While most items that cruise down the runway come with four-figure price tags, accessories are a way of staying on the style radar without breaking the bank.
Fashionistas can now flaunt their allegiance to their favorite fashion houses via their iPhone and iPad covers with limited Fashion Week edition shells designed by Fendi and Lanvin. A kitsch beaded number for the former and a color pop version with quirky illustrations by Alber Elbaz for Lanvin were edited for Vogue Fashion's Night Out.
English rose Alice Temperley has it covered if paper and pen are your tools of choice. Complete with a luxury cream paper A5 notepad, Temperley London's "The Affair" Filofax is the perfect runway companion. It boasts a luxurious Italian lace cover bonded onto elegant cream leather, lined with nude grosgrain and a multitude of bespoke extras such as a list of the world's best vintage markets.
On September 13, Carine Roitfeld launches CR Fashion Book, the ultimate Fashion Week read. "A good magazine should be like a good dinner: you need a mix of genres. In my new magazine, I want to invite people you've never heard of and discover new talent and new faces," the former French Vogue editor-in-chief explains.
An impeccable manicure is a must during Fashion Week. NYFW sponsor Maybelline New York has devised a new app (for iOS and Android) that allows you to virtually try on all 40 shades from its new ColorShow nail polish collection ( demonstrated at http://youtu.be/xtZVy67hRNE). For demure chic, few lacquers can top Chanel's chestnut hue Particulière. For a more adventurous fashion fix at your fingertips, look to jewelry designer Hannah Warner whose 3D effect spiky metallic press-ons wowed the crowds last season at the Thierry Mugler show in Paris.
Since cosmetics are a cost-effective way of staying on-trend, Chanel's new limited edition Blue illusion collection or exclusive Fashion's Night Out twin-sets featuring matching lipstick and nail polish are fail-safe options for achieving model-like perfection.
Fragrance is also a way to tap into the latest trends with the season's house blends. Chanel unveils Coco Noir, the new addition to its illustrious Coco fragrance family which includes Coco and Coco Mademoiselle. Concocted by perfumer Jacques Polge, the new scent is an olfactory ode to Venice by night and the "equation of black and bright" that can be found in Chanel's desirable designs. The scent is based on velvety notes of sandalwood, pink peppercorns, frankincense and tonka bean. Inspired by every woman's wardrobe staple, the LBD, Guerlain's haute fragrance Petite Robe noire combines vanilla, iris and patchouli.
And when it comes to refreshments, forget the bubbly! Calorie-conscious followers of fashion will make a beeline for Diet Coke's collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier. France's enfant terrible has adorned the beverage with his signature Breton stripes, corsets and fishnet tights! In keeping with all things French, Parisian ready-to-wear label Lanvin has teamed up with Ladurée to produce a limited edition collection of bubble gum-flavored macarons. The sweet treats will go on sale on September 25 to tie in with the start of Paris Fashion Week. No prizes for guessing what Alber Elbaz will be serving his VIP guests at the Lanvin show on September 27...
Bag some designer style for less with pieces from the season's countless capsule collections. This week sees British designer Esteban Cortazar make a comeback with a 17-piece collection at net-a-porter.com. Expect minimalist designs with intricate panelling in a predominantly nude palette with off-white and powder pink accents, from Ungaro's former Creative Director.
Should temperatures plummet, Anthony Vaccarello's capsule collection for French premium outfitter Pyrenex will keep New York fashion-week attendees as warm as toast. Cinched shapes, luxe fabrics and a lick of fur will appeal to a style-savvy crowd.
An 'it bag' is always the exception to the 'no-splurge rule.' If you buy one bag this season (decade, century...), it has to be a a miniature Kelly bag or le Drag Up by Hermès.
An exclusive miniature edition of the Kelly in crocodile and show-stopping diamond-studded gold mesh is arm candy at its most luxurious. The 1964 special re-edition of Le Drag Up offers more understated glamour. Perfectly formed like its elder siblings the Birkin and the Kelly, le Drag Up features two stylish "H" shaped clasps. It comes in two sizes and two colors: earthy brown and cinnamon. As every true collector knows, both designs guarantee a return on investment.
CJL
