Best of London Fall 2011

While you can't blame many of London's most talented for sticking to their guns and churning out distinctly personal collections, there was an over all disconcerting feeling that many of these lines have little relevancy in the world of desirable, attainable high fashion. That being said, there were still a handful of collections that will stand the test of time, from the covetable to the collectible, here were our favorites.

Mary Katrantzou(and above)

Mary Katrantzou continues to revolutionize the fine art of the print season after season and this Fall's rich take on sumptuous couture norms of the past felt energized when balanced with reality friendly layers.



Charles Anastase


We've been big fans of Charles Anastase since the get-go and his Fall range, a general continuation on his intellectual Lolita theme, happens to fit nicely amongst fashion's current retro mood.

Meadham Kirchoff


Meadham Kirchoff were at it again with another strangely beautiful, confidently executed but also wearable outing that had distorted takes on idyllic school uniforms layered with peasant tops and dresses. What stood out this time around was the addition of hand embroidery that added an ethnic twist to the moody, off-kilter dolly-girl effect.

View every single favorite Fall 2011 look from London here

Oscars Best Dressed

Three of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards best dressed actresses may have dynamic persona's, but last night they let the flawless execution of their dresses take center stage. All three made the case for pure design stronger than ever.

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Haute Couture

Michelle Williams in Chanel Haute Couture

Florence Welch in Valentino Haute Couture

Inspiration: A Year in Distorted Vogue Covers

Sometimes and now more than ever thanks to the internet, you see an idea that's so simple, pure & clever, you can't believe you didn't think of it first. That's what we thought when we saw these series of Vogue covers initially posted on LiveJournal by 'shrubrub' composed of every 2010 cover in each edition (UK, above) layered into a single image. So genius...

Vogue Paris

Vogue Italia

Accessory of the Week: 80's Louis Felt Hat

Wearing our latest Accessory of the Week, this 80's era brown wool felt Louis Boston hat with grosgrain trim, happens to be one of the easiest ways to add a proper dose of collected cool to any look, year-round.


80's Louis Boston Italian Felt Hat-$92

Best of New York Fall 2011

While it's true that amidst a jam packed fashion schedule, New York designers aren't the ones who set the sartorial agenda, there were however, still a handful of exceptional Fall 2011 shows that caught our eye and are destined to inspire future buys for ourselves & the shop.

The Row(and above)


Shots of mellow color with an ample array of fur, cashmere and exotic skins with an elegant restraint made The Row's assertive signature take on minimalism New York's most undeniably luxurious outing and upped the label's ante from subtle to heritage glamour in the most impressive way. That's not to say the inclinations towards a louche sensibility have been abandoned, they've just been energized by a sincere take on old-money associations in the coolest way imaginable. Must-have's included the vaguely 20's beaded tunic & midi-skirt combos, the short mink knits, conal long-tailed fox fur hats, and chunky cashmere socks.

Proenza Shouler
While they do put on a good show, sometimes we find the reality of Proenza Shouler on the sales floor to be quite far from the cult of "cool" association that's been a major part of their trajectory in the ranks of venerable labels. Yet one things for sure, they are the most accomplished in terms of exploring the boundaries of urbane dressing in New York amongst their peers, and this they do with immaculate execution. Their mastery of clashing digital tribal inspired prints with convincingly modern knits, relaxed pants, and velvet dresses made this one of their best collections to date and one of New York's most distinguishable, wearable and easily covetable.


Suno

Suno's Max Osterweis & Erin Beatty's confidence in finessing demure prints paid off for Fall as they struck the appropriate level of quirk via wallpaper prints and oversized takes on prim layering that felt refreshingly fun, captivating and made for a bevy of smart layering options.

In-Store: Westwood/McLaren World's End Hat

From the 70's comes this rare and sensationally collectible World's End hat by Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren that features a contrasting rasta inspired knit inner piece that gives it an enhanced sense of cool.



World's End Vivienne Westwood/Malcolm McLaren Hat-$585, available in-store & online by special order only

Smart Buy: 80's Matsuda Ivory Blouse

From the 80's comes our latest Smart Buy, this fluid ivory Matsuda blouse that boasts a graphic triangle hem and central back slit proving that even the smartest of buys can be fun & forever-chic.
80's Matsuda Ivory Blouse-$256

New Bond 07 Vintage Arrivals

Get ready for fantastic new one-of-a-kind & ultra rare vintage finds from our Bond 07 by Selima Optique range, available online & in-store.

70's Ossie Clark Black Silk Tiered Dress-$1,698

90's Gianni Versace Studded Leather Punk Shorts-$1,398

A.F Vandevorst Tartan Mermaid Hem Skirt-$278

Check out all of our latest finds from Bond 07 by Selima Optique here

Sprouse in da House: Stephen Sprouse 1984

We were floored when we scored these two latest finds from Stephen Sprouse's seminal 1984 collection. While they are extraordinarily collectible, they also make for a smart way to inject all out color into your repertoire.

1984 Stephen Sprouse Pink Wool Coat-$1,298

1984 Stephen Sprouse Neon Pink Cardigan-$652

New Arrivals at Vagabondnyc.com

Check the site out for a bevy of new vintage finds from Alaia, Jil Sander, Ossie Clark, Missoni, Matsuda & more!

Kick it up a notch in Jil Sander's 90's era techno dress with a graphic slit hem.

Jil Sander Black Swing Dress-$188

From Isaac Mizrahi comes the perfect transitional wool jacket that boasts beautifully crafted braided leather toggle closures.

1991 Isaac Mizrahi Green Toggle Jacket-$212

From Missoni comes this demure black knit a-line dress that's lined with crinoline for an added boost in shape.

Missoni Black Knit Crinoline Dress-$228

Go for bold and playful in this 80's era Hysteric Glamour baseball jacket that's covered with cheeky patches.

80's Hysteric Glamour Baseball Jacket-$386

Best of Pre-Fall 2011

We had been waiting on Prada/Miu Miu to put our favorite Pre-Fall list together and it seems that amidst a jam packed fashion calender, it honestly isn't going to happen. Fall 2011 has already been going strong over the past few days. That being said, there were still hundreds of must-have looks from all of our favorites, the usual suspects, of course. From sci-fi to minimalism to all out cool, there's plenty for everyone, including 360+ stand-out looks.

Celine(and above)


Adding a beautifully crafted air of cool girl nonchalance to her confident repertoire of slick luxury made Pre-Fall another hit for Pheobe Philo's expanding vision at Celine. Standouts included fragmented patchwork outerwear, subdued metallics and a re-working of Philo's now iconic color blocked sportswear.

Givenchy


A palette of neutrals injected with shots of lilac made for a clever way to highlight and even lighten up Ricardo Tisci's many signatures at Givenchy. Pre-Fall also included a fresh assortment of sporty references from riding pants to the perfect baseball jacket, making it one of his best outings as of late.

Balenciaga


Explosive wallpaper prints mixed with an 80's vibe and the return of Nicholas Ghesquiere's infamous dog print sweater made Balenciaga heavy on wearable separates full of personality.

Rochas


Relaxed separates in a moody palette with a restrained 40's and somewhat mannish vintage appeal were a smart addition to the retro dialogue Marco Zanini has flourished on at Rochas.

Thakoon


The clean focus of Thakoon's fuss-free Pre-Fall outing only further proves why it's quite possibly our favorite New York label to come out in the past decade, and our favorite label for Pre-Fall stateside.

Check out all of our favorite Pre-Fall 2011 looks here