Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - Doo.Ri

Once again we are dazzled by the subtle elegance that seems to be designer Doo-Ri Chung's trademark. Her 2010 collection echoed her desire to re-affirm the fact that the woman should wear the clothes and not the other way round. She didn't stray very far from her muted color scheme. The cuts were precise enough to allow room for well pressed pleats. And her use of tulle added a soft and delicate texture mixed in with the right level of sexiness to the cobalt blue bondage dress which proved to be the crowd pleaser of the show. It was an awfully pretty and elegant display of simplicity at its finest.

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - Narciso Rodriguez

Narciso Rodriguez has always been a lover of the female form. Celebrities have raved about the famed designer's uncanny ability to enhance and accentuate a woman's curves. He absolutely did not disappoint his legion of fans on the Runway Wednesday night. Aside from his usual flirty and free-flowing gowns that have been his standards, he followed the body-conscious craze that has gripped most of the Spring 2010 shows by putting his own spin on the tapered look. Nicely fitted silhouettes gripping mostly the top section matched with a looser almost balloon-like bottom. His skirts had pockets giving them a boxy shape but the cuts were specific enough to allow them to cascade in an elegant manner. The hues were bold and neutral and the complex mix of fabrics included silk, linen and jacquard. The goal of the show was to present a collection that was alive, refined and worthy of attention. Once again Narciso Rodriguez more than delivered.

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - 3.1 Phillip Lim

Continuing his everlasting theme and loyalty to the arts, Phillip Lim allowed two art shows he particularly enjoyed this summer inspire his latest creations. The London exhibition of Guy Bourdin's work helped birth the breathtaking lipstick red suit that opened his show and the "Picasso:Mosqueteros" display at the Gagosian Gallery in New York helped guide him in the right direction when it came to his unique mix of patchwork and deconstructed patterns. The colors were futuristic in their texture but yet soft and feminine which is generally hard to pull off. Maybe thats due to the fact that he made good use of rich fabrics like organza and lace among others. It was a pretty lineup that no doubt satisfied the appetite of all his fans.

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - Badgley Mischka

The designing duo of Mark Badgley and James Mischka have always been able to consistently deliver their own heightened brand of glamour. For their Spring 2010 runway show, they managed to honor that beloved tradition. The looks were transitional, from nicely contoured tweed suits and dresses that oozed feminine charm to lovely flashy gowns drowned in splashy hues of pink and lavender among others. The designers admitted being inspired by the club scene of the Fifties Cuban era and the heated nights of Palm Beach. And this is demonstrated in their dominant use of the white ruffling detail, silk shantung fabric and the detailed beading work that highlighted a lot of their looks. There were no real surprises here but there is no question that this well respected designing team passed this test with flying colors.

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - Carolina Herrera

"I feel pretty, Oh so pretty". Those lyrics from the musical West Side Story could accurately describe the emotions that may possess you when you don one of Carolina Herrera's lovely confections. Her collection was the height of modernity and chic while still recalling the level of sophistication she has always been respected for. But this time around she vacated her comfort zone for a startling twist on the Japanese themed woven basket look that was heavily displayed in almost every look on the runway. Her use of particular fabrics from raffia to open weaves seemed to reveal the texturized complexity of the woven "Japanese basket look" and only Herrera with her unique ability of interpretation could make such a "unique" statement work so elegantly. But she did go back to the standards with some of her looks hindering on the more softer side with moveable and flowy dresses with just a hint of the evening's primary motif. The colors were coppery, satiny, bright and lucid. And she proved once again why she is still the Queen of Chic.

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - Diane von Furstenburg

It was the height of romanticism and bohemian chic at the DFV show on Saturday evening. The girls each had floral motifs embedded in their coifs that helped summon the energy of the 60's "flower child" and "free love" era. In her usual style, bold prints were elegantly mismatched. While floral and strong color palettes were well represented. It was all about the "Goddess Chic" and even though there was a good amount of separates including T-shirts and sleek looking jodhpurs, von Furtsenberg remained true to her roots and what she does best - dresses. Sexy, billowy and effortlessly fitted dresses swishing down the runway in a haze of technicolor, sequins and woven bangles. Never has being a woman looked so good!

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - ARISE African Fashion Collective

ThisDay magazine not only formed a magnificent union with ARISE when they launched a fashion-forward informative publication that bears the same name but their collaboration on the catwalk is testimony to a thriving working relationship and was an inspiration to the fashion community. Attention was paid to easy flowy fabrics with strong accents on colors and patterns. Africa is a continent known for mouth-watering palettes and stunning drapery and prints and there was a lot of that showcased on the runway. There was also attention paid to intricate designs that featured ruffles, pleats and form fitting details. It was the perfect fusion of the ethnic and western mentality. And it was a thunderous success.

Trendy Fashion Week Spotlight - Lacoste

Sporty chic seemed to be the theme and what creative director Christophe Lemaire was aiming for. The collection as a whole featured the usual relaxed and comfortable basics that Lacoste is known for. The stripe motifs mixed with neutral crisp colors including the standard whites and navy. There were also some fun alternatives for those of you who live by the "simple but chic" rule. The offerings included poplin pleated skirts, poncho inspired blouses, and the mod-chic wide leg linen pants. The theme hindered on flowy and slouchy shapes paired with more streamlined pieces. The men also had a good display that was appropriately reminiscent of the U.S. open, with an homage being payed to striped polos, boatneck sweaters and cool breezy cotton pleated pants. There was definitely something for everybody. And even though it wasn't the most inspiring or edgy collection, it was definitely a very practical and simplistic attempt that will ultimately satisfy the palette of a lot of major retailers.

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