April 15, 2009
by fashionpulse
Image via Lyramag.blogspot.com
The best way to describe Perry Ellis’ Fall 2009 menswear presentation in the fewest amount of words? Clothes for the dream boyfriend. The Perry Ellis team designs for a guy with style and confidence, a guy who doesn’t back down from a pair of plaid pants or an argyle sweater (though not together of course) and more than that, totally rocks the look. Layering was key to the presentation; suit jackets were worn over vests while blazers were worn over round or v-neck sweaters, with both looks featuring crisp collared shirts as the base layer. Jeans and pants were perfectly tailored, patterned sweaters came in mature colors such as Venetian red, burnt sienna, tan, navy, black, and charcoal (which kept them from ever looking grandpa-ish), and loose-knit lounge sweaters looked comfortable but classy.
Perry Ellis is definitely taking the current economy into account—a new, black, polyurethane faux-leather jacket was a key part of the presentation. What amazed me about this jacket, besides the fact that it’s a mere $80 (a steal when compared to its real, $400 counterpart), is that it not only looks unbelievably real, it also feels as soft and pliable as real leather. I would love to throw this jacket on over evening wear on unpredictably chilly nights, which means I’ve got to find a Perry Ellis dream guy from which too steal it ASAP…
-Lily Allen
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March 30, 2009
by fashionpulse
Four forms dominate Elie Saab’s Fall/Winter 2009 collection, and though visually they differ dramatically, they all achieve the same goal of flaunting the feminine figure. Sophisticated, Parisian-style dresses in black, white, and gray, with v-necks and simple capped sleeves hug the body while tapering to a modest height just above the knee. Thick belts of a matching color, and superimposed, body-mimicking shapes of a contrasting color, help these dresses further achieve their figure-flattering goal. Flowing goddess dresses in ocean blues and greens are wrapped at the waste to produce perfect movie-star silhouettes. Sparkly mini dresses are tight at the waste and widen slightly at the hips, producing extreme hourglass figures. Finally, cropped, bolero jackets are matched with high-waisted skinny pants, lending the illusion of extreme length.
Fur, sequins, and bejeweling abound in Saab’s collection, but he implements them with a smartness and sensitivity that make garments glamorous but never over-done with details. Saab takes some bold risks with the collection, most of which pay off—I will never again doubt that gray can be used effectively in evening wear, for example. The styling of the single glove paired with almost every outfit was a bit distracting from the garments themselves, which would have been as remarkable, if not more so, without them. Overall, Saab’s fall/winter 2009 looks were a treatise on beauty, femininity, and form, which even the darkest of economic times cannot overshadow.
-Lily Allen
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March 25, 2009
by fashionpulse
Dearest FPD readers,
The Budget Fashionista is conducting its yearly shopping survey, and we thought it may be of interest to our readership to participate. The survey takes about 10 minutes, and you can see the results posted on the The Budget Fashionista site in the near future. To take the survey, click here.
Thanks in advance!
Julia DiNardo
Editor, FashionPulseDaily.com (FPD)
March 18, 2009
by fashionpulse
[Images via Style.com]
It must be a great challenge to take a house built on bags to a runway level, but Marc Jacobs proves he can do it, and quite effortlessly; or at least it seems! 
The Louis Vuitton fall/winter 2009 collection was certainly an upscale ode to the eighties, but done in a way that it didn’t feel old and already done before. Marc has certainly referenced the eighties quite a bit, more recently is his namesake labels this season, but for some reason, the Louis Vuitton collection tended to look more ahead, instead of behind. The necklaces, reminiscent of stapling construction paper into interlocking loops to hang around the Christmas tree, were just splendid, and the boots were an on-trend indication of what is too come, as far as new heights and details, in footwear.
And, lest I forget the headpieces – wonderful exaggerations of bows, or as I’d like to call them, batwings. My two favorite looks were the “Emerald City” tiered dress, practically straight out of Oz, and the amazingly draped, twisted, and knotted grey dress. Kudos Marc – you’ve done it once again (as if we had any doubt).
~Julia DiNardo
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