After an up-close and personal view of the capsule collection of Christian Lacroix for Desigual that whet your appetite, prepare to begin drooling as you see how the collection drapes on the runway and in real-life thanks to Teen Vogue darling, Colby Jordan of Minnie Muse. Still dying over the velvet flocking, patchwork prints, floral brocades, and chunky knits… Dear Fashion Fairy God Mother, please find a way for this immaculate coat to make its way into my life.

Image Credits: Desigual and WWDMAGIC

Fall head over heels for the latest trends making their debut this upcoming Autumn/Winter season. If you missed the first portion of the live stream of the Teen Vogue Blogger Style-Off, FABULUSH has you covered with a replay and we’ve laid out all of the upcoming Fall Fashion Trends. Jennifer Margolin of Red Sole Diary curated the panel with the newest Teen Vogue girl crushes: Colby Jordan of Minnie Muse, Rebecca Lay & Renee Ogaki of Styluste and BeBe Zeva of Fated to be Hated.  The featured fashions can be found at Via Spiga, Jessica Simpson, French Connection, BB Dakota, and Irregular Choice.

Fall/Winter 2011 Fashion Trends:

• Menswear Inspired Looks – Borrow a bit from the boys of Mad Men with pleated pants and camel.
• Punchy Colors – Jewel toned hues like plums and blues.
• Maxi – Lengten those legs with a longer, floor grazing hemline.
• Layers – Keep it cozy with additions like fur vests and leather moto jackets.
• Clutches - Interchangeable for day to night and on-the-run.
• Sunglasses – Top off every outfit with a finishing touch.
• Oversized – The bigger the better, whether it be accessories or the main look.
• 70s Revival Resurgence – A blast from the past, take a cue from the runways and bust out those bell bottoms.

What’s your favorite Fall fashion trend?

Famished and filled with pre-trade show excitement, fellow WWDMAGIC bloggers and I went in search of some food that would satiate our voracious Vegas-sized appetites. While the Wynn never disappoints, Elizabeth Wahler and Mariah from Ladylux, Nicole Giordano from Startupfashion, and Elim Chu from the Style Seen joined me at the Lakeside Grill where you can have dinner with a view.

While  I committed carbocide on crab cakes and truffled mac and cheese, the food was not even the highlight of the dinner. Conversing with like minds and with women of similar passions and backgrounds, enlightened my evening as our discussions encompassed current fashions and events to future foresights.  How amazing is life when a platform of social media brings people together to become socializing for a larger purpose?  Then a cleverly named “A Sweet Cart Named Desire” tempted our tastebuds, but alas we did not indulge as we had our waistlines to watch for the first big day at WWDMAGIC.

If you haven’t heard the word on the streets, WWDMAGIC partnered up with Teen Vogue to make an interactive destination during market and FashionablyMarketing.Me is helping send 30 bloggers there. They are pulling out all the stops with a Blogger’s Lounge, Beauty Bar, iPad Wall Art, and even more events!

1. How did you start your blog? What was the creative inspiration behind putting yourself out to the world?

I’ve been blogging since the early Y2K internet days of LiveJournal, but made the big move to being a lifestyle and fashion blogger around 2006/2007. I love the ability to connect with others and to express myself so freely either verbally through written word or visual imagery with photography. Also, I frankly needed an outlet to vent about my dating life and what to wear on these dates.

2. From where you began to where you are now as an independent writer, what are three valuable things you’ve learned about your craft?

-Create original and unique content, and the followers will come. Write and blog because you love it, find your voice instead of imitating others, and practice makes perfect.

-There will always be haters, but use it to fuel your fire. Don’t let discouraging comments stop you from achieving your dreams. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, even if they may not be the right one.

-Keep learning and growing! Technology is constantly evolving and media is changing; so stay flexible and engage, add value, and most of all dress well!

3. What is your personal style?

Multi-facted fashion: A boho hippie with downtown edge and an uptown twist. Variety is the spice of life they say, so for me it’s all about mixing vintage pieces with modern designers and frugal finds for an overall put together look.

4. What brands are you head over heels in love with?
   Proenza Schouler, YSL, Isabel Marant, Celine, Chloe, Alexander Wang, Preen, Chanel, TopShop, H&M, Zara… I’ll stop before your ears fall off.
5. What are three of your favorite websites?
   WWD – For fashion packed news at my fingertips
   Aureta’s Blog – For fresh styling and fun perspectives
   Tumblr – Everyone’s hopping on the bandwagon and it’s also great for inspiration
6. Who are three people you love to follow on Twitter?
   @dkny @gerihirsch @manrepeller – all witty, pretty, and professional.
7. What do you hope to gain from attending WWDMAGIC?
   I’d hope to learn more from veteran industry professionals, network like crazy, engage with like minds, and share ideas with and help upcoming bloggers. MAGIC is THE trade show of the season and to be able experience market and to cover the latest lines and designs would be amazing to provide my readers with some fresh and exclusive content. I’ve been once to MAGIC for a previous employer and I’ve been dying to go back ever since. And what better way to spend Valentine’s Day, but with the love of my life – Fashion!

Hope to see you in Vegas!

A mere hour after I had just wrapped up interviewing, shooting, and one of the quickest outfit changes of my life, I was back at the Sunglass Hut Flagship store on Fifth Avenue with all the fabulous finalists.  You can call me the quick change queen, as I had a mere 15 minutes to pull it all together from the moment the driver dropped me off and from when we were about to leave for our group dinner.  I pulled out the all the sequins stops in my vintage Lilie Rubin dress from Vintage Martini, Wolford tights,studded black booties, my good luck Chanel bag, and some vintage fur to brave the brisk NY chill.

The transformation of the room was incredible; as just moments before I was interviewing in the very same room, which went from business power hour to cocktail hour.  I mingled and met the stunning Kelly Choi, who has never been to Dallas, but will be making a visit very soon to check out the arts and food scene after a convincing conversation with me.  She is a New Yorker through and through and loves the the fashion and food scene.  Also in attendance were our guest judges, Wendy Lam from Nitro:licious, Bryan Grey-Yambao from Bryanboy, Lori Bergamotto from Lucky Magazine, and seated nearby me was the new media marketing master, Jen Osbon from Megaplayer.  Other judges and affiliates of Sunglass Hut and Luxottica also graced our presence in addition to some press heavy hitters like Amy O’Dell from The Cut and Andrew Bevan from Teen Vogue.

Felt like an episode of the Oprah Christmas edition where the surprises were over the top and non-stop.  After mingling  and playing with the Social Sun, we all sat down to our amazement to our own personalized iPads with the Top Chef curated menu on-screen.  After squealing and in disbelief, all guests enjoyed the company of some of fashion’s finest over an incredible meal.

While I felt like Cinderella and hoping that the clock would never strike midnight, all the people associated with Full Time Fabulous are our fairy godmothers.  They are more than happy to help make our dreams come true and eager to make each individual feel incredibly blessed and special.  To also be apart of a group of like minds who all work hard toward our passions is inspiring and we all bonded as a new sorority of sisters deemed the FTF house.

A huge thanks goes out to Angie and the rest of the Sunglass Hut crew who keep sharing the positivity, energy, and love for Full Time Fabulous, fashion and blogging!

As we near December 20, there is deeper look into the much hyped upcoming collaboration between the masterminds Kate and Lauren Mulleavy of Rodarte and Target.  The collection pulls inspiration from the latest trends (leopard, lace, sequins, innerwear as outerwear) and melding them with past time classics (bows, tulle, Jane Seber dresses, tights) all with a punk rock twist.  I’m not a big fan of the styling, but I can appreciate the throwback to a dainty 20s feel.  After seeing Dakota Fanning in Teen Vogue with her petite perfection in the long sleeved leopard dress, I knew there was much more to the collection at first glimpse.

Frugal fashion lovers can purchase the 55-piece Rodarte line for Go International  for 45 days only, starting on Dec. 20, and will be available through Feb. 6.  So be prepare to stalk your local Target, as the line will launch at most Target stores nationwide and on Target.com.  Many question the quality and the hand-worked designs Rodarte is known for and how it may translate to a mass market view, but Target claims to have stayed true to the spirit of the luxury-priced label.

“What you’ll notice is an amazing eye for detail,” said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. “It’s very feminine, yet very modern. The collection incorporates a rich mix of patterns and fabrications and everything from sequins and bows to faux fur. The key with Rodarte is layering.”

Prices for Target’s Go International Rodarte collection will range from $9.99 for knee-highs to $79.99 for a leopard print jacket. Only a mere $40 for the nude tulle ballerina bow dress, $45 for the dress Dakota donned in Teen Vogue (thanks RudeGirl!), but no word on the Jane Seber-like frock.

My Picks:

Nude Tulle Ballerina Bow Dress, also available in Black, $40

Jane Seber inspired lace dress, bow neck and cinched waist, Black

Long Sleeve Leopard Print Dress

Credit: TFS, Teen Vogue