Fashion Reads- Diane: A Signature Life

If you know me at all then you know that i have a deep love for Diane von Furstenberg. Her memoir, Diane: A Signature Life, is in my list of top ten favorite books. Whether you like fashion or not ( if not then I don't know what you're doing here) this is a great read. She married a prince, ruled a fashion empire and started a family all before the age of thirty. This book tells the story of a fashion star in the making, a downfall and a sudden comeback.  This book holds good advice for any young designer looking to make their way in the fashion industry. Von Furstenberg honestly shares her mistakes and successes and off course talks  in great detail of "the wrap", the famous style of dress that catapulted her into fashion fame.

 And while we are the D.V.F. train here are some of the current covetables from her fall collection, you know the stuff I'll be looking for on the Saks Black Friday sale's rack!

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Perfection!

70's geometric, enough said. 

Where would I wear this? To the disco of course!

Are these not Mary Tyler Moore shoes!

Buy it for me and I swear I'll wear it!

You got that where?

Tomorrow starts one of my most hectic weeks yet. Must get so much done before Thanksgiving break!  I spent my day in the windows of Presence creating a display for our 42nd Anniversary. I got so into this project I'm pretty much spent as far as productive energy goes, so tonight a cup of coffee is in order to get all of my other projects and school work done.

 Here are my finds from my mini shopping extravaganza over the weekend. I must say that I got most of these items from, wait for it... Old Navy! What? That place? Yeah, that place. I was heading in to pick up some basic tees and tanks and this coat literally screamed at me from across the store, "Hey! Hey you! You're looking for me over here!". Okay not really, but it certainly seemed that way! This coat was priced at $100 but was 50% off...oh yea, right up my street. I was heading out the door when I heard more crazed screams from the clearance rack, "Hey, cigarette pants over here for ten bucks!". Ten you say? I'm in. No, I didn't pick up sensible khaki, black or green, I needed fuchsia of course. These look eerily similar to the J. Crew ones I have been eyeing but at 1/8 of the price, so until those go on sale these puppies are pretty great. The flats I picked up years ago, but I didn't realize till I got to work that they too were Old Navy. So, call me a "modelquin" or whatever those obnoxious things are called, but somebody there is doing something right.

News!

Something quite lovely happened this week. I found out that I am going to appear on WCIU's morning show You, Me and the Morning on Thursday Nov. 3rd! I will be on to talk about my recent win at the Star Fruit Fall Fashion competition and discussing fall fashion trends with the lovely ladies of Cheeky Chicago! Let's skip talking about my ensuing nausea concerning live TV, me, and a very early call time, let's talk about fashion instead shall we? What's a girl to wear?! I hit up my favorite of favorites today, Vogue fabrics to get some fabric for a hopefully successful outfit, and I succeeded! I found a gorgeous crinkle silk chiffon in a deep shade of pumpkin with violet watercolor spots, a silk satin rather DVF-ish geometric print and a great nubby wool in the remnants section! What a score! Now only to find the time to construct this little get up! But really, I couldn't be more grateful for all of the opportunities that have come my way in this past year. As anybody in a creative field knows, it can be a very steep hill to climb to find recognition in all of our hard work so having even just one person like our work means everything.
Now enough jibber jabber, here's an outfit of the day:

the loot

blouse: Presence, jeans: Forever 21, boots: Target, hat: vintage, bag/scarf: Presence

now that's a bishop sleeve!

watch: Michael Kors, bracelets: Presence and Forever 21

photos: Jamison Spencer

the fine print

Just when I was finally coming to terms with impending winter doom and the endless months of black and grey wooly staples, here come the s/s 2012 collections to draw me right back into warm weather fashion. The most exciting part of the new collections has got to be the prints. Designers showed large scale prints in acidic colors, soft Liberty of London-esque florals and Van Gogh reminiscent fabrics.
Here are just a few of the standouts:

3.1 Phillip Lim

Jonathan Saunders

Band of Outsiders

Derek Lam

Jonathan Saunders

Paul Smith

Diane von Furstenburg

Diane von Furstenburg

Jill Stuart

Marc Jacobs

Matthew Williamson

Matthew Williamson

Rodarte