Trend: Burlesque is In

Photo: Chantal Thomass

We’ve watched lingerie fashioned as outerwear and loose meshed shirts revealing nipples as though the New York runways had taken a page out of Greece’s Paradise Beach on a Goth theme holiday. The voluptuous Dita Von Teese will be releasing a beauty guide this fall.

According to The Independent, “A growing influence of the burlesque theme on beauty is undeniable: Nivea launched a collaboration with lingerie designer Chantal Thomass this summer… Vivienne Westwood released an update of her Boudoir fragrance and the Parisian cabaret Crazy Horse launched a full makeup range this month.”

S&M, Burlesque, what’s next? Stripper? Oh wait, that trend passed when Britney Spears installed a stripper pole in her home.

Teacup Pigs – Not The Bacon in Your Fridge

Photo: Geoff Robinson via MSNBC.com

It’s the most expensive inedible bacon you’d spend your money on, but the mix raced piglets, at $1,100 a head and only sold in pairs, are Britain’s latest pet craze and have buyers sweating an extensive waiting list. How can you resist that scrunched up pink face? At a mere handful (literally), growing to a maximum knee high size by two years, breeder, Jane Croft, admits to selling 5 to 10 teacup piglets a week, with 500 requests on one website alone, according to the TODAYShow. As an allergen-free (and higher IQ) alternative to dogs and cats, teacup pigs  require a garden, utmost attention and a loving home. The plus side other than their appearance? They’re potty trainable. What are the odds that Paris Hilton replaces her Tinkerbell with a micro porker? At the rate of these teacup pig’s fad popularity, I’d say she could be toting one soon.

Balmain Brings the Amazonians to Life

Photos: Imaxtree

Forget this season’s eighties bandwagon. Balmain contrived his visions of beautiful Amazonians – powerful all-female warriors from Greek mythology – and let his enchanting dominatrix army loose onto the runway at Paris Fashion Week S/S 2010. His ingenuity with fashioning an otherwise traditional, mundane canvas translated to lamé dresses, rope-like belts, meticulously torn t-shirts and, his trademark, shoulder padded jackets but kept the earthen tone theme uniform throughout the collection. I don’t know about you but, by looking at Balmain’s execution, he appears to have caught Rodarte fever – although his designs are on the less outlandish side and are actually wearable.

FW S/S 2010 Trend: Prints

Picture: Imaxtree

Left to Right: Hervé Legér, Twenty8Twelve, Willow

Many designers for Spring Fashion Week, seemed to have this trend in common: prints, prints, prints. From  earthen tone nature inspired grunge to hippy-esque hot pinks and yellows, the prints are eye intensively busy with hints of leopard skin on cold hues, bright Rorschach inkblots stains and flower prints (below). As expected for the Spring, easily windblown fabrics , provide the canvases for these works of art.  

Left to Right: Charlotte Ronson, Erin Fetherston, Prada

Jonathan Saunders, Oh Where Art Thou Theo Van Doesburg?

Fashion Week S/S 2010 Trend: Sweatpants/Sweatshirt

Photo: Imaxtree

Left to Right: Elie Tahari, Alexander Wang, Topshop

It’s not only gym wear, for the moment. Sweatpants and sweatshirts have weaned its way into high fashion, besting all odds coming in as a trend, despite its preconceived stereotypes. But, that doesn’t mean that I’m suggesting that college fashionistas should dig out their college logo sweatpants and roll up their pant sleeves. There are standards after all. Although far from being formal wear, the trend has popped up as a refined compliment to blazers and a relaxed neutral toned T-shirt. If I could, I would wear sweatpants all day, everyday. Maybe this will be my hypocritical weakness — an excuse to snip the cotton and be lazy fashion forward.

Diversity for the Sake of Diversity?

Photo: Marcio Maderia via Style.com

Left to Right: Mark Fast, PPQ, Sykes

Loved are the feeble and sinewy white teen models that strut the runway since Twiggy. Detested are the feeble and sinewy white teen models that strut the runway since Twiggy. But since the advent of Twiggy, emaciated, young and white runs as standards in fashion by designers and editors alike. Why? Well, you’ll hear this often so I’ll be relay the message to you: clothes hang like coat hangers off of their pronounced collarbones; lighter complexions do not distract the audience’s eyes  away from the clothes; youth is appealing and can withstand the tumultuous modeling schedules come Fashion Week. Ok, those arguments are fair enough. But if you recall the name Luisel Ramos, you’ll recall that her having lived on lettuce and diet Coke for the three months leading up to her final Uraguay fashion show, incited a massive, fatal heart attack back in ’06. Are skinny teenage white girls really more attractive than voluptuous real women?

Apparently Mark Fast’s stylist and casting director thought so. Mark Fast entered three plus sized models into his show to the objections of his casting director and unscrupulous stylist, who quit and was fired, respectively. PPQ employed only black models for their show while, Sykes employed models up to the age of 70. Yohji Yamamoto has been one to use older models in the past, as Gaultier made a statement with his size 20 models. All in all, it will take a lot more than a few models showing on the catwalk to make a lasting impression.

S/S 2010 FW Trend: Transparent

Photo: Imaxtree

Left to Right: Erin Fetherson, Vena Cava, Oscar De La Renta

It’s hard for non model-esque women to find figure flattering items these days, that is unless you’re Jennifer Aniston or Victoria Beckham. Whether designers mask their penchant for size 0 models by that claiming transparent clothing marks their appreciation for the human physique, is entirely up to them (considering most women would shy away from transparent items). Come to think of it I have yet to see Gaga walk naked in fishnets and lace on the streets. But if you’re desperate to pull off the look, please cover up — the Erin Fetherston (left) and Oscar De La Renta (right) are tastefully implemented.

S/S 2010 FW Trend: Nude

Photo: Imaxtree

From Left to Right: Thakoon, Phi, DKNY

In times when designers cut back (literally) on cloth, shorter skirts, translucent collections and cut outs are — not surprisingly — in vogue. But, when designer’s color palates are uniform and rather mundane, as though they’ve been depleted of creativity and simply gave up and sent skin tones down the runway, should I pass up the bandwagon or follow suit? I’d be wary on the streets — to compensate for the illusion of a streaker (from afar), thanks to this ‘blah’ color, texture, draping and fit are paramount. Avoid anything too tight.

S/S 2010 FW Trend: Frills

Photos: Imaxtree

Left to Right: Marc Jacobs, Oscar De La Renta, Christian Siriano

On designer’s minds for S/S 2010 is the question, “why settle for 2D surfaces when you can have 3D?” Designers channeled the late Victorian era, when more cloth parallels higher stature, enlivening an otherwise mundane canvas of blazers, dresses and blouses, with frills, and intensified the late 1800s with a glint of inspiration from nature — considering each collection appear to bloom oversized petals from every edge and open space. It’s a modern twist on the archaic, that I will be adoring, for the streets come Spring.