Boots or sparkles? Slouchy or straight? ..Too many choices!!

What if you could buy one pair of basic pumps and turn them into ten different styles of sophisticated, high fashion heels?  Better yet, what if you didn’t have to provide excuses for your designer heels and torture your feet with expensive fancy footwear?  How many times have we all said “Oh its just the price we pay too look good (ouch ouch ouch!)”

With Dekkori, we no longer have to trade those beautifully chic shoes for a miserable night of painful blistered agony.. and we no longer have to break the bank for that high-end designer pump.  Dekkori shoe accessories allow you to keep that favorite comfortable pair of pumps by giving you the ability to transform them into show stopping, head-turning heels.

Simply slip the accessory over and around your ankle & securely snap it around the sole of your foot.  In seconds you can effortlessly turn that old pair of sandals or pumps into an amazing pair of slouchy leather boots or stylish and funky heels embellished in bows and crystals.

Some of my favorites are the “Charisma Pull On Boot” in Metallic Copper Leather and the “Innocence Bow” in Black Satin.

How about these for the perfect holiday stocking stuffers?!

Dekkori lets your shoes make the statement… everyday brings a different fashion!  Check them out at http://www.dekkori.com for the entire line of accessories.

Earlier this week Gemma Ward revealed that she will be retiring her career as an internationally recognized model. Gemma disappeared from the fashion industry after the sudden death of Heath Ledger in 2008.  At the time, Gemma was romantically linked to the actor.

Last week, Gemma was photographed on her 22nd birthday wearing tight black shorts and a leopard jacket.  The photos unveiled a clear weight gain during her absence from the modeling world.  Yet she still remains a healthy weight for someone of her height.  Either way, the modeling industry is a ruthless one and with the recent photos having been slapped across the internet, the former waiflike model has been relentlessly criticized by fans.    

Taking a stand against the criticism, Gemma bravely decided to leave her career as a model.  The fashion world will certainly feel the loss of her departure from the modeling industry

Heres the deal…  we all have crummy tshirts and tank tops lying around our closet. Pushed behind the hoards of colorful, frilly blouses I’m sure you have hiding a few basic black and white tees.  Instead of continuing to ignore their presence, how about pulling them out and trying a makeover?  With extra scraps of fabric, a few beads and a needle and thread, you can turn your old American Apparel shirts or scruffy college tee’s into something new and trendy.  There are hundreds of ways to recreate a tshirt: add ruffles, pleats, flowers, or flounces.  Anything creative around the neckline, shoulder or hemline will bring your shirt back to life and give it another standing chance against those expensive garments hanging in your closet.

And for those of you who have maintained the selections within your wardrobe by weeding out all the junk… you can always make a quick stop at the mall and find insanely cheap shirts in pretty much any style.  I found this black button down tank at Old Navy for $1.99 on the clearance rack.  Are you kidding me?  Thats pennies in my pocket and essentially free.  With some scrap leopard chiffon and some old funky beads I had from a previous jewelry project, I was able to style the center front of this top with a few embellished ruffles… super simple and really easy to create!

Looks good, right?!

Tattoos have been around forever serving as a permanent form of self expression for people of all ages.  Once considered a form of rebellion, tattoos are now increasingly more common in today’s society, causing people to barely turn a head when spotting someone covered head to toe in body art.  Girls are sprinkling themselves in permanent stars and tatt-ing themselves in drawings of marilyn monroe figures while men are seen donning personally meaningful symbols and messages on their biceps and backs.  

But a new trend is the Tongue Tattoo, a unique and daring new form of body art.  Because today’s society is never content with staying within the norm, we find people pushing the limits to find new and innovative forms of self expression.  

A person can tattoo their tongue a uniform color or simply inscribe the lower tip with a  small image or icon.  For the more adventurous, one can have their entire tongue covered in an intricate design or even a scenic landscape!  Dare to be bold! 

I’ve always been an advocate of body art and tattoos.. though I can safely say I am way too afraid to commit to a single design for the rest of my life.  Truthfully, I have enough trouble committing to what I ordered off the dinner menu.. let alone a permanent tattoo!  

Zzzzzip!

Ever wonder what it would look like to dress Edward Scissorhands in a pair of black boots with high heels? I can perfectly see the scissor-man strutting his dangerous stuff in these leather banded booties covered top to bottom in frivolous zippers!

Okay.. okay.. I doubt Edward would opt for sky high 4 inch heels, but they certainly do take a page from his book of style, right? Either way, these boots are every bit insane. Zippers going every which way carry absolutely zero function but offer a playground for the fidgety. Personally, I think these boots are amazing. They are unsympathetic in their overdose of zips and they scream command. Just what I like.

Here’s the fun part: can you guess which of the boots pictured above are near $2000 and which are just under $70?

Answers
A) N.Y.L.A Zipit Ankle Boot in Black Suede $174
B) Giuseppe Zanotti Zipper Ankle Boots, $975
C) Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain Zipper Boots, $1,975
D) Pour La Victoire “Adriane” Booties with zipper detail, $319

Spotted: Khloe Kardashian wearing the Balmain boots!

Some of the many amazing details at the Alexander McQueen show!

Alexander McQueen’s recent Paris Spring 2010 collection was the third in a series observing the relationship between humankind and earth.  In the latest installment of his fashion exploration, McQueen reduces humans to creatures of the sea.  He suggests that as the world continues in its downward spiral of global warming, pollution and human waste, the ice caps will eventually melt and humankind will be forced to adapt into underwater beings.

As always, McQueen’s collections represent fashion at its finest, balancing artifact with imagination.  And above all else, he gives unparalleled attention to detail.  From head to toe, the models are transformed into walking reptilian goddesses: hair braided into the shape of horns, faces polished in a silvery frost, and the garments covered in an elaborate construction of jeweled scales.  Even more, McQueen’s use of computer generated art in his garments gives fine credit to the pioneering advancements in fabric printing technologies.

Overall, I must admit the garments are a bit much in terms of wearability.. but it is Paris fashion week and designers are almost required to go to a certain level of extreme. With that being said, McQueen’s work still remains nothing short of amazing in pure craftsmanship.  I appreciate the cohesiveness of the collection and the incredible detail given to each ensemble.  I could only dream of what it would be like to experience such a show in person.  Ah-mazing.

As a last note, I cannot review McQueen’s Paris collection without giving credit to the models for their ability to walk the runway in these hoof-like shoes! ..Insane!

I don't know if my foot actually bends that way...

A Master at Theatrics

He embraces every aspect of show business with dramatic runways, stagy lighting, and over the top makeup, and for that John Galliano is a master at theatrics.  Galliano is the example of the principle, ‘every little detail counts.’ 

Yesterday, Galliano topped it all with his Paris Fashion Week show as he presented his collection on a runway surrounded by levitating laser lit bubbles floating around the models.  The runway was a vision of burning red streaming light.  And the fashions were once again nothing less than incredible.  Layers of delicate lace and chiffon, dresses and lingerie-like camisoles, the collection reflected back to old Hollywood.

What I most adore about a John Galliano show is the way in which he combines individual standout garments into a collection of dramatic fashion.  He crosses into new territories through his styling, accessorizing, and expressive runway visions.  In truth, each separate Galliano garment deserves its own spotlight, but this designer knows that a real show succeeds when you can transport your audience into an entirely new world and environment simply through an imaginative runway and exquisite collection.  

this designer clearly understands the key to a dramatic runway

Blair, Serena, Vanessa, and Little Jenny Humphrey

Creating fashion buzz first with Alexander Mcqueen, Target succeeded once again by releasing Anna Sui’s new line of Gossip Girl inspired woman’s wear clothing 

Representing each of the four main Gossip Girls, this line has something for every personality.  Blair’s Upper East side persona is captured through a more fine-tuned, prim and proper style; high neck lines, in your face bows, and full flavored fabrics.  Serena’s collection is a cool mix of polished and hip; mixing jean with velvet trim and sexifying a conventional party dress with a plunging neckline of metallic silver teeth.  The garments inspired by Vanessa blend mismatching prints with clashing colors to represent the boho chic style commonly associated with java drinking, poetry reading Brooklyn.  Finally, Jenny’s character is personified in rock and roll fashion, shameless and unabashed.  

Anna Sui’s collection of 19 outfits compete with all of the stylish looks seen in the high fashion designer boutiques yet these garments don’t break the bank! Dream come true?  You better believe it!  These dresses are irresistibly adorable and will add fun and flirty additions to anyone’s closet.  Keep in mind, the collection is only around up until October 17 so hurry up and get to your nearest Target before this amazing collection is gone for good! 

Whether the dress was short or long, the one shouldered party dress was all over the runway this season.  The asymmetry of these garments added an extra element of drama and bared a little more skin making them an ultra sexy and super chic must-have for every woman’s closet.

The LYD

We all know and love our most beloved friend the LBD.  But designers have recreated, redesigned and renewed the look so many times that at some point we have to say its okay to move on.  This season, designers realized that we are in desperate need of a change and so they gave us the updated version of the LBD with the Little Yellow Dress.  Short, sweet, and sassy, this dress gives us everything we had before with the simple addition of a hot new color.. and that’s really all we needed! 

This season, designers are saying Yellow is the new Black! 

A Flock of Feathers

What says high fashion more than a dress made entirely of feathers?  Feathers ruled the runway this season with feathered skirts, coats, and cocktail dresses.  Just considering the sheer volume of these garments, these quirky garments brought us over-the-top theatrics.  To pull off a look like this, all you need is simple accessories, a great pair of heels, and a lot of confidence!  And from there, you’re good to GO!   

Ms. Fancy Pants!

For years we’ve been spicing up our tops with bright colors, crazy prints, and all kinds of fabulous flair.  But why let our tank tops, t-shirts, and blouses get all the fun!?  This season, designers are toning down the tops and dedicating all the pizzazz to the glamour of the pant!  Whether its polka dots, paisley, tribal, or random patterns, let your pants make the grand entrance this time around!  

Cut it Out!

One way to add a little edge to your wardrobe is by stepping into one of these avant garde looks.  Designers were pushing the boundaries by adding texture to their garments through an intricate cut-out effect.  Whether the cut outs were randomly placed or provided a beautiful pattern of florals, this look was nothing short of fearless and bold.