Sharon Haver - FocusOnStyle.com runway review posts

Isabel Toledo Spring 2012 Runway Collection In Miami

Besides having Michelle Obama as one of her most ardent celebrity clients, Cuban-born designer Isabel Toledo has been wowing critics and fashion fans including yours truly since she began her eponymous line in the mid-80's with her artisinal-minded, avant-garde confections and her deliberately off-the-radar cult of personality. MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS Leave it to Toledo to debut her Spring 2012 collection just weeks after the fashion-show season has ended and all the way down in Miami...Miami? Well, it makes sense after reading that the event was in conjunction with Vanidades' 6th annual 'Magia de la Moda' fashion event followed by the Fashion Group International honoring Toledo and her husband Ruben with a lifetime achievement award. Here's a breakdown of the show

After seasons of major statement making shoes with mind-boggling heel heights and preposterous ornamentation, we're really feeling the simplicity of the footwear options we saw on the runways for next spring. That's not to say that footwear has been reduced to the simplistic and merely functional, quite the contrary indeed. From YSL's shielded heeled loafers to Rochas' mirrored slides, there were plenty of options out there to lift your wardrobe's potential and your spirits too. Here's a look at the statement makers for next spring that caught our eye... >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS Yves Saint Laurent (and above) With heeled loafers making the top of our footwear lists this current season and for that matter, the past few season's as well, YSL's

Alexander McQueen Spring - Summer 2012 look 2 by Michalis Christodoulou

Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, offered a truly inspiring collection for Spring/Summer 2012 and in our books, one of the most exciting shows during Paris Fashion Week. MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS As Burton said, the collection was an exploration of ideas of beauty at their most extreme and women as objects of desire. Models had beautifully veiled eyes and expertly lace-bound heads, which immediately triggered my inspiration for illustrating some of the looks. Featuring skirt suits, dresses with translucent chiffon and embroidered lace beneath caged corsets and wide cummerbund belts, narrow skirts pulled in tight under shapely moulded jackets and dresses that encased the bodies in gold and silver ripples, most of the 34 piece strong collection was

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

Runway Review Excerpt: Jen Kao reminds us of the unique creativity that can be toyed with in ready to wear dressing, that light spirit inspires us all to dress well and want to stand out in the crowd. The Spring 2012 collection was my first Jen Kao show, and not to be the last, as I was in awe by the creative beauty she brings to fashion and I found myself wanting several items from line. This showcased fashion as a wearable art form with intricate cut-outs and seaming, checkerboard knits, printed chiffon ruffles and oragami headpieces complimenting the looks, although certainly not meant to be worn. >> MORE: FASHION SHOWS AND RUNWAY REVIEWS The highly feminine silhouettes and a soft color palette made

DKNY Fall 2011 Runway Review

New York Fashion Week Highlight: Nice mid-thigh length to elongate the figure and paired with the pop color wide stripes it adds femininity to a menswear feel The Fall 2011 DKNY collection is what all the cool kids on the street will be wearing and feeling comfortably confident in while keeping their edge. Nicely paired color combinations of navy and camel with pops of pumpkin orange, poppy red and bright pink with a rich butternut brown, and of course black and white. The line is very clean cut with lots of menswear details in the jackets, capes and hats worn by many of the models. Along with a touch of Brit thrown in via stripes, peter pan collars and the

Runway Review Excerpt: Bravo, with this Michael Kors collection, simplicity still exudes luxury, no matter how long you've been trapped in the Amazon! A luxury private jet filled with women crashes in the Amazon jungle and luckily everyone survives. When the survivors are found one week later, they are all wearing the Spring 2012 Michael Kors collection! Torn and loosely knit sweaters, oil stained anoraks, tie dye wrap skirts, nonchalantly draped dresses hanging from the body with snake skin, chunky tribal neckpieces and gnarled hair is what the collection consists of and is precisely what our lost yet tasteful Amazonian girl would look like. The overall palette is very warm and rich and doesn't really scream Spring, but it's appropriate for

Runway Review Except: The old world, highly feminine glamour is missing from current fashion trends and Anna Sui smoothly mixes retro + sexy, making you want to pucker up that red pout and blow a kiss to the waving men on the boat deck. The Anna Sui Spring 2012 collection channeled a glamorous 1940's girl all dolled up to impress the boys of Fleet Week! Fire engine red lipstick, cartoonish jewelry, bow belts and ankle socks worn with patent leather mary janes all fit the bill and made fun with the art deco style fashions. Sequin and fur bedroom jackets worn over frilly ruffle dresses or high waist short-shorts and a sailor cap gave us the glam of the era, and

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Isabel Toledo Spring 2012 Runway Collection In Miami

Leg Work- Spring 2012’s Best Footwear -Celine, Dries Van Noten, Rochas, Yves Saint Laurent

Alexander McQueen Off The Runway, an Illustrated Look for Spring 2012

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

Jen Kao Spring 2012 fashion show

DKNY Fall 2011 Runway Review

Michael Kors Spring 2012 Fashion Show, chic and simple animal print jungle

Anna Sui Spring 2012

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