Fashion

Holiday hunting

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I thought that it’d be fun to center my post on the age-old Mexican holiday – you know the one that’s not really a holiday rather an excuse to drink divine margaritas and unabashedly wear bright, brazen colors. (Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day – it’s actually on September 15th.) Ok, it’s actually the day that 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico. But that’s enough history for now.

So we do have something to celebrate. And yes, this faux holiday falls smack in the middle of what could be considered the fashion’s perfect season of cultural influences. Designers have given us a crop of sensational laces (think off-the-shoulder and sexy), brilliant patterns and bold, bright primary colors – all which suggest we’ll have more than enough to choose from when planning our party wardrobe for this upcoming weekend.

Hmm...Where should we begin? I’m thinking we’ll start with dresses and if this AKA New York mini in Turkish red is any indication, we’ll be the belles of the ball. I love the pattern – the geometric floral gives it a slightly vintage feel and the ruffled, off the shoulder neckline could not be any cuter. Looking for something with a little more coverage? Try this floor length number from J.Crew. I mentioned the patchwork in last week’s blog – well this is its sister in cherry red. Love the tired skirt.

Flowers in the hair you say? This might be a bit stereotypical but if you’re like me, a theme party is just not at theme party unless you dress the part. One of my good friends (an editorial hair and makeup artist) suggests blow drying your hair naturally, rolling it in Velcro’s and sweeping up one side. Place one of these anemone flower clips above the ear and you’re good to go. If this seems like a bit too much then there’s always the option of floral headbands or scarves to help complete your look.

Believe me, there are endless options for the taking. And though I’ll be wearing something along these lines, what I’m most concerned about is how to up the ante up on my margaritas. A while back I became slightly obsessed with the drink. I’m not sure if it was the summer heat (the frozen were perfection) or the tart combination, but I was hooked. And since then I’ve been on the quest for the perfect concoction. My latest, taken from Elle Décor May 2006, is the best so far. Here’s the recipe in case you’re tempted.

Buena Vista Margarita
4 medium dried chipolte peppers
4 tbsp of grenadine
¾ cup of sugar
Z Zest of one lime
6 oz. of fresh line juice
8 oz. of reposado tequila
4 oz. cointreau
4 oz. strawberry puree
2 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

Combine peppers, grenadine and ½ c. sugar with a cup of water and simmer for 20 min. Remove from heat, let cool, then strain mixture. Stir together the remaining sugar and lime zest. Rub rims of cocktail glasses with lime, then dip into sugar/zest mixture. Combine the remaining ingredients with 2 oz. of chipolte syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into glasses. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

Musings

I'm in tizzy over the new collection for Helmut Lang. Barneys Co-Op recently re-launched the line-which is under new design direction-along with Shopbop.com. The collection, which includes tank dresses in semi-see through cotton, skinny pants with detailed seems and deconstructed jackets made out of crinkly fabric, oozes a pristine, modern simplicity which is both wearable and fashion-forward.

The history behind Helmut Lang-who's known in fashion circles to be an enigma of sorts-is long and drawn out. During his heyday-when he helmed his namesake line-reverent insiders applauded him. Customers who desired a muted aesthetic chock full of black, grey and white, were loyal along with top international editors and buyers.

Then in January 2005 things changed. Lang sold his label to Prada, who then dismantled the brand and sold it to a Tokyo-based company who also owns the fashion brand Theory. Lang resigned a few months after this purchase and the line fell into the hands of Michael and Nicole Colovos, founders of the denim line Habitual. The reason for this new direction? It's an attempt at making the line more accessible and the price-point more affordable.

Loyalists might cower at the thought of the typically straight leg jeans being altered to fit a more curvaceous woman but it makes sense, as today's consumer isn't necessarily a size 2. Add in the changes in cut and style and you've got clothing that now fits perfectly into the contemporary category. It's an obvious evolution.

So while this collection draws upon Lang's earlier designs it also incorporates modern, sellable features. Minimalism and the extreme attention to detail is still a major feature, but with a nod to today's consumers, it's now incorporated in a way that speaks to a wider audience.