Since many of you are fans of Nicole Richie’s style, you’ll be happy to know that she currently has a clothing line in the works–a contemporary women’s line called Winter Kate, after her daughter Harlow’s two middle names.

According to WWD, Winter Kate will be a 37 piece collection set to hit stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales in February of 2010.

The line will include “mostly tops, vests and bed jackets in colorful vintage-inspired silk, crepe and chiffon because these tops are a mainstay of Richie’s own wardrobe.” Long slip dresses, asymmetrical short dresses, tunics and a kimono-sleeved maxidress will also be included in the line.

As far as price points go, the line will wholesale for $35 for a top to $598 for a leather jacket and will be aimed at the same customer as her House of Harlow 1960 line which now includes shoes for spring:

“She is a woman like me”, said Nicole. “She does not look at labels; she knows how to mix and match. The pieces can be dressed up, made casual, but most importantly, they provide the wearer a means of self-expression and fun.”

According to Nicole, she drew inspiration for Winter Kate from her own closet:

“I probably wear the same two pairs of jeans every day as the background to a fabulous top,” she said. “Bed jackets are a staple of my wardrobe because they are a gorgeous way to give jeans and a white T-shirt a completely different look.”

Also key for spring dressing are “definitely a beautiful, fun slip dress in a great print and also a leather jacket to turn the romantic day dress into an edgy night-out outfit,” Richie said.

Curious as to what the line looks like? Here’s a preview of the lookbook! Click on each image to enlarge. (Photos from Nicole’s official blog.)

What do you think? Are you a fan of Nicole Richie’s style? What about this line – do you see any pieces you’d love to have in your own closet? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!

WWD is reporting that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will launch a new Juniors line exclusively at J.C. Penney.

The line will be called Olsenboye, after the Olsens’ ancestral name, and will launch on jcp.com and in 50 J.C. Penney retail stores, starting November 6th, with a full rollout of the line in 600 Penney’s stores in February 2010.

According to WWD,

Olsenboye is a casual sportswear and accessories collection that includes denim, bottoms, tops, dresses, skirts, shorts, jackets, handbags, and shoes. The line will retail from $20 to $50 and is being designed to be mixed to create different looks. The brand will also periodically flow in travel-inspired mini collections, each reflecting the looks and trends of different cities.

This new budget-friendly line comes in addition to the Olsens’ already-successful fashion lines, Elizabeth and James and The Row. While the two lines are mostly out of reach for price-conscious young people, this new budget-friendly line is a diverse addition to the Olsen brand that may be more popular with young people.

What do you think?

Personally, I’m excited to see more of Olsenboye. While it’s a far cry from The Row or Elizabeth and James, Olsenboye might contain some inexpensive and well-made pieces that could be a great addition to any wardrobe.

Are you excited about Olsenboye? Do you plan to check it out when it hits stores? Leave a comment and let us know!

The fashion blogosphere is going nuts today because WWD just announced that Jean Paul Gaultier is going to do a collection for Target!

The line will be released on March 7, 2010 in more than 250 Target stores and on Target.com, and will be available until April 11th, 2010. This collection will be harder to find than Anna Sui for Target – her collection was released in 600 stores and online, compared to the only 250 stores Gaultier will have.

When asked about the inspiration behind this collection, reps for Target said Gaultier’s muse was “the American woman”, and that his collection will be all about “celebrating the forces of style both past and present in American pop culture.”

Gaultier will be the third designer to participate in Target’s Designer Collaborations series, following in the footsteps of Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui.

If you think you’re not familiar with Jean Paul Gaultier’s work, think again – he’s responsible for Madonna’s infamous stage costumes in the 90’s. He also pioneered the “innerwear as outerwear” movement, and is known as a master tailor in the industry. If you want to see more of his work, search for him on Style.com – he’s incredible!

What do you think?

Personally, I’m SO psyched about Gaultier for Target! He is one of the most famous and highly regarded designers out there, and I’m sure his collection will not disappoint. I can’t wait to see the first photos of his Target line, which will undoubtedly leak soon!

What do you think? Are you excited about Gaultier for Target? Leave a comment and let us know!

I’m a HUGE Project Runway fan, and one of my all-time favorite PR designers is Season 4 winner Christian Siriano.

So when the publishers of his new book, Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self sent me a free copy to review, I was beyond psyched!

To be honest, though, I didn’t know what to expect from the book. I’ve read celebrity-penned style guides before, which are often overly self-indulgent and lackluster (Rachel Zoe’s book comes to mind).

But Fierce Style surprised me in a good way – it was really entertaining – chock full of inspiration and useful tips, and I couldn’t put it down!

What to Expect

The book is divided into four sections:

• “Lady, You Look Fabulous!!!!” – A section on finding your personal style and looking fierce
• “Finding Your Inner Ferocia” – Tips on how to feel confident at all times
• “Every Day Is a Runway… Work It” – A section on acting fierce – succeeding at work, being social, and keeping it all together
• “Inspire Me!!!!” – Material to get your fashion inspiration going – from celebrity muses to must-see movies

Each section is divided into mini chapters, with fun features like “10 Things Not to Wear If You Want to Be Fabulous” (sweatpants and UGG’s are on there), and “Top 10 Dream Pieces”, where he details the must-have designer items for when you become rich and famous, as well as their low-end substitutes, (or “reality pieces”). He also includes plenty of style tips from celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Heidi Klum for good measure.

In addition to the tips, expect to learn a lot about Christian’s life. These days, he’s a successful designer who has made a name for himself in the fashion world – but his success didn’t happen overnight.

The book details the many struggles he overcame to get to where he is today (including being rejected for fashion school, having to leave NYC, having plenty of fashion mishaps, and quitting an internship with Marc Jacobs!). It’s an inspiring tale that’s surprisingly honest and relatable, as well as a great addition to the book.

Possible Drawbacks

Since I’m a big fan of Christian, I loved that the book was written in a conversational style, with plenty of his famous vocab words (”fierce”, “tickity tack”, “ferosh”, etc.) sprinkled across the pages. Reading this book makes you feel like you’re having a conversation with him. And for the uninformed, there’s even a glossary at the end that explains what his words mean!

Although I thought the addition of Christian-isms made the book fun, I can see how the writing style might annoy or confuse those who aren’t familiar with him. It definitely takes a little getting used to.

So proceed with caution if you find his way of speaking annoying – the word “fierce” is repeated a LOT!

My Overall Rating of “Fierce Style”

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you’re a Christian fan or just want some tips on how to look, act, and feel fabulous. It’s an inspiring and informative book that will leave you feeling motivated, inspired, and, yes, pretty fierce.

I give this book a 4.5/5, because although I loved the book, I think the writing style might annoy non-fans.

Get Your Copy: You can buy Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self for $16.31 at Amazon.

Women’s Wear Daily is reporting that Sonia Rykiel will be the next designer to collaborate with H&M. Her collection is set to debut this holiday season, following the much-anticipated Jimmy Choo for H&M collection.

Rykiel’s collection will be the first H&M designer collaboration to feature lingerie. According to WWD, “exclusive pieces designed by Rykiel” will be “launched for winter 2009 on Dec. 5 in 1,500 stores worldwide.” The collection will also be available in Rykiel’s boutiques across the globe.

A second collection from Sonia Rykiel and H&M will be available for Spring 2010, and will feature “iconic knitwear” and accessories. The second collection will be available on February 20th, 2010. Get excited!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Sonia Rykiel, she’s a French designer best known for her knitwear – sweaters are her thing, and she executes them well. Her nickname is the “Queen of Knits” – fitting, right? She was the first designer to put seams on the outside of a garment, as well as to print words on a sweater. Numerous celebrities including Rihanna, Lily Allen, and Sarah Jessica Parker are fans of her work.

So what do you think? Are you excited about Sonia Rykiel for H&M? Let us know what you think about this designer collaboration in the comments section!

Kim had the great idea to feature unique and interesting fashion ad campaigns in a new column here. First up, the new Stella McCartney campaign featuring Disney characters.

(source: WWD)

As you flip through your September issues this month, some familiar furry friends will be waiting to greet you. This season, Stella McCartney and photographer Ryan McGinley have teamed up with everyone’s favorite woodland creature, Bambi, for the Stella McCartney Fall 2009 ad campaign. “The clothes in the campaign are looking quite fierce, and we wanted to contrast them with the innocence of Bambi” says Stella.

(source: WWD)

Joining Bambi in the spread are his pals Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk. The campaign features photographs of model Sigrid Agren in the woods of Worcestershire, England. Layered on top are illustrations of Bambi and friends. Intrigued?

Personally, I’m loving the boots that Sigrid is rocking and her disheveled grungy look. But while I do love Bambi, I think the illustration of the characters takes away from the whole feel of the campaign a bit. There seems to be more attention paid to the characters rather than the clothes.

What do you guys think? Are you into the whole cartoonish feel? Or do you think the addition of Bambi was a bad decision? If you like the ad, or you want to see it in person, it can be found in this month’s French, Italian and British Vogue, along with V and Another Magazine.

Either way, let us know your thoughts on this ad in the comments section!

Since this was my first fashion week, I really didn’t have the technology side of things together – I tried to take pictures with my tiny digital camera during the show, but most didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped. I’ll show you guys what I got, though, along with a video I took of the show finale from my perspective! Next year my photo and video coverage will be better, promise.

My Photos and Video from Vivienne Tam:

Here are a few of the photos and a video I took from my seat at Vivienne Tam. Please forgive the less than stellar quality!

My Runway Photos:

Video of the Finale:

Fashion Show Swag:

Everyone keeps asking me about the Fashion Week swag, so I thought I’d show you guys what they gave away at Vivienne Tam. In general, I think Fashion Week swag is very overrated, but they did give us cute blank notebooks on each seat at VT!

Cute, no? Each notebook mimics the design of the VT and HP digital clutch, complete with the HP logo. Inside there was a news release about the HP notebook, as well as a description of the inspiration for the collection.

And now on to the main event… decent quality runway photos and my review of the show!

Runway Photos:

Photos from Style.com – Click each photo to enlarge.

CF Runway Review:

Vivienne Tam’s Spring 2010 theme was “Butterfly Lovers”, after a famous Chinese opera reminiscent of Romeo & Juliet. Fittingly, the collection was ALL about butterflies, a very spring-appropriate choice.

Each piece was an interpretation of the butterfly – whether alluded to in the garment’s shape or more literally, in the case of butterfly printed gowns and dresses coated in glittery butterflies. The collection also included elements of 1970’s style for an overall vibe that was very hippie chic.

Accessories included large fringed bags with a hippie-chic vibe, trendy gladiator sandals, and the new Vivienne Tam and HP “digital clutch” – a miniscule, butterfly printed laptop resembling a tiny evening bag.

While I normally gravitate toward striking, in-your-face designs, I found my favorite Vivienne Tam pieces were the simpler dresses and tops. I thought some of the butterfly prints and sequined appliques were a little too much, but I loved the moments when the theme was less obvious. A draped purple wrap top had a butterfly-esque shape, but didn’t scream “guess what my favorite insect is”, and an amazing sequined skirt was printed with a not-so-obvious butterfly wing abstraction.

Overall, Vivienne Tam’s Spring 2010 collection was a definite success. While at times the theme seemed a bit too literally interpreted, there were many subtle, wearable pieces that would be perfect for spring.

Fashion Cliff-Notes:

Overall Themes: Butterflies 1970’s Freedom Romance

Key Trends: Butterfly prints Fringe Gladiator sandals Vests Sequins 70’s silhouettes: flared jeans, platforms, loose dresses Long dresses Butterfly appliques Suede bags

What do you think?

If you want to see the rest of Vivienne Tam’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, check out the photos at Style.com.

I want to hear what you guys think! Do you like what you’ve seen of Vivienne Tam S/S 2010? What do you think about the butterfly theme? Which look was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

A quick back story before we get to the collection: When I received my invite to Christian’s Spring 2010 runway show, I was ecstatic – he’s one of my favorite Project Runway designers EVER, and I’ve been following his line since it debuted. I can’t tell you how excited I was to be invited! Unfortunately, I then realized I couldn’t attend – his show was set to begin only an hour after my flight touched down in New York – if you know NYC traffic, you know how impossible it would have been to make it from JFK in only an hour. SO upsetting!

Sadly, I had to watch Christian’s runway show online, instead of from inside the tents. I was even more bummed to miss it when I saw the photos – his collection really delivered and is one that everyone seems to be talking about! It’s okay, though – hopefully I’ll get to see his stuff in-person next season.

Want to know what all the buzz is about? Here are some of my favorite looks from Christian’s Spring 2010 RTW collection, followed by a review of the collection and a breakdown of the trends and themes present.

Runway Photos:

Photos from New York Magazine – Click each photo to enlarge.

CF Runway Review:

Christian Siriano’s Spring 2010 collection was an extremely wearable group of pretty cocktail dresses, well-cut separates, with the occasional high-end gown thrown into the mix. With the right combination of over-the-top and retail-ready looks, it’s a collection you’d expect from a seasoned designer, not someone showing at Bryant Park for only his third time!

According to the Associated Press, the collection was essentially a “lush take on Mediterranean travel”, which, while perhaps a more appropriate theme for resort collections, seemed to work splendidly for spring.

The color palette was decidedly Mediterranean – cool sea blues mixed with pearly aquas, neutral khakis, and firey volcanic shades of red, all offset by crisp white. If you’ve ever seen photos of Santorini, for example, you can see where his color influences came from.

As for the pieces, in typical spring fashion, dresses were the basis of the collection – from pretty cocktail numbers adorned with Christian’s signature pleating, to long, draped statement gowns ideal for the red carpet. Accessories included big, floppy, wide-brimmed hats, chunky silver cuffs, and a printed bag embellished with tons of silver chains that I’d love to have in my own wardrobe.

Footwear was also a major focus – Christian’s models were all wearing shoes from his Spring 2010 Payless line, including fierce metallic gladiator heels, satin platform pumps, and printed ankle booties, all finished with a curved, horn-like heel. Who knows if we’ll see the shoes in any actual Payless stores (you know how that goes), but here’s hoping the designs available in stores will at least be similar!

If there was a doubt in anyone’s mind about Christian’s staying power after Project Runway, this collection surely erased it. Far more than just a follow-up from a former reality show contestant, Christian’s Spring 2010 collection proved his indisputable talent as a designer, and will surely keep his momentum and buzz going into next season and beyond. He’s surely one to keep any eye on – I know I’m a fan!

Fashion Cliff-Notes:

Overall Themes: Mediterranean travel Volcanic colors Wearable pieces Texture

Key Trends: Wide brim hats Mixing textures “Fierce” footwear 1980’s silhouettes One-shoulder dresses Painted prints Cinched waists Grecian draping Sparkle Ruffles and pleats

What do you think?

Check out the rest of the Christian Siriano Spring/Summer 2010 collection, at Nymag.com and don’t forget to look at the detail shots to see his amazing shoes!

Now I want to hear your thoughts! Do you love Christian as much as I do? What about this collection – did you think it was fierce? Which look was your favorite? Let us know by leaving a comment here!

Those of you who are used to Alexander Wang’s grunge basics and all-black ensembles may be surprised at his Spring 2010 collection – I know I was! While some people don’t like the new direction he went in, I personally think it’s a good thing – no designer should be a one-trick pony, and showing versatility, as well as taking risks, is what fashion is all about.

Curious to learn more? Keep reading to see photos from his Spring 2010 RTW collection, as well as to read my review and learn about the key trends and themes from Saturday’s show!

Runway Photos:

Click each photo to enlarge. Photos from Style.com

CF Runway Review:

As a huge Alexander Wang fan, this collection had me pleasantly surprised – it was very different from anything he’s ever shown before, and it really shows his versatility as a designer, not to mention his sense of humor.

90’s fans, take note: gone are the days of the Wang grunge girl, decked out in shredded sweaters and lots of black. This season, she’s been replaced by a preppier, sportier, decidedly less serious woman.

In typical Wang fashion, sports were a major theme in his Spring 2010 collection. While American football was definitely the main influence, there were also references to rugby, soccer, and baseball as well. In an interview prior to the show, Alexander said he was inspired by “the deviant side of American teen culture”, which certainly showed through in his collection. Fittingly, the overall vibe was high school sports with a sexy twist – soccer-style knee high socks were cut out in the back for a hint of skin, while a classic varsity jacket was taken up a notch, paired with sheer black pants and fierce ankle boots.

There were certainly some costumey pieces (like a heavily shoulder-padded sweatshirt meant to resemble a football jersey and a Lady Gaga-esque white leotard with sheer panels on the sides) in the show, but there were practical options mixed in as well. It’s hard not to covet Alex’s new line of sunglasses, while sweatshirt-material basics and pretty striped knits will undoubtedly be on every girl’s wish list come spring.

While perhaps not his most wearable collection, Alexander Wang’s Spring 2010 show displayed his versatility, as well as his fun side, while still conveying his unique point of view – not exactly an easy feat! While devoted fans of his very wearable grunge looks may not like the new direction he went in this season, it’s hard to deny that Alexander Wang is a true talent in American fashion, sure to remain an industry favorite for years to come.

Fashion Cliff-Notes:

Overall Themes: American football uniforms Varsity references 1930’s and 40’s Naughty schoolgirl

Key Trends: Khaki Knee-high socks Leopard print shoes Cutouts Strong shoulders Horizontal stripes Leather panels Lace-up everything Deconstruction

What do you think?

If you want to see the rest of Alexander Wang’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, check out Style.com’s photos.

In the meantime, I want to know what you think! Are you a fan of Alexander Wang? Did you like the new direction he went in this season? Which look was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

You know the much-anticipated Anna Sui for Target collection that we talked about a while back?

Well good news, the collection launches today at Target stores across the country!

Stop by your local Target store and pick up the hot designer looks inspired by Gossip Girl! Most looks are very budget-friendly, and are sure to sell out fast.

Which looks are you most excited to get? Will you be shopping for this collection? What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!