coutorture --

Fall 08 Trends Via Oscar de la Renta: Plum

coutorture — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:10:38 -0800

Oscar de la Renta was one of many designers to show plum in their Fall 2008 collection. Albeit, Oscar's plum was just a little bit richer, just a little bit more, well, plum than the others. Or maybe that's just our crush on the designer who insists, season after season, on celebrating the ever-popular concept of the 'powerful woman'. Oscar's plum appeared in the form of a trim cashmere knit sweater, high waisted wide leg trousers, and two fabulous floral print frocks. Below, two galleries, our editorial of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 08 plums, and, you know, everyone else's.

More: The Only Oscar We Care About.

More: Plum for A/W 08

Five Key Fall Trends: Luxe Layers

coutorture — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:37 -0700

Contrived as it may seem luxe layers are an undeniable fall trend. After the fall shows we articulated our notion that 'layered texture' and 'luxe details' were at the forefront of fashion week. For a while, we editorialized them separately, taking layered silhouettes to mean one thing and that which was fur-trimmed, or adorned with lace, velvet, and shearling, to mean another. Then a republishing of the Fall 08 Proenza Schouler show changed all that for us. Queue layers of all varieties and a texture (aka sequins) which puts it in the luxe category at the same time.

Since then, as the deliveries trickle in and as chicsters have started wearing the fall trends in lighter, more weather-appropriate versions, we've come to feel that the combination of sequins (luxe) and cottons (layers), all loose and layered and slouchy, is a trend we will see a lot of for Spring 09. For our Fall's Top Five: Past & Present photo shoot, our stylist, Liz Baca took the slinkiest of silks and metallics and layered them with reckless (a key ingredient here) abandon. Below, check out our various trend galleries that we've (hehe) layered for you. Opulence, sequins, and layered texture. Mix it all up and keep a careful eye on the Proenza interpretation and you'll be in good shape.

Five Key Fall Trends: Boy's Club

coutorture — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:46:28 -0700

Androgyny is nothing new in fashion but that doesn't mean each season doesn't bring about new manifestations of this permanent trend. After fashion beat us over the head with the concept of women wearing jazz shoes or men wearing skinny jeans (again), we're sure by now that even the most conservative among us can get down with the boy/girl paradox. Of the menswear we saw on the Fall 08 catwalks, our favorites were the cropped trouser suits by Dolce and Gabbana, the sharp shoulders by Jens Laugesen, and the rough rocker vests and trousers from Alexander Wang. The long blazer, the drop-crotch trouser, and the oxford shoe are all big pieces we'll see this fall, and between the shows and individual items, we think androgyny is a trend that won't be hard to spot.

For our photo shoot we layered structured pieces as if they were three piece suits--a little forearm was all that was left uncovered, showing that the key to pulling off an androgynous look is too keep it covered. We ended up being big fans of the oxford heel from Opening Ceremony when our brilliant stylist, Liz Baca, paired them with her own plaid socks. The vintage version of this look was also rather inspired, especially when that Versace jacket was given the heave-ho in the sleeve department.

Below, check out a spread of our current favorite menswear staples and, below that, a trend gallery with androgynous looks from the fall shows.

Five Fall Trends: Past & Present

coutorture — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:28:14 -0700

In today's original Coutorture editorial we've pulled together what we consider Fall's top five trends and depicted one vintage and one modern interpretation for each. We know mixing price points is an important consideration, especially in this economic climate, and we thought it neat to show two versions of the same trend in order to display just how accessible the Fall 08 looks are, no matter what your budget. Our stylist and Network Partner, Liz Baca from the website M.I.S.S. Crew, came up with some amazing looks and we'll break those down, later this week, with corresponding trend galleries from the Fall 08 catwalks. Baca was able to come at the project with strong insight from both the modern and vintage perspective because, in addition to styling shoots and writing about modern fashion, she also sells vintage to the hippest boutiques in the Lower East Side. We'll be posting an interview with Baca soon, where she articulates the challenges of being a vintage buyer and her perspective on the Fall 08 season. We'll also be posting behind the scenes photo galleries, beauty spreads, and an interview with the husband and wife design team, Shannon Sinclair and Bryn Bowen, who photographed and made set (respectively) for today's shoot. Stay tuned for all of these great pieces of Coutorture content. We're off taping a few pre-fashion week video interviews and sneaking in one shoot before New York Fashion Week kicks off so expect lots of exciting things popping up on our front page, from here all the way through the Spring 09 Paris shows.

For some instant gratification, check out the spread below with some of the items we pulled from eLuxury, Net-a-Porter, and Shobop for today's shoot. We don't pull current season by accident...we know there's something to be said for immediacy in fashion.

Five Key Fall Trends: Shape Up

coutorture — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:27:38 -0700

One of our favorite trends from Fall 08 is the body con/exaggerated silhouette trend that we've titled 'Shape Up' for today's shoot. Shape Up is by far the most notable trend from the Fall 08 shows. Designers articulated this trend by skimming the body with razor-like precision or by exaggerating the silhouette to comment on the landscape of the body. Whichever direction they went, the physical form was at the forefront of their minds. From Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Jonathan Saunders, Miu Miu, and of course, Balenciaga, Fall 08 saw the female form (and not florals nor lace--though there was plenty of that, wasn't there?) take center stage. For our purposes we created two looks which articulate the trend.

The modern look called up a pair of Marc by Marc Trousers we'd written about in a while back in an immaterial post. Though there are options galore when it comes to parachute trousers, we thought these appropriately priced and nicely tailored. On top a Harlan Bel blouse tucked everything in to a tailored point (we first discovered Harlan Bel back when we shot our La Belle Dame sans Merci editorial). On the vintage side of things we couldn't really go wrong with a vintage Dior jacket from Zachary's Smile. The cuffed bell sleeve on this jacket inspired many a Fall 08 daydream in our mind. So nicely does it display the Shape Up vantage point.

Below, check out a spread of our favorite pieces from this trend and, below that, a trend gallery from the Fall 08 shows with every sort of Shape Up frock and trouser you can imagine.

Our Favorite Styling Trick From Fall

coutorture — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:28:09 -0700

We're reluctant to admit this but BCBG Max Azria's belted looks for Fall 08 really caught our attention. Sure the aesthetic, overall, is more cutesy than high fashion but the belting (a styling afterthought or planned accessory?) we think appropriate for the variety of volumes and layers we'll encounter come fall. In fact, in the middle of the season one of the worst and most common feelings is that you've been stewing under layers for too long. Mid-winter is the time when you miss your actual silhouette and yet it's located under five layers of clothing. The ol' trench belt routine isn't new to fashion but it sure looks fresh on the runway. We've recently become big fans of buying a size up from what we normally wear simply for the comfort of it and the laid back attitude it seems to convey. With that, it looks like we'll need a belt or two, for those times when we feel like we live in our own personal fashion tent. Check out the BCBG Max Azria Fall 08 collection for belting examples that range from evening frocks to overcoats. There's not a version we don't approve of.

Trench Coat Trend Report

coutorture — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:32:13 -0700

Because we're in the market for one, we've been thinking a lot about trench coats. As tempting as it is to find a classic Burberry number on eBay, we're kind of in the mood for something a little more interesting--or maybe we'll just go for both. Trench coats can adhere to the mood of any season, depending on your lens they can be slouchy and cool a la Brian Reyes, luxe for less a la DKNY, or sharp and minimalist a la Calvin Klein. No matter your aesthetic preference the small details on a trench can make all of the difference. That, and of course what you wear underneath, which is perhaps the most alluring aspect of a trench coat--that it need not conceal your outfit but act as a part of it. So, below, our spread of options from price points high and low, and, our trend report gallery from the Fall 08 shows.

Don't forget to check out our other trend reports on bows, velvet, skirt suits, lace, florals, and fringe, and wide leg trousers. The Spring 09 shows are right around the corner and we want to make sure we've covered all of our bases so that can you can proceed into fall with confidence.

Our Favorite Fall Styling Trend: Ankle Boots + High Waters

coutorture — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:33:51 -0700

We've come to a decision about our Fall look and we feel the need to share. It came to us through editorial osmosis, from seeing these two items separately, and then together, and then separately, until we finally began to feel like this should come to represent our entire fall look. The ankle boot and short pant combination, editorialized at left in the Topshop Fall 08 look book, is easy to put together at any price point. Our plan, in case you're curious, is to start with the trousers and boots and build out our other blouses and frocks and jackets once those two key pieces have been established (we're thinking a navy trench, marching band jacket, Lyell blouses, and sheer boyish tops). So, this weekend we went and bought the LD Tuttle Nebula boots which we'd been eying for some time. To save some money on the trousers we intend to employ a little DIY by finding an inexpensive trouser at Express, The Gap, or Uniqlo and then having them tailored in the Lower East Side to be on the short and narrow. We're hoping to find a range of colors. We're pretty excited. We'll keep you posted on our work and in the meantime, if you fancy this styling for your Fall wardrobe, our favorites are below.