Bleu Shoes & Macaroons

Even though it has been a while since my last blog post, I thought I'd pick up where I left off with a Fashion Week mini series. Each post will put the spotlight on a lesser-known designer from each city's Fashion Week. Sometimes the underdog creates a more impactful collection than the European hot shot brands. This week, we will be focusing on New York Fashion Week and in my opinion, one of the best collections by an up and coming designer, Hellessy. Brief history: Hellessy was founded in 2012 by French-born designer Sylvie Millstein. She studied fashion in Paris before becoming senior merchant for Givenchy, Harrods and Chanel. It was then she moved to NYC to settle down, have a family and cultivate her youngest baby, Hellessy.
What I really enjoyed about the collection was beyond the clean lines and tailoring, but the wearability. While the lookbook's pairings may seem a little overwhelming, each piece on it own can be extremely versatile. The coats and oversized sweaters would be best paired with black skinnies for an everyday look. While palazzo pants paired with a button down can be an essential look for a day in the office. Regardless of your preference, Hellessy is a great discovery amongst an abundance of big names in NYFW.

With New York Fashion Week landing in the city next week, many are wondering what's in store for Fall/Winter 2014. While scrolling my Facebook newsfeed this morning, I came across a post from forecasting giant, The Doneger Group stating "Atletic influences are cementing style direction." Sportswear! Of course! Today more than ever, the world is intrigued by the health movement. From the American  Heart Association's RED products to Diabetes awareness to the trendiness of stores such as Whole Foods and Lululemon, it seems people are hooked on healthy! It only makes sense that this trend is transcending into fashion and now sportswear is seen primarily in many prefall collections. What can we expect from this trend? Think 1980s Jane Fonda aerobics trend meets the modern working woman. Lots of primary colors in boxy athletic shapes! Lightweight fabrics and comfortable linens. It's all about comfort and versatility! I think this is a trend we'll see heavily translated in the NYFW FW14 collections. We have a week to wait and see how designers will incorporate these ideas but in the meantime let's get physical!

Crystal, Maybach, Tigers on a gold leash. Scandanavian singer Lorde pokes fun at hip hop culture in her platinum hit, "Royals." The opulence of hip hop culture has come under fire in the 2000s, spurring hip hop to be the target of jokes and criticism. But recently, a deeper appreciation of hip hop fashion of the past has been fondly welcomed in street style in New York and around the world. Fashion bloggers and icons alike are embracing trends inspired by hip hop culture nostalgia.
        In the early 1970s as hip hop music emerged, hip hop artists latched onto sportswear trends and adapted them into their unique style. Sneakers, baseball caps, and sports attire comprised the original uniform for hip hop culture. Today, we are seeing style relate back to this simplistic approach. High tops, snapbacks, jerseys, and varsity jackets appear on the pages of nearly every fashion blog, magazine, and LIM student. The trend, adapted for today's fashionista, demonstrates society's desire to relate back to a more simplistic time, where getting dressed in the morning didn't have to require so much thought.
          In early 90s hip hop culture, artists embraced a silhouette far from that's of the 2000s. Oversized clothing captivated nearly everyone, much unlike the " so tight you can see my bones" trend of the Millennia. Girls swam in oversized track pants while men rocked three sizes too big jerseys. How can one forget the oversize low jeans men wore and how they basically begged us to hand them a belt? Today, harem pants and wide leg styles are taking the fashion world by storm. Gone are the days of too tight jeans and unbreathable tube tops. This dramatic turn means women are no longer drawn into such oversexualized images of how a woman should look, making a statement about how differently we wish to be viewed. 
            The nostalgia of hip hop fashion of the past is making waves in how we wish to dress today. Sportswear and sneakers beg us for more simplistic fashions while our technology-obsessed society is becoming more increasingly complicated. Oversized clothing ask that we begin to look at ourselves differently and question society's sexuality. Ultimately, hip hop trends today point out that opulence and audacity aren't the only option.