Narciso Rodriguez

Busy busy. After recently debuting shoes for his eponymous label, Narciso Rodriguez is adding yet another title to his ever growing resume: fashion advisor for Banana Republic.

The brand announced today that Rodriguez will begin the newly created gig Aug. 20 and will work closely with Simon Knee, the brand's creative director and vice president, on the Fall 2013 collection. "Narciso's expertise will be a great complement to Simon's strengths and to our incredible design team," Banana Republic's president, Jack Calhoun, said in a statement.

Jessica Alba stepped out in NYC donning a Narcisco Rodriguez ensemble, colorblock dress and d'orsay pumps, that made heads turn. The actress punched up her already noteworthy look with blue Thierry Lasry sunglasses, a black Narcisco Rodriguez shoulder bag, and ladylike pearls. Use colorblocking to your benefit to accentuate your waist like Jessica in an eye-catching form-fitting dress, d'orsay pumps, and chic accessories, or test-drive the trend with skirts, tops, and pants. The simplicity of this Summer look can be used as the perfect day-to-night transition.

Narciso Rodriguez will launch a capsule collection for Kohl's as part of the retailer's new designer collaboration program, called Design Nation, in November. Designers who participate in the program will create lower-priced capsule collections that take inspiration from cities around the world. Rodriguez chose Istanbul, saying he "wanted to take what I do and merge it with something completely different." The collection of outerwear, tops, dresses, and knitwear will be available for one month, and will sell for between $30 and $150.

Sources say Derek Lam will follow Rodriguez as the second Kohl's guest designer, but that hasn't been confirmed.

Rumors of Rodriguez's partnership with Kohl's surfaced last week, but this isn't the first collaboration for either party. In 2010, Rodriguez created an eight-piece capsule collection for eBay. Kohl's, meanwhile, has established a long-term relationship with Vera Wang, who creates clothing, cosmetics, shoes, and housewares for the store under the label Simply Vera Vera Wang.

Sketch courtesy of Kohl's

It has been confirmed: Narciso Rodriguez has been tapped as the first designer to create a limited-run time capsule collection for new initiative Kohl's Designer Program this Fall. Putting a fresh spin on the designer collaboration approach, Kohl's is challenging its designers to team up with a city of their choice — Rodriguez chose Istanbul — then, takes them to that destination to cull inspiration for the capsule.

Thus, Rodriguez journeyed to Istanbul earlier this year and immersed himself in the culture of the city, visiting its museums and palaces, poring over its famous colorfully-charged bazaars, and taking a boat tour down the Bosphorus. "There is such a great mix of Europe and Asia, and a really cool new scene, from the arts to the kids, the graffiti, the colors of the streets, the patinas on the walls, the tiles on the floors," Rodriguez said. "I was taking it in from so many different angles. The adventure seemed like a great opportunity to do something new." Expect rich hues and his signature colorblocking (for proof, see two looks from the collaboration line above) with a playful side of abstract prints that are altogether new to make an appearance on the Kohl's-exclusive outerwear, tops, dresses, and knits — priced from $30 to $150. With Rodriguez's loyal base of A-list starlets, including Claire Danes and Jessica Alba, and First Lady Michelle Obama, and the collaboration's undoubtedly cool premise on the rise (reportedly slated next to design? Derek Lam!), we'll keep you up to date on all the launch details as they are announced.

As much as we love Jessica Alba in colored denim on the streets, we also adore her in a chic dress on the red carpet. While in Beijing for a gala for the world premiere of Montblanc's concept store, the actress stunned in a white cutout Narciso Rodriguez dress from the Pre-Fall 2012 collection, strappy white sandals, and a matching white box clutch. If you don't have a white cutout dress in your collection yet, it's the perfect time to get one now that Summer is almost here. This Silence & Noise white cutout minidress ($60, originally $79) can be dressed up or down, while this BCBGMAXAZRIA white cutout tulle gown ($348) is a dressier version for fancier affairs. For a monochromatic look like Jessica's, wear either with white sandals and a white clutch. For a pop of color, ditch the white accessories for a colorful pair of sandals and a bright clutch.