Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti

For the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti Fall 2013 collection, creative director Natalie Ratabesi focused on easy, feminine pieces for the polished party girl. Sheer-shoulder blouses and printed peplum tops were paired with Audrey Hepburn-style cropped trousers, while swishy knee-length skirts got a dose of '60s sex appeal with bright knee socks, slouchy sweaters, and candy-colored heels. One of our favorite Fall pieces — a structured black wool coat that was artfully nipped in at the waist — looked utterly sleek and sophisticated with ankle-length black pants and patent leather pointy-toe pumps. Click through to see the rest of the prettiest looks from the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti Fall 2013 runway.

How do you borrow from the boys while still looking completely and unimpeachably feminine? If you're Alberta Ferretti, and you're designing the Spring 2013 collection for your secondary line Philosophy, you might consider using the silks traditionally reserved for making men's neckwear and using them to make striped pants, patterned skirts, and body-conscious dresses that no one could mistake for mere men's accessories. Even the blazers were rendered ladylike with the addition of contrast printed sleeves and hidden closures.

Ferretti's signature femininity was thrust into even sharper relief by her show's venue, the masculine wood-paneled Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel. Had the silks turned into ties, they might have felt right at home — but these girlie looks were so modern, bright, and inventive that they could go anywhere.

Check out the all the pictures from Philosophy's Spring 2013 collection, and come back soon for our full review. 

There are few items as versatile as a denim jacket, and as these five celebrities prove, there are countless ways to work them for Summer. Rachel showcased her warm-weather style with a flirty white dress, a jean jacket, and ShoeMint sandals, Keira Knightley topped her abstract maxi and cap-toe Chanel flats with a light-wash denim jacket, while Cameron Diaz showed off her denim-on-denim style in a Levi's jacket. Check out five celebrity-inspired ways to work your denim topper, then shop similar pieces for yourself.

There was a cinematic kind of drama to the Fall 2012 collection of Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. First, the elegant setting — Avery Fisher Hall, which is home to New York's Philharmonic Orchestra, was built in the '60s and reflects midcentury form in a warm palette of cream, brass, and wood. Cue the orchestral soundtrack, and finally the models, who came up a weirdly chic escalator and walked the eternally long hall only to disappear down the other escalator. It felt a little bit like the end of a movie, playing over and over again. If that's the case, the heroine we would imagine to be a very elegant woman from the 1960s with a taste for sparkle on her pert shirt collars, lucite belts to cinch her tailored skirt suit, and a fur jacket encased in plastic (in case it rains). It was as if last season's cute '60s girl, who wore shades of pink and purple and yellow with aplomb, grew up, got a job, married rich, maybe had an affair (we're thinking of Tilda Swinton in the beautifully shot Milan-based film I Am Love), and saw her tastes evolve a bit — still feminine, but a lot more elegant.

• Trends: Ladylike, sparkly embellishments, skirt suits, monochromatic dressing, lucite, plastic, '60s elegant.
• Colors: Gray, cream, nude, camel.
• Key Piece: Any of the tops with sparkly collars, a beautiful ombré camel coat.
• Accessories: Lucite belts, chic little briefcases, silver-tipped stilettos.
• Who Would Wear It: Sophisticated, feminine dressers with a taste for unusual details.

>> Come next season, Alberta Ferretti's Philosophy girl will be looking mighty polished. The designer focused on power-dressing with a side of softness for Fall 2012, and the result was ladylike, wearable, and plenty chic. For day, there were neatly tailored coats and belted suits in camel and Winter-white; for evening, there were crystal-embellished blouses and cocktail frocks in shimmering silver or dusky gray.

It was the Italian version of Mad Men's Betty Draper, a bucolic vision of retro girlishness without Betty's dark neurosis. It model Arizona Muse opened the show in a pink coat and dress, and that began a collection of girly but prim clothes in candy shades of pink, yellow, mint, and lavender. Details like lace, floral applique, and pleats gave the collection youth, and tailored coats and bright furs would be wearable in today's world with jeans and a sweater. It was a very pretty collection, almost cinematic in feel thanks to the Italian soundtrack and saturated hues.

• Trends: Lace, '60s ladylike, skirtsuits, peacoats.
• Colors: Girlish pink, lavender, mint, canary yellow.
• Key Looks: A collarless camel coat, the detailed knit dresses.
• Accessories: Satin mary janes added to the sweetness.
• Who Would Wear It: '60s fans and girly girls will eat this up.