Paris Fall ’12 Fashion Week: My Top 4!

Paris fall fashion week this season completely shocked me. I always look to the city of lights for the reveal of the coolest trends for the upcoming fashion season. But for Fall ’12, the city’s fashion week was an utter tragedy.

A disturbingly large amount of the collections (mainly from big name labels, mind you) were outdated, outrageous and just strange. Even my favorite designers disappointed me.

Milan fashion week and NYFW definitely had fashion month in the bag….

Anyway, it was quite easy to pick four favorite collections.

Here we go:

4. Balmain

Newbie designer Olivier Rousteing has been doing a great job upholding the Balmain name after Christophe Decarnin’s depature, and his latest collection is no different. His collection was all about extensive detail with influence deriving from Elizabeth Taylor Faberge egg collection – cool right? I loved the baroque detailing combined with the modern-day leather accents that gave the looks a unique edge.

Click here to view the full collection!

3. Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney’s fall collection was the epitome of effortlessly chic. The dresses were breezy, the coats were structured and the looks were playful and fun to look at. The brocade details were interesting and the glints of gold highlights made the looks feel rich. I also enjoyed the sporty silhouettes that the designer is known for – it was subdued hint to the upcoming London Olympics. It is a very polished collection that will suit any woman who is confident and flirty.

Click here to view the full collection!

Milan Fall ’12 Fashion Week: My Top 4!

Milan truly brought it this season with strong collections that ranged from commercial to avant-garde and everything in between. The collections had a classic Italian femininity, with some designers using that aesthetic and toughening it up a bit. So far, Milan is definitely having the strongest fashion week!

I present to you my top four collections below:

4. Francesco Scognamiglio

I usually overlook this label but this season I fell in love with the collection’s menswear-inspired looks. The runway show reminded me of a top European fashion editor’s closet – filled with cigarette pants, flowy printed blouses, leather skirts, sheer accents and a no-nonsense attitude. The collection was also very commercial compared to other shows in Milan, which I liked because it was not overwhelming. I look forward to see what he does next!

View the full collection here!

3. Gucci

I am a big fan of Gucci, so Frida Giannini’s collections will almost always make my runway picks for Milan. This season, she took it back to the 19th century, with dark and romantic Victorian-inspired looks. This collection embodied Fall to the fullest, with heavy fabrics like velvet, wool and leather. I enjoyed the hints of menswear throughout the show while still maintaining the vampy aesthetic that Gucci is known for.

View the full collection here!

London Fall ’12 Fashion Week: My Top 3!

London’s fashion week has just wrapped up with Milan now picking up the speed. I look to London for quirky and fun looks, but the Fall ’12 collections shown this season were surprisingly forgettable.

But I did find three collections that caught my eye!

(I’ve had a falling out with Burberry’s collections a while ago, so don’t expect that name to pop up here…)

3. Dion Lee

I’ve never heard of this label beforehand, but the futuristic cutouts, minimal silhouettes and stark colors of Dion Lee’s collection definitely piqued my interest! While the collection is body-conscious, it is not overtly sexual. For the designer to find and hone in that difficult balance is amazing.

Click here to view the full collection!

2. Mary Katrantzou

From the 3-D like patterns to the immaculate and architectural construction, Mary Katrantzou’s Fall ’12 collection was very intense! The looks were all very risky but none failed due to Katrantzou’s immense talent of designing. I loved the original silhouettes she created; I can’t recall seeing them anywhere else. The intense color schemes packed a serious punch. This collection was strictly British, which I loved!

Click here to view the full collection!

Read on to see my number one pick!

New York Fall ’12 Fashion Week: My Top 9 (Part Two)!

I reviewed my favorite collections (from nine through six) earlier, and now I present to you my top five collections from Fall ’12 New York Fashion Week!

Here we go!

5. Alexander Wang

It has been interesting to see how Wang has turned his brand from a downtown secret to a worldwide phenomenon. But this transition has not been easy, as Wang seemed to have lost his street-inspired edge. But his F/W collection reflected a hint of his past aesthetic, with its utilitarian theme and risky fabric use.

View the full collection here! 

4. Theyskens’ Theory

This brand brings it season after season with seriously cool and city-ready pieces that any girl would kill to have in her wardrobe. This season’s collections adds a bit of glam with its glizty tops and metallic threads. It is very contemporary but in no way commercial; buyers will definitely eat this collection up!

View the full collection here!