1. Spray Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray on the top, sides, back, and underneath the hair to give the hair the substance needed before backcombing.
2. Spray again with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray and blowdry the hair to help make its hold stronger.
3. Pull all the hair back and down, and backcomb at the nape of the neck and above the collarbone. Only this area should be teased with the rest of the hair left sleek with hair hanging down.
4. Slick back the front and add more hairspray on top to give the hair extra shine and to show the difference in texture from the rest of the hair which is more matte.
5. Pull back the hair and tie it in a loose low ponytail, several inches below the nape of the neck. Push the tied section of the ponytail up and over, and then crisscross two large bobby pins across the elastic band and pinned to the nape of the neck. This creates a beautiful voluminous shape with long, flowing pieces extending down.

At Prabal Gurung, Didier Malige was inspired by the vibrant and romantic aesthetic of the collection. Drawing from the Victorian era with a slightly street-wise, savage take – Havisham meets John’s Singer Sargent’s ‘A Parisian Beggar Girl’- the hair mirrors the juxtaposition between precious and casual couture. The look is daring – for the girl that is a risk taker, savvy and is full of texture, yet very romantic.

1. Apply Fekkai Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray heavily throughout dry hair.
2. Blowdry the front of the hair, forming finger-waves to add a defined shape and frame the face.
3. Secure the front pieces with pins, and hand-dry the rest of the hair to enhance the natural texture.
4. Once dried, add a little bit of a more exaggerated wave throughout the hair by using a 1 1/4 inch curling iron on random pieces.
5. Lastly, backcomb the hair to achieve the exact feel of a slightly tousled, intended messy ‘do.
6. Finish with Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray to keep it light and airy.

At the Timo Weiland presentation, Leonardo Manetti of ION Studio created a look that complemented the designer’s collection, which expressed what Gloria Vanderbilt and Keith Richards would have looked like when returning from India in the 1960s.

1. Coat hair with Davines Defining Creative Moulding Foam.
2. Ensure texture isn’t removed, roughly dry the Moulding Foam, removing any curl or wave. Keep locks messy, but not too messy.
3. Create a severe side part.
4. Sweeping the parted section of the hair across the face, secure the hair behind the ear with a large sewing needle and elastic rope that matches the color of your hair.
5. Spray Davines Defining Gloss mid-shaft to the ends for a polished sheen.

At the Costello Tagliapietra show, the inspiration for Nelson Vercher of the Rita Hazan Salon was the suburban housewives of the late 60′s/early 70′s who were just starting to enjoy their independence. Teasing was starting to go out of style, but women were unwilling to let it go completely – the look is in-between eras; the teased bouffant is tame, semi-disheveled. This look is special because it celebrates the modern woman who typically wears her hair flat and straight, but instead Vercher made it unique by making it fuller and fluffier.

1. Prep hair with Phytovolume Actif and Phyto Intense Volume Mousse applied to the roots for volume and height.
2. Rough-dry the hair, focusing on the roots for maximum volume.
3. Separate strands into pin curls, allowing to set for at least 20 minutes.
4. Take out pins and tease hair generously at the roots.
5. Use a jumbo-barrel curling iron to fill out hair with loose waves.
6. Smooth the look with a hairbrush.

Peter Gray, who designed the glamorous updos for the Badgley Mischka show, said, “I had an image of a young Catherine Deneuve in The Hunger in mind when I designed these looks. Confident, sophisticated and passionate – hair that was the epitome of glamour with the perfect touch of soft, disheveled strands.”

1. Make a low part on one side, from the temple to the nape and then smooth the hair back on one side.
2. Then rope-twist it, following the hairline and back to the nape of the neck.
3. Blowdry the hair straight on the opposite side using Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream and a flat paddle brush to give the hair a smooth, shiny texture and soft
hold.
4. Next, spray Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray closely on each section to help bring the ends together and reduce fluffiness.
5. Use a 1” curling iron to create a roller set, and roll the curls upward instead of down, to take the volume out of the hair. Let the reverse rolls cool for a few minutes to better hold the shape.
6. After brushing the hair out, start working on the roll. Backcomb the hair and form an asymmetric French twist from the front temple all the way to the nape.
7. Pull together and unify the hair on each side, fasten it together in a double ponytail, and roll them into an asymmetric chignon.
8. Use Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray on the sleek side to emphasize a smooth, shiny and modern texture.
9. To complete, lightly brush the surface hair of the full roll on the opposite side to free a few soft, disheveled strands and soften the look.
10. Set with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray.

Paul Hanlon brought out the purity of the Proenza Schouler collection by keeping hair natural, glossy, and pulled back to accentuate an open neck. He envisioned the hair of a Navajo Indian girl meets an All American girl. The result was hair all one length with soft, razored ends and a style that felt easy, wearable and chic, with a touch of grunge and coming undone.

1. Add 22 inch extensions around the crown of the head. Pay special attention to areas with shorter layers and achieve a long languid silhouette that’s ready to be pulled back into a chic pony.
2. Once finished, hair should rest just above the waist. Part the hair slightly off center and apply the Fekkai Coiff Strong Hold Volume Mousse to the front of the hair, forming a frame.
3. Then apply Coiff Perfecteur Anti-Frizz Silkening Crème and Fekkai Advanced Salon Technician Color Care Anti-Fade Top Coat to the hair, ironing the front
pieces to seal in sleekness and shine.
4. Gather hair midway down the back and pull into a low ponytail and tie the end into a slight knot.
5. Finish the look by spraying Fekkai Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray and Fekkai Coiff Sheer Hold Hairspray. This creates a dry, rough texture for the back of the hair that makes the style feel relaxed, unique, and individualized.

James Pecis created two looks that included soft and beautiful braided hair to complement the ethereal mood of the Nanette Lepore collection.

Look 1:
1. Create small sections of hair and spray Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray into each.
2. Then blowdry away from the face using a paddle brush. Use an upward motion of the brush to give the hair lift, and Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to build up texture.
3. Next, slightly backcomb at the top of the head, teasing a bit more on the front hairline, and mist with more hairspray to give it lift.
4. Weave a French braid starting at the right temple, picking up more hair as I worked my way back around the head in an arc pattern, over to the left temple and then create another layer of braid as you work back to the right temple again.
5. Continue this pattern all the way to the occipital bone then take two bobby pins and cross them to hold the braid in place.
6. Backcomb the remaining ponytail and blend it into the braided effect.
7. Free up the braid for a looser, softer look, by massaging the braid with fingers to keep it from looking too hard or controlled.
8. Finish with a light misting of Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray to give it lots of reflection.

Look 2:
1. Blowdry the hair on sections sprayed with Moroccanoil Luminous Hair Spray.
2. Starting at the right temple, even though a French braid is normally even on both sides, make this braid so that it asymmetrically sways to the left side, and so that most of the braid stays on the top part of the head. Keep hair close to the sides of the head as you work. The final effect is very free, very soft and very feminine.

Orlando Pita created inventive, sleek horizontal buns that flawlessly complemented the graceful simplicity of this season’s luxurious clothes at the Carolina Herrera show.

1. Blowdry hair straight using Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream and Moroccanoil Ceramic Ionic Brush to create sleekness as well as add volume.
2. Since the look of the hair itself is so important, if you have dry, abused hair, first apply a bit of Moroccanoil Treatment to restore condition. It absorbs right in and you can style, groom and treat with it at the same time.
3. After creating a low part, pull hair back, letting one side sweep across the side of the face, making a small ponytail in the back.
4. Let strands hang down, then lift them up, through and down, and attach it with pins at the fold. It looks tucked in, almost like an envelope.
5. Finish the style with a light spray of Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to control flyaways.

At Prabal Gurung, hair guru Odile Gilbert used Moroccanoil products to create elegant, long, “neo-chignons” which were inspired by the classic American ponytail. “Prabal Gurung envisioned hair that combined modern and classic elements yet was completely unique,” Gilbert said. “This look embodies all of this and highlights a modern design softened by sculptural, rounded lines.”

She first applied the original Moroccanoil Treatment from roots to ends (using Moroccanoil Light for hair that was fine and blonde). She combed or brushed (depending upon texture) the hair completely flat, created a deep part on the left side, pulled it back and sprayed Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to hold it in place while she continued styling. The hair on the right side was released into a rounded shape, almost Twiggy-style, and then sprayed with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray.

Hair on the left side was then pulled back into a ponytail with a thin hair band. Strands on the rounded right side were wrapped around the top of the ponytail, pinned, then released to blend and flow down the back.

After shaping the hair, Gilbert then clipped a rectangular silver-colored hair accessory to attach the length of hair to the nape of the neck and keep it from moving. She finished with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to hold the look in place. She finished with a light misting of Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray all over the hair for long-lasting shine and to prevent static or frizz.

At the Erin Fetherston show, Odile Gilbert said, “I wanted to create an exotic look that had the mood of a woman on a tropical holiday, ready to explore something new after a morning on the beach. Her hair looks natural, healthy, straight and clean – but I’ve given it a bit of subtle drama, with texture only on the top of the hair and back from the face. The rest of the strands fall free. The texture was inspired by markings on tropical leaves. It’s relaxed yet sophisticated, perfect for a casual day or a dressed summer night.”

Gilbert first blow dried hair straight using Moroccanoil Treatment or Moroccanoil Light (for fine or light colored hair) to protect and prepare the hair for smoothing with a flat iron. After creating a deep side part, she lightly moistened top of hair from forehead back to crown and applied Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream and separated hair a bit with fingers. She then sprayed Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray only several inches away from the hair and further separated strands with a comb for a striated tropical effect. She blow-dried the shaped texture, and sprayed a final light misting of Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray from a distance to hold the look. Gilbert then brushed the rest of the hair, from back of crown to the ends, letting it fall naturally, and then tucked the hair behind the ears.

At the Carolina Herrera show, Orlando Pita created unique, intricate looks with bold graphic details inspired by Korean design. “When Korean women dress, nothing is out of place and everything is beautifully thought out,” Pita said. “My hairstyle is precise and graphic, with no loose or separate pieces.

Pita used Moroccanoil Light throughout dry hair to create a healthy looking frizz-free shine, and smooth, healthy-look ends. He then applied Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream midway from the back of hair to the ends, and then blow dried the hair smooth and straight with a round brush. He created a deep side part, pulled hair back, and sprayed it with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray. Pita combed the hair again with a wide tooth comb, sprayed with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray and pulled right side of hair diagonally over left, and pinned the hair above the nape of the neck with a creative cluster of custom made “Hair-Barrettes” that matched the color of model’s hair. These were pinned either horizontally or vertically to create dramatic graphic patterns. The finished looks were sprayed once again with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray for added hold, and finished with a misting of Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray.

Pita created two variations of the style, an updo as well as a longer pony-tailed effect. For the longer look, he combed the hair into a ponytail, sprayed once again with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray, and added additional horizontal hair-clips to accent the graphic effect. To create the dramatic chignon, he took finished ponytails, looped them around, and pinned with diagonal, horizontal, and vertical hair clips, and then finished with Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray.

“The curls are tight and combed through into a wave at the front, looser at the crown, with progressively smaller curls as they reach the back of the head,” Peter Gray said about the models at the Badgley Mischka show. “They’re designed to tease the eye and keep it moving, almost in the same way as when the fabrics flow and fall as the models walk.

Gray used different sizes of curling irons to create varying types of curls, textures and volume. He created smaller curls at the base of the look to push up and support volume on top layers of curls. He then used progressively larger curling irons for wavier curls as he reached the crown as well as the front sections around the face.

Gray took small square sections of the hair at the nape of the neck (the same size as the diameter of the small curling iron he used.) This creates volume-enhancing tighter base curls. He then applied a small amount of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream on each section, layered on a light spritz of Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray and wrapped sections around the curling iron.

As he made his way up the hair, Gray graduated to vertical hair sections the same size as the diameter of the larger curling iron he selected, taking bigger sections as he reached the crown. Working primarily towards a side-part creating a wave in the fringe, he took small horizontal sections and worked back with the curling iron, starting at the hairline and completing at the crown. Curls were held in place by lightweight aluminum clips to ensure springiness. After combing out the curls, he applied a light mist of Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray over the entire look to hold it in place, while keeping the hair soft, flexible, and natural-looking.

Renato Campora, lead stylist for Frédéric Fekkai, created a modernized rockabilly style for this season’s Marchesa presentation.

He applied the Fekkai Essential Shea Tame & Style Pot de Crème to the hair. Then, he flipped the head over and braided the hair out, which allowed it to fall perfectly on top of the head. Next, Campora secured the braid into a bun at the crown. He smoothed the hair using the Fekkai Essential Shea Ultra-Rich Mask and applied Fekkai Silky Straight Smooth Finish for protection and shine. Finally, for a richer and rougher style, Campora placed an embellished accessory designed by Marchesa to the finished look.

Paul Hanlon, lead stylist for Frédéric Fekkai, created a rough, tousled half-twist with volume and wave for Proenza Schouler’s runway show.

He first applied Fekkai’s Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray heavily throughout the hair from roots to ends to create texture and fullness. He then used a diffuser while finger combing the hair dry. Hanlon then loosely gathered and tucked the top half of the hair into a french twist at the nape of the neck, leaving a few long layers of hair free. To obtain the modern style, he left the ends out of the twist and sprayed Fekkai Coiff Sheer Hold Hairspray all over to secure the look.

Didier Malige, Frédéric Fekkai’s lead stylist, was inspired to find the beauty in each model and created a light and tousled look with shape, for Thakoon’s Spring 2011 show.

First, he used the Fekkai Coiff Bouffant Lifting & Texturizing Spray Gel at the roots, combing it back with his fingers, away from the face. He then applied Fekkai Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray to the middle and ends of the hair. Didier completed the look by teasing the back of the hair to keep it light and create shape.

Malige also styled the models at the Victoria Beckham show, where he was inspired by hairstyles of the 60’s, but without the tease.

He first prepped dry hair with Fekkai Advanced Full Volume Styling Whip to give hair slick volume. Next, he created a middle part and tucked the hair straight behind the ears and spritzed with Fekkai Sheer Hold Spray to make the hair more straight and heavy. Malige finished the look by using a waiving tool to make an unexpected single crimp across the back of the hair. The result was a modern take on a mod era.

Dashing Diva gave manicures and pedicures at over 30 shows. Here are just a few of the highlights:

At Cushnie et Ochs, the nails looked like they had been dipped in gold to complement the flowing feel of the clothes. They were painted with a basic clear base coat and then a gold foil was applied by rubbing it straight onto the nail.

Ashleigh Verrier went with a pastel mix of Pier 39 polish, a cool minty pastel green, mixed with a touch of white polish to make it lighter. The results were refreshing on the runway! The polish accented the mono-chromatic collection.

Pattie Yankee and her team applied the silver metallic No More Alimony polish to the models’ nails at Farah Angsana.

At the J.Mendel show, Yankee applied Charlotte’s Wedding to the models for a beautiful sheer white.

Yankee created press-on nails for female models at the Jose Duran show using The Met, a white polish for a base, and Limo Service, a black polish to create a Chevron French. Male models were also given a similar manicure as well as pedicures to emulate the androgynous tone.

Fun and funky, Rosa Cha’s bright and bold swimwear print coordinated perfectly with the new Spring 2011 Dashing Diva polish, East Side Envy.

At Yoana Baraschi, Yankee used East River View for a feminine polished look for hands. For toes, Pattie kept with Yoana’s vision of a fierce and free-spirited woman by using Bittersweet, a deep chocolate brown, and New York Slice, a bright coral pink.

FACE

Lead makeup artist, Valerie Hernandez, of Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics created the looks at the Magalis Garcia fashion show. She kept the skin sheer using Mineral Primer, Loose Powder Foundation, and Rice Mineral Setting Powder, and applied a gold liquid shimmer on the cheekbones, a creation that consisted of Vitamin E oil, and Lunar Dust bronzer. Hernandez used the Halo, Coco, and the Vintage Eyeshadow Quad on the eyes for a muted, warm mulberry shade. She combined two lipsticks with eyeshadow to achieve a soft raspberry lip color. She applied Vivid and Vixen Lipstick and Bistro Lipstick mixed with Heather Smoke, Kasbah and Moonstone Crushed Mineral Eyeshadow.

“I was inspired by 40′s Hollywood – Veronica Lake and other silver screen sirens,” said Michael Pierce, who did the makeup using Hourglass Cosmetics for the La Perla show. “The focus is on a gorgeous, strong red lip, but a red that every woman can wear. To add to this look, the eyes are light with tight black eyeliner.”

Pierce used Veil Fluid Makeup for medium coverage, setting it with Oxygen Mineral Powder for a modern, semi-matte approach to 1940’s skin. He then applied Illume in Bronze Light, using the bronze to contour the cheekbones and the highlighter for strong definition. For glowing luminous eyes, he used the natural sand shade from Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy from the lash line to the brow. This was followed by Calligraphy liquid eyeliner in Ebony, which he winged out in an upward direction for a thin lined look, and finished the eye makeup with Film Noir mascara for an intense and dramatic black look. Finally, he traced the lips with Trace Lip Liner in Message, filled it with Raven lipstick, and added a dab of Prodigy lip gloss in Hypnotic in the middle to create the perfect pout.

HAIR

Hairstylists David Cruz and Odile Gilbert created the looks for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Andy & Debb, Elise Overland, and Catherine Malandrino using Phyto products.

At 3.1 Phillip Lim, Gilbert was inspired by Blondie. Hair is light, wispy and flows with a center part, loose texture and easy nod to the 70’s. He first applied Phyto Professional Intense Volume Mousse to create a dry but voluminous, matte texture. He then curled hair with curling iron, and ran fingers through hair. Gilbert sprayed Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray to the roots and added heat. He flipped out bangs, sprayed Phytolaque soie hairspray, and finished with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray. Finally, he had the models turn their heads upside down and flip the hair.

Cruz created a beautiful, perfect texture that’s shiny and healthy, but with very little volume at the Andy & Debb fashion show. Hair was center parted and tucked a little behind the ears like a young girl. He prepped hair with Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray with a mix of Phyto 7 daily hydrating cream. He then flat ironed ends, section by section, and smoothed from root to tip with Phyto Professional Glossing Cream to tame fly-aways.

Since the Elise Overland collection was strong, yet feminine, Cruz used that inspiration on the hair to show off the clothes. He started off by applying PhytoVolume Actif to roots. After blow-drying the hair, he parted hair on the right side of the head, in line with the right eye. He then teased the front in small sections for some lift, and pulled hair into a ponytail and teased the tail for fullness and hold, and sprayed Phytolaque soie. Cruz twisted the ponytail clockwise like a “figure 8″ and pinned the tail up, and then pulled small, airy pieces out to soften the look. He set the look with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray.

The clothes in the Catherine Malandrino show had an urban Mongolian and Tibetan feeling, which inspired Odile to create rough-textured ponytails on top of the head. ”I wanted the hair to look like a dry little tree,” she said. “It should be fresh but have the touch of a barbarian girl.” Odile applied Phyto Professional Intense Volume Mousse and Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray to create a dry, matte texture. Hair was rough dried with hands aggressively massaging the roots to create volume. She then used Phyto Professional Fiber Paste to give hair more texture before sweeping it on top of the head. Odile finished off with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray for a strong hold.

At the Women’s Mafia fashion show, where collections were showcased by emerging talents Jonathan Kayne of Project Runway, Ardistia and Shantele, the Philip Pelusi team created a look that worked for all three designers, resulting in a versatile “Baroque” chignon. First, he sprayed hair with P2 Refresh Hair to give hair texture. He then divided hair into two ponytails: perimeter and crown, and pulled the perimeter ponytail into a high nape. Once again, he sprayed hair with P2 Refresh Hair, and finally pulled a hair net over the ponytail and fashioned it into “petals.”

NAILS

Dashing Diva‘s head nail tech Pattie Yankee and her team showed off the Fall nail trends at Brian Reyes, Nary Manivong and Trias.

Yankee used 57th & 5th, a sheer nude/pink shade for nails to compliment the Brian Reyes Fall collection.

Since the designer for Trias wanted a subtle grey/brown shade for the nails to go with the natural earthy theme of the show, Yankee mixed the grey Astor Place with the taupe West Village to create a hot mushroom Shitake shade.

Stylist Ally Hilfiger and designer Nary Manivong collaborated with Yankee to create an ultra sleek and modern oval nail, using No More Alimony, a shiny, nude metallic color.

New York Fashion Week starts September 5th, but here’s a sneak peek of the Twinkle by Wenlan Spring ’09 collection now! Twinkle designer Wenlan Chia says the collection is inspired by the free spirit of actress Jean Seberg. “There are idealistic school girl and bohemian details that exist both in her and in my spring line. Jean’s grace, beauty and whimsical nature set the tone for this collection. The blend of colors, textures, vintage inspired prints, and tailored silhouettes give my collection a classic, romantic quality—reminiscent of Jean Seberg’s legacy.”

L.A. Fashion Week gets high! High heels, high shine, and high-waisted clothes ruled the Spring 2008 runways. When it came to shine, gold was the color of choice for Joseph Domingo, Jenny Han, and Candice Held. Domingo used the bold color in his men and women’s collections on tops and bottoms, belts, shoes, and earrings, while Han & Held models sported wedge and high heel shoes in the same hue. Coco Johnsen shined with crystal embellishments and sequins on her bathing suits, jackets and dresses. Samora and Monarchy raised waistlines on their pants, skirts, and shorts.

Skinny jeans and leggings – still in. Oligo Tissew and Monarchy paired skinny jeans with high heels, and celebrity favorites Bird of Prey and Christian Audigier showed off metallic leggings, taking a break from boring black.

Straight hair – out. Flat irons can finally go back into the bottom drawer. Wavy to curly and somewhat messy (bedhead) hair is back – it’s soft, natural, and easy. Pin it up like the Jenny Han models, wear it long and full as seen at Tart, or tie it in a low ponytail like the Coco Johnsen girls.

Comfortable chic. Feel comfortable in your own skin or at least in your clothes from Ecoganik, Tart and Voom by Joy Han. Ecoganik went a bit slouchy and loose, almost hippyish. Their accessories collection included thong sandals and little booties made out of sweatshirt material in soft pastel and neutral colors. Voom showed a little more personality with checkered and striped patterns, black and white outfits, and tops, skirts, and belts splashed with fuscia. Tart showcased flowing, racerback, and turtleneck dresses of varied lengths, perfect for the L.A. girl.

Silky smooth. Gregory Parkinson used silk in his dresses and gave it a twist with tie-dye prints. Candice Held showed off silk dresses that were cut out beautifully in the back while Jenny Han went beachy by pairing her silk chiffon dresses with flip-flops.

Find your inner goddess. Pistachio green, aqua blue, yellow, and earth tones were seen at Samora. The dresses were feminine without being overly flirty, maybe because the collection was inspired by Bellona, the Roman Goddess of War. Joseph Domingo’s “Goddess” collection was inspired by goddesses-divas throughout the ages that includes Aphrodite, Cleopatra, and Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe. Domingo made an impact by opening the show with two Adonises in gold swimsuits escorting a female model and continued with the goddess theme.

Read the fine print. Sue Wong went wild with bright geometric prints and zebra prints, drawing inspiration from the works of Modern Art masters such as Joan Miro and Alexander Calder. Kevan Hall turned to his African roots to create tribal print pieces using fabrics and jewelry from his homeland.

Like a day at the beach. With Swarovski crystals, Mother of Pearl, lace trims, gold chains, and translucent beading details, Beach Bunny swimsuits are meant to be worn at the beach and not in the ocean.

Going green. The Gallery produced The Green Initiative show with collections from designers that promote organic lines and send positive messages about sustaining the environment. The six collections and two accessory lines showcased included Peligrosa, Protect the Element by Roshi Salim, Wet Cement, Vintage China, Rene Geneva Design, M The Movement, ArteSania jewelry, and Demano handbags.

New York Fashion Week

Men. Perry Ellis and Nautica played it safe by showing traditional menswear collections. Perry Ellis carried solid colored pants, shorts, shirts, and blazers in white and grey while Nautica stuck to its classic white and navy sailboat style, but went outside its boundaries with some bright yellow and blue pieces. Adventurous souls may seek Duckie Brown for his bold colors that includes a yellow trench coat, red pants, and an orange jacket, but he also showcased some navy and white pieces for when he feels subdued.

Ethnic Influence. Vibrant reds and gold and the balance of black and white was evidence that Chinese culture played a strong role in Jayson Brunsdon’s Spring collection. Sabyasachi was influenced by India as models covered up in head scarves and hoodies, and wore long dresses and skirts, and loose fitting slacks.

Silver Springs. Lela Rose and Toni Maticevski shined in silver dresses, skirts, belts and gowns while Yeohlee included the trend in her poncho, tank dress, long skirts and slim pants. Peter Som and Marc Bouwer showed off metallic sliver tops and dresses for evening.

Yellow fever. Yellow-green pants, bead necklaces, and chunky pumps were seen at the Willow show while a golden-yellow hue was seen on silk dresses and tops offset with purple in either the garment itself or with a purple belt at Reem Acra. Yellow tops added a pop of color when paired with grey or khaki coats and suits at Nanette Lepore, livening up the outfit.

Bold face. Vibrant blues on dresses and skirts and a splash on tops were present in Jason Wu’s collection. Nanette Lepore used fuscia, orange, and yellow on dresses and tops in solid and floral prints. Tuleh displayed fuscia, orange, red, and green satin wrap and sheath dresses and suits for a fun day at the office.

Shift into chiffon. Romantic and elegant, chiffon was the fabric of choice at Chris Han, Venixiana, and Anne Bowen. Han’s designs focused on beautifully exposing a woman’s neck and collarbone in basic black, white, and grey. Venexiana included a floral print chiffon gown for evening and a blush colored chiffon dress for day. Bowen’s eveningwear collection featured gowns of varied lengths in pearl white satin, marshmallow white chiffon and metallic tissue in a gold hue. Standing out was the rose shredded chiffon evening gown coupled with suspended crystals and rouched chiffon flowers and hand-crafted beading.

Swimsuit season. “Brazilian-Bond Girls” was the name of the Spring 2008 Gottex collection. The swimwear line was divided into 12 categories that included Highlight, Margarita, Black Tulip, Iris, Romantic, Moonstone, Creation, Terra, Finale, Carnival, and Bride with one and two-piece suits, plunging halters, bandeau tops, asymmetrical cut-outs, floral prints, and vibrant colors.

Buns. Worn high or low, buns dominated the runways. At Lela Rose, hair was parted in the middle and the buns were twisted and worn low; at Terexov, a high chignon rested on pulled back hair with no part; and Yeohlee exaggerated the trend by parting hair in the middle from the front to the nape of the neck with buns on both sides of the head.

Put it on mute. Designs from Terexov, Temperley, and Lela Rose made bold statements by toning down colors to give a soft and pretty feel. Terexov’s color palette of grey, khaki, black and white looked simple yet elegant in his daywear and eveningwear collections.Temperley’s designs included smaller tiered ruffles in neutral colors like grey and beige. Oranges, yellows, blues, and greens were seen on dresses, skirts, and tops at Lela Rose, but they were subdued for the woman looking to stand out without drawing too much attention to herself.