Where the wild things are

Christopher Kane is one of my current favorite Fashion Designers. I love what he did for Spring 2009. His Planet Of The Apes inspired collection was beautiful to me. I especially have grown very fond of the ape/gorilla printed pieces. One of my favorite blogs, Jak & Jil even showcased some lovers of the look here. Nylon Magazine had Kristen Stewart rocking the dress and Fashion risk taker Rihanna was also seen sporting one of Christopher Kane's pieces as well as many others. Unfortunatly I haven't been able to snag one up, so imagine how thrilled I was when i first found out Kane was doing a collobration with Topshop to release a 39 piece collection!!! I just knew he would do something similiar and he has. This time around the print used was a Crocodile. I love it! Check out the Christopher Kane x Topshop Lookbook here.

Lacoste has made the Crocodile a reoccuring image with their logo but they weren't the only one's inspired by the reptile this season. Take a look at the trend board I have created.



Here are some featured pieces that follow along with the trend:



1. Alligator Ring by Noir Designer Jewelery $187.00 http://www.revolveclothing.com
2. Alligator Coin Purse $4.99 http://www.aeropostale.com
3. Delfina Delettrez - Crocodile Ring $1,165 http://www.luisaviaroma.com
4. Kieselstein Cord alligator ring $1,895 http://www.kristopherdukes.com/
5. Andrea Crews x Lacoste T-shirt $65 Available at select Lacoste Boutiques & Jeffrey New York
6. Rick Owens Crocodile leather vest $11,415 http://www.net-a-porter.com
7. RM by Roland Mouret Montana knitted leggings $992 http://www.net-a-porter.com
8. Resin Croc Bracelet by Angela Caputi $225 http://www.vivre.com
9. Roksanda Ilincic Metallic pencil skirt £705.00 http://www.brownsfashion.com
10. Raf Simons Crocodile Embossed Sneakers $860 http://www.luisaviaroma.com
11. Donna Karan - Crocodile Embossed Hinge Sole Sandals $820 http://www.luisaviaroma.com
12. Alexander Wang Hanne Zip Boot $760 http://www.openingceremony.us

Trendboard: Black & White

The combination of black & white will always be a classic look. It is one that is shown at the house of Chanel season after season, as well as many other labels. Gareth Pugh was one designer who showcased Black & White Looks for his Spring 2009 fashion show but he certainly wasn't the only one. Here is some Spring/Summer 2009 footwear that i love which follow the trend.

1. Davis By Ruthie Davis http://www.ruthiedavis.com

2. Gareth Pugh http://www.brownsfashion.com

3. Fendi http://www.fendi.com

4. Jeremy Scott for Adidas Originals http://www.luisaviaroma.com

5. Raf Simons http://www.luisaviaroma.com

6. Alife - Everybody High http://www.karmaloop.com

7. Nancy wu For NIKE womens gladiator mid http://www.colette.fr

8. House of Holland by Atalanta Weller http://www.brownsfashion.com

Although I love to add bright colors to my wardrobe, the black & white look will be one that i will always love and wear. Here is a trend board that I have created.

Why So Serious?

If you haven't seen the Dark Knight, then you've been living under a rock. The late, great Heath Ledger played an Oscar worthy performance of The Joker. As soon as I saw these shoes from the House Of Holland Spring 2009 collection, I immediately wanted 2 put together an outfit inspired by The Joker. I already had the Springfield Punx version of The Joker saved, which also added to my inspiration. I didn't want the outfit to be too literal with a purple blazer and pant. That would probably be too costumey overall for some. Instead I just wanted to put together something fun for a daring woman that is actually wearable.

1. Customized White/Off White Blazer (The Blazer base in particular pictured above is the Stella Mccartney Boyfriend Blazer but any White/Off White boyfriend blazer will do that looks similar. The image that you can get silkscreened, spray painted on, etc is this one.)

2. Black & Silver Hardware Studded/Embellished bag (The bag in particular pictured above is the Balenciaga Clous Bag, which would probably be very hard 2 find at this point and not to mention afford but any black & silver bag that looks tough & powerful will do. Studded bags tend 2 look tough and and I always get joked on that the studded bag I own doubles as a weapon, which in this case is perfect for this look LOL.)

3. Wendy Nichol stanton pearl & silver earrings $195

4. Topshop USA Why? Drape Side Vest $36

5. Black & Silver/Gunmetal Bracelet or Bracelets 2 layer over each other (The bracelet in particular is Citrine By The Stones gunmetal rocket wrap $375 but places like forever21.com have many bracelets for a more affordable price tag and variety that you can buy.)

6. Gemma Redux Fall 08 Jillian Gunmetal chain bracelet $198

7. Meadham Kirchoff ripped jeans with chiffon $759usd (but you can get any pair of black jeans and cut them up/shred them yourself with a pair of scissors and a razor)

8. House of Holland cut out shoes with zip $543usd

This look should be topped off with a glossy red nail and matte red lip. The hair can be in soft tossled waves 2 soften up the rest of the tough look or you can keep it edgy and do a slicked back ponytail with a little pompadour like quiff ala gwen stefani.

From small beginnings come great things

Welcome 2 Simply Over The Top -- A Fashion based blog for men & women, designed to inspire you to come out of your comfort zone, feel confident in your own skin and be true to yourself, all through the understanding and application of Fashion.

"While clothes may not make the person, they certainly have a strong effect on his or her self-confidence — which, I believe, does make the person." - Mary Kay Ashe

I am a current student at Parsons The New School for Design studying Fashion. Fashion is my life. I live & breathe it and my ultimate goal is to make an impact on the world with my clothes. I want to make people feel good about how they look and most importantly, embrace individuality fearlessly. I think people forget about how fun Fashion is and they take it too seriously, trying to follow all these guidelines. I say say throw out that little rule book! Wear what makes you feel good, what makes YOU smile.

This blog will feature:

• Trend Boards: Showcasing the latest and up in coming trends
• DIY: Do it yourself projects to challenge your inner creativity
• Street Style: Showcasing trendsetting, inspiring Fashion from the streets
• Runway & Celebrity Looks: How to re-create them look for less

& much much more as well as my own personal work such as sketches, sample pieces, collages, photography, etc. So be sure 2 bookmark this site or add it on BLOGLUVIN.COM