STYLE

Getting down to the Button!

Photo courtesy of Tommy Ton

I was scanning some European photos taken by Tommy Ton and came across this one! The jacket is dope! However – was it so cold that he just-so-happened to fasten it on the wrong button or is this the look that he was going for?

We need a poll for this! Let me know what you think, so we can get down to the bottom of the button.

Oh and don’t forget … You are greatness already happening! Look forward to your reviews!

Best, 

::: Stacee Michelle :::

STYLE

Happy 116th Birthday Balenciaga!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BALENCIAGA! 🙂

116 years ago, a fashion mogul was born! January 21, 1895 began the beginning of Cristobal Balenciaga life of impact. He lived to the great age of 77 before passing; but his legacy, craft, and inspiration for designers internationally has been well out-lived.

When we were more concerned about barbies and the ice cream trucks – This spanish-french designer began to seriously study dressmaking at the  age of 10! With a deceased father and a widowed mother – he stepped up (AT AGE 10) to help support the family by sewing!

His first trip to Paris at age 15 inspired him to become a couturier, and by age 20 he had his own dressmaking establishment at the fashionable summer resort of San Sebastián in Spain.(www.britannica.com).

With an impeccable eye for detail and sophistication, Balenciaga has transformed modern looks into highly sought after pieces. Known as the architect of haute couture – He is what gives designers the foundation they need to continue to live out to their fullest potential.

Try to catch his exhibit before its over!

November 19, 2010 – February 19, 2011

The “Balenciaga: Spanish Master” Exhibition at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York, Open .

I encourage you to read up on him as well as flick through some of his collections from the previous seasons. He is quite the innovator and certainly knows how to spearhead the trend report!

Just as Balenciaga…

you are greatness already happening!

Best,

::: Stacee Michelle :::

STYLE

Pringle! Pop the Pringle!…into your wardrobe!

Thank you for your comments, opinions, and suggestions! I love having you involved!

One of our subscribers asked about my views of the Milan Menswear Fall 2011 collections, the key trends I saw for the season, and what some of my favorite show were. 

Welp! I had to say it was certainly a roller-coaster ride flicking through each designers collection for Fall.  Some were simple, others complex, and then somehow I went on an Indiana Jones ride and was ambushed by ‘OO7’ in collections that were out of this world! 

Since I was unable to attend the Milan Fall 2011 Menswear Fashion Week (haha), I decided to attend them front row via my MacBook and the trusted ol’ www dot. 

One collection that stood out to me was Pringle of Scotland who I stumbled upon sometime today around 5:38 p.m!

Pringle  popped a little bit of each key trend into the collection making it an acceptable transition for the “right now” guy. Unlike previous postings which were geared toward wearing separates – Pringle does a great job of showing men how to coordinate hot street-wear into outfits suitable for their lifestyle!  

Clare Waight Keller

And guess what!? It was all designed by a woman! Clare Waight Keller knows how to dress her man! Her impeccable mix of “country-clothes gone city” made the collection perfect for men nationwide to pop the Pringle into their wardrobe!

Here are some of the streetwear key trends from the ::SM:: Report – 

  • oversized coat collars
  • shearling and fur outerwear collars
  • tweed jackets and blazers
  • militant coats and military detailing (zippers, pockets, etc.)
  • chunky sweaters
  • leather pants 
  • leather and fur accents 
  • form fitted/slim bottoms
  • cuffed or tapered leg openings
  • porkchop pants
  • militant boots over slim bottoms
  • incorporating new fabrics and textures
  • key colors: burnt or electric yellow, orange, blue, and red
  • neutrals: charcoal grey, midnight black, and butter creme 
  • accessories – the workbelt bag, satchel, and duffle bag

Men’s trends are much different than womens – their cycles move a lot slower. Its good to see that menswear is offering up new trends, styles, fabrics, and colors – gaining space in men’s conventional wardrobes. 

Thomas Maier, creative director at Bottega Veneta says ..

” The elements that comprise a man’s wardrobe don’t vary that much over time. So to evelove you have to reinvent what you already have.”

Certainly evident in the Fall 2011 Milan Menswear Collections

I know I didn’t get to mention some of my other ‘favorite collections’, buuuutttt I’m definitely looking forward to sharing my Indiana Jones and ‘OO7′ roller-coaster high peaks with you! They are quite…interesting…but certainly a must-see! (stay-tuned)

Thought for the day: Your thoughts are things!… just think the clothes on your back…the chair your sitting in…even the computer your on right now… were all somebody’s thoughts. Today – make sure that your thoughts are directed toward what you want out of life, and watch it manifest!

You are greatness ALREADY happening!

Best,

:::Stacee Michelle:::

STYLE

This Men’s Collection will be “Rockin’ All Week with You” in Fall 2011!

Guys! Break out Grandpa’s trunk, and put Pharrell on your iTunes, it’s new age vintage time! You’ll be needing some of those old frocks to be “in like flint” for Fall 2011! 

WWD.com did a great job of describing the collection as channeling the universe of Pharrell Williams, the music video genre, and even the late 1970’s graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, resulting in a youthful and commercial collection. The D&G Collection mimiced the high-school Happy Days era; incorporating baseball tees, multi-colored vests, preppy cardigans, furs, tweeds, leather jackets and splashes of Mickey-Mouse and Coca-Cola gear.

 But once again, lets not take all of this too literal guys! Some of these outfits are good as a whole and some are effective as seperates. I’m no “home-wrecker” and I’d hate for my advice to leave you single and lonely… so PLEASE do not come out of the house wearing this! (see below) —->

CAUTION: Watch your seperates!

With impeccable style and always inspiring collections D&G has once again introduced something unique for men to incorprate in their wardrobes! No more dull colors, neutral tops and jeans boys – you’ll be tasting the rainbow this season!

Get the Look: http://store.dolcegabbana.com/

The Look for Less: http://www.topman.com/

Your style is what makes you unique amongst this crazy sequence of events we call life. So make every moment count!

You are greatness already happening!

Best,

::: Stacee Michelle ::: 

photos: wwd.com,  http://fans.kiss-me.org/happydays/

STYLE

Look AND Listen! DVF Spr. 11′ Dissected!

 

***View the slideshow of some DVF’s wildest outfits from her collection and let me know the Spring 2011 Trends you spotted!

We’ll discuss your comments on the next posting!***

When I decided not to write for a few days to let the DVF posting marinate…one of the readers sent in a great request!

Anon writes –

Sounds like she is your favorite designer? DVF is cool but her patterns tend to be a little much for me sometimes. She does have what a lot of designers do not have, staying power. I’d love to hear your thoughts on her spring 2011 line when it comes out.

So Anon – this is for you! =)

Yes, some of these fun pattern/color combos can be quite discouraging and aren’t for everyone, but beauty AND fashion is in the eye of the beholder. These prints were more major than previous seasons and the colors, simultaneously bolder and more subtle. But a key concept to remember when viewing fashion shows is that it’s not always about the complete outfit that comes down the runway…

Let me dissect!

If you have ever worked in visuals for a retailer, especially for those that are trendy – you know that the corporate guidelines want you to showcase the most current pieces AND (all together now)… LAYER LAYER LAYER! Why? So that you can showcase more than one piece to the consumer.

Well, on the runway its somewhat similar – their window display… is the runway. 

In the case of some designers, they present all outfits that are wearable as is, and for others, its all about the concepts of each piece, the silhouette, the colors, inspiration, and so forth. 

So when your watching runway shows or clicking through style.com photos – don’t just look… but listen to what the designer is saying about upcoming colors, silhouettes, prints and patterns, hems, etc. In doing so, you’ll gain more of a respect for the “Art” of fashion design and be on board with upcoming fashion trends. 

***MESSAGE!  haha***

The DVF collection, entitled “Goddess”,  had a strong mix of tailored pieces as well as French inspired draping that were both emphasized silhouettes throughout the collection. 

One of the most important elements of DVF is sophistication and elegance – despite what the DVF girl has on, she is always representing herself with these attributes. 

Diane Von Furstenberg and Yvan Mispelaere

DVF and her new design partner Yvan Mispelaere unleashed a kinetic energy with a series of prints: clouds, broken waves, Greek keys, and marbled wings  – which DVF described as “lyrical and open; architectural and fluid; mixed and matched…an understated elegance.” (Lisa Martinez)

Could it have been this fine young gentleman (Yvan Mispelaere) that has added a bolder tweek to the DVF collection? With a background of designing for Gucci and Chloe you can certainly understand that this man has a vision for the DVF collection and has done a fine job of introducing new concepts. 

I hope that this post helps you better understand my view of the collection as well as help you see fashion shows in a new light!

Until next time….

You are greatness ALREADY happening!

Best,

::: Stacee Michelle :::

photos: style.com

STYLE

She went from luke warm to HOTT!

 :::Shannon Cross:::

Certainly a name you should get used to seeing!

Cross currently works for ESPN as an Associate Editor. She ghost writes for on-air analysts, is in charge of making sure content appears on a variety of on-line platforms, and she even creates web pages for special projects on ESPN.com like 30 for 30 films, Black History Month, Mayne Street, and more!

But this .com diva is a lot more talented than she looks! A few months ago she was offered the opportunity to do her job…at a desk… on-line…but this time for millions to see on-air!  In seconds Cross’s job went from luke warm to HOTT!

So what does one wear when they’re asked to be the lead Social Media Correspondent on Live TV for millions to see on a National Holiday!?

Well, Stacee Michelle came to the rescue with some helpful tips to get her through the BIG DAY!

– Wear a color that compliments your skin tone 

– Try a wrap dress – you’ll look sophisticated and polished! (Thank you DVF!)

– Use your open apparel pallet to accessorize with a statement jewelry piece

– Allow hair and make-up to enhance your beauty

On Friday, January 14, 2011, Cross shined! ESPN featured a Town Hall forum at the New Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta in honor of Martin Luther King Day. The panel featured an array of influential and certainly opinionated speakers including Spike Lee, Marion Jones, Randy Shannon, Michael Wilbon, John Calipari, and Jalen Rose. Hosted by Robin Roberts and Bob Ley, the ESPN forum touched on the current image of the black athlete and the dreams of black society today.

As the Social Media Correspondent, Cross did a phenomenal job and received much praise for being such a “natural”!

Oh, and let’s not forget how great she looked! =)

“We are sooo happy for you Shannon and look forward to watching you grow!”

You are greatness ALREADY happening!

Best,

:::stacee.michelle:::

p.s. I’m so proud of my big sister! =)