Nina Ricci: Pre-Fall '10

To sum up the Nina Ricci pre-fall '10 collection in one word: gorgeous. The looks are very feminine with an interesting mix of cocktail dresses, gowns, suits, outerwear, skirts, and draping.

Both the textures and colors used in the collection enhance the femininity of each piece. Lace, soft knits, and fur-trimmed shoes and gloves are mixed with a color palette of pastels, khaki, shades of grey, and other neutrals. I particularly love the use of dusty rose in this, because the French house has brought back a classic color and made it current and beautiful all over again.

If this still does not sound like a collection that interests you, the look with a cardigan sweater with 4 arms (yes, you read that correctly) definitely makes it worth checking out!

-Erin O'Hara

Pin One On Me

Brooches are not just an 'old lady' accessory. Wearing a brooch adds interest and flash to any outfit, and they can be used functionally to pin any part of your outfit in place. Their popularity is rising, which means there are some beautiful and unique pins out there to match your style.

Jeweled brooches are great for evening looks, classic cameos are perfect for the office, and those with fun shapes and patterns are great for dressing up a weekend outfit. There are even some great brooches tapping into the popular military motif. What is even better? Pins can range from from a few to few thousand dollars meaning you can complete your look with a brooch on any budget.

My favorite brooch for spring: the Ben-Amun by Isaac Manevitz Swarovski Crystal Brooch pictured above!

-Erin O'Hara

A True Converse-ation Piece

Artist Sebastian Errazuriz is a man of many talents: he is a photographer, the creator of unique household furniture and decor, and has even been commissioned to design a house; however, it is Sebastian's fashion designing that really caught my eye.

His special edition design for Converse combines the classic Converse flat with a pair of wide leg jeans, literally fusing them together. Talk about innovation! The jeans look great on the male model (of course!), but I wonder about the functionality of these pants/shoes when it comes to people of different heights and sizes. This may just be fashion trend to admire from afar.

I hope to pass someone on the street one day very soon wearing these...shants?

-Erin O'Hara

Wedding Bells for Marc?

Wedding bells were ringing for a certain fashion designer this December in St. Barts

It seems Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone may have gotten hitched on their recent trip to St. Barts according to a guest of guest. But we are not sure if thats entirely true. Reports have been surfacing that the picture shown above was taken at an engagement party hosted for their two in St. Barts that just so happened to feature a wedding cake.

Well whatever the truth may be, congratulations to Marc and Lorenzo on their engagement/wedding we wish them nothing but happiness.

- Erin Jones

In Memory of Eunice Johnson

Eunice Johnson the widow of John H. Johnson, the founder of Ebony Magazine, died Sunday at the age of 93.

For those of you who may not know who Eunice Johnson is let me fill you in. Eunice and her husband created a fashion magazine dedicated to the African-American culture. She was also the director and producer of the Ebony Fashion Fair since 1961, which is the traveling fashion show that raises money for charity and is staged in nearly 200 cities each year.

She is also the creator of the make-up and skin care line called Fashion Fair Cosmetics. It is sold in most high end department stores around the world.

Eunice played a significant role in the fashion industry, she made a long lasting impression by showcasing the best in style on African-American models of various shapes, sizes and skin tones.

Even though she has passed we can be sure that her contributions to the world of fashion will continue to live on.

Eunice is pictured above with Fashion Designer Yves Saint Laurent.

-Erin Jones