FashionClub.com Daily

Grace's London Fashion Report: Cath Kidston

Hi. Grace here, reporting from London.

Cath Kidston is a British designer who has changed the whole British teen look towards vintage florals and wellies. She opened her first shop in 1993 in Holland Park (east London). She started by selling vintage wallpapers and fabrics. Since then her fashion empire has grown considerably. She now has just under 30 small stores in England.

Each store has the warm countryside feel that Cath tries to get across in both the merchandise and the store itself. She is best known for her bags and purses but also does a range of clothing. I love most of her bags and purses but her clothing isn’t really known very well over here.

I personally prefer the rucksacks and shoulder bags (book bags) over her clothing. I think that Cath Kidston is a very important company because I feel that it reflects youth in England and she has changed the way that the modern British girl wants to dress. She has started a new fashion and I think that she has influenced and inspired a lot of other people to go for their dreams.

Grace is a thirteen year-old fashionista who writes sporadic posts for FashionClub.com Daily from her home in London.

Paris Fashion Week

When the fashion capital of the world has Fashion Week, we pay attention!  There were far too many fantastic collections to list here, so we've featured just a few of our favorites. --Angel

Louis Vuitton
Designer Marc Jacobs channeled the '50s to create fit-and-flare silhouettes in tweeds, printed wool, and chiffon, along with red carpet-worthy evening gowns.

 
  
  
  
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld's models looked like something out of the Ice Age in head to toe "fantasy fur"-- Karl-speak for faux fur. The designer brought in an actual 265-ton iceberg for the show, but the reception was anything but frosty.

 
  
  

Lanvin
Heavy beading, feathers, and bold, tribal-inspired jewelry made this collection stand out.

 
  

Giambattista Valli
Swingy coats and shift dresses gave this collection a retro vibe, and of course there was plenty of luxurious fur--ubiquitous on the Fall 2010 runways.

 

 

Martin Grant
It was all about classic silhouettes with a few origami details at this show.

 

Rochas
Another retro-inspired collection, but this time more playful and youthful, yet still posh.

Win Free VIP Tickets to SF's Sassy City Chicks Fashion Bash!

Sassy City Chicks Fashion Bash, the amazing designer sample sale where labels such as Dior, Prada, and Gucci are 30% to 80% off, is giving away 10 pairs of free VIP tickets to their San Francisco event on March 18, 2010!

To enter, just email info@sassycitychicks.com with FIDM in the subject line. At the shopping extravaganza you'll also discover great boutiques, new designers, spa services, and a live DJ.

You can also get a free General Admission ticket by using GEN AD promo code at check out (gift bag not included) or get $10 off promo code SCC SF to receive a 2-for-1 VIP ticket (normally $20).

London Fashion Week Fall 2010

Britain's top designers showed off their Fall 2010 collections this week so we headed across the pond to see what's hot in Londontown.  Here are just a few of the designers we loved. --Angel

Burberry Prorsum
We would be remiss to leave out Burberry -- the ultimate British label.  Designer Christopher Bailey went with a chic, military-inspired aesthetic for fall.

 
  

Christopher Kane
At first glance Kane's designs had a dark, almost Gothic feel, but after a closer look we found sweet details, like lace and flowers, mixed in with the tough fabrics.

 
  

Matthew Williamson
Williamson is keeping it fresh this fall with pretty ruffles and pleats in  bright, bold color palette, including electric blue and shocking pink.

 
  

Vivienne Westwood
Westwood's fall collection is as eclectic as ever, with a melange of tartan, stripes, military details, and eye-popping colors.

Sass & Bide
Designers Sarah-Jane Clark and Heidi Middleton presented a collection that was full of feminine details --lace, embroidery, and body-conscious silhouettes.

 
Twenty8Twelve
The sisters Miller (actress Sienna and sister Savannah) kept it boho-glam with long skirts, denim shorts over tights, and metallics.

Vince Camuto Shoe Design Contest!

Vince Camuto is holding a design contest that let’s aspiring designers submit a sketch of their dream shoe, for a chance to get it produced and sold in the fall 2010 Vince Camuto collection and be featured in the September issue of Lucky! The sketches will be posted on the website where visitors can vote on which designs they like best.

The top 10 voted designs will then be judged by designer Vince Camuto (one of the founders of Nine West) and President Louise Camuto along with an editor from Lucky. The best shoe design will then be highlighted in the September issue of Lucky and the designer wins a trip to New York City to meet Vince himself!

Submit design to shoedesigncontest@vincecamuto.com by April 15. Good luck!

The Classics at Fashion Week

Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger are all synonomous with clasic, American fashion. The three fashion giants unveiled their Fall 2010 collections on Thursday, the last day of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.  --Angel

Ralph Lauren
Lauren stayed true to his aesthetic, adding dashes of lovliness via floral prints, lacy Victorian collars, and luxe fabrics.

 
  

Calvin Klein
Designer Francisco Costa did a super sleek -- nothing playful, fussy, or girly, just clean lines and simple silhouettes.

 
  

Tommy Hilfiger
From the chunky sweaters and cropped chinos to the classic shapes and preppy stripes and plaids, Hilfiger's collection was easy and All-American.

 

Fashion Week: Let's Hear It For the Boys

NY Fashion Week usually showers all its attention on the women, but men's fashion designers made a splash this week as well.

Duckie Brown

Designers Daniel Silver and Steven Cox went wild with mixed plaids on square-shouldered jackets and super skinny trousers.

 

Mik Cire

Eric Kim (Mik Cire spelled backwards) was inspired by the World War I military look, and a somber color palette of olives and greys punctuated the collection.

 

3.1 Phillip Lim 

In his second full line of menswear, the designer combined urban and militaristic touches, mixing wool with leather, and accessorizing with over-the-shoulder duffels and backpacks.

 
  

Billy Reid

This quintessential American collection was influenced by the rural landscape and working class comfort. He even brought leaves from his own backyard to style the runway.

 

DKNY

Classic suits and hooded parkas in steel grey were given a modern look with heavy black boots and colored laces. Clunky boots were a part of many of the men's designer collections.

 
  

Rag and Bone

The Ango-American label layered chunky knits and heavy coats with a vintage vibe, perfect for scaling the Rockies, or at least the coffeehouse.

 

Richard Chai

Since this was a fall show, there was a lot of layering in the collections. But Richard Chai played with proportions, for example putting a long cardigan under a tailored jacket, so the layering was fresh.

 

- Jonathan

Proenza Schouler, Sui, and Marchesa

Wednesday's shows featured the edgy aesthetic of Proenza Schouler, the quirky color combos of Anna Sui, and the fairy-tale lovliness of Marchesa.  --Angel

Proenza Schouler
Partners Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez showcased layers of luxurious fur, prim pleats, and cool leather.

 
  
  

Anna Sui
Sui knows exactly how to mix colors, textures, and prints.  For fall, she used rich rubies, gpurples, blues and greens with every shade of brown.

 
  
  
  
Marchesa
Playful ruffles, girlish details, and devil-may-care hair gave the Marchesa runway a whimsical, Alice in Wonderland feel.

  

NY Fashion Week: Oscar de la Renta

 

Oscar de la Renta is an icon in the fashion world, so it's no surprise that his collection was well-received when he unveiled it on Wednesday.  The legendary designer stuck with classic feminine silhouettes in rich jewel tones--showing off fur-trimmed coats and hats, swingy shirtdresses, and of course, stunning evening gowns.  --Angel

As expected, de la Renta's evening gowns were red carpet-worthy. We can't wait to see which starlets will be wearing these dresses come fall.

 

Michael Kors on the Catwalk

Week after week Michael Kors lends his judgement to fashion design hopefuls on Project Runway, but Wednesday at NY Fashion Week the judge took some time to show his own eponymous collection. As usual, the looks were all-American, this time with an air of luxury thanks to cashmere, leather, suede, and sequins.  --Angel