Paris Fashion Week FW 2012 Part I: The Everyday Masters - Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, Celine and More

Isabel Marant. Just a lot of great, wearable, everyday separates. All images from nymag.com

Finally, Paris Fashion Week post... Paris Fashion Week actually concluded a week ago, but I usually find that by the time Fashion Month concludes, I'm a little fashioned-out. Good thing Paris is always the grand finale though; so many amazing designers, extravagant shows and set design and gorgeous clothes. It's definitely my favorite week, followed by New York. I realized that I had saved so many pictures that I have to divide into two posts, the first being the more casual everyday designers, to be followed by the fantasy designers (including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Lanvin and more). As for a few themes, Western (Isabel Marant, Hermes), leather (Celine, Isabel Marant). Overall, lots of chic, wearable clothes. All images from nymag.com

Isabel Marant. She just has a way of designing clothes that aren't particularly "trend" driven that look effortlessly cool.

Isabel Marant. I love the flirty ruffled dresses and cropped suede laced pants. Silhouettes she's done in the past, but I love them anyway

Isabel Marant. Easy to wear dresses

Celine. I really like what Phoebe Philo has done with Celine this season. A bit minimalist, but cool clean lines, especially with the use of leather

Celine

Stella McCartney. Perenially one of my favorite designers. I like the use of color and use of patterns and short skirts this season

Stella McCartney

Haider Ackermann. I first took notice of him last season and I just love the way he drapes and tailors.

Hermes. Also very Western

Balenciaga

Pretty Christian Dior

Balmain. His astronomical prices are definitely in "fantasy designer" league, but the clothes have a casual coolness to them

Isabel Marant: Birds of a Feather

Isabel Marant Wolvi Tunic / Dress from her FW 2011 Navajo-inspired collection

My other Isabel Marant sample sale purchase: a floaty oversized slightly diaphanous feather print linen tunic dress, perfect for these sun-dappled warm late winter days (and being 6 months pregnant). We're headed to a cocktail party tonight so it's a perfect excuse to dress it up a bit. Can't decide whether to go with these flat tall boots from Spain or the platform Opening Ceremony short booties; I always feel so short in flat shoes...

Marni for H&M Purchases (Without Even Leaving the House)

Sunglasses and one of the two chunky white bracelets. Featuring Liu Wen, one of my favorite models. Image from fashionista.com

Update: purchases here. My wonderful friend JK made it to the H&M store in San Francisco at a chilly and dark 5:45am (about person #100 in line) and managed to pick up the Marni x H&M pieces for me that I was most coveting, which were primarily the accessories, all of which were featured in my initial post on the collaboration. She snagged the white flower necklace, a pair of white chunky bracelets, the sunglasses, and the cute embroidered flower bunny tshirt (bonus on the tshirt: 25% of proceeds go to the Red Cross disaster relief in Japan) for me and some items for herself. I won't repeat the lookbook images since I already posted them before but here are some dreamy LA-ish campaign stills of all the purchases except for the tshirt. She was part of the 10am slot and reported that the launch proceeded quite orderly and smoothly at the store (a contrast to my frenzied Lanvin x H&M experience). The first items to go were the maxi dresses and sleeveless dresses, as well as some of the short sleeved coats. I gotta say, these H&M collaborations are the best; I think they are really well done from the marketing / ad campaigns, to the design and details. I've managed to get pieces from every designer collaboration since Lanvin (will probably always be my absolute favorite), including Versace (despite being out of the country for the launch) and Swedish Hasbeens. Swedish Hasbeens was probably the least hyped and insane, but I pretty much exclusively wore my wooden clogs all summer last summer and plan to again this summer. I probably would have gone to the Marni launch if they had released it in Century City like with Lanvin and Versace, but my closest store was Beverly Center, which is definitely a hassle for me. So excited, thanks JK!!! Stay updated for more pics...

White flower necklace plus the other of the two white chunky bracelets. Image from fashionista.com

A sneak peek at what's to come...

Animal Print on Patrol

Kate Spade Cape Mountain Stevie Baby Bag. Image from Kate Spade

The Kate Spade Cape Mountain Stevie Baby Bag from the ongoing Kate Spade Sample Sale online (hurry, today is the last day!): it's not quite the same as the zebra print Jerome Dreyfuss Twee calf hair bag that I was obsessed with last week at the Isabel Marant / Jerome Dreyfuss sample sale, but a heck of a lot more practical. Definitely satisfies my animal print craving. I wasn't planning on splurging on a fancy bag, just using the practical Lululemon Triumphant Tote for my everyday needs, but I'm really excited to have a fun bag with a bold statement print for different occasions, especially at sample sale prices. Thanks Mom! On a similar shopping note, H&M x Marni collaboration launches tomorrow, but I'm afraid I'm going to skip it lest I be tempted as my shopping budget has been maxed out with all my latest Isabel Marant and Mary Katrantzou splurges.

Jerome Dreyfuss Twee bag

Saturday Night Isabel Marant

Isabel Marant Jacket, Etoile Isabel Marant tunic dress, Uniqlo tights, Lanvin x H&M necklace, Opening Ceremony boots

In order to maximize my cost-to-wear ratio, I try to wear new purchases as soon as possible. I went to a dance concert at my old high school Saturday night, so I wore my new Etoile Isabel Marant Zakina Tunic that I bought the previous day from the sample sale, paired with a charcoal Isabel Marant jacket that I got from the summer's sample sale. I bought the tunic in a size up from my regular size so it definitely drapes a little looser on me than on the mannequin, but I think that's what makes it more wearable as a dress and not just a top. Though I didn't have much choice either; that's the issue with sample sales, it's often hard to find the exact size. Everything I got happened to be a size bigger than my normal size, but I think it's ok given the shapes, plus I can wear it right away at 6 mos pregnant. An easy outfit without a lot of effort; that's why I like Isabel Marant so much!

Super comfortable; I like the sweatshirt like details on the cuffs and neck, livened up with a little pattern and color

Let It Snow: Blockheads Shavery Review

Lest you think that all I am obsessed about is fashion, I wanted to share my other obsession of the week: I can't stop thinking about this shaved ice dessert that I had on Thursday at Blockheads on Sawtelle. Forget Pinkberry / Yogurtland, Sweet Rose Creamery, cupcakes, this is the dessert I'm craving now. It's a creamy version of shaved ice, not like the icy crystaly versions that I normally have on Yongkang Street in Taiwan and the San Gabriel Valley / Arcadia. It has this amazingly smooth and creamy texture that melts in your mouth without being watery. It's made with milk and sugar so definitely not as healthy as regular shaved ice, and also comes in flavors including strawberry and black sesame. We shared the green tea small version (3.50) topped with red bean and grass jelly (50c each) and mango purée (free). The quality of the toppings are really good, tastier and fresher than yogurtland or pink berry. The perfect dessert for two after a rich porky bowl of ramen at Tsujita around the corner in the same complex. I can't stop thinking about it, will have to convince K to take me today which shouldn't be too hard since its already in the 80's in Santa Monica.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mary Katrantzou for Topshop Newgen T-shirt, purple Uniqlo cords and Frye boots

Yay for: 75 degree Santa Monica weather, healthy breakfast on the patio by the pool, and the arrival of my Mary Katrantzou for Topshop Newgen T! I am really happy with the tshirt; the print and colors are vibrant and beautiful (it is polyester, but I don't think the digital print would pop as much if it were on cotton), I like the little rolled sleeves that differentiate it just a tad from the run of the mill tshirt, and the fit works for me (not too tight, not too sloppy), although perhaps I would prefer it just a tad longer since I just happen to like my tshirts really long. The Mary Katrantzou signature print is perfect for the start of spring; floral prints are everywhere this season. I prefer the print of this tshirt to the floral print on the shirt that's part of the broader Mary Katrantzou / Topshop collection. Between my new Mary Katrantzou x Topshop tunic dress and this Newgen tshirt, I am fully ready to embrace spring. Thanks to the great personal shoppers at the Chicago Topshop, the shirt arrived within a week of my order. It's been periodically popping back up on the Topshop website, so it's worth checking back often (just be prepared to wait 2 weeks for it to get to the states).

For a great insight into Mary Katrantzou's work, check out this lovely New York Times video interview between Mary and Suzy Menkes. I really like it; Mary seems like a genuinely likeable person from the video in addition to an extraordinarily unique creative talent. I really think she has an amazing future ahead of her in the industry.

Spring + a Mary Katrantzou field of flowers: perfection!