africa-inspired: rachel roy spring '09

[estelle in rachel roy @ the MoMA awards as first seen here]

estelle's tribal chic dress @ the MoMA awards prompted us to take a close look at Rachel Roy's spring '09 collection to see if she had more africa-inspired offerings. sure enough, she does! here they are:





looks like ms. roy drew inspiration from mali's traditional mudcloth and injected it with a dose of modernity. that one-handed dress has our names all over it! africa, grecian-style? we're majorly digging it. with that said, rachel roy's entire collection is worth taking a look at here.

xo

buzz: arlenis sosa/time style and design magazine, april 2009

we've had our eyes on dominican model, arlenis sosa for a hot minute. she's striking, she's beautfiul, she's FIERCE. here are some photos from her spread in the time style and design's april 2009 magazine. the theme? out of africa.









so ridiculous we can barely contain ourselves. this season's africanista isn't just of the african-print dress wearing variety. there seems to be a strong emphasis on a vibe, little bits and pieces that are reminiscent of a contemporary african who's in touch with a more conservative, traditional side. from animal print, to raffia bangles, to bold, statement pieces (necklaces, earrings, rings), to head wraps, the message is this - mix and match, take a walk on the wild side, clash, make it your own. we love that the first spread features a jacket by liquorice favorite, duro olowu and two other spreads (the 4th and 6th, not counting the cover) feature pieces from out of africa brand, suno.

spreads like this are one of the reasons we blog.

amazing.

xo

big, BIG shoutout to thefashionspot

fashion-to-go: for the sheer love of it.

[preen spring '09]

one of the spring '09 trends we are most excited about is the peek-a-boo/sheer trend -- a little bit of mesh here and there never hurt anybody, right? here are two simple ways to get in on it:

1. american apparel's mesh dress



layer it however you like! wear it under something, wear something under it, whatever floats your boat! need more inspiration? here's one of our blogger favorites, the glamorous eccentric:



OUCH.

get yours here for $42.

2. babooshka's sheer top/dress



for that loose, laidback chic, get yours here for $58.

have a fantastic weekend :-)

xo

spotlight: akpos okudu

we're majorly in lust with a brand spankin' new brand straight out of port harcourt. if you're looking for fun, ultra femme pieces fit for ladies who brunch, AKPOS OKUDU is a great place to start :

this brand is definitely on our watchlist. find out more by visiting the designer's blog here.

xo

p.s. to order - e-mail the designer at nylla17@hotmail.com or call her on +234 8076256599 (nigeria)

fashion-to-go: 5 spring picks from alexander wang

if we could have a closet full of any designer's pieces this spring/summer, alexander wang would definitely be one of our top considerations. let's face it, a couple of key wang pieces here and there = magic dust. yup, magic dust. don't believe us? we'll prove it to you:



as far as blazers go this season, here's one blazer that packs a punch. double-breasted? check. pockets? check. tailored to perfection? CHECK! what more is there to want?!



if it's the 80's you're into, here's a loose sikk-crepe tank to help you on your way. one strategically-placed pocket and voila! more perfection.



'tis the season for all things white and all things draped & this skirt tackles both trends in one breath. LOVE.



we're also majorly digging this fabulous silk dress fit for spring's goddess. grab some pumps, turn on the 'tude and you're good to go. break some necks while you're at it!

last but not the least, the sheer genius of this piece is almost enough to make us want to fork out $795. pattern familiar? well, amber rose did wear that ridiculously hot wang dress:



be still my beating...everything!

for more inspiration, watch and learn:



...and for more information on the featured pieces, shopbop is the way to go! any pieces stick out for you?

please share!

xo

fashion-to-go: spring inspiration

we don't know about you but we're very excited to finally be ditching our coats and dusting off our bathing suits :-) we've also been de-cluttering via ebay to make space for a new season and a fresh new outlook. these looks (above and below) from milly's spring 2009 collection pretty much capture where we're headed style-wise this spring. from one-handed dress to neon brights, earthy sandals, and free-flowing caftans with bold accessories, we're dabbling in the whole spectrum of spring's offerings. let's face it, life's too short for us not to have fun with what little time we have.

what's your style forecast for this spring?

share!

xo

NY fashion week: trend watch/belts

if anything's already clear from the spring '09 shows, it's that one key accessory that's not going anywhere is the belt. we've seen all sorts - from skinny, to studded, to earthy browns. at the marc jacobs show, we saw the obi-style belt:

this isn't the first time we've seen this belt. in fact, it had mass appeal a few seasons ago and came in a wide range of colors. however, this is the first time we've seen them so metallic and updated with diaper-style (that's what they remind us of, lol) pins.

the tibi show had a similar take on kimono-style belting:



while the marc by marc jacobs show had layered belts:



which we immediately thought of when we saw tory burch's version:



the belt is definitely taking on a life of its own next season. will the statement belt be next season's statement necklace or will they both take the center stage? hmmm. stay tuned :)

xo

event: NY fashion week (nicole miller, yigal azrouel)

we've been glued to the runway shows for the next season and several of them have already come and gone. so far, we can't say we're stupefied by their genius...in fact, we've tossed superlatives out the window. yes, we've liked a few pieces here and there but as far as love goes, that's another matter entirely. it seems everyone's playing it safe and keeping it simple...but then again, it's too early to tell. so far, we've seen nicole miller play with color:

and temper it with gray in some cases:



striking in that 'thank heavens it's not neon' way. no offense, neon.

more here.

then we've seen yigal azrouel show two pieces that had us saying "HOTTT DAYUMMM":



...and then lots of layering - simple pieces underneath, eye-catchers up top:




still pretty sombre with the gray. it's starting to look like gray's going to be a spring '09 staple. we like what he did with white...he starts with a simple canvas and piles on the layers. duly noted.

and some floor length dresses that we're strangely drawn to for reasons we're not sure of just yet:



have you been following fashion week? any favorites so far? we'd love to swap opinions with you! we'll be back with more coverage soon!

more from yigal azrouel's show here.

xo