The Fall 2013 Designer Collaborations Worth Knowing

This fall, designer collaborations with mega retailers are going to be bigger than ever. Mega retailers like Target, H&M, Banana Republic, Kmart, and others have joined forces with other luxury brands, models, and celebrity artists to give you something unique to choose from this upcoming season. Take a look below at some of the collaborations everyone is talking about, ready to buy, and must have in your fall calendar. 

Designer Collaboration: 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target

What's Included: The collection will include both men's and women's pieces - accessories and clothing. Considering Phillip Lim's love for the streets, it is obvious this will be one of Target's best designer collaboration of the year. Mr. Lim found ways to stay true to his luxury brand and perfectly blend in techniques to mix his luxury taste for more accessible pieces that look refined and cool. Details are worth the try here, such as one men's navy/camo print shirt or a women's floral print blouse. Stay on the look for some "BOOM" sweaters as well.

Price: Collection will run from $19.99 - $299.99

Date Available: The collection is set to be available online and at most Target retail stores beginning September 15. The full collection will be available online though.

Designer Collaboration: Isabel Marant x H&M

What's Included: The collection will include a line of women's accessories and clothes, and it will also mark Isabel Marant's first collection for menswear. We know Isabel Marant could best be described as a French semi-country style à la luxury. One picture recently released by H&M shows the designer trying on a dress herself; it is Isabel Marant's DNA's gone affordable. What was more surprising was to see at last one shot of her menswear debut that shows a model wearing a dyed long sleeve shirt. We have a feeling girls and guys will go crazy for this retro looks very soon. 

Price: Prices have not been specified, but it will most likely be similar to most of H&M's designer collaborations - $50+

Date Available: The collection hits stores and online beginning November 15. Thank god for the new U.S. H&M online shopping experience!

Designer Collaboration: L'Wren Scott x Banana Republic

What's Included: The collection will include accessories and various amount of precious L'Wren Scott signature dresses at half the designer's luxury price (or more). There are only two sketches that were released earlier this month. Just from these sketches we can already tell you should expect to see some body-hugging dresses, slim-tailored suits, skinny pants, and very colorful prints and fabrics. The holiday season just got better with this upcoming collaboration.

Price: Collection will retail from $40 - $200. Not bad for a budget.

Date Available: The collection will be available just in time for the holiday celebrations exclusively at Banana Republic beginning December 5. We assure you their will be women ready to dazzle their purchase for Christmas or better yet, New Years Eve.

Model Collaboration: Freja Beha Erichsen x Mother

What's Included: Supermodel, Freja Beha Erichsen, is turning professional denim designer for her new collaboration with the eponymous denim label, Mother. The collection will include good fitted skinny jeans - leather included, chambray shirts, and more. Also, for every pair purchased 10% will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian organization the model has worked and dedicated to over the past few years; consider it a nice aid for a great pair of jeans. And as for advertisement is concerned, she'll model them for you.

Price: Denims start from $145 - $300. Chic prices for cool model jeans and shorts.

Date Available: The capsule collection is set to hit Nordstrom this fall. Look for them very soon.

Artist Collaboration: Nicki Minaj x Kmart

What's Included: The rap artist has teamed up with Kmart to include a series of very affordable sexy dresses and others the artist is fond of. The artist decided to share and model her designs herself on her Instagram account. We have to say one particular dress the artist modeled - a blue printed one pictured on the left - seems she put dedication to make curvier women like her look good in them. Urban, sexy, and affordable over all.

Price: Prices have not been announced, but it may be similar to other past celebrity collaborations - $28+

Date Available: The collection will be available at Kmart sometime this fall.

Artist Collaboration: 222 by Adam Levine x Kmart

What's Included: We know Mr. Levine can have a unique sense of style. It will be Kmart's first attempt to include a specific menswear collection coming from an artist. The collection surely seems to include mostly casual and cool, edgy outerwear pieces for fall. There will be raw looking denim, military-style jackets, plaid shirts, and more, which will surely have a connection to Mr. Levine's cool rock style at very affordable prices.

Price: $14.99 - $69.99

Date Available: Collection is set to be available at Kmart this fall (September).

Paris Fashion Week 2014: Louis Vuitton, Balmain, and More

Day 2 of 5 Paris Men's Fashion Week

Vibe: The European Traveling Around America.

The Louis Vuitton man is an explorer who loves to travel around the world. Creative director, Kim Jones also has a devotion for traveling. It is all a perfect match to deliver an exciting and compelling collection that leaves the Vuitton man with the right clothes to travel the world with style. This season Jones' models were given the pleasure to experience the different styles of American culture that were translated to Vuitton's exquisite DNA.

He opened the show with a checked-windowpane suit that imbued a formal-preppy style with sleeves rolled up, colorful bandanas, and remarkable pins that said Vuitton. He only added two labeled varsity jackets - in caramel and red - that were a frat guy's version of luxury. Outerwear appeared quite competitive to other high-end brands. A series of inspirational scout boy outfits heightened the looks with parkas sewn with badges and elbows stitched with crocodile skin. This was not your average scout boy look. Blousons - printed in faded LV symbols - were interesting to watch, whilst his tie-dye numbers had a surpassingly expensive, tough street boy appeal that could be sure to be a great hit in menswear.

Suits were kept intact to the way a Vuitton man would like them to be; somewhat slim and fitted all together. They only thing that modified were his introduction of silver dress shoes young man are sure to emulate now. A final silk (the most expensive silk) LV jacquard suit sent a strong message across: Vuitton has become such a powerful international company in the luxury market, using its logo has an excuse to anything. 

Vibe: Mystical Floral Prints.

Dries Van Noten has become quite comfortable with his mien insets of color, texture, pattern, and signature tailoring. His spring 2014 men's wear collection felt much more stronger for the Van Noten man specifically in patterns. While most designers are going for more vibrant palettes of floral prints, he being the sort of rebel he infuses in his patterns, began with darker shades of metallic flowers that later turned into intense prints.

 The first model came out in a sheer floral print tank top etched with a visual number "9," vintage floral track shorts, and an usual silky overcoat - printed in ghostly faded flowers - that were present in several other looks. His new printed shirts looked confident enough to wear in the fashion world, but maybe not so much in reality. Trousers had that relaxed-fitted silhouette typical in Van Noten's design. While most of his blazers may have been somewhat tasteless, one silk jacquard floral blazer (shown above) was noteworthy. 

Van Noten's floral theme was his idea of giving it a unique tough and athletic look that has been so common in men's collection this season. Another mixture of inspirations common in Van Noten. He wanted to make his prints ones that said masculinity (perhaps that explains most of its color choice), but what may be agreeable to the Dries Van Noten man, may still be slowly digesting to the average man who may be fearing for the F word next season......Fashion.

Vibe: The Ideal "Men's" Closet.

Considering Oliver Rousteing's young age for a designer (27), his work at Balmain can be said with the most absolute affirmation, is the brand Real Man dress in. And it is also the brand with the highest price tag (one button-down shirt will retail around $700), but it so convincing you'd see it as an investment. It speaks a great amount of this designer to convince a man to pay such a price on other pieces of clothes that could simply turn into a DIY. He only designs what he'd wish were available in his wardrobe, which we'd wish we had a best friend like him.

For spring 2014, Mr. Rousteing was feeling a marine lifestyle the way Balmain would do it; much more edgier. There were still Balmain's classic signature Oliver has made presence of in newer versions: quilted leather jackets, pants, and boots (impressive); angular boxy jackets and suits in white and navy; and rich hand-painted denim numbers. He offered some fresh knits in marine stripes (white and navy), which were very gratifying. A newly marine suit resembled an original one, but in a much detailed and youthful version. He included some denim overalls that made you want to rescue yours from your basement to be on trend like the Balmain man. And if you didn't find it, Rousteing could easily convince you to get yours done by Balmain; expect a higher percentage. One final look - a lustrous blue leather suit with epaulets, and an intricate skinny-fitted denim/leather patchwork pants with a marine logo and zipper hems - were an executable record to the Balmain man. Sounds too perfect to be true, but it is.

The 2013 CFDA Awards Winners Revealed

Even though only one brand could be chosen as the winner, all the other nominees deserved a great applause as well. I found this year's nominees to be quite a tough decision, as for well, all of them have become a favorite of mine together with others. Again, congratulations to all the CFDA winners! Well deserved. 

If you have not yet watched the broadcast of the CFDA Awards Ceremony on Style.com, then you should take some time to watch every episode of it. The ceremony - joyful, spirited, and humble - was made for everyone to enjoy. It was nice to sit down and watch as how the nominees were being honored at such a special night. I found Ralph Lauren's speech towards Vera Wang's Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement such a beautiful and compelling one. I wish I could have heard more of Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, but we got to see another side of him here. Behind the dark themes of his designs, there seems to be a shy designer with a great heart. He really did deserve the CFDA International Awards. Overall, the ceremony is a must see.

Below are the winners of the CFDA Awards:

Womenswear Designer of the Year - Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernanadez, Proenza Schouler

Accessories Designer of the Year - Phillip Lim, 3.1 Phillip Lim

Menswear Designer of the Year - Thom Browne

Swarovski Award for Accessories - Pamela Love

Swarovski Award for Menswear - Dao-Yi & Maxwell Osborne, Public School

Swarovski Award for Womenswear - Max Osterweis & Erin Beatty, Suno

The 2013 CFDA Nominations - Honoring Our American Designers

Left to Right: Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCoullough of Proenza Schouler // Marc Jacobs // Alexander Wang

Being nominated for any CFDA awards is already a very important recognition for any fashion designer. There are many great designers out there, but these three designers above have proven to be changing the way women dress in today's era. To shorten things up, these three (4) designers above have won an award more than once. When it comes to choosing a winner for this specific nomination, I have to say things look quite tense in selection one. I feel a buzz going in between Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler. Who will win? We'll have to wait and find out on Tuesday.

Left to Right: Steven Cox & Daniel Silver of Duckie Brown // Michael Bastian // Thom Browne

Menswear designers must feel quite honored to be nominated in this type of field. It has been no secret as the years pass by, more men seem to be appreciating designer items to include in their wardrobe. All of these three designers above have also made some great changes in men's fashion in their own perspective. Thom Browne can be pleasing for his avant-garde work of arts, whilst Michael Bastian always finds some ways to make the modern man feel confident in what he wears. Duckie Brown has also been a brand that has done quite well over the past few seasons. For this particular nomination, I would give it to Michael Bastian.

Left to Right: Alexander Wang heels // Phillip Lim salmon bag // Proenza Schouler PS1 bag

Accessories are a quite a prestigious award to be nominated for. You know that without accessories, clothes just wouldn't have a story to be told or a touch of personality to your looks. Just as the womenswear nominations, this may be a tough decision to choose from. Phillip Lim has proven to be quite a tough candidate. Proenza Schouler has had a huge success with their PS1 handbags, while Alexander Wang has also had quite a success in the accessories market. In general, all have proven to be a favorite of many streetstyle fans.

Left to Right: Oscar de la Renta // Riccardo Tisci // Vera Wang

While these three designers may not have been nominated for any of the above nominations, they have gained respect in any of the above fields. Oscar de la Renta, nominated (winner) for The CFDA Founder's Award, is a very special recognition for any designer. But one of the most prestigious awards for any designer in my opinion is the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes a designer for all their hard work and dedication over the past years. Vera Wang will be this year's designer to receive the recognition. And if you didn't quite grasp what the CFDA awards are, they are mostly to recognize our outstanding American designers who all deserve an applause. That being said, any other designer being nominated for an International Award must be an honor for any designer, who this year's award goes to Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy. The CFDA couldn't have chosen any one better this year. 

Other Important Nominees

Swarovski Award for Womenswear:

Max Osterweis & Erin Beatty, Suno

Shane Gabier & Christopher Peters, Creatures of the Wind

Carly Cushnie & Michelle Ochs, Cushnie et Ochs

Swarovski Award for Menswear:

Tim Coppens

Todd Snyder

Dao-Yi & Maxwell Osborne, Public School

Swarovski Award for Accessories:

Pamela Love

Irene Neuwirth

Jennifer Meyer

Board of Directors' Tribute:

Colleen Atwood, American Costume Designer

AND A VERY SPECIAL AWARD

See who won here.