happy halloween!

As any New Yorker knows, the Halloween parade in the Village is a fall institution. A few years ago I went as Cleopatra, last year I was Sherlock Holmes -- but this year, I've been having a tough time coming up with a costume. Thankfully, several designers must have realized what a conundrum this would be for me, as the spring runways were full of Halloween costumes!

Above: Zac Posen got festive this year, giving us a cloud and wheat -- I know I've always wanted to go as a grain for Halloween.

Above: Remember my favorite Viktor & Rolf dress? I could be a violin!

Above: I don't know exactly what to call this Gareth Pugh ensemble, but rest assured: there will be plenty of other freak shows roaming downtown New York tonight.

Above: If you don't want to go all out, snag a little Luella batman mask and call it a night.

Above: Pair this top by Benjamin Cho with skinny green pants, and you'll be the prettiest little iris you ever did see.
Above: Just what you'd expect from Alexander McQueen: a psychedelic rainbow bird!

What are you guys wearing tonight?

shalom!

I've never been blown away by the fashion department of the Times (Cathy Horyn and Stefano Tonchi aside, obviously). Reviews are great, but the off-season -- meaning everything that isn't February and September -- is underwhelming for me, especially the editorials. So I was pleasantly surprised by The Others, the Times Magazine's spread starring Shalom Harlow.

(Don't forget, you can click on the photos to make them bigger.)



There's that giant Giles scarf that I love, and it's impossible not to love the Stella.
Plus, Shalom Harlow is stunning.

baby, it's cold outside

When did this happen!? It seems like it's gone from an Indian summer to full-fledged winter in just a few days. And I've been so busy staring at spring 2008 collections all day long that I almost forgot that fall has to come first. Let's take a trip back in time (February seems so long ago now, doesn't it?) and talk about coats:

Above: Jill Stuart. I know I keep saying I'm sick of the sixties and even sicker of cobalt blue, but this is such an Emily coat. I can't think of an outfit that wouldn't be more adorable with this jacket over it.

Above: Alexander Wang. I think capes are so chic, and I love the cut of this one: narrow and very, very simple.

Above: Burberry Prorsum. If only. Someday.

Above: Nicole Miller. I so distinctly remember being at this show, one of my first ever big Fashion Week shows (oh, nostalgia). But this coat is not only on this list because of its emotional significance, but because it's so cool. I loved Miller's Peruvian influences; it's such an amazing statement print on a classic shape.

Above: Moschino. For now, I feel like I'm too young to pull off a serious fur -- but give me another 10 years, and I'll want this one. I love the color, the stripe effect is gorgeous, and that collar is awesome.


I don't think I've ever been so happy to bundle up!

not again!

Remember the thieves on scooters stealing all the beautiful clothes in London?

This time, it's Sonia Rykiel.

Honestly. This brings the tally of burgled boutiques to 9: Sonia, Marc Jacobs, Roger Vivier, Luella, FrostFrench, Ralph Lauren, Brora, Christopher Kane, and Anya Hindmarch.

it's a bird, it's a plane...

It's the Costume Institute!

It's just been announced that their 2008 exhibit will be called "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy."

Wonder if this little number will make it?

Luella, spring 2008.

Richard Prince is the new black

I'm sure by now we've all seen the covers of November's W: Paparazzi photos of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts, Lindsay Lohan, and Jessica Simpson, all autographed with a cute note ("Shine on!") to Richard Prince.

It's all fake, which I think is hysterical. The notes, the signatures... but Richard Prince is real, and he's the artist responsible for this mockery of celebrity culture in W's art issue.

So what else is Prince responsible for?



Step aside, Trovata. Looks like we have a new fashion jokester on our hands.

Fendi goes to China

Karl Lagerfeld staged a Fendi show on the Great Wall of China on Friday.


(And I thought the Y-3 show under the Chelsea Highline was a cool setting.)

Why, you may be asking, does Fendi need to be showing on the Great Wall of China? Well, besides the fact that it just shows what a badass Mr. Lagerfeld is, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Fendi's business in China is expecting to increase by 50% in the next year. A badass and a savvy business man, that Lagerfeld.

And look! Kate Bosworth just happened to be in town, looking terrifyingly chic:

when I grow up, I want to be Jennifer Connelly

She's got the cover of Vogue this month, a cute British husband, and a fresh-from-the-runway Balenciaga ensemble.

And her eyebrows are awesome.

Life is not fair.

i saw sasha smile!

It's true. Sasha Pivovarova, who generally looks like she's about to shoot laser beams from her eyes when she's on the runway, smiled.

It was at the Hugo Boss BOSS Black fashion show, which took place about 2 hours ago at the Cunard Building in New York. She almost lost her balance walking down the runway, then regained her composure, and then she smiled.

It was so cute! She should do it more often!

I'M GOING

Who wants to go see this with me?

you can be Aggy too!

You've bleached your hair, you've started using a fake British accent, you've started wearing House of Holland tees and neon jeans... but you're still not Agyness Deyn. Well, listen: you may be in luck!

The rumor these days is that Miss Deyn is thinking of doing a line for Topshop.

I think this is a terrible idea, but that doesn't mean that it won't sell like hotcakes. I mean, look at Kate Moss's mediocre (at best) line that had hundreds camping out for days. Come on, Aggy, stick with what you're best at: modeling. Sure, you're fierce on and off the runways and magazine pages, and you've already sparked a million little wannabes, but do you really need more?



(Speaking of guest designers, Roberto Cavalli for H&M is coming out pretty soon. The commercial is funny, though I don't think I'll be needing any animal print party dresses.)

things of beauty.

Snake skin, stripes, studs.

Proenza Schouler, spring 2008.

call me a snob, but...

I will not be covering LA Fashion Week.

Chick by Nicky Hilton? Come on.

(Though I do think it's interesting that Grey Ant moved to LA this season. Maybe it's because I panned their show for FWD last season? Ha.)

UPDATE: Have been informed by some readers that Grey Ant did, in fact, show in NY this season, in addition to their upcoming show in Los Angeles. Two spring shows, Grant? Is that necessary?

fall is here!

And really, isn't it about time? The heating hasn't kicked in in my apartment yet, but at least I have an excuse now to wear my beautiful bomber jacket -- and to get my beloved Chloe sweaterdress (found last year in a consignment store in Paris... could it get any better?) out of storage.

I'm packing away all my sundresses and seersucker shorts and formulating my cold weather wish list:




Above: Thread Social. As soon as I have a paycheck, I will have this dress. That dropped waist is the cutest thing, and with thick tights and flats... I love it.




Above: A short, flouncy skirt. Of course this one has to be 3.1 Phillip Lim. With the aforementioned tights and flats, or with these:

Above: My mom may call them wicked witch of the west shoes, but I must have them. The good thing about something so trendy is that you can find them in all kinds of price ranges -- because unless I don't want to eat for months, I can't afford the YSL oxfords. These are by Steve Madden.

And finally, the fantasy item:


Above: Stella McCartney, fall 2007. That cardigan! It breaks my heart.

Ah well, a girl can dream. Happy fall!

my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.

Above: Erin Fetherston and Chanel Iman.

Above: Jeffery Costello and Robert Tagliapietra.

Above: Lazaro Hernandez and Gucci Westman.

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund cocktail party. It's fine, guys. Hope you had an alright time without me. I'll see you all at the next one, don't worry.

Miu Miu

I thought Miu Miu was about the cutest thing I've ever seen. I'm so so so tired of the babydoll/maternity top thing, but really, how can you not smile when you see something like this?


It's just so darling!


From the little collars and cuffs to flouncy skirts and bloomers, the collection was almost saccharine in its sweetness -- but Miuccia Prada balanced it out with a darker harlequin theme and some gloomier colors, like Carmen Kass's look, above.

Miu Miu has become sort of a new standard for must-have bags and shoes, and with the exception of Miss Cass's dragonfly boots above, this collection will certainly continue that. I love the heels on these pumps, below (Miuccia has given us some interesting heels this season -- remember these from Prada?):

Chloe

Paolo Melim Andersson's spring Chloe girl still looks a bit like a Marni girl to me, but even so, I liked her better than the "angry girl" of fall 2007.


This collection was much softer; there were similar graphic, painterly prints, but this time the colors were paler and the silhouettes were less sharp. Obviously, there was chiffon (sheer pants OMG!).

For me, it was interesting to look at some key details of the collection: the bags and shoes. I work in retail, remember, and for the last few weeks I've been trying to sell these to my customers (it's not going well). While there wasn't tons of variety to the shoes and bags (there were basically two styles of shoe, two styles of bag), I do think they were prettier and certainly more wearable than last season's.



Above: This patent open-toe slingback ankle boot (say that three times fast) came in black white, and gray, and will certainly be an It shoe for spring. It's basic without being boring, I love the patent leather, and the heel is awesome.

Above: I think the colorblock detail on this shoe's heel is really cool, and those big wide straps make the shoe look really graphic and modern.

Above: Again, I really like that wide strap; this time, on the bag, it's the wrist strap. The color combination is fun.



Above: The folded alligator clutches were my favorite. Again, there's a really cool graphic quality to them -- they're so unique.

sheer chic...

or sheer shit?
(copyright Deb Saslaw, 2007)

Seriously, though. I'm all for the more artistic, less realistic aspects of high fashion. Practicality is completely overrated. I can totally get behind the outrageous, like Ghesquiere's gold armor leggings of spring 2007 and Giles' massive knits for fall 2007. But I'm starting to worry about the overwhelming presence of sheer pants on the spring 2008 runways.







From top to bottom: Chloe, Jill Stuart, Prada, Marc Jacobs, and Karl Lagerfeld, all spring 2008.

A note to Ashley Olsen, Cate Blanchett, and Chloe Sevigny: You three are great at taking crazy things straight from runways and putting them rightly in the real world, and I admire the hell out of that. But I don't want to see you try this see-through pants thing. I just don't think it will work.

Chanel, YSL: seeing stars

I'll just come right out and say it: I thought Chanel was kind of bad.


From left to right: Cheesy Americana, way too much bad light-wash denim, over the top matchy-matchy tweed. O for 3, so far.

Not everything sucked; there were a few pieces that were certainly pretty. The problem was that of the half-decent looks, nothing seemed new. These three, below, are nice enough, but somehow I feel like I've seen them all before.

Maybe Lagerfeld just burnt himself out by the time he got to Chanel; after all, he's got a lot on his plate with Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld. But for someone who not only helms one of the most iconic fashion houses in the world but is considered himself a fashion icon, I expected much more.

---

Stefano Pilati took the same motif as Lagerfeld - stars! - but did it in a totally different way at Yves Saint Laurent. Instead of a juvenile, literal Americana theme, Pilati used stars as a graphic accent to a much more sophisticated collection.





Even when he didn't use stars as a focal point (like in the last two looks), they were present -- as details in the shoes. This is how to work a theme without being over the top. Take notes, Karl.