February 2012
ElleGirl
Photo: Courtesy of ELLEgirl
There’s a new designer on the block this Fashion Week, but she’s no stranger to the industry. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A., Katharine Polk jetted to Manhattan to begin her design career as an in-house design assistant and stylist at Badgley Mischka, where she did everything from styling the label’s collections to helping produce fashion shows to creating accessories for the runway. After successfully working six seasons at Bryant Park and creating her own styling company, Katharine Polk Stylist, Polk is ready to launch her own fashion line. Houghton, Polk’s premiere collection, will debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center at the Grand Promenade in Avery Fisher Hall tomorrow. “I still felt like something was missing, and it still wasn’t my own,” Polk confessed of her styling days. So, in August 2011, Polk returned to designing. The idea for Houghton came to her after seeing a swatch of colors. After that, she expanded to sketch a couple of dresses and soon she was buying fabrics, developing the looks, and feeling the textures. She decided to combine simple and neutral palettes with more developed textures and fabrics. What began as five pieces turned into ten, and then a full ready-to-wear collection. Houghton was born. The entire collection can be summed up in two words: effortless chic. It’s made for independent women who want to look stylish and strong, like Polk’s female heroines who inspired the line: Katharine Hepburn (Polk’s namesake), Bianca Jagger, and Patti Smith. All of the dresses in the collection are named after these and other important women, who Polk smartly compared to the modern day Tilda Swinton. All 25 of Houghton’s pieces are clean, modern, and simple—there isn’t too much embellishment or over-the-top design. There are statement dresses, long tailored coats, and menswear-inspired suits, all in a soft palette of colors—mainly ivory, blush, and white—and luxurious fabrics like silk cashmere and satin-faced chiffon. The age bracket for these clothes runs the gamut, ranging from 18-40 years old. “A mother and a daughter can both wear pieces from the collection,” Polk said. “They are both fashion-conscious women that want pieces that are very easy to wear.” But stylish wears come at a steep price: Polk envisions the line being sold at stores like Barneys, Jeffries, and Bergdorf Goodman. In reference to her launch at Fashion Week, Polk replied sternly, “I either do it 110% or nothing at all.” And the budding designer did just that. She shot her lookbook and got her collection done very early, leaving ample time for production, castings, fittings, alterations, hair and makeup, and all of the other fun things that go into staging a runway show. One thing that Polk hopes to employ at the show tomorrow is a staged performance—she wants the pieces to move to highlight the quality of the luxe fabrics. Houghton has been well-received already. Pulls include celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, and Chloë Sevigny. We wish Katharine the best of luck at her debut tomorrow! Break a leg! Get a sneak peek of two Houghton looks below!
Photo: Courtesy of Houghton Houghton
Tati dress
Photo: Courtesy of Houghton
Houghton Patti coat
Follow @HoughtonNYC on Twitter!
Amber.Stardoll- With the current grey skies and knowing that in a few more months it's spring, we are so ready for sunshine! Adding a pop of yellow to your outfit is like adding instant sunshine. Not only will yellow brighten your outfit, but it's a big color trend for Spring 2012. Click on the pics to see celebs with sunnier days in yellow!
- Amber.Stardoll
- M.I.A. is a bit controversial right now, especially after she flipped off the cameras at the Super Bowl! But that doesn't stop her from being an awesome performer and artist! Check out her newest song, Bad Girls!
dizzylizzylou26
One of the hottest designing medolls is tata79Orange. This ravishing medoll shows us her flair for design in both her suite and baazar. From her classy kitchen to the precious kitties she designs, her style leaves you wanting more. “Classic clothing and accessories experience a new birth each season. Elegance and femininity are always stylish despite the trends,” said tata79Orange.She went on to say that when a black cat crossed her path, it brought her good luck! She did what she does best, and designed one on Stardoll. Anyone would be lucky to own one of her creations! Delighting in both modern and vintage, her suite is an amusing adventure. Like any good ride, it ends in a gift shop. From floral earrings to furry felines, this medoll’s style is something to purr about.
- Amber.Stardoll
- Robert Downey Jr and his wife Susan just welcomed a baby boy to the world! The "Iron Man" star named his son Exton Elias Downey, what a cool name! Sources close to the couple said that, "Everyone is healthy and they couldn’t be happier." Exton is the little brother to Robert's 18 year old son, Indio, from a previous marriage. Congrats to the whole family!
- Amber.Stardoll
- Have you always wanted a beautiful fishtail braid? Then here's a vid with Lauren Conrad showing you how to get one! It's super simple and the only thing you need is a rubberband! Check out the vid!
- Amber.Stardoll
- Ever since her debut on American Idol, we've been huge Kelly Clarkson fans! That girl can sing! So it was fitting that she sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl this year. What an honor!
- hawiianbody
Hello Gorgeous dollies! Alba here! After spending 10 minutes deciding what I was going to dress my medoll up next, I noticed that all of my options included an array of denim! This sparked my idea of creating an article dedicated to the popular pants. I decided to take a peek through the StarPlaza & my closet to choose the TOP MUST HAVE jeans on Stardoll! Here they are;
- kifddb
24
- Hey girlies! It's Jade here. I just wanted to talk about a topic I feel is very dear to me in my life: Individuality. Now, I've been reading comments from my Covergirl tips blog post and wanted to tell everybody that I would never tell you to change who you are. That is just wrong. I believe our world is beautiful because of the diversity and uniqueness of the people.
- Amber.Stardoll
- Just like us, our favorite celebs love to shop vintage! We've spotted celebs like Nicole Richie in exclusive vintage stores and Reese Witherspoon is known to wear vintage dresses on the red carpet! The best part about wearing vintage is knowing that you have a one of a kind outfit, and in Hollywood standing out is a must! Click on the pics to see which celebs love vintage.
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