Our way of congratulating Spain on their FIFA win, red and yellow!

Featuring Versace sequined tulle dress


For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/search.things?query=red+yellow

Jill Martinez

Celestial Prints

AKA astros, heavens, universe, galaxy, space, outer space, cosmos...

Work time Universe...

Dancing with the Universe...

Colorful Universe...

Casual Universe


For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/celestial_prints/collection?id=466685

Jill Martinez

Lucite Heels & Jellies

Hmmmmmm, when I'm done with them can I recycle them for new shoes?!

Mod
Magical

Avant garde

For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/lucite_heels_jellies/collection?id=461935

Jill Martinez

Shirts Under Fitted Bodice Dresses

Get the look, create the look...

Seen On The Street, Look Books, Celebrities and Runways...

romantic

elegance

COURTNEY LOVE, HAYDEN PANETTIERE, KATE BOTHSWORTH, LACOSTE

BOLD

For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/shirts_under_fitted_bodice_dresses/collection?id=455773


Jill Martinez

2 in 1 Dresses

The look of separates, the convenience of a dress... Sometimes they have body con skirts and/or color blocking...

Wish me sweet dreams and "tuck" me in...
Be "deceptively" sweet...

All "dressed" up and nowhere to go...


Not really for carnies...


For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/in_dresses/collection?id=455767

Jill Martinez

Get The Pack On Your Rack!

Haha, so fanny bags ad a roll to your waistline, so what! They're so functional :)

Louis Vuitton

Sporty, but chic

Chanel
Make it your own

For the full collection, see: http://www.polyvore.com/get_pack_on_your_rack/collection?id=429012

Jill Martinez

"Granny" Bags

Drawstring or clasp closures... Look to Lanvin as the leader. Raid your granny's attic, or Bloomingdale's ;)
Inspirations

Go Sporty

Do the catwalk

Classic


For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/granny_bags/collection?id=388962

Jill Martinez

Mary Janes

Casual



Whimsical


Formal


Retro


To see the full collection:

TIGHTS UNDER SHORTS

Sort of sweet...

Sort of tough...

Yes, Spring is here!

Katy Perry style...



For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/tights_short_shorts/collection?id=427567

Jill Martinez

Retro Bathing Suits

What makes you feel like a vixen from "South Pacific"? Swim wear with polka dots, nautical prints, skirted bottoms, ruching, lower leg openings, bandeau halter tops...

Ah, polka dots...


More coverage...


Barbie, a fashion icon...


Very chic...


For the full collection, see: http://www.polyvore.com/retro_bathing_suits/collection?id=422224


Jill Martinez

Cavalli and Cavalli Inspired Prints

See it blooming everywhere...

Floral mural print dresses, 1970's retro...


And remember, turquoise is a great color this season...


Roberto Cavalli, the real deal...



For the full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/cavalli_inspired_prints/collection?id=379458

Jill Martinez

LACE UP SHOES

Of course, you can dress them up too!

Oxfords are big big BIG this Spring!

Put your shoes on the old fashioned way!

We love Chuck!

Jill Michelle Martinez

Pattern Play

When it comes to prints, more is definitely more this season. If designers like Dries Van Noten and Donatella Versace have their way, you'll be mixing and matching from head to toe. And we're not just talking traditional florals, though there were plenty of pretty ones at Etro, Anna Sui, and Tory Burch. Duro Olowu's tribal motifs and Givenchy's digital designs were engineered for maximum impact.

http://www.style.com/trendsshopping/trendreport/011110_Trend_Reports/PatternPlay/

Do it with your own wardrobe right now...


McQueen the King...


Galliano the self declared "pirate"...



Isn't it fun and liberating?


Play it romantic...

For a full collection, see http://www.polyvore.com/patchwork_mismatched_patterns/collection?id=337077

Jill Michelle Martinez

New York Fashion Week, 2/11 to 2/18

Packing my bags, what to wear, what to wear!


Richard Chai, Fall 2010

Richard Chai held his women’s runway show earlier than usual — the opening day of fashion week as opposed to the third day, as he did last season. That meant contending with two unexpected events that threatened to overshadow his show: the fallout from a brutal snowstorm that hit New York Wednesday and the shocking news ofAlexander McQueen’s death an hour or so before Mr. Chai’s show was set to begin.

It was an unenviable position for a designer. Luckily he put forth a confident collection that had enough wearability to make retailers happy, yet enough edge to satisfy fashion editors and artsy types.

That was no accident. The clothes included slouchy cropped pants, oversized tubular knitted sweaters, long tube skirts and dresses, and overly long long-sleeved shirts in muted colors like charcoal, cadet blue and pine. Even the shoes the models wore were a dulled silver. Together they comprised hisLove collection, a contemporary secondary line with prices that are about a third less than his main line. Thursday’s show even included T-shirts he designed for T-shirt purveyor Alternative Apparel.

It was the second season in a row that Mr. Chai chose to show his more affordable and accessible line on the runway rather than his high-end line. The aforementioned looks were practical, utilitarian and cozy — looks a girl might borrow from her boyfriend’s closet.

“A lot of it had to do with when I was an art student in the ’90s and all of my friends and girlfriends,” the designer explained backstage after the show. “They were nonchalant about dressing but I noticed how cool they always looked. I wanted to bring that energy and spirit into the collection but do it really luxe and beautiful and well-crafted.”

As the show progressed, there were some flashier pieces paired with more rugged looks. These pieces included a distressed pewter metallic sequin-embroidered double-breasted waistcoat, a smoke fox belly shawl collar coat and a sequin-embroidered ruffle dress. But each was paired with things like army green flounced-sleeve T-shirts and charcoal felted wool boyfriend coats.

Clearly Mr. Chai is trying to say, with love, that being more commercial doesn’t mean being boring.

-Ray Smith



Yigal Azrouël, Fall 2010

“I’m like a little kid when I begin designing each season,” explains Yigal Azrouël two days before his fall 2010 ready-to-wear collection hits the runway in New York. “I get very excited and have a million ideas floating around in my head.” With model castings and fittings in full swing, Azrouël, and stylist Kate Young, give us a glimpse at his “structured, cohesive” new collection, complete with killer bags, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and Pamela Love jewelry. The designer describes his relationship with Young as a “long happy marriage”—the two met in an elevator years ago and have been collaborating ever since. For fall, we can expect texture (think chunky knits with a structured shoulder), edge (sleek zipper and stud details), and, of course, subversive sexiness.

-Violet Moon Gaynor



Lacoste, Fall 2010

Optimism was the order of the day at Lacoste’s runway presentation Saturday morning, where creative director Christophe Lemaire pushed sales using smiles.

The Fall 2010 collection for the iconic French brand was full of rich hues and cozy styles. The runway was made of felt and lit to give it a bright mustard tone, making for a sunny stage. A sign behind the scenes instructed the models, akin to sullenness, to shed the pouts. “Be serene, happy and confident,” it read. “Stay strong and smiley. Still full of energy!!”

The clothes were classic sportswear. Billowy wools and jerseys were crafted into familiar silhouettes, including tunics and hooded or cowl-neck tops. There were belted jackets and sweater dresses, as well as jumpsuits for the women. Men wore pleated pants. Creams and whites gave way to vivid pinks and teals. The use of black in the color blocking towards the end of the show intensified the effect.

A highlight of the collection was the knit leggings that widened at the bottom to cover the high heels. Lemaire dubbed the design “longjohn [sic] leggings” and called them “his answer to sweatpants.” The look gave off something of a pants-cum-legwarmer appearance and had the same kind of feel that an extremely long-sleeved shirt has on covering the hands. It was a fresh take on what is becoming a staid trend, and was offered in a variety of colors, including fuchsia.

All of the looks were infinitely wearable, suggesting that what Lacoste lacks in high fashion, it makes up for in saleability. The audience was filled with executives and buyers from major department stores, including Saks, Bloomingdales and Macy’s. In the designer notes, Lemaire said that he was thinking about how “the runway translates to the rack.”

-Elizabeth Holmes






For the full ongoing schedule, a must see is http://www.mbfashionweek.com/newyork/
See ratings at http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2010/02/12/mcqueen-dominates-yesterdays-buzz-richard-chai-and-bcbq-get-positive-reviews/

Jill Michelle Martinez