic zippers, Camilla Skovgaard's suede cutout boots, because of their rough look and amazing traction, Oscar de la Renta's satin and suede boots, because of its romantic ribbon detailing, Marc by Marc Jacobs' peep toe ankle bootie, because it comes in gray and black, and for it's patent leather piping, and Marc by Marc Jacobs' bow back mule, because of it's beautiful back bow detail. And if you like the menswear for women look, I would venture out for an oxford bootie, such as an Yves Saint Laurent, a Manolo Blahnik, or a Giuseppe Zanotti. But of course, a your wardrobe would be empty without bold tall boots by Chloe, Brian Atwood, Jimmy Choo, Miu Miu, and Lanvin. Last but not least, a bag is needed to pull together an outfit. If you are one to carry a handbag to school then why not pull of the English banker look with a Proenza Schouler "IT" bag. But if a tote is more of your style to carry your books around in, then why not tote around this sturdy Jil Sander bag, this classic blue Valextra bag, this breathtaking Nancy Gonzalez crocodile tote, or this imported Yves Saint Laurent leather tote. One obvious tip for uniform dressing is to stick to the dress code. It's always better to play it safe with a longer cut skirt than having to wear an oversized one, because you were baring too much skin for school. Also, because you have to wear the same outfit everyday, why not splurge on that Paige Gamble headband, or that layered Lanvin necklace. Take notes from Gossip Girl, but think more realistically (like sans brightly colored tights).  Just remember, all it takes is one item to transform your boring uniform into a fashion phenomenon.

XO XO,

-Steven