Articles by Lisa Martinez

Tadashi Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — A Bouquet of Dresses

Tadashi Shoji pays homage to the enchanting beauty and splendor of the tulip

Rebecca Taylor Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — The Modern Bohemian

Rebecca Taylor reinterpreted and elevated the 70’s undercurrent of a bohemian spirit with a sophisticated palette, asymmetrical hemlines, and modernized patchwork

Michael Kors Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — From Metropolis to Mozambique

Memories of Africa, the rustic modernism of the Lebombo Lodge, an easy laid back attitude, and raw beauty with a luxe savage inspired the collection’s understated glamour

BCBG Max Azria Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — A Weightless Fluidity

Max and Lubov Azria chose fluid silhouettes and weightless fabrics in a saturated palette to embody the season’s fresh energy

Vera Wang Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Psychedelic Wonderland

This season Vera Wang invited us to follow her down the sartorial rabbit hole with childlike curiosity, further exploring and discovering that which makes effortless all-at-once sophisticated

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Power Lies in her Femininity

While white was predominantly featured on the Spring 2012 Runways, the highly saturated palette of daffodil, chartreuse, cobalt, and begonia revitalized the designer’s signature embroideries and lace

L.A.M.B. Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Zigzags, Stripes & Checks

The collection’s inspirations were the Rat Pack, high voltage, and maharaja

Jason Wu Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Subversive Couture

Paradoxical juxtapositions of brights with neutrals, hard with soft, and as we saw in this collection the more “athletic sophisticate,” provide a marriage made in heaven

Farah Angsana Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Ornamentation Enchantment

This edited collection of 20 looks focused on red-carpet glamour with a series of draped goddess gowns and flirty cocktail frocks

Carlos Miele Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Anywhere Faraway

For Spring 2012, vividly bright caftans, gowns, and jumpsuits in a medley of tropical prints were the order of the day

Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — New Beginnings

As only Ms. von Furstenberg, fashion’s mother of reinvention, can she has woven life’s sartorial tapestry for today’s renaissance woman.

Carolina Herrera Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Bauhaus Beautiful

Wrap belts, panel detailing, and faille inserts helped to define the collection’s feminine silhouette.

Badgley Mischka Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Magnificent Obsessions

We're magnificently obsessed with Mark Badgley and James Mischka's architectural silhouettes and impressionist-like prints.

Vera Wang Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — High Society

Vera Wang was inspired by the trio of high society mavens Viscountess Thelma Furness, Lady Emerald Cunard, and The Duchess of Windsor Wallis

Behnaz Sarafpour Ready-to-Wear Fall 2011 Collection Review — A Structured Elegance

As Behnaz Sarafpour celebrated the tenth anniversary of her eponymous line, the award-winning designer looked to Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi for inspiration

Donna Karan Fall 2011 Ready to-Wear Collection Review — Fashion’s Pearls of Wisdom

Donna Karan pens an exquisite tale of ageless beauty with an inherent strength, an alluring confidence, and an unapologetic self-awareness

DKNY Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Mod Squad

Unlike the season’s ubiquitous 1940’s and 70’s references, the Fall 2011 DKNY Ready-to-Wear Collection took a decidedly 60’s mod direction

Badgley Mischka Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — A Renaissance Woman

Staging the renaissance of a bygone era, Mark Badgley and James Mischka channeled Old Hollywood, with 1940’s silhouettes and art deco beading, unveiling 44 new unapologetically glamorous looks for fall

Diane von Furstenberg Ready-to-Wear Fall 2011 Collection Review — American Legends

The DVF customer is a worldly, cultured, and curious creature who lives life to the fullest with an almost aspirational equanimity.

J. Mendel Ready-to-Wear Fall 2011 Collection Review — Tantalizingly Tribal

The collection’s architecturally-inspired quilted patchwork and tattoo effects made a great impact here, often creating sensational optical illusions between light and dark, flat and raised, or skin and fabric

Victoria Beckham Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — A Structured Silhouette

The season marks a transition from the curve-hugging silhouettes Mrs. Beckham so famously favors to more relaxed, forgiving proportions

Pamella Roland Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — East Meets West

The Pamella Roland Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection, which celebrates its tenth anniversary next year, drew inspiration from the Far East this season

Cynthia Steffe Ready-to-Wear Fall 2011 Collection Review — A Modern Royalty

This collection carefully balanced the delicate line between feminine and masculine, juxtaposing the polished against the relaxed, blending the sensually draped with the softly tailored

Dennis Basso Ready-to-Wear Fall 2011 Collection Review — Her Masculine Side

Dennis Basso underscored his androgynous mood by pairing cropped jackets with fur skirts and fitted waistcoats with full taffeta ball skirts

Vivienne Tam Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — In Operatic Fashion

Six centuries of heritage, tradition, and drama, specifically the Kun Opera also known as Kunqu provided inspiration for this collection

Tommy Hilfiger Ready-to-Wear Fall 2011 Collection Review — Bohemian Prep

With his new collection, the ultimate prepster, Tommy Hilfiger, seamlessly blends menswear haberdashery, silhouettes, and textiles with more carefree, fluid, feminine accents

Michael Kors Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — 30 Years and Counting

It should come as no surprise that his biggest supporters taut him as the best in American fashion. Michael Kors is the go-to designer when you simply want to feel beautiful.

Rodarte Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Prairie Girl

Kate and Laura Mulleavy shifted last season’s geographic references from their native California Redwoods to the nation’s heartland

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Sultry and Seductive

The red carpet favorite who is celebrated for her feminine designs is showing a more sensually provocative side

Carolina Herrera Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection Review — Real Women

Carolina Herrera said she was inspired by real women, with a new collection of monochromatic streamlined silhouettes

Thursday May 23rd: 12:00 AM | Cannes Film Festival; 2:00 PM | Steel Magnolias---The Laguna Playhouse; 8:00 PM | Steel Magnolias---The Laguna Playhouse; 8:00 PM | The Fantastics---South Coast Repertory
Friday May 24th: 12:00 AM | Cannes Film Festival; 12:00 AM | WHICH WAY IS OUT?; 8:00 PM | CRUMBLE (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake); 8:00 PM | Steel Magnolias---The Laguna Playhouse; 8:00 PM | STEEL MAGNOLIAS; 8:00 PM | The Fantastics---South Coast Repertory; 8:30 PM | Shakespeare's Richard III at ZJU Theater; 10:30 PM |; 11:00 PM | attack of the rotting corpses! at ZJU Theatre

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