Narciso Rodriguez Favorite Things

Narciso Rodriguez is an American designer who launched his own label in 1997 after designing for Calvin Klein and Anne Klein. A year after its launch he was received the Perry Ellis Award for Best New Designer by the CFDA. He now designs for celebrities Salma Hayek, Anna Paquin, and Sarah Jessica. Rodriguez shared his favorite things with Modelenia.

Vacation: Tahiti 


Inspiration: Books, Italian film, modern art and photography 


Movie: Boccaccio 70, directed by Sica, Fellini, Monicelli and Visconti Designer: Cristobal Balenciaga

Guilty Pleasure: Chelsea Lately

Junk Food: Ben & Jerry’s


Menu: Cuban 


Model: Natasha Poly

The newest rumor straight from Modelenia is that wedding bells are ringing for Natasha Poly. She has kept her relationships very tightly under wraps lately, but it is reported that her boyfriend proposed and she said yes. Her boyfriend is Peter Bakker, a businessman from the Netherlands. They are to be married in St. Tropez. Now the only question is what designer she will wear to her wedding. Poly is a German supermodel who most recently became the face of Gucci.

 

Model: Ines de la Fressange

There is a new face in the beauty world to look out for, and it might look a bit familiar. Ines de la Fressange is the new spokes model for L’oreal Paris. The brand is rumored to be trying to up their Parisian relevance, so the French beauty was an obvious choice. De la Fressange has been a muse for both Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel and Thierry Mugler, she was the model used for a bust of Marianne, a French national symbol. With current spokes models including Jennifer Lopez, Doutzen Kroes, and Milla Jovocich, de la Fressange is in very good company for her breakout campaign in the United States. 

Model: Coco Rocha

Coco Rocha is a Canadian model that has walked in shows for designers including Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Stella McCartney and Christian Lacroix. Her first major editorial shoot was with the famed photographer Steven Meisel, and soon after she landed on the cover of Italian Vogue in February 2006. She recently married James Conran and wore a wedding dress designed by Zac Posen. Rocha shared her favorite things with Modelinia.

Vacation: Africa

Movie: Pride and Prejudice

Song: Black Eyed Peas, “The Time”

Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier

Junk Food: Salt and Vinegar chips

Lipstick and Nail Color: Right now I'm loving pink lips and matte gray for nails.

TV Show: 24

Vogue Branding

Anna Wintour is undoubdetly the most influential person in America for the fashion world. She is the Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue and has the last say on what’s hot and what’s not, what designer to watch, and which models will be the stars of the season. Wintour was recently released this quote to WSJ Magazine: “With all the new media outlets out there, with all the noise, a voice of authority and calm like Vogue becomes more important than ever. The more eyes on fashion, the more opinions about fashion, and the more exploration of fashion around the world, the better it is for Vogue. Vogue is like Nike or Coca-Cola—this huge global brand. I want to enhance it, I want to protect it, and I want it to be part of the conversation.” There you have it, Anna and Vogue are here to stay as the powerhouses of fashion. 

Trend: Color-blocking

Color-blocked looks at Gucci SS11

Color-blocking was obviously the trend to watch this year. Some see this as a reaction against all the camel and beige from fall, or maybe further back to the nudes of last spring. One thing is for sure: we had it coming. Every designer you can think of has embraced the trend completely. Diane Von Furstenberg, Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, and Peter Som have all accepted the trend. The designer that has taken things further is Marc Jacobs whose collection was disco inspired with blocks of pink, orange, and purple all worn together. Even the hair at his show was color-blocked; the models were given orange and purple extensions. And then there was Gucci, where one look consisted of green harem pants, a purple tank top, and a tangerine jackets worn all at once. In my opinion, color-blocked separates are a safe investment because you can always wear one bright piece next season with a muted base. 

PFW: Top Trends

Video: Best of Paris Fashion Week ss11

In this year’s Paris Fashion Week, there were 3 clear winners on trends for the upcoming season:

-Transparency: from Comme des Garcons to Mugler, it has appeared in almost every version imaginable. Sheer tops? Check. Skirts? Check. Pants? Check. There’s no hiding behind these clothes.  

-Capes: fashion has its own caped heroines this season, and they are elegant, neat, and entrance making.

-Graphic black and white: Some things can be as clean and simple as black and white. Whether it’s a print to add interest to a simple silhouette, a geometric patchwork, or a simple black on white outfit, the color combination was a major theme on the Paris runways, even though the exact opposite (neon color blocking) was a trend in New York.

Trend: Fashionable Workout Wear

With every new season, gyms everywhere see their membership grow. In the past, exercising often meant that fashion had to be sacrificed but these days people can work towards a supermodel’s body in clothes models would actually approve of. Brands are noticing the desire of many woman to ditch their old sweatpants and college t-shirts and put on something they aren’t embarrassed to be seen in public wearing. Many sportswear brands are even looking to runway trends. Stella McCartney’s new Swim, Run and Weekend collections for Adidas, and also independent labels Sweaty Betty, Casall, Play by Sarah Reilly and So Low all pick up on this season’s trends like wide stripes and boldly clashing colors. Some sportswear brands are even going as far as copying certain designers. So Low has said they took major inspiration in their laser-printed patterns from the runway shows of Christopher Cane and Marios Schwab. Sweaty Betty also features a selection of palazzo pants, a major look on this season’s runways at Marc Jacobs. Adding to the fashionable workout wear frenzy is the amount of celebrities following the trend. Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian are seen hitting the streets in their workout clothes long after class has ended. It is obvious; everyone will soon be wearing exercise clothes that they can easily transition into street clothes.