Spring 2014 Shows| Prabal Gurung, Altuzarra, and More

Designer: Prabal Gurung

Sweet colors. That was Prabal Gurung�s idea of his new Spring 2014 �preserved elegance.� The theme didn�t quite convey the message in the clothes, but it did help with the setting. The models began the show with lining each other in two rows inside a plastic covered curtain and a melancholy song that made up for the lost theme. It felt more futuristic, which was something that did imbue in Mr. Gurung�s high-tech fabrics. 

The show began with a white cotton sheath number that exposed a plastic harness in the back. He really wants his harnesses to become a wardrobe staple for women. 

He played around with what he does best at � digital prints. It was captivating to see prints etched on plastic skirts and raincoats (every woman should own one of this), tweed, paper-thin leather, and glossy satin colored pieces that were major. His pastel colors � pink, lavender, green, red, baby blue, and yellow � made up a beautiful rainbow for a Saturday afternoon. Surprisingly, there were only three pants shown in the entire collection, but all had a great potential to sell out, especially that hot fitted lavender one with white details. Some final evening or cocktail dresses were also red carpet ready. Say that eye catching baby blue sweetheart satin dress we can�t get out of our minds yet.

Maybe he meant to make this collection preservation for the future of elegance. If that were the case, he outdid himself. But if were to implement harsh fashion into this review, who would this remind you of? Wouldn�t you see a dose of Prada or something our true fashion innovator, Raf Simons, has already done at Dior?

Designer: Alexander Wang

If there was anything present at Alexander Wang�s Spring 2014 collection, it was full on retro 90s. The setting reminded one of a badass school playground. Mr. Wang knows very well how to communicate with the streets, and it sure was present here. Street style has been the sole that has turned his label into a fanatic obsession amongst young liberating teenagers. 

The first three ruffled miniskirts � gray, blue, and pink � with white waistbands were sexy for the beginning of the show. It followed along with a number of gray cropped slouchy gray pants that looked the best in their white waistbands. There was something sort of fetish-y with some of the looks Wang sent out � hospital type gowns, men�s boxer-inspired shorts, single-buttoned collar shirts, �Parental advisory explicit content� tops, and laser-cut leather provocative overalls encrypted with �Alexander Wang.�

He brought back the logomania 90s with his �Alexander Wang� printed tops, laser-cut �Wang� leather gloves, and more that was put in your face. His best looks of the show were a black leather laser-cut �Wang� coat, and his visible stitched denim jackets. And we can�t forget about those overalls we hope to see someone wearing very soon discretely if they can. Overall, these pieces certainly had a demand for that target audience, and it was refreshing to see Wang include a slightly bit of color into his clothes this time. 

Designer: Altuzarra

Altuzarra is one of the most anticipated shows in New York, and one of favorites amongst editors who we see wearing his label all the time. Joseph Altuzzara went for a more liberating tailoring this time, narrowing his structured embellishments to simply �layers.� Don�t take it wrong though, because if it�s Altuzarra doing his version of layering, it�ll be in the most genuine and luxurious manner. 

The show began with Joan Smalls wearing a silk striped button-down shirt and high-thigh semi-fringed skirt. If the first look said easiness with her shirt unbuttoned all the way to her waist, the rest was even more intriguing. Just about all skirts came with super-high slits on the left, but with Altuzarra�s signature of casual fringing. The most interesting skirts were the ones that seemed to be derived from an original button-down shirt cut to form a simple skirt; these will generate opinions and DIY when prices are revealed. 

The silk and layered shirts were the best part of this collection, but if the Altuzarra woman had something to say about these pieces it�d be in his suit jackets fitted to look easily luxurious with anything. His liquid silver and gold numbers � skirts, top, and dresses � brought a soft tailoring that were noteworthy. 

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The Resort 2014 Bestseller Collections - Sexy, Chic, Casual, Rebellious

The South is probably the most conservative of all states to savor a good dose of fashion. As you may already know, most designers have presented their newest Resort 2014 collections that will be available in most stores some time not during the next two months. Around December or next year perhaps? 

I have come to the point of analyzing several collections most women here could come to an agreement with me that the following collections are perhaps a win for their closet. Having a great knowledge for fashion here is not necessarily needed as it would for a designer (runway) collection. The main goal of a resort collection is to really, short and simple, see what pieces sell the fastest, and what pieces stay on the floor the longest. It can become quite a stressful time, since most retailers want to see profit and clothes selling and selling. Most designers have to let go of their artistic (couture) abilities and turn on their marketing skills for resort. All customers want here is easy, luxurious, no drama pieces to wear any season or occasion. Yes, it can be quite challenging for some, but as long as most of their resort collection sell out, all is fine.

Below are just a few of the resort collection, who in my opinion, think have a potential of connecting with many customers, or simply sell out pretty good. 

Vibe: Sophisticated Geometric Prints.

Prabal Gurung has got a big win in this collection. This is what most women seek in a resort collection. Something that has the designers elements (prints for Prabal) in an outfit and feels appropriate to wear for any occasion. His talent for designing incredible works of art keeps growing as the seasons pass, making him a more recognizable international designer for many. Prabal Gurung is a must have for Resort 2014. A great piece to add to your next summer wardrobe is the printed leather trench coat for those chilly and rainy days. Simply hot.

Vibe: The College Chic.

Burberry has always been one of the go to brands for the sophisticated woman. Want to know how an English lady dresses? Burberry is the answer. For Resort 2014, Christopher Bailey sort of kept the route he had gone in his recent fall collection. Playful, fetish-y, and urban-ish. Something most young girls would familiarize with. A style you could emulate from this collection is a long sleeve polo shirt with a luxuriously embroidered, black leather skirt. Now if any may not be extremely sophisticated, it totally is luxurious. It is only a matter of getting close and intimate.The college wardrobe just got better.

Vibe: SEX-Y Sailor.

Stripes never looked bright and sexy as Versace's does. Donatella Versace can never disappoint her clients. Pink, orange, lime, and aqua stripes made the original navy and white sailor stripes look so boring. Her interpretations of white sailor pants - in Medusa-head sailor buttons - definitely had that sex appeal Versace is best at doing. Her colorful micro-pleated tulle dresses were as sexy as her stripes. Take this dresses to a cocktail or party and your bet to have all eyes turned at you. This is an ideal resort collection who seeks a short, outspoken, and sexy attitude.

Vibe: Romantic Lace and Relaxed.

Lace has always been a feminine design for many woman. Some may even feel disgusted by all the covered fabric. Joseph Altuzarra was probably one of the most surprising designers for many in his resort collection. He found the perfect way to mix lace into his suits in a very relaxed manner; made for the woman who wants comfortable luxury. What was more surprising here were Altuzarra's introduction of denim. His pants were cut perfectly and his suit combo made a stunning number with his cropped lace top. If you had not seen his fall 2013 collection - outstanding body hugging sex appeal looks - you would agree his resort collection went a different route than what were used to seeing him doing. Black pants in a very slouchier version also made a good intro for the Altuzarra woman. In general, most of you would agree to be very fond of this particular resort collection compared to his actual seasonal collections that come with a slightly more bit of drama which I prefer.

Vibe: Rebellious Safari Lady.

It may sound somewhat aggressive to say this, but Mrs. Ferretti seems to have a great amount of marketing skills compared to her actual runway collections. She definitely has some good runway pieces to fall in love with, but her pre-fall and resort collections seems to be favorited the most amongst women. Her Resort 2014 collection is a great example of how talented Alberta Ferretti is in keeping everything sophisticated with a rebellious twist. It appears more youthful to say the least, but with an edge to go from streetstyle to a meeting or evening celebration. The thought she took to in a specific white skirt and jacket ensemble with zebra linings made her resort presentation even more special. I feel either a young girl or mature woman could very well fall in love with the collection. It gives the young audience another option to take the route of the modern Renaissance Ferretti Lady. 

Vibe: Easy Luxurious Ensembles.

It would be no surprise Derek Lam has made a huge leap in women's fashion with his ideas of dressing women comfortably easy while still keeping the rich status. His Resort 2014 collection are easy on the eye, come with a great amount of texture effect, and have a terrific casual vibe that would be appealing to most women of certain age. There are various ladies in the South who already have that comfortable trend going, but a little Derek Lam upgrade will not only keep you feeling comfortable and trendy, but also look like a million dollar lady. Yes, it works for any occasion you have in mind as well.

Vibe: Trendiest Outgoing Lady.

Why else is Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF) the president of the CFDA? Her most recent fall 2013 runway collection - Disco party - was one to have died for. Now, her Resort 2014 collection brought of mixture that will be of great taste to women of all ages. Her python print dresses have to be one of the best resort has brought. And let's talk about her play with stripes. Simply fabulous. First time I've ver used this word. There is nothing to dislike about the DVF woman. What she wears speaks for herself. She has a wonderful life to live, so enjoy it to the max. The best thing about Mrs. DVF is how generous she is with women of all ages and sizes. Any women who wears a size 8 or 10, and doesn't feel comfortable about her choice of designer clothes, then DVF is the solution to your answer. You're not only going to look striking beautiful, but you'll be the most stylish of the day. What more do you want? More DVF perhaps.

*As featured on IFB's Links � la mode and Ariele Loewe.

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Spring/Summer 2013 Trends - 10. Digital Prints de Nouveau

Prabal Gurung Spring/Summer 2013

Digital Prints are a subject of major concern for women. Would I look heavy? Would I look like a clown? Those are some questions many ask to themselves, restraining them from purchasing a statement item. Yes, prints are a subject you should wear with precaution. A print dress says enough, so why add more accessories? Here we present you some of dresses designers introduced for their spring/summer 2013 collection.

Designers brought digital prints to a whole different level this season. We could state to the max in what matters concern. Prabal Gurung�s bloody widow prints presented a dark atmosphere we weren�t familiar with when it came to prints. Delicate flowers dripping ink symbolized that inspiration Prabal was seeking towards. Peter Pilotto has become one of the best print designer brands in the fashion industry. Celebrities are always caught wearing one of their designs, and for spring it was obvious it would get even better. Ruffles, peplum, and fabric choice made the most ultra forward fashion piece one should have in their wardrobe. Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough at Proenza Schouler offered one of their finest digital photoprints ever. They made sure to stay at the top of the season with these images of crowd scenes detailed with colored studs and silver grommets at the hem. Is there any other designer who introduced this as well, because we can�t remember any one else? Mary Katrantzou also took the cr�me de la fleur (or however you say it) with her Asian inspired stamps. We thought it was an appealing play on prints. We would have wished there were some naughty prints as well. Do you have any comments on these designer prints?

Peter Pilotto Spring/Summer 2013

Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2013

Closer details at Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2013

Mary Katrantzou Spring/Summer 2013

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