Day Four Recap (Sept. 12): Derek Lam

Derek Lam's Spring/Summer 2011 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week consisted of mini-dresses, gowns, denim outfits, jackets, coats, and blazers. Taking denim to another level, showcasing denim mini-dresses, blazers, skirts, and pants - Derek Lam makes it clear that Spring/Summer is not all just about metallics and shinny glitz pieces. One of the trends Derek Lam incorporated into this collection however, are translucent pieces - as we can see in his colorful sequenced patterned gowns, as well as in some of the skirts. The mini-dresses were rather interesting though, I really enjoyed the natural colored mini-dress which seemed to look like it had a jacket over it, but was actually part of the dress's design. There were some split mini-dresses, coat mini-dresses, and low V-cut mini-dresses - some which had colorful patterns, and others which were draped. I did see silk and linen tops, some were collared and some were low V-cut.  The overall look for this collection is so sophisticated and fashion forward, here are four of my favorite pieces from Derek Lam's Spring/Summer 2011 collection, above and below.

Day Three Recap (Sept. 11): Jill Stuart

There are fashion shows that will showcase beautiful pieces, there are also fashion shows that will entertain many people - and then there is Jill Stuart. This Spring/Summer 2011 collection seemed to capture the essence of time at the Lincoln Center, during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York. I don't think I saw one piece from Jill Stuart's collection that I did not like, making it very difficult to pick my four favorite pieces from this line. There are so many precious cocktail dresses in this collection, many with detailed patterns, ruffles, and we got to see many translucent pieces as well. I really enjoyed the translucent dress that looked like it was made out of wire, this is very fashion forward and different. Many of these pieces are made of silk, giving this collection a very elegant appeal - especially with metallic pieces, it compliments the piece by providing that extra shine we all love to see during Spring and Summer. Jill Stuart gave us many pencil skirts and shorts as well, fine tops (some which were also translucent) and pants - we did get a lot of layering here as well with jackets and blazers (just to mention, there was a very chic military inspired jacket). The execution of this collection is flawless, definitely one of my favorite shows - take a look above and below at my four favorite pieces from Jill Stuart's Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

Day Three Recap: (Sept. 11): Lacoste

The new Lacoste Spring/Summer 2011 Collection of high-end apparel walked the runway during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, showcasing some of the best styles I've seen during the entire day three of the event. For the men, Lacoste's preppy wardrobe collection consisted of fine polo and collared shirts, sweatshirts, and creased pants. I didn't really see any shorts for men, which kind of took me by surprise (in a good way) - I was expecting to see several. It's always good to see layering in these collections, there were many blazers and jackets that I really enjoyed in this show. There were many interesting pieces for women as well, such as the translucent pieces accessorized with the roped belts - it's also great seeing Lacoste bring back one of their women's favorites again, the polo-dress. This line comes with a great selection of skirts, accessories, handbags, and shoes as well. This collection is clean, chic and very much wearable - here are my four favorite looks from the new Lacoste Spring/Summer 2011 collection, above and below.

Day Three Recap (Sept. 11): Z Spoke By: Zac Posen

Zac Posen's  new Z Spoke Spring/Summer 2011 collection walked the runway at the Lincoln Center this past weekend during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, showcasing an exciting line of creative and colorful retro-styled pieces. The models wore captivating mini-dresses and gowns designed with beautiful patterns that resembled colorful fruits and flowers, such as the watermelon, lemon, apple and even the sunflower - some of the fruit were incorporated directly within the designs, stitched in or graphically printed. This approach of artistic appeal sets a fun tone for the coming Spring/Summer season, definitely making the collection stand out with pieces like the yellow plaid mini-dress, and the turquoise capri-pants, which matched the turquoise blazer, detailed with watermelon patterns and a watermelon graphic T-shirt. There was plenty of layering going on in this collection with pieces like the ruffle shirts paired with jackets and the bright collared shirts paired with coats. The models wore wedged platform shoes while many of the pieces were also accessorized with sunglasses, handbags, and belts. Take a look above and below, at four of my favorite looks from Z Spoke, by Zac Posen.

Day Two Recap (Sept. 10): Buckler

Ten years ago, Buckler was only a denim brand, now it's an entire men's wardrobe collection - and we got to see Andrew Buckler's Spring/Summer 2011 collection on stage during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Staying true to their traditional urban-chic look, Buckler presented us with a divers variety of edgy jackets, blazers, and cardigans - some which were layered with T-shirts and collared shirts and paired with capri-pants or shorts. The capri-pants and shorts are the signature look for this collection in the next Spring season and will most likely trend well - we saw them in leather, denim, and cotton fabric.  We also got to see many sweat shirts, some had detailed stitching and buttons, some were hooded, and some had both. Buckler's polo's and T-shirts are critical to it's collection - the stitching on the polo's and the patterns on the T-shirts is what gives this collection that edge and "rock star" appeal. Buckler is now making accessories, shoes, and handbags for men too - we got to see a couple of the tailored handbags on runway. This is a great men's collection, I really enjoyed the leather jackets, plaid blazer and capris-pants - every guy must own a jacket from this collection. I've compiled four of my favorite looks from this collection, which can be seen here, above and below.

Day Two Recap (Sept. 10): BCBGMAXAZRIA

BCBGMAXAZRIA always delivers when it comes to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and this year was no exception. Showcasing a wide variety of different cocktail dresses and evening gowns, their Spring/Summer 2011 collection is one that will definitely impact major trend this upcoming season. BCBGMAXAZRIA's cocktail dresses were amazing, they gave us many colorful pieces that draped on stage, along with metallic pieces that were very chic-elegant. What I found very interesting was the detailing at the bottom of the translucent-revealing pieces, it's very complimentary towards the overall look, making it just a bit more sophisticated. The gowns just as lovely, which also incorporated the same aesthetic as the cocktail dresses - such as the translucent appeal, the detailed patterns, and some of the metallic gowns also draped as well. If you're looking for that specific cocktail dress or evening gown, this BCBGMAXZRIA collection should definitely be one of the first taken into consideration, just being that there is so much variety of different fun and elegant styles. Above and below, are my four favorite looks from the entire spring/summer collection.

Day Two Recap (Sept. 10): Alexander Berardi

Alexander Berardi's Spring 2011 collection revealed some of the more simpler, unique and elegant styles during fashion week - rather than flashy and glitz, Berardi gave us an American-casual appeal with edge. This collection is sophisticated in a way where I see consistency appealing to the same client within the many different looks that were presented. The cocktail dresses were sensational, I loved the patterns I saw, the striped black and white cocktail dress, along with the translucent one, those really caught my eye. I was pleased to see metallics (one of my favorites of trends for this upcoming Spring) incorporated within the designs of the collection as well, I really enjoyed the long split golden skirt with the metallic detailed tank top. The pencil skirts paired with the blazer and coat are a great American-casual appeal, I can definitely see this look trending amongst many retailers. Alexander Berardi was one of my favorite designers that showcased on Friday during fashion week, above and below, are my four favorite looks - which I believe will trend this coming Spring/Summer 2011 seasons.