There’s a new ice princess in town, and for once she’s not restricted to the rink.  (Or in my case, restricted to the bleachers.) If you too are clumsy balancing on a single blade, fret not. You can still look like a pro with Dsquared2’s Ice Skate Boot. 
This design encompasses what I live and breathe for: a functional, high fashion, costume piece…that you can wear everyday! It is simple but genius to alter a common object… and still use it for a common purpose.  No, you don’t need to prance on a toe pick to get around in these (Below). These are well executed, and let’s face it, make you shiver.They also come in a variety of styles! Do I want the Chelsea boot (Below), the calf-high boot or the Oxford? The black or the white? Honestly, I want all of them.  Conveniently, ShoeRazzi has multiple styles in one place for you to purchase!
Considering the brilliance of these boots, they don’t need a title.  But alas, being this major of a fashion statement, they are naturally paired with one of the most famous fashion icons today: Welcome, Skate Moss.  An Olympian in her own field, Kate Moss has elegantly glided through the fashion world, same as an experienced skater would effortlessly glide over ice…in what looks more like this:
Next I will be looking for a Guinness inspired shoe, in honor of the fashion icon I deeply adore. A creation half Daphne, half intoxicating. Though, in that case it will be 100% intoxicating. Then I’ll be even less likely to stand in skates; blades or boots.  My goodness, my Guinness.  DSquared2, what will you do next???

I will say what so few others seem unwilling to: I’m sick of celebrity clothing collections. Utterly, utterly bored of them.

Why? Well, save for the notably successful Olsen sisters and Spice-Girl-cum-Fashion-Icon Victoria Beckham, most licensed ‘collections’ are down-market, lowest-common-denominator attempts to capitalize on the brand equity of a celebrity’s name. Not that I don’t understand the trend: whether we accept or buck the pervasive predilection, the truth is that we live in the golden age of the BRAND. Quality, construction, and even originality are peripheral considerations, when they are considered at all. Consumers want caché, and who better than a favorite celebrity obsession to give it to them?


Celebrity Designer Kelly Wearstler (Above) appears to be a notable new exception. Though she is perhaps best known for her interior design work (images Below)–she designed interiors for Bergdorf Goodman’s BG lounge, the Viceroy collection of boutique hotels, and more private residential projects than I care to list–she has managed to transition into a respectable apparel designer. Her clothes and accessories err on the quieter side of her Hollywood-Regency-meets-color-clashing-circus aesthetic, featuring silhouettes and finishes with a decidedly feminine perspective. Marbled prints, geode cuffs, structural stripes — these are the touchstones of her interior design work, yes, but few before her have managed to translate them so beautifully into clothing.


Though mass-produced and sold at a handful of luxury retailers–Bergdorf Goodman, Holt Renfrew, Nieman Marcus, Net-a-porter, among others–each piece appears handmade, idiosyncratic in its print and finishes. The work owes its arresting nuances to the materials Wearstler is attempting to recreate–marble, malachite, pyrite, jade, rosewood, mica, bleached driftwood–but the effect stands wholly on its own.

She may not yet be a household name, but the work Kelly Wearstler is creating proves she’s not going anywhere.

If we’re lucky, anyway.

Get more, HERE.

The S/S ’12 season was all about high waisted shorts, revealing miles of legs, which will no doubt be your best accessory come spring.

Nicolas Ghesquière showed a collection of shorts for Balenciaga that looked surprisingly dressed up and terribly chic. How’d he do it? He paired them with boxy, geometric tops in brilliant jewel tones that protruded from the body (Above). The key here is balance. Shorts can look a bit uncouth but the trick is to pair them with something unexpected, like couture cuts or bright colors.

Just because they are basically briefs (Nair sales: going up!) doesn’t mean that this itty-bitty apparel item is unwearable. Pair them with a jacket like the studded leather number at Versace [Ed: ZOMGZ WUT] (Below Left) or a longer tweed piece that hits mid-thigh, as shown at Chanel (Below Right).

With updated shapes and unexpected additions, these briefs are no laughing matter! We just recommend you start hitting the gym now…

Images: Style.com

As a guy, if you like fashion but aren’t very flamboyant and don’t LOVE to shop, it can be hard to find a one-stop shop for efficient basics with a twist. You don’t JUST want a plain, loosely cut white t-shirt, but you don’t want eagles and rhinestones either. You don’t JUST want a zip-front boxy jacket, but you don’t want 8 fake varsity teams plastered across the back either.

Enter the Superdry range at Bank, which encompasses your standard button-downs, pants, jackets and tees with unique but subtle details. See the cool double collar on this peacoat (Below Left) and this hooded flannel layering piece (Below Right).

We know it’s all about casual simplicity and not having to think too hard to look well put together, and we think you’ll get hooked on this site fast.

For those of us existing in four-season climates, winter is upon us- and it will only get worse! It’s just about time to start ruefully eyeing your collection of nineties neon outerwear (just kidding…you wish you were that cool) which will become essential in a matter of weeks, as glamorous as you may normally be.

Straight-up sports and outdoor styles with bright colors have been making a huge splash as of late, with pieces from Under Armor, Nike and Helly Hansen making their way into magazine editorials, and Jeremy Scott doing an Adidas collab, We really love these Henri Lloyd offshore sailing jackets for men (Below Left) and women (Below Right).

Not only are these jackets in keeping with the current trend cycle, but the Gore-Tex™ outer shell and specially designed hoods keep the elements at bay. We would wear it with some neon yellow neoprene leggings and bizarro Balenciaga heels from ’08 that were inspired by snowboard boots. Okay, those are open toe… but you can’t be JUST practical!

For years, I have wondered what all the incessant fuss was about with respect to Prabal Gurung. Yes, his streamlined silhouettes have appeared on many a red carpet. Yes, American fashion magazines had an obvious love for his handsome visage and, well, his somewhat obvious, lady-like clothes. Oh, and there was that rather famous lady champion of his: the first lady, Michelle Obama.

Arguably his most notable supporter, Michelle put Prabal Gurung on the mainstream map (via her now-defunct relationship with Chicago-based retailer Ikram Goldman). Like Proenza Schouler, Prabal Gurung is not an easy name to remember, much less pronounce correctly, but Michelle seemed to wear his wares quite a bit, and the designer naturally received a good amount of attention in return.

Mostly, though, I’ve found his work a bit too reliable. A bit predictable. A bit, to be honest, boring.

His S/S ’12 collection, however, was an all-out revelation: an exciting, ebullient evolution. Sheer panels, vivid prints that were at once neither too passive nor too aggressive, harnesses (courtesy of Zana Bayne), and a palette as arresting as it was perfectly wearable. These elements made for a collection that took Prabal far from his comfort zone of red-carpet-ready eveningwear: he made a statement, and he made it loud and clear. (more…)

Mark your calendars, Boston fashion enthusiasts! The inimitably chic Daniela Corte is having her annual Sample Sale, at her brand-new Newbury St. flagship store. Get your shopping gear on (read: easy-on-easy-off-clothes-and-shoes, and seamless underwear, as always): it’s game time!

The sample sale will consist of: feather-weight silk blouses in an array of prints and colors, Corte’s signature pieces, including the perfectly-cut pencil skirts à la Joan Holloway, shimmery brocade capes to sleek evening gowns with down-to-there plunging necklines, because who needs baubles when your daring fashion sensibility does all the attention-grabbing? And always, there will be plenty of Sports Illustrated-featured swimsuits for your upcoming wintertime exotic getaway vacation. All merchandise will be up to 80% off, with prices mostly ranging between $20 and $50.

Move aside, Forever 21 and H&M: snapping up investment-worthy finds at Daniela Corte Sample Sale is much smarter shopping.

The sale event begins 12/9 (Friday) through 12/11 (Sunday). Store hours are 11am-7pm (Fri-Sat), and 12p-5p (Sun), held at 211 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116.  For more information, call (617) 608-4778.  Happy hunting!

Reed Krakoff has been at the helm of Coach for ages, guiding its (very successful) rebranding from a once art-house luxury leather company to… well, the brand behemoth that it is today.
Hardly surprising that the Creative Director of one of the world’s largest leathergoods companies understands the importance of detail, but his eponymous collection is such a departure from the rampant logophilia of his other endeavor that I am forced to wonder: really, the same dude? Behind both? But I digress…

His collection is decidedly understated: rich in texture and strong silhouettes, sans superfluous flashiness. In short, it is precisely the kind of collection I prescribe for my private clients. Wearable, refined, and unique enough to stand out without… you know, standing out too much.

A few current favorites, culled from my favorite online shopping sites.

Python Print Chiffon Dress, $1,460, at Nordstrom (more…)