Style: My Oscar Style Picks

Which were YOUR favorites?
Post in the comments below or tweet to @hauteonthespot1!

Top: Claire Danes in Valentino and Lily Collins in Marchesa
 Bottom: Leslie Mann, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Penelope Cruz
All images were taken from IMDb.com

Style: Chanel's Spring 2012 Line

I was recently invited by Mary Tierney, one of the top personal shoppers at Bloomingdale's flagship store on 59th Street, to have an exclusive peek at Chanel's new clothing line (and what was currently being sold in the Chanel boutique).  I was very impressed with Chanel's combination of the traditional styles that everyone loves when they think of the fashion house and the innovative use of new materials and colors that bring youth to the pieces. Highlights of the collection were: several white & pink dresses with leather corset tops and pearl strand straps, a denim skirt embroidered throughout with the signature camellias, and several pieces in Chanel's new periwinkle tone for spring.  The periwinkle shade and camellia embroidered denim have also crossed over into Chanel's handbag collection, creating the perfect accessories for the season.  Chanel's more traditional jacket & dress sets were presented in an array of trendy colors for spring - not only periwinkle but also pastel green and canary yellow.  Below you can see some images of the pieces when they were featured on the runway.

Periwinkle & Pastel Green Tones Starting in the Spring 2012 Collection

New Textures & Materials and More Pastel Green in Spring 2012

In these pieces you can really see how the traditional style blends with a modern look.  The structured long coat [above] and buttoned jacket [right] are presented in a youthful color and cut (tailored but very short) with casual accessories and clothing compliments. The feathers on the dress and tulle on the skirt that accompanies the jacket again breathe youth into otherwise very traditional pieces. The satchel purse accompanying the green jacket [top left] even mimics a carry-all for school books! In the white dress again the designer presents a traditional idea, the sweater dress, and brings it to life with a youthful flowy cut at the arms, short length, and the use of eye-catching texture.

Left: Periwinkle Tone Starting in Cruise 2011/12 Collection, Right: Camellia Embroidery on Denim Starting in Spring 2012

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The Look for Less:  

Here are a few pieces at the ultra-budget stores Forever21 and DSW that are reminiscent of Chanel's new collection and feature its color tones.  The trends have already made their way to fashion at all price points!

Pastel Green paired with whites & pale pinks in a variety of textures at Forever 21's Union Square NYC Store this month.

Periwinkle Blue: (Left) Nail polish collection at Forever 21,  (Right) Purse w/ tassels & "ostrich" trim at DSW Union Sq.

The above handbag, Audrey Brooke Ostrich Cross-Body Bag ($69.95), can be purchased at DSW online HERE.

Featured designers on Twitter: @Chanel, @Forever21, @DSWShoeLovers

Style: NY Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Starts TODAY!

New York Fashion Week starts TODAY!!!  While it can be very hard to snag a ticket for one of NYFW's elite events, that's no excuse to hide your enthusiasm.  Be sure to follow your favorite designers' Twitter accounts, blogs, and Facebook pages to get up-to-the-minute details on the new collections they're presenting this week.  Later this week I'll add some of the key pages to follow.

"How to Dress for NYFW" on RueLaLa

One of my favorite Fashion Week posts so far has been RueLaLa's section on "How to Dress for NYFW" curated by Lauren David Peden.  I love all the variations on the seasonal color choices - grey, taupe, eggplant, and navy.  You can view the collection HERE.  If you don't have a RueLaLa account and have trouble viewing the page, post your e-mail address in my comment box, or PM me your e-mail address on Twitter (@hauteonthespot1) and I'll send you an invitation to join.  It's a really great site with daily deals that maintains a great inventory of high-quality products and brands at a slightly lower price point than Gilt Groupe.

I also love Harper's Bazaar's Editors' Fashion Week Game Changes feature. My friend Lauren, Fashion & Retail Credits Editor for the magazine, selected the new Victoria Beckham bag collection with lots of new vibrant colors. Lauren says, "I've got my eye on the turquoise and yellow for fun pops of color amid the sea of black coats." Check out all of the editors' picks HERE.