As stated previously, I'm working on a project with a fashion website that will currently remain nameless. I'm super excited about the collaboration, but it got me thinking that I need to get back to my fashion roots. The last couple of days I have been looking through old/new fashion shows, established and independent designers, trying to remember why I love and respect the ones I do. Much like taste buds, my appetite for fashion and designers changes frequently. However I do have a handful of designers that has remained consistent throughout the seasons.
Phillip Lim could do no wrong! The women's wear prodigy has inspired and excited the fashion industry with a heavy hand in street elegance. Like many contemporary designers, Lim is about designing and creating garments/looks that are understandable. A huge inspiration to my personal style is Lim's knack for combining dressy elements with casual counterparts (exhibit "A" copper lame pants with a grey sweatshirt). The collections are always injected with an air of romance that is ambitious while remaining prudent.
{both images from style.com}
If Phillip Lim was Barbie, then Proenza Schouler would be her cute, hip, younger sister, Skipper! The Parson alum duo captured my heart seasons ago, and constantly appears on my "What I Want Now" list. They have branded their collection on "real clothes." There are no trick or gimmicks to their designs or aesthetic. They design around versatility and never lack in pizazz or charm. They are edgy without being obnoxious, and sweet without the tooth ache. The collection is perfectly balanced and exquisitely executed. Apparently, two heads are better than one in this design house's case!
{both images from style.com}
Last year I was introduced to Isabel Marant. I stumbled upon images of her Spring 2009 collection and fell in love with the patch work pieces and slouched boots with chains haphazardly wrapped around the ankle...which actually inspired my own DIY boots. Season after season she continued to send awe inspiring garments down the runway. It isn't just her apparel that I long for, Marant has put her best foot forward into footwear. Days after she presented her fall collection in Europe, editors at large were seen walking the courtyard to the next show in her famous footwear.
{elle.com & style.com}
DSquared was one of my first fashion loves! The first time I saw the Caten's collection was during cycle 2 of America's next top model. The brothers design with a sense of humor...gossip magazines, venti Starbucks cups, and cigarettes down the runway is in tune with Santino's "lighten up it's just fashion!" The collection is continually innovative and imaginative, but still retains an element that is polished. The collection always combines an aesthetic that is fun and effortless but understands that women like to get dolled up on occasion too with a dose of sex appeal.
{all images from style.com}
I could look at different collections and shows everyday and find something new to be inspired and moved by. Narrowing down to just a few was extremely difficult, but I had to choose the ones that have a hand in my love for the industry, design, and craft. One last designer that can't go unnamed and needs no explanation is Balmain....enough said and I'm sure you understand why!
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