Burda Style For people who sew

I’ve always had a bit of a love affair with the 70’s. Led Zeppelin, flared jeans, platform shoes – as a matter of fact I am a) listening to Led Zeppelin and b) wearing both flared jeans and ridiculously (ie: dangerously) high platform boots as I write this piece, and it doesn’t seem that I’m the only one who’s smitten. American designers including Marc Jacobs and Tory Burch expressed their love for the decade in recent Fall 2011 runway shows and as an avid 70’s enthusiast I couldn’t be more excited.

Last Friday for my weekly roundup of all things cool, crafty and fashionable I added a link to designer Iris van Herpen’s “Escapism Couture” collection which she debuted at Paris Couture Week back in January. I thought van Herpen’s collection was too amazing to just be a link, so I decided to dig deeper and share with you a little bit more about van Herpen and her amazing 3D printed couture creations. Learn more after the jump!

(Photo courtesy of danielwidrig.com.)

There’s a great story about socialite Nan Kempner who, after being told she could not enter the chic La Cote Basque in NYC wearing pants, simply stripped them off and entered sporting only her tunic. The idea that a woman could not enter a restaurant in a pair of pants is a bit baffling now and a testament to how our ideas of what is considered elegant and chic are constantly shifting. In our busy modern times it seems appropriate that chicness is now being aligned with comfort and no longer are we required to bind ourselves up in complicated clothing to be seen as well dressed and put together.

Lace has always been an indicator of elegance, wealth and beauty. It’s first recorded use (in a very rudimentary form) was in ancient Egypt, where artists would weave colored threads into geometric designs to adorn flax cloth, while the Greeks and Romans accidentally discovered lace as a byproduct of twisting and tying the edges of their togas to keep the threads from fraying.

I’ve been so busy the past few weeks that I’m just now getting around to poking through pictures of the recent menswear shows in Milan. I love, and I mean LOVE menswear. I take influence from it, I occasionally buy some of it and I definitely steal a lot of it out of my boyfriend’s closet. It’s a shame that more boys aren’t adventurous with their fashion choices, there are a lot of great designs and trends out there that can be easily pulled off with the right amount of attitude and sense of humor. Buck up boys, it’s time to stop being afraid.

Are you afraid of prints? You better come to terms with that fear quick because this Spring is going to be full of them. From fruit bowls to flower beds to planets in space (courtesy of JPG), designers were taking inspiration from loads of different places and splashing them on everything from tops to jumpsuits for their collections. Check out the most popular – and eye popping – prints of the season and try the trend out on a few patterns perfect for testing out the look!

Who doesn’t love a little glamour on a Sunday evening? Awards season kicked off last night with the Golden Globes and the Hollywood starlets were ready, setting the bar for what the rest of the season will look like – fashionably speaking. Read on to see my favorite red carpet looks and what trends were popular with the Silver Screen elite.

There seem to be a lot of trends from the 50’s being referenced in fashion right now. They say every decade cycles back around at some point, and I suppose with all the stresses of our modern world looking back towards the relative innocence and simplicity of the 50’s is comforting in a way.

Teenage rebelliousness was just starting to come to a head. The sexual revolution wouldn’t break until the 60’s, but you could feel an undercurrent of the youth movement making it’s way towards the surface. Kids were adamantly pushing against the status quo, embracing a look and attitude that was highly influenced by the new sounds of rock music and American counterculture – from their icons (Marlon Brando, James Dean) to their hairstyles (I believe it was coined the “Duck Arse”) to their music and fashion (Bill Haley, Johnny Ray, creepers).

If you’re anything like me, you leave that whole “What am I wearing for New Year’s Eve?” dilemma until the last minute. Don’t have time to whip up an amazing frock or dash off to your favorite boutique to scoop up a new outfit? I threw together some super quick and easy DIY ideas for fun accessories that are sure to perk up whatever you pull out of your closet!

Nipped waists, full skirts, feminine charms….the woman is definitely back! For Fall 2010, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Prada all celebrated La Dolce Vita, showcasing the finer aspects of the womanly sex and ushering in an era of full-skirted femininity that we’re sure to see carry over into the Spring season.

Simple lines, easy shapes, neutral colors – at first take minimalism doesn’t exactly sound like the most exciting movement in fashion. However, in the hands of Phoebe Philo, new minimalism has exploded into a look and lifestyle that’s hard to ignore. Fresh off receiving the 2010 title of British Designer of the Year, I thought it appropriate to take a look at Philo’s work for the house of Celine that has spawned a worldwide club of dedicated followers (otherwise known as the Philophiles) and how you can achieve that sleek look with BurdaStyle patterns and projects.

Many a female heart was broken the day it was announced that Prince William had finally proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton. Now that the majority of us have come to terms with the fact that we are indeed not in the running to be British royalty, we can focus our attention on what Ms. Middleton will be wearing when she weds her Prince. WWD asked designers ranging from Vera Wang and Karl Lagerfeld to Jason Wu and Frida Gianinni to sketch their dream dresses for the new Princess. Who do you think should outfit Kate on her wedding day?

Sketches from Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley Mischka and Ralph Rucci

The undisputed “authority on color”, Pantone, has released their Color of the Year for 2011. Enter Honeysuckle. “A brave new color for, a brave new world,” the pinkish hue is said to be a powerful color that elevates the psyche and wards off the blues. It seems a few designers, including Marc Jacobs and Prabal Gurung (and us – that looks at lot like our signature BurdaStyle pink if you ask me!), were a little bit ahead of the curve on this color selection, adding the bold pink to accessories and ensembles for Spring 2011. What do you think about their Honeysuckle selection? Will you use (or have you already) the color in your projects for 2011?

Fashion has cycled through leopard so much that it now seems more like a staple than a seasonal trend. Whether confined to accessories or unleashed in full-on ensembles, I think it’s safe to say that the spots are here to stay.

Clockwise from left: Vogue Nippon’s Anna Dello Russo in a Balmain dress, strapless dress by Matthew Williamson, top from See by Chloe, skirt from Marc by Marc Jacobs, button up shirt by Equipment.