nyfw – The Young Eclectic

Fashion April 23, 2019

Trends I’ll Definitely Try, Inspired by the Best Streetstyle Looks of Fall/Winter 2019

Okay, guys. I’ve been scouring the web for looks to include in this article for no less than three hours, so you better get ready to swoon hard for these styles. While the focus of fashion month is definitely on the runway shows and the trends they birth, the streetstyle of the shows’ most fashionable attendees can yield a ton of amazing styling ideas that we can all learn from.

I went through and found my favorite looks from each leg of fashion month, then organized them into different trends I would like to try with my own style. Hopefully, you’ll find as much joy and inspiration from them as I did! Check out my picks below:

Monochrome Rainbow

The comforting uniformity of monochrome has always appealed to me, and this season people have added their own flavor and seasoning in the form of creating monochrome looks with different shades of the same color. You still get the same, stimulating effect, with a bit more fun and detail.

Gorgeous In Green

Green has usurped the throne from millennial pink to become the IT color of fashionable people everywhere, and there were plenty of looks gilded in green to make me wish I had more of the lush shade in my wardrobe.

Sleeves Fit For Shakespeare

Statement sleeves are a favorite of mine, so any style that employs a sleeve that steals the show is a winning look in my book. Whether it’s pirate-inspired puff sleeves, voluminous ruffles, or fanciful fur- I can’t get enough of a sleeve that demands attention.

Fringy Fun

This one is pretty self explanatory. Fringe is a foolproof way to add some fun to any outfit, and these streetstyle looks add some modern flair to this age-old trend by adding it in unexpected places, like a plaid blazer.

Delicate Ruffles & Pleats

Give me some ruffles and pleats and my life is complete, so I’m really excited to see that copious amounts of these delicate, girly details were everywhere in streetstyle looks this season. Trust me, if I could dress like a doll every day, I would.

Unexpected Denim

Denim is another one of my favorite elements to add to my wardrobe because it’s so dang versatile, and I’m always delighted to see people utilize it in new ways, like in a voluminous midi skirt that looks like it’s made of old jeans, or a statement outfit made of dark, denim ruffles.

Cute Collars

Add a cute, eye-catching collar to anything and I’m sold. I especially love all of the vintage, prairie-inspired looks that have been a continuing trend in recent years (thanks Batsheva!). There is just something so whimsical and adorable about a good collar that I just can’t pass up.

New School Prep

We can all conjure up the image of “preppy” style in our minds- pleated skirts, headbands, blazers, and plenty of plaid. This season saw plenty of preppy people stalking the streets in updated looks that added edgy details like a metallic jacket, thick gold chain necklace, and structured, over-exaggerated hips, to the normally-tame trend.

Precious Pastels

I love any color that makes my heart warm, and there were plenty of looks featuring soft, pastel shades that are absolutely perfect for spring. Bonus points if you pair multiple pastels for an extra-adorable style.

Which was your favorite look? Would you ever try any of these trends with your own style? My only wish is that I had more money, so that I could incorporate more of these dreamy trends into my own wardrobe.

Read My Thoughts March 10, 2019

Tomo Koizumi Fall 2019 and the Pressures of the Debut

If you follow fashion, and you haven’t heard of Tomo Koizumi at this point, then you’re a unicorn. The Japanese designer debuted his boisterously joyous, vibrant, ruffled organza gowns on the fashion industry’s biggest faces in his first runway show that took place in the Marc Jacobs store in New York during fashion week.

The dreamy, absolutely bogusly-huge dresses were a refreshing change to the normally consumer-focused, fairly serious nature of New York Fashion Week. I was instantly taken by the sheer youth and femininity of the collection, which oozed all of the charm and fantasies of the Kawaii aesthetic of his native country. Koizumi even cites the internationally beloved anime Sailor Moon as being an inspiration for his dresses, which are supposed to act as a sort of armor, or proof of the idea that a woman can be cute AND strong. It makes me wonder why we view powerful women like men, in bland suits and plain makeup. Why can’t a powerful woman wear a rainbow-hued, ruffled dress? These are questions that are yet to be answered.

tomo koizumi fall winter 2019 nyfw new york marc jacobs style runway ruffles pastel kawaii cute dresses the young eclectic — One of my favorite looks from the collection, this adorable, ruffled gown looks like a traditional Japanese kimono from an alternate reality where everything is whimsical and kawaii. (Photo: Vogue)

But the real topic this show truly brought to mind for me, is the pressure of the debut. While Koizumi had already found some success with his ruffled creations in the kawaii-centric Japan dressing celebrities and pop stars in his signature sugary, architectural designs, he was by no means well-known worldwide- until he caught the attention of famous stylist Katie Grand, who had all of the connections in the fashion world needed to put on such an incredible show. His first show was a tremendous success, launching him to fashion stardom instantly. This vision of the debut just strikes me as unfair, and definitely outside of reality.

I’m not trying to disparage Koizumi or his work- I think it’s all gorgeous and deserves recognition for how unique and playful it is (my favorite piece was one that resembled a ruffle-fied traditional kimono) and I’m glad he was given this stage, so that I could be inspired by his work. I just think that it more cements the idea that the debut, whether it be a fashion show, an acting role, a novel, an academic paper, or any other kind of work, has to be some kind of earth-shaking event that causes the world to see you. And if your debut isn’t like that, then maybe you’re not as good at something as you thought. The fear of the debut flop might even cause some people to not try in the first place.

To put this in a more personal light, I am someone who grew up being told they were “gifted” (ugh) all the time, so I thought that I could be naturally good at anything I set my mind to, and that just simply isn’t true. This ingrained belief causes me to give up on things immediately if I’m not automatically good at them, making it so I never really step outside of my comfort zone and try new things. To put it simply, I am limited by a fear of failure and ridicule, one that continually causes me not to put my work out there. The reality is, most people will not have a spectacular debut, because it is your debut. Firsts are never perfect, and should only serve as a jumping off point to improve your craft and keep trying. If you keep at it, someday the world will take notice. I just wish I could practice what I preach!

Check out some of my favorite looks from the show below:

Cover photo from WWD.com, all other photos from Vogue.com

Runway February 28, 2019

Rodarte Fall 2019 Serves Us a Buffet of Frills, Chills, and Sugary Sweetness

Rodarte never fails to charm me with its insistence on girlish whimsy and dangerous levels of sweetness- and the Mulleavy sisters have done it again- achieved a collection that is all at once fun, vibrant, frilly, and fantastical to capture every inch of the human imagination. While their latest collection is rife with Rodarte’s usual bows, ruffles, light pinks, and wispy lightness (physically and thematically), black leather (albeit ruffled and pleated and fun in its own right) provided a juxtaposing darkness to the looks that only served to uplift the bright, happy vibes of the rest of the collection.

Inspired by classic musicals and their leading ladies from the ’30s to the ’70s, this collection was nothing short of theatrical with its oversized shoulders, fresh, floral headpieces, logoed belts and earrings, and kitschy, clear plastic heels that remind me of something I might have slipped onto my Barbie’s unrealistically-dainty foot.

Come to think of it, this whole collection seems like a perfect choice to outfit a battalion of dolls, which is exactly the kind of fashion I love. Something unique and sweet that nobody would consider wearing out into the actual world. Well, maybe it’s time we make the world a better place with fashion choices that make us feel more alive.

Check out my favorite looks from the show below:

All images from Vogue.com

Runway September 15, 2018

Marc Jacobs Reminds Us of the Bizarre Nature of Modeling

Just a couple of nights ago, Marc Jacobs lit the fashion world ablaze with his newest Spring/Summer 2019 collection; a swirling pink, pastel fantasy that reminded me of benevolent circus clowns and cotton candy dreams.

While the collection itself was noteworthy for how good everyone thought it was (sure- it’s Marc Jacobs, of course everyone would be raving about it), it was also noteworthy for a few other reasons. One being that it started over an hour and a half late (hence all of the “Worth the Wait!!” headlines) and the other being that 35 models agreed to have their hair dyed to match their looks at the show. And I don’t mean temporary dye, or hair chalk, or wigs. I mean like full-on-hair-bleached-and-colored-by-salon-professionals dyed.

While that in and of itself is impressive and noteworthy on the hair stylists’ part, it also got me thinking about just how strange the profession of modeling really is. These models went through the lengthy process of dying their hair for one part of one night. Kay Smetsers, the model that closed out the night, bleached and dyed her hair for the show, only to admit later via social media that she would be returning to her usual brown the very next day.

Kay Smetsers, the model that closed the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2019 show, bleached and dyed her normally-brown hair just for this show. She admitted she would be dying it back to its usual color the very next day. Photo: vogue.com

And while dying the hair may be tough but not impossible to reverse in the course of a day, some models even agreed to have their hair buzzed for the show. Now that’s a change you’d think one might not take lightly, and yet, in the modeling industry, these sort of changes are just par for the course.

My introduction to the world of modeling came through the over-the-top, corny and addicting world of America’s Next Top Model- a show that gave contestants extreme makeovers to supposedly make them more marketable in the fashion industry. For me, the makeover episodes always tended to be the most entertaining, not only to see how the girls would look at the end, but because there was always at least one that would burst into tears as the stylist unapologetically sheared off their locks. When the dust settled, someone was always there to give the poor gal some tough love- this is how the industry is, sweety. Get used to it, or hit the road.

It seems that modeling is a profession largely devoid of bodily autonomy. Of course, one always has the choice to not take the job. But within any modeling job, the model and the model’s body act as a canvas to enact another person’s art and vision. While this attitude has enabled many gorgeous works of art to be shown to the world, it makes me think- how healthy is the lifestyle? Physically and psychologically- what happens when it feels as though your own body, the only thing that truly belongs to you, is largely under someone else’s control?

All that aside, this collection, while it didn’t totally woo me, had some great moments. Sequin pants, ’50s silhouettes, cute, candy-colored cardigans and insanely indulgent, ruffled-to-the-max dresses so sweet they’d give you a toothache- the designer gave us a saccharine show that didn’t take itself too seriously. And, although pastel hair has probably been way overdone at this point, I do appreciate Jacobs’ take, which aimed to show a more grown up, vintage-inspired version of the millennial hair trend.

Check out my favorite looks from the show below! Next up: London Fashion Week!

Images found on vogue.com.

Runway September 13, 2018

Rodarte Spring/Summer 2019 and the Fantasy of Fashion

If asked what kind of child I was, my mother would probably say “imaginative” or something similar, as I quite literally had more imaginary friends than real friends (and hey, I like to think I turned out alright!). While some parents may have seen this as a cause for alarm, my parents encouraged me to put my wellspring of creativity to good use. So, I became a writer.

I only started with that anecdote to help explain why I fell into fashion in the first place. It started with magazines and editorials. Although I am normally an avid reader of all sorts of media, I’ve never been one to actually sit and read the various articles in a magazine. I’ve always been drawn directly to the shoots and editorials, my eyes hungry and ready to feast on the visual splendor of the newest fashion collections.

This pastel, frilly frock played beautifully with the somber, eerie mood of a graveyard in the midst of a downpour. Photo: Vogue.com

Runway shows were the obvious next step in my progressively increasing addiction to the art of fashion. Sure, I love the practical collections that will be sold at all of the big department stores and online retailers, but it’s the artsy, non-practical stuff that leaves non-fashion people asking “who would wear that?” that really gets my blood pumping.

The Rodarte Spring/Summer 2019 ready to wear collection managed to stimulate my fantasy brain, plunging me into a vibrant world of absolute decadence and sensory overload. Sheer dresses, crocheted shifts, metal armbands, floaty veils, giant ruffled shoulders, frilly tiered dresses, embroidered capes- and all in a rainy graveyard? I mean, the location alone is enough to inspire daydreams for days to come. My story-seeking brain was groomed, pampered and fully slaked with this richly textured and vibrant collection. The unexpected rain even added to the drama of the event, as the sound of the rain accented the soundtrack and models had to more carefully maneuver their environment.

As Maya Singer so aptly wrote in her review of the collection for Vogue.com,

No one is better at provoking daydreams than Rodarte—it’s impossible to watch one of their shows without fantasizing about the kind of life these looks demand, a life of endless decadence and romance. You could see them as the ghosts of possible selves.

And I could really only ever hope that one of my possible selves could wear clothes this hauntingly beautiful.

Check out my favorite looks from this collection below:

All photos in the above gallery were found on Vogue.com. Featured photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images.

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Anna. Austin, TX. 23. Recent college grad with a love for fashion, sci-fi, and all things cute and cuddly.

I liked the title Editor-In-Chief, so instead of waiting for someone to give it to me, I gave it to myself!

I work as a marketer and copywriter at a tech startup and moonlight as a fashion blogger/magazine editor extraordinaire. This is my effort at carving a little piece of internet for myself and those who relate to me.

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Fashion. Forward-Thinking. Forever. | A Fashion Blog for the Modern Human in an Eclectic World

A fashion community/online publication excited about runway, style, beauty, poetry, film, literature, music, thrifting – an eclectic set of interests to express ourselves in the most holistic way possible.

We are constantly growing, changing, evolving, discovering, and learning, so the content we engage with should do the same.