#Hermes #KellyCrocCity

Why I’m Obsessed with Vintage:

1. To quote Yves Saint Laurent, “Fashions fade but style is eternal”. And vintage never goes out of style.

2. Because each piece is unique and tells the story of the true “You”.

3. Because you have to know enough about fashion to know what you’re looking for, and not just be spoon-fed a trend.

4. Because it costs a tenth of what the big designers who copy it does.

5. The thrill of the hunt.

For all of these reasons and more, check out the new Cheeky Vintage store on designersocial and find your accessory-soulmate from eras past.

-FDB

The Most Important Accessory You’ve Never Met

In case you haven’t yet seen or heard of Google’s Glass Explorer- eyewear as we know it will change forevermore when it debuts on fall/winter 2013 runways everywhere.

Get ready for a brave new world where you can not only scour the Internet and overlay information on your view of the street, but also find your friends by what they’re wearing.

“It uses a smart phone app to take snaps of your chum, then makes a spatiogram — a file that captures the spatial distribution of colours, textures and patterns of their togs. This unique combination of colours, textures and patterns makes them easier to identify over long distances, or from odd viewing angles.”

Thereby creating a “fashion footprint” of sorts. (CNet- UK)

Le technology. C’est chic n’est pas?

-Francine Ballard

Céline Springs Eternal

Look closely, not one of these designs is Phoebe Philo’s, yet every single one of them bears a resemblance to her original signature Cabas, Trapeze or Luggage shapes. Major handbags from every formidable fashion brand these days owe their commercial appeal to a singular influence. And that undisputed authority belongs to the house of Céline.

With nary a sign of stopping or even slowing (despite their complete disavowal of e-commerce) it seems they are perched comfortably at the apex of a perfect consumer success storm. It is the intersection of great design, desirability and you guessed it: scarcity. Taking an approach adopted by French luxury behemoth, Hèrmes; it seems like the harder it is to find something, the more in-demand it becomes.

From top left: Reed Krakoff, Rebecca Minkoff, Coach, Michael Kors, Mulberry, Calvin Klein Collection, Lanvin, Prada, Marni, Victoria Beckham, ZAC by Zac Posen, Fendi, Diane von Furstenberg, Nancy Gonzalez, Valentino, Chloé, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jil Sander, Rag & Bone, Zara.

FDB [via Business of Fashion]

Get to the point already. #ready for it.

It’s Bring-a-Birkin-to-Work day at designersocial.

Beware right angles or smooth surfaces, these Karen Walker Number One Sunnies make me want to ditch my aviators pronto.

Two for One - tactile perfection from Phoebe Philo. Her fall 2013 collection for Céline almost unintentionally spurs on two major emerging trends: menswear fabrics [see: Dior pre-fall, Stella McCartney, Rag & Bone, Haider Ackermann] and the slouchy oversized clutch.

You don’t need to be clairvoyant to guess who might walk away with a CFDA 2013 Fashion award. Nominees were just announced and whilst the talent pool is undeniable, what’s also undeniable is the surprisingly homogenous mix.

In the women’s wear category: Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs. And for accessories: Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler and 3.1 Phillip Lim. We will have to wait until June to see who actually wins, but odds are Alexander and the boys (Lazaro and Jack) have a pretty good shot. Who has your vote?

Images (L to R): Alexander Wang, Marc by Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Proenza Schouler fall 2013 RTW collections via WWD.

The universality of flowers and springtime is undeniable. But how that translates into your wardrobe is a little more iffy. Fortunately the easiest way to road-test the trend is on your arm.

Gucci Blue Floral Hobo $750 (Retail $1850), Gucci Red Floral Hobo $650 (Retail $1850). Both available at Designersocial.com.

The only thing that could potentially upstage Hedi Slimane’s spring collection or golden Balenciaga rings on every finger is a fabulous Minx mani. If you’ve ever been tempted to try it, there’s no time like the present. Since it’s been around since ‘07, it’s probably safe to say it’s become sufficiently mainstream.

- Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane silk and satin jacket, silk blouse and pants and neck bow. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere rings via W mag.