The Fall 2017 Fashion Trends from NY and Paris

Mary Jane Denzer Partners Anastasia Cucinella and Debra O'Shea
at the Elie Saab Atelier in Paris for the Fall 2017 Collections

It was an absolute joy to attend Paris Fashion Week with my partner Anastasia Cucinella to buy for our store Mary Jane Denzer in White Plains, N.Y. Our vendors are excited for us and  have been fantastic partners, who are looking forward to growing with us. We truly appreciate their support and friendship.

We look forward to continuing to honor the DNA of Mary Jane Denzer; a luxury destination for special occasions, but we will also be spreading our wings! We have added several collections that will allow us to completely service all aspects of our clients lifestyle; so in addition to your Red Carpet moments, you will be able to find the perfect, "guest" dress, luncheon outfit, or casual but chic outfit to wear to a committee meeting.  We also found fresh and exciting accessories at the tents in Paris and look forward to receiving the fabulous scarves, jewelry and bags we purchased.

I promise to keep you posted on our trunk show schedule,  starting with Neil Bieff, our in-house designer, who will be at Mary Jane Denzer with his new collection through Saturday...stay tuned tomorrow for my interview with Neil, an enormous lasting talent, who has beautifully, dressed dozens of Hollywood and Music's biggest stars!!!

Now lets talk trends!

The term "Fashion Week" is truly a misnomer...Fashion Month is more accurate. What begins in New York, continues to London, Milan and finally Paris.
My fashion legs are pretty sturdy, but I can attest that New York and Paris were plenty to take in.  The other reality is when you arrive at the showrooms.  Of course the marvels that walked the runways are their too, but the reality is often in the trove of wearable, 'commercial' clothes, that most buyers actually buy, lined and with necklines built up beyond the navel.

Trends do emerge, and whether you are looking at high end evening wear or sportswear, they do resonate from show to show and continent to country. While it's still fresh in my mind, here's a bit of what we saw:

The 6 Biggest Trends from the Spring 2017 Runways

Anna Wintour and daughter Bee Schaeffer

NYFW has officially ended.  Anna and the rest of the flock will be jetting across the pond to London, as their Fashion Week kicks off just about the minute they all touch down.

Kudos to the New York Daily News for nicely summing up what appears to be the key trends of the Spring 2017 Season.  Though it always seems an odd coincidence, the designers are influenced by the color forecasts that come out long before they put pen to pad and the same fabric mills that they all frequent.


In a nutshell, there was nothing that we haven't seen before, but I promise, you will see many, many times ahead in the months to come.  The trends they sited are below, and I followed up with my assessment:

Animal Magnestism:

Rebecca Minkoff

Altuzurra (one of my favorite designers and collections this season)

Not so Mellow Yellow:

Zac Posen

Thakoon

 Wear Your Greens:

Son Jung Wan

Tory Burch

 Flower Power:

Jenny Packham

Michael Kors

 Fringe Benefits:

Ralph Lauren

Naeem Kahn (and yellow, a twofer)

 The Cold Shoulder:

An exquisite Monique L'Hullier

Marchesa

For me, the only two that looks that feel like retro retreads are the fringe from Ralph Lauren and the Lilly Pulitzeresque offering from Tory Burch.

I adore animal prints. I see them as timeless. It feels fresh to see them trending in a grey pallette, instead of  traditional camels and blacks.

Yellow is a very tricky color at retail, because with most peoples coloring, it is hideously unflattering. This is a trend I would use more as a pop; a patent clutch or shoe.

Green has not had a moment for quite some time...I'm liking it and pleased that I was ahead of the curve when I bought Victoria Beckham in just this hue.

Floral's for spring are not exactly new, but I do love them. The only caveat with any print is that they can overpower; always make sure you see your first...not the frock.

Fringe?  I'm over it.

I was thrilled to see the continuing of Cold Shoulder dressing. I like it, so much in fact that I purchased a black sequin cold shoulder Donna Karan gown last spring (I'm wearing it my blog picture.) I think it's sexy and modern and I'm glad it carried over.

What are you loving? What will you wear? What would you not be caught dead in?

Happy Weekend Lovelies!

xox,
DD

Untitled #1005

Untitled #1005 by divadebbi featuring summer dresses

Temperley London summer dress, $1,520 / Gianvito Rossi ankle boots, $1,055 / Oscar de la Renta clutch / Hermès hermes bangle / AERIN lips makeup / Ralph lauren perfume / Body moisturizer, $12

Heading South

Heading South by divadebbi featured in kim kardashian looks

Roberto Cavalli dress / Giuseppe Zanotti shoes / Edie Parker green purse / Kimberly McDonald diamond earrings / Mascara / Hampton Sun fragrance / Pier 1 Imports floral decor / Pier 1 Imports floral decor

The Best of 2013- Jessica Alba

The Best of 2013- Jessica Alba by divadebbi

I created this set for a Polyvore contest, where they asked us to enter what we thought was the best Celeb Street Style look of 2013.

 

I chose this glorious ensemble worn by Jessica Alba during New York Fashion week this fall.  Of all the things I've observed, and there has been plenty, this is the one that stood out for me.

 

Jessica (and her stylist), nailed this to the tee, perfectly executing three trends in one look; pale pink paired with black, the mid calf skirt, and the cropped sweater.  I love the whole vibe, down to the delicate sandal, classic chignon, patent handle top bag and dark oversized Ray Ban sunglasses.

 

A true, modern day Holly Golightly. Flawless...

 

Win or lose, it's still my fave.

 

xox,

DD

 

 

 

Where to Find Fashion Inspiration for Fall

Chanel Chic for Less by divadebbi featuring a pencil skirt

River Island black and white checked shirt, $31 / Ted Baker black trenchcoat, $465 / A|Wear pencil skirt, $21 / Gastone Lucioli high heel pumps / Vintage black handbag / Lauren Ralph Lauren jewelry / Adia Kibur pearl jewellery / Black wayfarer glasses / 
Topshop belt / Chanel makeup, $59 / Chanel fragrance, $145 / Beauty accessory, $15 / 


There are so many ways to get fashion inspiration besides fashion magazines these days. For most of my life, I have purchased everyone of the major September fashion "books", and felt compelled to devour them, so I would be on top of the trends for Fall. Now I get it daily from Polyvore, Pinterest, Net-a-Porter, and fashion blogs.

A clever Girl can also get every look on Polyvore for less.  Take a look at the picture that inspired me above and my version of it for under $1000...her bag alone must have weighed in at 4. Every look is available at every price point if you are budget conscious.

This year I decided only to purchase magazine, In Style, because they cover fashion and beauty so comprehensively.  They are also not afraid to dumb it down and spell it out a bit. Well done and thank you...

I know just what I want to buy, (some version of a "moto" jacket" and ankle strap pumps) what's still good to go (all my skinny pants, pencil skirts, ankle boots and animal prints) and what I would never wear despite being on trend, ( A-line midi skirts and large scale plaids).

The Country Weekend

The Country Weekend by divadebbi featuring burberry shoes

Moncler / Leather jacket / Ralph Lauren / Burberry shoes / Givenchy / Hermès wide bangle / Burberry case / Miu Miu / Le Labo , $140 / Hermès Equateur 3H change tray

Lunch with the Ex Husband...

Lunch with the Ex Husband... by divadebbi featuring burberry shawl

She Wears it Well: DivaDebbi interviews Equestrian Heidi Driscoll for WAG Magazine

Equestrian Heidi Driscoll at the Hampton Classic in Bridgehampton.

There are certain women who just ooze chic. They are the head turners that make us sigh, with simultaneous envy and approval. No matter what the occasion, they appear cool, confident and crisp. To me, the epitome of chic is Heidi Driscoll, a tall, blonde whippet-thin mother and equestrian, who resides in Riverside.

Heidi often comes into Richards in riding garb, attired in tall boots, light colored jodhpurs and a crisp white shirt with a banded collar. Except for her rosy cheeks, you couldn’t tell if she had just dropped her son off at school or completed two hours of rigorous riding and jumping on her horse, Gridiron, in Bedford.

Over the years, I’ve seen Heidi at various fashion shows, like the Breast Cancer Alliance or Old Bags luncheons. Invariably, she is smartly turned out in a Valentino white sheath dress with matching coat or a cafe-au-lait  Brunello Cucinelli suede shift with piles of gossamer spun wool knotted perfectly around her long neck. I’ve danced next to her at the opulent Renaissance Ball, where she has lit up the tent, quietly dressed in a taffeta Ralph Lauren halter gown, with diamond studs.

Intuitively, I knew Heidi was the self-effacing type. She was surprised that I am such a fan of her style. I asked her if she would let me interview her to shed some light into the world of equestrian dressing. Graciously, she agreed.

When did you first start riding and did you take to it immediately?

“I first started riding when I was 11 years old in Virginia and I fell madly in love with it.”

Were you one of those obsessed teens who spent every spare hour at the stables riding and grooming horses? Did that inevitably lead to traveling to compete in shows?

“I spent every waking moment that I was not in school at the barn. In those days, I traveled mostly to fox hunts all around Virginia and Maryland. Competing avidly on the show circuit came later in life.”

Do you still compete? What do you most enjoy about it?

“I compete as much as I can, at least twice a month. I am very competitive by nature, and at any age, it’s nice to have an outlet for that.”

Are riding clothes strictly perfunctory or do you genuinely enjoy wearing them?

“I love wearing them but only when I am riding or running errands before or after. It helps that they are both functional and attractive.”

Is everything you wear for riding purchased from stores dedicated to equestrian clothing?

“Yes, I only shop at tack shops for my riding clothes. I mainly shop at (Beval Saddlery) in New Canaan or with local vendors at horse shows. (The shopping can be great.) My boots are by a custom boot company called Der Dau. They have great style and I absolutely treasure them.”

Every few years, equestrian styles make their way back into the trends. Two years ago, everyone was walking around with slim pants tucked into riding boots.  Did we just look silly?

“It is a beautiful look, but few people who ride dress that way other than when they are riding.”

Well, that was tactful! We should all take heed. Are there pieces that you wear riding that cross over into your everyday wardrobe? And conversely, is there anything in your everyday wardrobe that could cross over into your riding wear?

“Probably just my belts. When I am not showing, athletic tops from Lululemon work great.”

Obviously I adore your equestrian style. How would you describe your taste? 

“I believe less is more, and I prefer simple, beautifully cut clothing like Valentino and a terrific new up-and-coming young designer, Rubin Singer.”

Tally ho.

xox,

DD