Collide-O-Scope

Meet Sally Hansen's Collide-O-Scope Salon Effects nail polish.

If you haven't heard of Sally Hansen Salon Effects, it's basically a peel and stick nail polish kit with all sorts of great patterns and colors. I scoured every Walgreens/CVS/Rite-Aid/Walmart in the vicinity for the great leopard printed nails that I saw on Move Slightly, but after failing to find them, I settled on this Prada-esque camo print that is exactly how a nail polish baby of their Pre-Fall and Spring collections would appear.

See? SEE?!

As with everything, however, there is the good and the bad:

The Good

The colors are super bright and fun. 

The kit comes with a handy little nail file/buffer and wooden stick (technical term?) for pushing back cuticles, which makes it a lot easier to apply the "polish". 

I've gotten a million compliments on them, and I feel like I can stick to my usual wardrobe of mostly black and still look accessorized.

The Bad

They're expensive. One kit comes with a mere 16 "nails" and costs $10, so you can't even apply them more than once.

They're kind of ridiculously hard to apply. Maybe my kit was faulty, because I saw nothing but good reviews on the ease of application. Maybe I'm just bad with my hands. Either way, it took me about 35 minutes to apply those suckers and they still didn't go on very smoothly.

Some of the colors were faded before I even put them on my nails. The continuity from nail to nail isn't that great.

3 days in and my nails are already starting to chip at the tips and pucker upward at the cuticle, despite the fact that they are supposedly chip free for up to 10 days.

So all in all the bad definitely outweighs the good. That said, I can't stop staring at or thinking about my trippy camo nails, so they're at least making me happy, which is all that really counts anyway. Worth it? Not really. Will I buy them again? Probably. Like flowers, this nail kit is expensive and will expire in a week anyway. Only, unlike flowers, I get to wear this product and enjoy it everywhere I go. Hopefully I'll be able to find the leopard print next time I invest in this kit, but if not, I may have to go with the black and white houdstooth. As much as I hate that print, I've got to admit that it looks pretty badass in the pictures I found on Google.

Tom Ford Womenswear

Yes! Finally, the most buzzed about collection of the year is here in motion. Tom Ford has finally released his Spring 2011 RTW collection video, and it's stunning. Take a look below, and be sure to watch the HD version for full effect.

While the pictures have been out for quite a while now, they don't do the designer's work justice. The colors, the textures, the patterns all jump out while in motion. When I first saw the images of the collection, I really didn't like the fringed pieces, but on the runway, they were by far my favorites. I could speak similarly for the sequined looks or the leopard print that was so frequent throughout the collection.

I would write more on how I feel about Tom Ford's womenswear label (all good things), however I am currently very sick with what I am sure of is the flu, and I feel like I'm going to pass out any second now. But good or bad health, it's always important to keep up with fantastic fashion.

Katie

30 Rock + Kittens

Look of the Moment: Black Friday, 2010

JAX

Yes, I know, our "Look of the Moment" section hasn't been updated in months.  And that is why, instead of being out shopping this Black Friday, I sit at home dissecting a new outfit for you all (it's not because the inevitably packed stores would kick my claustrophobia into overdrive).

Proenza Schouler's most recent show was the only one of the spring 2011 season that I watched live online, and I think that being able to gush to Katie on the phone over every look as it was walking in New York made the collection that much more special to me.  It was hard for me to pick one particular look that was my favorite, so I decided to try to pick one that really encompassed the feel of the entire show.  Some of the standout pieces were the tie dyed shifts paired with crafty, oversized necklaces, the bubble shirt a la 1999, and slip inspired dresses with ruffled details.  In the end, though, I had to go with this relatively simple skirt suit.  Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were quoted as saying that they "wanted it to be a little more polished," than previous collections, and that certainly was evident in the office-appropriate tweeds, Chanel box jackets, and mid-level pumps that littered the runways.  The boys kept their distinctive, Proenza-cool element by adding acidic yellows and greens to the palette, and keeping skinny belts low-slung.  The overall effect was a stunning array of pieces that would stand out in the board room or during a night out on the town.

image via New York Magazine

The Return of Tom Ford

JAX

Tom Ford's new women's line.  Sexy seventies glamour on a whole new level.  Nothing groundbreaking, but Mr. Ford has done it right.  He said he will only dress one actress for the Oscars; you know they're plotting against each other already in Hollywood.

(images vogue via the cut)

Chanel Accessories

JAX

Whoever is heading the accessories department over at Chanel deserves a raise.  Quilted bags are all good and well, but they really took it to the next level for spring.  Between deco and feather hair clips, knuckle duster/bracelet hybrids (hand dusters?), bolo-style necklaces, and a bag that looks like something you made from finger weaving at Girl Scout camp, these pieces take chintzy southwestern craft vibes and make them lust-worthy.

via

Valentino: The Chic Little Ghost Next Door.

KATIE

I loved Valentino. Did you?

It felt so, absolutely perfect for this Spring. It was light and airy, as were the many other collections we're finally done with, but with quite a sharp edge. Immediately upon viewing the show, I couldn't help but think of it as ghostly. The sheer dresses and tops were so light while they billowed through the air that it was almost as though they were simply auras of light as opposed to garments. But when I say ghostly, I don't mean Halloween-ish; plentiful with ruffles, lace, and embellished flowers, the show evoked a Parisian chic that I don't think I've ever seen portrayed so well in a  single show. The ghostlike element of the sheer fabrics was softened by the many girly touches, and became something more childlike than spirit-like. Even the colors evoked a childish, supernatural feel; taupe, barely-there-beige, greyish denim, sheer blacks, and punches of pink here and there. All this greatness in one collection, and that's not even mentioning the shoes, accessories, hair and makeup, which I will let you take in all on your own. All in all I give the collection an A+, on the basis that I'm now experiencing a strong need for every piece in the collection. Way to go, Valentino.

-Katie

Rick Owens Hair

JAX

There are few designers that I consider to be as cool as Rick Owens; the New York born, Parisian showing artist whose use of plain leather can be described as nothing short of awe-inspiring.  His more recent collections have slowly been making movements toward a more structured silhouette, a departure from Owens's once constant signature draping, but the transition could not be more beautiful.  

Now, all of that being said, the thing that I could not stop thinking about during his Spring 2011 RTW show was the hair.  After seeing hundreds of collections featuring the usual mane styling tricks with blowouts, curls, braids, and updos galore, the idea of a real statement making headpiece is quite appealing. Geometric bone rose combs were neatly tucked into simple chignons, dramatically sticking straight up or down.  Style.com describes them as, "aliens tiaras--or antennae," but I like to think of them as the former.  Something about these oversized adornments comes off as eerily cool; they're like a cross between creepy and delicate beauty.

Alexander McQueen

KATIE

Dear Sarah Burton,

Thank you so much for willingly continuing with the legacy left behind by the late, great McQueen. I think that I speak for most fashion lovers when I say that we all worried about the content of your McQueen shows from the day it was announced that you would become the main designer for the house. Not because you have a lack of talent--that, you have proven to be more than sufficient. It was simply because, when such a great artist has left our presence, we're forced to ask ourselves if their art could ever be imitated in the truest form or, even more of an impossibility, whether or not it could continue down its planned path. As far as what McQueen would have planned for this collection, we'll never be able to know, but I have a feeling that it would have been something strikingly similar to this.

No one expects you to be McQueen, Ms. Burton, and no one expects to ever see work the lights of his again. All that said, you're doing an incredibly fantastic job filling the empty, armadillo shoes he left behind.

 

 

 

-Katie

John Galliano: A Dissection

KATIE

John Galliano shows can be a bit to swallow sometimes; they often have elaborate themes and inspirations behind the collection that always yield a show with an overwhelming amount of detail and frequently appears costume-y. Because of this, I find it difficult most times to pick out individual pieces that I enjoy from specific looks, let alone entire collections. 

However, this Galliano show featured a number of beautiful gowns that caught my attention immediately while sweeping down the runway at the end of the show. While they were all stunning, it was (as it usually always is) hard to appreciate the incredible beauty in each because of the overwhelming amount of detail featured along with each gown: a large coat on top, other gowns floating in the background, a large veil or scarf blocking the way. Once you let all that stuff mellow out though, it's easier to realize that the dresses are insanely beautiful. Especially when you consider the option of editing the dress to make it more real-life appropriate. I'm hoping to see some of Galliano's otherworldly embroidery featured on a few starlets come award season. I can already imagine the customized versions of all of these dresses (particularly the understated navy one with the embroidered petals cascading down the bottom) posed carefully on atop some Louboutin heels and a red carpet.

-Katie

Rockin' and Rollin' and What Not.

KATIE

 

While I haven't really been a true Balenciaga fan since the Fall 2008 RTW show, there have been little aspects in each and every show that I really love. In their most recent show, it was the moto jackets and vests in muted, Marni-esque primary colors. The colors, when combined with the quilting on some of the jackets, had a particularly lady-like effect, something that isn't often seen at a Balenciaga show. But the lady-like aspect of the outerwear didn't translate to elegance; they played a large part in what style.com describes as the "teddy boy-meets-punk masculinity" vibe that is present throughout the show. This punk look was strongest felt in the pale blue, crocodile vest, which will definitely be my most lusted-after piece for the next two or three months.

-Katie

Dries Van Noten: A Nonsensical Review

KATIE

If anyone has noticed (if not, that's okay), I recently took an extensive break from Les Deux to do nothing really. In the middle of Fashion Week (Month) no less! I know, I'm a crazed woman. But after finishing up with the Week from Hell in school today, I'm ready to dip back into reviewing shows, and reading about brands, and tearing pages out of magazines, and reading blogs, and on, and on, and on. I'll start with Dries, but I forewarn you, this is no regular review. I approached this show with a very non-fashion-lover mindset, and just kind of wrote what I saw in a real world context as opposed to a fashion world context (example: girlfriend pretty vs. model pretty; get it?), so here we go!

 

I unofficially named this collection "Professionals of the Future"; initially it was "Professionals from Outerspace", but then I realized that the looks reminded me more of Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century than aliens. The show looked futuristic to me, or at least as futuristic as you'll ever get from Dries Van Noten. But to me, it wasn't futuristic in today's sense of the world (like Balenciaga); it was more futuristic as we saw it in the year 2000. There were elements of glittery shimmer throughout the show, like thin belts that had a striking resemblance to the shiny, pleather belts of my youth or the sequined sweaters and skirts. The stark-white oversized shirts and coats that marched out at the beginning of the show were so crisp and modern that they conjured images of what doctors and nurses might be wearing in 100 years. The floral prints that have become a staple at Dries shows were bigger and bolder than ever before, and seemed like a clean, modern take on your grandma's florals. Even the hair and makeup had a modern edge to it, slicked back locks and minimal makeup, consisting of basically nothing other than an accentuating minty white strip below the eyebrows. Layering seemed to be done just for the hell of it. Gauzy ponchos (stupid terminology, but really, what else do you call this?) were placed here and there over shirts, dresses, and sometimes over nothing but a skirt or pants. Akin to layering, many of the pieces (in true early-2000s fashion) were all about utility; wide-legged pants featured large pockets on the thighs, skirts came that came with pre-tied sleeves hugging around the hips, a clever oxford/vest combo which featured fantastic tailoring, and a tuxedo jacket/pea coat combo all shared time on the runway. Boyfriend coats ran rampant down the catwalk, with over-sized (but not strong) shoulders built into almost every jacket.

While the collection certainly had it's ups (beautiful floral, silk ombrés, smart layering, and longer and wider hems done well), all in all it seemed, for lack of a better term, weird at times. It was as though Mr. van Noten theorized a collection, but didn't really have much time to fine tune it. While reviews claim that there was a 70's theme throughout the show, I only noticed it every so often, and when I did it was not the cool, 70's vibe one hopes for, it was the late 70's vibe that your great-aunt wears around her trailer in Southern Kentucky, if you know what I mean.

All in all, it's been my least favorite Dries collection ever. But really, how does one follow a show like this?

-Katie

Prada

JAX

Between the striped fur stoles, orthopedic shoes, broad-tailored suits, and tropical patterns, Prada was perfectly cheeky and wonderful. Plus, anything with a Warhol print is gonna win me over. Don't just take my word for it; watch for yourself.

Burberry Prorsum

JAX

Katie and I had just been lamenting the lack of powerhouse collections for spring 2011 when I viewed Burberry's show, which completely solidified my opinion on the matter.  This is difficult for me to say after the epically amazing fall season that they had, on top of a strong resort presentation, but oh how the mighty have fallen.

Christopher Bailey is known for reworking classic themes from the original Thomas Burberry archives, and this time he chose the designs from England's first motorbikers as his inspiration.  But wait, didn't everyone do biker-chic in fall of 2009... three seasons ago?  The answer is yes, yes they did.  I feel like the idea could have faired a little better if given a more classic interpretation (some chunky boots would have been nice, and the two toned trench jacket was an okay idea...), but alas, it wasn't, and it did not.  Between the tiny shrunken jackets, sky high heels, dangerously short tiered dresses, and studded everything, the collection appeared incredibly dated.  Colored animal skins felt more tacky trash than English rose.  And short tunic tees over skin-tight leather leggings?  Come on.  It left me reminded of Balmain spring 2010, but in the worst way imaginable (and I liked that show the first time around).

I have to commend a designer who is willing to look past current trends to forge ahead with creativity; but while Bailey certainly ignored of-the-moment looks like minimalism and light neutrals, he didn't produce anything original or exciting.  Rather, we were given the same thing we saw all over the runways for the past two years.  Considering Burberry Prorsum is known for their style staples, such as the trench, you would have though that they would've taken the current feelings in fashion and ran with them, taking them to an entirely new level.  Or that's what I was hoping for, anyways.  All in all, it was just an incredible disappointment.

images via

Three reasons that London is better than New York

JAX

There are always a lot of comparisons between the four main fashion weeks, with everything from which had the most celebrities in attendance, to which had the best clothes, to which was most creative, etc., etc., being discussed.  This being the fourth day of London Fashion Week, it's a safe time to start these conversations about London and New York.  A lot of people seemed to be disappointed in New York's somewhat boring showing, where the most interesting thing that can be talked about was the prevalence of white in the collections.  London is definitely winning me over with their more daring streak, though some people seem to be making excuses for this apparent difference between the cities.  It's been argued that New York is aiming to dress the every day working girl, and strives to be more consumer-friendly and therefore more commercial.  London, on the other hand, gets to express their more creative side and be more conceptual because they're designing for the partying, club going girl.  But that isn't really fair, is it?  Are the markets of New York and London so vastly different that they would justify this gap?  I can't say that I know for certain, as I have never traveled to either city, nor am I a market analyst, but I have to guess that such is not the case.  At any rate, London just seems to be producing more interesting collections, while, as Suzy Menkes of the New York Times puts it, "[New York] did not seem to have any urgent statement to make--just a bunch of nice clothes to wear."  And now, my three top reasons that  London has clearly pulled ahead of the States, fashion-wise:

3.  Basso & Brooke

Tim Blanks of Style.com had a relatively harsh review of Bruno Basso and Chris Brooke's latest show, but I myself quite liked it.  Known for their hyperactive digitized prints, the pair decided to tone down their spring collection, where the patterns were based off of old manuscripts and maps.  Blanks found it confusing that in a time where technological prints seem to be having their moment, the duo seemingly backed away from theirs.  However, I found the spliced in pieces (such as the second from the left) to be the most interesting.  Placed atop of clean, prim dresses and blouses, Basso & Brooke managed to play with their usual standbys without completely departing their signature aesthetic.

2.  Unique by Topshop

"Ethereal" seems to be a term that is commonly tossed around as a description of clothes lately, but Unique's spring collection is one that truly embodies the word.  A little glam rock, a little flower child, these voluminous looks are what every musical festival-going girl should want to be wearing.  The pieces look as though they're printed with images of flowers mixed with the heavens, and harken back to vintage Stevie Nicks.  If I make it to Lolla next year, you better believe that I will be investing in some of these clothes.

1.  Mary Katrantzou

By and far my favorite collection that I've seen thus far in all of fashion month, Mary Katrantzou's clothes were like a cross between Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.  And in my book, that can never turn out bad.  I'm going to save my complete review of this collection for a separate post because it really deserves its own, but here it is, your number one reason that London thus far prevails over New York:  none of them Yankees were producing shit this good.

Donna Karen

JAX

"Have you ever heard a death rattle before?" because I am absolutely on the floor dying over these clothes.  Dying.  Yes, I am quoting Fight Club, one of the most anti-consumerism movies there is, in reference to fashion.  But in all seriousness, after seeing collection after collection these past few days of collared shirts and jacket after jacket in neutrals, I can't describe how pleased I was at viewing Donna Karan's spring collection.

Granted, all of the pieces were some form of tan, beige, camel, or white, but this put an entirely different spin on the usual use of these colors, which has mostly been for basics and wardrobe staples.  There's nothing wrong with either of those things, but D. Karan really stepped it up in terms of turning this palette into total desert-like glamour.  Crinkled crepe, silk, and chiffon were given personality in their wrinkled state, which added a relaxed feel to the looks.  The classic shirtdress was made sexy with a wrap tie and slit to there, while a honey colored maxi skirt and low cut dress shirt with rolled up sleeves made an unexpected yet perfect evening look.  You certainly couldn't wear these clothes every day, but almost all of them make up my fantasies of what I want to wear to social and evening functions (if I went to anything classy, which isn't exactly what I would call Thirsty Thursdays at our local pizza and beer joint, Froggy's...).

Looking past the gorgeous clothes themselves, the platform shoes were pretty fantastic, especially the ones with ballerina-esque criss-crossing ties.  The lineup of models in the show was also one of my favorites that I've seen in a while, including Karlie Kloss, Jac, Abbey Lee, Daria Strokous, Sigrid Agren, and Hanne Gaby Odiele, among other greats.  They each walked a few times, which is rare as usually models walk only once or maybe twice per show, but I enjoyed seeing a lot of heavy hitters rock these amazing looks rather than throwing random, less seasoned girls in the mix.  Oh, and they walked on a layer of sand.  So basically, Donna Karan Spring '11, the show, the collection, everything in between, absolute Sahara romanticism.

all images via

Frank Tell, Gary Graham, Doo.Ri

JAX

FRANK TELL

Beautiful, easy pieces constructed from animal skins and silk intermixed with the best ethereal knits that I've seen since Rodarte made up Frank Tell's latest collection.  The looks were inspired by the moss covering the walls of a museum in France, and in fact, the yarn used for the sweaters contained grass, paper, and bamboo.  One of the best executed  collections as far as employing a more minimal aesthetic while remaining true to the designers' roots.

GARY GRAHAM

Somewhere between the celestial and nineteenth century British farm peasants is where I like to think that you would find Gary Graham's spring show.  Apparently, there is some intense beading on a lot of the pieces, but unfortunately, it's impossible to tell in these pictures.  I've been a big G. Graham fan for a while now, and this romantic collection definitely has kept me captivated.  Also notable; this is Mr. Graham's first season to design shoes, at which I would say he was a success.

DOO.RI

Upon first glance, Doo.Ri's most recent show seems nice, if not a little similar to what we've been seeing these past couple days.  You can't blame her for having a time slot halfway through NYFW, when we've already seen so many beige based collections you'd think there were no other colors on Earth.  She's simply on trend.  Nevertheless, I am getting bored, and maybe a little annoyed.  Yes it's nice to have basics and very wearable pieces, but it's a fashion show for Christ's sake, how about trying to really push the envelope and fire up consumers?  Anyways, sorry, back to Doo.Ri.  It seems a little bland, but upon closer inspection there is some excellent texture work at play.  Bypassing her usual tricks of intense draping throughout, Ms. Chung worked with everything from webbed cotton, to pleated chiffon, to webbed jacquard, with much more in between.  It is often these special details that get lost in runway photos, but thanks to New York Magazine, we can revel in the zoomed in photos.  And thus, I leave you with a better feel of what these clothes really are: immaculately precise.

ADAM, Band of Outsiders, Cynthia Rowley.

KATIE

ADAM

Like many of the other Spring collections I've viewed so far this week, most of the looks at ADAM were light and airy; however, unlike many of the other Spring collections, the airiness of the show didn't translate so much as ethereal, but more as sunny and light. The show, which was apparently inspired by Charlotte Gainsbourg in Uruguay, translated to me as more of a California coolness; hippie-esque lightness with an edge. The show was sprinkled with sweet elements, like ruffles, chiffon, and elegant, feminine shapes. The fantastic high-waisted, flares (which I unfortunately neglected to feature), were the highlight of the collection for me, giving the looks a strong dose of 70's feel which was highly appreciated.

Boy Band of Outsiders

Despite the fact that Band of Outsiders showed their newest sector of the brand, Girl, at their show a few days ago, Boy Band of Outsiders once again stood out the most of all. While the show was a tish bit of a disappointment compared to the brand's hyper-cool past shows, it still had a good young, hipster vibe that spells out mass appeal. All in all, it was a good, but slightly predictable, show.

Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley's show was based on bubble-shaped cutouts. Cutouts at the thighs, near the breasts, cutouts everywhere. I initially thought that this would yield one of those fashion shows that is so conceptual yet basic that the clothes end up looking cheap. And that's how it felt at the beginning. Simple, circular cutouts scattered across skirts and blouses in obvious patterns that were quite plain. The collection really blossomed though when Rowley began laying tiny circle cutouts over prints, and then exploded when the cutouts made their way into light, airy fabrics. A great color palette of perfectly complimenting tones sealed the deal on the second half of this collection, which was where all of the big-hitters were located.

-Katie

(Images from nymag.com)

Alexander Wang.

KATIE

Like Jax, I was beyond frustrated last night about the shots from A. Wang taking far too long to upload and the fact the (supposedly) live feed wouldn't play for me until at all on style.com. Not only was I disappointed with technology, I hate to say this, but I was initially very disappointed in the Spring collection as a whole. This is an important issue, because while Alexander totally sparked the fire for the trend of velvet, his Autumn collection was kind of a disappointment, not holding nearly as much weight as his sporty Spring 2010 collection or his biker-esque Spring 2009 collection did in my heart and in the fashion world. Generally, Wang's collections have been filled with hugely popular pieces that set trends as they are marched down the runway on impeccably styled models.

I think I speak for both Jax and myself when I say that we are slowly losing faith in Alexander Wang.

Least favorite looks.

Maybe it's the fact that this Fall we are in the midst of richly themed colors and trends, but Wang's Spring 2011 collection just felt wrong. Outdated in some ways and just plain boring in others, everything from the color to the cut of the clothes just lacked a presence that one expects to see in Alexander Wang clothing. Even the shoes were kind of dull compared to his big hits of the past.

Alexander Wang shoes backstage.

That said, maybe I should give Mr. Wang some credit for what is possibly to come. His goal was to break away from something he'd been consistent with (the color black) and trends that have been marching down the runway for years now, which seems wise considering style.com's rhetorical question on the matter: "If everyone does a skinny jean and motorcycle jacket, it isn't new anymore, is it?" In those aspects, Alexander was right on mark, sticking only with colors that may have been a bit out of his comfort zone, and designing pants, dresses, and coats with a more lanky, loose fit - something that's been seen on a lot of other runways for Spring already. So maybe I'm wrong, maybe Wang is right on the mark and come April, all I'll want to be wearing is a terra cotta colored construction-worker-esque ensemble. Yeah, probably so. But for now, I'm once again not blown away by much of anything in this collection other than the bags and the rose gold duct tape. Spring can be a difficult design time for designers, so I'm crossing all of my fingers and toes that in February, Wang's Fall collection is above and beyond anything I've seen the during the past two seasons.

Favorite looks.

-Katie

PS to style.com,

Maybe it's a flaw on the Alexander Wang show alone, but if you don't let me use pictures from your website anymore, I swear I will happily move on to New York Magazine or Fashionologie. Better yet, I will move on to your newest competitor, Vogue. I guarantee that many of your viewers will do the same.


(Images from Fashionologie, nymag.com, and Twitter)

Peter Som, Jason Wu, Christian Siriano

JAX

PETER SOM

Peter Som was quoted as saying that, "[he] was thinking about bringing joy to clothing," in designing this collection, and he has succeeded by far.  All I could think after viewing the slides of candy colored pieces was how happy I was.  With a mixture of tweeds, various patterns, and ultra bright solids on super short hemlines, this is probably the ultimate sweet summer wardrobe for every sixteen to thirty year-old woman (or it is for me, anyways).  I was getting a sort of fifties mixed with sixties mod sort of vibe, but the California girl relaxed hair and minimal makeup kept things modern.  And can we talk about those Charlotte Olympia shoes?  I think I would give my right ring finger for a pair.

JASON WU

I know Jason Wu is fashion's little darling designer right now, but I can't say that I've ever really gotten it.  Admittedly, a lot of his pieces are a little grown up for my taste, but even when it comes to his heralded cocktail dresses, I'm not super impressed.  I will say that I liked this season better than his fall collection, and there were definitely some nice looks for Michelle Obama in there.  Mr. Wu is focusing more on separates now, rather than just relying on evening ware to carry him through, which I do have to commend.  Overall a nice collection, but it's hard to review a designer whose aesthetic just really isn't my cup of tea.  Sorry.

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

Christian Siriano was just the worst of the worst so far for me.  I can't imagine that any other collection from any fashion week this fall will top the hideousness that was his spring ready-to-wear show.  I really don't try to get catty, but c'mon.  When asked what his inspiration was, he replied that it was, "a bit of African, a bit of Asian, a bit of Mediterranean-Greek."  Yeah, he's never been to any of those places, and he's obviously never researched them either.  Meenal Mistry from style.com said that his clothes "were a catchall attempt at sophistication and glamour," and I think that is about the nicest way that you could put it.  The proportions were ridiculous, the fabrics cheap looking, and the tailoring tacky (just look at the pockets and buttons on the middle skirt suit).  

The most infuriating thing about Mr. Siriano, and excuse my gossipy tidbit here, is that he seems to think much too highly of himself.  When Christian's assistant tried to convince him to let Haylie Duff have a set in the front row at the show based upon the premise that his young fans might look up to Haylie, the designer laughed and said, "They do not look up to the Duffs.  I'm a huge fan of the worst, trashiest people.  But frankly, I'd rather have buyers from Bergdorf come to my show.  Tell them, 'Christian's not sure if the show's right for Haylie.'"  Whether or not he wanted a Duff in his audience, surely this was not the best way to go about the situation.  Christian Siriano is just a flash-in-the-pan designer to me, hardly better than Jessica Simpson putting on a fashion show.  The highlight of his career was surely dressing Christina Hendricks at last years Emmy's, and her dress was panned by everyone from People Magazine to Andre Leon Tally that night.  I honestly hope that this is just the beginning of his fade to oblivion, or worse, back to his roots in reality t.v. where he belongs, because that is what he is, simply a character.

I won't even begin to critic his closing dress, it's so stupid that I might hurl.