In just a few days, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will bring top designers together to show their 2012 collections and awe us all over again. While it’s hard to keep up with every designer featured, there are a few that really stand out. There are the classic designers, the trendsetters and the newcomers, each with their own beautiful styles that affect the fashion world around us. There are so many designers coming to Fashion Week…

…here are the ones whose collections I’m most looking forward to seeing:

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Last week, I encountered a situation that every college student has (or will) at one time or another: I accidentally signed up for a credit card. When the (sneaky) sales girl at Nordstrom asked if I’d like to sign up for a rewards card, I cheerfully yelped, “Sure!” I thought this card MUST be similar to my (now defunct) Blockbuster rewards card, which wasn’t actually used for purchasing, but gave me points to earn free popcorn instead.

I was wrong.

Miss Nordstrom had swindled me into signing up for the real deal. Luckily, I only charged a good $110 to my new card (that’s sarcasm), however, in an effort to ensure that I never get myself into this kind of debt debacle again, I decided to stick to buying from people who understand what it means to be a struggling artist (er, writer, whatevs). So, I turned to the online shopping portal Etsy – my favorite place to spend time (& cash) on the internet.

For those of you who have been living under a rock (or without an internet connection or penchant for online purchasing), here’s some quick Etsy 411:

“Etsy is a website that provides the general public with a way to buy and sell handmade items as well as vintage items and craft supplies.” (Thanks, Wikipedia!) Basically, the site is chock full of handmade/eccentric goodies – from vintage handbags to hand sewn dresses, created by regular people like you (or the craftier version of you). A lot of the designers on Etsy keep it eco-friendly, too, which def gets a thumbs up from me.

But, if you’re a first time Etsy-peruser, it can be a little intimidating. So I’m here to break it down for you & showcase five of my favorite E-fashionistas. I found five sites that not only offer swoon-worthy threads, but are safe for your wallet (or Mom’s Visa bill). Read More »

Much like my relationship with pie (love the pie…hate the 3 hours I spend in the gym after eating it), I am experiencing a bit of a love/hate with Irina. On the one hand, she’s a Jew (and a proud one, flaunting it in all its blingin’ glory) and we Jews gotta stick together. If we don’t support our own people, who will?

And homegirl sure knows how to make a faux fur vest. That thing was gorgeous. Although I might be biased considering it was a blustery 38 degrees and rainy when I got home last night. But, still, I wanted to make Irina my new BFF and cozy up inside that vest until April. Or, in the Midwest, July.

But, and there’s always a but, Irina is a big, fat bitch. She’s arrogant, she’s mean, she’s judgmental….and just like 40% of the girls in my high school. The girls I gave the finger to as I pulled out of the parking lot that last day and swore never to see again. The girls who pretend to be confident only to cover up some raging insecurity. Perhaps Irina hates the annoying way she talks? Or she was on the flag team in high school and never got over it?

I don’t know, but she’s a cold-hearted snake.

Although, I guess you can’t totally fault this girl for the things she says. She’s kinda like Kanye (minus the whole Hennessey thing); she is simply saying what everyone else is thinking. And maybe if she was a bit wittier in her insults (a la Michael Kors) we wouldn’t care who she was talking smack about.

And we all know there is plenty of smack to be talked with some of these designers. Read More »

The list of the 25 Best Colleges is out. Is your school on it?

Gwen Stefani: Mama 2.0 Even Olympians get sexiled.

The 10 most popular over-done tattoos.

Worst baby names of all time.

MTV promotes eating disorders.

You are invited to Miley Cyrus’s Sweet 16!

It is a sad world when the only place women are in control is on some crappy reality show. On Fox.

Forever 21 is ruining society as we know it.

Fashion designers hate fat people women over a size 6.

This makes us laugh.

Should these really be considered Olympic sports?

Jessica Simpson, Lauren Conrad, Justin Timberlake, Jes Whats-her-name from Rock of Love, Tila Tequila. What do all these people have in common besides pretty faces? Clothing lines of course!

It seems that every star and pseudo-star is coming out with more stuff for us to buy. You know you want to smell like Britney Spears (booze and cigarettes?) and of course we all need some Lauren Conrad boots. You can even buy Jessica Simpson hair extensions.

Every single celeb has something to sell, and we need to stop them. Immediately. Half the ladies from Rock of Love seem to be announcing clothing line launches. Mia and Jes have ties in Chii Clothing Culture which consists of cheesy t-shirts and hoodies. Nothing very interesting, but certainly helping extend their fifteen minutes of fame.

Jessica Simpson’s clothing line “Sweet Kisses” is exactly what is sounds like. Whore clothes for nice girls. Please don’t let your daughters leave the house wearing this stuff. Unless you are Joe Simpson, then you may use your daughter for your financial gain as much as you please.

Lauren Conrad’s line consists of what I like to refer to as “the bag dress,” and cheaply made scarves and shawls. These things aren’t exactly bargains, although maybe in Lauren Conrad’s world they are. You can also buy 45 dollar leggings. I wonder how long LC had to study in design school to create black leggings. Ugh, my contempt grows. Read More »

Vera Wang is joining the ranks of celeb designers who create clothing for the common folk. Somehow, I am a bit surprised by this announcement. Sure, we are all used to Isaac for Target or SJP for Steve and Barry’s, but Vera Wang for Kohls? That’s like Prada creating a ready wear line for WalMart.

The New York Times reports Wang’s line will be available in September for cut-rate prices. This will serve as a rebirth of sorts for Kohls.

“Kohl’s intends to make Ms. Wang the public face of its reinvention. For her part, Ms. Wang says that her relationship with Kohl’s is more than a marriage of convenience. Like many successful entrepreneurs before her, she has reached a crossroads: her business has grown so rapidly and in so many directions that she lacks the resources — especially cash — to keep expanding it on her own.”

So, basically, nowadays, you almost have to create an inexpensive line that sells to the masses in order to survive as a designer. I guess that works to our benefit in the long run.

Will it be a success or not? Only two months till we find out.

Every year, every season, fashion seems to be pretty particular. Kind of like the bitty old women who order their salads with extra tomato, hold the croutons, dressing on the side, and please use ONLY romaine lettuce– fashion trends the past few years have been distinct and particular.

Skinny jeans, vests, bubble dresses and wedges were seen in the collections of every designer from Marc Jacobs to Miu Miu to the guest designers for Target. I always like the idea of being told what’s “in.” My eye gets used to the new styles quickly and I felt sooo like LiLo (Lindsay Lohan) this year in my skinny jeans, skull tops and black nail polish.

So what gives now? Clearly the fashion geniuses of the world have been slacking/ not collaborating/ doing too many drugs to have any sort of open communication. Or maybe they decided to throw the ways of uniformity out the window and let originality take over, but either way, I for one am confused! It’s a smorgasbord of fashion out there and anything goes. Super-skinny, super wide, low rise, high-waisted (um, helllllo camel toe), big and printed shirts like the ones my grandma rocks when she goes to get her hair done, or form fitted and boyish (have you seen this springs Gap collection? boy scouts anyone?) Fashion this season is more fickle then I am at an ice-cream store (and trust me I am FI-CKLE). Read More »

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn received a rude awakening in L.A. at auditions for the next season of Project Runway, scheduled to premiere this summer. According to TMZ.com, the turnout was a record low and producers were “scrambling” to contact more up and coming designers to audition.

For some reason, I was surprised by this mainly because of the popularity and success of the show. I figured that any schmuck who could sew a button onto a jacket would fight for a chance to be Tim Gunn’s next prodigy.

So, what I’m trying to say is that if you have an ounce of designing talent in you…Go to the next audition! If they’re running low and trying to scrounge up people, you have that much better of a chance. I did a little research into when and where the next open call auditions are taking place…

Miami: April 5

New York City: April 7-9

Check out bravotv.com for more information

Sound like a long shot? In my opinion, if Santino was able to make it onto the last season, then I think it’s possible for just about anyone!