District L

Despite its “good-girl-gone-bad” description by Dean and Dan Caten, the Dsquared2 girl seemed to start relatively tame in her pre-fall tweed and buttoned-up shirt dresses. Yes, you can take the girl out of the Dsquared2 SS12 collection – but you most certainly can’t take away the memories (or lack thereof) from last September’s boozy, bottle-strewn runway show in Milan.

The Dsquared2 vixen was sent away to prep school and instructed to clean up her reputation. Acquiring the skills and wardrobe necessary to half-heartedly disguise her devious behavior, she takes cover in cable knits and argyle. Eventually, the conservative façade predictably fades, revealing leather minis and strappy party dresses.

For the Caten twins, it’s another year of sin, repent, repeat. It takes a whole village to screw up raise a child, but just two designing brothers to unearth her secrets.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Trends for 2012 are being interpreted in a light that is harrowingly optimistic. Forecasters are relentlessly and stubbornly translating bright palettes, bold accessories, and daring silhouettes as signs for better times to come. But dare I suggest that this movement is more of an emotional reaction – a desire to amplify our positivity and mask apprehension?

Burak Uyan’s fresh geometric platforms in Paxil pink could indicate sanguinity, but perhaps its promising power is the more realistic desire. A clutch by Diane von Furstenberg in Blue Curacao might be more liquid courage than organic audacity and the double-zip Akris jumper in an addicting Paris green grabs us with its capacity to camouflage anxiety.

Are we thrilled? Or have we become comfortably numb?

Burak Uyan

Diane von Furstenberg

Akris

Post by Amanda LaMela

Striving for an effective balance between seductive and challenging, Herve Leger by Max Azria debuts chop-out unitards and A-line bandage dresses with leather harnesses.

Careful not to alienate his core customer of moneyed party-girls, Azria still goes that extra step to confuse and deter the average Real Housewife of New Jersey.

Which, of course, isn’t that big of a step.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Last year, our 2011 resolutions were to “be more fabulous” (me) and “wear more dude rings” (Nick.) After a successful year of dude-ring-wearing and fabulizing, it begs the question, “What’s next?” How does one possibly outdo 365 triumphant days of spiked skull rings and super-brunching?

Answer: One doesn’t!

2012 will be the year to decide which old acquaintances should be forgot and never brought to mind. Instead of adding another responsibility to our regimen, sometimes it’s best to trim the unnecessary extras. Below is a short list of things I give the nod to “Auld Lang Syne.”

#1. “Fabulous.”

Funny how the aspiration of one year becomes the restriction of the next, but I can finally accept that this word no longer has any real meaning.  Overused, futile, and uninspiring, “fabulous” takes its final bow in 2012, only to return during re-runs of Sex and the City. And let’s be honest, that should be kept to a minimum too.

#2. Feathered Hair Extensions

I would just like to say for the record that, yes, I had feather earrings, feathered clips, feather necklaces, and even silver jewelry in the shape of feathers… but I never, ever, ever, EVER thought it would be a good idea to have someone braid thin feather strings into my hair. Let’s all agree to leave the quail feathers alone for 2012, so they can focus their energy on being my brunch.

#3. “Just sayin’”

Yes, we know you just said it. We were right here.

#4. Bryanboy

In 2012, I vow to unfollow, unlike, and unsubscribe all things Bryanboy. Why? Because he litters my Twitterfeed with his namedropping garbage and mindless whining. STFU, Bryanboy. We’re over it.

Post by Amanda LaMela

"Do you know what's at stake here?? There's a big fat man with a list... and if you're not on that list, you're not getting into Courtney Love's White Night party at Electric Room."

"Y2K could be the event that could all but paralyze the planet." Newsweek, June 2, 1997

It was Valentine’s Day 2000 in London when Plum Sykes wrote her Style.com review for the fall/winter collection of Arkadius. Futuristic fashion mushrooms with face armor hit the runway just weeks after the world didn’t end on Y2K. That same afternoon, Matthew Williamson presented Day-Glo halos and chainmail dresses. Julien MacDonald ended that London Fashion Week with an out-of-this-world metallic smash. Days later in Paris, models in pixilated prints walked the runway for Balmain.

It was a simpler time before Craigslist killers, 9-11, and Facebook poking. Celebrity Deathmatch was in its heyday, Blink-182 was wondering what their age was again, and Party Monster had not yet become a feature film. We were coming off the indulgently angsty 90s, but hadn’t yet succumbed to the blind optimism of 2004-2006. The future was then -- and the rest was history.

Julien Macdonald

Arkadius

Balmain

Matthew Williamson

Post by Amanda LaMela

Images by Style.com

This Pre-Fall 2012 season, Alice + Olivia just returned from Paris and they want to tell you all about it. They’re back in their knit berets, round black sunglasses, and 60s-printed sheaths, informing you how many crepes they ate and showing you every single picture they took. And even though they were only gone for a few weeks, they somehow managed to come back with an indistinguishable accent and a tendency to overuse phrases like, “C'est la vie!” and “N'est-ce pas?”

That’s right… their trip was “like, literally, life-changing,” and they won’t let you forget it. So, the least they can do is wrap up a fur-trim cape or floor-length accordion skirt and place it under our Christmas tree, right?

Post by Amanda LaMela

Yesterday evening we attended a launch party for the LF Stores x Steve Madden footwear collaboration. A Candy Bar sweetened the bustling event on 150 Fifth Avenue hosted by fashion blogger, Amy Levin. Celebrating sky-high heels and patterned smoking shoes, DJ Chelsey Leyland added a retro kick to the night’s festivities.

Post by Amanda LaMela