Be a Real Chick with Feathers!

To achieve the precise custom fit that her couture clients like Tyra Banks, Paris Hilton, and Gina Davis demand, Colleen Quen creates a moulage, or "second skin" of the client's body from 36 measurements.

The two gowns, "Sapphire Elegance" and "Blue Opal Energy" played the stage in sapphire blue French lace and angora with brown tulle trimming.

Indeed lace, particularly in black, shed its Gothic guise this season and has re-emerged as an enchantingly romantic option for winter days or nights. Don't confine it to night time glamour. A touch of lace will update an old favourite pair of jeans or your office pencil skirt suit.

To go with your ultimate gown or to glam up your day to evening office suit, accessorise with feathers. Plumes exuding bird of paradise flamboyance are definitely this winters must have accessory after Calvin Klein and Dolce and Gabbana, to name but a few, sported flurries of feathers on the catwalk for winter 2005-06.
Feathers will give a classic sumptuous touch to your classic dress. Wear a single one in your hair or go all-out with marabou tiers to the floor.

Banana Republic Does Jet-Set Safari for Spring

Renata Espinosa Fri Nov 2, 11:42 AM ET

New York - In 1978 when the founders of Banana Republic, Mel and Patricia Ziegler, launched the company in California, they turned safari military looks into a fashion statement.

But stepping into a Banana Republic store now, the high-end brand owned by Gap Inc. since 1983, very little aside from the name would ever hint at this travel and adventure focus of the past. When the Ziegler's company was acquired, the company rebranded it as the city sophisticate's go-to for runway style and upscale quality at accessible prices, which is what it continues to do today.

For the Spring '08 collection however, presented during a runway show on Nov. 1, Banana Republic revisited its safari roots, updating khaki classics like the trench - as a chic belted sleeveless shirtdress or vest - and included military-inspired blouses and jackets. For both men and women, there were also relaxed wide-leg trousers.

The fashion-forward Banana Republic customer with her eyes on looks she saw come down the New York runways for spring - high-waisted voluminous short skirts at Proenza Schouler, sleek racerback tank dresses at Calvin Klein, or bold knits in '70s-inspired colors at Marc by Marc Jacobs - will find plenty to love in this collection. A swingy black and brown printed linen pleated skirt looked smart when paired with a white military-inspired buttondown shirt, while maxi-length silk tank dresses popped in bright purple, and exuded Saint-Tropez elegance in a yellow geometric print version.

And while three-quarter length sleeve coats in mustard yellow and dresses in hunter orange may not find many takers, a key for any spring wardrobe will certainly be the inclusion of jolts of bold color.

For men, Banana Republic offered crinkled cardigans, loose khaki trousers or slim seersucker pants. Compared with the women's collection, where things were kept structured but loose, the men's collection consisted of a more body-conscious, trim silhouette.

Transparency and Bold Color Big for Spring at Calvin Klein

Renata Espinosa Fri Nov 2, 6:51 PM ET

New York - If you happened upon the Calvin Klein and CK Calvin Klein Spring '08 presentation on Wednesday, you might think you were at the site of a contemporary art exhibit or performance piece.

Instead of the usual showroom presentation, with rows of models wearing the latest pieces from the collection, the creative director for all of the Calvin Klein licenses, Kevin Carrigan, filled the white box space with a grid of Plexiglas boxes, with one, two or three models encased inside, as if they were sculptures in a museum on display.

Carrigan said he used the boxes to recall glass and water. "Everything reflects on each other," he said. "If it enhances, why not use an innovative way of showing the clothes?"

Not only did the clear boxes give an interesting perspective on the clothes, but it also reflected a major trend on the runways for next spring: transparency.

The CK Calvin Klein label, which will be re-introduced next spring at Neiman Marcus and select boutiques, is the collection most closely linked to the high-end Calvin Klein Collection. Linear prints, layering with chiffon, asymmetric one-shoulder dresses, graphic black and white and a play of textures like perforated leather and techno fabrics were the major statements for next season.

The new men's and women's collections for the freestanding Calvin Klein stores - opening up this fall in Detroit, Los Angeles, Denver, Boston and Atlanta - reflected a youthful, contemporary vibe, with relaxed suits in white and gray; loose, softly structured dresses; and touches of metallic.

"It's iconic American sportswear," said Carrigan.

For Carrigan, jolts of modern colors like orange, fuschia and turquoise were an important aspect to all of the collections, typically known for a more neutral palette of gray, white, beige, black and navy. "When I use color, I really want to use it!" he said.

Balancing out the slightly futuristic bent of the fabrics and colors were softer silhouettes like kimono and batwing sleeves, wide leg pants and soft pleats. "There's a softness in the clothes, but she's still a little sexy," said Carrigan, pointing to bright turquoise stiletto sandal with sporty straps wrapping the ankle from the CK Calvin Klein collection.

Also new for spring will be the CK Calvin Klein Beauty collection, which will be sold in stores such as Macy's and Dillards. Similar to the pops of color in the clothing line, Carrigan said that the collection will be about "playing with color on the face." Coral for the lips and eyes and blue or turquoise eye pencils will be just some of the major CK Calvin Klein beauty looks for the spring collection.

And no Calvin Klein presentation would be complete without the label's infamous underwear, modeled in the flesh, of course. Classic boxer briefs were given a jolt of color like turquoise, while women's underwear featured delicate touches of metallic lace.

Calvin Klein

The Label

Calvin Klein kicked off his label with a collection in 1968, when he and childhood buddy/business partner Barry Schwartz launched a line of men’s and women’s coats at retailer Bonwit Teller. Today, the iconic American label grosses $3-$5 billion annually, thanks mainly to its designer jeans, underwear and fragrance divisions. A true lifestyle brand, Calvin Klein also produces eyewear, eveningwear and home collections, and has expanded its sophisticated, high-end apparel line to include career casuals for women, men and kids. Spare, clean shapes and modern lines characterize the collections, which look tailor-made for both the glitterati of Hollywood and the literati of New York. One of the great American fashion houses, on par with Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, the company is known as much for its minimalist fashions as for its pioneering marketing and advertising campaigns: Brooke and her jeans, Kate and her Obsession, Mark and his tighty-white-ies. It’s a testament to Klein, who checked out of the company when he and Schwartz sold to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2003, that the brand remains competitive with its peers—and that the consistency continues.

The Look

Calvin Clean: Classic, minimalist styles in mostly neutral hues, with no frills or ruffles. Strapless, sculptural, form-fitting columns of silvery silk or jersey for evening; narrow, high-waisted pants worn with cropped, clean-cut riding jackets for day.

The Designer

Then: Born in the Bronx in 1942, award-winning fashion icon and marketing pioneer Calvin Klein honed his style at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, before going on to revolutionize the designer denim and underwear businesses with his overtly sexy ad campaigns.

Now:Brazilian-born Francisco Costa (pictured) began working directly with Klein in early-2002, and later assumed the role of creative director upon his mentor’s departure. Following the modern tone set by his former boss, and keeping the brand’s general aesthetic one of crisp, clean lines, Costa adds his own stamp with accents of geometric grids, origami twists and strips of patent leather. Italo Zucchelli, who collaborated with Klein for six seasons after time spent at both Jil Sander and Romeo Gigli, heads up the menswear collections.