Fashion Blog » Designer Spotlight

We previously reported in a post in January that Isaac Mizrahi will be leaving Target to work is magic at Liz Claiborne.  However, he did come out with a new spring line for Target this season so I’m not exactly sure when he will be leaving for good.  Hopefully, he will be at Target at least until the end of 2008.  Here are some of his affordable women’s dresses from his new spring line at Target:

Issaac Mizrahi Taffeta Couture Dress - Autumn Gold: $49.99 - Also comes in Ebony, Navy, Chesterfield Navy, & Fandango Red.

Isaac Mizrahi Wrap Dress - Shell Pink: $39.99 - Also comes in Fandango, Ebony, Navy Voyage, French Cream & Floral Chintz.

Isaac Mizrahi Sateen Sheath Dress - Lipstick: $34.99 - Also comes in Ebony, White & ZZ Taupe.

Isaac Mizrahi Sateen Pencil Dress - Aqua Curls: $39.99 - Also comes in Ebony, Fandango Red, Spanish Brown, Fresh Lavender, Pink, Burst of Lime & Navy.

I am currently pale, but it looks like I’m going to need to get a sunny glow in order to sport these pretty bright colors.

Click here for the entire Isaac Mizrahi Target collection for Spring.

While I will admit that I’ve gotten a certain amount of sick pleasure from watching The Hills, I must say that I don’t understand the lingering “fame” of its “stars.” I really don’t get why anyone would buy Lauren Conrad’s clothing, and the same goes for Heidi Montag’s upcoming line for Anchor Blue.

I haven’t been into Anchor Blue since it was called Miller’s Outpost, but what I see in the display window doesn’t ever thrill me. I guess everyone else feels the same way because the company is so desperate that it’s looking to Montag to help revamp its lackluster image. (Wait, what part of her resume qualifies her for this?) However ill-conceived, Anchor Blue’s plan is to target a new demographic, shifting it’s focus from the 14-18 year-old market to the 16-21 year old market with Montag in tow.

The collection, dubbed Heidiwood and set for release in Spring, will include apparel and accessories. Two more lines will follow.

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Here’s the latest from Fashion Week Fall 08:

Betsey Johnson was her classic self, with an over-the-top, but still pretty wearable collection. I loved everything about it, from the beatnik theme to the sampling of every decade since Kerouac and the beat ruled the underground. Check it out!

At Marc by Marc Jacobs, punky plaid, zipper details and voluminous collars were on display. Bows, sequins and….are those pantaloons I see?

I love to see the runway shots from a fashion show in chronological order because they usually get increasingly eye-boggling toward the end of the collection. A good example of that is the recent Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 08 Couture show, which started out pretty interesting, but soon moved into the realm of very interesting .

Here’s what I mean. The show started out with these pieces:

and then things got very oceanic, very sea creature….

I love it.  Let’s all get aquatic this Spring.

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Would you ride a bike to work? What about a DKNY bike?

Neon orange bikes, like the one pictured above, will be sprinkled around New York City courtesy of DKNY next week. The company partnered up with the city’s Department of Transportation for this pro-environment campaign that aims to promote bike riding.

The non-gas guzzling modes of transportation will be chained up at bike stations in various city neighborhoods.

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The couture shows are like candy to me. I just sit back and wait to be dazzled, and I haven’t been disappointed by the Spring 08 runways. Angles, symmetry and volume seems to be an obsession of many designers this season, and nobody is holding back, especially where texture is concerned. Colorwise the pallets have run the gamut from muted at Chanel to vivid (an understatement) at Dior.

Here are some highlights of the Spring couture shows:

Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld plays with the classic Chanel jacket, mixing it with ballet flats and short angled skirts that remind of the 80s. Nylons also make a comeback in this ethereal collection.

Christian Dior

Leave it to John Galliano to do it up. The Dior catwalk was teaming with lusciously grandiose and billowing pieces. And, oh, was the 60s vibe was palpable.

Armani Privé.

It was all in the details for Giorgio Armani, who took a “more is better” attitude this season, working with lines, large floral add-ons, and sashes galore.

The Oscar nominations were announced today, and one of my favorite categories is, of course, Costume Design. This year there were so many amazingly dressed films, so it’ll be interesting to see who wins. I have my eye on La Vie en Rose and Elizabeth the Golden Age, but if my Oscar knowledge is worth its salt, I’d say it’s between Elizabeth and Sweeney Todd, which were more elaborate. The groovy 6os costumes of Across the Universe and Atonement’s 1940s garb also earned nominations.

Oscar loves a period piece.

Past winners have included:

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane

Cleopatra

Romeo & Juliet

Star Wars

Chicago

Memoirs of a Geisha

Marie Antoinette

Isaac Mizrahi is leaving Target to work his magic at Liz Claiborne, which could definitely use a boost. Mizrahi’s hugely successful, five-year stint creating fashionable and affordable work and casual wear for Target shoppers will come to an end later this year. He will become the creative director at Liz Claiborne beginning Spring of 2009.

Interestingly, the recent death of the company’s namesake founder was a big reason for the change says CEO, William L. MCComb:

Liz Claiborne is an extremely well-known, well-regarded brand that failed to deliver on the core values that made it great in the first place: color, fit, value and style. The turning point was when Liz Claiborne died , and we got lots of calls and letters from consumers who didn’t know she hadn’t been working here since 1989.

The hope is that the designer can breathe some much needed life and color into the ailing brand, which has suffered profit loss and a substantial drop off in popularity since the 1990s. The goal will be to create higher quality clothing and lots of excitement around the Liz Claiborne name. Of course, Mizrahi’s charisma will play a major part in the plan with in-store appearances and runway shows as part of the blueprint.

Poor Target.

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Here’s the second installment of the Pre-Fall 08 fashion shows, including Bill Blass and Roberto Cavalli:

Bill Blass: bows, high-waisted pants, sequins, floral, white, slim lines, silk, color gradation.

Chanel: Metallic, pink, layers, black and white, tweed, plaid, bubble skirts, purple, zippers, Amy Winehouse hair.

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An early Christmas gift for Fashionistas.  According to Women’s Wear Daily, eco-friendly designer Rogan Gregory, of Rogan and Bono’s Edun line, is joining the ranks of Targets high fashion collaborators.  There aren’t many details at this point, but the news is buzzing.