Love, a Prabal Gurung creation

It is that day today. The day when one of the two busiest periods in fashion begins. In expectation for the collections to be revealed later today and in an attempt to quiet my very excited inner voices, what better to do than scour the Internet for something to pass the time? And, thankfully, to find a surprisingly romantic and freshly out of the oven ad for Prabal Gurung's collaboration with Target, debuting in stores February 10th. An ad which I would like to share also with you guys, because I don't want to keep the goodies to myself :)

I thus give you... LOVE :)

The fashion weeks are coming

Yes, they are finally here - fashion weeks galore, starting tomorrow in New York.

Over the next month, we will be treated with the best the fashion world has to offer on a daily basis. We'll be waiting and watching, alternatively pining and dissing, we will love some things, we will hate others, we will be surprised and bored, excited and under-whelmed. Regardless of what our thoughts will be, though, we will be entertained and literally bombarded with photos, we will uncover the trends for this fall and winter in beauty and fashion and get a sneak peek into what we can expect to see in stores in just a few months.

It's going to be a busy, busy month, and I will be here to share with you my favourite looks and collections... Counting the minutes :)

Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, a very private affair

Haute couture shows used to be a private affair. A very private affair. Now, they are becoming increasingly democratized (as proved by the live transmissions of the Dior, Valentino and Elie Saab shows in Paris a few weeks back), just like so many other aspects of the fashion world. All the more reason for private affairs to excite our enthusiasm and tug at our curiosity. Much like the shows that Tom Ford has been staging for the past few seasons, which let no photographer or camera share a glimpse of the collections to the outside world until the designer himself is ready to unveil them. Following a similar suit, Dolce & Gabbana last week presented their second ever Alta Moda collection to a select audience and it took days for photos to leak out. Some photos, because for the rest, we just have to guess.

From what we've seen, as profane outsiders that we are, the collection was a reinterpretation of all things Italian in classic Dolce & Gabbana style with a bit more flair for the elegant and extravagant. Insiders report and the photos seem to confirm that the collection was a vision of virginal whites, a combination of chastity and sensuality that only the true Sicilian beauties can pull off with such aplomb.

The cherry on top of the cake was, undoubtedly, the final bridal look - a gown of delicately ornate golden lace, complete with a crown and a veil. For reasons beyond any rational explanations my mind has been able to conjure up, this style stuck with me - perhaps for its madonna quality, perhaps for its obvious references to the power of the Church and regality in older days, perhaps for the pose of tranquility the model evoked.

It's amazing how just three simple images can evoke such strong feelings in a simple human. But this is me, a mere human, humbled and awed by the quality of the details and the craftsmanship, as well as the creative talent of these two designers.

Zara, my not-so-secret supplier of shoes

My name is Ena and I am a Zara-aholic. I have been addicted to the brand for the past 12 years, ever since I was 14 and preparing to go to high school and I discovered the shop in Paris in the summer before. I remember that, at the time, my budget was not particularly impressive and Zara was a little bit on the high-end of my possibilities, but it was one store which made the looks and trends I was pining for a little bit more available. 

Since then, I've entered many a Zara stores in many countries and bought many things, big or small, that have earned me compliments and brought many smiles to my face. But one thing I have always relied on Zara for have been shoes - yes, I know that shoes are an investment and I completely agree that you should have the major styles you need (an elegant pump, a good pair of winter boots, a delicate sandal) in the best quality you can afford. But what about diversity? Or those trends that you know will not make it to the next season? Is this really worth spending hundreds of euros when you can usually get something nice for under EUR 100? Of course not! 

So the answer is Zara, and even more so because they offer good quality for the price I pay. I've had flats from Zara that I've worn for seasons before they completely fell apart, I've had evening shoes that got me through many an important occasion over the years, I've had shoes that have taken me to some of the most important moments of my life (my prom night, my first job interview, my graduation from university and even my first date with my husband). I've even had shoes over which women with much more generous budget swooned over.

Forgive this long introduction, but you have to understand a little bit where I am coming from in order to get any kind of realistic appreciation for my excitement at Zara releasing the first photos of its new spring/ summer 2013 collection. Disclaimer - it does not make my top ten, but it doesn't mean that I haven't found a couple of models that will undoubtedly join their friends in the closet the moment they hit stores :)

Main trends? 

Not surprising, the hidden platform sneakers are still a hit. While I have, so far, been a little bit against this trend, for no other reason apart from the fact that I believe that a sneaker is a sneaker and a high-heel should be a high-heel (yes, call me a traditionalist), I have to say this blue version is kind of growing on me. I think it's the colour that could just turn me yet :)

The high heels are as diverse as the trends for the new season. From stiletto heels (interpreted very interestingly with a mix of materials) to ultra-high thick and curved heels, the new collection has something for everybody. 

A pleasant surprise are the several mid-heel options available. These make for a very classy look with a retro feel and will, I believe, be an interesting option for comfortable workwear. 

A nice addition are also the cage-sandals, available in a bold leopard print - if you're going for edgy and high fashion, why not go all the way?

'In a holiday mood'board

Planning for and dreaming of... 

• long days with little to do
• sun and fun and beach and laughter
• freedom and a feeling of lightness
• traveling to somewhere new to rediscover the beauty of life 
• time to think, to dream, to love

Shoe vitamin LouBi

Since we are on the topic of shoes today, I would not have been able to forgive myself had I not shared these fun, colourful and, truthfully, very energizing window displays that Louboutin has debuted in store all across the world. In a true creative burst that I hate not seeing more often, the shoemaker extraordinaire designed the world's first shoe-pharmacy: giant pills of happiness with red soles :)

The giant packs of vitamins are, without a doubt, just what the doctor ordered for the under-the-weather feeling washing over me this winter month. Entitled Vitamin LouBi, the visitor to the store is advised that, for best results, the remedy should be taken daily, and always in pairs. Now, if only these vitamins would be covered by health insurance... :)

Shoe of the week - Manolo Blahnik

Sure, anyone who's ever watched 'Sex and the City', which would comprise more or less every woman of my acquaintance, knows about Manolo Blahnik. Some of them undoubtedly eat, sleep and dream Manolo Blahnik. 'Cus that's just the kind of guy he is, and his special gift is to make shoes over which you coo and woo and forget to eat and sleep. And while all his collections have at least one pair I imagine not living without (even if I do usually surprise myself by actually managing to live without, somehow), the model I'll be talking about today is even better - if that were even possible.

The shoe of the week is, this time, this beautiful strappy sandal by Manolo Blahnik for Antonio Berardi's Spring Summer 2013 collection. This is one of those shoes that, when I first saw them, I was speechless, and my mind murmured 'perfection' in a awed little voice. Yes, they are my definition of perfect. They combine it all - they have a creative twist of modernity, yet they are classic and low-key enough to be able to be worn with just about anything in my wardrobe; they are sexy and a little bit edgy, yet with clean lines enough to be worn during the day; they can switch easily from work to an evening out; the colours they were available in on the runway were the perfect neutrals; and, more important, they really don't look too uncomfortable... All in all, this seem like one investment that would pay off for itself in sheer pleasure over time :)

Guilty fashion pleasure of the day - Lana for Moja.ro

If you're Romanian, you know about Săpânţa. If you have Romanian friends, you really need to ask them. If you are neither Romanian, nor have Romanian friends... well, first of all, it's a shame :) And second, you can find out more about it on the New York Times. Or from clothes :) 

Namely from Lana for Moja.ro, a capsule collection of dresses, jackets, tights and clutches with clean, minimal cuts, but prints that make a stunning statement. In fact, all the pieces feature key images from the crosses at Săpânţa, from a tractor to one woman working over her sewing machine or another being hit by a car. Don't worry if it sounds weird, or deranged, or plain awful. I assure it's none of these things, except a great sense of humor when it comes to clothes and a wonderful interpretation of traditional Romania. 

The entire collection is available on Moja, or, if you are interested in seeing more of Lana's talents in action, on her Facebook page.

The clean colours of Stella McCartney's Spring Summer 2013 campaign

Don't you just love it when there is that wonderful chemistry between a brand and a person? When the image and the message just go together and it all clicks? And when they realize it too, so they keep on it, creating a meaningful relationship and a cast of other beautiful things? Because I know I do. 

Just as I love Natalia Vodianova (love, love, love, in fact) and Stella McCartney (maybe with the exception of the one-before-last collection of her, which I failed miserably to understand). And so, naturally, I love the new Stella McCartney spring summer 2013 campaign, featuring the above-mentioned Russian beauty in big-eyed girl poses shot by Mart&Mercus. 

Stella McCartney’s Spring Summer 13 collection was all freshness and lightness, thanks to modern fabrics, oversized shirts and T-shirt dresses and clean, curved lines. The colour palette encompassed clean whites, sharp citrus shades and vibrant apple green. It's no surprise, then, that the campaign ads are fresh and clean with a certain doll-liked quality and no artifices - it's the clothes that take center stage and they are as straightforward as their maker. A campaign that very much reminds me of an older time of ads, some 15 to 20 years ago, when I would admire these cool, distant women like the Barbies of my playhouse in the few foreign fashion magazines that made their way here. A beautiful walk down memory lane and a just as beautiful proposal for the future warm season.