Resort! Resort! Resort!: Erin Featherston

It was cotillion night at Erin Featherston's Resort collection. The young designer took references from New York debutantes. The collection was typical Featherston in color; light and girly. She used fantastically youthful cuts and shapes. It was all about the cocktail dress and inherited opulence, very Gossip Girl. 

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Yves' Legacy Lives On

Just before Saint Laurent's untimely death, the creative director of his iconic house Stefano Pilati, created a resort collection that is the epitome of Saint Laurent. His genius and legacy was bursting from the seems. He used the iconic and controversial Smoking Jacket and re-imagined it in a creative and wearable way. It was androgynous while staying sexy and feminine. He used the suit looks, menswear as women's wear, and the tunic dresses Yves Saint Laurent premiered during his extensive career.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Marc Jacobs

In Jacobs' extensive Resort 2009 collection, we saw a bevy of experiments in shape color and proportion. The collection started with an incredibly strong coat with a large bow in black along the neck. It was all about the love. Mr. Jacobs used a heart motif in many of the 38 looks. Victoria Beckham even wore one of the heart dresses at the CFDA Award Monday night. Jacobs worked immensely on this pant that created a feminine yet strong and tough look. It was reminded me of  the Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2008 collection, and yet I saw a lot of the Spring 2007 collection by Jacobs. I saw Arabian Nights meets Studio 54. His use of colors like eggplant and gold, as well as an amazing trouser made his collections THE collection to look for in stores. I'm excited to see how the man you brought us such a calm tranquil, modern collection for fall, will grow on this idea for Spring in September.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Anna Sui

Although the 40th anniversary of The Summer of Love was last year, Anna Sui's resort collection screamed peace, love, and rock and roll. Sui, the only true rocker among the New York designers, created a collection that was incredibly cohesive and wearable (unlike her fall 08 collection). The line featured tie-die frocks along with tunics in earth brocades. It was simple and easy to wear. It was youth, free, and nostalgic of an era not-so-different than the one we live in now.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Versace

In typical Versace fashion, Donatella Versace created a resort collection that was everything we have come to expect of the italian brand; over-the-top glamour and a love of all things shiny. The collection featured a few knockout looks, it was all about being tan and blonde.  Ms. Versace created a line that was strong and sexy. The day looks featured skinny pants, trenches, and casual jackets. For evening, it was all about the cocktail dress. Using pleats and folds, Versace was able to concoct another quintessentially Versace collection. I think Ms. Versace has finally found her place and the brand's place in the fashion community. Versace is back in the game, and creating clothes for women who are not afraid of too much glamour and just want to have fun.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Fendi

For Karl Lagerfeld's second collection of the season, he decided to go 70's. This collection, of 16 looks, was simple, wearable, and for the first time in a few seasons, chic. I was not a fan of Lagerfeld's last two collections for the Italian brand, so when I saw this collection I was enthralled and ecstatic. Whether you like his collections or not, you cannot deny that Lagerfeld has incredible skill and craftsmanship beneath the sleeves of his signature Dior by Hedi Slimane suits. He showed a few particularly convivial cocktail dresses featuring great tailoring and magnificent use of technological fabrics. I especially liked the first dress (above), it was Mary Tyler Moore meets Molly Ringwald. There were some great day looks as well, no one does a short-short Like Karl. He went back to the fun, whimsical, girlie, days much like S/S 2007, that was a great show!

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Bottega Veneta

In a word, Thomas Maier's Resort collection for Bottega Veneta was easy. Easy to wear, easy to see women wearing, and easy for the eyes. Maier created a collection using, surprisingly, bold colors. He made an excellent statement on the menswear-as-women's wear topic. His use of color blocking, like the dress shown above, was a brave step away from his previously subtle collection. The thing that struck me about these clothes was wearability of them. The model, Chanel Iman, looked comfortably yet still strong and fashionable. I could see these clothes on a women in her 20s or her 60s. It was all about the slouchy suit and the loose-fitting dresses. Thomas Maier has turned, what was once an uptight and dated brand, into an unrestrained, effortless, facile, yet incredibly luxurious icon of style.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Proenza Schouler

In their Resort 2009 collection, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the boys behind Proenza Schouler, we saw a calm, cool experimentation with size and proportion. They used great layered structural linens for day and sultry black satin in their evening looks. What I love about Proenza is their young signature cuts. There is something under-the-radar about them that's exciting and fresh.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Oscar de la Renta

For Oscar de la Renta Resort 2009 is all about color and cut. The show, which was held on May 14, 2008 in New York, used a variety of colors to show pieces that screamed Upper East Side elegance in a subtle and beautiful way. The show opened with a stunning gold skirt suit, it was Jackie O and Anna Wintour with a bit of Indian royalty. The colors moved from more fall-esque colors to blues and reds to exquisite black poofy evening gowns.Toward the middle of the show, Mr. de la Renta presented a cocktail dress (above) that blew my mind, it was in this blue and red print that was popped with an air of youth and chicness. The cut of the suits, were much like the cuts of his fall show in February, they were modern without losing his quintessential New York class. Mr. de la Renta's pieces were not for every woman, but this was for that classy luxurious working heiress.

Resort! Resort! Resort!: Chanel

It is that time of year again, resort season for the world's top designers. This season is less of a spectacle and, like pre-fall, collections are shown in a smaller more professional environment. Karl Lagerfeld showed his Chanel show in Maimi, Fl. I thought the collection was really hit or miss. The evening and work looks were exquisite, I saw a whole lot of Karl and his signature uniform of black and white suiting. Unfortunately the day and swim looks were a bit old and somewhat tacky. The Chanel menswear was also less than spectacular, at times, there were great looks that featured great knits and denim shorts. But I don't think men are going to sport the plain white T-shirt with an embossed Chanel logo that Karl showed, and especially at Chanel prices.