The Top Shop opening party was in New York this week - and the city is in a complete frenzy over it. My best friend emailed me the other day to say that there was a Top Shop van at FIT giving out gift cards (of undisclosed amounts) and totes. Ugh, anywhere but here. The Times also wrote a feature on it that included absolutely no low points. Essentially, all anyone wants you to do right now is spend, spend spend - and to a lot of people Top Shop is dirt cheap, so they think it will work.

To me, Top Shop is a great source for fast fashion, but it isn’t some place I regular or count on to have much inventory for long. I first visited a Top Shop in Barcelona, and wasn’t entirely impressed - buying only a headband and belt. Online, there has been a little more excitement, except everything I like is either over priced or out of small sizes. I can only imagine New York’s assortment will be what dreams are made of, but I hope it can live up to the hype it’s built up after 2 years of anticipation (it was supposed to open in 2007). I also wonder how Top Shop will change the fast fashion climate not only in SoHo, but the rest of the city where you can find an H&M almost every 20 blocks, and sometimes 10. And - is the assortment’s price point offered different than overseas and what’s offered online like Zara is known to do? Hopefully - because in SoHo if you can’t find that perfect silk harem pant in your price range at Top Shop, you’ve got H&M, Forever 21, Zara, Armani Exchange, and American Apparel all within a literal stone’s throw.

I won’t be able to visit this magical land until Summer, however, but lucky for all of us outside of New York, Top Shop’s online store has gotten the hint and is offering free shipping all week! So, hop to it.

NY Times article “Top Shop in New York”

Matthew Williamson (also design head for Pucci) first landed on my fashion radar when I started living vicariously through Sienna Miller while living in my first apartment in the punky, St. Marks mixed with Indian row East Village tenement that could be mistaken for a camper or hippie commune. I even chopped 12 inches of my blonde hair off before her, the SAME week she did for Factory Girl, and I was convinced it was fate (ha!). Anyway - my fashion love affair with Sienna’s style was circa Fall 05-Sp 06, before & during all of the Jude Law nanny affair media blitz - and after that is when she started to get dull, unfortunately. Before that, however, she was one of Matthew Williamson’s biggest muse’s and celebrity endorsers. He was even supposed to design her wedding dress, ironically. So - thank god for Sienna’s youth because without her who knows who would have helped to curate Williamson’s talent. The boho chic look she absolutely coined and which made her an “it” girl, was due in large part to his designs.

That being said, there’s great news in that H&M is doing a designer capsule collection for Williamson - similar to H&M diffusions past of Victor & Rolf, Stella McCartney, & Comme Des Garcons -  H&M designer collections are like Target on crack. Picture the fashionista equivalent of Star Wars fans camping out, or even those crazy Filene’s basement bridal sale chicks and that’s what happens on regular city blocks in New York when a collection hits. So, keep these dates in mind and don’t think that just checking in on your lunch break is going to be sufficient - you’re going to have to claw through many a twenty-something flower child to get your hands on the goods!

First shipment hits April 23 - second May 14th.  I’m living vicariously through all of you with H&M’s, parting with New York is such sweet sorrow.

This is just what I need right now - newness! I’m over the latest diffusion news - and although I have no idea what the price point for this new line is, I am so happy to see an innovative and fresh approach by Adidas. SLVR is Adidas’ new venture into a premiere collection of futuristic shapes made from eco-friendly textiles and processes. The blue tee above is made leaving no waste behind, cut from one piece of fabric, with no seams! And the shoes - traditionally made from 25-30 pieces, are rather made from 6 and are stitched together instead of using harmful glue - which extends the life span of your purchase slash happiness.

What drew me to the new Adidas SLVR line wasn’t the environmentally conscious part of me though (as much as I’d love that) - I really just couldn’t resist the silhouettes. It was as though Stella 2.0 went in there and transitioned her tennis line into wearable street clothes. Although this is not at all an athletic line, traditional details like drawstring waists, lightweight fabrics, and mesh comprise the collection to make it sporty couture, like Y3 but so much more chic. Now if only I still lived in New York…

Stores: New York, Beijing, Moscow, Paris, Miami, Berlin

Everyone else - check it online and find a friend in New York or Miami to do you a favor! Adidas SLVR.

As we’re now onto Milan fashion week - it gets just a little harder to keep up with the same enthusiasm that comes with the first showings in New York. While Style.com is the bible - that means there’s a lot of info to take in and it isn’t always a quick recap unless you want to be biased from the reviews. So - I definitely recommend the NY Times for catching up with Milan, because the chances of me catching the cute props (coffee) used at Fall 09 DSquared would have been slim until at least a month from now.

Check the Milan round-up at NYTimes.com

Apologies for those wanting more commentary - but New Orleans Mardi Gras completely interfered and rendered me incapable of posting all weekend. Thus - the shows unmentioned will definitely appear as the season goes on, but I’d love to close out and spit some fire about my favorite show - Derek Lam.

Derek Lam Fall 09 was furry (more furry than the furriest Dennis Basso show), full of graphic black and white, glossy leathers, and classic trenches. It’s so ironic how the initial shows were so dark, this really turned into the season of prints - Derek Lam being a modern spectator of sorts (I dealt with a lot of spectator at Ralph), which also denotes such a refined and different customer than what we all typically think of the Lam lady. I’m a definitely a sucker for the accessories - the detail shots, the past elbow length gloves and clean, simple gladiators. There was a huge Katharine Hepburn feel to the air of sophistication that I can only imagine seemed to float down the runway - and the dramatic drape of the typical pieces helped to lend a hand to that simple, classic, Americana aesthetic that is often scorned rather than celebrated. Gasp, I’ve fallen in love and it’s not Galliano!

Matthew Williamson Fall 09 began like an ikat rainbow - the knitting was executed seamlessly - transitioning from lipstick red to cream to turq. Williamson is couture hippie - the adorable elbow sleeve, ballet neck dresses are perfect for any shape - easily wearable, on trend, but inconspicuous. I could die for the furs - they were stunning, bi-color pieces you would expect from Basso or another furrier. Williamson basically paired every pattern and texture under the sun - with silk paisleys, chunky knits, leathers, and even fairisles (usually confined to the RL runways) that gave his boho chic a refined yet still uncontrived beauty. Another favorite use of prints and patterns in the collection were the rick rack, zig zags and Morocco seen through a kaleidoscope layers upon layers of chiffon in the finale pieces. If I could maneuver any backstage pass, it would be Matthew Williamson’s so I could steal every last piece from this collection.

Rodarte fall 09 was the usual mix of S&M and futurisma that it usually is. So, not the most wearble - but definitely editorial, meaning we’ll see this over and over again. The materials looked like paper mache with complimentary, dominating buckles, chunky knits with many a loose thread that looked almost Mongolian - and common elements of past shows like the spiderweb-esque translucent arms, necklines, and sweeatheart bodices. Overlapping textures kept it fresh, even if the color story was highly monochromatic - and the silhouette theme left quite a bit to be desired as well, with absolutely no separate bottoms! The whole time I was thinking - where is the pant, where are the separates, how is this a complete collection? Apparently Rodarte can get away with that because you’re not wearing this to a charity benefit let alone the grocery store - so it really comes down to those shoes. Who could ignore the way more than thigh high boots that were, dare I say a little Trash & Vaudeville?

Marc Jacob’s Fall 09 collection was definitely a step back in time - the 80’s vibe was undeniable, but strangely refreshing. Little hints of the 80’s have been popping up for years now, and in Jacob’s show he fully utilized the full, bubbly skirts, shreds of layered velvet, and the uber glam rock sequins, foil, and shiny satins. Color penetration in all of the textures were expertly executed - the bold gold’s, pool blue’s, and bubblegum pink’s were so forward for fall. The dimension was gorgeous - lots of pleating, peplum - and great new shapes for bottoms in the form of jodhpur/carrot pinstripe and denim. Even though the collection was straight out of Flash Dance with a translucent body suits of all things, & enormous and exaggerated shoulders - there were very quintessential Marc pieces like tubular overcoats and boyish tops we all know and love.

Chris Benz Fall 09 was a burst of primary color. It began with a lemon & lime zest, and carried through with head to toe looks of red, green, and yellow. There was a distinct modern Mad Men feel to the separates, and a heavy 60’s Twiggy inspiration in the boxy jackets and necklines. On the flip side - the skirts were a cross between flamenco and pencil - with beautiful ruching and drape that was really all his own. The lacquer finishes, metallic animal prints, fluffy furs and Matisse blurry prints were youthful and experimental - he even went from one end of the spectrum to the other in this collection - 60’s Twiggy to 80’s Hip Hop. How’s that for a JCrew alum?

There are just too many great shows to review! Why hasn’t Style.com covered Barbie? Anyway, day 3 here it is!

Alexander Wang Fall 09

Black - ugh! The entire fashion community is not a New Yorker (Sorry! Not going ex-pat, just bored!) There were more cut outs - leggings towards the end that were clearly Rodarte inspired, a little Dries Van Noten misshaped shirting silhouettes and kind of awful biker shorts. This collection was as though Wang abandoned his sexy, casual, cool aesthetic from previous shows. Luckily - leather was prevalent, but more in the American Apparel liquid look legging type - oddly this show screamed a little serial killer, those strange hats like from V for Vendetta totally threw me off. The grey tweeds broke up the black, but is that really a high point? Every look was the same - pair biker shorts with fitted blazer, maybe throw a little peplum in - and it’s a win win (or not) formula for Wang - and not for the buyer. When has anyone looked fabulous in biker shorts? Everything started getting better towards the end, though - there was a lot more femininity and raw appeal - and the bare minimums were very, very beautiful.

Vena Cava Fall 09

I feel like a record on repeat - there was more transparency, more bustier cups, more cut outs - but what I do love about Vena Cava is that it’s always feminine, so I can deal. Man - maybe it’s because it’s designed by women? What a thought. So - if there are going to be any take aways from fall 09 I can already say it on day 3 - it’s going to be cut outs, transparency, and black! it really makes you think - and I’ve always thought that great minds don’t think alike, so what’s the deal? Was everyone reading the same Doneger report or something? Anyway - the strong points were definitely the mini hemlines, tye dye leggings, and fringe - they know who their customer is, and that’s smart to grow from it. I confess, the whole time recapping the show I kept thinking of what Blake Lively would be in on the next episode of GG. With Vena Cava - I appreciate their consistency done well.

Boy By Band of Outsiders Fall 09

Yikes - again more layering, but this time with a refreshing assortment of colorful tights and underpinnings, and a resurgence of those bermuda length shorts (not Biker like Wang, more wearable). Harem slouchy pants were one of my favorites - the design favored a sloppier aesthetic that was very Fall, and slightly the same of what we’ve been seeing - but actually pretty damn cute and aspirational. When I really felt like I loved a look - it was due to pairing a feminine bottom with a military type jacket. Always a fan of dichotomy, I’m glad at least Boy’s 15 looks impressed more than most shows of 40

Jason Wu’s Fall 09 show started out a little St. John, a little reminder of his first lady intrigue - with bits of full skirted Oscar thrown in. The textures varied from start to end, with jacquards and tweeds making up the seemingly ill fitting separates, which led into contradictory etheral, flowing, shimmering translucent fabrics and feathers. If Matthew Williamson and Ralph Lauren had an evening wear baby, Jason Wu would adopt it. The dresses were gorgeous - fresh necklines and lightweight fibers that seemed to glow, but it was as though he envisioned the first half of his show for your mother and the second half for you. If the separates were a greater interpretation of his dress aesthetic - I wouldn’t have to reference so many designers to try to explain his design philosophy.

Rachel Comey’s show came across as a little from Russia with love. There is a lot of layering, which isn’t necessarily risky for fall - but the apparent opaqueness, chunky knits, and boxy shapes helped to separate the collection from Marc Jacob’s past. The knotted knit headwraps and mauves, greys and muddied berries reminded me so much of Chloe Fall 2006. Comey’s use of mixed prints - floral & animal, on the flip side were youthful and ironic. It’s important to note the longer hemlines in this show - a lot of pieces were pretty much below the knee or to the floor, a little bit from your grandma’s closet that was comfortable, cozy, and exactly what gets people excited about fall fashion in the first place. Structure was not in the cards for Comey - and when she did feature pants it was very Tonne Goodman/Virginia Smith, very fluid and baggy - which unlike a lot of the shows thus far, tied in beautifully with her use of drape throughout the rest of the show.

Day 1: Friday, March 13th - Rachel Roy & Jenni Kayne recap:

Rachel Roy Fall 09 was like a futuristic nod to 40’s glamour. There was an abundance of translucent fabrics, asymmetrical necklines, hemlines - and shiny satin in natural metal tones. On the whole, there was a lot of straight silhouettes with some drape thrown in - and bustiers were prevalent, a little Proenza resurgence and a lot of form fitting, hourglass friendly shapes. Her strength is definitely in dresses though - but when she did choose to embellish, it stuck out from the rest of the collection like a sore thumb. There was an ideal flow, like being at the gem exhibit at the Natural History Museum, that became a little tarnished with the random beading and lace towards the end. On the flip side - the collection was forward, fresh, and an entirely new look for fall.

Jenni Kayne’s Fall 09 collection was wearable, current, but a bit underwhelming. Perhaps it’s because it was pieces I would actually put together myself, or the sea of black that made it so hard to appreciate the eclectic design elements - or maybe the Marni-esque accessories that were a bit distracting. Don’t get me wrong, this what I would wear - I love boyfriend blazers, a high low mix, and those straight cropped trousers I would sell my soul for right now, but maybe the collection wasn’t as forward as it needed to be. Similar to Rachel Roy’s embellished oddities - the entire collection was dark as night except for one cerulean shift that left you wanting more. Luckily, she made up for what she lacked in color with the dimension and texture that were mixed and matched so interestingly - the feathers, leather, silks, and crepe de chine kept it Jenni Kayne.