Tracy Reese

The 2012 Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week came and went as quickly as the summer months. Floral prints, pattern pops, 1920’s inspirations, and exposed skin served as a welcoming party to chillier mornings and shorter nights. It all came in the knick of time, allowing for longer parties to creep into the early morning hours as the island of Manhattan rumbled in celebration of all things fashion. The Stylish City kept up on the up and up by taking notes and keeping tabs on runway trends and societal improvements, in the eye of the blogger that is.

One major trend that has made a comfortable home in Spring Fashion is floral prints. Reinventing the standard, this year many designers strayed away from normalcy and put their own twist on the reappearing trend, such as Elie Tahari, who wow-ed with tropical flowers and palm leaves, while Nicole Miller muted her rocker glam with a touch of floral print, and Tracy Reese pleased audiences with an orange and turquoise floral jacquard clutch coat.

TRACY REESE S/S 2013

Intriguing patterns also made a loud statement at the 2012 New York Fashion Week. Designers gave their pieces personality with the appearance of, for example, Thakoon Panichgul’s lively birds, the Zack Morris-like cell phones, which dotted Suno’s pieces, and Jason Wu’s X-Ray-esque designs. Marc Jacobs took patterns to a new level, by mix and matching plaid, stripes, and neon splashes, keeping it young and hip.

THAKOON S/S 2013

MARC BY MARC JACOBS S/S 2013

JASON WU S/S 2013

Exposed skin by way of unusual cuts also made an appearance during various shows. Marc Jacobs brought back midriff exposing crop tops, while Rag & Bone utilized strategic cut outs, and Victoria Beckham featured bra-style tops. On a more conservative note, the 1920’s were brought back by Dennis Basso’s use of fringe and Phillip Lim’s proclamation that his line was inspired by the “altered views” of the 20’s Dadaists.

MARC JACOBS S/S 2013

VICTORIA BECKHAM S/S 2013

The definition of celebrity has been expanded upon, thanks to this year’s Fashion Week. Top athletes such as Ryan Lochte, Kris Humphries, Maria Sharapova, Dwayne Wade, and David Beckham took over the front rows of various fashion shows, keeping the seats warm perhaps for those celebs who took designing upon themselves this year. Katie Holmes, a front row-sitting veteran, unveiled her new line Holmes & Yang – opening to great reviews — while other fashion loving celebs Victoria Beckham, Gwen Stefanie, Whitney Port, the Olsen Twins, Nicole Richie, and Rachel Zoe, showed off their spring lines during separate showings.

Apart from the athletes, another new celebrity of sort has taken its claim on Fashion Week. The fashion blogger, or “digital publishers” as they (we) like to be referred to as has been paid extra attention to this year, claiming their seat at various shows and events. Said fashion bloggers provide their audience with a constant stream of updates on what’s going on in the tents and on the streets, in addition to constant reports on the hottest trends straight from the runway as they live Tweet from their seats. Rather than waiting to read Sunday Styles section, fashion lovers stay loyal to their favorite fashion blogs and agree with the “hot and not’s” bloggers provide them with. The Internet community has their own direct line to New York Fashion Week through these popular websites. In turn, the blogger’s audience becomes the designer’s consumer, which brands have caught on to this year. Popular fashion bloggers — excuse me “digital publishers” — are now invited to shows and receive VIP treatment, free gifts, and front row seats, in hopes they will post a good review later that evening (or right there and then). With all the attention now on the digital publisher, they even steal the spotlight on street style blogs, as they show off their fierce outfits. Watch out Wintour.

While we’ll have to wait a few more months to get our hands on the new spring trends, we’ll still have the inundation of photo snaps and reports on Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week to sift through in the interim, providing us plenty of time to see if the floral trends, exposing cut outs, and pattern pops are right for us. All thanks to the digital publisher that is.

By Caitlin Colford

This past weekend provided us with the ultimate picnic weather but one problem – we didn’t have the right outfit for it! Sifting through last year’s dresses was less than thrilling, resulting in pouts and stomps in frustration, as all we wanted to do was look nice and feel good as we noshed on cheese and wine. Fortunately shopping this week will produce options that will gear you up for the coming weeks of summertime picnics before us.

Yigal Azrouel & Cut25 Sample Sale

Stick to the Cut 25 section of the Yigal Azrouel Sample Sale Tuesday, May 22^nd on 39^th Street and find yourself some high fashion casual wear to lounge in as you soak up the sun. A Yigal Azrouel dress will typically run you $1,000, and we certainly wouldn’t want to get grass stains on that, so keep your eye on the wallet friendly subdivision, Cut 25.

Derek Lam + 10 Crosby Sample Sale

Same day, same concept. In addition to his popular designs and dresses, Derek Lam Sample Sale will also offer up his less-pricey line, 10 Crosby, for up to 70% off. His famously amazing dresses are sure to land you the best-dressed title of the park.

Cynthia Steffe Sample Sale

Short dresses are Cynthia Steffe’s signature and an easy way to stay fashionably cool in the blazing heat. Check out the Cynthia Steffe Sample Sale Tuesday for contemporary styles but beware of large crowds!

Doo.Ri and Poleci Sample Sale

Draped frocks, maxis, and silk blouses are among what you can expect as doo.Ri and Poleci up for their Sample Sale. On Wednesday in the Meatpacking District they will be offering up to 75% off Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 styles.

Lela Rose Sample Sale

Girly and floral patterns adorn Lela Rose’s gorgeous dresses. Head over to the Lela Rose Sample Sale for up to 75% off feminine styles with prices that are sure to make you smile.

Tracy Reese Sample Sale

Both Tracy Reese and Plenty by Tracy Reese flowing and colorful dresses will be on hand at Wednesday’s Tracy Reese Sample Sale. Three days will bring us fantastic deals with samples that will run between $30-$50.

Kara Ross Sample Sale

It’s the end of the week and you forgot about accessorizing your heaps of new styles! Make a quick trip to the last day of the Kara Ross Sample Sale for discounts on her handbags, jewelry, and belts.

You may have to clear out some closet space to make room for all these new designer dresses. Now that you have the outfits all you need are the right snacks, the perfect refreshing drink, and your best friends and you’re good to go. Central Park here we come!

By Caitlin Colford

The always hectic 260 5^th Avenue hubbub for popular sales, was in usual form today for the Rent the Runway Sample Sale, a company who loans out designer dresses for a fee, think Netflix for gowns. These designer dresses were loosely hung on hangers, easily plopping to the wet floor only to then be thrown carelessly over the racks.

Although the sale began yesterday, a good crowd of people still shifted through racks of previously rented and lightly used designer dresses, hoping to discover something incredible. When you think about it, although used, perhaps lightly stained or torn, these are usually expensive dresses at in insanely cheap price – you won’t see a price tag for a Robert Rodriguez dress like this for some time to come (if ever again).

Racked  reported yesterday that there “were ample options for every size,” but that was not the case today. They also noted that the dresses were, for the most part, in good condition, which remains true for some, but after multiple try-ons and visits to the ground, some dresses have mascara stains, deodorant marks and slight pulls so be careful.

Great finds were still easy to locate, but some sections were clearly slimmer than others. Such racks designated for size 4 were slight, and the 14-16 rack only held about two dozen dresses between them.

I sorted through each section carefully, finding the best of what’s still available in each size.

Size 0

Haute Hippie Champagne Fountain Dress ($30 – pictured)

Size 2

Theory Pleated Tank Dress ($95 – pictured)
Robert Rodriguez Sophisticated Merlot Dress ($150, orig. $650)
Tibi Perfect Party Dress ($53)

Size 4

Tracy Reese Coral Floral Sheath Dress ($95 – pictured)
Nicole Miller Catwalk Dress ($95)

Size 6

Robert Rodriguez Sequin Inset Draped Dress ($95)
Toffee Ripple Delight Dress ($165)
Milly Cotton Candy Dress ($54 – pictured)

Size 8

Rebecca Taylor Blush Mirror Dress ($74 – pictured)
Hanii Y Wire Cage Dress ($59)

Size 10

Lela Rose Portrait Collar Dress ($150)
Milly Flower Power Dress ($58)

Size 12

Kate Spade Andorra Dress ($85)
Diane von Furstenberg Taste of Elegance Dress ($56)

Unfortunately, I only stumbled upon Diane von Furstenberg and Kate Spade dresses in one section, proving the best of the sale has already been snagged. Milly was definitely the dominating designer of Day Two of the Rent the Runway Sample Sale, holding the best bang for your buck and some super cute dresses. If you’re thrilled by any of the aforementioned options then definitely scoot over to 260 Fifth Ave ASAP, otherwise you may be SOL.

WHEN: 2/28 – 3/4; Tue-W (10-8), Th-F (10-7), Sat (10-6), Sun (11-3)

WHERE: 260 5th Avenue
(Between 28/29th Street)
NY, NY 10001
212.725.5400

By Caitlin Colford