I’m not usually an advocate of celebrity fashion lines. Generally, I have trouble believing the celeb had any creative participation in the design process, while the actual clothes leave much to be desired. There are a few celebrities who have successfully entered the fashion world as designers, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen being two of them, and I believe Nicole Richie may be another name to add to the short list.

Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 accessories line was quite nice, and to this day, I still want the Starburst Star ring in cream ($45). After seeing the InStyle first look of Richie’s Winter Kate fall 2010 collection, I can honestly say, I’m quite pleased.

The line is inspired by the movie, From Hell— you know, the Jack the Ripper starring Johnny Depp that I’ve seen more times than I’m willing to admit— and the inspiration is quite evident in very dandy vests and capes.

However, it is the more bohemian pieces— those truer to the Nicole Richie essence— I like the most, including the very flowy, sexy, sheer and red shirtdress.

Nothing in the collection is groundbreaking, but sometimes, a good label just needs to be wearable, and more to the point saleable, both of which describe the Winter Kate fall 2010 collection.

Yes, I did say magic, and that’s because I loved the collection. I’ll even go as far to say I liked Fall 2010 better than Spring 2010, and I had some hand in the preparation for the Spring show.

The dark fairytale theme of Fall 2010 starkly contrasts this Springs 80s glitz, Blondie meets Ono aesthetic, and the normally trapeze and girlie silhouettes were replaced by a more form fitting and sexy shape, all while maintaining the essence of the fun, flirty, will-keep-you-guessing Twinkle girl.

The Hansel and Gretel print seen in the vanilla sleeveless number to the left, is something I would wear all year, but was smartly contrasted by a white Chunky Knit scarf wrapped to the chin. However, it was this Nostalgia long sleeve dress that was my favorite. The parchment color is so utilitarian, but the shape is sexy and feminine.

Oh, and did I mention the necklace, and the rest of the jewelry, for that matter? It was just my style, chunk, chunk, chunky!

All I have to say is, congrats Wenlan and all the other lovely ladies whom I adore and who worked so hard on this collection. It was a total success.

p.s. To see what I wore,

It was much too cold to wear any of the Twinkle dresses I have, so I went for warmth with a bit of sex appeal instead. I love a backless look, and think you’ll be seeing my back more often!

So what did I learn whilst waiting for and attending the Christian Siriano F/W 2010 show yesterday?

1. Paul Wilmot Communications, the PR firm that handled front-of-house, is super organized. They were doling out seating assignments before they even thought of opening the line. Good work guys!

2. Even if you are an eFamous ex-scenequeen, you aren’t getting into the Siriano show without an invite.

3. I miss my Twinkle by Wenlan girls. I bumped into another lady I interned with, and I miss her so much.

4. The Standing Section absolutely sucks, and taking pictures from Standing is even worse.

5. If you are in Standing and happen to be next to a tall guy with a video camera, you can sneakily watch the show through his view finder instead of not watching the show because of the person’s head in front of you.

6. Christian Siriano’s Project Runway win wasn’t a fluke. The Fall/Winter 2010 collection may have been a bit dark— the shimmery blacks and ink blues bled into hues of wine and a bit of fuchsia— but, it was beautiful, both in conception and execution.

7. If the Siriano collection is any representation of Fall 2010, everyone will be wearing the chic combo of black and navy.

8. I desperately want a short, navy one-shoulder bubble dress and black, half-wedge booties (left), of which a similar design will be available at Payless.

9. Even gorgeous models who open and close shows like Sessilee Lopez trip sometimes (she didn’t fall though).

10. Christian Siriano is as cute and FIERCE from 50 feet away as he is on TV. L-O-V-E!

Photo Credit: Photo by Arun Nevader/Getty Images North America from Zimbio

One of my favorite parts of the pre-fashion week prep is receiving preview sketches of the upcoming collections. This insight is only trumped by actually receiving a show invite and actually being able to make it to the show. Rebecca Taylor has officially been the first designer of the season to make me doublely excited by providing me with both a sneak peek sketch of the collection and an invite to their Valentine’s Day show.

It’s amazing how palpable the fashion week excitement is on the Internet. Aside from a few friends in my life, and co-workers of course, to most of my friends and family, fashion (read clothes) just happens like eating or breathing. So, when speaking to them of fashion week and any other thing having to do with the industry, I receive blank stares and humoring nods. However, when I open my inbox or read my favorite blogs, the buzz is everywhere this time of year, along with a bit of the romantic spirit sprinkled throughout, of course.

Luckily for those Valentine’s Day naysayers, the hearts and KISS MEs haven’t seemed to blur into the fashion week hysteria, as evindent in the neutral colors and slight hippie aesthetic seen in the sketch— Also, simply seeing the phrases Parisian and New York City girl in the same sentence makes me love this collection already.

p.s. Taylor Swift wore a Rebecca Taylor tunic, which I loved, during her performance at the Grammy’s, and I can’t wait to see, first hand, the new beauties Rebecca will send down the runway for Fall 2010.

I first took notice of MYNE only a few days ago, after seeing Rachel Bilson sporting one of their perfectly patterned skirts. I headed to their website and fell hard for their fall 2009 collection. The cut of the the tops, bat-wing sleeves and all, are exactly what I’ve been looking for,while the structured skirts and silky fabrics would be perfect for work.

My three favorite pieces from the line are the Frankie top ($176 on Shopbop.com), the Skylar skirt, and the Stella dress.

Click here to see where MYNE is sold. ]]> http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/10/26/my-birthday-wish-no-2/feed/ 0 http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/09/01/kate-moss-soothes-all-woes/ http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/09/01/kate-moss-soothes-all-woes/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:15:44 +0000 Chelsea Rae Simmons http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/?p=1264 I spent most of yesterday recruiting hip, haute undergrads for the fashion club Secretista and I have started on our university. One such undergrad had this amazing skirt I would have ripped off her if I would have been able to get away with it.

The skirt, as I remember, was beige and brown with polka dots— maybe they were stars, it was a long day— from Topshop, and she paired it with an orange tee. I sort of wish I had taken a picture of it.

As soon as I got home I visited Topshop.com to hunt down this warlock of a skirt, with no luck— darn you skirt gods! However, I did see a black ‘Triangle Stud Kaftan’ from Kate Moss’ Autumn/Winter ’09-’10 line. It may not be my mystery skirt, but it will suffice. I think I’m obsessing over kaftans now. ]]> http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/09/01/kate-moss-soothes-all-woes/feed/ 3 http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/08/27/theres-something-about-rachel/ http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/08/27/theres-something-about-rachel/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:14:15 +0000 Chelsea Rae Simmons http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/?p=1244 The Rachel | Rachel Roy collection for Macy’s came out a hair over a week ago, and I’m a smitten kitten. I’m becoming increasingly attracted to bold prints, and this collection more than fulfills my lusts. Plus, the designs are just New York enough for little gypsy me to feel the slightest bit cooler.

There must be something about the name Rachel that simply exudes coolness. Remember back in the day when everyone was trying to get ‘The Rachel’ hairstyle? Well, Rachel | Rachel Roy has double the cool ‘Rachel’ cred, and less awkward layers.

Photos: Rachel Roy Flickr

The line retails from $59 to $299 for sportswear, $79 to $199 for footwear, $40 – $195 for jewelry and $69 to $109 for handbags, and is available at Macy’s and on RachelRoy.com.

Oh, and did I love the Alice Smith song in the Rachel | Rachel Roy video lookbook?

These Christian Louboutin platforms, designed for the Autumn/Winter 3.1 Phillip Lim collection, have caught my eye and my heart and don’t seem to be letting go anytime soon.

The platform, the gold grommetted toe, the bi-tonal coloring, there isn’t one bad thing I can say about these shoes.

I know I’ve said I’ve been smitten with this shoe or that bag before, but this is the real deal. I am currently on the hunt for a way to acquire these babies so I can make it official. Who says money can’t buy happiness?

Photo Credit: NYMag.com ]]> http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/06/10/is-it-illegal-to-marry-a-pair-of-shoes/feed/ 3 http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/05/14/rodartes-great-but-whats-better/ http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2009/05/14/rodartes-great-but-whats-better/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 18:26:10 +0000 Chelsea Rae Simmons http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/?p=1021

Being able to see first-hand how desperately the models were trying not to wobble, topple, or fall in their super-tall Nicholas Kirkwood, over-the-knee bondage boots.

Read the Dazed Digital story. Learn all the behind-the-scenes goodies. Then, scroll down to see the Rodarte A/W ’09 runway video.

Fashion month is finally over, yet for some reason I already miss it. Luckily, there is an entire six months of smaller fashion weeks, plus couture and resort shows to tide me over until September.

If there ever was a trend that encompasses an entire season, bold shapes hold the title for Fall/Winter ’09-’10. I realize the term “shape” is very general, but when models are sent down the runway wearing shoulder pads even Lurch Addams would wince at, swishing rectangle-shape hips, and balancing in over-sized spherical ball gowns, I’d say “shape” pretty much covers it all.

Sure, my 9th grade geometry teacher would be proud of all the polygons I was able to identify this season, but let’s face it, who cares if the shoulder pads created more of a trapezoid shape than a rectangle? All we style stalkers are wondering is, “how in God’s name are we actually going to incorporate this trend into our wardrobe?”

Hey MJ! The Louis Vuitton show was amazing, and Alexander McQueen— I have no words. However, do you honestly think retailers will be able to translate polygonal skirts into something marketable to the masses— and, when I say masses, I mean those who don’t stalk the Style.com runway photos regularly.

Perhaps that’s the trick. There must have been a think-tank in an ultra-chic bistro during which the designers realized by accentuating the body parts many people try to hide, shoulders, hips and posteriors, mass retailers like Forever 21 won’t be able to make a profit by blatant knock-offs. Therefore forcing those who love high fashion, but can’t afford it, to either shell it out or sit it out.

That thought is too devious for even me to ponder intently. I’d rather just look at the awe-inspiring clothes!

Photo Credit: Style.com

Though Theyskens is allegedly (almost certainly) on the way out at Nina Ricci, he didn’t fail to impress. I adore the origami trend that has been floating around lately, and Theysken has taken it to the nth degree. The strapless teal gown literally made me squeal in glee.

A lot of the Balmain details made me think of the infamous club kids— I’m talking about James St. James and his cronies not The Misshapes and the band of merry hipsters. If the models had crazy make-up and neon 8” platform boots on they could have been extras in the movie Party Monster.

The outrageous shoulder trend was ever-present in both shows, but that, I can forgive partially because they were tempered with skimpy minis and amazing shapes at Nina Ricci and partially because we saw the trend emerge first at Balmain’s Spring/Summer ’09 show— who can forget those marching band jackets?

How do you feel about what you’ve seen at the various fashion weeks of late?

Photo Credit: NYMag.com

It’s mind boggling to think New York Fashion week is already over. This season was such a whirlwind, I barely had time to look at the daily photos of each runway show. Over the weekend I tried to catch up a bit, but since fashion week is more like fashion month with off shoots happening all year, there truly is no catching up. I’m sure everyone is going to be raving/raging about the number of designers who featured over-sized and accentuated shoulders, but I have better things to lust over. Exhibit A: the fabulous accoutrements de tête at the Anna Sui Autumn/Winter 09-10 fashion show.

There were feathers, sparkles, big hats, little hats, and tiaras. Agyness Deyn made her NYFW debut, with longer hair than we’ve seen her with in a while, and the entire collection reminded me of a party I wish I could throw. Swoon!

Miss Sui, I wish I could have been at your show, but unfortunately I was busy setting up for a different fashion show that night. I heard the booming bass as t he show began though, and could feel the energy through the thin walls of the tents.

What were your favorite shows at NYFW?

Photo Credit: Vogue.co.uk

Christian Siriano is almost everyone’s favorite Project Runway winner either because his designs are actually appreciated or because his snarkedelic attitude never fails to amuse. Siriano’s Fall/Winter 09-10 runway show was Christian through and through with lots of ruffles, the skinniest of skinny pants, and wonderfully structured blouses and dresses. However, it’s the shoes that are getting my attention.

It isn’t that any of the footwear designs are groundbreaking— to be honest, they are vaguely reminiscent of the horned heels Christian Louboutin designed for Rodarte two seasons ago— the most exciting part of the gold cone-shaped heels and spiked toes is that they will be sold at Payless for between $25 and $45.

I’m not sure if those shoes are the exact shoes that will be sold or if Payless will be creating cheaper versions made of lesser quality materials— it’s quite hard to tell whether the leather is real of fake in the photos. No matter the quality, I’m completely willing to sacrifice a toe or two for fashion and these shoes are quite delightful, considering most Payless shoes.

Not only is Siriano designing shoes for Payless, but according NY Mag, the other accessories, i.e. bags, he sent down the runway will also be available at Payless in fall 09 when his line hits stores too.

p.s. Siriano totally looks like he’s getting into that snap. He almost seems like the ferocity is so extreme he’s about to topple over. I’m with you Christian!

Photo Credit: NYMag.com

Did Alexander Wang just encourage underage drinking?

All I processed was:

• Tequila shots
• Some models are 16 or 17
• They need to get their runway jitters out

[via The Cut]

This sketch of an outfit from the upcoming Rebecca Taylor Fall/Winter 09-10 collection makes me more than excited to see the collection in its entirity after the runway show on February 19th. Fairytales, ruffles, and ‘chunky lucite jewelry’, I’m so there!