As we continue to preview Spring/Summer 2012 collections, we’ll pick and choose what we believe you will love as much as we do! Enjoy!

tuleste market

California Natives Satu and Celeste Greenberg grew up traveling and compiling thrift store finds to create novel, modern jewelry; hence their own line dubbed tuleste market. With their love of taking something from old to new again, they have created pieces “meant to be linked together, layered, and worn numerous ways.” Versatile handbags (LOVE the Treena wristlets in red and grey above for $275) and  footwear (diamond and draped heel shapes) followed suit in the second and third seasons respectively. Female super heroes inspired this SS12 collection, but I say power to these designers in their futuristic vision with its classic vintage feel.

Azature

Unique fine jewelry and black diamond specialists, Azature, take a sophisticated approach to jewelry with black pearls, platinum metal, and blue topaz in the SS12 Adamande Collection ($5,000 and up). After great success, designer Azature launched a 2011 diffusion line AZ by Azature (already worn by Rihanna), which uses semi-precious metals and stones and pure foils ($100-$500). Nothing short of exciting, the designer himself told me, “The sky is the limit.”

milk & honey

Design your own shoes! That’s the ingenious premise behind milk&honey; choose the toe, strap, heel height, color and material (they even do vegan shoes) to customize your own perfect shoe. Sounds like every girl’s dream, right?! Peeking at the swatches, I could already envision about ten pairs of shoes as I mentally tossed around silhouettes and color combos. The shoes take about 6-8 weeks, but the DIY feature is worth the wait.

United Nude

United Nude launched in 2003 with the “Mobius” shoe, but since then has played around with the intersection between sculptural design, fashion, and technology to establish its brand in over 40 countries worldwide. Architectural and artistic, yet elegant and cutting edge, the United Nude shoes for spring boast crazy bright laces, abstract clog-heels and more! I haven’t stopped thinking about the Eamz pump with it’s golden heel parallel to the floor or the Abstract Rome Wedges, ideal for any spring ensemble.

Hyden Yoo

For SS12, light fabrics helped play up the duality between youth and maturity, while longer maxi skirts and dresses kept the edgy downtown vibe of Hyden Yoo’s collection. Inspired by Romantic Neocolonialism, Yoo linked notions of taboo and subtle eroticism to explore nostalgic beauty. Cropped capes played with the idea of 1920’s societal angst, but for me, the true beauty revolved around the delicate maxis (pictured above).

Mavi

The fashion philosophy behind Mavi is simple: to build a brand around perfect fitting jeans that convey an exotic feel in terms of fashion and detail. Mavi means “blue” in Turkish, and Mavi was the first Turkish brand to go global. Mavi Denim, retailing at around $98 and Mavi Gold Premium Denim, retailing at around $138, continue to provide fashion-forward denim, both traditional and the more standout, the colored collection, for an eccentric global clientele.

-Alana Quagliariello

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There are ‘classic’ shapes such as straight leg and bootcut styles which never go out of fashion, however, they may not always be on top of a fashionista’s must-have list. So, what are those ‘must-have’ styles this season?

Coloured skinny jeans

Skinnies get a bit of a sprucing up in time for winter. The shape remains unchanged, but rather than various denim washes, skinnies now come in every colour of the rainbow, well, shall we say, the autumn rainbow. Emerald greens, mustards, burnt orange and burgundy are the key colours to look for. Add some rock chick detailing with studding and zips. Check out Jessica Alba in her bright red skinnies on Glamour Magazine.

Animal print skinny jeans

If you really want to be a rock chick, you need to get yourself a pair of animal print jeans. Mix in a healthy dose of colour too; don’t just stick with the regular mustard, black and black and white. Metallic snake print is also on trend, so add some killer heels and a band tee and start rocking out.

Metallic animal skinny jeans

Flared jeans

Seventies inspired trends have been resurfacing all year, but this season they have really come to a head both with disco inspired one-shoulder dresses and high-waist flared jeans. Flares are incredibly flattering and although the high waist styling is difficult to get used to at first after years of low-waists, together with the wide flare it greatly exaggerates leg length. Go for bright blue, mid-wash denim shades and pair with brown shoes and belts.

Boyfriend jeans

Relax and take it easy in boyfriend fit denim this season. Loose styles, either with turn-ups or cuffed hems are perfect for winter weekends relaxing with friends or walking in the countryside. The more worn out and ‘distressed’ these jeans are the better. They look perfect with pumps and the season’s must have, a knitted jumper with a Fair Isle print.

Levi’s Spring/Summer 2012 Water, Earth, and Wind Campaign harks back to classical elements, elements that all speak the same language.

At the collection preview, beyond the season’s latest clothing, we also received a message of sustainability and renewal. Levi’s continues to drive profit through solid principles; the brand alone has saved 156 million liters of water around the world, or 60 million days of drinking water for communities in need, simply by producing “Waterless” jeans.

Now back to the clothes:Denim at Levi’s for the new season was mainly skinny; a tapered straight leg, but there were still some flares on occasion. Beyond the denim (blue and colored) there were crafty, effortless dresses, vibrant shorts and cropped tops for the girls.

My favorite jean is the Curve ID (find your perfect fit here), a concept that celebrates fit by addressing a diverse range of body types. The fits include Slight, Demi, Bold, Supreme and Ankle Skinny. The final, Ankle Skinny, is the newest innovation in Curve ID with a hip shorter length.

-Alana Quagliariello

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Situated in Harlem, Rocky Coulbourne‘s designs echo the street-style  aesthetic, reminiscent of American Apparel. He established Coulbourne+ in 2007 and draws his inspiration from the multifaceted sense of diversity in New York, acknowledging the array of ethnicities, religions, lifestyles, and fashion. The simple aesthetic of his spring collection is a reaction to the hordes of messages thrown at us by modern media and conveys one image at a time, letting the “+” imply the rest. His Spring 2010 Preview, held in a make-shift artist loft, was dec0rated with caution tape and a mobile clothing rack. The line features graphic t-shirts, distressed denim, cozy cardigans and swimwear which was admired by the press. Shop his collection here and follow the brand as it evolves.

-Maria Eilersen

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The jeans are made from feather-light Japanese denim with a 5% stretch, which makes them extremely soft and comfortable with an awesome body-conscious silhouette. In fact, the brand boasts that its product “is where uptown quality meets downtown edge” – something I can certainly agree with, especially when you take into consideration the line’s superior cuts and fabrics with a price point more affordable than other brands of similar quality (basic styles are around $180).

For those of you interested in eco-friendly brands, you’re sure to like Blue Notch. They own their own washing factory (one of the only denim houses in the world to do so!) in Korea that uses natural springs and includes a special water filtration system that works to reduce their carbon footprint.

For their Spring 2010 collection, you can expect to find their lightweight denim in traditional cuts, as well as boyfriend cutoffs, denim jackets, and jeans featuring embellishments such as cool zipper and studding details.

If you’re on the hunt for a new pair of jeans that’ll last you a long time, look no further than Blue Notch. For those of you in NYC, you can pick up a pair at Henri Bendel, Icon, True Boutique, Barney’s Co-op, or Atrium – if you’re not in the area, visit their website for additional info.

-Sarah Nason

Ilove shopping, but I just can’t help but feel a tad guilty every time I invest in another mother-earth-will-cry-when-I-wear-this kinda number.

I know that the clothing industry contributes to global warming, air and water pollution, and tons of waste, but I really can’t bring myself to be Goodwill’s number one customer.  Don’t get me wrong, thrift and consignment shopping is awesome, especially in economic times such as these, but once in a while I want something new of my own.

So what’s a girl to do?  Find cute, eco-conscious clothes that don’t make you look like you’re wearing a sack of potatoes.  And that’s exactly what I have done.  All of these have been cuteness certified by yours truly, so feel free to go ahead and splurge!

Plato’s Closet:  This is one of my personal faves.  It’s a consignment shop, but this place is anything but shabby.  They have tons of designer jeans for super cheap – plus they’re pre-broken in.  I also sell a lot of my clothes here because you get money up front instead of having to wait the 10 years for your senior prom dress to finally sell.  Cute clothes, money in your pocket, and green shopping – what more could you ask for?  Check out the Plato’s Closet website for locations in your area!

Good Society Denim: Now to move on to the new stuff.  The best thing about Good Society denim is that their clothes look like high quality designer jeans with all the benefits of an organic label.  They only use 100% fair trade organic denim, making all of their products entirely sustainable.  The top of my wish list is their Straight Cut Denim in Raw, which, at the semi-meager price of $93 (hey, it’s cheap compared to the $210 True Religions everyone is wearing), is soon to become a reality.

Stewart and Brown: Established in 2002, Stewart and Brown is one of the top non-granola-y green brands out there.  They have a cute, Urban Outfitters-esque style featuring clothes only made from 100% organic cotton grown from non-genetically modified seeds and other sustainable fabrics.  Plus, they donate 1% of their profit to various charities to keep giving back.  Pick up one of their cute dresses and then bask in your eco-conscious glory.

Beyond Skin:  100% of Beyond Skin’s shoes are vegan and made from entirely earth-friendly materials such as polyurethane leather and polyester satins.  And like Stewart and Brown, Beyond Skin donates a percentage of their profits to environmental and social projects.  I personally recommend the Cherub pumps in black hemp (you can’t even tell it’s not leather).  All products are shipped from England, so it’s not the most eco-conscious thing for us Americans, but it’s definitely better than the fugly pleather alternatives.

 

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When the boyfriend jean first hit the scene and Katie Holmes and Reese Witherspoon were sporting the look around L.A., I just wasn’t digging it. Sure I loved the idea of a loose-fitting jean, but this new trend was coming off as just plain sloppy, as far as I was concerned. Maybe skinny girls who wear a size 2 can get away with sloppy, but we everyday women with hips and curves can’t get away with sloppy. On us, sloppy looks frumpy.

That’s why I’m so grateful for the new evolution of the boyfriend jean, still relaxed but with a more tailored fit and narrower legs. I like to call this version Boyfriend 2.0. And while I first discovered it at Shopbop in the form of Genetic Denim’s Davis Slouchy Cigarette Jean, I also found a similar style at Express called Boyfriend Jean – Hail Destroyed. Either jean is bound to give you a more refined look while maintaining a chic edge.

Genetic Denim Davis Slouchy Cigarette Jeans

$209.00 by Genetic Denim at shopbop.com

Boyfriend Jean – Hail Destroyed

$59.50 at Express

Over the past few years we’ve seen jean styles go from flare to straight leg, skinny to ultra skinny, and now, skin-tight leggings have practically replaced jeans altogether!  For spring, the collections of Miss Sixty, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Diesel Black Gold all featured the boyfriend jean, adding a breath of fresh air to our thighs and to the evolution of this wardrobe staple.

We’ve found the look at a variety of different price points and styles, so anyone can rock the boyfriend jean!

We love the destroyed wash of the classic American Eagle Favorite Boyfriend Jean, only $29.50, and the Silence & Noise Boyfriend Jean from Urban Outfitters, now on sale for $39.99 (was $74), for the cropped look. The Victoria’s Secret Low Boyfriend Jean makes this baggy trend sexy for $59.90. The washed Levis 501 Boyfriend Jean, $168 at Free People, is perfect for those who love the hippie style, and Sarah Jessica Parker has been spotted in this pair of Current / Elliot Boyfriend Jean in Hickory Stripe, available on Singer22.com for $219. Or, for an authentic look, scour your boyfriend’s closet!

To finish the look, sport a form-fitting tee or tank with heels to add a touch of femininity, a black blazer to dress up the jeans, or pair them with an oversized tee and Converse sneakers to achieve a grunge-inspired look.

-Sarah Ferguson