Bonjour de France!

By Taylor de Diego
Hello from France darling readers and welcome to a new element of Society805: An International Fashion and Trend report straight from Paris, France, capitol of the fashion industry. Let me reintroduce myself to new readers of Society805 and give a brief overview of Society805’s international fashion correspondence before we get to the fun and exciting news that is Fashion Week Paris 2011.

My name is Taylor (Je m’appelle Taylor, for those of you who know French) and I am a former fashion writer for Society805. After a brief hiatus due to an overwhelmingly busy work and school schedule, I am happy to be working for Society805 again. And this time I am reporting on trends, boutiques, vintage shopping and all other things related to fashion from a French perspective. I am lucky enough to call Paris my current city and I can not wait to share all of the spectacular sights, fashion and beautiful people I am surrounded by daily. For the next couple of months, I will be your direct connection to Parisian and European fashion. Anything you want to know about French fashion? Need some fashion inspiration? Planning a trip to Europe? I’m your girl and I’m glad to share my knowledge!

Now, let’s get started. Yesterday commenced the first day of Paris Fashion Week, 2011. The city is always thriving with energy but the beginning of such an event has brought a new excitement to the city.  While today I was unable to attend any of the fashion shows due to a conflicting school schedule, the enthusiasm was pumping through the city. After class I darted over to the Marais, an extremely chic yet bohemian fashion district in Paris, to find that the neighborhood was crawling with photographers, models and plenty of stage men setting up for the crowds. It’s everything one would imagine during such an exciting and important event in the capitol of the fashion industry.

For those who are not familiar, Fashion Week is a bi-annual event in which native designers and design houses display their collections for the upcoming season. Both Haute Couture, clothing made directly for the buyer, and ready-to-wear, pre-made designs, collections are displayed to a crowd of celebrities, designers, and fashion-lovers alike. While Fashion Week takes place in numerous cities like New York, Milan and London, the Paris Fashion Week has an entirely different feel. There is something mystifying when this city of life becomes full of those people who breathe fashion. Just imagine, Coco Chanel’s legacy has paved the way to an event in which people from all over the world travel to experience. It’s magnificent and I am tremendously grateful to be apart of the excitement!

The metro is running all night this weekend so I’ll be running all over this city, consuming as much fashion as possible. Stay tuned and get ready for Fashion Week 2011, California! Tomorrow I will be attending the Lutz runway show.

 

Taylor deDiego. Craving more? Check out Makingtee.blogspot.com

Pink Stripes in San Jose

By Jennelle Fong
On my escapade to the bay area, I chanced upon this lovely little gem in San Jose's Santana Row...Pink Stripes. This locally owned boutique was absolutely adorable, with the jars of candy and variety of lollipops. The kimonos were to die for--absolutely breathtaking in the decadence and detail. Love it! Check out Society 805's upcoming October issue for a more exclusive look at Pink Stripes in the Girl About Town column.

Poolside Collection by Karina Copado

By Jennelle Fong
My Saturday night? Oh, no biggie. Just a few errands, dinner, and a charity fashion show by Karina Copado. Again, no biggie.

It was absolutely fabulous, but what else would you expect from a LA party? The venue, La Maison de Fashion, was decorated with a red carpet entrance set with dozens of photographers and zigzagging bolts of tulle strung above everyone's heads. Guests were cool and collected, mingling amongst a featured supplemental designer, Kevin Couture.

Kevin Couture + models and designs

 
Snagged a picture with the models of Kevin Couture Designs!

and so begins the Poolside Collection by Karina Copado show...

The designer, Karina Copado

As a given, I left the show with my ears still ringing with Katy Perry and my eyes blind from the numerous flashes of the cameras, but I strutted away with gorgeous images of sexy, bold pieces by Karina Copado. Her Poolside Collection is to die for--it truly is for the women that don't get wet.

On the road, in search of fashion: Petaluma, California

 By Angelina Ward

Located 3o miles north of the diverse city of San Francisco, lies the sleepy town of Petaluma, California.

Known for such things as hosting the yearly "The World's Ugliest Dog Contest" televised on Animal Planet, as well as being the shooting site for varies movies such as American Graffiti (1973), Flubber (1997) and Basic Instinct (1992) this little town boasts a unique dining and shopping experience at the various boutiques downtown. Two boutiques, Ooh La Loft and Splendid Little Shoppe stand out for having a flair for fashion while keeping the business local. The bohemian beach feel of local favorite Splendid Little Shoppe features a wide variety of unique treasures from clothing to jewlery to home goods and decor. Originally opened by owner Alisha Peterson under the name "A Shangri La" in 2000, the boutique changed it's name to "A Splendid Little Shoppe" in 2006 but kept the affordably eclectic finds and homey feel to the store.

"Splendid little shoppe is a boutique filled with affordable fashions for you and your home! Located in the historic heart of downtown Petaluma we bring "chicness" to the "chicken capital of the world". ~ Alisha Peterson (0wner)

Splendid Little Shoppe is located at:

140 Petaluma Blvd. North Petaluma, Ca 94952 and can be found on facebook or at http://web.mac.com/splendidlittle/Site/splendid_little_home.html

NOLA Love

On The Road in Search of Fashion

By Brittany Avila

In the birthplace of Mardi Gras, the glittering city of New Orleans, women are more concerned with ruffled dresses and shimmering scarves than what color metallic bead necklace they should adorn. The hot and humid climate calls for airy blouses, skirts and dresses that are made charming with their unique bold and floral prints. In a place rich with lavish French history, it is only fitting that the ladies of NOLA continue the “tre magnifique” ways of their predecessors and add to the sparkle that makes New Orleans such an irresistible destination. While visiting the majestic city of the bayou I roused the racks of many trendy and vintage-inspired boutiques to expose how the fashionistas of the French Quarter represent.

This loose romper allows air in while representing a beautiful blend of African roots in the print.

An adorable and well-fitted floral dress that represents the south’s impeccable ability to accentuate and fit to women’s natural curves.

For an elegant affair, the full-length dresses were featured in many shops and came in all colors and styles.

During my time in the French quarter, my shopping addiction forced to me visit every boutique that featured any sort of women’s clothing. After scanning the glamorous racks of many charming shops decorated with bright colors and 40’s style sun hats, I found the jewel of all shopping in NOLA. Langford Market, located on Decatur street near the famous Café DuMonde, takes News Orleans fashion a step above the other boutiques by featuring trendy clothes that each have a special detail or characteristic that make them a one of a kind piece. After walking in and being greeted with a pineapple martini (yum, especially after walking around in Mother Nature’s sauna) my eyes feasted upon the vintage artifacts decorating the shop and bright colors and prints adorning the racks. The selection of clothing is vast, and they feature clothes young ladies or a mature woman. So if you’re in New Orleans, hop down to the French quarter and stroll down the Mississippi River to this oasis of clothing that would impress any fashionista.

Layering is a big trend down here that allows you mix colors and materials that make a trend unique to you; a good belt at the waist is almost always flattering by showing off a woman’s hips creating an hour-glass figure.

A denim dress with a crochet button-up vest attached- two materials that are surprisingly a lovely pair.

A blue one-shouldered dress for a night out adds gathering on the one sleeve in remembrance of the puffy sleeves of the Antebellum era of the south.

Louisiana ladies love their purses big too!

This outfit exudes the ruffles and floral prints that make southern outfits lovely and feminine.

What would any outfit be without the bling! Beads, bangles, and hats were all popular accessories.

Note: Please excuse the rusty picture quality, my Blackberry does not compare to a Nikon. :)