Harlequin Romance

I just love the mix of bold graphic prints at Kelly Wearstler, for Spring 2012. Ms. Wearstler's fashion designs tend to serve a dual purpose in my book. Each set of looks here doubles nicely as a mod-glam inspiration board for your latest interior decorating scheme.

Pictures courtesy of style.com.

New Dimensions

Pallas ~ The Greek Titan God of Warcraft. Envisioned + styled by Asanti Austin, and featuring Cynthia Rybakoff jewelry.

Images courtesy of Dimensionmagazine.

Faded Glory

Once upon a time, in the mid-1970's, there was the original pre-faded jean, Faded Glory. The "it" brand of it's day, one rocked those jeans with a pair of Frye Stitching Horse boots, and a foxy Huck-A-Poo shirt.

I was stoked when I saw the Stella McCartney spring collection, because her easy peasy modernist take on denim seemed so eerily familiar. Those loose, boxy silhouettes worn with sensible sandals may be nothing like their 70's disco ready predecessors, yet they resonate the same pre-washed coolness responsible for teenage popularity way back when.

Images courtesy of style.com.

A Love Story

With Valentine's Day around the corner, and New York Fall Fashion Week in full swing, love is in the air on and off the runway. While perusing the Steven Alan fall collection, I was immediately struck by it's retro classic nature, and pictured the looks on a modern day version of Ryan O'Neil and Ali McGraw in Love Story. Released in 1970, Love Story was as notable for it's doomed love affair between Ivy leaguers Oliver Barrett IV, and blue collar Jennifer Cavilleri, as it was for their preppy bohemian style. For fall, Steven Alan captures the essence of the young collegiate intellectual perfectly, in his oh so wearable collection for men and women. I've picked out my fave looks, paired as couples, for some Valentine's fun!

Images courtesy of Marie Claire, and Style.com.

Take A Chance On Me

Once and a while you fall quite madly in love. With a new fashion and design collection you've stumbled upon. It happened so suddenly, I was simply smitten by Chance. What could be better than entire women's collection dedicated to the pattern I love most in life, stripes?

And the Chance Essentials. Don't get me started on this curated collection of year round nautical and beachy items. My picks are the 2-Stripe Stocking Cap for right now, Vintage Vera Scarves (so necessary for boating), The denim Skipper Sun Hat, a Cotton Knot Necklace, and can't live without sweet Turtle Necklace!

Don't miss the cool extras, like a clever illustrated time line of French sailor stripes and the célébrités who wore them (so very well).

Images courtesy of Chance.

Cavalry Couture

Ralph Lauren called out the cavalry for Spring 2011. Was someone watching old re-runs of F Troop? Of course, Ralph is in his comfort zone when channeling the Wild West, but nobody does it better.

This season's menswear heavy theme had a distinct military flair, with great accessories like shoulder slung carpet bags, over sized longhorn belt buckles, feminine beaded earrings, and two-tone metallic silver motorcycle boots. Also notable were the luxurious details like crafty lace, and plenty of fringe.

My fave look could be a modern day Annie Hall, in sharp white trousers with suspenders, a bowler hat and owl rim glasses. La-di-da. La-dee-da.

Images courtesy of The Spirit of the Old West, Style.com.

Delicate Flowers

One of the inspirations at Carolina Herrera's Spring 2011 show was botanical plates collected in the eighteenth century. Dried botanical specimens were carefully affixed to the page with the scientific name and origin of the plant neatly written by hand, and then framed.

For the collection, this was interpreted as scaled up floral prints climbing up the models' stem-like figures, complete with faux tape and calligraphic labels detailing the plant's name and origin. I find this bit of quirky fashion surrealism to be just the thing for adding a dash of elegant wit to a spring charity event or gala.

Kudos Ms. Herrera, for referencing both botany and beauty, and would you please do this line for Target.

Thanks,
Cynthia

Images courtesy of Jezebel.

Eat, Dress, Love

The one in which a group of models search for food across an unknown English location shoot, and what they discover in their travels. Earthy and feminine fall fashion!

Images courtesy of Anthropologie.

Splashion Soiree

Join us tomorrow evening when we officially kick off summer at the Hamptons Splashion Soiree, hosted by APART showroom with editor and stylist Kimmie Smith of Kitten Lounge. Join us for cocktails and nibbles while browsing the APART summer collection and a fabulous selection of Cynthia Rybakoff jewels, including new items created exclusively for this event! Get ready for summer now, with this very cool APART Modern Mexican Dress, and accessorize it with a Rock Candy Ribbon Necklace. I'll also be introducing my new Route 27 Collection in sterling silver with Japanese salmon coral and smoky quartz!

Splashion Soiree
Thursday May 13 6-9pm
APART Showroom
253 West 28th
Map it!

APART Modern Mexican Dress, $125 at apartstyle.com, Cynthia Rybakoff Amagansett Hoops from the Route 27 Collection, $128 at cynthiarybakoff.com and Rock Candy Ribbon Necklace, $78 at Supermarket.

Preppy Italian Style

Perfectly worn denim jeans with white flip-flops and tanned toes for a mid-morning visit to the rocky Amalfi coastline. Hey, these cabanas match my top! Check the time, we need to start thinking about where to have lunch... the traffic will be horribile.

The sexy side of preppy Italian style... I think we'd better take that swim now. It's getting kind of caldo around here!

Renting these motorini was the best idea. Ever. There's a really great bar about half a kilometer from here, andiamo!

Such a long hot day of sightseeing and posing for the Leica has made me thirsty. How about a sparkling Sorrento lemonade? Thank god we got a room with a breezy patio... sigh.

Images via Gant Magazine Spring/Summer 2010.

Women's Things

I was perusing the J. Peterman Owner's Manual 76, when I became inspired to create some stylishly entertaining anecdotes of my own, pairing iconic fashion looks with coordinating vintage tabletop pieces and cookware! These dotted Silk Palazzo Pants are fab with a fisherman stripe Vallauris Shirt and this copper fish poacher for a family seaside dinner alfresco...

Now I'm channeling my mother, who might have thrown a dinner party in the late 60's wearing this Jaisalmer Dress, while whipping up some chicken tandoori in this flame colored tagine. These rustic antique ceramic refractory pans would make the perfect serving pieces!

I watch Antiques Roadshow, and tend to get very excited by anything with the words English, silver, Sheffield or flatware. I love this one of a kind English Canteen Set of Sheffield silver plated flatware with faux bone handles. It will go perfectly with this grassy green Art Nouveau Floral Skirt and Swan Blouse for a Spring buffet.

I think I'll completely spoil dinner by indulging in a late afternoon cream tea. Care to join? I'll serve cocktails as well, just so I can show off this charming antique bistro wicker and glass seltzer dispenser and these swirl pattern absinthe glasses. I actually have a bunch of these French bistro money plates, which are perfect for lady treats. This shapely Long Sleeve 1947 Dress, is lovely and so Katharine Hepburn, don't you think?