neiman marcus - target collaboration.

The fashion community has been buzzing about the most recent collaboration between Neiman Marcus, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Target, set to be released on December 1st. Prices range from $7.99 to $499.99, and will be sold both at Target and Neiman Marcus as part of their holiday collection. How Target thinks it will sell $500 dollar items is beyond me, but most items are said to be under $60.

What's really awesome is that Target and Neiman Marcus are donating $1 million to the Council of Fashion Designers of America for its 50th Anniversary. This is great news because the CFDA provides great opportunities for fashion designers just starting out in the business. Here are the designers that will be participating in the collaboration:

Alice + Olivia
Altuzarra
Band of Outsiders
Brian Atwood
eddie Borgo
Judith Leiber
Lela Rose
Marchesa
Philip Crangi
Prabal Gurung
Proenza Schouler
Rag & Bone
Robert Rodriguez
Rodarte
Skaist-Taylor
Thom Browne
Tracy Reese
Carolina Herrera
Derek Lam
Diane von Furstenberg
Jason Wu
Marc Jacobs
Oscar de la Renta
Tory Burch

Given that my two favorite designers (Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta) are both participating in this great venture, I've created two outfit posts inspired by their most recent collections. Enjoy!

Oscar de la Renta: Necklace, Top, Skirt, Shoes
Carolina Herrera: Necklace, Dress, Brooch, Shoes

the 'rise' of the trouser.

This month, Vogue had a great article on the popularity of the cropped trouser. I love skirts in the summer, but have been seeing a lot of great trousers as well. To upgrade them to this season's trend, they should be slim fit that barely skim the ankle. When they're the right fit and length, they look so sleek and classic. Here are a couple of ideas on how to style your trousers.

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monday blues.

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Yes, I know it's not Monday, but this was a perfect representation of how I felt yesterday. I spent an awesome weekend with my family out of state, but got home feeling exhausted for the work week to come. I used that as inspiration, and came up with this great outfit. Blues and whites make such a beautifully bold statement when paired together. Enjoy!

vintage ikat.

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Ok. I lied. None of this is vintage. But don't these give off a certain vintage-y vibe? Look at that purse! It reminds me of the 50s. I love it. And this skirt, for only $18, is to die for. This skirt is a great ikat print with a color scheme that will work well with a number of other pieces. 

I love ikat because there's so much history and culture to it. It's an ancient textile dyeing and weaving process originating in Central Asia. Weavers first tie bundles of threads in specific patterns. They then die the threads in a certain way (much like tie-dyeing).After the dyeing process is complete, weavers secure the threads to a loom and weave the thread through fabric. Here's a great video where you can see how ikat fabric is made:

Want to know if your ikat fabric is authentic or an imitation print like the skirt I featured today? You should be able to see the design on the reverse of your garment since it has been weaved all the way through the fabric -- as opposed to an imitation print which will only show up on the front.