NY Fashion Week Fall 2011: Derek Lam

George Balanchine once said, "There are no new steps, only new combinations." This is what inspired Derek Lam's fall 2011 line. Known for his sportswear, Lam created clothes that were sophisticated, and definitely made with the working woman in mind. He tweaked a few classics, with plaid and color-blocked trousers and by pairing baby blue wool coats with bright red trousers. and created looks so chic and easy, that any woman could pull them off. Wide leg trousers (aka one of my absolute favorite trends of the season) made an appearance of course, accompanied by pea coats which again are huge this season. Lam amped it up a bit with the shearling vest, as it is not made from wool as most are, but from the warmer and softer alpaca. I've got an alpaca scarf, and I must say the idea of having an entire coat made from it sounds amazing. Comfortable, classic, and chic sums up this collection fairly nicely. You can check out a Q & A session with Derek Lam (and several other designers) on Rachel Zoe's website.

NY Fashion Week Fall 2011: BCBG

BCBG Max Azria was one of the first designers to grace the fall runway yesterday, and the theme contained a ton of bold colors mixed with muted, and long flowy fabrics with interesting prints. The dresses were draped low, creating plunging neck lines, that might have been quite revealing if it weren't for the white turtlenecks that made an appearance in many of the looks. In fact, it was the look really. Large coats and touches of shearling were also present, which is something we can expect to see on many of the runways this season. The overall look at BCBG was definitely easy and chic. A great start to the week no doubt.

NY Fashion Week Fall 2011: Mara Hoffman

Mara Hoffman, who is several months pregnant herself, has said that for this collection she was inspired by the sacred mother and nomadic warrior woman. This translated into long, lean gowns, some in black and others done in Hoffman's signature graphic prints. Thick peruvian knits topped off the bohemian looks and the star of the show was a red maxi paired with a long striped cardigan.

Fashion on a Budget: Bridal Addition

With so many people getting engaged over the holidays, it's about time to start looking for that perfect wedding dress. If you're a bride on a budget fear not, because David's Bridal has paired with Vera Wang for "White", an exclusive line of gowns and it hits stores today! Vera Wang is a huge name in bridal, but normally to get your hands on one of her unique designs you'd be emptying several thousands out of your wallet at the least. Her new line for David's bridal ranges from about $600 to a very reasonable $1500, and they look like they're worth every penny. I'm not one who is easily impressed with wedding gowns, but I have to admit that some of these are absolutely amazing, especially at such a low price point. With the popularity of budget stores pairing with fashion designers these days, hopefully we will see even more hopping on the bridal band wagon.

Some of the pieces actually look rather couture! I'm excited to see where this partnership goes with these two.

If you're in the market for a wedding dress hurry up and make an appointment today. You can check out all of the styles and prices here.

Fashion Week Sneak Peek

New York fashion week kicks off tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate than to check out the Pre-Fall collections that designers have been releasing over the past few months. They are most certainly a peek at what's to come over the next week!

Teal:

Jean Paul Gaultier

Yves Saint Laurent

Wide Leg Trousers:

Jean Paul Gaultier

Alexander McQueen

Jean Paul Gaultier

Color Blocking:

Jason Wu

Red and Burnt Orange:

Alexander McQueen

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta

Leather:

Bottega Veneta (left)

Jean Paul Gaultier (right)

If you're anything like me, you're mouth is watering right now looking at these amazing previews. Stay tuned for daily runway reports beginning tomorrow!

PS....I am having some technical difficulties with the layout of this post tonight, so forgive me if it's all over the place. I'll be working on getting it fixed and all designer names up where they should be.

Muy Importante!

Ok ladies, (Texas ladies in particular) I have some very exciting information to share. I'll give you a clue: this store is an absolute staple in a lot of other states, especially on the East Coast, but they have really neglected us here in the south. Per a very reliable source (ahem Brennan) there is officially an H&M store in Dallas!! Well, it's actually a "preview store", which from what a gather is a smaller version with far less variety but it's a HUGE step! It looks like the plan is to get a permanent location set up around September of this year in one of the larger malls. For now the store is located at North Park mall, which may very well end up being the permanent home for H&M. I for one will be making a trek to Dallas in the very near future. Move over Forever 21, there's a new kid on the block!

Paris Haute Couture: Elie Saab

Ok, I'm a HUGE Elie Saab fan...I mean huge. I'm pretty confident you will feel the same when you see what I'm about to show you. His Paris show was full of romantic gowns of various lengths, adorned with sequins and lace. There were pastels, deep reds, and chic blacks, all with beautiful intricate details that are so typical of Elie. I wish I could post every single dress on here, but there are so so many, each one even more amazing than the last. I really have a hard time finding the words for this collection, as my jaw has permanently dropped at the sight of them. Feast your eyes on these gorgeous dresses below.

If you'll excuse me, I've got to get busy figuring out how to get each and every one of these dresses into my closet on the double!