New York Fashion Week Final Recap

New York Fashion Week has officially come to a close but fear not because this isn’t the end of the fashion week season! The last day of shows usually holds some of the best shows that you will get to see that week, and unfortunately for us we had a snow day AGAIN so we got to see them in all it’s glory.  But for those of you to busy watching the Olympics or playing around in the snow like yesterday, here is my recap of my favourite shows. 

Ralph Lauren- Soft pastels sweep the runways with this elegant collection being at the head. Every piece was polished and sophisticated which is what you expect a Ralph Lauren woman to be.  I love looks that are monochromatic, which is what he did with a few of the runway looks. My favourite part was the great furs, and I loved that he dyed fur pink for a few looks.

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Calvin Klein Collection- Calvin Klein has always been consistently great brand and this show was no exception. A collection of primary knits wasn’t one that I was expecting to see but as always I am glad I did.  The collection featured a few exciting new takes on outerwear which is what I think Calvin Klein is really noted for.

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Marc Jacobs- Did anyone else see Kendall Jenner walking in the Marc Jacobs show? I did and while I was a little surprised, I was super excited about it. But that is beside the point, which is that Marc Jacobs always seems to still the spotlight with his collections, which is what he did yet again. Everything was beautiful including the hair and makeup that really stole the show.  The colours were vibrant yet soft and the entire feel of the runway show was such a peaceful, amazing mood I didn’t want it to ever end. 

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Well ladies, this concludes my overviews of NYFW. 

Until next time,

Ashley Thigpen

Fashion Week Day 7 Recap

With the wintery weather outside it was really easy to do two things: go outside and throw it in your friends faces or sit inside and watch an enormous amount of New Girl and using the ASOS student discount. As you can probably tell, the second option was my day but luckily for me I had something extremely educational to do all day and that was watching Fashion Week.  After a long, hard day of watching incredible collections, I finally narrowed it down to my top three as usual. 

Sass & Bide- I found the cuts of the garments to be super impressive, and I really thought it was a great example of RTW.  I loved the different patterns in the collection and thought everything just worked. The entire collection was slightly safe I thought but I definitely didn’t mind. While looking through the collection, imagine my surprise when I saw the three all green looks just pop out of nowhere, it looked great and I think really added to the collection. 

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Joie- If one word had to describe this entire collection it would be pretty. It was just pretty with its beautiful, rich colours. Every outfit I could easily imagine Alexa Chung wearing which is the definition of a win in my book. What I loved the most out of the entire collection is the dark green cape coat, if you found yourself just staring at it wishing you had it in your closet this second then you aren’t the only one. 

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Proenza Schouler- I don’t think I have ever seen zebra print look as good in colour as it did at this show. I’m not a big fan of it but when I saw the print walking down the runway I didn’t hate it.  Proenza Schouler was the riskiest collection I saw which is definitely being applauded in my book. I loved the mix of clashing coloured patterns and the silhouettes were interesting enough to pause and stare in the best way possible.

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It looked on this day that simplicity was the overall theme of a lot of collection including Elizabeth & James whom being created by the Olsen’s obviously can’t do no wrong, and the classic silhouettes at Nanette Lepore. 

Ashley Thigpen, member

New York Fashion Week Tuesday Review

The weather today in Columbia was so dreary I almost thought it was still a Monday. Thankfully we didn’t walk around in the rain/sleet all day for nothing. Lucky for the wonderful few who love NYFW, this means we get to stay up all night looking at the shows today AND we get to stay in and watch Fashion Week/the Olympics/Netflix to our hearts content tomorrow. The freezing temperatures might have stopped the traffic here but it certainly didn’t have any effect for the people going to the runway shows at NYFW today. Here are my favourites of the day at NYFW:

Libertine- I loved everything about this show and when I say everything I mean literally everything. The makeup and hair were completely fabulous and so were the male models with perfect cheekbones. The brightly patterned socks and tights in the collection were attention grabbing and looked fantastic with the boldness of the collection.

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Vera Wang- After years of following Vera I have finally come to this conclusion: she does no wrong. I loved her collection today and felt like it hit close to home with the “You Bug Me” shirt because that is one of my many mottos. I loved the flow as the models walked down the runway and I loved the colours (or lack of). She included everything a woman should have in her closet: leather, metallics, and fur.  This is the first time I have actually wanted to have something with a bug on it in my closet.

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Badgley Mischka- Badgley Mischka does no wrong when it comes to beautiful gowns and this show definitely proved this. The collection was beautiful, elegant, and looked to be fit for a queen. The garments had a slight 1950s feel which made them instant classics. I felt like I was watching royalty and I probably was considering Mark and James are Fashion Week veterans. 

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Other great collections today included Tory Burch whose high socks and patterns stole my heart and cool layers seen at Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Until next time,
Ashley Thigpen

New York Fashion Week Monday Recap

Hello! We are right in the middle of all the glitz, glamour, and events happening this Fashion Week. It might have been a dreary Monday in South Carolina, but in New York it was a great Monday most importantly because of the shows that happened today. There were so many favorites it was hard to pick. Fortunately I was able to narrow it down again just for you guys.

The Row- If anybody knows me then they know that I am obsessed with the Olsen’s and basically every project they have ever done. The Row is one of their lines and is the perfect examples of the twins’ style which is simple, elegant, and pretty much my definition of perfect. The collection today is no different with it’s luxe fabrics that looked like you could just cuddle into them. In classic Mary Kate and Ashley fashion the colors were rich and classic as were the shapes. I loved the all neutrals and I really loved the shoes and socks combinations.

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 3.1 Phillip Lim- If you had to take two things from the Phillip Lim show it has to be pastels and patterns. The collection was filled with beautiful pastels and awesome patterns that easily made this one of the best shows of the day. I liked how it flowed so well from pretty pastels to a lot darker and richer colors. My favourite look had to be the second look in the collection that featured the large collared shirt with a pastel pattern and navy pantaloons. The collection felt carefree mostly because the models looked incredibly cool. I felt like I was watching the cool kids in school, if this said school was Fashion Week and located in NYC.

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Tommy Hilfiger- With a wintery mountain backdrop, the Tommy Hilfiger show made me wish I was in the mountains. Even if that isn’t possible, it made me excited for the snow days I am hopefully awaiting this week at USC. The plaids, vests, and beanies were the perfect example that comfy cozy can still be uber fashionable. 

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Today was filled with fashions that went beyond and above my expectations, among some of other favorites as well today is Carolina Herrera whose celebrity guest list matched no other and Zac Posen whose classic cuts made me wish I lived in a different era.

Ashley Thigpen, member

Tie Us Together

This past Sunday marked a day in history for Columbia, SC.

Tie Us Together is an event sponsored by Britton’s of Columbia and Southern Tide in the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, hundreds gathered to join in breaking the Guinness World Record for most bow ties tied at one time.  For a total of 823 bow ties tied simultaneously in less than five minutes, Columbia, SC, now holds the Guinness World Record.

Members of Dance Marathon and Fashion Board came together to promote this event, which supports a very special cause, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. All proceeds were donated to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

Ray Tanner, USC’s athletic director and former coach of the Back to Back National Championship winning baseball team, joined in on the fun. He served as the model for Lucky Levinson's teaching of how to tie the bow tie. Cocky, wearing a bow tie like the rest of us courtesy of Fashion Board, also came out to support the cause and posed for pictures with Britton’s of Columbia owner Perry Lancaster and the official certificate from Guinness.

Amidst the excitement of live music and eager participants perfecting their bow-tie tying technique, a few very special guests came on stage to tell their story and experience with the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Alexa told her story with daughter Charis (2).  In talking to Alexa later on, she praised how incredible her experience with the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital was and that with this event, “It was good to know that the community is really there to support it.”

It was a memorable and emotional day for all involved and especially those who put in such hard work and dedication and those invested in the cause. We are so happy to have been apart of it.

It's all FTK!

(for the kids)

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall 2014 Day 1

It’s that time of year again ladies, the highly coveted Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC. For the girls like me that have planned their days around which shows they can watch around their school schedules this is a big deal.  For those who didn’t get to watch the shows today, don’t worry because I’m here to give you the day one synopsis.

BCBG Max Azria was the first show on my must-watch list today and let me tell you…it was a great one. If there are two things to take away from this show it was the fur and the midi skirts. It was the perfect mixture of classic shapes and minimalist colours and patterns.

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Creatures of the Wind collection is definitely one that scored top marks in my book today. The colours were the best that I saw all day with beautiful emerald greens, blues, purples along with metallic and neutrals. The dresses were long and the coats even longer.

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Another collection that I was very impressed with today is Dion Lee. It is one that wasn’t really on my radar before today but totally deserves to be. I fell in love with the first look that consisted of an oversized white collar and an asymmetrical wrap skirt. I’d fallen in love but I threw away the key when I saw his overall and turtle neck combination. I got a glimpse of those overalls and wanted to jump for joy because overalls are still on the runway.

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A few other collections that are definitely worth checking out if you don’t have time to go through every one that happened today is Tome who was en pointe with their full length red gloves, and Costello Taglipietra who mastered the metallic high-waist pant.

The first day is officially over and if you are anything like me, you have been left in giddy excitement for the rest of the shows this week. 

Until next time,

Ashley Thigpen