runway trends


Fall Make-Up: The New Eye

The new make-up styles for Fall 2010 bring a fresh, clean face to the Bay Area. The runways in Paris, Milan and New York showed varying colors of lipsticks and blush; yet the one common theme was the new eye. While smoky eyes and heavily made-up eyes were still present on the runways, the new, naked eye was the fresh stand out for Fall 2010. The one piece of make-up that was markedly absent from the new eye was eyeliner. Eyes were enhanced with mere mascara and light eye shadow while faces were either naked or fully made up.

Nina Ricci, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Thakoon, Peter Som, Celine and Christopher Kane sent models down the runway without eyeliner. The eyes were enhanced with mascara and pale eye shadow such as sheer gold and sheer orange. Cheeks were painted with everything from deep purple to pale pink. The lips were either bright red, bluish-pink, dark violet reminiscent of the movie Twilight or completely nude. Eyebrows were thick and enhanced with eyebrow pencil.  The nude eye is perfect for daytime and can be played up with any shade of blush. Lips can be nude, bright red or dark violet; according to your mood.

The smoky eye made an appearance at a few runway shows such as Zac Posen. Charcoal eye shadow was used over smudged black eyeliner and mixed together with a cutip to create an “I just woke up” look. Since the smokey eye has been around for several years, this may be it’s last hurrah as the new naked eye begins to take over the eyes of Fashionistas across the Bay Area.

The dark, dramatic eye was present on Etro’s and Derek Lam’s runways for Fall 2010. Dark shades of purple and charcoal painted the tops of the eyelids and reached all the way up to the eyebrow. The eyebrow was penciled in to be thick and squared off. Cheeks were varying shades of pink and purple with pale pink lips and no mascara. In order to take this look from the runway to reality, keep eyes dark and dramatic while keeping cheeks and lips light and neutral. This eye trend is best suited for evenings and parties.

Fashionistas in the San Francisco Bay Area may very well be bored with the smokey eye. The fresh nude eye for daytime and the dark, dramatic eye for evening; look to be the up and coming trends for this Fall. Try these looks out at home and see which ones flatter your face the best. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.


The Lady Bag is the new handbag for Fall 2010

The Lady Bag is the new handbag style for Fall 2010. There are two versions of this handbag which Fashionistas in the Bay Area will be carrying this Fall. The small tote version and the shoulder bag version. The small tote version is similar in style to classics such as the Louis Vuitton Speedy, Hermes Kelly and the Gucci 1973 Tote which is the double top handle tote version of the 1973 shoulder bag. The shoulder bag version reminds Fashionistas of the popular handbags worn roughly five years ago. Handbag lines are simple with a flap closure, minimal hardware and a medium length strap which allows the handbag to hit at the top of the hipbone when hung on the shoulder.

Fendi has a fabulous handbag collection for Fall. The famous peek-a-boo tote satisfies The Lady Bag trend. There is one version of the peek-a-boo bag with leopard print interior. There is also a military green peek-a-boo tote  that is to die for! Fabulous! The classic Fendi baguette, in any size, is the right silhouette for The Lady Bag trend. If you have one from a past season, this is the time to shop your closet and wear it for Fall. With the money you save, you can buy a red clutch! Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs,Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Prada, Proenza Schouler and Yves Saint Laurent have clean and classic Lady Bag styles for Fall 2010.

The Lady Bag this season is more structured than it has been in past seasons; even as recent as Spring 2010. There is a simple way to update your Lady Bag and take it from relaxed to the oh-so-of-the-moment structured. If you take a piece of cardboard and cut it to fit inside the walls of your handbag, it will instantly stand straight and appear just as structured as this Fall’s Lady Bag.

This is definitely a handbag trend to follow. The Lady Bag is a classic and clean handbag style that circulates in and out of fashion every few years. The best investment handbag in this style should be a neutral color that will withstand the test of time. Look for black, chocolate brown, khaki, tan, red, cream or white. If you are interested in mixing this trend with the military trend and picking up the Lady Bag in army green; proceed with caution. Army green handbags are not always en vogue and you could end up with a white elephant next year. If you plan to sell the handbag after wearing it for a couple of seasons then go ahead and Go Army. After all, fashion is all about what you feel, like and are drawn to. Try to be practical, but never deprive yourself of what you are in love with. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.


Rock and Roll for Fall 2010

There was small hint of rock and roll hidden within the runways for Fall 2010. As models donning 1990s Minimalism and 1950s nostalgia strutted down the catwalk, one or two outfits per show hinted at a little bit of rock and roll for the club scene and nights out on the town. The bad girl hint was hidden among prim and proper full skirts, full skirted dresses and somber, black outfits with a small pop of red. For Fashionistas who are not interested in looking like a Stepford wife or funeral attendee, the rock and roll trend is a breath of fresh air.

The rock and roll look has been on trend for the past several seasons, but for Fall 2010 it no longer blends into the background of other, more prominent trends. The rock and roll trend stands apart from the majority of the looks coming off the runway and into reality. The trend rebels against the vintage, 1950s trend with torn fabric on dresses, heavy eye make-up and larger-than-life shoes.

The pants are tight, leather and black. In lieu of skirts, designers such as Giorgio Armani showed hot pants in glittering black. Versace dared to show a torn, black dress that did not leave much to the imagination. The reality version of the dress will be hitting stores under the Versus label for Fall. Less expensive stores such as Forever 21 and H & M are showing the rock and roll look in more somber colors, reflective of the overall color pallette from the Fall runways. Hot pants are already popping up on teenagers and college students throughout the Bay Area. The popular form of hot pants among students is denim. Unlike Daisy Dukes from yesteryear, the hems are sewn and all seams are in place.

Eye make-up was shown in two versions on the Fall runways. There were some designers who chose to show a natural eye, making onlookers wonder if any make-up was present on the models eyes at all. Other designers showed a heavy eye with light lipstick. The two make-up looks were not consistent with the stand-outs trends for Fall, giving Fashionistas a choice when it comes to eye design. The rock and roll eye has heavy black eyeliner, false eyelashes and brown eye shadow above and below the eye. The application method harkens back to the smoky, grey eyes from earlier in the decade.

Lastly, as the soles of shoes are coming back down to Earth, the rock and roll look continues the sky high trend of platform and high heels. Balenciaga and Christian Dior are giving Fashionistas chunky black platforms with metallic accents while Fendi shows the platform in more somber, neutral colors adding a little bit of rock and roll to the full skirt. . .hmmmm. . .trend fusion for Fall!

The rock and roll trend has been around, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to shop your closet! But please, let’s keep the hot pants stored, or better yet, sell those things on eBay. Hot pants is one trend that needs to stay on the runway and NOT hit reality. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.