Christian Siriano celebrates his 10 Year Anniversary with a knockout collection of 72 looks shown on his usual diverse models. He just gets better and better and never compromises his design philosophy….Siriano is, of course, known for his drop-dead red carpet looks but his style is all about the person wearing the clothes. While the majority of the collection was evening there were day pieces to pay attention to as well. And, of course, the shoes, always the shoes!!!!
This is a color I will be watching for the next few weeks….obviously red isn’t new to our wardrobes but so far I am seeing it in all collections either full-blown as in the examples above or as accents or accessories.
Two trends here….the midriff or cutouts and the opulence of this exquisite full ruched tulle skirt….magnificent! …
Ombre metallic in purple and turquoise let’s see if this goes further…..
Black is in every collection (with a couple of exceptions) thus far and teamed with metallic, fresh, modern and chic. Is black a trend, yes, I believe it is and metallic and/or shine is as well.
Which brings me to Tom Ford and Alexander Wang….first up Tom Ford.
Still, his trademark cut outs, love the jewelry and shoes and for once, I can say I like the leggings….in silver metallic.
And then a throwback to the ’80’s but I want you to look at the print combinations and either pattern or textured tights, we are already seeing these as trends as well as the feeling of patchwork for it’s tunic…just saying!!!!
Alexander Wang a predominately black collection with a splash of color.
Jeremy Scott loves to play along with us with color, pattern and whimsy making him the darling of the cool music lovelies such as Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus and, of course, those who want to follow their trend and Jeremy’s….note the pattern, the color, the tights, the shoes and one can’t disregard the wigs! 
From fun and games to feminine looks set in a garden of pink carnations…Tory Burch shows us trends that are both fashion-forward and understandable. A boho look of print combos and a perfect dress in an orange-red. Not a fan of the shoe looks more spring/summer to me!
Jason Wu shows the orange-red with midriff top and wrapped skirt and a classic black look for after five.
Tomas Maier brings a new luxury to a classic brand Bottega Veneta. I particularly like the casualness of the bathrobe coat and jumpsuit in one of the color combinations of fall shades of pumpkin, a working of patchwork….and, of course, black for evening.
Obviously these are just a few of the multitute of collections being shown in New York. There are many new designers that I will touch upon in the coming days and weeks….stay tuned.
All photos from Pinterest credits unknown.
The glitz of a Chanel shoe pared with a ombre tweed jacket from Lafayette 148 New York.
This has always been my motto in my wardrobe choices and when I assist others in planning and updating their closets and refreshing their hair and make-up.
Arrival with Daniel
Pondering the look…..cut it off Daniel!!!!
Some of the old look on the floor…..
Much better, don’t you agree…..
The Spring Chanel palette Armenia used on me (she had Googled me to plan ahead the look she thought would be best and she was spot on! Smart lady!)
The Chanel special blush formed like a Chanel tweed….amazing!
I love make-up charts, this is mine (wish I looked like the sketch…one lives in hope)…she did a green liner on top of a smoky dark grey liner above the lash and in the waterline under the top lash. I usually do a nude on the lower waterline. A blend of a couple of lipsticks for a softer red than I have been using…like it alot. She kept my smoky eye and added a bit of blush, which I usually only do for evening, I also intensify my eye for evening. I liked the addition of the green, having green eyes they change from green to blue to hazel but the green brought out the green perfectly. Luckily I have a lot of lid and it does like color…..my brows are in the process of growing in but must be groomed, they are wild otherwise and one can’t have wild eyebrows…oh my! I find having my make-up done, in fact any personal service, so relaxing and rewarding to take away not only a new and refreshed look but a new tip or two on application and/or color.
The initial pull…a couple of the pieces were sold (that is the idea!!!!) so you won’t see them in the actual photos. I also took a couple of photos of the jackets with my shoe selection…one of which is at the top of this post…here is another
I am obsessed with this Chanel tweed “sneaker” can you even stand the pearl detail, oh my. The 
When I got to the Fifth Avenue Club Bryant Keith Von Woodson II was ready for me with the garments pulled (we took a couple of minutes to pull more shoes) and was all set to photograph the “try-on” portion of the refresh. He is always spot on with own trendsetting look as you can see reflected in the mirror. New York City you had better get ready because as soon as he graduates from Columbia College Chicago in May he is planning on taking the Big Apple by storm….just saying!
Let me show you my favorite look of all, this incredible print jacket by Etro…love everything they do, but this mix of color and pattern is superb and would be the one piece to add to my wardrobe. My closet is seasonless (a few hot weather pieces thrown in but mostly year round clothes…drop the turtleneck for a black shell or cammy for those hot summer days). I am wearing my own new gold triple hoop drop earring a bargain found at the last 
Two of the trends I followed in the Spring 2018 shows I covered in nenasnotes, Crome yellow and a bold abstract print. The jacket is from Lafayette 148 New York and the charming black lace trim print top from Kobi Halperin, one of my new favorite designers. Can’t wait to see what will show us for Fall 2018 in New York Fashion Week shows beginning this week. I’m suggesting a high heel black suede sling from Manolo Blanik. The jewelry featured is from my own collection of jet necklaces, you can be sure there will be a feature on jet in the near future.
Love this Lafayette 148 New York jacket in an ombre black and white tweed but perhaps too similar to pieces I already own. But it is a stunning classic that can be worn forever! Hum, I wonder and with that Chanel shoe…….
Another trend that I followed through all four major markets for Spring 2018, stripes, here on an Akris jacket accented with stripes that look like a bar code and a triangular detail of metallic. The shoe, picking up another trend polka dots, Chanel’s clear and black patent with pearl dots…love!
All shades of pink were on the catwalks for Spring, this classic blazer from Oscar de la Renta, many items in my established wardrobe are OdlR. I’m holding a slide, I don’t usually like them because I tend to walk out of them but found this one a delight in a charming rose print from Gucci.
Every designer I ever worked with wanted me to wear red, not my color of choice but this one might be the exception. Again from Oscar de la Renta and I’m showing you two shoe choices, both from GUCCI, the floral applique leather stiletto or the carnation embroidered flat. The pin on the jacket from my Bakelite collectiion also from a visit to the Randolph Street Market.
For some unknown reason this looks architectural to me….like a pointilist painting of a skyline, vivid imagination, I know! It is from the Akris Punto spring collection. The shoe I have chosen is from Ferragamo and is black patent with a sculptured gold heel, yum!
Viktor & Rolf
Charles Frederick Worth the Father of Haute Couture. The first Couturier began in 1858. The term Haute Couture was coined in 1908 meaning High Fashion and By Hand.
Too magnificent for my words…just enjoy. You can always view the shows on the designer’s websites or stream them on YouTube…what did we do before technology, don’t even remember.
The inspiration.
And 2018’s interpretation…glorious!
Lots of white and pastels, pale pink, in particular, which was shown in many of the Spring 2018 Shows in the Fall, in the Chanel Collection, along with appliqued flowers embellished with jeweled beading.
The Dior collection was primarily black and white with a few nude tones and pale pastels here and there. I thought the black and white pieces were exquisite, very wearable and timeless from the day pieces through the elegance of the evening gowns, Total red carpet ready. I also liked the simple one strap gold sandal with all! Another accessory seen in more than one collection…the mask, are we getting ready for another try at a Capote Black and White ball, how exciting!
Valentino does feathers as hats, feathers were everywhere, and the collection had fabulous color combinations and exciting prints.
Giambattista Valli always the showman who does unbelievably beautiful gowns.
Jean Paul Gaultier never disappoints, love this androgynous outfit.
I actually found this collection to be quite wearable for him!
Armani Privé
Maison Margiela….don’t quite know what this is but perhaps after I study it a bit more I will get its brilliance! We shall see…….
Valentino…I thought this was great fun my friend Virginia Heaven hated it! Such is the debate over Haute Couture!
Another Viktor & Rolf
Nancy Plummer
Nancy working with clients, here a classic trench, one of the Spring 2018 trends.
Appearing on 
Marcus Samuelsson…. Nena’s note, I visited his restaurant Aquavit many years ago…must do Red Rooster in Harlem, New York on my next visit. Photo from Pinterest credit unknown.
BLVD, I want to go too….really glam! Photo from Pinterest credit not available.
Sam Kirk and a portion of a mural. Photo from Pinterest credit unknown.
I have wanted to do a story on Lucile’s time in Chicago and have researched it for years, when I met Randy Bryan Bigham (see his Profile on nenasnotes on Monday, January 8, 2018) on Facebook I hit paydirt. Randy is the reigning expert on all things Lucile and he has helped me find more information on Lucile Ltd. in Chicago.
Lady Lucile Duff Gordon.
A page from Lucile’s memoir Discretions and Indiscretions.
The doorman at the entrance of Lucile Ltd. in Chicago, the townhouse of Colonel Franklin McVeagh at 1400 Lake Shore Drive.
The Rose Room in the Chicago Salon. The images above graciously shared by Randy Bryan Bigham.
From Pinterest photo credit University of Michigan. Designers such as Bill Blass. who did the Lincoln Mark VII cars from 1979 to 1983, continued this tradition. Again Lucile was one of the first! Chalmers, like the Maxwell, is now owned by Chrysler
Howard Greer around the time of his tenure with Lucile Ltd.
A photograph and sketch from a film in the late 1920’s looks like a Lucile garment. Both images from Pinterest photo credit unknown.
This dress was donated by Mrs. Irene Castle Enzinger in 1953; it was created for her by Lucile when she appeared in Irving Berlin’s Watch Your Step, circa 1914.
Dress, wedding-style, of off-white satin. Bodice trimmed with pleated self-fabric, white organdy, Chantilly lace, and sprays of satin flowers. Square neckline; elbow sleeves. Light blue satin sash at natural waist. Full-length skirt of white organdy trimmed with Valenciennes lace insertion and edge stiffened with whale bone. White satin overskirt lined with light blue satin. Petticoat of Pussy Willow silk (stamped on selvage “Genuine pussy willow”) with crepe chiffon ruffle.Worn by Katherine Keith at her marriage to David Adler on June 1, 1916.
Dress wedding-style, of white silk satin. Bodice has low, square, lace-trimmed neckline in front. White satin flowers attached at proper left front corner of collar. Long fitted sleeves. Back satin buckle closure. Slim-fitting skirt; floor-length. Train of white satin with silk-thread embroidery of floral bouquet at base. Worn by Ginevra King for her marriage to William H. Mitchell on September 4, 1918.
Coat of black satin embroidered with multicolored chinoiserie pattern and ribbons. Wide sable collar. Fingertip-length sleeves with sable trim. Falls below the knee. Black and blue velvet lining. Worn by Margaret Harwood Stevens. Lucile was known for its use of exotic motifs and silhouettes. This coat from the Paris branch reflects the taste for chinoiserie in French fashions around 1923.
This stunning sketch is from 
Randy Bryan Bigham with his book, Lucile-Her Life by Design
Randy (on the right) with Edwardian era and Titanic historian Hugh Brewster who worked together on the 2016 Canadian exhibition Lucile: Fashion. Titanic. Scandal.
Although Randy loves romantic period films, he’s a fan of the horror classic Friday the 13th, and has become friends with its star, Adrienne King, with whom he’s seen here in Dallas in 2016.
Randy loves history but isn’t above enjoying pop culture reality shows like CBS’s “Survivor” and The Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot.” This card, signed by the cast, was sent him by a friend, Linda Plochocki, for Christmas last year.
A pastime for Randy is taking photos along the country roads in and near his hometown of Ennis, the Official Bluebonnet City of Texas.
Elsie de Wolfe’s early 1900s interiors featured design elements Randy appreciates.
One of Randy’s favorite places in the world is Versailles, where this picture of him at age 28 was taken in 1997.
One of Randy’s favorite books on fashion history is Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell’s Fashion Victims
Palm Peach Chicken, a recipe by Kevin Graves and Robin Dailey, is delicious and beautiful.
Who says you can’t go home again…….I’m back…..yes, you heard correctly, I have been asked to work on fashion shows for Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago and I am thrilled to do so. My first return show was for a private client at a luncheon at the newely redone Ritz Carlton Chicago (I’ll post about the hotel another time!) I thought it might be amusing to walk you through the steps in fashion show prep or Fashion Show 101, the way I do it!
Here is some of the pull. I wanted to do day into evening in color groupings and start and end with black, white and red. Several trends I included were trench coats, moto jacket, shearing, some pink (see above), blue, glitz, etc. All themes we saw in the extensive posts I did on the four major fashion markets a few weeks ago. At the moment clothes are easy to understand not too much gimmick but very wearable, elegant looks. After the pull I met with the Beauty Collections Manager, Kristina Gutierrez to discuss the look I wanted for the models….bold red lip and smoky eye. She arranged for several artists to do the models at the Store (they did their own low bun) and I must say they did a perfect job, exactly as I had envisioned!
I do the run of show (which is tranlated into a list for the attendees of the show and was printed in house) and then break it down by model to make it easy when the clothes are bagged and taken to the site. I then went to 10022 Shoes to choose from the unbelievable selection, my oh my oh my, what a collection of shoes at SFA Chicago! My new thing (and by the way I have been doing shows since I “retired” 8 years ago) is having the models carry one shoe that I have selected for that particular outfit. It is much easier for the audience to see the shoe and easy to do, works well, in my opinion. The models wear their own shoes.
I place the comps at the top of the racks so the models can easily find their spaces. I line up left to right and let the dresses undo the clothes so they are familiar with them. shoes go underneath the garments and handbags were placed on the hangers
The item you see on the top right of the rack is a model hood, which I always have in my bag of tricks, it is a huge necessity when pulling clothes over your head (get one for yourself at Sally’s or on line!) I put the moto jacket over the gold sequin dress, funky fun!
The Crew….Nena, Alberta, Katie Stickles, Stylist Manager, Megan Henry, Assistant Stylist Manager, Bryant and TaJ’ae they were all amazing, I don’t know when I have had so much support doing a show…kudos to all!
First exits in show order I have already posted this on Instagram and Facebook and the finale photo as well, but didn’t take any more shots of the show, difficult with you are in the middle of senidng models. Bryant sent them to me, he has the run of show in his hand in the photo.
The finale.
I thought it would be amusing to show you a photo from a show’s finale, probably early 1960’s, at the Hilton (I have done more shows at the Hilton than any other venue, I also did the first show at the Ritz Carlton when it first opened!) You will notice the politically incorrect item the models are holding in their hands….packages of cigarettes! The show was for a tobacco convention! Wow have times changed but we still want to see wonderful clothes on lovely models and Saks Fifth Avenue continues to be on the cutting edge of style….fun to be back doing what I love to do! Stay tuned……..there maybe more…….
The first three volumes in the series of designers for the House of Dior, the first, of course, Christian Dior. Absolutely magnificent and our very own Costume Collection at the Chicago History Museum is represented!
I have been an admirer of Siriano’s work since he appeared on Project Runway! His “fierce” style has just gotten better and better. It was my pleasure to welcome him to Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago on November 13, 2009, with one of his first Collections and I interviewed him later for a President’s Club event at Columbia College Chicago. He was my last personal appearance at Saks, that is the day I retired! When I have seen him over the years, he always says, “I was your last designer!”
By now you probably know I am obsessed with anything Dries Van Noten…here a two-volume set of his collections, it must be brilliant! Can’t wait to add them to my library.
One of several books that accompanied museum exhibitions…this one at the Met, as always exquisitely done!
The book that accompanies the exhibition that is currently at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Several of my friends have seen it and say it is a superb exhibition. I can’t find it on Amazon, only on the Museum’s website if you are interested in it.
From the Museum of Modern Art in New York featuring their first fashion exhibition (I swear I have seen fashion exhibits there in years gone by, I guess not!)
A wonderful anthology on the long-running Bazaar.
This looks amazing…a must add to your fashion library….
And speaking of DV, the man who worked with her at Bazaar and Vogue and who we immediately think of when we think fashion photography…Richard Avedon, he, of course, did much more than fashion (as did most of the “fashion” photographers) and the second book, Avedon Something Personal, goes deep into his life. There was a fascinating review in last week’s weekend Wall Street Journal…does not paint a pretty picture, well let’s judge for ourselves, shall we!
There has been so much type re this scathing “diary” that it has put it on the New York Times Best Seller List and every other book list out there. Brown, known for not pulling punches, has done it again and it is another I can’t wait to get my hands on. Probably shouldn’t be on my fashion book list, but most certainly a book that chronicles social mores.
Another one out in left field but sounds fascinating….
I think I have posted this wonderful Norman Rockwell drawing before but it is one of my favorites, so much so it is the screen saver on my iPad!
I have been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal since her first novel featuring our heroine, Maggie Hope, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. The Paris Spy was a bit heavier than her previous books and perhaps this wasn’t the time for me to read it. It has been very gloomy in Chicago the past couple of weeks and this did not lift my mood. That being said, it is well written, the research extensive and I greatly appreciated the addition of the books MacNeal consulted and has listed for us, for my TBR list.