Fashion Month gave us a lot to think about in the beauty department -- and test out.
These coats are so bright, we can see them all the way from across the pond.
London went beyond the call of duty with Heathers references to so-bad-it's-good rebel chic.
In a season where knit dresses have already proven to be such a mainstay, all eyes were on Mark Fast--the man who started it all. And as expected, he fully bucked the trend of preppy collared pastel knits, instead presenting a goth-raver collection inspired by the 1995 party scene.
International Talent Support (ITS), held annually in Italy, may just be the biggest international fashion competition for young designers you've never heard of. Well, let us get you acquainted. The highly competitive two-day event, which happened this past weekend in the small Italian seaport of Trieste, offers winners scholarships, and more importantly, exposure to fashion's upper echelons. Mark Fast and Peter Pilotto, for instance, are among the competition's recent notable winners. Many of the past finalists have since landed lofty positions at luxury brands like Givenchy, Margiela, Celine, and more. Read on to meet this year's most promising winners.
Playing the name game in London is far from easy: So many cool young designers, so many unusual names, and only a week to make sense of them all. It’s largely due to the aversion many Brit design talents have to being crafted into the sort of the fashion celebs we adore stateside. No worries; the clothes spoke volumes for themselves, as London dialed down the quirked, and turned out one of the most sophisticated seasons in recent years. See for yourself!
London Fashion Week may be short, but that doesn't mean it's any less packed with amazing shows. This time around, we checked out Acne's country-cool girls, Peter Pilotto's graphic prints, and Mark Fast's retro hip hop runway--and now it's your turn!
The Clothes: Super tight mini dresses, often with Mark Fast's signature open weave and lots of fringe. Colors ranged from black and berry to the icies
Couldn't make it to London fashion week? NBD. It's already in full swing and we've got you covered so you can watch (most of) it from the comfort of your couch. So what are you waiting for? Grab some ice cream, put on your best pair of Louboutins with your Target pajamas, and open up your lap top to sit front row to take in London's finest on live stream. Bonus point for those who wake up early enough to catch all of them!
Carey Mulligan Got Married in Prada... and Pink Wellies: Raaain on your wedding day... will force you to wear galoshes. Carey Mulligan eschewed bespoke Christian Louboutin blue-soled bridal pumps, opting for a pair of pink Wellies due to inclement weather. {Fabsugar UK} Vena Cava Talks LF USA Partnership, Cat Food: The folks over at Refinery 29 sat down with Vena Cava designers Sophie Buhai and Lisa Maycock to talk about how LF USA saved their brand, and future plans for their label, which could include cat food. {Refinery 29} Lady Grantham Lost Her Luggage: The Downton Abbey star says that on her way to the premiere of her new movie, Cheerful for the Wedding, her luggage (which included her dress for the event) got lost. Thankfully, Project Runway alum Daniel Vosovic was on hand to lend Ms. McGovern an LBD for the occasion. {Page Six}
We reported a few weeks ago that Christian Louboutin designed shoes and helped create "tableaux" for the famous Parisian cabaret, Crazy Horse. The s
London fashion week is officially over, but we've got one last round of shows and reviews for you! Take a look at Pringle of Scotland's sophisticate
Call it intuition, call it fashion ESP, call it whatever you want. But when we predicted the Mark Fast show would pack a London style star-studded front row, we were right. The grand line-up included model Portia Freeman, TV presenter Zara Martin, stylist Grace Woodward and finally singers Mollie King (The Saturdays), Nicola Roberts (Girls Aloud) and Marina Diamandis. And the man sitting in the midst of all these lovely British beauties? None other than Mr. Kanye West, who pretty much avoided all the high octane, spotlight shows in London this season. (Too busy prepping his collection, maybe?) If there’s one word to sum up Mark Fast’s aesthetic, it’s haute knitwear. He’s got the ability to make crocheted knits appear less grandma and more glamma (OK, sorry for that one.)
Is Beyoncé delivering her baby right now? We have no idea, but the media cannot contain its excitement over the impending arrival of baby Bey-Z. Though it is only Beyoncé's closest family and friends who know for sure if she's delivering today, we decided to take a look back at the diva's most fabulous maternity looks-- just in case she's already popped!
London fashion week was a whirlwind of shows, and we had a great time covering them. Besides being an incubator for original fashion, London designers are also not afraid to work a LOOK on their models, making for the best beauty-ogling of all the fashion weeks. From Vivienne Westwood (at left), who is not afraid of, well, anything, to more subtle yet never boring looks, we loved the beauty in London. This is all about the drama. You need a certain amount of self-confidence to pull many of these off, but we encourage you to try! Click through for our 10 favorite looks from London.
Preview Lauren Conrad's Fall 2011 Line For Kohl's: Filled with floaty blush-toned blouses and pleated skirts, the fall Lauren Conrad for Kohl's line screams LC without the Paper Crown pricetag. {Examiner} Video: Behind-The-Scenes of NYMag's Andrej Pejic Cover: Go behind the photographer's lens of NYMag's fall fashion issue and watch Pejic and other cover stars Issebella Rossellinni and Elettra Wiedemann, China Machado and Shala Monroque do their thang. {The Cut} First Look at Mark Fast For Aldo: Going off the sketch of a fringed wedge sandal, it looks like the collection might not be out until next resort (though there's no official word). We'll wait, since it sounds awesome: Fast described it as "sexy, strong, fierce African fabulousness." {Catwalk Queen}
TORONTO--It was a warm homecoming for Canadian designer Mark Fast who presented his Fall/Winter 2011 collection, which originally walked the runway at London Fashion Week, for the first time on Canadian soil after six successful seasons abroad. Fast and Toronto-based designer Mikhael Kale shared the runway inside the intimate and unfinished ballroom of Toronto's soon-to-be Trump Tower. Twisting the usual fashion routine, the show opened with a casual chat between the two designers and Jeanne Beker, host of Fashion Television. When asked how the idea for the runway show came to be, Kale expressed the genuine camaraderie amongst Canadian designers and the natural partnership between friends.
The things designers do with crystals is pretty incredible. Swarovski, the 160-year-old Austrian family-run company, spotlights their talents each season with Atelier Swarovski, a jewelry collection comprised of pieces created by some of the world's most exciting designers in fashion, costumes, and architecture.
LONDON--How would Mark Fast follow up his fringe spectacular from last season? With the introduction of new materials and volume, it seems. The young Canadian designer kicked things off with a cloudy-day-gray coat with massive, football pad-like shoulders, showcasing his new use of Merino wool alongside all the elastane. He tried leather for the first time too, in mac-style dresses with hoods, drawstring waists, back-cutouts and extra-long straitjacket sleeves. More S&M than sensual, they did little to accentuate his models' curves in the mode of his signature spiderweb knit dresses.
Julia Restoin Roitfeld sat front row at Mark Fast's Spring 2011 runway show in London, but it wasn't just because she's a fan. Indeed, the art director/Lancome spokesmodel has been consulting for Fast's diffusion line Faster. This lookbook features the first collection Roitfeld worked on. We see Roitfeld's influence in the graffiti background, and maybe in the season's signature color: plum. But in truth, Fast's clothes don't really change much season upon season, particularly not his basics line. And that's okay. Because it's better to be known for something than nothing at all. Click through to browse the lookbook.
Never Let Me Go stars Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan looked lovely at the film's European premiere. A platinum-haired Michele Williams wore a gorgeous Erdem number with leopard print pumps. Caroline Sieber looked chic in Mark Fast. And Selita Ebanks rocked an intense Ferragamo frock.
Fringe has played a big role at the London shows, and knitwear king Mark Fast got in on the fun for Spring 2011. The Canadian born designer, whose body-con spider web dresses have made quite the impression on the fashion industry, only tweaked his signature look slightly for spring, adding in some extravagant fringe--made from horsehair?--more than a few crystals--provided by Swarovski, natch--and a bit of patent leather thrown in for good measure. Was it revolutionary? Certainly not. But Fast is establishing a signature look. For a young designer, sometimes that's more important than shocking the audience each season.