A Diva State of Mind

Designer Derek Lam has partnered with eBay to create an exclusive collection for the online marketplace.   He designed an assortment of iconic dresses he envisioned for every woman’s wardrobe.  In order to create the five dresses for the exclusive limited-edition collection, Lam allowed customers to vote online for the five winning looks. According to Lam,

“Having a direct and immediate dialogue with the online audience is what makes fashion exciting and relevant in this moment. eBay’s technology offers me a unique and innovative opportunity to reach new and existing customers directly and to create fashion they desire”

The limited edition collection is currently available at http://dereklam.ebay.com Check out the five looks below:

The Black Tie Evening Dress

The Boho Dress

The Sun Dress

The Shift Dress

The Chemise Dress

If the limited edition Derek Lam + eBay collection is successful on the site, I would not be surprised if we begin to see other designers partner with eBay. We’ve already seen a number of designers join forces with mainstream retailers like Macys, Target and Kohls via less expensive collections (i.e. Rachel Rachel Ray, Simply Vera Vera Wang) in order to expand their consumer base.  I’m glad to see more high end designers joining forces with a variety of retailers, making their designs more accessible for fashionistas like you and me!

What do you think about the Derek Lam dresses? Are there any designers you’d like to see partner with eBay?

April is a few days away which means it’s time for us to all make sure our wardrobe is ready for the new season!

With so many trends this season, it’s hard to keep up! So to help you look your best, I compiled a list of the most popular trends you’ll want to incorporate into your wardrobe. And what’s nice about these trends is that they won’t ever go out of style!

Trouser Jeans

Derek Lam Trouser Jeans

Every woman should own a pair of trouser jeans. They are classic and very flattering, elongating the leg of any woman who wears them.  They are a great options for casual Friday work days.

Nude Pumps

Source: Caro Marketing

One of my favorite trends of the season. Nude pumps come in multiple shades and also elongate the leg of women who wear them.  Because they are neutral, they look great with any color; pair them with rich colors like coral, red, purple and navy for a nice contrast.

Bold Colors

Source: Clothes R Us Source: Modern Frame Productions

Source: Modern Frame Productions

Don’t worry, you don’t have to wear a bold color from head to toe. Instead incorporate bright colors into your wardrobe by wearing a bright top with neutral pants/skirt or use accessories (scarves, bracelets, rings, handbags) to add a pop of color.

Prints

Contrary to many beliefs, you can mix prints!! The key is to keep one constant color between the two prints and one print should be more dominant than the other.

Wedges

Wedges this year seem to be a lot more popular than past seasons. They are available in a variety of colors, fabrics and height. Wedges look great with full skirts and shorts.

Lace

Expect to see lace dresses and skirts this season (I saw one at The Limited this past weekend) in multiple colors.  Lace adds femininity and sex appeal without being over the top. Lace is a great alternative to wearing satin dresses for evening. 

Jumpsuits

Source: Fashion Access

Jumpsuits are another trend this season that add verticality to the women who wear them. They are a great alternative to dresses for day and especially an evening event (an all black jumpsuit with heels and fabulous accessories screams “CHIC”).

Full Skirts

Source: The Shoe Freak

Full skirts take A-line skirts to the next level! They are fun and flirty and are available in a varity of clothers and patterns for a variety of occassions. Remember, A-line skirts should help balance out a women’s proportion; if she is bottom heavy they slim a woman’s hips and if you’re aren’t bottom heavy they add flattering volume (not the same as bulk).

Peasant Tops

Source: The Shoe Freak

70s style is back this season so you can expect to see lots of peasant tops.  They will look great with trouser jeans, linen pants or shorts this season with wedges.

Do you need to update your wardrobe? Check out the Personal Styling Page to learn more about the personal styling services offered by A Diva State of Mind and to book an appointment today!

I woke up this morning to my twitter timeline going crazy over the Derek Lam runway show.  Derek Lam took looking effortless to a whole new level with his new Fall 2011 collection.  He played with length, color and the fall trend of layering. Most looks focused on elongating the woman that wears each piece.  For example, he paired leather pants with a tunic length sweater and shorter poncho. This look not only plays on layering various pieces, but will work to make the woman wearing the look taller.

The collection featured wide leg pants, knee length dress coats (a trend for Fall 2011) and ended with gorgeous floor length gowns. Leather and fur in various colors were seen throughout the collection as well, a trend that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon

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Pictures provided by www.wwd.com