Spring 2013 Looks to Love

Band of Outsiders

Camo green + tailored suit + laced sandals

Although the spring runways have closed and the four major fashion weeks (NYC, London, Milan, and Paris) have come to an end, I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of posting about the events. And while I was a little heartbroken to see such an absence of color on the catwalks compared to last spring's abundance of pastels and neons, I can't be too forlorn--there are still countless looks I've fallen in love with. Here's the start of them...

Balenciaga

Red + knotted texture + delicate necklace

Bottega Veneta

Tattered sequin stripes + netted cardigan + butterfly belt

Chanel

Classic tweed + bold purple

Chloe

Metallic ruby heels + dainty straps

Dennis Basso

Ethereal lace + ivory + cord belt

Altuzarra

Wrapped scarf dress + gold tassels + sandal boots

Badgley Mischka

Sultry cut + silver accents + peachy pink hue

DKNY

Caramel leather + black contouring + deep side part

Jason Wu

Unapologetic lace/leather combo + red lips

Marchesa

Dove gray + Sari-inspired design + asymmetrical midriff cutout

Jill Stuart

Impossibly silky sheen + salmon pink + burnt orange + deep crimson + middle part

Zac Posen

Strong gems + inverted sweetheart neckline + pointy pleats

Proenza Schouler

Bright lime + netted leather + ring zipper + chunky black sandals + thick choker

Reem Acra

Ball gown + spiny metallic embroidery + wash of hot pink

All photos via style.com

xo Heidi

What Dreams Are Made Of

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One of my favorite gowns of all time: 

Elie Saab Spring 2011 Couture (also worn by Mila Kunis at the Academy Awards)

Oftentimes I've dreamt of clothes. In my deepest slumber, my mind's self will be awestruck and wandering around a certain sartorial Eden that brims with clothing: skirts, blouses, jewelry, handbags, coats, and dresses. And the garments are always so fantastic that I suffer a slight ache of heart when I wake up and realize that what I experienced wasn't reality. But maybe that's the thing about dreams: their unattainability, their splendor, their so-close-but-so-far facet, these are what make one want to fall asleep in the first place. And really, that's the thing about clothes too--the over-the-top whimsy of some couture pieces just wouldn't have such draw if they weren't so otherworldly and inaccessible. That said, I still believe that it's just about every girl's fantasy to wear that "dream dress," and that at least once in her all-too-real, terrestrial existence, every girl should get to do just that. At least this is what I tell myself when I'm rudely awoken from my silk-chiffon-filled reveries. 

Here are just a few gowns I've come across that seem to have been woven with dream threads and dream needles:

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[Silky texture + shiny tassel + scooping neckline + subtle floral print]

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[All-out sparkle + bateau neckline + elbow-length sleeves]

4

[Scarlet red + volume + ruffles]

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[Plunging neckline + lavender + pleats + gold hardware]

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[Watercolor + translucency + gems]

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[Intricate beadwork + starburst jewels + sweetheart neckline]

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[Powder pink + high/low hemline + whimsical flow]

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[Crazily chained and jeweled neckline/sleeves + babydoll structure]

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[Diaphanousness + shimmery leaves + faux sweetheart neckline]

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[Jeweled buttons + prim ribbon + tiny ruffles + jeweled embroidery]

12

[Grape + relaxed movement + plumed hemline (+ Diane Kruger)]

13

[Beaded, sparkling lace + waistline flower + vintage-y, spaghetti-strapped neckline]

14

[Big, soft flow + dropped back + off-white/purple contrast]

xo Heidi

Pout About It

[Gettin' lippy: Models at (clockwise from top left) Gucci, Bottega Veneta, YSL, and Rochas boasted major attitude without saying a word.]

My favorite beauty trend for the fall: giving some serious lip. The girls at several fashion powerhouses exhibited their trendsetting potentials with darkly bold lips in shades ranging from black cherry (Rochas) to bordeaux (YSL) to borderline black (Bottega Veneta). And it doesn't matter how comfortable you are experimenting with your look--the lip's intensity can run from subtle to severe depending on how many layers of product you apply and the kind of product you use (a gloss, a balm, a stain, or a lipstick). 

So come September, trade in your basic, fancy-night-red tube of lipstick for something a bit inkier, a little more femme fatale edgy. Just start your primping by creating a simple canvas--forego blush and eyeliner and stick to a simple swipe of mascara and some highlighter in the corners of your eyes. Choose your shade of dangerous red-black, remember to blot (read: you don't want lipstick on your teeth), and don't be surprised if people stand up a little straighter when you walk by. Eyes will be drawn to your lips, after all, a pretty sexy spot if you ask me.

I'M LOVING: 

1. YSL Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain in No. 2 Brun Glace, $32, sephora.com// 2. Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Stain in Moody, $24, sephora.com// 3. Benefit Cosmetics Eye Bright, $20, sephora.com// 4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Blackcherry, $4.99, target.com// 5. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Volga, $25, sephora.com// 6. L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss in Plum Rush, $5.99, target.com

xo Heidi 

Designer Partiality

Kirsten Dunst Loves Rodarte

Even celebs play favorites, at least when it comes to choosing which costly creations to wear. And why shouldn't they? No one does sleek utilitarian better than Givenchy, just as Carolina Herrara's ladylike whimsy stands unparalleled. Here are a few more examples of just how much some stars love their prefered designers--and just how much the very designs love them (Rooney and her fits-like-a-glove white cocktail dress, anyone?).

Rooney Mara Loves Givenchy

Dianna Agron Loves Carolina Herrara

Carey Mulligan Loves Prada

Emma Stone Loves Lanvin

So ladies, what designer would you break the bank for?

While this is obviously the toughest decision I have had and will have to ever make, if I had to narrow my love of all things out of my price range down to five designers, they'd be Valentino, Dior, Elie Saab, Oscar de la Renta, and Marchesa. But let's pray I'll never have to make such a heart-wrenching compromise.

 Left to Right: Oscar de la Renta Fall 2012 RTW, Elie Saab Fall 2012 Haute Couture, Valentino Fall 2012 RTW, Marchesa Fall 2012 RTW, Dior Spring 2012 RTW


Photos via instyle.com and style.com

xo Heidi 

A Bejeweled Burden

[The sore neck is worth it. A look this bold delivers both mass and magnificence.]
Images via style.com

Land, ho! Are those newly discovered territories or...really big gems? The ladies at Lanvin took on a weighty task for the fall shows and strung on jewels that exercised their earlobes and necks, but not without reaping the benefits. (And each sashayed down the runway as if donning delicate chains, not decadently monstrous pendants.) Art deco-y and baroque, monumental rubies, emeralds, and sapphires brought already luxe fur-encased and glove-bedecked outfits to extravagant new peaks, domains so chic you may want to explore them yourself. Play into this over-the-top lavishness by wearing a pair of earrings and a necklace that match, and juxtapose the chunkiness with a sleek yet relaxed blowout. Et voila! Black-tie (or bar time) ready. 

SOME GLEAMING FINDS:

1. V-Lace Necklace, $26, baublebar.com// 2. Ranita Drops, $68, anthropologie.com// 3. Ranjana Khan Bronze Necklace, $49, thelimited.com// 4. Serpentine Drops, $172, baublebar.com// 5. ASOS Floral Rhinestone Y Necklace, $33.14, asos.com// 6. Rhinestones and Spikes Bib Necklace, $12.97, charmingcharlie.com

xo Heidi

Around the World in 10 Ways

TOKYO, in Rochas

Leave it to Hollywood sweetheart Emma Stone to blow your travel pictures out of the water. Over the last couple weeks, the leading lady has been globe-trotting to promote her latest flick, The Amazing Spiderman. And let's just say (since these pictures speak volumes) that she hasn't let her busy schedule affect her flawless wardrobe. From her burgundy velvet number in Japan, to her sleek beaded jumpsuit in London, to her dramatic (and to-die-for) gown a la femme fatale in Paris, Stone's been on a streak so stylish that her ensembles alone make any girl rush to buy pre-sale tickets for the Spidey movie. A streak so stylish that onlookers must forget that there are other actors in the film as well. A streak so stylish that one wonders how Emma was able to stay within the 50-pound luggage limit at the airport. Oh, the perks of being a starlet.

SEOUL, in Jennifer Meyer and Brian Atwood

MOSCOW, in Lanvin

SEOUL, in Fendi

MOSCOW, in Emilio Pucci

LONDON, in Elie Saab

PARIS, in Gucci

BERLIN, in Andrew Gn

MADRID, in Dolce & Gabbana

ROME, in Bottega Veneta

All photos via instyle.com

xo Heidi

Bright Eyes

Each season brings about not only fresh looks in fashion but in beauty as well. And with a bland morning routine of brown eyeshadow, mascara, and black liquid liner, I couldn't be more excited about the new eye makeup trends. 

For the fall shows, designers debuted creatively glam eyes; from Stella McCartney's ultraviolet mascara to Anna Sui's bold swipes of liner to Roberto Cavalli's luminescent multi-hued lids, there were looks for every occasion and personality on the catwalks. And I admire how well each eye makeup look complemented its clothing counterpart: McCartney's preppy, pared-down pieces in gray, black, and blue with the indigo mascara, Sui's mismatched rocker-boho style with the graphic eyeliner, and Cavalli's lush and over-the-top ensembles with the different colored shadows. Lucky for us, the cosmetics are a bit more affordable than the actual runway outfits.

STELLA MCCARTNEY'S INDIGO LASHES

The Product:

Golden Rose Perfect Lashes Blue Mascara,

$9.99, amazon.com

ANNA SUI'S COBALT CATEYE

The Product:

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aquarelle in 3 (Bright Blue),

$20, sephora.com

ROBERTO CAVALLI'S PEACOCK EYES

The Products:

SEPHORA COLLECTION Prisma Chrome Eyeshadow in Purple Prisma 40 & Emerald Facet 25,

$15 each, sephora.com

Images via 1, 2, 3, & 4

xo Heidi