Coragroppo at Buenos Aires Fashion Week

Buenos Aires fashion week began on Wednesday and WGSN took in some of the shows.

We loved Coragroppo's collection of simple silhouettes in leather and wool included tailored jackets, paneled leggings made with a mix of metallic elastane and knit tops with multifunctional collars which become lighter scarves.

The asymmetric coats fuse a romantic look with an urban architectural style.

Retailers remember Alexander McQueen

On the days after his death, McQueen's Melrose flagship stayed closed, as flowers, candles and letters piled up outside. And now other LA retailers that sold Alexander McQueen, including Maxfield's and Barney's pictured above, have been dedicating their windows to his genius.

Retailers have noticed a spike in sales of his garments over the past two weeks, as loyal fans try to swipe up a piece of his fashion history.

Spring's Trenches

The trench coat is undoubtedly the key item for spring in Los Angeles. During my What's in Store research this week, I noticed that retailers from mass-market to high-end, including Burberry, Banana Republic and Club Monaco pictured above, are highlighting the trench for both men and women. Since LA has been especially rainy this winter, the trench is a perfect topper for the spring transition and pairs nicely with the nautical trend we're seeing come through.

Rock Star Legging Style

While I was photographing street trends at the MAGIC trade show in Las Vegas last week, I noticed an eye-catching item on many of the women wandering around the show: embellished leggings.

The legging has come a long way from its basic black beginnings, and they continue to morph, capturing the latest surface treatments each season.

On the left is a grommeted legging from Lindsay Lohan’s 6126 Collection, which also blends a bit of equestrian styling. Sequins are a major trend across all fashion categories and the girl in the gold sequin leggings doesn’t miss a beat. I also like the understated look of the long exposed zipper on the back of the leggings.

To see the full story on MAGIC street style, check out my report next week on www.wgsn.com.

Magic's Orange Crush

Though many of the fall collections I previewed at Magic focused on a traditional fall/winter palette of black, brown, steel grey, navy and heather, some vendors added playful pops of vibrant, showstopping colours to their understated mix. Saturated orange, seen above at BB Dakota, Kensie and Ya, was a popular choice and offered a youthful, optimistic feel. Magenta, hot pink, oceanic blue and purple were also key.

Vintage inspiration key for womenswear at Project

From left: Dolce Vita, MK2K, Chan Luu

Our love affair with vintage looks shows no signs of abating and opening day at Project at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas saw numerous womenswear brands playing with styles that hark back to times past, from the 30s through to the 70s and 80s.

Feminine, flirty looks, in lightweight fabrics were key, most often in neutral tones such as nude, buff, beige, white and black. Details included decorative items such as sequins, ruffles and fringing, all playing on the ladylike boudoir trend we've seen coming through recently.

For more information on the trade shows in Vegas, check back here and on wgsn.com.

Alexa Chung for Madewell

Yesterday, Madewell previewed the capsule collection that Alexa Chung created for the NYC-based brand. The UK celebrity, Alexa, gave her creative input into the new fall line under her own name. The J.Crew-owned brand is about to release the collection in August and it is hoping to target mostly Alexa's fans.

The collection included denim overalls, high-waisted shorts and fitted jeans. The overall classic silhouettes are updated with ultra short skirt and shorts hemlines, sheer and velvet fabrics, and playful turn-up prints and simplified graphics.

We loved the classic, effortless yet glamorous look that Alexa is offering for the fall and can't wait to see the collection in store.

Practical glamour at Bibhu Mohapatra

Rising star Bibhu Mohapatra was inpsired by old-world glamour, and more specifically the films Il Conformista (from Bernardo Bertolucci) and Fritz Lang's Metropolis. We asked him about his business strategy, as a relatively new designer.

"I have decided that for me it's 50/50, meaning that some buyers want all daywear and separates and others wanting a lot more eveningwear and high-end. So I have to do a little bit more of both, but still staying true to the practical aspect of the clothing."

Well done.

Suno

If you don't already know Suno, you will. The New York-based brand (which manufactures in Kenya) presented a fall collection with vibrantly colored, beautifully mixed prints and matching jewelry in collaboration with Lizzie Fortunato - all which drew quite a crowd. Designer Max Osterweis told us that inspiration came from Afric, India, Turkey...all over.




Co-designer Erin Beatty said, "We really looked to the world with this collection, we wanted to open up and find beauty in something new because it feels like that's missing from fashion right now. We wanted to liven it up a little bit."

NYFW style: rings

WGSN street shots, New YorkxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxVeronica and Dylan Poblano

Last season at fashion week, both off and on the runway, we witnessed the most incredible examples of women's necklaces and neck pieces.

This season, mostly due to the colder weather, women are focusing on their hands and are playing with ring sizes, combining different shapes and styles and wearing oversized stones.

NYFW street style: shoe revolution

I've been shooting street shots at NYFW today and it's refreshing to see some of the forward designs from the catwalks actually making their way on to the streets.

What's even more surprising is that we are seeing more men experiment with their shoe looks than women this season.

Alexander McQueen

At the beginning of Fashion Week in New York yesterday, attendees at the Ports 1961 show observed a moment of silence in honor of Alexander McQueen and the WGSN Americas blog would like to echo that tribute.

As the world gears up for yet another round of shows in NY, London, Milan and Paris, it is sad to believe that this season it will be without the presence of one of the most influential designers of the last decade.

Alexander McQueen's work never failed to surprise, delight and amaze: he was a true genius and he will be missed.

WGSN remembers him here.

Our favorites at Tess Giberson

We're seeing a lot of mesh in fall/winter 2010/11 collections, as sleeves or paneled for a decorative insert. We love what Tess Giberson has done with mesh, tulle and the silk/wool netting the she uses in a bodysuit. There is plenty of surface interest, and a lot of sex appeal too.

The future of Halston, in a bottle

Check out these inter-galactic chocolates sent by Halston. The pill bottle seems decadent in a 70s kind of way…looking forward to seeing Marios Schwab’s own take on the past and future of the brand when he debuts his first Halston collection Monday.

Creating atmosphere

Designers keep getting more creative at setting the mood, which means that we’ve already seen two bands play on the first day of NY Fashion Week – Hex Message at Vena Cava and, pictured here, Yeasayer (also out of Brooklyn) at Erin Wasson x RVCA.


The Wasson show happened at ABC Carpet & Home, so editors were strewn across Persian carpets with candles burning, which is as bohemian as fashion week will ever get.

New York Fashion Week: street style

One of the things I love about NYFW is the variety of styles that the people who attend all the shows have to offer.

Today, we ran into looks that varied from dapper and gentleman-like to hand-made, goth-inspired and sweet, girlie styling.

Anything goes during the week of fashion.

American Indian fashion and art alliance

This season we are seeing an increased number of country or culture-specific events. In this case, the American Indian alliance offered a look into the collections of a few very talented Native American designers.

Veronica and Dylan Poblano previewed a hand-created jewelry line in bright colors and traditional stone finishes and patterns.

Maya Stweart's bags combine modern aesthetics with traditional, Native American patterns and shapes.

Patricia Michaels offered a look into her line of women's clothing. Leather, silk and wool are used in unique ways to create contemporary-looking silhouettes with deep connection to Indian heritage.

SuYoon

I have been following SuYoon's shoe line since I heard of the new launch few weeks ago.

Earlier today, the collection debuted at New York Fashion Week in a joint presentation with designer Karolina Zmarlak's apparel line.

The shoe line offered the perfect combination of style, comfort and athletic inspiration. Sport shoe-inspired EVA soles, motorcycle hardware, subtle color pops and futuristic elements are just some of the details that differentiate this brand from the current competition.

The girls behind the line, Elizabeth Yoon an Christine Su, are aiming to fill in a gap in the market for sports-inspired, stylish women's footwear.

Check SuYoon's website for more information:
http://su-yoon.com

Standard Finery

The name says it all. Designer Caron Callahan of Standard Finery creates lovely dresses and tailored coats with an air of contemporary sophistication, but it’s all so easy-to-wear.

We love the Asian-inspired flower prints in indigo and washed tones. The line has already been picked up by West Village boutiques Mick Margo and Castor & Pollux, and we expect it to be in many more doors next fall.

Paneled furs and leathers

On the eve of New York fashion week we’re already seeing a trend for paneled furs and leathers.

High-end contemporary brand Sachin & Babi hit the trend beautifully – and at a price – with rabbit fur cuffs dyed to look like chinchilla. Here’s the brand’s black-on-black fur paneled jacket, contrasting with other luxe textures like beaded silk.