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NYFW Trend Alert: Coat Your Legs With Candy Colors

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To combat the overwhelmingly dark and somber tone that marked the fall/winter €™08 collections, a lot of our favorite designers added unexpected, playful elements to spruce up their collections. I mean, where€™s the fun in fashion without a few risks and surprises? Some designers threw shades of shimmery gold into the mix for added glitz and glamor, others played with plush purples and other rich jewel tones, most went wild with accessories, and a few took risks by playing with pops of brightly colored legs, by far the most fun and funky way to add a much needed spark.

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Tags :   anna sui , betsey johnson , colored tights , fashion week , miss sixty , new york fashion week , nyfw , stockings , tights , trend fall 2008 , trend report , trends , twinkle by wenlan , vera wang , zac posen

NYFW Runway Report: Carmen Marc Valvo

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Inspired by the character Gloria Wandrous from the 60€™s classic Butterfield 8, played by the iconic Elizabeth Taylor, the Carmen Marc Valvo fall/winter €™08 collection was a sensually seductive and strikingly sexy, evoking the smoldering sensuality and vulnerability captured in the eyes of Elizabeth€™s character. We saw gorgeous satin cocktail gowns that sensually swayed with each step, rich jewel tones, boudoir-inspired items like peeping lingerie, corsets, and the bustier; and feathers, which remained an important detail throughout, adding a delicacy to the complex structures. I absolutely loved the emphasis on the back: we saw sheer fabrics, draped backs, v-neck backs, and so on, making these dresses perfect for making both a killer entrance as well as exit.

Stylehive Scorecard
Colors: Black, Satin, Red, Sapphire, Amethyst, Ivory, Midnight Navy
Cuts/Styles: Lingerie- inspired, Form-Fitting Dresses, Cinched Waists
Theme: 'I know I€™m sexy, and now you do too.'

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Tags :   carmen marc valvo , fall 2008 , fashion week , new york fashion week , runway

NYFW Trend Alert: It's All In The Accessories

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The overarching feel of the fall/winter 2008 collections was sleek sophistication mixed with high-impact glamour, mostly due to the fact that almost every designer had a serious case of accessory-fever. Almost all the looks in the shows were paired with either hats (from beret€™s, to brim hats, to knits, to fedoras, to small hats, to big hats, and so much more), fancy hair pieces, fur boleros, layered necklaces, long leather gloves, and/or belts (either super-thick or super-thin but always super sleek- either individually, several at a time, or all piled on in a single look).

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Tags :   abaete , accessories , anna sui , carolina herrera , diane von furstenberg , fall 2008 trends , fashion week , jill stuart , mara hoffman , new york fashion week , ports 1961 , runway , tracy reese , trends , zac posen

NYFW Runway Review: Diesel Takes It Up A Level

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This past fashion week was an exciting one for Diesel and marked the unveiling of the Diesel Black Gold collection- said to €œinject fresh fuel into the fashion machine.€� The new line stayed true to the signature Diesel DNA, but injected it with a big dose of sexy-edgy-coolness for a collection that mixed the obvious with the surreal and the minimal with the graphic. We saw unexpected layering and fabric pairings; loose silhouettes that glided over all the right places and moved sensuously; layers that created transparent, light as air effects; angular shapes that were smoothed and softened; classic materials like wool, silk, viscose, and of course, denim that were cut and molded in surprising ways for a new kind of tailoring. Described as being €˜allergic to the obvious€™ this collection contained a subversive, effortless, and understated type of sex appeal- the kind that holds your attention and lies below the surface, begging for a closer look.

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Tags :   diesel black gold collection , fall 2008 , fashion week , new york fashion week , runway , runway report

NYFW Runway Review: Zac Posen Mixes Fetish And Fantasy

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Stylehive was fortunate enough to score a ticket to the notoriously exclusive Zac Posen runway show - and being there, only a few rows away from the runway, really gave me the chance to see what all the hype was about. While I usually keep one eye on the runway and the other on my trusty notebook, frantically scribbling down notes and such, during this show, I was so transfixed by the eclectic, vivid, and beyond belief stunning looks, that I couldn€™t pry my eyes away long enough to jot down a single letter. In the end, the page in my notebook titled €˜Zac Posen€™ said only this: "Amazing!!!!"

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Tags :   fall 2008 , new york fashion week , runway , zac posen , zac posen fall 2008

NYFW Trend Report: Fall Goes Glam With Gold

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When I asked for his fall 2008 predictions,Vogue's editor-at large André Leon Talley told me there was going to be a move towards a new sensibility of romance with "rich gold- gold as Fort Knox- lot of gold tones, lots of metallic shine"- bear in mind, this interview took place on day one of fashion week- when no one really knows which direction the trends will move toward. I was a bit skeptical by André's prediction at first- I mean, haven't we had enough of the metallic craze? Apparently not, because but not surprisingly, he was right, and as the days went on and I hopped from one show to the next, I noticed that almost every collection was enlivened with the help of glimmery shimmery golds. We saw gold floral lamé dresses, gold trench-coats, sheer gold tops, gold bodice dresses, gold shift dresses, gold pintucked a-line skirts, gold pencil skirts, Matelasse gold, jacquard gold, shimmery gold, gold coins, gold leopards- you get the picture!

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Tags :   andre leon tally , angel sanchez , badgley mischka , carlos miele , dkny , fall 2008 trend , jill stuart , lela rose , monique lhuillier , naeem kahn , new york fashion week , nicole miller , phillip lim , ralph lauren , trend report

NYFW Runway Report: Lela Rose Blends Sports and Cocktail Hour

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The Lela Rose fall/winter €™08 collection was a collaboration of ultra sporty shapes combined with ultra feminine elements for an overarching €˜Sporty Cocktail€™ theme. The collection provided a unique mix of duffel jackets, pullovers, parkas, sweat shirt dresses, tee-shirt cuts, and racer-backs in vibrant colors such as mallard green, cardinal red, midnight navy, and goldfinch made in luxurious fabrics such as taffeta, silk, cashmere, and paillette for a €œSusie Capstick Meets Park Avenue€� vibe. The sporty motif was strong in the beginning of the presentation, but then tapered off as we saw stunning evening dresses, infused with the rock star glamour of a young Jerry Hall- with high-collars, tiers of delicate fabrics, and ruffed extravagances. Although sportier and funkier than previous collections, by playing with flowers, bows, feathers, ruffles, and beautiful cuts and shapes, this collection definitely maintained the signature Lela Rose elegance and femininity that makes her clothes so breathtakingly stunning. Another reason to love this collection? All looks were paired with shoes from the ultra affordable Lela Rose for Payless line!

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Tags :   fall 2008 , fashion week , lela rose , new york fashion week , runway , runway review

NYFW Trend Alert: Shades of Purple Dominate Runways

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Come fall 2008, all the Teletubbies are gonna be envying Tinky Winky's style. I'm not sure if the credit should go to the Tinks or everyone's favorite dinosaur Barney, but purple was EVERYWHERE this past New York Fashion Week, and will be the shade to crave when fall hits. From electric purple, to pale purple, to plum, to violet, and every shade in between, this snazzy hue is the one thing preventing us all from classifying the fall '08 runway collections and bleak, drab, and dreary.

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Tags :   abaete , angel sanchez , anna sui , badgley mischka , carmen marc valvo , fall 2008 , fall 2008 trends , fashion week , iodice , michael kors , new york fashion week , rebecca taylor , temperley london , vivienne tam

NYFW Runway Report: Ports 1961 Goes Mythological

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Tia Cibani was inspired by the mythology of Gaelic tales for the Ports 1961 fall/winter €™08 collection which romantic Scotland through the eyes of an imaginary creature she called €˜Lassair.€� Tia was captivated by the richness and enchantment of the land, as her program notes - €œPorts 1961 falls under the spell of a Scottish winter, with its dark moods and whimsical auras that tease the subconscious mind.€� Like most collections this season, this one played with the feminine form and delved into more risqué territories with bold corsets and bondage tailoring which suggested subtle hints of an old country girl gone wild.

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Tags :   fall 2008 , fall fashon week , fashion week , new york fashion week , nyfw , ports 1961 , runway review , runway review ports 1961

NYFW Runway Report: MaxAzria Goes Vixen-Chic

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The MaxAzria fall/winter 2008 collection embraced feminine sex-appeal in an alluring, yet sophisticated way with an underlying boudoir-vixen-chic vibe the whole way through. The collection played up the feminine form with bold belts and corsets- both of which were incorporated in almost every look (think corsets over everything, even sweaters) for a waist-cinching, hourglass silhouette. The unique combinations of texture and volumes, with a hint of sensuality like lace slip skirts, prevented the collection from entering crass territory. Sheer fabrics were combined with heavy wools, and girly prints were paired with felt caps. All of this toughened up the collection, giving it a very femme-fatale meets tomboy feel- which Stylehive and the group of A-list celebs who came out (all sitting a mere 2 rows in front of us!) simply couldn't get enough of!

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Tags :   fall 2008 , fashion week , fergie , joss stone , max azria , maxazria , new york fashion week , runway , runway report