Resort 2011 New York

Markus Lupfer is another one of these great London-based designers poised to break into the American market in a big way. His fun, knitwear-heavy line is sold in several stores in the UK, Shopbop, Net-a-porter, Opening Ceremony, and has just been picked up by Neiman Marcus and Barneys—perhaps two of the most important retail doors this side of the Atlantic Ocean. He has done collaborations with Cacharel and Mulberry and found fans in girls like Daisy Lowe, Lily Allen, Alexa Chung and Florence Welch. The latter actually starred in Markus’ latest project, a short film directed by Tabitha Denholm, in which Welch, Irina Lazareanu, Sadie Frost, Mary Charteris, Valentine Fillol-Cordier, Margo Stilley, Jan DeVilleneuve, Liddie Holt and Gary Card, play characters with bizarre afflictions and personality disorders. Called The Puzzle of the Mysterious Mind, the humorous, tongue-in-cheek film is meant to have the feel of a ‘60s mockumentary. Florence, for example, plays an extreme clothes hoarder while Irina is globophobic, meaning she has a fear of balloons. Each character is dressed to the nines in Markus Lupfer resort, which we got to see up close at Monday night’s screening event at the Mondrian Soho penthouse. There are many of his signature knits with fun stripes and colorful sequined embroidery, like trompe l’oeil belts and red-lipped mouths, plus a few great mini dresses.

As big Rachel Comey fans, we were super excited to see what she had in store for resort. We ended up getting more than we bargained for with this gem of a look book. Unfortunately, the clothes were a little difficult to pay attention to at first given all the other weird things going on in each photograph, such as: -Little sleeping masks made of red and blue doilies -Smurf-esque bright orange cartoon hair with seafoam green eyeshadow and what looks like a sunflower beard -An inexplicable fringe face mask -A model brushing her face with a very large feather -A model sitting in a chair and staring into a bowling ball -A model gently holding a prosthetic hand for no apparent reason -Several models just making creepy poses with their backs to the camera

As much as Prabal may have deserved it, I have to admit I was a little bummed that Joseph Altuzarra didn't win the coveted Swarovski Award for Womenswear at this year's CFDA's (he was our prediction). Of course, being nominated for something so prestigious is almost as significant as winning, and the loss clearly hasn't hindered the designer in the least. Altuzarra presented his first ever resort collection this week and we got to get up close and personal with it at his showroom yesterday. That after a mere two years in the biz, he is able to do a full resort collection is a testament to Altuzarra's talent and inevitable continued success, especially given how awesome this collection is.

Peter Pilotto's Pre-Spring 2012 look book recently hit our inboxes and we are kind of in love. Unlike many of the resort shows we've seen this week, Pilotto and Christopher De Vos did not give us a single shred of black, white or neutral. Everything is a bright spectrum of primary colors and aside from a blue pantsuit and pair of yellow trousers, every piece is a print. We always admire when a designer doesn't stay completely safe with a resort collection, and this is an example of that. Still, despite the boldness of the at times clashing prints, the silhouettes are all pretty classic and wearable, including various short shifts, A-line skirts and dresses (with pockets!), pencil skirts and tailored trousers. Click through for images!

The fashion crowd got transported outside of New York for a sec at yesterday evening's Stella McCartney Spring 2012 "presentation." I put the word "presentation" in quotes because it was really a party, held in the idyllic Garden of St. Luke in the Fields in the West Village. Once I got past the paparazzi (seriously) and walked down the little cobblestone path into the charming walled park, it felt like I had left the city and entered the secret garden. On my way to the party, I found a couple of guys playing music (they are probably some really hip band I don't know about), followed by a small clearing with a selection beautiful accessories arranged on shabby wooden benches so casually that I am actually surprised nothing got stolen (those shoes were beyond amazing and I'm pretty sure no one was looking after them).

Erin Fetherston is a girl's girl through and through, and for the resort/holiday collection she delivered exactly what the most feminine could desire. In the constant cycle of collections it's easy to overlook the purpose of a line, namely, to clothe the body. When searching for a New Year's dress or a light frock for a post-holiday vacation, it's likely that the search will lean more towards fun and functional than the conceptual artistry of the larger main collections. With Fetherston's diffusion line, Erin by Erin Fetherston, which debuted for fall 2011, she sought to give girls just that. "It wasn't so much a conceptual line, like the major spring and fall collections. I wanted to experiment with different fun fabrics but make something that could transition from holiday weather to spring," she said. Centering around staple party dresses at more affordable prices (no item exceeds $695, and the average price is about $375), the line is a perfect mix of transitional yet seasonal pieces and avoids the wear-it-once demon that may set you back more than a one-night dress should.

Tribune Standard is a promising new line from designer Tawfik Mounayer. In this case, we don’t use the word promising lightly. Resort is only the designer’s second collection under his own label and the quality, attention to detail, and clear vision shown is at a level way beyond that of someone so new to the game. This is because Tawfik is somewhat of a veteran, having worked for Gap, Ann Taylor, Isaac Mizrahi for Target and, most recently, served as vice president of design at Liz Claiborne. Tawfik has successfully taken everything he’s learned at these mega-brands and channeled it into a focused contemporary label that’s getting lots of positive attention.

Jason Wu’s Pre Fall 2011 collection was inspired by Elegance: The Seeberger Brothers and the Birth of Fashion Photography, a book of photographs by the Seeberger brothers, who were essentially the Scott Schuman and Tommy Ton of the early twentieth century. Everything from the glamorous dresses to the black and white of the pictures made its way into the ladylike collection. The colors are, compared to past collections, subtle, and gorgeous. There is an art deco feel to many of the pieces, including a blouse and shift dress with shimmering beading on the collar (photos don't do the sparkle justice). There is a black leather dress that somehow looks more ladylike than tough. There are several skirts that are begging to be worn by Blair Waldorf and a pale green gown that belongs on a red carpet. To me, the most lust-worthy pieces (and there were many) were the coats.

Yesterday I stopped by Catherine Malandrino's showroom in the Garment District to check out her Holiday/Resort 2010/11 collections for "Catherine Malandrino," which is at a contemporary price point, as well as "Malandrino," her designer price point line. It was fitting that Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair" was blasting in the showroom, as the designer and the R&B star have become besties. Malandrino showed her latest "Malandrino" Resort collection on the runway at MoMA this past June to benefit Mary J's FFAWN charity--that stands for Foundation for the Achievement of Women Now--and the duo teamed up to design a capsule collection of t-shirts together this past winter to raise funds for FFAWN.

Though the tribal print trend seems to be heading out the door, there is something so cute and chic about the ikat print specifically that makes us want to wear it in as many ways as possible. It's been on a few runways recently, including as Dries Van Noten, Gucci, Marc and Balenciaga. Our love for ikat blossomed even more yesterday when we checked out Cynthia Vincent's upcoming Resort 2011 accessories collection, which was full of the colorful print. See above for our inspiration and click through for some more accessible examples that you can buy right now.

Double duty designer Jeffrey Monteiro recently shot his Resort 2011 look book on the streets of Nolita. But instead of bringing in professional models, the veteran asked four of his friends to throw on some frocks and style them in their own special way. The final book will only feature a single interpretation of each look, but we thought it'd be fun to show you how three approached one. The star of this trio? Resort 2011's Kuru dress. Click through to meet the girls, and get a first look at the dress.

Last week I stopped by Julie Haus's showroom in the Garment District to check out her resort collection. While the line boasts the sweet feminine separates we've come to expect from Haus - breezy silk tops with zipper detailing and adorable pleat-front shorts - this collection's got a bit of edge. Prints are bold, graphic and even psychadellic. Dresses are slouchy and painstakingly draped and pleated. Blazers are embellished with grommets and sprockets.

This season, Marc by Marc Jacobs is all about the mix of uber-masculine and uber-feminine. Here, you'll find an adorable tux--but in romper form. And a pair of standard pleated trousers--marked by a pink and blue floral pattern. Of course, there are some prom-worthy frocks tossed in for good measure. Click through to browse the collection.

Yesterday, I was welcomed into the world of Sonia Rykiel. The French designer's Resort collection was set up in a massive space on the 8th floor Milk Studios, primarily for buying appointments (but a few editors stopped by as well.) Why such a grand stage? Well, for one, there's a lot to show. Not only does Rykiel do a resort collection, but also shoes, accessories, scarves, basics, and a diffusion line. The range of product is pretty incredible. What's more, the label is focusing a better part of its selling efforts on the American market, as we wrote on Monday. Clients were running around, having models try on dresses, taking pictures of the product, eating lunch, and going over orders. Luckily, Michelle from the press office took quite a bit of time to show me the goods, answer my questions, and even asked one of the models to try on a signature dress for me.

I spent Wednesday morning in a loft on Greene Street with the Bismarck Phillips girls, who were showing off resort collections for a few clients. They just happened to be three of the most impressive brands out there: Preen, SUNO, and Michael Angel. The cool thing about the visit was that the trio of collections really fit well together. I could see the same woman wearing each. Maybe not on the same day, but definitely throughout the same week.

The entire Fashionista staff adored Marc Jacobs' FW2010 collection, so it was exciting pop over to his Spring Street showroom today and check out what he's done for Resort. This a huge collection for Marc--particularly because he doesn't do Pre-Fall. It's in the stores longer than any either Fall or Spring, so there's a lot of product for buyers to choose from. Aside from the 38 looks you can click through here, essentially every piece comes in at least two or three colorways. Most pieces were pastel, with some brights mixed in. It was all very '60s--very Jackie O', with hints of late-day Coco Chanel.

Cynthia Rowley understands how busy it is right now for magazine editors: They're closing their September issues, running around to an endless number of summer parties, and of course, going to resort presentations and market appointments, subsequently pulling looks to shoot for fall. So she's doing them a favor by bringing her resort collection to the source. Tomorrow, the designer will host "street-side" presentations at Condé Nast from 1-2pm, at Hearst from 3-4pm and Time, Inc. from 5-6pm. Cute idea, but may we make a suggestion for the future?

To be honest, we were surprised by how much we liked Sachin + Babi for Ankasa's Resort 2011 collection. We're not saying we'd wear every single piece, but the eclectic prints and handmade fabrics we got to see and touch on Thursday at the Ankasa showroom were undeniably beautiful. The collection is inspired by "the cobble stone streets of Cartagena to the souks of Marrakech" and while some of it was a little too Calypso for my taste, the designers threw in just the right amount of black and leather to keep me interested. Like last year's Resort collection, we really liked Sachin + Babi's subtle use of beading and embellishment, especially in the vests and belts. There was also some amazing jewelry that really showcased the designers' impeccable attention to detail. Click through to see our favorite looks and try not to be too distracted by the slightly ridiculous model poses. We'll remember to bring our own camera next time.

I said this to Steff as we left the Chris Benz studio after his Resort 2011 preview: The reason I like Chris' clothes so much is because they look like him. There's no borrowing from others, something many designers rely on a bit too heavily these days. What's more, "his sense of color is incredible," Steff went on to say. And we're not just waxing on because Chris is part of the Fashionista family. This collection is seriously, seriously good.

Founded in 1976, German-based clothing company Hessnatur began producing organic cotton apparel long before "green" was more than a color. And while the brand has been quietly selling key basics in natural and organic cashmere, cotton, and wool for decades, its reputation was anything but cool. (In fact, some considered the clothes to be a bit dowdy.) To freshen the label's look, it teamed up with fashion insider Miguel Androver in 2008. The designer now does a seasonal collection, which has proved successful editorially--and on the retail floor. Now Hessnatur has scored another fashion coup: Eviana Hartman, the girl who’s made green fashion cool through her Bodkin line, has collaborated with the brand for Fall 2010. She describes her new collection as more broad and less experimental than Bodkin. She wants her friends--and her mom’s friends=--to be able to wear these pieces.

My first assignment post-CFDAs was to visit the studio of winners Marcus Wainwright and David Neville. The occasion? Rag & Bone's Resort and Holiday collections. Unsurprisingly, there was plenty to love. The designers carried on with the wooly, layered military theme from Fall 2010, featuring lots of gorgeous knitted sweaters, exaggerated boyfriend blazers in plaid and tweed, a pair of tweed cargo sweatpants that looked too comfortable to resist, and a red silk work shirt that could be dressed up or down, much like the rest of the collection.

1. Lindsey Wixson is most popular model of the season. She's been around for a while now, but Lindsey Wixson is the star of the Resort shows. This trend is sure to carry on through September. 2. Straw hats, reminiscent of those worn by Coco Chanel, are de rigueur. Jason Wu showed them last week, Oscar showed them today, and we'll definitely see them come the Spring 2011 shows. The look is currently a favorite of Tokyo's Harajuku girls. 3. Don't say goodbye to stripes. The Breton stripe may feel burned, but de la Renta's not letting go just yet. He showed two navy and white striped sweaters that were too classically-styled to cast aside as "over." 4. Ball gowns really are back. The third-to-last look, a kelly green ball gown, felt really modern, despite it's old-fashioned proportions. As did a short taupe dress with an exaggerated peplum attached.

Lela Rose's clothes are decidedly ladylike, but she's moving out of her comfort zone for tomorrow's Resort 2011 presentation, taking place at her new downtown apartment. We have it on good authority that the models will pose on Rose's 20 ft. long table. which descends from the ceiling, adding a subversive layer to an otherwise perfectly pristine presentation. We can't wait to see the girls...and the table...up-close. We'll post our review of the collection tomorrow afternoon. Until then, check out these gorgeous images from Lela's loft in T.