TREND ALERT: FLOPPY HATS MIXED WITH MENSWEAR STYLE
Yesterday I went through all the new couture shows and also checked out some of Tommy Ton’s pics from his view on the streets. As beautiful as the couture collections were, some of the attendees really showed up in style! A few stylish gals sported chic wide-brim hats mixed with menswear inspired styling that caught my attention.
She's wearing one of my favorites from Dries' Fall '11 Collection!
The menswear trend was something I spotted two seasons ago and I’m so glad to see it played out so beautifully on the streets! The hat is a great accessory choice to complete this look. 
Love the combination of textures in this look
What I like about the floppy hat is that it has a sweet balance of masculine and feminine. The structured shape is all the way manly but the soft brim provides added femininity. It really pulls the whole thing together! 
And look at how this girl uses one hat to achieve two distinct menswear looks, so cool and LOVE the coral/purple color combination also!
In this look she is showing the guys how to make menswear FUN!
And in this one she took a page from the boy's and was definitely "business around town".
*All photos courtesy of Style.com/Tommy Ton
I have this gorgeous red one in my closet…perhaps I should pull something together for a NYFW wardrobe idea??
Vintage hat, Ann Taylor blouse, Paul Smith tie and pocket square, Maison Martin Margiela double breasted blazer
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A TRIP UP THE COAST
I spent the weekend in Sea Ranch, California with my clients Lee and Greg of ALEX & LEE working on their new website that we are in the process of re-branding. I have become so close to these two and working with them is always full of laughter and inspiration. Their place in Sea Ranch is such a great retreat and I always enjoy it so much.
We also worked on some inspiration for their next collection. It is always such a treat to dig through their studio and discover all the findings!
Lee is an artist in every sense of the word and he has made creations all over the house using found objects, pictures, plants and fabric. Every time I go, there is something new for my eyes to behold.
I’ve never seen someone perfect the art of collage as much as Lee has. This is their new bathroom in their studio that they just re-did…I guarantee it took Lee two days to decide where each piece was placed in here!
Every artist needs a daily nap. I snapped this one without his knowledge. 
Another reason I love to visit them is that I always get to pick out a new piece to borrow for awhile. I am in love with many of their vintage pieces from the early years and every time I visit I find a new heart-pounding favorite! Check out what I left with this time.
Can't wait to wear this one during NYC Fashion Week!
This is a very early piece...one of the first. I feel very connected to the brand when I wear these earlier pieces.
I also spent some time interviewing Lee so I can start a video log to help tell the history of the brand. The stories and the life of this man…well, you just can’t imagine how colorful and interesting it all is. And Lee loves to tell a story like nobody’s business! Here is a clip below with Lee talking about how ALEX & LEE first came about.
Stay tuned for more video stories to come…but in the meantime, what do you think of the new look of their website that will launch in February? It was designed by famous San Francisco artist, Rex Ray.
I also practiced my photography skills while I was there and produced their latest portrait.
Artists Lee and Greg
So many more exciting things to come for this brand…stay tuned!
DESIGNER FOCUS: CRAIG LAWRENCE
I decided to go ahead and dedicate the week to Ms. Swinton. Why not? She deserves it, don’t you agree?
Today I’m shifting the focus a bit away from the actress herself and instead want to talk about a designer who got his big break being associated with Tilda. Besides stumbling upon the Acne Paper spread, I also came across a gorgeous editorial she did last year for AnOther Magazine and on the cover she wore this outrageous fucshia ribbon concoction, one of those things that only Tilda can pull off. It immediately caught my attention and I was excited to find out that it was designed by the new-wave British talent – Craig Lawrence.
I’ve had my eyes on this young designer for a few seasons now. He is one of the few that specializes in knitwear, in fact he is responsible for all the knitwear from the first 6 collections of Gareth Pugh! A Central St. Martins grad, he has been one of the rising British stars alongside such names as Mary Katrantzou, Louise Goldin, J.W. Anderson…etc. His textured and voluminous knits caught the eyes of a few industry folks early on, but when Tilda’s cover hit the stand, the rest of the industry took notice and Craig himself cites that as one of his career defining moments.
His recent collections have been moving into a much more wearable and sophisticated direction with the same attention to quality and detail. The SS12 collection featured the same metallic yarn he uses in all of his collections, Kyototex, which is a key component to his signature lightweight knitwear. The collection was rich in texture and the overall muted neutral palette of sand and beige was inspired by the British seaside. I am happy to see that the silhouette is the most wearable it’s ever been while the emphasis on proportion and layering remains a focal point in his designs and aesthetic.
Check out the video of his S/S 12 Collection here. I was so amazed when I saw these pieces up close…truly gorgeous knitwear. I really kind of lost it when I saw this show.
AMAZING!
With the Fall12 season fast approaching I can’t wait to see what this young designer will deliver. I’m crossing my fingers that another dream fashion moment happens again soon with he and Tilda!
Craig Lawrence Fall 2012 fashion Show: London, February 19th, 2012.
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MORE TILDA LOVE
As I was researching Tilda Swinton the other day, I ran across this spread of her in ACNE Paper last year. If you aren’t aware of ACNE Paper, you should be. It’s one of the best publications out there for advanced knowledge and art/photography in the industry. This is of course due to the fact that it is published in conjunction with the super cool (and one of my all-time favorite brands), ACNE out of Sweden. I’ve been collecting issues for awhile now and out of all the fashion publications out there, this one is without a doubt one of the best.
In this issue, Tilda is donning a brunette wig channeling the late fashion icon and legend, Marchesa Casati. The beautiful imagery is by the infamous Paolo Roversi and styled by Mattias Karlsson. I love the styling, but especially love what Tilda is giving me in these photos. She is so versatile in her look and truly represents what an acting artist looks like. Take a look below and be sure and pick up Acne Paper Sweden the next time you see it.
All images borrowed from Fashiongoneroque.com
TILDA SWINTON LOVE
I have to admit that even though I am a stylist and major lover of glamour, I don’t get too excited about the Red Carpet. I can’t really put my finger on why, but I think it is mostly because I get bored watching celebrities parade around in one strapless gown after the other. Diamonds and Louboutins, Judith Leiber clutches and updos…I just don’t find this to be fashion.
With that being said, there is always ONE and only ONE person that I love to see at events and red carpet appearances: Tilda Swinton. I know I am not the only fashion person who thinks this way. Tilda has become something of a fashion dream. She always gives us some serious fashion and she always does her own thing. From Jil Sander to Lanvin and her newest favorite Craig Lawrence, she never disappoints me in her red carpet choices.
Golden Globes 2012 in Haider Ackermann
Her choice for Sunday’s Golden Globes was one of her red carpet favorites, Haider Ackermann. I adored the color and the cut of this look and her amazing hair took it to the best level possible. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am a HUGE fan of Haider Ackermann and his collection usually makes it into my top 10 every season. His designs combine androgyny, tailoring, asian influences and amazing textile combinations that wow me season after season.
Tilda is loyal to Haider on the red carpet. Check out some more looks below:
photo courtesy of RCFA.COM
photo courtesy of RCFA.COM
photo courtesy of RCFA.COM
photo courtesy of RCFA.COM
Photo courtesy of RCFA.COM
I love that Tilda has the same appreciation for design and fashion and that her thoughts on “the red carpet” are uniquely her own. The woman rocks it like nobody else and she has a SENSE OF STYLE which so many celebrities quite frankly do not. Most likely, the masses across America hate her look….but that’s why the rest of us love it so, right?
To learn more about Haider Ackermann, read this article that Tilda wrote about him in Interview magazine last year.
Looking forward to seeing her choice for The Oscars!
TREND ALERT: BIG/LONG EARRINGS
I’ve been scouring through imagery and old films looking for inspiration for a Fall 2012 fashion show I am working on and I just watched Ciao Manhattan with Edie Sedgwick and was so blown away by her beauty on film.
I was also really feeling the way she put together her jewelry. It was sort of “crazy old lady” meets London beatnik and it felt really fresh to me.
I know that the 1960′s have been trending for several seasons now, but big earrings haven’t seen the light of day since the 1980′s.
I fell in love with the irreverant way she pulled stuff together but I was most especially attracted to the big earrings she wore. And it got me thinking about big earrings again.
Then, as I was looking through the Pre-Fall 2012 collections, I saw that Balenciaga showed big door-knockear earrings on the models. The collection is really channeling the 1980′s but also has a bit of a 60′s spin to it with the boots and some of the clean shapes.
Balenciaga Pre Fall 2012
Balenciaga Pre Fall 2012
Balenciaga Pre Fall 2012
I think I might be onto something!
Looking forward to the Fall collections to see if this idea develops. In the meantime, I’ve still got to figure out if this is right for the collection I am working on. Stay tuned!
TREND VALIDATION: WILD, WILD WEST
Back in March of 2011, I did a post on the Western trend that was emerging on the streets as well as on the Fall 2011 runways. I have to say I was extremely excited about this trend as I’ve got some Texas in my blood and I happen to be a pretty badass cowgirl. The thought of finally being able to wear all of my turqoise jewelry, suede fringe jackets, snakeskin boots, navajo ponchos and cowboy hats and big buckles made my heart skip a beat… a few times.
Unfortunately, my busy travel schedule has not allowed me to get creative in my closet very often these past few months. Lucky for me, I’ve been able to live my Western fantasies out in the many editorials that featured this trend over the Fall season.
I have loved all of them but here are a few of my favorites:
Vogue China
Vogue China
Vogue Nippon
Vogue Nippon
Vogue Russia
Vogue Russia
Grazia
Grazia
Twin
I have all the makings for this look and am going to put a serious effort into pulling it off in the coming weeks.
Some of my Western Flair
A few ingredients above:
- Blue poncho by Corey Lynn Calter
- Fox fur vest found in Japan
- Plaid shirt by Band of Outsiders
- Vintage Eagle belt buckle
- Wood and silver necklace by Isabel Marant
- Vintage Silver amber cuff and ring and Pheonix earrings
- Indian Princess ring by Rima Hyena
MODERN MUSE: HILARY TSUI
Over the holidays my assistant Jonathan visited his family in Hong Kong and stumbled upon some cool tidbits in the HK fashion scene. One of which is a local style icon named Hilary Tsui and after visiting her website I immediately fell in love with her great sense of style.
Hilary in the bottom picture snapped in Paris by Scott Schuman
Hilary is an actress in HK but is more well known for her fashion forward style. Browsing through her website, it is not surprising to see how her eclectic style makes her a popular figure. I immediately identified with the way she approaches fashion and specifically the way she seems to build her wardrobe around a few key quality pieces. I find this approach not only being eco-friendly, but also showing her readers that quality pieces have its value if you use them with a bit of imagination.
It wasn’t hard to notice some of our hot trends on Hilary’s daily wardrobe as I’m sure she is also an avid follower of the runways. One trend on her that particularly stood out to me is her endorsement of our Fall 2011 “All in One” color trend. We saw the emergence of a head-to-toe color styling scheme on the runway and predicted that it will be popular among the magazines and hipsters all around. It is quite a daring and tricky look to master so I was happy to see it being demonstrated here. She made it work for the streets by mixing different shades of the same color, keeping the silhouette relaxed, and mixing in neutral accessories.
I have always been envious of HK’s appetite for fashion forward and alternative styling and Hilary Tsui is a great example of this. You will see her clothes ranging from labels such as Prada and Celine to edgier brands such as Paris’ Bless and Japan’s Kolor, and all the way to lesser known HK locals such as CCChu and Joanna Ho (both I’m quickly falling in love with!!) While in HK, Jonathan also visited Hilary’s boutique named “Liger” and I can’t wait to talk more about that along with a few other cool HK locales.
And just when I thought I was done, I saw on her website that this girl is also a die-hard foodie! She seems to frequently post scrumptious looking pics of her meals along with her daily style. I love nothing more than a fashion chick who also loves food; check out Hilary Tsui’s website www.hilarytsui.com to equally satisfy your appetite for fierce fashion and delectable food!
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*All photos courtesy of hilarytsui.com
CELEBRATING THE NEW YEAR
Happy 2012!
2011 was an amazing year for me and my business and I am so grateful for the relationships that I made and the experiences that I had. It was such a busy year that I decided to take vacation in December which is why we have not had any posts up for the last month. I spent time in all my favorite places: Big Sur, San Francisco, Maui and Louisiana for the holidays. My vacation has been spectacular but now it is officially over and time to set forth all of my goals for 2012!
I will be changing up the format of The Sche Report this year and look forward to sharing with you the changes that I will be making. I’d like to spend more time sharing with you different aspects of my work and giving you a bit more of a glimpse into my life and my closet. Although we will always continue with the runway analysis and fashion forecasting, I will also be showcasing more of me behind the scenes and more posts covering all the things that I like and that inspire me.
So to start off the year, I want to share with you pictures from the New Year’s Eve party I threw with my friend and designer Emily Factor at her house in Laurel Canyon. We decided to have a “Rock the Casbah” themed party in an effort to celebrate the New Year with a festive and global perspective as well as an end to the Mayan calendar. We spent days re-decorating her house into an Opium den with a dance floor included for our resident DJ Justin Paul. All the guests were encouraged to wear festive ethnic attire and I was so impressed with what our friends came up with! Take a look at all the fun pictures below. It was an amazing and very special New Year’s celebration.
The Casbah
The dance floor
Environment
Outside casbah
The Magic Outdoors
Outside
Environment
Me wearing a vintage gold caftan and turban, Prada shoes and Alex & Lee for Proenza Schouler necklace
This amazing necklace was given to me by my clients Alex & Lee and was one of the limited edition pieces that they did for Proenza Schouler’s Resort 2012 line. This is such a fabulous piece and I was thrilled to wear it for the first time at this party! Everyone at the party was dying over it!
Necklace by Alex & Lee for Proenza Schouler
Stylist Allison Wilson wearing vintage
Jewelry designer Karen Keith in vintage Versace
Chris of Lovecraft Leather and Designer Vanessa Gonzalez
Blogger Lauren Rice in Anthropologie skirt and vintage beaded top
My friend Alicia Magana in vintage Indian sari's
My co-host Emily and DJ Justin Paul
Actress Ashley Bearfield
The fabulous designer Corey Lynn Calter in her own designs
Some seriously foxy ladies
The Gold Crew
As you can see the ladies went all out! And so did some of the men
Model Stephane Olivier
Ariel's amazing makeup job
Friends Carlos and Scott
Love the drama in this pic!
The fabulous ladies of Catwalk Vintage Store
Photographer Scott Nathan and friends hanging outside
We made an "2012 Intention" box for guests to write their New Year's Resolutions
It was such a great party and we took it all the way until the early morning hours…the way any great party should be! Thanks to everyone that came through for making it such a special night.
On New Years Day, we burned everyone’s intentions and set them free in a ceremonial moment of being thankful for all that we will receive this year!
Cheers to an amazing fashion filled 2012!
All photos courtesy of Moonchild’s Lauren Rice and Jeremy Paskell
PRE-FALL 2012: BOY BY BAND OF OUTSIDERS
Pre-Fall is supposed to be a “buy now, wear now” season of transitional clothes that arrive in stores around June. I don’t know about you, but I’m not buying any fall clothes in June. Summer is just getting started at that time, and the sandals are in full force.
I understand that designer’s want to continue to have new product on the floor all the time, but I don’t understand why they produce a collection with fur and wool coats to hit the stores in June?
As I have been looking through the Pre-Fall 2012 collections, I have been shocked by how many of them are not “buy now, wear now” but are more “buy now, wear me in 4 months.” Designers presented fur coats and hats as well as wool coats and suiting and leather gloves and legwear. Who is wearing this in June/July?
I was very pleased when I reviewed Scott Sternberg’s collection for Band of Outsiders. The pieces were actually transitional and could be worn as a pre-cursor to Fall. I could easily see myself in every look and I loved how he balanced Spring ideas with Fall staples. The looks felt fresh yet still able to be worn in the middle of summer for the girl who is always looking forward to the next season’s trends. I was very impressed by his ability to capture what this season really should be about.
Take a look at the collection below.
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See more from Band of Outsiders on the website.
