Mexican Designer Alejandra Quesada

I fell in love with Alejandra Quesada's clothes. I wish I had visited her boutique this past winter when I was in Mexico City. Mexico City's fashion scene is starting to slowly gain recognition worldwide, which is wonderful for such a vibrant culture that contributes so much to art and design.

For more Alejandra Quesada check out her website here.

Gwen Stefani Elle Cover

Gwen looks stunning on the July issue of Elle magazine. I love the photographs taken by Carter Smith, some of which are a bit faded and almost overexposed, but display Gwen's beauty just the same.

Elle.com behind the scenes look at the cover shoot.


In the picture above Gwen is wearing a wool coat from Alexander McQueen Fall 2009 Ready To Wear collection. On her the dress looks amazing, however something tells me that many women wouldn't wear the dress to work or for everyday, especially the giant sized neck brace. Below there are some alternative houndstooth dresses and jackets that may be around your price range.





















Soia & Kyo
Black houndstooth 'Billy' funnel neck coat
$178.50
bluefly.com









Via Spiga
Black houndstooth wool blend 'Carso' belted coat
$149.99
bluefly.com









Marc by Marc Jacobs
Scribble houndstooth dress
$229
eluxury.com









Check out ShopStyle.com.

Jimmy Choo for H&M

Great news! Jimmy Choo is making a line for H&M! Shoe lovers everywhere can now say that they own a pair of Jimmy Choo's. Another luxury brand is lowering its prices for the Sweedish chain.

Last week Jimmy Choo anounced that it would team up with H&M to create a collection comprised of shoes, bags, and accessories. The collection will be ready and in 200 stores around the world in mid November.

Tamara Mellon, founder and President of Jimmy Choo is very happy with the collaboration. "We are privileged to be among the fashion greats who have been affiliated with H&M so far, and to be designing a collection appealing to fashion savvy, street smart women, and to be including some great pieces for men, too," said Mellon. She calls the collection, "sophisticated, fashion forward, accessible, and glamorous."

Tamara Mellon (left) with Margaret van den Bosch (right)

The creative advisor for H&M Margareta van den Bosch is the reason behind the impressive lineup of designers H&M has had, including Comme des Garcons, Matthew Williamson, Viktor & Rolf, Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, and Roberto Cavalli. Margareta says, “We adore Jimmy Choo’s shoes and bags. I like the way we have worked with clothes to accessorize the shoes and bags rather than the other way around. This collaboration is particularly exciting because it's our first shoe designer collection. It's a joy to be able to offer top end designer shoes and bags of excellent quality to our customers."

Project Runway Finale TONIGHT

The Project Runway finale is tonight 10pm eastern time on BRAVO. I cannot wait to see who the judges choose as the winner. I've already gotten a sneak peak at each of their collections (I couldn't help myself) and I must say that each of the did a great job and it will be intereting to see what the judges have to say.

Penelope Cruz - Mango 2008 Spring Summer Collection

Finally the 2008 Spring Summer line that Penelope and Monica Cruz designed for Mango is out. Back in January I wrote in anticipation about the line and the advertisements that featured Penelope and her sister Monica. Now on the Mango website you can see the line and buy a few pieces.

The sisters kept it simple, using lots of black and white and simple cuts. Florals are also very prominent in their pieces and they are done very tastefully. Their style is simple and chic, similar to the way many women dress in Spain. In Spain women are chic and fashionable without looking like they are trying to hard. I remember as a young girl, my grandmother always stressing the importance of looking nice and dressing well, even when going to the supermarket. Thoughout the years the style has gotten more casual, as you can see many teens wearing sneakers and ripped jeans, acquiring a more punk aesthetic, however the Spanish elegance is still prevalent. I especially love the polka dot black dress and the floral off the shoulder dress seen below.

Kensie - Modern Dreams Spring 2008

The Kensie website describes their line as pretty and effortless, accidentally chic, elegant yet raw. A pretty modern dream for pretty modern dressing. When I first came across this line I also thought I might be dreaming. The embodiment of what I considered my style at an affordable price, could it be? And alas it was. Each outfit averages out around the hundred dollar mark. Not bad for a look that appears much more expensive.

The different designs, prints, florals etc gives each dress a variety of different looks, however the cut and style of each dress keeps a common thread throughout the line. The dichotomy between edgy and feminine makes each piece interesting and no doubt fun to wear.

Below are a few pieces from the line. Kensie excels with separates and dresses, work and night clothes. If you want versatility and an elegant look check out kensie.com.

Left: Geo Lace Dress - Black Multi (sug retail $118)

Right: Gumball Dress - Black Multi (sug retail $78)

Left: Two Tone Floral Dress - Slate Mix (sug retail $78)

Right: Two Tone Floral Tunic - Slate Mix (sug retail $88)

Right: Soft & Drapey Pant - Slate Multi (sug retail $78)

Left: Lots Of Dots Dress - Black Mix (sug retail $98)
Right: Lyocell With Silk Chiffon Top - White (sug retail $58)
Right: Stretch Linen Shorts - Black (sug retail $58)

Right: Cotton Silk Voile Blouse - White (sug retail $68)
Right: Matte Super Stretch Pant - Black (sug retail $98)