Lace Embrace

My Personal Photos

Necklace: Tiffany & Co, Shirt: Banana Republic, Skirt: Proenza Schouler, Shoes: Kate Spade

If there is one trend from the Spring/Summer 2011 collections that I can't get enough of it's lace. Lace is one of my all time favorite looks for warmer weather. The inherent femininity gets me every time. What impressed me most about the use of lace in the Spring/Summer 2011 collections is the multitude of ways in which designers worked with it. 

At Dolce and Gabbana the inspiration was a bride's trousseau. Whereas Balenciaga combined a multitude of materials with plasticized lace. Lace is one of those fabrics that truly shows off a designer's craftsmanship and precision. It requires restraint on the part of the wearer. Too much lace can easily become overkill. It's about finding the perfect balance. 

For the past few years, I have acquired at least one lace item before summer's end. I generally gravitate toward a neutral color palate, but when I saw this skirt I couldn't resist. In typical Proenza Schouler style, this skirt combines a beautiful silhouette with a strong and unexpected color pattern. The word powerful comes to mind. The color combination prevents the skirt from appearing too precious. 

As soon as I saw this skirt I instantly gravitated to it. To put it simply- I was charmed. While this skirt is inexplicably different from the items in my closet, I firmly believe that every well-edited closet needs a few special pieces.

PS 2

Courtesy of Vogue (Photographer: Norman Jean Roy)

I received numerous emails regarding the little Proenza Schouler skirt I wore here. I enjoy wearing pieces that have a story. It makes a great piece all the more special. The other day I was flipping through an old issue of Vogue when I came across the editorial version of the skirt on Maria Sharapova. All the more funny since, I happened to be wearing my skirt that day. It's always nice to find yourself reacquainted with a familiar photograph.

It's not the red and navy version from the runway that went into production, but it gives you a sense of how many iterations of a piece there are. This version has the little square embellishments sewn all around the skirt and contrasting vertical ribbons running down the front. I never tire of looking at a piece that I own with fresh eyes. Most interesting are the changes that are made to pieces and items that never make it into production. It's infallible that each season I fall in love with an item that is never produced even though it appears in fashion magazines. Such is life, but it certainly makes the one of a kind pieces something to treasure.

What are your sartorial treasures?

The Boys Have Grown Up

Via Jak and Jill

"Personal Style is innovative yet intimate. It's a reflection of your aesthetic, beliefs, who you stand for and the relationship you have with the world. It has the power to speak volumes about you without having to vocalize a thing " Prabal Guring 

In honor of tonight's CFDA Fashion Awards I have been wearing my favorite items from the nominees all weekend. There's something about an entire industry coming together and supporting one another that I find touching. The CFDA provides much needed funding and mentoring to young designers. As a result of the CFDA's enormous success similar funds have been established in Paris and Milan, where young design talent typically is not nurtured. It is only fitting that I saved my beloved  Proenza Schouler skirt for last. 

Photographed by Karl-Edwin Guerre

Every time I unearth this skirt from my closet I get excited to wear it. I firmly believe that we should only buy items that we love to wear. This skirt is one of those pieces that signifies the start of summer and longer days ahead. When my friend asked to shoot me for a street style piece last summer he was a bit surprised when I came dressed in difficult to shoot white. My response was "but I always wear pieces that I love with a story."

This skirt was shown on the runway in a different color combination and with a few subtle variations. Months later at Proenza Schouler's  design studio this version was waiting to make its way into my closet. It had been overlooked because it wasn't the version that went into production. It's always fun to watch fashion people look at the skirt, identify its provenance and then debate whether to ask why they didn't see it on the runway or in stores. I love a unique piece. 

Via Jak and Jill

What I love most about Proenza Schouler is that I  understand the girl who they are designing for. She's a delicate balance of uptown refinement and downtown art world cool. The Proenza Schouler girl is effortless. The tailoring and construction is impeccable. Each season the designs are more refined, ladylike and grown up, which is logical because the designers are growing up. Yet they have managed to stay true to their aesthetic. I couldn't be happier to see Proenza Schouler take home the evening's top prize- Womenswear Designer of the Year.