Hasta La Ideas

The Tadashi Shoji Fall 2009 collection brought an array of beyond stunning cocktail frocks from the sleek and subdued to the jaw-dropping and impossible to ignore. For those who wanna go bold, there were styles that were beautifully cut and shaped in eye-catching shades- organza styles with sculpted sleeves, cascade-front dresses in floral prints, satin frocks that gently draped around the neckline, mini dresses that were precisely folded and tiered, halter styles, tulip dresses, and so much more. For the party girl who likes to keep it classic, there were plenty of gorgeous LBD’s to choose from- silk taffeta with a cascading front, a cascading ribbon dress, a striking beaded style, a strapless sculpted number and more. For a more formal occasion, there were several gorgeous gowns to chose from including a printed silk georgette pleated halter, a black draped gown, and silk organza strapless gown. This collection was pretty much all about the dresses, but several separates were also thrown into the mix- a black tulip skirt, a plated brocade style, skinny pants, some ruffled blouses, and a gorgeous black brocade jacket. Overall, this collection definitely brought a modern, romantic twist to classic cocktail attire with gorgeous pieces that will never be outdated.

Colors: Black, Purple, Pink, Green, Yellow, Ivory
Trends: voluminous shoulders, cinched waists, bold colors
Check out the slideshow for more of Tadashi Shoji’s posh runway pieces!
Photo Credit: Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

In his first official post-Project Runway show within the Bryant Park tents, 4th season winner Christian Siriano proved that his design talent is even bigger than his personality. With an array of pieces inspired by the pyramid shapes and desert colors of Egypt and North Africa, his Fall 2009 Collection wowed the fully-packed audience, including a selection of head industry executives from Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Saks who all drooled at the possibility of carrying the fabulous fashioneer on their racks. The runway opened with several characteristically-Christian ensembles, featuring long cape-like jackets, puffed sleeves, and lots of signature ruffles that we have come to associate with the designer since his show-stopping Bravo TV finale, but this time around his distinctive touches appeared much more refined and carefully constructed. What really had crowd members clapping, however, was his parade of beautifully-flowing dresses of satin and organza, draped in glossy colors that mimicked the desert sand and the Nile water, along with his closing Pharaoh-inspired body-clinging gold gown, complete with a headpiece that only model Sessilee Lopez and maybe Cleopatra herself could pull off. Overall his collection was both inventively creative and wearably chic (no “hot messes” in sight!), and convinced most runway attendees that Christian may just be the Project Runway protege to make it big-time… and the fiercest, of course.

Colors:sand, tan, mocha, turquoise
Silhouettes: cape-like coats, snug-fitting pants, curve-hugging dresses, flowing ruffles
Celeb Sightings: Tori Spelling, Aubrey O’Day, Nina Garcia
View the slideshow to see more of his Egyptian-inspired pieces for Fall 2009!
Photo Credit: Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Project Runway’s traditional Bryant Park finale — the chance of a lifetime for its contestants — has always been an event full of nail-biting excitement and audience chit-chat over their favorites among the top 3 and who they predict will take the season’s title. For the show’s 6th season, however, things had to be done a little differently. While legal battles over the rights to the show, which raked in about 4 million viewers each episode last year, rage on and remain undecided, production for the 6th season was forced to move on with the traditional Fashion Week finale even though its preliminary episodes may not air for several more months, if the disputes are ever finally settled. As a result, in order to prevent spoiling the season due to leaks, the final 3 contestants were not allowed to introduce their designs this time around and instead were forced to remain hidden and anonymous for the runway show finale — the occasion that is normally supposed to be their proudest moment to date. While this undoubtedly put a damper on the usually high-profile and openly celebratory event, the good news is that the clothes truly did get all the glory (that is, when people weren’t too busy buzzing over the whole legal issue) — and isn’t that what Fashion Week should be about, anyway? While I thought the show seemed to lack its usual brightness (though it’s hard to top Season 3’s Uli Herzner when it comes to color variety) and black leather certainly seemed to be in surplus, collectively I found the three collections to be greatly impressive — both in their elaborate construction and chic wearability (save for a couple extreme biker-esque numbers, I would gladly have taken down any one of the models and walked off wearing any of the ensembles shown)! Despite common fabrics, each designer seemed to hold their own and show off distinct visions, even in their anonymity. While I was blown away by the 2nd designer’s array of flirty dresses (I can’t even imagine how much work he/she must have put in to pull off all the ruffled and paneled detailing!), I must say that I think I’m already pulling for the 3rd designer’s “futuristic-equestrian” line because of its cohesive completion — almost every ensemble contained 3 or 4 pieces, some even including a handmade bag! Plus, that closing black ballgown with sequin detailing may just be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen float down the finale runway!

Colors: tons of black, silvery blue, tan, satiny cream
Silhouettes: layered ruffles, chunky sweaters, cropped coats, snug pants, short dresses
Celeb Sightings: Akon, past winners Christian Siriano and Jay McCarroll

Check out the slideshow for a sneak peek at the upcoming season’s finale looks (semi-spoiler alert)!
Photo Credit: Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

For her Fall 2009 collection, Rebecca Taylor found inspiration in the imagery from Northern European fairy tales and used this as a backdrop for a collection that blended uptown-femme with a downtown edge. This collection included loads of Rebecca Taylor signatures like playful floral frocks, soft languid tops, ruffled pieces, and ethereal layers of luminescent chiffon all of which were styled to convey a sort of rebellious carelessness. Leopard prints dominated and were used on everything from skinny pants, to cropped blazers, to belted trenches, and even the shoes, upping the sex-appeal significantly. Each piece of this collection was highly versatile, as evidenced by the endless options for mixing-and-matching– a fur vest paired with a playful printed skirt, chunky knits layered over embroidered silk tops and dresses, cropped fur jackets over ethereal frocks and playful blouse-and-trouser combinations. Overall, this collection was jam-packed with tons of must-haves come Fall 2009.

Colors: Charcoal, Purple, Magenta, Black, Champagne
Trends: leopard prints, colorful tights, fur vests and jackets
Celebss: Mena Suvari, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tori Spelling, Khloe Kardashian, Erin Lucas
Photo credit: Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

For the Max Azria Fall 2009 collection, designing duo Max and Lubov Azria went futuristic, goth, and seriously sexy. The mostly-black collection struck a balance between the rough and refined with looks ranging from transparent and revealing to those with decadent layers of lace, silk chiffon, crepe, and velvet. Black bodysuits, see-through lace, leather pants, and velvet jackets were all key players in creating the overriding vampy feel while softer styles like draped dresses and embroidered gowns conveyed the sort if modern romance the brand is known for. The accessories also worked to keep the rock-n-roll sensibility alive and even the more romantic styles were toughed up with edgy add-ons such as extra long leather gloves, turn-lock belts, zippered leggings and platform boots rounding out every look. The program noted that this collection was about exploring the ethereal seduction of the dark side and we loved every minute of it. Click the slideshow to see more.

Color Palette: Black, White, Plum
Trends: Velvet, Lace, Sheer Fabrics, Leather
Celebs: Rachel Bilson, Alicia Keys, Aisha Tyler, Joy Bryant, Alison Brie
Photo credit: Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week