Top 5 Beauty Trends SS2010

If you want to look stunning this summer not only stylish clothes are required, your make-up needs to follow the trends too. Overall the beauty-rule for ss2010 seems to be: keep it simple. In many shows the hair and make-up looked natural and effortless. If you do want to go highlight your best assets and get a little crazy we have five beauty trends for you…

1. A healthy blush
We must say blush is not for everyone. Your skin has to be in a very good condition and if you already have natural red cheeks you should not put any extra blush on. Blush looks the most natural on a slightly tanned face and can variate from light pink to bronze to red. The make-up at Derek Lam looked extraordinary and although the models all wore blush their faces looked very natural.

2. Between the lines
A little bit of eyeliner is almost always used to accentuate the model’s eyes. Yet for spring/summer the eyeliner was very outspoken. The lines were thicker and longer than normally and created mysterious-looking models. If you want to work the eyeliner like Marc Jacobs and Roberto Cavalli, it’s best if you wear it to some party. Cause at the office people will think you’ve lost your mind.

3. Disco-colors
For this trend you have to be some sort of make-up expert. While not everyone can create the magic we saw on the eyes of Viktor & Rolf and Derek Lam’s models. Beautiful rainbows of colors were placed around the models’ eyes, each color fluently changing into another. The pastel shades (purple, green and orange) made their eyes look extra bright and matched very well with the clothes from the spring/summer collection. Once again, you’d have to be a make-up maestro for it, but if you can make this look work you’ll be the belle of the ball.

4. The looser the better
In case of a bad hair day a braid can be a good solution. And since braids are the hair-trend this summer that’s good news. On the catwalk loose braids, mainly worn to the side (Alexander Wang), were a big hit. Other nice braid examples were braids which had pieces of fabric braided into them (Oscar de la Renta) and French and Fishtail braids. And the more complicated the braid, the more classy the look.

5. Lovely lips
Apart from a light lipgloss, bright, red-colored lips will be seen a lot this summer. Rodarte, Viktor & Rolf and Dior showed the mostly lovely lips in the bunch, perfectly shaped and pretty colored. Some brands promoted green (Iceberg), orange (Loewe) and blue (Paul Smith) lips as well, but we think it’s better to save those for Halloween.

Overall we were most excited about the make-up at Dior, Viktor & Rolf and Derek Lam. The models looked fresh, playful and sexy at the same time. Since the make-up on the runway is always exagerated we might not copy the complete looks, but we’ll take some inspiration from it and we’ll do our best to create a subtle version of the looks presented above.

Dutch Models – New Face: Melissa Tammerijn

She just popped up out of nowhere and is planning to stay around for a while. Dutch model Melissa Tammerijn (19) from Delft started off as a runway model last season (fall/winter 2010). And lucky for her she already got to walk in big shows like Marni, Balenciaga, Viktor & Rolf and Sonia Rykiel. Besides, Melissa was booked exclusive for the Calvin Klein fashion show, in which she walked next to accomplished models like Stella Tennant and Kirsty Hume.

With her bright blond hair and her strong face Melissa is often compared to Uma Thurman. And she might just become as well-known as the blond actress.

Recently Style.com, as well as, Models.com named Melissa as one of the Ten New Faces from last season. Last year Patricia van der Vliet and Mirte Maas were in that top ten, so the Dutch models are going strong.

Melissa is taking her career very serious and has already moved to London. Let’s hope we’ll hear a lot more from this dazzling Dutch beauty in the future!

Catwalktrends SS2010: sexy sandals

We know women look their best wearing high heels. But a girl needs to be able to wear some comfortable shoes from time to time as well. Especially in the summer when she just likes to chill and hang out on the beach. For those easy breezy days the sandal is the perfect footwear. Sandals are comfortable, your feet are able to breath in them and they are still sexy.

On the runway sandals were worn too. It must have been a relief for the models who mostly have to walk in towering high shoes like the crazy Versace, McQueen and Galliano shoes from this season.

Armani, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui and Karl Lagerfeld all used sandals in their shows. They formed a big contrast with the high heels, not only because of their height but also because of their looks. The sandals were flat, plain and didn’t have any color in them (we only saw them in black and brown). Armani fortunately did add a flower to his sandals, Anna Sui decorated hers as well and at Valentino a bow was put at the back of the sandals.

When comparing sandals and high heels, we must admit sandals look a lot less fun. Yet for a day off they’re a great alternative.

Catwalktrends SS2010: mini summer dresses

For summer many fashion designers made their clothes more loose-fitting than before. Also, the skirts and dresses were less short than we saw last year.

But ain’t no summer without the mini-dress, so almost every collection had at least one bright-colored mini dress in it.

The mini-dresses represented the perfect summer feeling. They were often strapless (Moschino, D&G, Gianfranco Ferre, Karl Lagerfeld) and had lots of pleats at the bottom (McQueen, Valentino, Ungaro, Dior).

Not all of us ladies will be able to work one of those revealing dresses. But if you have flawless legs for days you really should pull of this summer look. These mini-dresses are perfect for a day off or a night at the club. You’ll feel like summer as soon as you put one on. And, of course, many men will be thankful for you doing that.

Catwalktrends SS2010: harem pants

The looser the better and the more pleats the trendier. Harem pants are the big fashion trend for this spring/summer. They were a big hit in the eighties when MC Hammer wore them and have returned to the fashion world this year in even more extreme versions.

They’re ultra-tight at the bottom and super-loose at the crotch. And since pleats are already in fashion this summer extra pleats make the harem pants look very 2010.

If you wanna try this trend in a safe way, you can start of with a pair of harem pants in black or beige (MaxMara, Badgley Mischka, Moschino). Yet, if you wanna proof you’ve got style you really should wear one of those multi-colored, printed ones we saw at Etro, Givenchy, Kenzo and Karl Noten.

Whatever you wear on top, you should tuck it in your pants. And if you’re wearing a high-waisted version of the harem pants a waist-belt is a great finishing detail.

Together with the jumpsuit, a pair of harem pants are true musthaves this summer. And the great thing about it: they are oh-so comfortable.

Catwalktrends SS2010: in the navy

Not only is navy blue a big hit this spring, the whole navy theme is extremely popular at the moment. The ‘basic’-looking striped top is popping up everywhere. Of course blue and white horizontal stripes suit the navy theme the best, but red, black and gray also look good with white.

The striped tops come in multiple variations. You have the short sleeves, long sleeves, wide stripes, small stripes, round and straight collars and there are versions with buttons and bows on the shoulders.

Then there’s also this navy jacket. It comes with stripes or just in one collor, it has eye-catching buttons and you often see anchor detail on it. Clements Ribeiro showed some nice examples of that jacket, loosely worn on top of a striped t-shirt.

Brands like Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste and Antonio Marras all had some navy accents in their collections for the summer of 2010. Also, large fashion retailers like H&M and ZARA are promoting the navy look big time. A smart move, that’s for sure.

Cause, while the striped top has a very basic look, it fits well with shorts, skirts and wide pants. And although it might not look that special at first, just because it’s so basic-looking almost any woman can look great in it. They just need to put on a pair of sunglasses, a nice scarf or a hat, take their big beach bag and they can join the navy in style!

The best of Paris Fashion Week FW2010

The Paris fashion week was the last fashion week of the season, but it was worth the wait. The brands in our top 4 (Celine, Dries van Noten, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton) all showed beautiful, wearable clothes in which women can feel confident and sexy.

Celine
The Celine fahion show was one to remember while it was a great follow-up for the amazing collection Phoebe Pilo showed for spring. Cause just like Pilo’s first collection for Celine this one was simplistic, yet never boring. Or as she described it herself: ‘Strong, Powerful, Reduced.’ The best fabrics were used and the clothes were made with Pilo’s signature clean and sophisticated cut. Shades of navy, black and white alternated each other. Leather details, like collars and pocket, and transparent fabrics gave the looks a bit of an edge. There’s no doubt this elegant and sexy collection will get it’s approval from Celine’s loyal customers. It had everything the women had been waiting for ever since Helmut Lang left the runway.

Dries van Noten
As one of the first designers to present his collection Dries van Noten managed to design exactly the kind of clothes women feel confident in. His designs were wearable, comfortable, feminine and refreshing. And the great thing about it; the models didn’t look as if they’d spent hours in front of the mirror. It seemed like they had just mixed and matched some of their own basics with some designer items. Therefore they looked streetwise and sophisticated at the same time. Two elements that really struck us were the colorful floral prints and the silver embroideries on the sleeves. Dries van Noten did a great job making fashion seem effortless, for once.

Lanvin
Dries van Noten wasn’t the only designer who proved he knew what women want. Alber Elbaz showed some great style as well. On the runway he built a stairway to heaven from which the models started their walk. They wore the cutest cocktail dresses and the most elegant evening gowns. Those dresses looked easy to wear, but were never simple. While most designs were very flattering, classy and still modern many women will feel comfortable wearing them. The collection felt urban, yet also had a light African tribal influence originating from Elbaz’ background (he was born in Morocco ). The tribal details were visible in the accessories, feathers and furry details. And we’re sure that between all those different items there was a little something for every woman.

Louis Vuitton
On the final day of the Paris fashion week Marc Jacobs once more amazed the world of fashion by presenting a 50’s/60’s inspired collection. He must have had the same thought as Miuccia Prada, only he took it a little further. His (full-figured) models (Laetitia Casta, Bar Refaeli, Catherine McNeil, Karolina Kurkova, Elle Macpherson) looked as feminine as ever with their wasp-waists, long circle skirts and full busts. Jacobs also re-introduced the famous Speedy bag. The show was inspired by the movie ‘And god created woman’ which made Brigit Bardot famous thus the models wore their hair in BB-inspired bouncy ponytails. The fashion spectacle was held around a fountain in the middle of a tented courtyard. It made up for a wonderful Parisian atmosphere, the perfect ending of a great fashion season.

The best of Milan Fashion Week FW2010

Many Italian brands proved they know exactly how fashion works during Milan Fashion Week. Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Jil Sander and Marni all showed very strong collections meant to be worn by strong women.

Dolce & Gabbana
The Dolce & Gabbana show was one of the best shows we saw in Milan. With their 50th fashion show Domenico and Stefano went back to their roots. They showed everything Dolce & Gabbana stands for, which they described by the terms Sicilianita’, Sartorialita’ and Sensualita’. The show, which started off by a clip of the designer working in their atelier, was a true sensation. Domenico and Stefano presented perfect tailoring with a very feminine touch. Their polka dots, animal and floral prints combined perfectly with all the black. Like in the show for their summer collection of 2010 the designers at the end sent out 75 models on the runway. All of them were dressed in black jackets. What a lovely sight! The show was marvellous, but you’d have to be there to understand why it made certain people cry.

Jil Sander
Anther brand that stayed very true to itself was Jil Sander. Raf Simons took some inspiration from the Lara Croft movie Tomb Raider and said to have designed the collection for ‘women with a target’. The tight catsuits, the boots with Velcro-closures and the streamlined shorts suits represented the Tomb Raider influence. While another part of the collection, with colorful tweeds and checks, felt very classic. The whole collection gave us the Jil Sander feeling from the nineties and Raf Simons showed retro-minimalism like it’s supposed to.

Prada
Just when Jil Sander went back to the nineties, Miuccia Prada travelled back in time to the fifties. At her show we saw elegant looking women in sophisticated clothes. They didn’t show much skin, yet their busts were highly accentuated. Ruffles and pleats brought the focus of the designs to the models’ breasts and small belts focused on their waists. The skirts were longer than before at Prada and the models were fuller-figured. It all felt somewhat conservative, but maybe that was just what Miuccia was going for. And she wasn’t the only one. Marc Jacobs went for the fifties look in his Louis Vuitton collection as well. And since Prada and Louis Vuitton are two of the top fashion brands of the world, we might see a lot more of the fifties in future collections.

Marni
A great aspect of the Marni collection were the colors. The ochre, dusty pink, matt olive, ox blood red and the turquoise green looked suitable for fall and yet were bright enough to feel fresh. They were there on Marni’s bermuda’s, tops, skirts and on the arty T-shirts made by Gary Hume. Not only did we love the clothes with their structured silhouettes, the perforated shoes and major accessories were to die for as well. Overall Marni’s collection surprised us with it’s unexpected fits and color combinations. We can not wait to wear those ochre bermuda’s!

Overall Milan’s hightlights represent a sophisticated lady like look. Nothing too loud, sexy or over the top. Just wearable clothes in which women can feel feminine and comfortable.

The best of London Fashion Week FW2010

After a period in which British brands preferred showing abroad they’ve now come back to London. The city’s fashion week celebrated it’s 25^th anniversary last year and is again a popular fashion town. Some of the best British labels have returned to the London catwalks, including Burberry, Pringle, Matthew Williamson, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Clements Ribeiro. Luckily for London, cause Burberry and Williamson were surely two of our London Fashion Week highlights.

Christopher Kane
With the fall collection Christopher Kane presented he is bound to win another Collection of the Year award. The designer used black lace and leather embroidered (by hand!) with floral patterns. A crazy combination, at first sight, but after a few looks we started to like it. The skirts and dresses meant for young women were short like always, but never looked sleazy. Kane worked some Priscilla Presley looks into his collection as well. ‘From the time before Elvis got her hands on her’, he said. Even though Christopher Kane and his sister Tammy are only running the label for four years they’ve already achieved a lot. And we’re sure there’s much more to come. Now let’s just hope he won’t be taking too many extra design job like the ones for Versus and Topshop, cause he already has his hands full right now.

Burberry
Another successful British designer who is fully booked is Christopher Bailey, creative director for Burberry. Bailey oversees some 60 different men’s and women’s collections each year, including the Prorsum, Brit, London and Sport labels, plus children’s wear, denim, underwear, fragrances, home-wear and all the accessories. Plus he’s responsible for the design of the Burberry shops. But that doesn’t influence the great collections he delivers. His work even tends to get better. The womenswear collection for next fall was a highlight of the London Fashion Week. Not only was it the first show to be watched live in 3D, people could even buy the designs as they came down the runway by simply clicking the ‘Click to buy’ button. And there sure was a lot to love, the coats being the public’s favourite. They came by with military accents and in aviator style, shear ling lined with double collars. So the Burberry show was trendsetting in two ways: (1) The military coats will be a success next year (2) Other labels will soon broadcast their shows in 3D and will let their customers buy their clothes straight from the show as well. Just wait and see.

Matthew Williamson
A show we would have loved to see in 3D was that of Matthew Williamson. Although the man is known for designing bright young things for, well.., bright young things his fall collection seemed a little more grown up. Of course there were the multicolored mini-dresses but Williamson also experimented with a more mature look. We liked it. Romantic ruffles and drapery were seen on his sophisticated dresses. He used beautiful colors from icy grey and blue to warm shades of fuchsia, peach, orange and red. Colorful prints and sparkles gave the collection it’s Williamson-twist. We loved the designs, the colors and the more grown up look. The dresses we’re maybe a bit too dull for his on-and-off girlfriend Lady Gaga, but they are still perfect for his other young customers, like Sienna Miller and Jade Jagger.

The best of New York Fashion Week FW2010

New York doesn’t always have the best brands showing their new collections. Still some labels left a big impression on us at the latest New York Fashion Week during which the fall/winter collections for 2010/2011 were shown.

Marc Jacobs
One of the highlights certainly was Marc Jacobs’ fashion show. Not only did the designer create a buzz around his show by starting a contest on Twitter only three weeks before the show. The beginning of the show was also very spectacular, with the 56 models all standing in a box on the stag  wrapped in brown paper. The show started on time, ’cause there were no celebrities invited and we loved the fact that Somewhere over the rainbow was played. The song brought back good memories while Marc Jacobs brought back old trends. He showed many items of his nearly two-decade repertoire. He stressed the fact that he didn’t want his clothes to look new. They were fashionable but were ‘not trying too hard to be so’. The clothes looked conservative, pure and simple and had a vintage vibe going on. The waists were raised and the A-line was back. And we just let us carry away by the music, the romantic clothes and the serene atmosphere. We loved it!

Rodarte
Another NY show that breathed serenity was Rodarte. The models appeared in beige, nude and floral printed designs, while candles were burning and dripping in the background. The models’ glow in the dark heels represented dripping candles as well. It all fit perfectly with Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s idea of sleepwalking.  The clothes had a suitable dreamlike quality. Rodarte’s craftsmanship was better than ever, the patchworks looked cheerful, and the knits seemed very wearable. Especially the ending was magical when four models in long white dresses stood in the center of the catwalk.

Calvin Klein
From the romantic atmosphere at Rodarte we go to a modern looking Calvin Klein show. And thus we switch from Rodarte’s candlelight to bright techno light moving to the beat of Calvin Klein’s music. Calvin Klein’s show was memorable for it’s diverse models; eighties supermodels like Stella Tennant and Kirsten McMenamy walked alongside young, upcoming models. There were a lot of coats, many designs had round shoulders and we saw some interesting textures. The clothes were also very streamlined, they had sterile shapes and didn’t have a lot going on. And since everyone is so fond of the minimalistic look at the moment, continuing his simplistic and sober style was a smart idea of head designer Francisco Costa.

Michael Kors
A last highlight of the New York fashion week for us was the show of Michael Kors. It was actually quite the opposite of Calvin Klein’s sober collection. Michael Kors’ designs represented luxury and wealth. He showed us how glamorous sportswear can look. His materials looked exquisite, his camel clothes made us green with envy and his enormous fur coats had our full attention. The collection was loaded with must-haves for the rich and famous and Kors proved a winter collection can be very very sexy.

So these four different brands amazed us, made us smile and frown and let us think twice about fashion. The four collections were very diverse and yet equally likeable. It shows fashion is never about just one vision; it can be interpreted in a thousand different ways.

« Previous Page — Next Page »