As you may already know, I am a big fashionista. From February 7-14, New York was host to the wonderful event that we fashionistas wait anxiously for: Fashion Week. Top designers including Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs, and Ralph Lauren, formally debuted their collections for fall 2013 (in the fashion industry, fall clothes are debuted in the spring and spring clothes are debuted in the fall). Sometimes the styles on the runway can be intimidating and hard to master in real life. That’s why I decided to take some of the hottest trends and put together some outfits perfect to wear at Hope!
70s Glam Rock
Diane Von Furstenberg’s fall 2013 collection was one the most talked about and anticipated ones of the season. Taking her mantra “be the woman you want to be” back to the 70s, the collection’s theme is “the girl I used to be”. Bold colors and prints were the ruling elements of the collection. I really liked von Furstenberg’s collection because all of the pieces are really wearable. I also like the fact that the songs during the show were reflective of the era; models walked down the runway to 70s tunes, including “Love to Love You Baby” by Donna Summers. In creating my outfit, I looked for clothes that were bold enough to stay true to the trend but appropriate for the classroom as well.
Leather
This trend has been on the runway for the past few seasons and it shows no signs of going away any time soon. Carmen Marc Valvo made the traditionally tough-looking material into feminine pieces, while BCBG Max Azria and Atruzarra went with rugged motorcycle jackets. Personally, I tend to dress more feminine than tough and decided to take that into the outfit I created. A loose, flowing shirt over leggings is comfy, yet fashionable to make a statement! This outfit is perfect for a weekend stroll or casual get together with friends.
Leopard Print
Much like the leather trend, leopard print has been making frequent appearances on the runway. The trap that all the designers have managed to avoid is not making the clothes look trashy, which can easy to do. This season, leopard print was seen in the shows of Peter Som, Jenny Kayne, Elie Tahari, and Herve Ledger by Max Azria, among others. The trick to making leopard print work is to tone down the rest of the outfit. Leopard print is bold enough to stand on its own, so make sure to not have other loud elements in the outfit. The art of this was clearly mastered in Peter Som’s collection, as you can see from the picture. To me, leopard print is fun and feminine, so I did my best to work that into the outfit. When I think of leopard print, the image of a cat comes to my mind immediately, hence the cat-eye sunglasses! This outfit is really versatile; it could work for class, a coffee date, a study session…the possibilities are endless!
As always, I welcome any comments you may have! Did you watch the New York Fashion Week? Are you watching the London Fashion Week right now? How do you feel about the trends? Let me know here or on twitter!
-Rachael