Hot and Sticky Mulberry Ad for SS'12

There is a spring awakening in the fantastical land of fashion, and it’s got something to do with the stylish dwellers across the pond. Mulberry released its spring/summer 2012 ad campaign, which was bursting with large, flashy melted ice cream cones, dandy stripes, and hot hues.

Mulberry’s latest campaign has that boardwalk “honky tonk” air to it. The series of ads was photographed by Tim Walker, and Lindsey Wixson and Frida Gustavsson were the two models featured in the whimsical spread. Besides the vibrant, coastal boardwalk background, the Mulberry models showed off the bright spring jackets that were paired with festive wedges, electrifying the surrounding area. While Mulberry’s spring/summer 2012 ad was loud in color, they toned it down by matching jolts of yellows, blues, and pinks with earthy neutral tones. It was sheer, sticky genius on the Brit brand’s part.

Text Katelyn Chef
Source and Image fashionlatest.net

Bright Collaborations With Gap

Gap’s new “Be Bright” spring line has added a fun collaboration to the mix. The brand just introduced its newest lineup of partnerships, and it looks, well, quite bright!

Gap introduced Styld.by, where fashion influencers each styled two looks from the line with their own personal touch. How fun is that? It’s always nice to get an idea of how to mix and match different pieces, especially from the best. The Styld.by line highlights the influence of bloggers in the fashion community and how their voices are being heard and put into action.

Five top fashion influencers have styled their looks on the site for you to browse, and you can shop the looks with just a click.

The colorful pieces have been “Styld.by” FabSugar, Lookbook.nu, MOG, Refinery29, and Rue Magazine. It adds a fun element of style to the commonly simple look of Gap clothing. Which look is your favorite?

Text Sera Michael

Source Styld.by

Easy Ways to Glam Up Your Outfit

There are days when a fashionista doesn’t have the time or energy to put together an amazing, stop-in-your-tracks outfit. But never fear, because here are five easy ways to bring some glamour to basics. 

1) Belts: Throwing on a wide or skinny belt instantly brings dimension to your ensemble while defining your waist. Bonus points are awarded for fun neon colors. 

2) Statement pieces: Who doesn’t love a conversation-starting accessory? Pairing a cool bag or a piece of statement jewelry with a plain outfit is a fun way to bring your look up a few levels.

3) Heels: It doesn't get any simpler than stepping into a pair of high heels. They look great with everything, from dresses to jeans. Grab a pair of color-blocked heels if you really want to make a splash. 

4) Mixed proportions: Fit is important, but it’s not the end all, be all in fashion. Highlight your best assets by giving them the fitted treatment. If you want to show off your stems, wear a loose, print top with skinny jeans. 

5) Changed-up hair: Your hair greatly influences your look. Try a different style temporarily, or make it permanent if you're feeling daring, or add an accessory. Embellished buns are all the rage right now. 

How do you glamorize your outfits?

Text Ashley Amidon

Image Cool Spotters

Bright Colors for Winter

Skinny jeans are undeniably the best pants. They are stretchy, comfy, and they complement any pair of shoes. Whether you’re in the mood for heels, flats, or boots, skinny jeans just work with them all. But what’s making us even more excited this week are the amount of colorful skinny jeans popping up everywhere. These pants are just too much fun.

Color blocking becomes an easy trend to wear with a pair of bright and bold skinny jeans. 7 for All Mankind and Joe’s Jeans make a comfy and flattering pair that comes in an assortment of rainbow colors.

Bold and bright is always a good thing, especially with this look, but pastels are also transitioning into the winter palette. Pastels aren’t only for springtime, so try this look with a pair of lavender, light yellow, or soft mint green jeans. Show off your colorful skinnies with a complimentary colored top or a lacey blouse. This look is so versatile for day or night, so go have fun and paint the town with color!

Text Sera Michael

Source Tumblr

Brilliantly Bright Shades

It's time to throw out those dull brown and black sunglasses and grab yourself a pair of vibrantly colored shades that will surely give your outfit the extra umph it needs to make a bold statement for this year's fast approaching spring season! From sultry red, to bright blue, to fluorescent pink, these strikingly colorful frames are currently the talk of the fashion industry, offering a fun and quirky twist to your classic style of eyewear. Even celebrity trendsetters by the likes of Alexa Chung, Jessica Alba, and Gwen Stefani have all been spotted sporting this lovely trend.

Available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and color palettes, you will certainly find a flattering pair to suit your personal style. Stella McCartney has a fabulous pair of Round Frame Sunglasses that costs $225 and offers a playful pop of color to any outfit. Matthew Williamson also has a pair of splurge-worthy Curved-Square Sunglasses that costs $369 and gives your outfit that cool, effortless look that we all wish we could pull off naturally.

But, for all of you money-conscious fashionistas out there, don't worry; there are plenty of inexpensive alternatives to choose from. Try Urban Outfitters' Extreme Cat Eye Sunglasses that cost only $16. American Apparel also offers an irresistibly affordable pair of Jody Sunglasses for $35. So, brighten up your look with a pair of colorful frames, and bring high fashion to your wardrobe for spring 2012.

Text Jasmine Song
Source and Image Who What Wear

Urban Outfitters' Work of Art Look Book

Hipster mecca Urban Outfitters has debuted their winter look book, and it suffices to say they’re letting their colors show. The store quite literally highlighted their favorite looks for the season, swapping out scenic backgrounds for multicolored brush strokes that envelop (and occasionally obscure) each model. Impressively, every piece of clothing manages to stand out in this color collage — after all, it’s hard for gold lamé and leopard print to fade into the background.

So, what’s in Urban Outfitters stores this season? It looks like ladies and gents will be dabbling in lots of textures and patterns, with winter staples like knobby knit sweaters and Fair Isle prints layered over seemingly impractical cold-weather picks like crop tops, minis, and those fantastically fringed shorts. (We’ll find an excuse to wear them, no matter the weather.) And get ready to pop champagne all winter long — if Urban Outfitters’ love affair with sequins (spotted on platforms, sweaters, mini dresses, and skirts) is any indication, New Year’s Eve celebrations aren’t going into hibernation any time soon.

Hey, this look book is no Monet, but we think it makes a lasting impression. What's your take on Urban Outfitters' wearable art?

Text Kara Solarz
Image Refinery 29

Short And Sweet: 10 Crosby Derek Lam

If there was one show this season to prove that quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality, it would be the Spring 2012 collection by 10 Crosby Derek Lam. With an astute awareness of the ephemeral nature of the spring season, Derek Lam focused the collection around key wearable and transitional pieces that were workplace ready. This practical approach brought together simple and bold graphic stripes, florals and bright colors. Key trend colors were present in the collection but in a seamless, well balanced way that only enhanced what was already being done with the designs. Contrasting stripes looked efficient and energetic and the materials were durable (some even machine washable) yet, appeared expensive. The overall look was refreshing – an appropriate attitude for a spring collection, which is part of what makes the pieces so wearable.


A stand out look was the ‘new suit’, which featured a swingy box cut burlap jacket and matching tailored short skirt. Perhaps the key to Derek Lam’s success was focusing on what he thought women would love to have in their wardrobe as opposed to a seasonal dogmatic criterion. Giving just as much as need be given, the collection has found the right balance between composed complexity and crisp and causal simplicity.

Text Tienlyn Jacobson
Source(s) Derek Lam, WWD

Island Brights: A Wise Wardrobe Investment

Arak, Rag & Bone, Vivenne Tam, Creatures Of The Wind

Now there is one more reason to fully embrace this fall’s bedrock of brights. As the onpour of New York Fashion Week (SS '12) shows slows to a drizzle, we are left with a finely tuned rainbow of fresh bright colors to plan our future palettes around. So if you’re worried that the tangerine leather skirt you’ve been eyeing is an impulse splurge that won’t last beyond the next season, fret no more. Second cousins to the colors of the coming season, several of this fall’s colors will be as hot as the weather 8 months from now.

Truth be told, the era of throw away fashion may have already had its moment, and the return to a curated, more workable wardrobe is upon us.

 Spring’s colors may seem bold, but they can actually be worked seamlessly into an already existing wardrobe. Uplift your basic neutrals by mixing in a few key colors or brighten up your look by pairing them together for a surprisingly wearable color-blocked effect. Either way, the longevity of the coming color burst proves incorporating a few brilliant new pieces to be a worthy investment. Great colors to choose from are sunshine yellows, sea greens, bright blues and all shades of pink and orange reds.

Text Tienlyn Jacobson

Source WWD

Alicia + Olivia Resort 2012 Lookbook Debuts 1970s, Sun-Inspired, Candy Coated Outfits

The new resort collection by alicia + olivia is a mixture of explosive color, retro chic, colorful accessories, prim flattering dresses, polka dots and the all the things we love most about the '70s. We love what alice + olivia, a brand born from native New Yorker's Stacey Bendet's unending quest to find the perfect pair of pants, has evolved into since the brand was born in 2002. Today, the brand includes a men's & children's line in addition to her much coveted womenswear pieces.

We love this long striped dress from her Resort 2012 collection, this cute one-shouldered polka dot number and this sassy purple sweater + skirt combo.

Polychromatic Chivalry

Chivalry isn't dead; it's just been overshadowed by men's growing fascination with bold and vivid colors. And ironically, this should be considered a valid excuse (no offense to the ladies). After all, when was the last time any man you knew was keen on wearing anything outside of gray scale? The origin of the color bug that has been biting the gentlemen from the corners of Paris to the streets of New York City remains relatively unclear, considering that possible options range from Jil Sander's latest memorable menswear presentation for Spring to Kanye West's personal and musical glorification of vibrancy in men's style (his close friendship with Céline's Phoebe Philo might have been an influence). But what is clear is that the man in in black and white is so last season, while the audacious color savant is now in style.

Blinding neons like chartreuse, coral, cobalt blue, and ruby have recently run rampant for both Spring and the scorching Summer season, inspiring much hope for the al-black fashionmongers. Even more hope lies in the fact that the gents seem to dominate the colorful scene much more so than the women, donning breezy color-blocked scarves, funky watches (a nice break from the typical chrome alternatives), and beautifully detailed summer shoes (all eyes are on Prada's Spring tri-color platform brogues). It never hurts to step outside one's comfort zone when it comes to color. A real man does such.

Text Ricardo Hernandez

Image courtesy of Tommy Ton for Style.com

The New Hue

Over the past few seasons, monochromatic looks have been created using minimalistic principles and hardly any color at all. The result was startlingly simple, but was well received by critics and consumers alike during all three major fashion weeks. As we move into the pre-fall season, I’ve noticed that monochromatic outfits are still very “in”, but they have taken a turn for the playful. Instead of head-to-toe black, grey, white, or camel, this upcoming season is filled with looks composed of multiple hues of the same bright color. For example, Oscar de la Renta‘s pre-fall collection showcased a plethora of single color, multi-hue looks using pinks, greens, reds, and golds. Standout looks included an emerald green sweater paired with a slightly lighter green knee-length skirt, complete with an oversized bow at the waist; and a neon pink ensemble which, though similar to the all-green look, managed to tie in feminine lace detailing and an always coveted boyfriend style blazer. The result of mixing the basics of monochromatic clothing and all of the eye-catching hues of the color spectrum is everything a great look should be- simple, yet detailed, and playful without being over-the-top.

By Ali Antonucci

Nail Polish Colors for the Holidays!

Every holiday season, women must decorate their nails with the flashiest colors that scream "I Have the Holiday Spirit and I want to stand out!". Dark reds are for the women who desire to appear to classy and refined. Black is for those who wish to appear edgy. There are many women who can pull off black and make the color look fabulous as opposed to "gothic". Silvers and gray, especially gun metal gray, as well as that silver aluminum color that shows you've got a spring in your step. You mean business. You want to be bold and flashy and you're not afraid to show it. Add sparkle to any color to add some glitz to your look. Christmas and New Years are the seasons for sparkle! Pink is for those girls who think pink should be worn for every holiday. Purple is for the women who understand that true meaning of the color is wealthy, noble, and sophisticated and they will wear that color confidently! Every shade in between works perfectly for this year's festivities! Now get your nail colors on and show the world where you stand!

Text Alexandra Faye

J.Crew RTW S2011

Though I’ve been less than pleased with J.Crew’s sudden spike in prices for trendy items that can be purchased for about $15 at Forever21, I am reluctantly starting to realize that the brand does in fact have high fashion potential. In the past, I’ve scoffed at the lace camisole being sold for over $300 and the sequin sweatpants for $600, but as I flipped through the Spring 2011 look book, I found myself swooning. The only thing wrong with this collection is that it doesn’t hit stores for another few months.

The vision: Jenna Lyons has always tried to incorporate her own personal style into the vision she has for the J.Crew collections. This season, she focused on a creative play on minimalism, a stark contrast with the billions of brooches presented on the fall collection. Lyons creates looks that may seem mundane if she followed suit with many other designers and used a strictly neutral palette. However, in typical J.Crew fashion, the line is filled with bright colors and dazzling patterns. With several different shades of hot pink, bright orange, burnt red, sea foam green, and cyan blue, it’s hard to imagine why the industry is so dead set on such a basic color palette.

The outcome: Bravo! Each look successfully masters the art of pairing several pieces of color together without looking insane. One look had three different pieces all in different shades of hot pink, while another played with color and texture using chambray, cashmere, and sequins. There honestly isn’t one look within this collection that isn’t completely wearable, whether you’re going to class, to work, or an after hours party. Hopefully, J.Crew’s RTW line will cause its customers to begin experimenting a lot more than they have in the past. After all, these looks will be sold as deconstructed individual pieces, so it will be difficult not to play around a bit and develop new, but equally fun outfits that fit a myriad of different styles.

Standout pieces: It’s hard to say which pieces deserve the standout title, because there are just so many of them. However, after careful consideration, I’d like to nominate the magenta paper bag shorts, the white and gold striped sweater, the pleated khaki skirt, and the sequined maxi skirt used in the final look. Though I love the way each piece was used in the collection (especially the skirt being paired with a chambray button up and leather waist belt), I can clearly envision at least 3 different uses for each one- which makes them well worth their estimated prices.

I’m still not ready to start adding J.Crew to my list of favorite high-end designers, but this collection has definitely stolen the prize for most anticipated spring collection. Perhaps this is because it is so on point with my own individual style, but I can totally see mothers and daughters alike purchasing (dare I say) the same pieces and using them in completely different ways.

By Ali Antonucci