I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!

OMG- I HAVE SOOO MUCH TO SHARE WITH YOU!!!!
It's Fashion Week in NYC so LOTS of fashion/lifestyle news is floating in the air.....
Unfortunately, a cold prevented me from taking advantage of front row seats to the Tadashi Shoji show this afternoon (I couldn't bear to sit though a show with a snot rag and watery eyes...) but I'm definitely all about keeping up with the 'goings ons' for us all!  
Let's get down to business...

First order of business is to let you know that even if you missed Manolo's huge blowout bi-annual sale at the Warwick Hotel in NYC this past November like I did, you may still have a chance to grab a pair for a few hundred bucks (discounts are around 75% off!).    The sale at the NYC boutique began earlier this week with prices from $195-$350 but if you're willing to wait it out and risk not having a  wide selection to choose from OR if you have an 'unconventional shoe size' ( i.e. 5/6 or 10/11) where you're pretty much guaranteed a wider selection, you can probably get them discounted further as the week winds down (the sale should run though this week/weekend at least). 
Manolo Blahnik
31 West 54th Street
Abby: 212-582-3007
Monday-Friday 10:30AM-6PM
The boutique will close from 2pm to 3pm to restock when necessary


50% off of Lanvin/H&M Collection!!!
You heard it right....
All of those returns are now HALF OFF- IF you can find them!   In NYC, some of the collection on sale were found in the Soho store and in LA, some of the 50% off Lanvin pieces  were spotted at the Americana, Westside Pav, Century City, and Topanga stores.

In other H&M News, did you know that FLOTUS wore a $34.95 polka dot H&M dress on the Today show yesterday morning?!?  See...she knows what's up!!!! See her in the dress above.... She's rocking it!!!  Watch and mark my words that she will be seen in more H&M as time goes on.... Maybe she'll rock something from their new 'Glamour' collection?!? Check out some of my picks from that collection below:

Of course I can't give H&M all of this attention without shouting out my other 'low brow price with high brow functionality' store....Forever 21.   Following the likes of  H&M, Target, Kohls, Walmart, etc, Forever 21 has entered into the "Collabo" zone .  Last year they commissioned a collection from designer Brian Lichtenberg and now they are currently debuting their line with Petro Zillia.  Designer Rory Beca's line follows on March 4th.  These lines will be priced from under $6 to less than $35  (compared to the $100 plus price tag that each of these designers normally command).    I'll post some photos of my picks as soon as possible (I haven't yet fallen in love with any of the pieces I've seen so far....).

I do recommend the following Forever21 pieces from their regular line as compliments to your spring wardrobe (and to take advantage of the 'coral'/'turquoise'/'maxi dress' trends without breaking the bank):

the 'gold' may  eventually 'turn' green on you but for $8.80, you can certainly afford to rock this at least once!

You might get more longevity out of this 'silver' version ;-)





This dress combines both the floral and maxi trends for spring- all for one low price of $27.80! I love that it looks so Vintage!  Soooo cute with a wide-brim, floppy hat & flats!

Rounding out my 'collabo' convo from above, do you know that David's Bridals has snagged VERA WANG???? Yes- you heard me! Vera has completed a line of Vera Wang wedding gowns exclusive to David's Bridal debuting this Spring!!! All of the dresses are under $1500 (and I have to tell you that some of her gowns from her regular line sell for upwards of $12,000!) and are being offered in sizes 0- 30 so as Oprah would say, "Vera for EVERY BRIDE!"!   I really love a few of these pieces  and I TOTALLY would have snagged that strapless blush one for my wedding- HANDS DOWN - and saved about $3000 in the process (esp. since my dress did have a blush bottom...but I do  love my dress!).

Here are some photos but I suggest you visit the link to get a better view (these pix don't do the dresses justice):

http://www.davidsbridal.com/Browse_White-by-Vera-Wang?cm_mmc_o=7BBTkwCjCKPj8tbfw+PY+ewyz+8zETCjC8e8+PyzEpCjCMwyz+czET+pzMbp%27l+_ybpzk&gclid=CLTV4ILa3aYCFQkf4Qod0AvU0w

 In other designer news,
Brian Atwood will soon be launching a lower priced line that will sell between $100 and $600.  This makes me sooo happy because I LOVE  his shoes but can't bring myself to buy them at their full price of $600-$800 (note that I did snag a pair on sale at Saks before so it's not impossible to get a pair from the signature main line for less than $500).  The line is called "B Brian Atwood" and will be sold at Saks, Barneys Co-Op, Fred Segal, and Shopbop.com.  According to Atwood, the line was specifically designed "to be more downtown, and less red carpet, but of course you’ll have high heels because that’s what people associate with me".  Check out a couple
of the shoes here... LOVE LOVE LOVE!



For those of you who follow stylist Rachel Zoe, you'd know that Brian Atwood is one of her FAVORITE- if not THE favorite- shoe designers.  He actually designed a boot for her- made to her specific specifications!

Well, Zoe now has her own fashion line and the initial collection didn't move me but I must say that a few of her Spring 2011 designs caught my eye.... I love the 70s 'YSL' look to her suits (with the wide legged pants that Celeb Stylist Pam Watson recommended to us a few weeks back and the 'Le Smoking' type jackets that  Mr. Yves Saint Laurent himself made so famous ).  Zoe describes her line as  "uptown chic and downtown cool infused with Parisian elegance and London street style,"    Check out my picks here:

Lastly on the fashion front, you know I can't help but troll the Internet to see what's new and what wets my whistle..... Here is a small sampling of both my 'hi' and 'lo' obsessions of the week!