012. House of Holland v.2.0.

House of Holland has come a long way in the past year, from esoteric obscurity to Style.com's front page. And Henry Holland has completely redesigned his look, and added a team of accesory-makers to the mix.


Style.com
The bag = gorgeous. And I love the garish rocker look being promoted for the spring. Compare it to this fall's look, whose colors and shapes reminded me of the all-too-bubbly Harajuku Girls line (see below).


Style.com
Speaking of London's Fashion East, here's the adorablest little frock from Nanou:


Style.com

Chromosomes as embellishments...who would have thought? Well, it works!

011. Middlingly expensive knockoffs?

It no longer comes as a shock to me when designers rip each other off. After all, fashion is one of the most competitive and cannibalistic industries in existence. But there are some situations when it's undeniable that you've ripped another designer off. It's not that you've been "inspired" or that another designer's collection has furbished you with an idea for your own collection. You're unabashedly stealing to make a profit. Which is (somewhat) all right when you're a chain retailer like Forever 21, but if you try to make some serious money off it, fear my wrath!

They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I don't think that applies to all situations...

Here's one of Chloé's signature dresses from this fall:


Style.com
And here's the culprit, a dress by AKA New York ($345):


ShopBop.com
If AKA hadn't slimmed down the silhouette of the dress and made a few other tailoring alterations, this would be the Chloé. AKA New York? Ha. They should consider renaming themselves "AKA Chloé."

Is it just me or does Chloé seem to be bearing the brunt of knockoffers these days? (Case in point: the jumpsuit incident earlier this year.) It must suck being one of the most eminent design labels of the millennium. Everyone wants to be you. Mmmm...

010. "What the hell is that?" "It's an Oswald Lorenzo."

The second season of Ugly Betty premieres next Thursday, September 27 at 8:00. Every episode, I hope against hope that America Ferrera will have a Devil Wears Prada-esque makeover, to no avail. Maybe someday I'll come to terms with the fact that her character has to dress the way she does, but seriously, hope springs eternal...

009. The New Chanel: Like It or Leave It?

"Chanel repudiated all prior canons of style and beauty. Her fashions epitomized the New Woman, youthful, independent, lithe, and athletic."
(From The City Review)


Style.com
I know you've seen it. I've seen it. We've all seen it. And no, it's not something you'd ordinarily expect from Chanel.

Admittedly, fashion houses have always had a playful side: remember Chanel's take on the skull trend? Recently, the designer label has certainly demonstrated that it wants to maintain a standing alongside chic and upbeat younger labels. But penguin sweaters, Mr. Lagerfeld?

Chanel has always striven to remain ageless rather than appear antiquated, but more and more it appears to be catering to the younger generation specifically. Take a look at another of this fall's pieces:


Style.com
And now contrast it to a piece from only the year before. (These pieces are meant to be representative of the two runway shows; I didn't pick a flamboyant piece from 2007 and a conservative one from 2006.)


Style.com
As you can see, while they are both playful, the eclectic mix of color and pattern in the 2007 garments are much more youthful than that of the 2006 outfit. And I don't think you can chalk it up to trends, either. The 2007 is rebellious, even edgy. The 2006 is playful and dark, but in a distinguished way, somehow. And while I consider all three photos to embody what I consider the Chanel "essence" - that inarticulable something, the quirkiness of the French mingled with an elegant refinedness - there has clearly been an compulsory evolution in style, even over the course of a single year. Indeed, I did read recently that Chanel has been falling in profits and is trying to revive itself by catering to a younger pool of clientele. So maybe this explains things, at least partially.

This begs the question: As a member of the twentysomething group, do I like the "new" Chanel? Stylistically, most certainly. I'd wear this in an heartbeat. And I do think the transition is graceful, incorporating both the new and old, taking the best of both. But each to their own. I won't fault you if you long for Chanel's yesteryear. And the penguin sweater? Not for me, but there will be dozens of people willing to pay $1,000+ for a Chanel granny sweater, I can assure you.

008. The Preciousss, we wants it...

Matches.com
Looking to get your hands on the One Ring? Sick of battling orcs and Uruk-Hai for that little piece of gold? Want a safer alternative that won't drain your energy as soon as you start approaching a mountain?

Turns out Sauron wasn't quite as original as he thought. Matches offers Nicolas Ghesquière's version for £775.

In my opinion, Net-A-Porter hasn't got anything over this UK-based store. They've got a zoom function, a little "Recently Viewed" area, an amazing lookbook -- you name it. Even though overseas shipping is presumably heinous, if you're going to be paying £775 for a few measly hoops of metal, hey, no biggie. Go for it!

And seriously, you saw something on the catwalk you liked? It's here. Talk about temptation. I'm writhing right about now.

007. English tweed and French flair...

Newsboy cap by J.Crew, $49
J.Crew.com
J.Crew seems to be shaping up nicely this fall. Their array of cashmere sweaters, ruffled blouses, and bookish prints (see example here) is a welcome respite from the some of the more garish pieces being featured this season. And check out their adorable French-esque montage on the main page of the website. Is that the Seine I see? Ooh la la!

006. Shades of gray.

Style.com
Fashion news flash: apparently the "it" color for the season is gray. (Another set of hues also rumored to be big this fall: metallics, but I ask you, when have metallics ever not been big? Gold and silver will never go out of style. Duh.)

At first, I was baffled - no, dismayed - by the extensive amount of gray flooding the scene. There were gray dresses, gray shoes, gray scarves, gray handbags en masse. And quite frankly, I freaked. Because gray is not exactly my color. In fact, I don't even consider it to be a color. It's gray, for god's sake. Gray is what you associate with obsolete, ancient black-and-white films. It's the epitome of drabness, even more so than black. Black is sexy. Gray is...well...boring. And it washes you out! I scoffed at the idiocy of the trend.

But I kept on looking. (I couldn't help it; everywhere I went, I saw gray.) And slowly, I began to come around. I began to notice the subtleties of a single color. Gray can be warm or cold, metallic or misty. It has been proven that once you've been subjected to the same thing repetitively for a long period of time, the mind attempts to find variety, to keep itself sane. And so I began to notice the variety that a color I formerly considered so drab could possess.

Here are just a few of the gray gems I've been lusting after recently:
Botkier Bryant Large Hobo
Marni Sleeveless Dress
Diane Von Furstenburg Ungaro Dress in Multi
Morphine Generation Script Hoodie in Night and Knit Vest in Steel
Pedro Garcia Daimi Suede Pumps

The key to working the gray this fall is moderation and contrast: balance gray with more vivid colors, and don't wash yourself out by overdoing either.

005. Cover up: gloves for fall!

My sister has been taking horseback riding lessons since she was eleven, and having done a little riding myself, I can testify to the absolute rural grunge of the experience. I mean, the magazines totally glorify it, what with their tidy little Ralph Lauren ensembles and those damn Balenciaga riding helmets. Even cowgirl couture looks polished and well oiled.

In reality, even for the wealthy, it makes little sense to wear something stylish and beautiful when you're out in the ring because it will inevitably be ruined in some way or another. Horses drool, dust is everywhere, and you're exposed to any and all weather conditions. So for a long time, I feared for my sister's fashion sense. I thought, what an atmosphere to grow up in! A place where comfort is often valued over appearance - the very contradiction to the fashion maxim Beauty is pain!

You will imagine my surprise when I stumbled onto the treasure trove that is Bits & Bridles Tack Shop. Adorable plaid jackets with those little elbow flaps: check. Sleek knee-high riding boots and chunky lace-up paddock boots, available in both new and vintage: check. Beautiful leather gloves for a mere $32 (pictured above): check. In summary: do not discount your local tack shop. Mulberry gloves for fall aren't even out, yet somehow this place is already stocking comparable leather goods in its dressage section. Diamonds in the rough, I tell you!

004. Downgrading cost but preserving quality: priceless.

Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am a bag snob. I like expensive bags. Actually, I love expensive bags. And I buy them...again and again. I am always searching for a cheaper alternative, but I am addicted to the illustrious brand names, the high quality, the, the--je ne sais quoi.

But. Every once in a while I fall in love with a more reasonably priced line of bags. Linea Pelle is one such case. The handbags are priced between $300-$500, with clutches under $150.


Angie Satchell in Crimson
CoutureCandy.com
Gah, that gorgeous lipstick red! Temptation! But if you're looking for something similar in a smaller size, Linea Pelle also happens to make a clutch-sized version for a mere $125. What a steal!

003. Kaaarl...

Okay, so I'll admit that I'm pretty much out of the loop when it comes to documentaries, but when I caught wind of a documentary called Lagerfeld Confidential that has apparently been exhibited at the German Film Festival, I got intrigued and started researching it.

I still haven't found a leak to the video online, but during my search, I discovered another documentary on YouTube called "Signe Chanel." It apparently aired on the BBC last fall. The person who uploaded the series of videos describes them as a "rare look into Karl Lagerfeld and the House of Chanel."


The highlight of that first video is definitely the narrator's syrupy cooing in French. "Kaaarl Lagerfeld. Kaaarrl... Kaaarrrlllll..." What the heck was going on during that voice recording session? Anyhoo.

The director of this series is Loïc Prigent, who has also apparently done a documentary on Marc Jacobs. I definitely can't wait until that one becomes available...