Fashion Funhouse Emporium

Trias

Joaquin Trias was born in Spain and is self- taught. He started his collection in 2009 and showed his first collection at New York Fashion Week during the Spring 2010 season.

Colors: white, red, light brown, red

Materials: cotton, wool, taffeta, raffia, viscose

Loved Looks

More of the minimal trend graced the runways at Trias. For the woman who is shopping for a well made basic dress, Trias delivers. For the Spring 2011 season, this is the label's first addition of accessories. Rope belts, boots, pumps with wooden platforms added an extra touch of sophistication to each look.

Unloved Looks

If we are talking about fashion shows in terms of the "show" aspect, this one was as vanilla as it gets. Its not that there was a lack of skill or beautiful garments, but seeing very little variation in siloutte and color walk hypnotically down the runway made it hard to keep focus.  Many designers this season went heavy on the minimal looks which can be great for buyers, but for those of us watching for a garment that burns in the memory, this wasn't one of those shows.

Music

Sun in the Rain By Ellen Allien and Dead Disco Dancer by O Children

People and Scene

This was a Lincoln Center tent show without much hub bub. A woman sitting in the third row back had a full on Marie Antoinette hair style. That was pretty cool.

To Gift or Not to Gift: Nope.

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Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley is one of the more established lines that you'll read about on this blog during fashion week. She is synonymous with happy go lucky designs, which over the past couple of years she's turned into an empire. With diapers, kids clothes, Band-Aids, bride-maids dresses, home and apparel, she has branded herself as a lifestyle designer.

Colors: black, yellow, pale blues, coral and gray

Materials: silks, knits

Loved Looks

Photo: fabsugar

Photo: fabsugar

Photo: fabsugar

In a fashion week exhibiting plenty of  minimal dressing, Cynthia Rowley manages to take the trend and make it interesting. What is exciting about Rowley is that she keeps moving and isn't afraid of new direction. While many of the pieces in her fall 2010 collection weren't avante garde enough for the arty editorials,  and too hip for the mass market. it was hard to categorize them. This season there is something for everyone. Rowley showed fun editorial ready skirts with cut outs, bubbled dresses and pants and chic simple silhouettes accessorised with tube-like necklaces and big barrettes.

Unloved Looks

Photo: fabsugar

These pants were a little bit too Sonny and Cher 70's variety show for me.

Music

Bloc Party and Brooklyn's Holy Ghost

People and Scene

It was mad early in the morning. In fact too early for this night owl. Though, the tent shows don't provide much freedom for an original scene, but she picked up some pieces and showed her collection in front of  the New York City Ballet Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet backdrops. Her star studded people packed crowd included Rebecca Romijin, Nigel Barker, Aisha Taylor, Tracy Ellis Ross and Alan Cumming, all who showed up looking luminous and wide awake. Unlike me.

To Gift or Not to Gift:  Cynthia Rowley Band Aids

A friend and I were talking about where we like to shop. When I said I have a slight J. Crew addiction she said, "I don't like J. Crew. They are too preppy." She loves vintage shopping, has a very unique,cool style and comes up on vintage Chanel, Dior and YSL for obscenely cheap prices. I dont have that kind of patience.

Fair enough. We all have our own style. But, I have to disagree. Sure, the styling of their catalog is often reminiscent of well-to-do Ivy leaguers hailing from Connecticut, but piece by piece, they are the best quality basics for my money.

I wouldn't consider myself  "preppy". I love more utilitarian, harder looks with a slight feminine touch. Vanessa Bruno, Rick Owens, Kris Van Assche, and Helmut Lang are always on my wish list. However, my bank account harshly disagrees.

This is why, when I swear I've bought my last piece from J. Crew, they reel me back in with another piece that is the perfect blank slate to create what ever look I want. Whether it's their great sales or their new arrivals, I always open the email.

You don't always have to take what is given to you as a whole, like the catalog picture of  "starfish" printed navy blue shorts that was paired with the funky black jacket (pictured below). But, a closer look reveals that that jacket can be cool on its own, with a white ribbed tank, tee, or button down and some messed up jeans.

Though, their shoes have always made me roll my eyes with the lack of creativity and sheer old lady boringness, but I give them accessories points for  teaming up with the hip rock-chic jewelry line Fenton-Fallon.

Even Net a Porter, the web's most forward luxury fashion site has bought up a few J. Crew pieces. Is that validation enough?

Also check out J. Crew's runway collection on style.com

Drapey wool Caswell jacket

J.Crew Oversized cotton shirt

Pixie pant

FENTON/FALLON™ for J.Crew lariat tassel necklace

Then here, of course is where J. Crew cant help you....shoes. But save where you can, eh?

$730.00 by Kris Van Assche at Ssense

J.Crew Tops