ZAC POSEN + TARGET

Regarding the trumpet dress above--which is modeled after the iconic dress worn by Naomi Campbell and which launched Posen's career: "That was the dress that started my business . . . it's flirtatious and fun, but it has a punk, tough quality too." -- Zac Posen

I'm truly excited to stay up well past my new bedtime to share news of the latest Target collaboration. The retailer continues its partnership with well known designers by adding wunderboy Zac Posen to its roster. Following on the heels of Target's synergies with Rodarte, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Liberty of London, the Zac Posen for Target collection becomes available April 25th! Posen's collection features mostly dresses and range in price from $40 to $90.

Check out additional photos by clicking "Read more" below.

OOH LA LA!

Two of my favorite online discount shopping destinations are having serious holiday deals. For up to 70% and 80% off retail on brands such as Just Cavalli, Fendi, Dolce and Gabbana, Tahari and Zac Posen check out Gilt Groupe and Rue La La. Due to the exclusive nature of membership to these sites, not everyone can take advantage. However, StyleChile readers can enjoy VIP membership to both Gilt Groupe and Rue La La just in time for the holidays.

Gilt Groupe

- log on with www.gilt.com/stylechile

Gilt Groupe is having the following sales this week: Botkier and M Missoni on December 9, Jill Stuart RTW and Shoes and Bedat & Co. on December 10, Milly Marc Bouwer Glamit and Marco Bicego on December 12 and Ali & Ro on December 13.

Rue La La

- Go to www.ruelala.com; select "invited by a member"; enter "vip@ruelala.com" to bypass the waitlist and get in.

Rue La La is hosting the following boutiques, just in time for holiday shopping! Kooba and La Perla on December 9, Kate Spade on December 11, Ellen Tracy and Samsonite Black Label on December 12 and Via Spiga and Honora Pearls on December 15.

For comprehensive coverage of Gilt Groupe and Rue La La read my vintage post here. If you'd like your own invitation to these exclusive shopping sites, shoot me an e-mail at stylechil@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for more on my guest blog on Gilt Groupe!

GEN ART'S CRHEE!

Given that Gen Art provides a platform for emerging artists and considering that designers such as Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, Chaiken, Rodarte, Louis Verdad, Milly, Philip Lim, Twinkle by Wenlan, Duckie Brown, Geren Ford, Sari Gueron & Shoshanna were all debuted by Gen Art--well before they were known by the masses--I was geeked to get a chance to preview the collection of one of Gen Art's emerging stars!

Pieces from Crhee's Spring '09 line on the Gen Art: Fresh Faces runway

Inspired by the movie Gattaca, Christine Rhree's line is part futuristic and supernatural. Her line is classic and timeless yet unconventional; at once minimalist and soft, yet highly structured and strong! Case in point, the black dress to the far left, it' appears as a classich sheath from the front, but includes an unexpected cut-out back; the "bones" within are outlined in white, reminiscient of a skeleton. Check out my pics of Christine and her Spring '09 line below.

Christine Rhee! Her fab shoes are by Pierre Hardy!

Of the designer, Women's Wear Daily stated: "Meanwhile, if 007 were a woman, she would go for the former architect Christine Rhee’s body-conscious suiting in her fierce-yet-feminine line CRHEE."

Showcasing her wit and love for, among others, the artist formerly known as Prince, CRHEE's Spring '09 line includes a few pieces that were made with the artist in mind. One ensemble includes a top named Mayte and a skirt called Apollonia.

Mark my words, this former Princeton educated architecture student (and apprentice for architect Lynn Breslin) turned fashion designer is the next big thing. You can thank me later! CRHEE's pieces retail for $300 - $600; get your own at StandardDeviationNy.com and crhee.com.

SPRING 2009 MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK: PREVIEW

Fashion Week is already upon us! I cannot wait to see what the designers have in store for Spring 2009. Today kick's off New York's Mercedes Benz Spring 2009 Fashion Week. Enjoy a preview of what the designers will be sending down the runway:

I am particularlarly interested in seeing what Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera, Phillip Lim and Matthew Williamson have to offer! I'm thrilled to have invites to some events and to the Pamella Roland show on Wednesday. Check out the schedule here, and be sure to check StyleChile for updates!
Hopefully this fashion week will be as exciting as the last! Click on the label below to see coverage of past Fashion Shows!

Credit: AM New York. Special thanks to David B. for the scans!

HOT NEW HUE: MUSTARD

According to Michael Kors, mustard is the must-have color for wardrobes this fall. It's not just your grandmother's mustard however. It's 2008, so think wasabi and/or sun-dried tomato infused mustard. "Kors says mustard yellow seamlessly transitions from summer to fall and even winter. It's that right pop of autumnal color to announce the beginning of the new season -- but it's upbeat, doesn't make you miss summer and looks great with a bit of leftover suntan." - AP

Left to right, French's Classic Yellow Mustard, Old Fashioned Mustard by Delouis Fils, S&B Wasabi, Maille Dijon Originale, Lakeshore Wholegrain Mustard with Guinness Extra Stout and Stonewall Kitchen Sun-Dried Tomato Mustard.

StyleChile readers are always on trend...add one or two (or three) mustard-y pieces to your fall wardrobe and voila! See below for my picks and where to buy, or check out previous posts with mustard choices here and here.

French's Classic Yellow Mustard: citrine cuff by Bounkit for Vivre, $1,575.00; Milly textured wool coat with gold buttons; and Bamboo wrap scarf by Echo, $58. Old Fashioned Mustard by Delouis Fils: leather gloves by, Agatha & Me, $175; skirt suit: jacket and matching skirt are $498 and $288, respectively, from Badgley Mischka Platinum Sportswear- available at Saks; and Nine West's "Galen" boots are $250.00. S&B Wasabi: Motorcross leather jacket by Adam plus Eve, $795.00 at Neiman Marcus; Liberty flower print dress, £50.00 at Topshop; and trousers available at Antrhopologie for $228.00. Maille Dijon Originale: Dolce & Gabbana satin skirt, 350 at net-a-porter; leather gloves, $125.00 by La Crasia; and Fendi's patent leather B bag is available at net-a-porter for $1,860. Stonewall Kitchen Sun-Dried Tomato Mustard: Nylon bag, $25.00 at Gap, $25; Wet Seal's, bright Skinny Jean is $24.50; and Chinese Laundry's "Annabnelle" is available at Zappos for $73.00.

It appears that Michael's color forecast is missing a few key colors! Per Pantone, which is the self described "world-renowned authority on colour", fall 2008 is a season of change, change from the traditional dark autumnal shades to purples, rose, blues (and variations of traditional mustard). Pantone lists the following colors: blue iris, royal lilac, shady glade, caribbean sea, aurora red, shitake, withered rose, twillight blue, burnt orange and ochre as the colors of fall 2008. Check out Pantone's list of Fall 2008 colors and commentary provided by the likes of Zac Posen, Peter Som, and Y&Kei here.

Click on the label below for vintage Hot New Hue and Style Trends posts!

COLOR CONSCIOUS: GRAMMY AWARDS 2008

The 50th Anniversary of the Grammy Awards packed a punch...in more ways than one. My favorite of the night was Rihanna, who was darling in Zac Posen!

Rihanna wears a Zac Posen dress accessorized with day glo nails; Fergie wears a butter yellow strapless Calvin Klein.

Natasha Bedingfield wore a glamourous Reem Acra gown, and Tamyra Gray wore a shiny green cocktail number.

Celebrities were intent on making a statement, one way or another...from Kelis & Co. who donned outfits emblazoned with the "N" word, to Chris Brown in that red and white tuxedo (reminiscent of Ronald McDonald), to Beyonce in that frothy Elie Saab concoction, to Aretha who wore the same hideous dress twice in less than 6 months.

A startling number of attendees were blah in black: Faith Hill, Fantasia, Keyshia Cole, Solange, Cyndi Lauper and Toccara.

ZAC POSEN: FALL 2008

The mood was surprisingly somber...I mean, I know it's Fall/Winter, but still.

Are Zac and Lagerfeld pals? Aren't these looks quintessential Chanel... from the juxtaposition of black and white to frilly sheers to piles and piles of pearls? Overall, the looks were classic and crisp... bright red lipstick, smoky eyes and severe hair. I really enjoyed the tailored pieces and pops of color here and there.

I'm not sure how the Mickey Mouse ears fit in, but Zac always keeps it interesting.

Photo Credit: Coutorture

2007 OSCAR AWARDS

I watched the show and took copious notes! I was truly impressed, it was hard to find a worst dressed of the evening, so I'm just going to double up on the best dressed! I would have loved to see Charlize (was she there?), but alas...no such luck!

Best Dressed #1: Cameron Diaz

No explanation necessary. Her Valentino gown, was hands down, the best in show! The Cartier earrings were a nice (only cameron would) touch!

Best Dressed #2: Gwenyth Paltrow (and to think she doesn't have a stylist...some people are just gifted!)

Gwenny's apricot Zac Posen dress was dope, but why is she just standing and staring at the camera like that? I couldn't find a better pic...she looked like an uncomfortable soldier in every single one!

Keisha's Best Dressed: Cate Blanchett

She looked devine, really, she looks otherworldy (could be her ears) in her gunmetal grey Giorgio Armani Prive!

Honorable Mention: Nicole Kidman


Most people hated it, but I was so excited by her color choice...yes, the fire engine red Balenciaga made her look paler than she already is (and that's hard, as she's quite pale), but something about it just worked! And that bow trailing behind her was just too good to be true. She brings it every time!

Reminds me of Charlize's bow moment (John Galliano for Dior), a year ago...I loved that one as well!


E for Effort: Celine Dion!


I loved her green vintage James Galanos (from Lily et Cie) dress and Van Cleef accessories, but she really bowled me over with the salmon colored dress below, go Celine!


Ambivalent: Penelope Cruz


Yes, I said it. The dress was nice, don't get me wrong, I mean, seriously, it's Atelier Versace! But I couldn't help feeling, eh...shrug. That was just my visceral reaction. There's nothing wrong with it, and if someone gave it to me, I'd wear it all the time, even to the office, but eh...yawn.

I really liked Maggie G's Proenza Schouler gown! It was understated elegance at its finest! but I could have done without the feathers!

See vintage awards show commentary here, or click the link below!

EVERYTHING IS COMING UP ROSES!

Spring 2007 will be all about flowers!

Silver and Gold Flowers by Zac Posen

Almost every designer incorporated flowers, specifically rosettes, into their show. None more so than Marchesa. Check out Marchesa's entire flower themed collection here.

Various designers' Spring 2007 ready-to-wear ...

Get into the spirit of the season, my flower themed picks are below:

From left to right: Dolce & Gabbana- $536.00 on bluefly; rose ring -17.16 pounds on asos.com; Phillip Lim high waisted rosette skirt -$364.00 on ronherman.com; Hella Jongerius bowl- $695.00 on mossonline.com; rose purse-$2.99 on wetseal.com; Sergio Rossi sandals-$513.19 on bluefly.com.

WHO IS GENEVIEVE JONES?

I first saw Genevieve in Vogue-- where she was dubbed "girl of the moment". As is custom, I grabbed my laptop and googled her... I didn't find much, but my how things have changed! The internet is rife with articles and pictures of the "it girl"!

There's been much to-do about the mystery that is Genevieve. Everyone wants to know who she is and from whence she came...The Wall Street Journal even featured her on the front page of their September 14, 2006 issue.

Genevieve is good friend and muse to Zac Posen and a host of other designers and celebrities.
Weighing in at 100 lbs. (all 5'6" of her), it's no wonder that designers throw their gear her way.

With Zac Posen at Paper Magazine's and M.A.C. Cosmetics' recent party for the designer.

She is popular, and like many traditional "socialites", is invited to charity events, gallery openings and premiere's...and is often given designer clothing to wear to such. This is troubling to NYC's elite circle because she's not a typical socialite. Her education, breeding (ugh), and motives are constantly questioned...but they do not, rather, cannot question or doubt her style! Such is the beauty of New York City!

Genevieve with Tinsley Mortimer at Plum Sykes' Book Launch.

Genevieve with Lauren Davis & Tinsley Mortimer at New York Botanical Garden's Winter Wonderland Ball in the Bronx!

Notwithstanding all the hoopla, I think Genevieve is fabulous and tres chic! Check out her pics on Vogue's style.com.

Genevieve wearing this season's "it item"...check out my vintage post on the jumper dress here!