Feb 18, 2010

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week-Jill Stuart






If drama and atmosphere is what you’re looking for in a show, than look no further than celebrity favorite (and one of my fav) designers, Jill Stuart. The location alone (The New York Public Library) provided buzz-worthy anticipation, but witnessing the grandeur of the Astor Hall space proved to be mouth gaping reality. The gorgeous wall to ceiling marbling, ornate light fixtures and grand staircases was one of the most beautiful locations to hold so many equally stunning clothes and people. I only half expected, Carrie Bradshaw, clad in her Vivienne Westwood bridal couture, to come racing down the stairs dripping in heartbroken tears after being jilted by Mr. Big.
The real blockbuster event came from the impossibly chic ladies strutting down the runway (in this case a walkway that ran almost the entire length of the hall).
Stuart’s Fall 2010 Line was inspired by super chic, super model, Kate Moss. Stuart wanted to create a rock and roll, edgy party girl who has a confident sense of style. Stuart told Style.com she also thought of women like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Marianne Faithfull. "Women who aren't afraid of mixing prints and silhouettes and textures". Hair stylist, Bob Recine, says this look truly speaks to the kind of style Stuart is all about.
The clothes were in dark shades and rich jewel-toned hues, mixed in with the occasional velvet top hat. Chunky knits were seen throughout the show in heavy scarves, hats and sweaters. I loved the textured (shiny, feathery, chiffon) pants and tops that mixed the right amount of femininity and bad-ass toughness. I also loved the plaid dresses and jackets. Another huge highlight were the thigh high boots. The boots were worn in casual, feminine, and super glamorous ways. The gorgeous military-London punk tie-ups looked extremely wearable, with just the right amount of sexy thrown in with biker-chic toughness to sometimes contrast, sometimes compliment each outfit.

Hair: Recine used TIGI's Catwalk line to create a voluminous, messy "danced-out" look. A girl who's "75 percent done with her entire night, leaving a club at 4 am" and purposefully not looking perfect or too kempt. Recine went on to say, how the look fits in line perfectly with his beauty philosophy: "there's nothing perfect about beauty and when you try and perfect beauty, you sacrifice charm". Umm...wow! Mr. Recine proves to be immensely talented and incredibly enlightened and insightful. Heidi Montag: I think he's talking about you. Recine's team used TIGI's brand new Catwalk Root Boost (a spray mousse) for texture and chunkiness. They then set and scrunched the hair with a blow dryer, curling some pieces with a wide barrel curling iron haphazardly. The stylists then brushed out some individual sections with a brush and with fingers (for the messy feel) and then finished it with Firm Hold Hairspray. If you're loving the rocker hair, Recine recommends Root Boost because of its versatility (you can achieve straight, curly, strong or chunky locks with it).
Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury created the "Brigitte Bardot" feline smoky eye look using Jill Stuart makeup, available only in Japan. First, Tilbury's team dusted brown eye shadow over the lids and then lined the rims and outer corner with black gel eyeliner. The gel eyeliner was then drawn out at the corner for the sultry cat eye. Finally, lashes were coated with heavy black mascara.
Celebrities flocked backstage before and after the show to mingle. Gossip Girl's Michelle Trachtenberg, Jessica Szohr, 90210's Annalynne McCord, actress Mena Suvari and reality star, Kelly Bensimmon all caught the show and hung out backstage. Michelle Trachtenberg told me she loved "the cat eyes, teased out hair and all the knits".
Overall, it was a wonderful show and I now can't wait for the Fall to roll around!

Check out some professional pictures above and personal pictures below:






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