winter 2012

The Lady Bag for fall

 in General Fashion / Handbags / Trends  tagged fall 2011 / runway trends / satchels / winter 2012 by

The “Lady Bag,” or top handle satchel, was a huge handbag trend for fall 2010. When the spring 2011 runway collections hit the catwalk, the top handle satchel was nearly absent; minus the classic designers who keep the style in their collections regardless of the trends du jour. While Hermes and Christian Dior showed Lady Bag styles for spring, most designers such as Roberto Cavalli and Gucci opted for the trendier, 1970’s inspired shoulder bag with a long strap.

Consumers and Fashionistas everywhere were not ready for the classic yet trendy “Lady Bag” to fade into the background for spring, so shoppers continued to purchase the handbag style and store buyers happily stocked shelves with the satchel. Due to the demand for the classic top handle satchel, designers retuned the style to the runways for fall 2011; as if the handbag had never left the catwalk.

Almost every designer imaginable featured the top handle satchel for fall 2011 on their runways in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Some designers such as Christian Dior, featured the style with a detachable cross body strap to add versatility to the style. Gianfranco Ferre and Nina Ricci showed the classic silhouette with one top handle while Hermes and Christian Dior showed double handle totes for fall.

Whether you purchase the double or single handle style “Lady Bag,” the handbag is a classic and perfectly on trend for now into fall. The best colors to look for when purchasing a top handle satchel are neutrals that will last the test of time such as shades of Ivory, black, brown and navy. Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

Paris Fashion Week fall winter 2011/2012 recap

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2011 / paris fashion week / runway trends / winter 2012 by

Paris Fashion Week ended on Wednesday and left fashion fans sad and happy at the same time. Sad because we have run out of runway shows to watch, and happy because we now have a glimpse of which trends from spring are continuing into fall. We also now have insight into new, up and coming trends.

New York and Milan visited past decades from the Art Deco era, the Depression era, the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. In Paris, the tone was more sedate and although designers took their inspiration from the same time periods that were shown in New York and Milan, the tone was dark and serious.

Louis Vuitton took visitors on a train ride in the 1940’s with a serious yet classic tone. The music was deliberate and the silhouettes were ladylike and tailored. Chanel sent their collection down a runway that seemed as if it had been bombed out and dressed models as if they were walking on the city streets; not showing Chanel’s collection to buyers, editors and clients.

The overall vibe of Paris Fashion Week was tailored; long hemlines, dark colors, luxurious fabrics and a return to ladylike dressing. Black was a dominant color with spots of red, burgundy, mustard, forest green and shades of grey. Winter white also made an appearance on the runway either alone or paired with black.

The shoes shown on the runway varied between high heel booties, lace ups and menswear inspired tie shoes. Paris showed a handbag collection that mirrored what was seen in Milan with a large amount of top handle satchels, shoulder bags and daytime clutches.

It should be interesting to see which styles hit city streets and which trends remain on the runway and in the archives. Will we be seeing a large amount of red? Will everyone dress in black and grey? Will worn jeans make a comeback paired with luxury aka Chanel? Will Art Deco and the Depression push the 1970’s out of 2012? It should be interesting to which trends store buyers gravitate towards, and which ones are left without any orders for fall.

To view a video of the Louis Vuitton show, please click here.

To see fifty photos from Chanel, please click here. 

Milan Fashion Week fall winter 2011/2012 recap

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2011 / milan fashion week / runway trends / winter 2012 by

Milan Fashion Week ended today and has left Fashionistas everywhere with a glimpse of what may end up on store shelves for fall. The trends on the Milan runways differed slightly from what was seen on the New York runway a week ago. While New York showed a heavy vintage influence from the 1970’s and art deco periods, Milan delved into the 1980’s, 1970’s, 1960’s and Gothic eras.

The 1980’s popped up on several of the Milan runways with Dolce & Gabbana creating the most reminiscent collection of them all. Designers showed leggings under large tee-shirts, bright colors mixed together, slim menswear and baggy over tight. Disco worthy dresses also pranced down the runways at shows such as Gucci.

Milan continued the 1970’s trend which was a large part of the spring collections for fall 2011. There were wide leg trousers, long shoulder strap on handbags (Gucci and Roberto Cavalli) and long hemlines that nearly touched the floor.

Blumarine and Gianfranco Ferre both had different takes on the 1960’s trend. Bluemarine showed brightly colored and tonal ensembles while Gianfranco Ferre showed the softer side of the decade.

Roberto Cavalli brought the Gothic era to the Milan Fashion Week runways with dark and textured ensembles mixed with dark eye-makeup and a whimsical yet dark way of integrating leopard print into the fabrics.

To view the Prada fashion show please click here.

To highlights from the Gucci show, please click here.

It should be interesting to see which trends hit store shelves in the fall. Will the Cavalli bring back goth? The 1970’s are here to stay, at least for 2011; will they continue into spring 2012? Paris Fashion Week started on March 1, 2011. Let’s see what the city of Haute Couture brings to the runways. . .