Technicolor Dream Dress

Oh. My. God. Jil Sander. I mean...perfection. Have you ever seen a collection and felt as though it was designed specifically for you? The second I saw the looks from Jil Sander's 2011 collection, I actually gasped and ran through the photos three times. THREE TIMES. Maxi-floral prints, bright colors, and stripes are some of my favorite things, honestly. They rank up there against a really good cheeseburger, dirty vodka martinis, and snuggling. I almost couldn't believe these prints were real. Collections such as these are the reason that girls like me max out their credit cards.

The shock and drama comes because Jil Sander is not a house known for maximizing prints or bright pops of color. They are all clean lines, minimalism, and fuss-free silhouettes. THIS collection is a complete departure from that. Raf Simons created updated separates and layering pieces in every color of the rainbow. Simons wanted to take the definitive minimalist house back in time to 1960's couture and I am obsessed. The maxi skirts paired with simple white tees!!! Such a modern play on the ball gown...

Collections such as these remind me that at the end of the day - fashion is supposed to be fun. It's intention is to inspire and to allow ordinary girls to look extraordinary anytime they choose. Oh Raf, you nailed it.

Cloudy With a Chance of Toledo

Ruben and Isabel Toledo are at the point in their lives when they are absolutely killing it. Dressed Michelle Obama? Check. Capsule collection with Target? On it. Being honored by FIT's Couture Council? Of course. And, the newest feather in their collective cap? Ruben's book, Fashion Almanac, was received with great praise at the Vogue & Nordstrom produced party at Indochine.

Isabel & Ruben Toledo. There is literally no cooler couple. On Earth.

I joined Abe (I was only getting into to this thing as a plus one, let's be honest) at their book party which was positioned dead center in the middle of fashion week and a freak NYC thunderstorm. En route we were worried that no one would turnout because of the weather (and the Marc Jacobs show) but what we actually encountered was just so...lovely. I am not a girl who uses the word lovely often, but I don't think another word exists for such an intimate, special event. We had a chance to chat with Isabel and Ruben (they are both avid I Mean What readers) and they were just so genuine. Isabel held my hand for a few minutes and talked about integrity and following what you want in life... Sigh. I can only imagine it was similar to kissing the Pope's ring or attending one of Coco Chanel's dinner parties. Just lovely.

This book is on my coffee table. Best gift bag I've received in a while.

The book is a comprehensive collection of Ruben's illustrations for Nordstrom's ad campaigns over the past decade. They are so ethereal and quirky - the book is quintessential Toledo.

The Toledo's definitely instill a lot of envy in me and it's not just in regard to their artistic ability. In each other, they chose to etch out this creative, dynamic life together. They are honestly true champions for each other and one of the coolest couples I have EVER been around.

G-Stars and Stripes

Holy Shit. Hurricane Fashion Week has officially left the area and we are all back to our regularly scheduled programming...of re-capping, re-hashing, and re-examining fashion week.

Anyone who attended G-Star's SS11 Show this year got the feeling that the brand had evolved a bit. First of all, it was their first show in six seasons that didn't have some kind of hydraulics/light show/moving runway (not sure how I felt about that - I like over-the-top). The show felt very pared down and allowed total focus on the clothes. And the clothes.... Mmmm, the clothes were amazing. The show graduated from white looks to nude to their standard deep denim and each look has an elegance now that hasn't existed before. G-Star was always sexy but in a very badass sort of way. Now it's just sexy.

Show

You know what else was sexy? G-Star's front row. I mean, come on...we're just REALLY good at what we do. hahaha. Liv Tyler, Kelly Rowland, Kelly Osbourne, Joe Mangianiello (of True Blood Were-Wolvian deliciousness), Tyson Beckford, and Eric Balfour all rocked the front row.

Celeb Arrivals/Front Row

Thank God Steven Tyler and Ozzy Osborne sleep with gorgeous women.

Joe Mangianiello is 100% man. God Bless it.

Kelly Rowland

Joe. Eric. Alan. Cheyenne.

Afterparty

Debbie. Liv. Moi.

Tyson Beckford. Abe. L.J. Hollins.

Nina Johnson and Dale Thomas Krupla. Do not be fooled by those Colgate smiles - they are international party crashers.

The Slate girls... Hot hot hot.

Thanks Fashion Week...until we meet again.

Meet the Hilfigers? I'd love to.

Tommy Hilfiger's new campaign, Meet the Hilfigers, is basically the Royal Tenenbaums meets the American Flag. It's all about classic meets quirky - basically my two favorite adjectives. Their Fall 2010 campaign is a first installment of an ongoing portrayal of the family's traditions and adventures. The campaign is featured on tommy.com where each family member is profiled in a very Wes Anderson-esque manner. The most recent family outing? Courtside seats to the US Open, specifically Rafael Nadal vs. Fernando Verdasco. Their chaperone for the evening? Yours truly.

The Hilfiger Clan

Wrangling six people around Arthur Ashe on a packed night, especially when one of the girls is in knee-high duck boots, is no small feat. But honestly...what a kickass night. Aside from hanging out with an interesting collection of people and rocking my new wool Hilfiger Collection cape -- did you not hear me mention COURTSIDE SEATS AT THE US OPEN TO SEE RAFAEL NADAL? The fact that this is considered part of my job description has me knocking on wood at random intervals throughout the day.

Elie and Max...and me on the end trying to stay out of the photos.

Chloe. The cutest.

I hope when I'm older I look as good as Lea and am married to a man with half as much charm as Bernard.

Elie and Chloe.

And onto the REAL star of the show - Nadal. Vamos Rafa.

Just a shockingly good tennis player.

I got a wink and an autograph. Do I think it's true love? You bet I do. I mean...look at those dimples.

Costello Tagliapietra SS11

My first show of the Spring/Summer '11 season was Costello Tagliapietra at Milk Studios. The Costello guys have a special place in my heart because they were the first fashion show I EVER worked on when I was interning at People's Revolution about 4 years ago. It was an intense first show and it's cool seeing them hone their skills and really bring it these past few seasons.

Their SS11 palate consisted entirely of neutral tones and their signature Costello Tagliapietra draping, of course. They added a lot of one shoulder ruching and the clean colors really maximized the chic factor on each of the looks.

The one aspect that I didn't love were these air-dyed prints (below) that they inserted onto a few of the looks. It seemed as though they were trying to add depth into a collection that didn't need it. Chic, simple, and pretty is always their strong suit.

I mean, don't you just die for them? I love that these two bears have the ability to create such delicate dresses.