The goods from Resort 2013

Even though Resort collections seem like the odd, redheaded stepchildren of fashion seasons amidst the glamorous Couture collections, the bread-and-butter fall/winter and spring/summer collections and the exciting pre-fall collections, it's all the better for the truly great pieces in Resort to stand out amidst other less memorable wares.

Though I cherry pick my way through most shows, choosing a few pieces from each designer that I found to be particularly inspiring or that appealed to my sense of style, I rarely am head-over-heels about most of a single collection. Just like I'm that girl that loves iTunes because I can cherry pick certain songs I like from an artist instead of buying an album with songs that I don't care for. But, metaphors aside, back to Resort. There are lines that make a believer out of me each and every season, as I end up liking every (or almost every) piece that is shown. Such is the case with designers like Erin Fetherston, Naeem Khan, Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier and Temperley London. These designers are, to me, the heavy hitters that I can always rely on to produce beautiful creations that are both lovely to look at and complementary to the wearer.

Key trends of Resort 2013:

• Allover floral patterns 
• Delicate, ankle strap heels
• Neons
• Pleats

Some of my favorite pieces from the Resort 2013 shows:
(photos c/o style.com)

Erin Fetherston: I cannot recall a single Erin Fetherston show where, after I've browsed the offerings she sent down the runway, I decided I wasn't a fan of that particular season. I've literally loved every single year of shows because she sticks to her design aesthetic - bright, fun, feminine pieces - while still managing to draw from different inspirations each season and tweak her line in unique ways for every new launch.

Oscar de la Renta: The king of opulent elegance, himself. Rich jewel tones amidst allover springy flower prints dominated the show and there was the usual, stunning parade of gorgeous gowns cut from luxurious fabrics that caboosed the other pieces. These are the wares for the aspirational clotheshorse.

Temperley London: Designer Alice Temperley is responsible for creating new offerings for not just one, but two labels (Temperley London and Alice by Temperley) every season, so the fact that every single skirt, dress, shirt, sweater, shoe that came down the runway for her Temperley London line would be scored an A+ goes to show how talented (and hardworking) she is. If I wore Temperley London nonstop for a year straight, I still don't think I would tire of it, such is its appeal to me. Like Erin Fetherston, this label never lets me down. I know what recurring themes to expect from the line's offerings each season (ladylike, polished, light to no embellishments) and thus I'm never disappointed.

Naeem Khan: This design house reminds me of a minimalistic Marchesa; though there are ornate and theatrical details in every piece of this collection, these details are so peripheral so that the garment allows the wearer to be the focus as it provides the perfect, lovely backdrop. Neutrals and bright hues shared space in this Resort 2013 launch, allowing for a mix of subdued and jubilant elegance.

Monique Lhuillier: Lhuillier's collection highlights all that is feminine without resorting to the stereotypical pastels, frills and flowing swaths of fabrics that are commonly instituted in other designers' collections when they are trying to play up femininity. Lhuillier incorporatess pinks, yellows, oranges and greens - all neon - in pieces throughout this collection, and cuts each dress, be it a sheath or a gown, in an almost aggressive style that displays subtle curves. In other words, this collection does put an emphasis on femininity, but it is a bold, confident femininity that celebrates women that aren't shrinking violets. Yes, there are flowing gowns, but in eye-popping hues, and there are floral patterns to be found, albeit in abstract forms that could be described as Monet-meets-Kandinsky.

Bottega Veneta:

Burberry:

 (That jacket. What I would give for that jacket.)

Carlos Miele:

Donna Karan:

(I love this because of the watercolor-esque pale blue tint that seems to fade near the center of the outfit.)

Erdem:

 (I love how the models have swapped prints, creating an interesting mix of two rather different bold florals that somehow still work.)

(Just like with Monique Lhuillier, black makes an unusual, but welcome appearance in these Rorschach-esque flower prints. And how about that lovely lace top on the right?)

Rachel Roy:

 (Lavender trouser pants with a mini cummerbund-ish waist. Yes, please.)

(Yellow dresses are my favorite, and combined with those nude and red ankle strap heels, this is perfection.)

Rachel Zoe:

Preen: 

Ports 1961:

(I'm a fan of the dress, but my attention is drawn to those perfect nude heels. Barely visible straps elongate the legs and add an minimalistic polish to the look.)

St. John:

(Proportion perfection with a flared peplum skirt and fitted pencil skirt. The cinched waist adds the finishing touch.)

Suno:

Thakoon:

 (The marriage of a long sleeve harlequin print dress and a neon striped blazer is a perfect dash of chaos while the nude heels keep the look grounded.)

Yigal Azrouel:

 (Perfect pant length to showcase those gorgeous heels.)

 (Lovely cobalt skirt, and again with the showstopper heels.)

(The flattering racerback cut paired with hourglass-shaped seams make for the perfect summery dress.)

At the Vanity - The best of branded makeup collaborations

Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Carrots and Ranch.

Steak and Eggs.

Diet Coke and Bitters (I'm I alone in my love for this combination?).

All of these pairings beg the question, Why have just one good thing when you can have two?

And thus is the reason why makeup collaborations between brands and respective artists, movies, designers or other excite the masses and generally cause a fervor among consumers to buy, buy, buy the limited edition products produced for these short-lived promotions. It's quite a good marketing technique, really, to make all products of these collaborations seem as though they are on the cusp of being sold out so as to urge shoppers to run - not walk - to snatch up said items. After all, it's a source of pride to have gotten hands on a lipstick that was one of only 1,000 created worldwide.

The best makeup collaborations happen when two powerful brands come together, with each bringing its individual aesthetic to the table to design products that embody the essence of both brands, thereby creating a powerhouse of products that seem impossibly cool. The collaborations that tend to flop are the ones whereby two brands pair up with each other, but neither seems to be the right fit for the other. It smells like a poorly thought out money-making scheme more than an attempt to fuse creative visions. An example of a flop would be OPI's Muppets themed collection, simply because the clientele that likes OPI is probably different from the clientele that is rushing to see the Muppets movie (I don't think toddlers paint their nails). That being said, OPI has done very well with other collections, like it's decision to pair with Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and the movie Burlesque.

If there is one shining star that leads the pack, a cosmetics collaboration master, if you will, it would have to be MAC. In the past few years, MAC has paired with Dita Von Teese, Eve, Lil' Kim, Ricky Martin, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper, drag queen RuPaul, socialite Iris Apfel, socialite Daphne Guinness, graffiti artist Fafi, Barbie, fashion label Lilly Pulitzer, Disney, Hello Kitty, fashion label Alice + Olivia, fashion designer Manish Arora, now-defunct fashion label Heatherette, Wonder Woman, Miss Piggy, fashion label Liberty of London, caricature Dame Edna, fashion designer Gareth Pugh, fashion label DSquared, actress Racquel Welch, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, plus more on imaginative, colorful collections that always contain a blend of both MAC's USP as well as the entity its collaborating with.

And some of the upcoming collections include partnering with fashion label Ruffian, singer Beth Ditto, former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld and creating a Marilyn Monroe-themed collection.

But there are other brands that have had some stellar match-ups as well, such as:

1. Lancome's fashion designer Pout-a-Porter series of lipsticks
 Lancome paired with a different designer for five years to create single, small batch limited-edition lipsticks based on colors in the chosen designer's latest runway show. Behnaz Sarafpour, Proenza Schouler, Peter Som, Thakoon and Chris Benz are all designers that paired up with the French cosmetics brand. I fell prey to the appeal of the Proenza Schouler lipstick, fittingly named Proenza Pink, which was marketed as a surfer-on-acid look. In retrospect...I'm not sure how that description lured me in, but I was smitten. The milky Pepto Bismol lip color sent out a siren call in my direction, forcing me to place a $40 order at Macy's in New York City so that when it shipped, I could be the proud owner of a lipstick that smelled wonderful, mimed the color of lipwear that I'm sure Twiggy would have worn in the sixties and which saluted a great fashion label. When, after a year's hiatus from the Pout-a-Porter line, Lancome created partnered with Chris Benz to create the most lustworthy pinky-coral lip color on this green Earth, I had to have it. Unfortunately, even though I had my name on the list for the lipstick, the Macy's Lancome clerk lost my name and I didn't end up getting one (insert sad face).

Chris Benz's Chris & Tell lipstick  

(photo c/o tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/)

 

Peter Som's PS KISS

 Thakoon's Pixel Pink

 Prozena Schouler's Proenza Pink

And my own much-loved Proenza Pink lipstick

2. Urban Decay's Book of Shadows, Tim Burton's Alice in   

  Wonderland edition

Alice in Wonderland (both the cartoon and live action versions) is one of my favorite movies due to its quirky, fantastical, funny and utterly imaginative storyline. Paired with Urban Decay, a line that is known for its urban, ultra-pigmented, break-all-of-the-rules USP, this was a product that I couldn't resist. Unfortunately, neither could anyone else, as I found when I traipsed to three different Sephoras only to find that the palette was never in stock. Gah.

Seriously...look at how great this set-up looks. 

 (photo c/o beautynomics.com)

 The names themselves are selling points. 

(photo c/o temptalia.com)

3. Nars pairing with Thakoon for a line of six nail polishes
The Nars line is about mixing a minimalist, elegant aesthetic with pigments that are almost incomparable to many other brans in terms of their intensity of color payoff. The Nars brand also incorporates risque elements, be it from the names of some of the products offered (Orgasm and Deep Throat are names of two of the most popular blushes) to the pairing of seemingly counterintuitive hues (such as the lime green and royal blue match-up in the Rated R Duo Eyeshadow compact). Thakoon, who has appeared twice on this short list (!), also prefers to create understated, elegant clothing designs, but chooses to go big and bold when it comes to the hair and makeup that he sends his models down the runway with. His past collections have featured models with sweeping red eyeshadow, baby pink Marie Antoinette-esque chalk-caked bouffants and tomato-colored lips. Thus it makes perfect sense that a fusion between these two like-minded brands would result in such marvelously bright and seriously opaque nail polishes.

Lal Mirchi, the most amazing shade of the bunch, in my opinion

(photo c/o scrangie.com)

4. DuWop with Twilight
I've been a fan of DuWop's Venom products since the beginning of high school, when I first tried the lip-tingling cinnamon-infused product after having purchased it in a Sephora while on vacation (the store wasn't in our proximity yet, so I had to state-hop). Lip venom uses pepper and cinnamon to make the blood rush to the wearer's lips thereby creating a flush and giving a plumped-up, bee-stung effect to the pout. The brand has an entire line of venoms, from the original clear formula to one that is infused with gold glitter, another with pink glitter, a blue-tinged formula to make teeth look whiter, and now a blood-colored stain-meets-gloss that invokes a vampyric quality. Even if Twilight, or vampire mania for that matter, isn't your thing, this collaboration is still a great pairing.