The “cray cray” that was New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 came to a close yesterday, with many show-goers such as myself sporting dark circles, over-sized sunglasses, and other signs of exhaustion over the last few days.  Though I may have not gone to some of the most well-known designer shows (think Anna Sui, Perry Ellis, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karan), I tell myself that it is actually OK because anyone could end up seeing these collections at major department stores, such as Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s, anywhere in the country.  Most of the designers that I saw were either local NYC designers, or brands that very few people have heard about, which actually makes it more worth it to go see these presentations in person and get a first-hand look at some collections that might be very hard to find at your local mall or even on that popular shin dig called the Internet.  Every show and presentation I went to, I made sure to bring my camera along so I can snap up photos just for all you 80%20 blog followers!  Below are some photos of my favorite outfits, pieces, and looks that I ran into on my “Tour de Fashion” this past week.

JULIAN LOUIE

Julian Louie was inspired by his love of collage for his collection as he included unmatched hemlines and abstract cuts into about all of his pieces.  My favorite piece was this silk satin dress with tassel embroidery in ivory and black.  I love dresses that are in black and white, and with the addition of the copious amount of tassels, it helps push the dress closer to the world of couture yet still remaining a ready-to-wear piece.

LEILA SHAMS

NYC boutique International Playground was the host to Leila Sham’s presentation which also happens to stock the designer’s glam and edgy clothes as well.  Her Spring/Summer collection was a small, but awesome one that will appeal to all sorts of shoppers and body types.  I really liked all the pieces, especially the feathered mini skirt and the long-sleeved black mini-dress with multi-colored knit embroidery on the front.

STAERK

This probably had to be my favorite collection as a whole this season.  As I briefly mentioned before, I am a big fan of black and white colored  garments (and red too!)  Staerk had a whole lot of black and white going on in this collection in addition to throwing on some black lipstick on the models which I was a big fan of.

ANDY & DEBB

If Staerk was a young woman who was into modern art and the downtown NYC scene, and who also had a slightly older sister with a 9-to-5 desk job, and lived in fancy Uptown Manhattan – then this would be the collection for her.

REBECCA MOSES

My first impression of this collection was “Uptown Girlie” which does not quite appeal to my own personal style.  I did appreciate the sets that were constructed for the presentation as it gave the show an Alice In Wonderland-esque feel to it.  My favorite outfit was the black and ivory floating polka dots jersey asymmetric bubble chemise.  The model’s hair who reminded me something out of a Dr. Seuss live action movie was pretty baller too.  Next to that model was another model whose hair and make-up was really spot-on with the messy pin curls, red lips, and simply-defined eyes.

PETER JENSEN

I first heard about Peter Jensen when I was reading an article about his Fall/Winter 2009 collection in the November 2009 issue of Elle UK.  Ever since then I have been admiring a few of his pieces.  For his Spring/Summer collection, Jensen uses lots of primary colors and invokes a boho chic, Señorita theme via the late 1960s/early 1970s.  The yellow rain jacket was a highlight for me, as well as the long black sheer boho dress.

PABLO RAMÍREZ

Pablo Ramírez is an Argentinian designer who showcased seven outfits during the Argentina Group show at Lincoln Center.  He was the last designer to present in the showcase and I could understand why – his collection really put on a show and ended the presentation with a bang!  If you have ever seen old videos of fashion collections from the late 60s from designers like Pierre Cardin where their designs were far-out and surreal, that is what Pablo Ramírez‘s designs reminded me of.  I really did adore those Cat In The Hat meets Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s black hats.  Those hats are an example of what is missing from most runway shows today – some sort of shock factor or something over-the-top to keep the audience entertained and wanting more.  I guess I should just wait till the couture collections come down the catwalks in Paris to get my avant-garde fashion fix!

Overall, I was surprised by many designers incorporating black and white in a majority of their collections for the Spring/Summer season.  One would expect to see light colors, pastels, bold, rich hues; just more color in general for the warmer seasons.  But then again, I am glad that black and white will be a popular color combo for the Spring and Summer as they always have done me justice!  If you want proof just look at my Nory, Small Giraffe 80%20 shoes in the photo of me at the top of this post!!  There is no way I could have survived Fashion Week without the comfort and chicness of those babies.