Community member Fashion Indie turned us onto Awareness and Consciousness today. As much as we find jersey to be somewhat played as a fabric choice, we admit to being intrigued by the line. According to Fashion Indie, Christiane Gruber studied fashion under Raf Simons, Victor & Rolf and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at the Viennese University of Applied Arts. Having won the fashion award of the BKA, she acquired international experiences working for Haider Ackermann and A.F. Vandevorst. A&C also stands for Acccessories and Clothing which we think is rather clever. The line doesn't feel as if it has its own unique identity yet but give her a few more seasons and we can see it evolving into a flowing collection just perfect for a certain kind of fashion woman that likes her clothing body conscious yet discrete.

Harlan Bel's Brand Lunsford may hail from the South but her clothing knows no such cultural bounds. From pleasing pleats to trim bodice hugging tops, her work ranges from the flirty to the alarmingly seductive. And while we see the sweetness that could be attributed to a Southern "Bel" mentality we think Lunsford's work transcends neat categorization. While her motto for spring is "brighter, fresher, cleaner" there is a certain comforting structure and definition even in the lightness. Her spring collection is a quiet collected success. Slim high waisted pants, short skirts, a hint of sportswear and royal blue among traditional spring whites and grays make it a well edited and versatile collection. Her first Fall 2008 collection (featured today in La Belle Dame sans Merci) flows beautifully into spring, making a seamless transition. In a sea of young contemporary independent designers Harlan Bel has a perspective all its own.