Sharon Haver - FocusOnStyle.com New York posts

Chloe Pre-Fall 2012- The bar is set

Chloe Pre-Fall 2012 There's no secret that we are fans of Chloe at FoS. Under the new creative direction of Clare Waight Keller, the directional message from a go-to label continues to shine. The reason: Chloe continually delivers wearable, uber stylish clothes that are flattering on a modern woman, and this time around, more stream-lined. to smart wardrobe building. Take for instance, the red dress pictured left. It continues the figure-friendly long, lean pleated dresses from spring. The silhouette moves away from the body with a soft double weight for early fall in a very cheery, brilliant shade of tomato red; a perfect accomplice to the warm skin tone shades in the rest of the collection and a boost to your complexion! Paired with perfectly sculpted

For four years C.S Leigh followed America's closest designer to a true couturier, Ralph Rucci, for his upcoming documentary film A Quiet American: Ralph Rucci & Paris that's set to debut during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012. MORE: Ralph Rucci The film focuses on Rucci's employment and relationship with haute couture artisans and technicians and follows him through the laborious development of creating seven cycles of collections and allows viewers an expansive view of what goes into each season. It also boasts a fashion-star-studded roster of interviews from those closest to Rucci's work including Lee Radziwill, Cathy Horyn, Suzy Menkes, Didier Grumbach of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne, Francisco Costa, Hamish Bowles and Andre Leon Talley of Vogue, Francois Lesage, Yaffa Assouline, James Galanos, and many more. -Naveed Hussain

From an institution like Bergdorf Goodman you can always expect spectacular holiday windows season after season and 2011's series of intricate vignettes once again has as us in awe. David Hoey and his team dedicated the past two years to planning, building, perfecting, and collecting antiques for their latest artisanal masterpiece The Carnival of Animals. Each window features a specific material that depicts exotic animals and boasts custom pieces and creations from artists and designers from the likes of Sergio Bustamante, Naeem Khan, Brett Windham and more. Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2011 Windows- West 58th Street MORE: Holiday Windows Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2011 Windows- Fifth Avenue MORE: Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2011 Windows- West 57th Street Bergdorf Goodman Men's Store Holiday 2011 Windows The men's floor (above) is also represented in

Snowflakes and bubbles and gorgeous clothes with a giant Yeti whose footprints also appear inside the store. MORE: Holiday The theme for this year's whimsical yet elegant holiday windows at Sak's is Land of the Bubblemakers. Based on “Who Makes The Snow,” a children's tale by Naresh Ramchandani of the firm Pentagram who also conceived the window's concept. SHOP: Saks.com But the real star of the Christmas display is the 3-D holiday window projection that veils the storefront and captures the attention of almost every tourist from Rockefeller Center across the street! See Pentagram's site for behind the scenes. [nggallery id45] Photos: FocusOnStyle.com

"Happy Everything" Lord & Taylor Holiday Window Unveiling

Retail Remedy: There's nothing that says holiday shopping more than the launch of Christmas windows Of all the department holiday windows in New York, Lord & Taylor is a perennial favorite as one of the most classic and heartwarming. This year's theme being “What is Christmas Made Of?” The store asked children from Women In Need shelters and local schools to draw what they believe Christmas is made of. The mechanical holiday windows were inspired by their art and feature 125 of the original drawings. MORE: Holiday Windows One of my favorite snippets from the store's window, pictured right, is "Holiday is for Everyone, " featuring a rather chic woman in a red jacket trimming the tree with a Chanukah menorah

On a recent trawl through Chelsea, New York's art gallery packed westside neighborhood, came the discovery of Bruce Silverstein Gallery's “Reflections: The Expressionist Origins of Lisette Model,” an inspiring visual retrospective featuring an edited collection of the late artist's work. Model's use of reflective layers to combine cityscapes and civilians candidly shuffling about through New York City during the 40's offers a romantic, nostalgia inducing and even slightly haunting look at the city that also sheds light on the work of some of her most renowned students, Diane Arbus and Peter Hujar. Paired with works on paper by artists including Max Beckmann and Lyonel Feininger, and accompanied by a recording of Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire,” the gallery's back room is dedicated to postwar

The 21st Annual Tomkins Square Dog Parade

FocusOnStyle is going to the dogs today and we love it! >> Try some ready made Pet Costumes You all know that we're suckers for a pooch in a good costume around here, so without further adieu.... we bring you 500 dogs, 3,000 spectators, and a wild and wooly time for all, with some of our faves from the 21st Annual Tompkins Square Dog Parade this weekend. My Donald Trump Boys Two-headed poodle Princess Beatrice's fascinator More dogs in halloween costumes, 'cause we know you love it too! [nggallery id31]

Highlights from some of our favorite shows... MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS 3.1 Phillip Lim In a season where heavy handed prints have been the big story, 3.1 Phillip Lim's slouchy silks in sublime sorbet colors evoked a sporty ease and worked as a welcome urbane minded palette cleanser with a cool minimal, mellow edge. Taking a cue from sportif elements like track style vented pants made unexpected in languid silk, shorts layered over pants and slouchy full legged athletic shorts, the collection was a winner full of universal appeal and elegant pragmatism. His vivid pastels felt fresh and were a smart alternative to the hyper neons we've seen elsewhere and made a strong case for reserved elegance in a season where

Runway Review Snippet... New York's charming prince of color & prints, Chris Benz, showed off his brilliantly quirky ode to fantastical Upper East Side eccentricity on the much talked about male model Andrej Pejic for a dizzying riff on infamous 60's cult icon Candy Darling. >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS Benz's collection shone alongside many of his print heavy peers thanks to a relaxed, slouchy silhouette and intense color choices that were played down by the kind of classic shapes women have been drawn to since that era. -- Naveed Hussain SHOP: What's in store now for Chris Benz at Shopbop

Runway Review Snippet... Platform brogues punctuated a youthful, tomboyish and relaxed spirit from an otherwise characteristically utilitarian outing from Jil Sander's secondary line, Jil Sander Navy. >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS While knife-pleated skirts and prim blouses made for a bulk of the collection, the real draw to the range came via a subversive and vaguely military ode to Girl Scouts and to uniform dressing as a whole. And just like Jil Sander's main line, there were plenty of smart separates with universal appeal and a slight jolt of the unexpected that were anything but timely to get you retooling your wardrobe. --Naveed Hussain SHOP Jill Sander Navy in store now: More Jil Sander...

Consisting of mostly body-conscious mini dresses with graphic cut-outs in an array of electrifying neons, Yigal Azrouel's Cut 25 presentation was somehow able to reach a more relaxed momentum than the kind of party-girl sexy his chosen range of silhouettes might suggest. And that's a good thing as we at FocusOnStyle have seen enough skin-tight body-con dressed open-toe bootied girls than we can bear. And thankfully by the looks of it, Azrouel has had enough too. >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS He was able to achieve this thanks to a clever play on relaxed sportif notes, graphic contrasting lines, acid pastels and alluring cool neutrals combined with unexpected techno-washed fabrics and multi-dimensional layering. His wood soled platform brogues and boots in

Runway Review Quick Notes: slits, minimal, backless, 90's, clean, halter necks, maxi skirts, unexpected back slits, drawstring paper bag waists, Drawing on fashion's now long standing fascination with minimalism, for spring 2012 Yigal Azrouel added a subdued downtown elegance to the phenom and made the movement his own via unexpected sexy slits and a judicious use of forever glamorous lipstick red. >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS While minimal and monastic even, it was those graphic slits that added a flirtatious kick to the of-the-moment line-up and an airy voluminous grace. >> SHOP: What's in store now for Yigal Azrouel at Shopbop Here, clean, unadorned surfaces dominated save for an abstract yellow and black ink print while a major focus was placed

Runway Review: Timeless elegance for a woman of any age The master of elegance, Naeem Khan masters his Spring 2012 collection with grace. For absolute dress-up this line can suit a woman from 18-70, something wearable for all ages worn from cocktail parties to the red carpet. And we certainly can look forward to these gowns on the red carpet! Every piece is hand crafted exquisitely with beading, sequins, feathers and fringe. A signature detail being the back of each dress, a cut-out or drape to leave the on-looker with an afterthought and making this woman feel sexy while maintaining elegance. >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS The show opened with a dreamy print, something out of Alice in Wonderland, on a

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Chloe Pre-Fall 2012- The bar is set

“A Quiet American- Ralph Rucci and Paris” -The Movie

Christmas Windows- Bergdorf Goodman’s “Carnival of Animals” is high on dramatic elegance

NY Christmas Windows- Sak’s Fifth Avenue Frothy Fabulousness

Holiday In New York- Lord and Taylor Christmas Windows 2011

Lisette Model ‘Reflections’

HALLOWEEN DOG COSTUMES at The 21st Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Best of New York Fashion Week- 3.1 Phillip Lim, Theyskens’ Theory, The Row, Preen- Spring 2012

Chris Benz Spring 2012 Fashion Presentation

Jil Sander Navy Spring 2012 Fashion Presentation

Cut25 by Yigal Azrouel Spring 2012 Fashion Presentation

Yigal Azrouel Spring 2012 Fashion Show

Naeem Khan Spring 2012 Fashion Show

Female Entrepreneurs: Helping You & Your Business Get Out There!