Designer Spotlight: Katie Ermilio

Katie Ermilio is my new favorite up-and-coming designer. Her clothes are incredibly simple, but beautifully made and insanely chic. I love the feminine but still conservative cuts and little details, like unexpected pleating and cut-out backs. The bright bursts of colors don’t hurt much, either, and she works almost exclusively with black, whites, navy, hot pink, red, and bright blue. Indeed a very bold but chic color palette.

Katie Ermilio

My favorite thing about Katie’s designs is that you can see the care and craftsmanship that went into every single piece. They are as simple and bare as can be, yet they still manage to be totally original and fashion-forward. Her clothing is like modern art. It also really speaks to my style — I love sequins and pretty add-ons as much as the next girl, but my favorite pieces are all super simple and versatile. But they still stand out.

I think there’s a quote floating around somewhere about how clothes don’t wear the woman, the woman must wear the clothes. (I might be making this up, but it still works nonetheless…I think.) I feel like this rings especially true for Katie Ermilio’s clothing. The styles are minimal and the attitude of the wearer really shines through. Confidence makes these clothes (or rather, the wearer) beautiful.

Some looks from her fall 2011 ready-to-wear collection:

I have heard some fantastic things and some not-so-fantastic things about Katie’s work, but I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I, for one, am very attracted to her clothing and find it very chic and beautiful. As I briefly mentioned in this post, I rarely wear prints or patterns — much of my wardrobe is full of solid basics that I layer and combine in different ways. So I find her take on ready-to-wear very appealing: a simple color palette (with some fun colors to add a playful touch…can you imagine how boring these clothes would be if they were all black, white, and gray?) and plenty of chic but flirty silhouettes.

Katie Ermilio, only 25 years old and already on the fast track to becoming the next big designer, was originally hoping for a position editing a fashion magazine, with internships at both Teen Vogue and Vogue under her belt. But she began sewing dresses to wear to work and soon was accepting custom orders from colleagues who wanted chic frocks of their own. She also sold many of her dresses in her father’s storefront for extra money. Before she knew it, she had become a self-professed “accidental designer.” You can read the rest of her interview with fashionista.com here!

Who are some of your favorite fashion up-and-comers?

{Sources: Images via katieermilio.com, fashionista.com, and style.com}

Trendspotting | Sixties Style

Sixties street style | Jak & Jil Blog

I don’t think I’ve done a real fashion post in quite some time! But I did want to discuss one of the bigger trends for Fall this year: sixties fashion.

It seems that each year, some new decade is revived for Fall — and for 2011, it’s the 1960s (with a few elements from the ’50s thrown in). I’m actually pretty excited about this trend, as much of my current wardrobe features classic sixties shapes while still being more modern and current. (The other trends for this year are a different story…I am not a huge fan of bright colors, seeing as I can never quite figure out how to wear them well. They do look fabulous on most people though!)

History

So, a little history first (mostly thanks to Wikipedia, there’s no way I would know all this off the top of my head): the 1960s were a decade of change in fashion, when focus shifted more to the modern, teenaged consumer (and mini dresses and skirts were popularized). The early and mid-sixties saw style inspired by fashion greats such as Audrey Hepburn and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who was responsible for the craze surrounding the iconic pillbox hat. Her personal style reflected fashion trends from the beginning of the decade: shift dresses and boxy, geometric shapes, with big buttons and straight, simple tailoring. The “space look” also came into vogue in 1964, taking Jackie O’s classic style one step further with sleek boots and accents like PVC and sequins.

Later, the Mod look (iconized by Twiggy) surfaced in Britain, and women began opting for clean, slim fits and simple hairstyles. The “Mods” also paved the way for a slightly different approach to the sixties fashion that had defined the beginning of the decade: richer fabrics like velvet, psychedelic prints, and more relaxed silhouettes became more common. By the time the sixties were over, popular fashion had transitioned into the hippie style that marked the 1970s, with loose blouses and bell-bottom jeans.

1960s supermodel Coleen Corby. The hair and makeup = absolute perfection.

Kudos to you if you actually read all that — but hopefully it gives you some basic idea of the incredible amount of fashion that emerged throughout the decade. I also wanted to note how much I love the beauty trends from the 1960s — the flippy Bridgitte Bardot-style hair and smudged smokey eye were also common during the decade, along with more futuristic beauty trends.

Runway

History lesson aside, the Fall 2011 ready-to-wear runways were replete with 1960s-inspired fashion. With so many key styles having emerged from that decade, it was almost difficult to find a show without any clothing or accessories designed in the sixties style. Here are some of my favorites:

I loved how Alberta Ferreti and Carolina Herrera showcased classic sixties cuts in an array of fresh, bright colors. The tailoring was absolutely stunning, and the patterned details and fun boots at Alberta Ferreti also helped bring key elements of 1960s fashion to the runway. Dolce & Gabbana and D&G played with a basic dress silhouette, experimenting with sequins, prints, and bold hues. The low neckline in the center Dolce & Gabbana image is especially sixties-inspired.

The great thing about sixties-inspired fashion is that it is incredibly wearable, not to mention versatile, for fall. You won’t be finding too many outrageous pieces that would be impossible to pull off. Calvin Klein and Balenciaga both featured very simple silhouettes that are perfect basics and all-around wardrobe staples, sixties-inspired or not. Chloé and Banana Republic followed suit, with pieces that were chic and cozy for fall. Miu Miu, however, had to be my favorite show of the bunch. With absolutely gorgeous shapes and simple but luxurious touches, all the pieces on the runway were stunning.

Although all bright colors have been making a comeback this fall, orange seemed especially popular on the runways this year and was used by many designers. The Aquascutum show featured the color in many of its looks, and Burberry Prorsum also played with the hue. Although orange has never been my favorite color (indeed, I do not own a single piece of orange clothing), it looked decidedly chic on the runways, especially when paired with neutrals. I also had to featured J. Crew here because it’s one of my favorite stores on the planet. The fall collection seemed to have a bit more of a vintage feel than the other sixties-inspired ones, but the pieces all featured careful tailoring and rich colors nonetheless.

Editorial

There are some fantastic editorials out this fall that showcase clean silhouettes and bright colors. Just as a little inspiration, here are some of my favorites!

Karlie Kloss by Arthur Elgort for Vogue Nippon | via Fashion Screen | see more >>

Tiiu Kuik by Koray Birand for Harper’s Bazaar Turkey | via Fashion Gone Rogue | see more >>

Fei Fei Sun & Ming Xi by Stockton Johnson for Vogue China | via Fashion Gone Rogue | see more >>

Natalia Vodianova by Mert & Marcus for Vogue | via Fashion Gone Rogue | see more >>

I absolutely LOVE the last editorial with Natalia — she always looks so stunning, and the styling (by Grace Coddington) and beauty could not be more perfect. The mood of the photographs is wonderful, do check out the rest of the editorial if you have the chance!

And the question remains: what do you think of the 1960s fashion trend for fall? Hopefully I’ll get a shopping and styling guide for this trend up soon!

P.S. Who’s been keeping up with this season of Project Runway??

{Sources: Street style photo by Tommy Ton for Jak & Jil; Coleen Corby image via Wikipedia; all runway photos via style.com; Karlie Kloss photographed by Arthurt Elgort via Fashion Screen; Tiiu Kuik photographed by Koray Birand via Fashion Gone Rogue; Natalia Vodianova photographed by Mert & Marcus via Fashion Gone Rogue}

Spring 2011 Series | Runway Review, Part III

In this installment: Chloé, Helmut Lang, and Lanvin. All three had stunning collections with some truly beautiful pieces that showcased the minimalist trend for Spring with an unparalleled elegance. From perfect tailoring to beautiful color palettes to wispy fabrics, these collections were among some of my favorites.

Chloé

The Chloé show was full of simple, beautifully crafted pieces in a very muted color palette. I personally found the looks very refreshing, and they all still carried the Chloé je ne sais quoi: that spark of casual elegance that makes their pieces seem light and wearable, while still remaining within the realm of classic cuts.

The dresses and skirts were particularly striking. I loved the length — just below the knee is always ladylike. The full skirts are playful and chic, and the lightly pleated sheer fabric is absolutely heavenly.

Chloé also took on white for spring in its usual classic fashion. I loved both the looks on the right and left — the crisp, fitted silhouette with small draped details is gorgeous in its simplicity. I also really like the idea of making an all-white ensemble pop with an unexpected bright red flat.

Helmut Lang

The silhouettes at Helmut Lang were just as divine as those at Chloé, but with slightly looser and more casual fits. I found this collection to be very wearable. There were some great tailored pieces and chic blazers, but there were also some very simple dresses pulled together with careful draping. Again, I loved the colors — basic white and gray, with a light peach and a pop of red. Perfect for spring.

Lanvin

Lanvin took on a darker color palette than Chloé and Helmut Lang, but still showcased pieces that were wearable in warmer weather. The details were a bit richer and more extravagant (although not overly so), but the silhouettes and cuts of the clothes remained similar to those from the other two collections.

I loved the pops of deep pink on the runway — the dress on the left was one of my favorite pieces for spring. The colorblock trend is back this year with plenty of bold hues, and the pairing of raspberry and fuchsia on a one-shoulder dress looked amazing.

There was plenty more pink left in the show, too! It’s a great color for spring — something not as heavy as red, but still fun and flirty nonetheless. (Kind of like honeysuckle pink, which is, incidentally, Pantone’s “Color of the Year” for 2011…). Side note: doesn’t Karlie Kloss look absolutely stunning?

So, to recap: Crisp, beautiful tailoring. Fitted silhouettes. Full, flowing skirts. Sheer and silky fabrics. Natural colors with pops of bright pink and red.

What did you think of the Chloé, Helmut Lang, and Lanvin spring ready-to-wear collections?

{Sources: Chloé show photographed by Monica Feudi/GoRunway.com, accessed via style.com. Helmut Lang show photographed by Dusan Reljin/Management Artists, accessed via style.com. Lanvin show photographed by Yannis Vlamos/GoRunway.com, accessed via style.com}

Spring 2011 Series | Runway Review, Part II

I started this series a while ago (in January, to be precise) to showcase looks from the Spring/Summer 2011 ready-to-wear shows. And spring is coming up fast now! The goal from these posts is to draw inspiration from these looks, not necessarily try to replicate them exactly. Ashley from 2 Eyes In The Mirror mentioned in a comment on the first runway post that Hermès was her favorite show “hands-down,” so I’ve made sure to include it here! I’ve paired it with Ralph Lauren and Emilio Pucci to keep up the Western theme for spring.

Ralph Lauren

The Ralph Lauren show made very good use of the color white. It was similar to that at Dolce & Gabbana but with a Western twist. Swap out the floaty blouses and shorts for more structured shirts and high-collared dresses and throw in some leather belts and you’re good to go.

I found a lot of the clothes at Ralph Lauren to be pretty wearable, or at least easy to translate into everyday wear. I really liked the light floral prints for dresses, classic button-downs, and wide belts, although, granted, a lot of the basic silhouettes were exaggerated on the runway (read: pouffy sleeves).

Emilio Pucci

I loved the really rich and vibrant colors on the Emilio Pucci runway, as well as the many gorgeous and flowing dress shapes. The hair and makeup was beautiful and perfect for spring, with hair a little messy and undone, but still shiny and healthy, and a natural, bronzed face. (More beauty shots can be found in the details here.)

My favorite look from the entire show was the orange dress on the left. I’m usually not a big fan of orange, but it looked fantastic with the leather boots turquoise bracelets. The soft pleats on the fabric were also a big plus! I can’t see myself ever wearing something like this in real life, but I do love the color combination of leather/warm brown and turquoise, as well as the slightly sheer fabric for blouses.

I thought the look above left most easily translated into everyday — the leather jacket over the floaty spring dress is a classic combination for transitioning into the hotter weather if toned down a bit from the runway version.

Hermès

This show was incredible and I can see why it was Ashley’s favorite. I loved the sharp tailoring, color scheme, leather details, and the entire runway set. While some of the looks are not something I could ever see myself wearing, the riding pants are Hermès were perfect. We’ve seen riding pants a lot this year in fashion, and it’s great to see that Hermès is continuing the trend in the spring.

I also thought that Hermès was able to pull off the monochromatic trend quite subtly in some of its looks. Top left, Abbey Lee Kershaw looks very ladylike in high-waisted paper bag trousers and a tucked in tee. The black-on-black ensembles that popped up every so often on the runway made great use of different textures (sheer, leather, silk…) to differentiate between individual pieces (we also see this concept bottom right with the light cream outfit worn by Jac).

What do you think of the Western-style ready-to-wear looks at Ralph Lauren, Emilio Pucci, and Hermès?

{Sources: Ralph Lauren and Emilio Pucci runway photos photographed by Monica Feudi/GoRunway.com, accessed via Style.com. Hermès runway photos by Yannis Vlamos/GoRunway.com, accessed via Style.com.}

 

Spring 2011 Series | Runway Review, Part I

Before I begin this post, I want to share a comment that the lovely Ari from The Path Before Forever left on my post that introduced this series:

I’m honestly not a big fashion person but that’s actually something I want to work on — I’m still trying to find my own style. I can’t stand blogs that try to tell you what you can and can’t wear, or only showcase runway styles that are impossible to even try to imitate in the real world, but I love what you have here. Nice job, I’m looking forward to it!

First of all, thank you for your wonderful comment, Ari!

Secondly, I agree completely. I like to look to the runways for inspiration, but in my opinion, runway shows are almost an art form — something to be appreciated and admired, but not fully imitated on a day-to-day basis. If I ever incorporate runway looks (in terms of inspiration, not buying YSL trench coats) into my wardrobe, its because I’ve found a component of the show that I liked and that appealed to my style, an idea that I wanted to try and pull off myself. You may have your own opinions on runway shows, but mine is thus: take it for what it is — fashion inspiration and appreciation.

So in this series, I will have some “Runway Review” posts featuring a handful of my favorite shows and looks. Let me know what your take on the looks are, and if you see any ideas that appeal to you for spring!

Yves Saint Laurent

I really enjoying the beautiful tailoring and simplicity of the YSL show. Many of the Spring 2011 ready-to-wear runway shows were all about classic, dramatic tailoring and the reinterpretation of minimalism. Bold colors were also a key component of the shows, and the clothes at YSL embodied both aspects for spring. One of my favorite pieces was the sleeveless trench coat in the center (above). It looks so simple, yet completely chic, just thrown on by itself with a pair of metallic gladiators and some bold lipstick.

The center look (above) is a great example of sleek, chic tailoring. I also love the choice of navy blue – it’s a little unexpected, but it looks very classic. And Abbey Lee is rocking that jacket!

Yves Saint Laurent nailed the outwear, in my opinion. The white trench is chic without looking like a hospital gown, thanks to the wide, floppy collar. The navy coat also takes on the exaggerated color for a dramatic silhouette. With the new minimalism, the shape of garments becomes so much more critical and I think that YSL had some great pieces that were a perfect example of good tailoring.

Dolce & Gabbana

The Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2011 ready-to-wear show was one of my favorites of the season. Everything was floaty, feminine, and beautiful — nothing short of what we would expect for Dolce & Gabbana, of course. I loved the lace and references to classic lingerie silhouettes. Overall, it was a stunning show with pieces that were simple in color but intricate in design.

There were also some beautiful dresses on the runway. I loved the longer dresses, especially the form-fitting ones. And the shorts, too! The white bloomer shorts were a great addition to the show, and very flirty and playful for Spring. Dolce & Gabbana did white right for this show and, without making it seem too bridal-like, they created some excellent pieces that are the perfect inspiration for a light and pretty Spring wardrobe.

Givenchy

I have always liked Givenchy, especially after its standout couture collection for Fall 2010 (that had plenty of lace and intricate detailing without being too over-the-top). The clothes at this show were simple, following Spring’s minimalist trend. I especially loved the oversized blazers (including the sleeveless version, top right). And look, plenty of sheer skirts!

What do you think of the Spring 2011 ready-to-wear looks at YSL, Dolce & Gabbana, and Givenchy?

{Source: Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy runway images by Monica Feudi/GoRunway.com, accessed via Style.com. Dolce & Gabbana runway images by Yannis Vlamos/GoRunway.com, accessed via Style.com.}