Fashion Blog » Designer Spotlight

We all love a little of the D & G in our lives, so how to we make sure we’re getting the hottest styles at the best bargain price? Smarter.com’s comparison shopping is here to help. Other than shopping for keywords in the standard Smarter.com search toolbar, you can search by designer and brand on their lefthand navigation. Look for your favorite celebrity looks and styles, all at the best bargain prices brought to you by Smarter Fashion. I wouldn’t support it if it didn’t work.

Some of the top Dolce & Gabbana styles to check out this season:

Dolce & Gabbana Wallet Handbag: $469.00

Awe the crowd with this dandy little purse, sleek and elegant to pair with night or day looks!

Dolce & Gabbana Monokini: $207.00

Sweep the beach with this sassy style, brought to you in the best quality and cut from Dolce & Gabbana’s classic look.

Shop for more Dolce & Gabbana women’s clothing at Smarter.com.

The Great Fellini 8 1/2 movie masterpiece is being re-imagined by the director who brought us Moulin Rouge. The black and white grit and ominous imagery of the 8 1/2 original is going to be bumped up with glitzy colors, show tune romps, and a lot of star quality. With a rock out cast that’s too powerful for words, this meta re-imagination of the movie industry is either going to be the greatest money blunder or the best film of the year. We don’t need another Chicago, but we’re always hungry for another Fellini–it’s whether or not it can be pulled off by a contemporary that’s the trick.

To get ready for your own movie premiere, here are some clothes to wear to the theatre in honor of the glitz and glamour that will glitter this screen:

Robert Rodriguez Glitter Strapless Dress: $594.00

Pleaser USA Thigh High Boots: $69.00

Shop for affordable women’s boots and women’s dresses.

Alice and Olivia, a chic little design company with fun geometric shapes, has their fall collection for sale on Net-a-Porter.com. Reasonably priced in comparison to many Net-A-Porter.com design companies, Alice and Olivia still delivers a quality product that will make you stand out.

Here are some of our top choices:

Sequined Tank Top from Net-A-Porter.com: $390.00

This glittery masterpiece is perfect to pair with skinny jeans and a pair of black pumps.

Beaded Silk Blend Tunic Black Dress from Net-A-Porter.com: $485.00

This is a knockout dress that stands on its own. Pair with some glittery strand earrings and keep it simple and elegant.

Shop for more Alice and Olivia clothing at Smarter.com.

Andy Warhol, the Pop icon that changed a generation of hippies to hipsters with bright colors, silkscreens, tights and mini jumpers, stole our hearts with Edie Sedgwick and the uber-hippness of his designs. I always sigh a little, inside, when I think about how much I would have loved to work in The Factory, Andy Warhol’s famous atelier, or help produce the famous silkscreens that hang in art museums today. But now you can have a little piece of the magic, with Andy Warhol wrist watches. Big, bold, beautiful, just like Warhol’s design, and all neatly packaged around your dainty wrist. Enjoy!

Andy Warhol Double Feature Campbell’s Soup Shot: $150.00

Andy Warhol MidSize Banana Graphic Watch from Amazon.com: $120.00

Find good deals on Andy Warhol watches at Smarter.com.

Paul&Joe SISTER, the Parisian up-and-coming fashion and accessory line, started in 2006 and has grown in popularity do to it’s celebrity patronage and unique shoe and handbag designs. Paul&Joe SISTER combines chic French simplicity and iconic, well-built footwear and handbags to craft a unique look. Paul&Joe, an original very retro-chic fashion label, has been reinvented by it’s “sister” label for a more urban look.

Paul&Joe clothing is available at such sites as revolveclothing.com and net-a-porter.com. What does it mean to be a Paul&Joe SISTER kind of girl? You’re tied to your roots and the classic look, but you’re tough and ready to fend for yourself in the city, out on the town, or in the workplace. Paul&Joe SISTER designs are crisp enough to be worn in a business casual setting, but also sexy and well made enough to be worn to a nice dinner or family gathering.

Some of the must-haves from the Paul&Joe SISTER collection include:

Paul&Joe Sister Wool-Blend Mini Dress from Net-a-porter.com:$180.00

With a draped neckline and raised hem, this is a little black dress with a bit of pizazz. What can you do to make it special? Pair it with some iconic Paul&Joe SISTER heels or a leather handbag, favorites of celebrities such as Rachel Bilson.

Paul&Joe SISTER Mazed Fringe Handbag from Net-a-Porter.com: $162.40

And the best for last of Paul&Joe SISTER’s collection is the update on the classic ankle boot from last season: zip front, fine details, thicker body with smaller heel make this pump truly a work of art.

Paul&Joe SISTER Perine Zip Front Pumps from ShopBop.com: $504.00

Shop for women’s shoes and mini dresses at Smarter.com.

Emma Watson wants to help alleviate poverty through fashion by the way of fair trade clothing. Fair trade is a market-based method focused on helping product manufacturers in third world countries. The idea is to pay more for goods and help developing countries become more self-sufficient.

Emma promotes such ethical principles. It incorporates a moral obligation to  assist struggling manufacturers overseas, rather than the big named brands that are manufactured in the US.

The Harry Potter actress told Chron Entertainment that she’s an advocate of this ethical style clothing, except it’s typically too ugly.

She explained in the article, “I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool to alleviate poverty and knew it was something I could help make a difference with. I think young people like me are becoming increasingly aware of the humanitarian and environmental issues surrounding fast fashion and want to make good choices, but there aren’t many options out there.”

Well it’s true that she’s yet another actress turned designer, at least she’s got a noble cause in mind.

Image source: gossipteen.com

We’ve all seen those funny commercials: the woman lying down on the couch is relaxing under a blanket, but oh no–how will she turn the pages of a magazine without her arms becoming too chilly?

That’s when the inventor of the Snuggie made his or her fortune.  It’s a blanket with sleeves.

This year, it was also made into a fashion statement as several animal-print design,  “urban jungle” themed Snuggies were displayed by high-end fashion models. What a sight.

Models can finally relax while they’re working.

Some have called this a pop culture touchstone, but  Linda Hotz of the Allstar Marketing Group, which makes the Snuggie, told the Baltimore Sun that this was originally suppose to be “a little cheek.”

Sure it’s a pop culture touchstone, but it’s effect is still pretty cheeky. It’s only been regarded as the punchline at almost every late night talk show.

Now, Snuggies are available in animal print, luxurious microplush, and with college logos. They’re also available for dogs now.

Buy a Snuggie at Smarter.com.

The hustle bustle of Fashion Week NYC 2009 is over and one of the most apparent trends on the runway was the return of the big hair, bold makeup, and vintage, 80’s inspired clothes.

Marc Jacob’s designs seemed to be a melting pot of the exotic style and classic retro trends. These models looked like sketches of ink as the colors remained neutral and each design maintained a sense of precision and lining.

The peach and blue combination is very unique and reminds me of videography of olden times. There’s an added charm to this look with special attention to the pearls attached to the oversized hair accessory. Of course, the frilly shoulder pads are straight from the 80’s and the dress has a leafy print that you probably haven’t seen in the last two decades.

Avril Lavigne presented her new line of clothing at NYC’s Fashion Week and her designs have an 80’s inspired theme as well. Here, this checkered long button down shirt and retro long leggings are not exactly new to the fashion scene, but is still upholding the 80’s fashion trend. The bold smokey-eyes and big pomped hair shows us that it’s 20 years later and these trends aren’t going anywhere for Spring 2010.

Image source: latimes.com, fadedyouthblog.com 

The NYC Fashion Week is starting today and the NY Times has posted a slide show of the Ready to Wear Fall 2009 collection of high end fashion lines. It’s always fun to check out what the high-end designers have in store this time, even though all of it is ridiculously lavish and unaffordable.

I absolutely love this Louis Vuitton skirt design–the black + bright color theme is consistent in their collection. The number one thing that I love about this style is the multi-layered ruffled two-tone skirt. I hope low end stores come up with a similar frilly design. I also like the idea of a skin-tight and tucked in top to go with the skirt as well. It gives you a flattering shape.

This is another one of Louis Vuitton’s ready to wear pieces that caught my eye. I love the (once again) two-toned, contrasting and exaggerated waved seams on this silky dress. My favorite part of this outfit is the thigh-high laced up boots. They’re hot and have a very untouchable appeal to them.

Moral of this story:  two trends to look out for in a downplayed version are multi-layered ruffled skirts and laced boots.

Image sources: nytimes.com

During these tough economic times, Harvard University has been pulling all the stops to ensure that their students have everything they need–and much, much more. More than half of the entire population of Harvard students is receiving financial aid by the school. How are they making all this money? They’ve come up with their own line of branded Harvard clothing, which is making bank.

They really need to be delivering this kind of information to 9th graders–it’s a great incentive because most students believe Harvard is too far off as a possibility since it’s a private school. In the article,  one English major said that his education has not only been virtually free–but okay are you ready for this? The university actually gave him a laptop and a stipend for winter coats. That’s right–you get to shop on the university’s dime. Amazing.

One of my best friends is attending Yale and she says there’s nothing of that sort happening there–so it’s not an Ivy League thing–it’s just a Harvard club thing. That Harvard emblem has a ridiculous amount of worth. Wearing something from Harvard is a sign that you’re high class, successful, and let’s be honest, maybe a little pretentious.

And so the rich get richer.

Here’s some of the preppy style Harvard clothing. The designs are very sophisticated, but of course, completely over priced. The line is entitled “Harvard Yard.” You can see more of the NY Times fashion slide show here.

 Image Sources: wwd.com,  nytimes.com, thepreppyprincess.wordpress.com