Post #37: Trend Report - Scarves

           The House of Hermès made its first 90cm x 90cm signature silk scarf in 1937. Since then, scarves have taken the world by storm, going in and out of phases of fashionability. In recent history, you may remember the Hermès Spring/Summer 2010 scarves ad campaign (as seen below).

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           As evidenced by the Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear shows along with the current window display at Bloomingdales' 59th street address in New York City, scarves are returning bigger and in more versatile a fashion than ever. And while it may look extremely cool yet difficult to braid a scarf into your hair as in the picture above, scarves were seen in almost every other form on the runways.
           Our journey with the scarf does not begin at the neck this season. At the Nicholas K show, scarves were worn loosely around the waist in a sarong-like fashion, looking chicly tough and grunge at the same time.

           Scarves then slowly migrated up to shoulder-height at the Mandy Coon show, adding a splash of color as they were draped off of one arm and belted at the waist. 

           At Elie Saab and Akris, scarves were still belted around the natural waist, but not before being draped around the neck. 

 

           Finally, scarves made it up to their traditional place around the neck. And while Ralph Lauren's classic and chic spring neutral looks are my favorite, there is something to be said for Matthew Williamson's use of green as a simplistically chic pop of color, and for Elie Tahari's minimalistic and sexy skinny black and silver look.

           But alas, if you're thinking that the neck is as far up as scarves go this season, you are mistaken. At Missoni, whose show was dominated by the presence of this airy accessory, scarves showed up daintily tied around the neck or worn in a more innovative fashion as a modern take on the babushka. 

         And lastly, Salvatore Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, and Moschino displayed their varying takes on the headscarf (which I'm calling the final step in the evolution of the scarf from "hipwear" to headgear). 

           In The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger, Miranda Priestly incorporates a white Hermès scarf into every single outfit she wears. No matter the time nor place, she uses them as a neckscarves, bracelets, belts, carrying straps, etc. And while Miranda Priestly may not be one of the most liked characters in fictional history, she is one to pay attention to. The main lesson here is that scarves are limitless. I would post a Dos and Don'ts list for this trend if only there were Don'ts. So, whether you're driving around in a convertible while wearing a pair of over-sized sunglasses and a scarf to protect your hair, or whether your outfit just needs a pop of color, change things up with this dynamic trend. 

All runway photographs from: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/powersearch?trend=trend23&event=show2182

Post #36: Something to Note - Blake Lively For Chanel

After meeting Karl Lagerfeld, Blake Lively was named the face of the new Mademoiselle handbag line by Chanel. The bags come in a range of materials, including: Iguana, Matte Alligator, Galuchat, Jersey, Perforated Patent Calfskin, Aged Calfskin, Satin, Karung, Iridescent Calfskin, and Patent Calfskin, as well as a range of sizes (mini bowling, small bowling, bowling, large bowling, and maxi bowling). And based on the ad campaign that just hit magazines this month, The Mannequin has deemed the Mademoiselle handbag the IT handbag of the upcoming months. 

http://herblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/chanel-mademoiselle-handbag-collection-6.jpg 

http://mamasarollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/first-look-blake-livelys-chanel-mademoiselle-handbag-campaign.jpg

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 http://www.celebshowbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Blake-Lively-Chanel-Mademoiselle-Handbag-2011-Campaign.jpg

http://thestylistsite.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/chanel-mademoiselle-handbag-blake-lively-21.jpg

And in case you haven't had enough of Blake Lively and this equally gorgeous handbag collection...here's a video of the making of the ad campaign:

Post #35: Fashion on Film - Coco Mademoiselle

Once again, Chanel has created a gem of a video for one of its signature perfumes. The latest Coco Mademoiselle mini-film, starring Keira Knightley and Alberto Ammann, was released March 21st. Directed by Pride & Prejudice director Joe Wright, the video features Knightley seducing a photographer wearing first a nude catsuit and matching boots and then nothing but the fragrance itself. 

Post #34: Spotted at Colgate - Joe Spina

Spotted in Curtis Hall: Freshman Joe Spina looking debonair in a white striped American Eagle button-down, nicely fitted jeans, and Adidas sneakers. 

Post #33: Quote of the Day

"Style" is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma. Fashion is something that comes after style.

- John Fairchild

Post #32: Something to Note - How to Tie

For all of the boys and men who still don't know how to tie a tie or a bow tie and for all of the girls and women who still need to do it for them (or who want to channel Avril Lavigne)...

Watch and Learn. 

Post #31: Fashion on Film - The Rugby Poets Club

This month, Rugby, the more youthful preppy line created by Ralph Lauren in 2004, launched a "groundbreaking series [of videos] inspired by the rhythm of the city." The videos capture the aura of the line while subtly displaying the clothing within their poetic narratives (and mood-enhancing background music). The first three videos are set to the poems "Chariot" by Joshua Bennet, "An Eastern Ballad" by Allen Ginsberg, and "Reborn" by Alex Ustach. 

Post #30: Spotted at Colgate - Murphy Kean

Spotted in Dana Arts Center: Junior Murphy Kean chicly beating the winter blues by layering a vibrant pink shirt with a tailored blazer. Her delicate gold necklace and statement watch are both fun and functional...perfectly completing this look. 

A Quick Break

The Mannequin is on Spring Break. Regular posting will resume Saturday. I apologize for the inconvenience. 

Post #29: Trend Report - Hats

            According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "millinery" is defined as "women's apparel for the head." According to The Mannequin, millinery refers to something that has unfortunately been pushed to the wayside for years. The fact of the matter is that, aside from baseball caps and winter caps for warmth, almost no one wears hats. People have failed to see all the wondrous things that hats can do to an outfit in recent years.

            Hats act as insta-statements when incorporated into your outfit. It used to be the case that women would wear their finest hats and gloves to church on Sundays or to grand occasions (an extravagant example of this kind of hat would be the hat that Audrey Hepburn wore as Eliza Dolittle when going to the ascot races in 1964's My Fair Lady):

http://clutterproject.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/audrey_hepburn_my_fair_lady.jpg

            In the 1920s you would see flappers and chic modern women in their tight-fitting bell-shaped cloche hats creating an iconic style that will be referenced for decades to come. For most of history hats have been iconic stand-out pieces...and recently,  I've gained some faith in their return after seeing a few pop up around the Colgate campus. So, whether you prefer to wear a neon-orange "frat-hat" or something a little more vintage...get hatty. 

            In the Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear collections and the 2011 Resort collections, hats sprouted up among many designer's collections. They could be spotted on the runways of Vivienne Westwood, Alice + Olivia, Diane von Furstenberg, and Marc Jacobs (to name a few). 

At Vivienne Westwood hats ranged from the structurally demure to cowboy:

 

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/S2011RTW-VWESTWOOD

At Marc Jacobs, straw hats were extra-wide-brimmed and colorful, perfect for sitting in a lounge chair or at the beach this spring break:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2011RTW-MJACOBS

At Diane von Furstenberg hats were visor-like and classily patterned:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/2011RST-DVFURSTE/

And at Alice + Olivia turbans dominated the scene:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/2011RST-ALICEOLIVIA/

            With hats, you can almost never go too big or too small. They're an easy way to show the world your personality (whether it's simple-and-chic or elegant-and-extravagant). So take the runway and movies for inspiration and dare to don one. Some of my favorites in stores this season are the Pins and Needles Basic Floppy Hat (www.urbanoutfitters.com), the Coal the Celia Hat (also Urban Outfitters), the Full Jersey Turban (once again, Urban Oufitters) and the Day's End Boater hat from Anthropologie (www.anthropologie.com). So happy shopping....just don't get quite as mad as a hatter ;-)

Post #28: Quote of the Day

"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months."

Oscar Wilde

*Trend Report Coming Tomorrow*

Post #27: Something to Note - MRPORTER.com

           After finally deciding to click on an ad link that kept popping up on a website that I frequent, I stumbled upon http://www.mrporter.com. MR PORTER is the somewhat new brother site to e-commerce superstar Net-A-Porter (created by Nathalie Massenet). The site is an online shopping source for designer brands for men and carries designers such as Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, and Burberry. 

           The website is extremely user friendly and is broken down into seven sections: designers, clothing type, shoes, accessories, "the journal" (which includes spotlight reports on different men as well as trends), a style directory, and a wardrobe manager (which will give the indecisive or overwhelmed man recommendations). But what particularly caught my eye was the last male spotlight on 48-year-old Mad Men star, John Slattery. In The Journal, Slattery was photographed in various modern yet put together combinations. Let's call it the modern "Mad Man" for the 21st century. 

Slattery wearing Ray Ban sunglasses and a Rag & Bone shirt. 

Slattery in a Balenciaga raincoat and a Lanvin shirt. 

Photos from: www.mrporter.com/am/journal.mrp?feature=journal_issue2feature1

Post #27: Fashion on Film - Faraway

As of yesterday, Longchamp (the French leather and luxury goods company best known for the its tote bags and founded by Jean Cassegrain in 1948) released "Faraway - The Movie." "Faraway" highlights Kate Moss's latest collection of bags for the label. Directed by Alasdair Mclellan, with creative director Lee Swillingham, Kate Moss floats through each frame to the sound of Nancy Sinatra's "Sand." The video, which has a distinctly 70s vibe (a spring trend this year), definitively reflects the collection, which is currently being sold at http://www.longchamp.com/en/kate-moss-for-longchamp-women-600011.html. 

Post #26: Spotted at Colgate - Snow Day

Photo by Laura Uhlig

Spotted outside of Curtis Hall: A wonderful snowman, made out of snow-day snow, sporting a school-spirited Colgate winter hat and a lei. 

Post #25: Quote of the Day

“I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.”

 Marlene Dietrich

Post #24: The Best and the Worst - The Oscars 2011

          For actors and actresses (and their stylists) the Oscars are the biggest night of the year. They are both a celebration of the culmination of hours of work, as well as the ultimate contest. The red carpet looks are scrutinized for weeks (and brought up for comparisons for years)...and this year, the stars definitely did not play it safe. So, without further ado, here are The Mannequin's Top 5 Best and Worst Dressed Actresses of the 2011 Oscars.

The Best:

5. Jennifer Hudson: Wearing Atelier Versace and showing off her new svelte figure, Ms. Hudson knows how to be a show-stopper. Her Oscar-worthy tangerine gown hit just the right notes with a fitted bodice and dramatic skirt.

4. Hailee Steinfeld: Channeling Grace Kelly...Finally, an actress who knows how to look her age yet with a stylishly mature choice. Wearing a pale-pink custom-made Marchesa "tea-length" gown, the 14-year-old True Grit star has definitely made her mark.

3. Reese Witherspoon: How anyone could not fall in love with this vintage Barbie look at first sight is beyond me. Wearing a black and white Armani Privé gown with a retro hairdo, Ms. Witherspoon looked simply phenomenal.

2. Halle Berry: While she's been somewhat missing from the acting seen as of late, Halle Berry still knows how to do an awards show right. Wearing a nude crystal-encrusted Marchesa Gown, Berry was definitely red-carpet material on Sunday night.

1. Mila Kunis: A Grecian Goddess in lavender. This draped Elie Saab Haute Couture gown fit both the magnitude of the event and the seductive personality of Ms. Kunis. Unique in silhouette, style, and color, this dress immediately catapulted Kunis to the Number 1 spot on this list.

And The Worst:

5. Amy Adams: Cap-sleeves were a prevalent trend at this year's Oscars...a trend that I'm not so sure about. Amy Adams' blue L'Wren Scott cap-sleeved gown just missed the mark (a mark that $1,350,000 worth of Cartier jewels couldn't even save). The gown, along with her loosely waved hair, overpowered and aged the actress.

4. Jennifer Lawrence: The Winter's Bone star was not shining in her red Calvin Klein dress on Oscar night. While simple done properly can be magnificent (see Reese Witherspoon), simple done wrong can look cheap and a tad Baywatch. Better luck next time, Ms. Lawrence.

3. Cate Blanchett: While the bottom of this Givenchy Haute Couture gown was a hit, the top was distinctly a miss. The strong shoulders and structure of the bodice looked like poorly-colored armor (not to mention the hideous splash of greenish-yellow at the top). The only reason this dress isn't the worst of the worst is because Ms. Blanchett is Ms. Blanchett.

2. Melissa Leo: An Oscar-winner with a Red Carpet-loser of a dress. Many a fashionista has questioned Melissa Leo's doily Marc Bauer dress with a front slit...and so do we.

1. Annette Bening: The fabulous Ms. Bening was aged well beyond her years in this Naeem Khan gown. As if the cap-sleeves weren't bad enough, it looks as if someone sewed up a plunging neckline in front. The lines of the gown are wholly unflattering, making Bening the worst of the worst.

All pictures from: http://oscars.movies.yahoo.com/photos/150-2011-red-carpet-arrivals#OmgPhoid=111

The Undecideds:

Anne Hathaway's Best: Vintage Valentino Haute Couture from the Valentino Archive. Red on the red carpet. Simple Tiffany Diamonds. Stunning.

http://haveuheard.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/annehathaway.jpg

And Her Worst: Why oh why did Tom Ford make this hideous gunmetal lace dress? And why oh why did Rachel Zoe think it was "major" enough to put Anne Hathaway in for her Oscar-hosting spree?

http://www.splurgerina.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Anne_Hathaway_Tom_ford_Oscars_2011luxist.com_.jpg

Post #23: Fashion on Film - What You Waiting For?

            In the first chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll writes: "The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well." For many designers, the fantastical tale of Alice has been a deep well of fashion inspiration, making them "curiouser and curiouser" about where that inspiration could lead them. 

            This week's Fashion on Film post looks at Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?" music video, as well as a 2003 fashion editorial that was shot by Annie Liebovitz and appeared in Vogue, to see just how whimsical fashion can get. 

            "What You Waiting For?" is off of Stefani's 2004 album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." and features dresses by John Galliano. If you would like to skip to the Alice in Wonderland section of the video, skip to the 4:50 mark. My personal favorite dress from the video belongs to the Red Queen. 

            In the 2003 Vogue shoot, Natalia Vodianova was shot in dresses by various designers in Alice In Wonderland-inspired settings. Each photo captures both the model and the designer who made her dress.

Dress by Olivier Theyskens (Rochas)

 Dress by Tom Ford

Dress by Helmut Lang

 Dress by Marc Jacobs

Dress by Karl Lagerfeld 

 Dress by Jean Paul Gaultier

 Dress by Viktor & Rolf

 Dress by Christian Lacroix

Dress by Donatella Versace

Dress by John Galliano 

Dress by Nicolas Ghesquiere

Pictures from: http://trendland.net/2009/06/15/alice-in-wonderland-by-annie-leibovitz/#