The Ous-Ness of the Prada Woman

The Prada woman is

voluptuous, sensuous, gorgeous, ambiguous, luxurious, maybe a little dangerous.  Is she pious? A little imperious?  Mischievous?

The Prada woman may be all of the above but she is most of all, a woman.  No one has mentioned this in any of the reviews I have read on the exceptional collection Miuccia Prada presented for Fall 2013,  so I don't know if it is just me but does the model above look a little more womanly then the usual extremely thin girls we see on the runway?  So many designers design for a girl.  A very young girl.  A very young girl who most likely can not afford to buy what they are designing.  

And many designers don't design for a woman's everyday wardrobe.  Nothing makes my heart go pitter-patter like some unbelievable fantasy ball gown but then, sadly, we can not wear a ball gown every day.  Even if we might want to : )

But times have changed and a little night has crept into our daywear and a little day into our evening wear. We can throw on a beaded dress for day but maybe we grab a practical cashmere sweater to layer underneath it as we are rushing to get dressed in the morning.  Miuccia Prada understands the romance and practicality of the modern woman.  She is ambitious but she also wants to feel fabulous.  She is not fastidious and just a little frivolous. She is very glamorous.

Welcome to the world of the Prada woman.  Beautiful. Romantic.  Practical.  And a little askew.

She rushes out the door with her dress slightly undone:

Her hair is still damp:

She is a powerful and feminine:

She wears her fur coat for day

and for evening

She mixes day and night

She is inspired by Downton Abbey but is thoroughly modern

She loves the unexpected mix of gingham and chinchilla

And she loves dressing up

NYFW Fall 2013: Ralph Rucci

Last night my daughter and I went to see Ralph Rucci's Fall 2013 fashion show which was a wonderful glimpse into the rarefied world of Mr Rucci.  

He is one of the few designers whose designs do not swing wildly from one style to another every season, but one who works and builds on his craft with each collection.  I saw many women in the audience wearing Rucci and I thought they could easily add a few pieces from the show to their existing wardrobe - which is really how it should be.  Of course, I love vintage so I like to add something new to something old and would never wear head to toe current season.

I thought the collection was very Emma Peel meets Balenciaga.  

This was one of my favorite looks.  The gloves were fantastic and were done by Samantha Nguyen for Ralph Rucci.

This coat with a sort of cocoon shape was very beautiful - particularly from the side and the back.  And so modern with the fitted Manolo Blahnik for Ralph Rucci over the knee boots.

This was my second favorite look.  I would love to see the fabric of the shirt up close.  But the wrap skirt is incredible and so wearable - with boots, a chunky heel...  So great for every day.  Beautifully cut.

Then of course, it is hard to resist a good plume

and my favorite gown