Summer is heating up, and chic Pre-Fall 2012 items are rolling into stores. This week, we can't stop thinking about Loeffler Randall's navy cork wedges, Balenciaga's clear-tone sunnies, and Suno's lushly printed shorts. See those finds — plus more gorgeous picks just perfect for the season — right here.
Need a few seasonal wardrobe updates? This week, theoutnet.com will offer up a selection of gorgeous — and recent — See by Chloé pieces at some very enticing prices. Among the items: perforated leather bags for $150, printed silk dresses for $140, and embellished ballerina flats for $165. And, in case Fall is already on your mind, never fear — there are cozy cable-knit cardigans and knit wool jackets in the mix as well. Click through for a preview of the entire selection — and mark your calendars: these goodies go on sale June 7.
This may just be the year of the cameo. Not only did Lanvin offer them up in dramatic medallion styles for Pre-Fall 2012, but now Miu Miu's gorgeous crystallized versions for Summer 2012 have finally hit online and in stores.
Though classic techniques like hand engraving and investment casting were used to create these jewels — and they may be adorned with crystals, brass, and pearls — these cameos are anything but old school. Each silhouetted face comes in a statement-making jumbo size and backed in an eye-popping hue — vivid marigold, tomato red, pink, or cerulean blue.
Watch Mia Wasikowska model a few styles in the campaign video below, then click through to see — and shop — the entire Cammeo Cristal range, priced from $495 to $995.
Prada's newest release blends streamlined functionality with the season's carefree mood for an updated shoulder satchel that's anything but plain. And though the vivid hues — red, orange, blue, and purple — may feel just right for right now, the classic hunting-bag-inspired shape and rustic hardware detailing mean these little beauties can go straight through to Fall with utter ease.
Priced at $1,595, the bags hit stores in the US, United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong in June. Until then, see them up close here.
Swimwear line Giejo may be just a few months old, but already it's garnered quite the following. In fact, it seems everyone — from The New York Times to The Zoe Report to W — has recently sung its praises. And no wonder: in flattering cuts, clever color combos, and quirky prints, these bikini separates are not just chic, they're also the ultimate in mix-and-match wearability. "The Giejo girl is fashion-forward, ready to make a statement, and isn't afraid of trying new things," designer Gabby Sabharwal explains. "She just wants to have fun."
Now, thanks to an exclusive collaboration with Barneys, there is even more statement-making fun to be had. In stores and online now, the capsule comprises five tops and five bottoms in a bevy of eye-catching, Barneys-only prints. There's a vaguely '80s coral-hued "Aztec" print, a delicate chartreuse mini floral, a neon lace overlay, and — for the classicists — a crisp black and white stripe. "I cannot believe that now when I walk into Barneys my collection is listed on the directory," Sabharwal says. "It is truly an honor and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life."
A peek at the entire capsule, priced from $95 to $120, in the slideshow.
The next installment of Alexis Bittar's Elements collection won't hit stores until this August, but fans of the jewels can get a peek at the never-before-seen pieces — and place orders — right now.
Currently available for preorder on Moda Operandi, this season's offering features the same hand-hewn aesthetic and organic textures that made last season's debut so mesmerizing, but this time around the Native American motifs have been replaced with something even more luxe: smokey quartz, shimmering pyrite, and stone-encrusted panthers. Priced from $125 to $495, pieces can be ordered right now — but only until June 1. A look at the entire selection, here.
Pre-Fall pieces may already be trickling into stores, but we've got Summer on our mind. That means we're craving items that are crisp, bold, and easy: colorblock rafia wedges, maritime accessories, retro swimwear, and more. A look at what's topping this week's must-have list, in the slideshow.
With the official start of Summer just days away, there's no better time than now to get into the spirit of the season — and that includes fingers and toes. In hues that evoke fiery sunsets and sun-kissed skin, Chanel's limited-edition Le Vernis nail lacquers may be just the thing. And, with names like Island (a pearly nude), Delight (a shimmering bronze), and Holiday (a superbright coral) these colors are sure to put you in a vacation-ready mood faster than most.
Click through to shop all the Chanel Summer 2012 nail shades, including the available-online-only Beige, which — despite its no-frills name — is a creamy neutral that's anything but plain.
File this under Summer clothing we can't wait to wear: the Keds Spring 2012 apparel collection is filled with peg-leg pants, colorblock knits, sporty tank dresses, and gauzy Swiss dot blouses — all with a slightly vintage, prepped-up spin. In other words, exactly the kinds of easygoing separates that make warm-weather weekend dressing a snap. Priced from $70 to $300, these supercute pieces are available now — but only at Opening Ceremony stores. See the entire lookbook here.
Distressed boyfriend jeans and a faded denim jacket may not automatically spring to mind when one thinks of jewelry designer Pamela Love, but that's exactly what's on offer as part of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up's highly-anticipated capsule for J.Crew.
"The collection was inspired by what my friends and I wear almost on a daily basis," Love explains. Sure enough, the three-piece limited-edition selection — which also includes a belt, another first for Love — captures exactly the kind of downtown irreverence that has made Love's tribal-influenced jewelry, and Love herself, such a favorite. "I'm a big fan of mixing bold statement pieces with more subdued vintage classics, and I think that blend is pretty well reflected in the collection," Love says of her aesthetic. "I definitely pull a lot of inspiration from the American Southwest and Mexico and South America — I try to travel as much as I can."
See the entire capsule — available now at Jcrew.com and priced from $135 to $295 — here, in the slideshow.
As if the balmy days of Spring weren't cause enough, this month's flurry of events and occasions call for plenty of celebration — and plenty of reasons to give the perfect gift. Here, 20 utterly elegant, splurge-worthy options to take you from Mother's Day to graduation — to every bridal shower and birthday in between — without missing a beat.
For those who would prefer to skip ahead to next season, Marni's Fall 2012 Foulard collection may be just the thing. The bold and quirky windowpane skirts, striped sweaters, grid dresses, and accessories — which this season also feature prints from Los Angeles-based illustrator Brian Rea — are now available for preorder online. Click through to peek some of the best pieces from the collection, and act fast — the preview sale ends May 25.
Nothing says new season like a fresh new bag. In honor of the start of May — and carefree warm-weather days — here are 50 of Spring 2012's most drool-worthy, highly covetable bags. Camera styles from Proenza Schouler and Lanvin, clean-lined totes from Celine and Phillip Lim, wild-hued satchels from Givenchy and Mulberry — they're all right here, they're all super chic, and they're all just perfect for starting the Summer off in style.
Photo: Greg Kessler
>> Just in time to cure any impending swimsuit-shopping blues, Moda Operandi has launched its first ever Swim Week, a series of trunkshows featuring the best of next season's warm-weather pieces — curated and made to look extra chic by artistic director Taylor Tomasi Hill herself. With themes like "Clean Slate," which showcases crisp, streamlined items by Alberta Ferretti and Hermes, or "Boho Grand," which offers beachy pieces from Lemlem and We Are Handsome, there's a little something for everyone, and — best of all — the well-edited selection actually makes planning your skin-baring wardrobe a breeze.
For a preview of all the Swim Week trunkshows — including "Safari" and "Master Mix" — watch the exclusive Bettina Santo Domingo-lensed video below, then click through the slideshow for a peek at more of the Tomasi Hill-styled ensembles. Moda Operandi's Swim Week runs from now through May 2.
>> Thakoon's Bollywood-goes-West Spring 2012 show was a delicious riot of print and color — and now, thanks to a just-released collaboration with Nars, the same vivid hues that made up the collection can be worn on fingertips and toes.
In keeping with Thakoon's spiced-up Spring theme, each of the new lacquers — five of which are shoppable online now at Sephora and Nordstrom for $18 apiece — is named for a traditional Indian spice or herb. Anardana, a vivid pink, takes its name from the Hindi word for wild pomegranate seeds, while Amchoor, a bright yellow, is named after dried ground mango. A sixth color, Lal Mirchi, is a hot, tamale red and is named after — what else? — chili peppers.
While Lal Mirchi is available only at the Nars Bleecker Street boutique in New York, the rest can be shopped right here, in the gallery.
>> Karla Martinez's and Cecilia de Sola's debut collection for Piamita was filled with loungewear so polished, it begged to be worn everywhere — from inside the house to out on the town. Now, for Spring 2012, the pajama-inspired pieces are back, and this time around, they're even chicer than before. "We tailored them to fit a sleeker approach that epitomizes refined ease," the duo explained. That translates to tap pants with contrast piping, swinging a-line tanks, and slouchy harem pants — all of which come in vividly hued silk, vibrant prints, or chiffon. Available at Barneys, Intermix, Shopbop, and Net-a-porter, they're just the thing to help you slip softly right into Spring.
>> Warmer weather and longer days call for breezy separates, dramatic accessories, and major shoes — and that's precisely what's rolling into stores right now. A look at all the super-chic just-in pieces — from a spike-handled Christian Louboutin python bag to a speckle-printed Mara Hoffman shift dress — here, in the slideshow.
>> Feeling crabby? Miu Miu's new batch of sparklers are just the thing to put a little lightness in your step. In stores now, the whimsical new sandals are inspired by sea creatures — starfish, sea horses, crustaceans — and come all glammed up in the label's signature shimmer: pink crystals, amethyst, micro-studs, and glitter. The super-walkable flat and kitten heels, priced from $695 to $890, are also entirely handmade. See them all, right here.
>> Whether you're headed to Palm Springs this weekend or not, Free People's April 2012 lookbook promises to put you in a music festival frame of mind. Modeled by Linda Vojtova, the lookbook is filled with pieces that epitomize Coachella cool: eyelet tunics, embroidered dresses, '70s mega flares, thread-bare band tees, crochet vests, and feathered earrings, just the kind of modern hippie styles to get the Summer started right. Click through to shop all the looks, available online now in the retailer's seasonal Festival Shop.
>> It's really happening. Starting April 10, the chicest Lanvin pieces of recent seasons hit theoutnet.com — at fractions of their original prices. That means asymmetric silk dresses that were originally $2,390 are now $837, frame-wedge sandals that were once $1,950 are now $975, and leather portfolio bags that were once $1,890 are now just $620. Click through to preview a selection of items from the sale — and start making your plan of attack now.
Photo: Lanvin Fall 2012 Backstage; Greg Kessler
