source: stylebob.com

I had never heard of Iceberg until today. What fantastic designs! Alfred Hitchcock is the brilliant mind behind these designs. A mix of menswear and voluptuous furs allowed for a youthful, fun runway.  I did not see one ensemble that did not look ready-to-wear. At Iceberg it was all about the length. The checkered blouses were worn with calf-length pencil skirts, long ribbed cardigans were paired with ankle-cropped pants. Men’s shirts were worn suspended from the shoulders and a black ribbon which added such a feminine, beautiful touch. Absolutely fantastic.

There are so many brands included in this post that I have never heard of! Pollini is yet another powerhouse that I knew nothing of until today. Pollini was rugged, chic and simple. Jonathan Saunders created such a grunge vibe in his designs, yet everything felt feminine as well. A complete winner!

Emilio Pucci’s RTW collection is more of a dream than ready-to-wear. He stayed true to his exotic patterns and colors, sleek furs and a fantastic mix of colors. The collection was sexy, dark and a perfect fit for the red carpet.

Les Copains is one of my favorite collections of all times. The mix of colors, patterns and fabrics let me speechless. I absolutely loved everything from their knitwear to the model’s sleek, straight hair and dark make-up.

Gareth Pugh was my favorite surprise from the bunch! Pugh is usually completely extreme – almost to the extent that it looks like no real person could pull off his designs. However, this time around the collection was wearable and almost plain. Absolutely Ready-to-Wear.

Source: NYMag.com

There are certain types of media that can’t really be described. Media that makes you speechless, blush and quite frankly raise your heartbeat just a little bit. This type of media was found in my inbox, just a few days ago. Sent from designers Forrest & Bob, I got a sneak peak  at their new lingerie collection as well as their S/S 2010 collection. The campaign was shot in Los Angeles and features three models and Carlos Leon. For the first time, Forrest & Bob are creating menswear. The Danish designers are well known for their basic tank designs and after having posed the question, “what do I wear underneath these tank tops?” Forrest and Bob offered me the perfect answer. The lingerie featured in their new campaign is almost as basic as their tank tops; feminine, sexy and simple. You just can not go wrong with these designs! Take a look:

For more, click here.

Source: forrestandbob.com

I have lost track of how many times that I have expressed that I do not care for celebrity designers. However, Victoria Beckham is the only exception. I adore the businesswoman that is Mrs. Beckham. She is a brilliant mind, that is for sure. However, after taking a look at her A/W 2010 collection I have come to the conclusion that she is also a brilliant designer. The collection featured only dresses and style.com declared that “there wasn’t one bad dress in the bunch.” A well deserved compliment, if you ask me. I also really enjoyed Mrs. Beckham’s diverse runway. Asian models were featured along with Asian and Caucasian models. Now if she could just use models that weren’t rail thin! Curvy women, such as Jennifer Hudson, look divine in her dresses.

Betsey Johnson is one of my favorite designers. I was really pleased with her collection and the fact that it is indeed ready-to-wear. Her colors were fun, her fabrics were long and I could not write about this collection without mentioning that Kelly Osbourne was included on the runway. She look stunning! And more importantly, she looked incredibly happy. I am so glad that a curvy woman was featured on the runway.

Alexander Wang is back! Not that he ever went anywhere if you ask fashion experts. But to me, his last collection was awful and it just did not make all that much sense to me. However, this time around Mr. Wang featured real life clothing that many type of women could pull off. I enjoyed his dark colors and long, flowing skirts. His use of velvet (or is it velour? or neither?) fabric was great too.

Karen Walker is awesome. The look to the far left, reminds me of the seventies. The look on the far right is just so casual and simple that anyone could wear it! She called the Fall collection Salzburg, USA which is an imaginary place where an America with old-world European wardrobe traditions resides. I found her collection to be absolutely stunning.

“I always wanted to live a man’s life in a woman’s body.” that is the quote that appeared on top of Diane Von Furstenburg’s style notes. Ms. Furstenburg pleasantly surprised me. Mostly due to the fact that her runway was dark, fierce and edgy. Her signature flowy dresses were still present, however, along with plenty of frills and feminine features. Totally DVF true!

Jen Kao’s A/W 2010 collection reminded me of Alexander Wang’s Spring 2009 RTW Collection. The knits, the ankle boots, etc. However, this is not a bad thing. I loved the colors that she used and the fact that she used many different fabrics; sheers, leathers, knits. Ms. Kao mentioned that she found inspiration in Moby Dick and while I did not find this clearly evident I absolutely enjoyed every single piece that was featured on her runway.

Sources: style.com, nymag.com

sSources: google images, style.com, harpersbazaar.com, marieclaire.com

Erika is the writer behind the personal style and fashion blog known to readers around the world as Fashion Chalet. Having graduated with a Bachelor degree in multimedia journalism, it is no wonder that Fashion Chalet has been featured in ELLE (es), Nylon Magazine and many other respected fashion websites. I stumbled upon Erika’s blog and I immediately felt the urge to talk to her about her style, inspiration and life. Take a look: 

Your blog, Fashion Chalet, was created in 2008. What made you decide to create a blog?

I always had this urge to share images of what I was wearing or what inspired me at that particular moment. One day, after having tried all the other options: myspace, flickr, fashion forums- I came across bloggers who were doing exactly this and was inspired to break out on my own!

You recently moved from Miami to North Carolina. That must have been quite the culture shock. Has your style changed since your move? And what is the difference between fashion in Miami and fashion in North Carolina?

I notice a big change in the way I dress. The main one being that it takes me a lot longer when getting ready. Having moved here in the coldest part of the year has been a bit of a challenge, albeit a fun one. Miami fashion is about cotton, thin, breezy and brights. North Carolina fashion is all about the layers and darker colors. I like both, equally.

How would you describe your style? And how has it evolved since your blog started?

I can define it in 3 words. Bohemian pieces marrying classic staples with a tinge of grunge.

What other fashion blogs would you recommend? And why should people read your blog?

I am a huge fan of photo blogs. I like seeing what is inspiring others all over the world. My top favorites at the moment are: Studded Hearts, Fashion-Canvas, Stardust and Sequins, Little Plastic Horses and Nine Two One.

What fashion advice would you like to share?

Never buy anything because of the price-tag, or label, buy it for the fit.

Who or what has been your greatest influence for  your blog and in fashion?

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, both, respectively, inspire me heaps. Old Hollywood, music, nature, Life!

What type of music do you listen to?

My iTunes has so many different play lists: musicals, european pop, house, techno, indie rock, brasilian, jazz…. if I like it, I download it. ;)

What item of clothing/accessory/shoe can you not live without and why?

Definitely my newly acquired Balenciaga shoes and heirloom jewelry. Irreplaceable.

What is is your favorite quote and why?

Be your best self and treat everyone with kindness. – My Mom. It’s such a positive way to think.

You are a fashion blogger. But how would you describe yourself?

A girl with many stories to tell. I tell it through the canvas of clothing.

Source: fashionchalet.blogspot.com

I am traveling to Okemo Mountain (which is located in Ludlow, Vermont) for the week to snowboard. I will therefore not be blogging due to the fact that my home there does not have internet or cell phone service – welcome to Vermont! However, once I return I have exciting content. This is just a small preview:

Sources: fashionchalet.blogspot.com, audreycantwell,com, fashionising.com, google images.

Braids were prevalent on the Spring/Summer 2010 runways of Alexander Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Norma Kamali and at Missoni as well. I named this the top trend of the Spring/Summer season because it is a hairdo that any woman with a little bit of hair can create. It’s an ideal style for when you’re at the beach or when you are headed in to the classroom. It takes no time and as Alexander Wang’s runway illustrated, it is oh so chic when hair is braided a little bit messy!

Not only are wedges are going to be huge this Spring and summer but I also suspect that shoe designer Jeffrey Campbell will be as well (he designed  the wedges featured above). Wedges are much more comfortable than a say a stiletto or anything with a thin heel and they allow for much more drama as illustrated on the runways of Rick Owen, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy too.

Lady Gaga was the biggest star of 2009. Everything she touches turns to gold and she is just so flamboyant that I absolutely refuse to believe that she will not be a huge star in 2010 also.

Jersey basics are always key during the spring and summer months. It’s lightweight, snugs at all the right spots (hips, legs and chest areas) but also somehow manages not to fit too snug. RVCA x Erin Wasson featured a lot of jersey fabrics on their S/S 2010 runway.

Denim never goes anywhere. It’s probaly the only consistent fabric in all of fashion! This was clearly illustrated at Ralph Lauren as well as Dolce and Gabbana. I think the boyfriend jean is here to stay as well.

Sources: style.com, google images, ladygaga.com, oaknyc.com