Oh la la LANVIN

I can barely contain my excitement for the upcoming H&M designer collaboration with Lanvin--j'adore!  This week more information, photos, and videos have been released for the collection, which comes out in select H&M stores on November 20.  The clothes look DIVINE--pure Lanvin at a reasonable price point!  Nearly every item is a direct replica of a Lanvin runway look, which typically run in the $2000 - $3,000 range.  The line is higher than the usual H&M pricing ($100-$250 for dresses), but according to Lanvin's designer, Alber Elbaz, it is better quality.  He explains "It wasn’t about Lanvin going lower priced; it was about H&M going to the luxury business."  Here are a few of the styles from the lookbook (on the fabulous Irina Lazareanu) against their runway counterparts. 


Lanvin for H&M dress, $199



Lanvin Pre Fall 2009



Lanvin for H&M dress, $199



Lanvin Spring 2008


 

Lanvin for H&M dress, $199



Lanvin Spring 2008


   

Lanvin for H&M dress, $149



Lanvin Fall 2008


 

Lanvin for H&M dress, $199



Lanvin Spring 2008





Lanvin Spring 2009



Lanvin for H&M necklace, $39.95



Lanvin for H&M shoes, $99



Lanvin Spring 2009


You can get a better look at the clothes in this promo video (plus it is entertaining).

Runway Beauty D.I.Y.: Louis Vuitton

On Louis Vuitton's spring runway, the beauty look was all glitz and glam, augmenting the chinioserie chic and flapperific dresses.  High drama, rendered in shimmer and shine...what's not to love?  The deep aubergine eye and glossy wine lip is definitely an evening look, but it is still wearable.  In real life, I would probably pair the heavy eye with a minimal lip, or vice versa.

This look requires a fully equipped makeup arsenal, BUT you can easily make substitutions (as I had to do) to achieve a similar effect.  I began with a matte foundation finish, devoid of any blush, bronzer, or shimmer.  I prepped my eyelids with a primer, then applied a thin line of black liquid eye liner on the inner rims of my eyes.  Next, I applied a burgundy eye shadow to my crease line, and blended up to just under my brow.  I applied the same color under my lower lashes.  Then I took a shimmery gold shadow and applied it heavily to the inner half of my lid, and blended it out to meet the burgundy shadow.  The burgundy shadow did not give my eye enough depth, so I layered on a dark plum to further contour my eye area, using it just in the crease, outer corner, and under my eye.  Next, I brushed a shimmery white gold shadow into the inner corner to brighten the eye.  Finally, I applied mascara.  I had to get creative for my lips, because I do not own a shade comparable to the deep Vuitton color.  I applied a sheer wine lipstick as heavily as possible, then blended dark plum eye shadow and clear gloss to finish it off.

The Ombre Mani

Ombre gradation has been in vogue for several seasons now, applied to nearly every clothing and accessory item imaginable, and even emerging as a hair color trend.  Even though it's frequented runways and stores for a solid two years, the gradation trend lives on, as evidenced by the ombre fabrics at Dries van Noten and Alexander McQueen's latest shows.

Dries van Noten Spring 2011

Alexander McQueen Spring 2011

I love a good gradient, but had never considered how chic it could look on nails until I spotted this ombre manicure in Marie Claire magazine.

I tried to duplicate this look using similar magenta and black polishes, but the sky's the limit when it comes to selecting colors.  Creating this effect was a little tricky.  I began by applying one coat of magenta polish to all my nails and allowing it them to dry.  Next, I applied black polish to the upper third of my nail.  While the black was still wet, I then switched back to the magenta polish brush and swept the black down the nail, allowing it to mix with the magenta polish on the brush.  I alternated between blending with the black brush and magenta brush until a smooth gradient was achieved.

 

Style Icon: Miroslava Duma

Miroslava Duma is not a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.  Instead, the fashion editor for Harpar's Bazaar Russia favors feminine dresses, tailored coats, and luxe suits, all cinched with her trademark extra-long belt.  I love that Miroslava does not confine herself to one style--she experiments with classic and modern pieces, creating a head-to-toe polished look.



    

 

Recently Miroslava had a baby, and her maternity wardrobe was EPIC.  She substituted flats for her usual stillettos, but did not give up her figure-defining belts.

Spring 2011 Fashion Week: Paris Honorable Mentions

These fabulous looks were some of my favorites from Paris, falling just short of my top five list.  From the tailored dresses at Yves Saint Laurent to the deconstructed pajamas at Haider Ackerman, spring styles pulled from a variety of influences.  Despite the disparities, spring lines generally were long and loose, featuring strong color.  Louis Vuitton, John Galliano, and Dries van Noten incorporated Asian prints into some of their pieces, which may emerge as one of spring's breakout trends.
 

Dries van Noten

Christian Dior



 

John Galliano

Yves Saint Laurent





Haider Ackerman

Guy Laroche

Louis Vuitton

Givenchy



Runway Beauty D.I.Y.: Giorgio Armani

The beauty look at Giorgio Armani's spring show was simple and seductive.  All the inky blue and black frocks were enhanced by a smoky navy eye and dramatic turban.  The blue eye was a fresh alternative to a black-lined look, and really made the models' eyes pop.

I recreated the look using a navy shadow by Urban Decay which contained a little bit of shimmer.  First, I lightly lined the inner  rims of my eyes with a black eye liner.  This step could be eliminated, but it does give the eye some extra definition.  Next, I started working the navy shadow into my lower lash line, and pulling the line out horizontally to give that eye-widening effect.  The line on my upper lash line was fainter, and blended out over about half my lid.  The Armani eyes also darkened the crease, but only on the inner half of the eye.  This is the reverse of what I typically do when accenting the crease, but I think the idea was to offset the strong lower outer corner with a strong upper inner corner.  To finish off the eyes, I swept on a light coat of mascara and used a little eye brow gel.  For the rest of my face, I highlighted the top of my cheekbones and applied a little bronzer underneath them.

 

Spring 2011 Fashion Week: Paris

I wish I could cover all my favorites from Paris, but there were simply too many.  My top ten from this season include Chanel, Viktor & Rolf, Lanvin, Celine, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Haider Ackerman, Louis Vuitton, Dries van Noten, and John Galliano.  I've already covered McQueen, and below is the rest of my short list, rounding out my top five.

CHANEL
Karl Lagerfeld really outdid himself with this collection, creating both gorgeous separates and gowns that would look great on women of all ages.  The show itself was spectacular (worth checking out here), located in the Grand Palais, featuring 88 looks, which were accompanied by an 80-piece orchestra playing Bjork.  Amazing!  Karl showed classic Chanel suits and dresses, but updated them with perforated textiles and feather trims.  The standout accessories included laser-cut fingerless gloves, lucite cuffs, and tangled webs of necklaces that looked modern, but stayed true to the Chanel aesthetic.  I sincerely hope someone knocks off those gloves soon, because I need them in my life.  The only real shortcoming of the collection was the shoes, which were rather unfortunate looking.





VIKTOR & ROLF
Viktor Horsting & Rolf Snoeren like to have fun with fashion, creating very whimsical, dramatic looks that aren't always wearable.  This season they produced the best of both worlds--a conceptual collection with very sellable pieces.  They took the idea of a classic white button down shirt and exploded it, collaring and cuffing every shirt, dress, and even pants.  The final looks took the button down shirt into new territory--bridal.  The overall effect was fresh, showcasing the duo's talent in creating crisp separates, sculptural gowns, and eye-catching accessories.

LANVIN
This was a darker, moodier collection for Alber Elbaz than his typical colorful, gown-heavy showing.  Alber showcased more separates and daywear than usual, but my favorites were still the flowing silk chiffon gowns.  The utilitarian color palette, styled with leather harnesses and warrior-like embellishments, gave the feminine cuts and fabrics an edge.  The looks would be perfect for the woman who wants to look both tough and beautiful.

CELINE
Celine has developed a cult following in the past two years, thanks to Phoebe Philo's modern minimalist vision.  This collection was true to form, comprising of chic daywear that a working woman could build her entire wardrobe from. The cuts were less tailored than typical for Celine--the shirts more tunic-like, the pants a bit wider and lower--giving each look an ease and sophistication.