Inspiration: holographic & iridescent

holographic clutch via sabrina b @pinterest

holographic nails via theusualvisuals @Tumblr

Dior Haute Couture S/S 13 & Holly Russell Collection

Jonathan Saunders S/S 13, ASOS shoes (photo via styloretic)

The Blonds S/S 12 NY, Hugo by Hugo Boss S/S 2013, background images nicolelyth @Tumblr

holographic leggings (octobermoon on pinterest), holographic shadow (prettyfacekristen @tumblr), backgrounds via nicolelyth @tumblr

Currently being inspired by all things holographic & iridescent. 

Men's London Fashion Week

Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane's collection for menswear F/W 2013 takes its inspiration from the horror genre and legendary punk band the Cramps. Kane shows off graphic t-shirts with Dracula and the monster from the Black Lagoon. He pairs all this with dark velvets seen in the trousers and shoes, fitting for a goth prince.

  

Jonathan Saunders

Jonathan Saunders' menswear collections for Fall/Winter 2013 combines to opposing elements. Mixing natural colors and materials with slick plastic panels on coats as well as on the shoes. Saunders' uses dark greens and blues for a natural vibe combining those cool colors with a warm red and orange. Saunders' further continues the natural theme by using fabrics such as wool, mohair, felts, flannel and cotton.  

Topman Design

Topman Design's collection for the Fall/Winter 2013 mens fashion week explores the modern traveling man's wardrobe. Topman Design heavily features the parka and other heavy outerwear in neutral tones and bright colors such as red and orange. Pea coats and vivid knits with exotic prints round out the adventurer's wardrobe.

all images credit: style.com

Paris Menswear F/W 13.14

Dior Homme

Kris Van Assche's collection for Dior Homme's AW 13.14 shows off his finely tailored and beautifully detailed designs. The collection continues to show off his love for military inspired pieces. Kris Van Assche included buckled coats and outerwear as well as tailored suits in navy, black and a snowy white to add some contrast to the darkness. Kris Van Assche also included a futuristic and mysterious symbol, that I'm sure is not the last we will see of it!

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten's AW 13.14 collection speaks to the lazy, pajama lover in all of us. Van Noten's collection showed off structured trousers and jackets paired with slouchy sweaters and silky pajamas giving the illusion of  a quick trip out on a cozy day. The disheveled look is completed with paisley and other floral prints. Towards the end, Van Noten introduces a men's dressing robe that adds an understated sexiness to the collection.  

Louis Vuitton

Kim Jones continues the traveling man trend with his use of exotic animal prints and sporty outerwear. Jones hiker touches include the carabiner belt buckle and hiking boots. The accessories add a hint of luxury and the  cute, warm toboggans contribute to the winter outerwear. Jones' standout pieces are later introduced in the floral prints on blazers and  dressing gowns. 

Valentino 

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's collection for Valentino presents a man whose style is influence by London and Italy. The clothes have a certain depth created by the stitching, color palette and the duo's use of leather. Chiuri and Piccioli use navys, greens and neutral colors to achieve their purpose. Standout pieces include the cape and leather pieces.

 Balmain
After a glimpse at the Balmain women' s pre-fall collection, I was a bit hesitant to view the men's FW 13.14 presentation. I was pleasantly surprised because while the men's collection continued the Eastern Asia theme, Olivier Rousteing seamlessly pulled off his influence with the addition of judo belts and waist cinching obis. Rousteing also included drop crotch pants and kimono style tops. His Asian inspiration can also be seen in the bead work and prints. Balmain's signature leather jacket can still be seen throughout the collection. 

Notable mentions: Viktor & Rolf, Raf Simons, Hermes, Ann Demeulemeester, and Miharayasuhiro. 

image credit: style.com

Fresh Faces of F/W 13.14

Samuel Roberts

Samuel started this season off in Milan booking Jil Sander, Missoni, Les Hommes, Z Zenga, Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo and in Paris appeating on the runways of Raf Simons, Louis Vuitton, Viktor & Rolf,Boris Bidjan, Berluti, Hermes, Wooyoungmi, and Paul Smith. With his classically good looks and a solid show lineup, I'm sure we will see more of Samuel. Samuel is with Fusion in NY, I Love Models Management in Milan and Natalie Models in Paris. 

Matt Ardell 

Matt made his debut on the catwalk of Hedi Slimane's first menswear show for Saint Laurent Paris. Matt's no stranger to the fashion world having already graced the covers of Hero, i-D and Vogue Hommes International. Matt is with DNA in NY. 

Michael Lange

Michael is not necessarily a newcomer since this is his second season however he continues to solidify his presence on the runways of Bottega Veneta, Valentino, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Cerruti, and Wooyoungmi among others. Michael also generated more interest  with his appearance in Lanvin's S/S 2013 campaign shot by Steven Meisel! Michael is with Wilhelmina in NY and Success models in Paris. 

Men's Milan F/W 13.14

This year's Milan Menswear shows were extremely difficult to narrow down to a top 5. After looking through all the collections I settled on a top 6 and had to add my other forerunners as honorable mentions.

Fendi

Silvia Venturini Fendi's Collection for AW 2013-2014 featured heavy outerwear through the use of furs, knits, felts and leather evoking a frigid, cold environment. The looks were contrasted with weathered suits and topcoats. This year Fendi stuck to a darker, outdoor color scheme mixed with yellows and neutral lighter colors.

Belstaff

Always a delight and quickly becoming a favorite designer of mine. Martin Cooper's collections for Belstaff continues to redefine their motorcycle heritage. This AW 13-14 collection featured leather trousers with ridged detailing and classic motorcycle boots. Belstaff also has updated their traditional jackets in a variety in lengths in colors.

Canali

Canali's influence for the AW 13-14 collection is quickly obvious as the models parade down the runway. With the specific tailoring and jewel tones one can see Russia is the main inspiration for Elisabetta Canali. The models are wearing furs, velvet and wool in brick, purple and deep blues. Canali also incorporates some military inspired coats reminiscent of a czar's attire. 

Neil Barrett

My favorite element of Neil Barrett's collection is his use of leather. Barrett adds the leather to sweatshirts in a blocking patter and under coats to resemble armour or a breastplate. Neil Barrett's color palette is neutral with his use of camel, white, black and navy. Barrett's signature trousers and shoes can also be seen. 

Kenzo 

Opening ceremony's Humberto Leon and Carol Lim first collection for Kenzo use their travel's and fantastical elements as their inspiration. Leon and Lim use the Kenzo theme of the jungle and incorporate it with the sky as can be seen in the cloud print. The pair also add romantic mythical elements mixed with street wear to create a powerful image.  

Les Hommes

Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch's collection for Les Hommes look to Belin in the 30s for inspiration. The duo use dark velvets to provide a dark, elegance and combine it with military sensibilities as seen in the boots and double breasted waistcoats. Notte and Vanderbosch play with proportions in the widened trousers and the tailored coats. One of the standouts of their collection is their capes and geometric graphics.  

Notable mentions: Dirk Bikkebergs Sport, Prada, Jil Sander, Burberry Prorsum, Z Zenga, & Gucci.  

Focus On: Katie Eary Fall 2013 Menswear

Fashion for night walkers. That was the theme of Katie Eary's Fall 2013 menswear collection, where models wearing vampire fangs paraded down the runway in boldly printed street wear. Much inspiration can be taken from Katie Eary's youthful designs. Items that we are especially coveting/will definitely be tempted to recreate from this collection: glittery sunglasses and golden neckwear. What do you think of Katie Eary's take on vampire fashion?

photo sources: gq-magazine.co.uk, fuckingyoung.es, dazeddigital, selectism

Pre-Fall 2013 Highlights

3.1 Phillip Lim

         For his pre-fall collection Phillip Lim drew inspiration from bikers, and biker girls. The inspiration comes through subtle though, through his use of leathers, phoenix embellished sweaters, and the boxy, more androgynous silhouettes that inject an overall 'tough girl' vibe into his looks. One thing that Lim stressed is that even if the Phillip Lim girl has a thing for the biker life, she never forgets her jewels. Jeweled necklines are seen throughout the collection, and the element I found most exciting and must recreate a.s.a.p.: jeweled turtlenecks.

Erdem

       For me, I don't think there will ever be a time that I tire of the Erdem floral print. Erdem Moralioglu is clearly the master of floral prints in fashion. While his collections do keep similar key notes season after season, this collection is not without experimentation. For this collection Erdem made use of some unexpected fabrics such as sheer organza, pvc, leather, and mesh. His lady-like prints in conjunction with these new materials keeps his collection looking fresh and modern.

  

Belstaff 

       Belstaff's Martin Cooper revived the brand in 2011, since then he has redefined British heritage with his well constructed collections. This collection stands out because of the distinct feminine and masculine touches as seen in the leather jackets, skirts and boots combined with the furs, silks and quilted coats. The theme can also be seen in the color palette of black, navy, and brown mixed with red and beige.

Proenza Schouler

      Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez create a fantastic and truly beautiful Pre- Fall collection. The duo begin the show with a graphic print that is seen throughout the collection and continue to evolve the collection with checked patterns to the final looks done with a distinct metallic color and pattern. Proenza Schouler's collection is at its best because it offers essential wardrobe staples.