The CFDA Awards take place this evening, and we can't wait to find out who takes home the coveted awards! Creatures of the Wind, Suno, and Altuzarra are the labels up for the Swarovski Designer of the Year Award, while style veterans Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row are contending for Womenswear Designer of the Year. Let us know who you think will win this year! On Allison McNamara: StyleMint.
>> Day three of New York's Fall 2012 season brought some big shows — and some big models. Natasha Poly, Karolina Kurkova, Shalom Harlow, Carmen Kass, and Gisele Bundchen all walked Alexander Wang's show, and — from the looks of the mile-wide smiles backstage — seemed to have a pretty great time doing it. Click through to see all the backstage shenanigans from Alexander Wang, Altuzarra, Peter Som, and Hervé Léger — here in the slideshow.
Just when we thought we couldn't swoon any more over Joseph Altuzarra's creations, the designer sent us on a dizzying trip around the world via brightly hued Moroccan-chic knitwear, chunky fringe, plush shearling, and quirky coin embellishments. From 1940s Parisian silhouettes to ultra-tailored naval coats and equestrian-inspired jodhpurs, to the whimsical markings of a visit to a Marrakesh marketplace, this collection was all about mixing it up. The result? A sultry blend of super-structured jackets, pants, and fur-lined outerwear paired perfectly with eclectic fringe-laden skirts, Indian-braid schoolboy sweaters, and coin-infused cocktail dresses. Slick, tasseled, patent-leather ankle boots and knee-high riding boots completed each look — a fitting accessorized finish for the well-traveled style setter who knows where she's going next.
>> "I just wanted to do things that women want to wear, to figure out how to make clothes that look rich but feel easy," Joseph Altuzarra said before his Fall 2012 show. Sounds simple enough, but there was a lot of depth here: the designer culled influences from Morocco, India, and the '60s-era Italian comic-book hero Corto Maltese — and it all melded together beautifully. Silk, jodhpur-shaped cargo pants — some lavishly printed — were tucked into slick, thigh-high boots and topped with Mongolian-fur vests; wrapped dresses and blouses were embroidered with dangling rows of coins; and — for those who prefer not to jingle — there were thickly knit intarsias patterned in Berber motifs.
The designer also injected a nice bit of structure into the mix, and so — for every tapestry print or bit of fringe — there was also a well-tailored naval coat, a strict-collared shirt, or a sharp black sheath. "It was really about mixing it," he explained.
