The Best Of The Best... Favorite Designers

Hola,

Well hello there fashionistas! So today marks my one year anniversary of when I started this blog. Yes, March 7, 2013 was the beginning of this adventure and I do not regret it. I'd like to thank those that have stopped by, those that took the time to comment and follow, and most especially to those that have supported me and encouraged me to continue writing. A special shout out to the sweetest lady I know, Janice Cilento, for pushing me to write my first post and continuing to push me when I would slack. I love you and thank you. To everyone, you are all deeply cherished and my appreciation cannot be measured. Thank you all! Love and hugs to everyone. <3

So my last post was all about the Oscars, but before that it had been a while since I posted anything new. I've been busy with several things plus I did some wonderful travel for work to Colorado. I had an awesome time, and that state is absolutely gorgeous! I took fabulous pictures to prove it. I was traveling during New York Fashion Week so I missed the shows entirely which bummed me out. I have some catching up to do so I can see what loveliness my favorite designers showed and what will be trending for fall 2014.

On that note, since I missed my favorite time of the year and since this is my one year anniversary date, I figured I'd write a post about who my favorite fashion designers are and why. It's fitting to write this today because you can all get some insight as to who inspires me and why. It's like a tribute to those who have created beautiful things and made someone like me love all things fashion and to want to get into this industry. It was really hard to narrow the list down because there are so many great ones with different styles, but I brought the list down to my fifteen favorites. So here goes:

- MY FAVORITES -

#15 - Carlos Miele. I discovered Carlos a few years ago while watching the fashion shows late at night. I was captivated by the flowy and form fitted dresses coming down the runway. By the use of lots of bright, gorgeous colors along with beautiful printed fabric. Designs that look like water flowing, fire burning, palm trees swaying, water lilies in a pond... It was stunning. Watching his runway show was so mesmerizing. Carlos manages to take nature's elements and incorporate them into fabric and make them into beautiful clothing. I love his designs. He also has a ready to wear line called "Miele" which offers a more casual look and less expensive. He also has a denim line which I must try. I mean, he's from Brazil so I would imagine that these jeans make for something super sexy!

#14 - Tom Ford. Although I love his beautiful women's wear collection, when I hear Tom Ford's name, aside from thinking he's gorgeous, I instantly think of the well dressed man. Tom has a way with suits that capture my attention. The man dresses impeccably (see photo below) and he designs for the man who wants to dress this way. The cut of his suits are so on point. The details, the perfect fit make any man look the part. Add the tie, the vest if you want to go all out and the ever sexy pocket square and you have one of the best dressed men you'll ever see. Seriously, what woman does not swoon over a man in a suit, looking dashing and charming? I think he adds the sexy to the male wardrobe!

#13 - Emilio Pucci (Current Creative Director: Peter Dundas). Emilio was an Italian designer who was born into a noble family in Florence, Italy. He was, and the Emilio Pucci house still is well known for the geometric designs in a multitude of colors. I first became interested in him when I saw photos of his designs online one night while surfing the internet. When Instagram hit the web, I started following the designer and was instantly hooked. So much color mixed together in prints with a variety of shapes that make for a beautiful silhouette. Emilio Pucci knows how to mix printed fabrics and shapes to make the female body look spectacular.

Peter Dundas is now the Creative Director of the Pucci house and I am happy to see that he has not completely strayed from the originality of what Emilio started. Peter has added an extra flair with a youthful edge to the kaleidoscope of color that is the Emilio Pucci brand. I truly am a fan.

#12 - Valentino. Pure elegance and glamour... Those are the words that come to mind when I hear Valentino. He is pretty much the king of Italian couture and well deserved. With customers like Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and Grace Kelly to name a few, Valentino became a presence to be reckoned with in the fashion world and still is despite his retirement. He has a very specific kind of taste, very strict in his ways and a penchant for every piece that has his name on it to be 100% perfect and they are. Valentino's designs without a doubt, will forever be timeless, elegant and glamorous.

#11 - Michael Kors. Michael is best known for his wonderful ready to wear collection that's classified as "sporty." However, there is nothing sporty about anything he does. His collections are sophisticated, classy and chic. Whenever I see a Michael Kors ad, I can't help but picture a private jet, with a glass of champagne ready to head out to Monte Carlo for the weekend. His accessories are to die for. From handbags to jewelry to his fabulous over-sized watches... He's able to cater to all the needs of today's woman. 

#10 - Zuhair Murad. I first became aware of Zuhair Murad when Jennifer Lopez wore that gorgeous nude dress with lacing to the 2013 Golden Globe Awards. I quickly googled him and became a fan from that moment on. Zuhair is of Lebanese decent and made his first appearance on the catwalks of Rome. His dresses are cut to perfection to make your body stand out and call attention. They make you feel glamorous and confident that you own the room. With a beautiful choice of bright and dark colors, he brings much variety to his shows to the point that it makes it hard for you to pick just one piece.  The man has a way of making every woman look sexy, curvaceous and stunning in any of his creations. 

#9 - Betsey Johnson. I first fell in love with Betsey as a teenager reading Seventeen Magazine. Back then I thought her designs were adorable, cute and exciting. Fast forward to today and I can now describe them as girly, sexy, feminine and just downright fun. Betsey is not afraid to try anything out of the ordinary and most of the time her designs lean to the "over the top" category. Regardless of this, I still love her work. Her cute summer dresses are to die for, her colorful shoes are simply delicious in a vast array of styles and colors. Let's not forget her runway shows... From sexy girls smiling, prancing, grooving down the catwalk, the music jamming, the "anything can happen" feel and her cartwheel at the end, it makes for one of the most fun fashion shows out there.

#8 - Roberto Cavalli. This man is forever catching my attention with everything he designs. The best way I can describe his work is "exotic." The majority of his collections leans to the exotic, sexy and sensual. His use of prints from animal to brocade, fringe, suede, his use of printed leather and denim have caught my attention and the attention of the industry for years. His spring 2014 show last year was stunning and by far one of my favorites. Roberto Cavalli knows how to mix prints to make any woman look flawless and beyond sexy. 

#7 - Isabel Marant. She is my go to for something casual. However, there really is nothing casual about her clothing. They are girly, a little bohemian chic, sexy and wearable everyday. You can mix and match to create a super cool outfit right down to her shoes. She created the wedge sneaker, which I personally was not a fan as I am not a fan of the wedge (umm, I do have a pair or two), but the wedge sneaker was definitely a hit especially with celebrities. Her new line with the store H&M was not surprisingly, a huge hit. I truly love her.

#6 - Marc Jacobs. My man Marc! What can I not say about him. He's gorgeous to begin with. He's a creative genius with an eye for the unordinary. He's not afraid to try things that nobody else has. I'm sure you all know he was the creative director of Louis Vuitton... He decide to leave Louis Vuitton to focus on his own line in 2014. I adore his creations. They can go from being fun to obscure, from classy to grunge, from flirty to serious... You just never know what you're going to get with Marc in any given season. I always look forward to his shows which are always outta this world. He's even creative in presenting his work on the runway! <3

#5 - Carolina Herrera. What can I say? This woman is the definition of style, grace, class and elegance. She dresses the way she designs. She has impeccable taste and shows it in every garment she creates. She's dressed the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama to several A-list celebrities. Rarely do I see something of hers that I do not like. Her show is one that I always look forward to watching because everything from dresses, suits, skirts, pants, outerwear, accessories and yes, wedding dresses are all visions of pure beauty. I love her style, her work ethic, love for family (her daughters have joined her company) and simply her taste for fashion.

#4 - Zac Posen. I adore Zac! I seriously want to be besties with him. He's so cool and fabulous, and seems like a fun person to hang out with. As for his designing, he's amazing. His dresses scream glamour, beauty, elegance. He goes to extremes with ruffles or pleats for example, and it continuously works. He is now starting a wedding dress line with David's Bridal and from the photos he's posted on Instagram, the dresses are going to be dazzling. I love him as a judge on Project Runway as well. He gives such good insight and advice to the aspiring designers and you can just see his passion for the profession. I love following him on Instagram because he includes his "Cooking With Zac" photos of all the delicious meals he personally creates. His presentation is also flawless with beautiful china and decorative pieces. Oh how I would love to have a conversation with him...

#3 - Diane Von Furstenberg. Oh the loveliness of this woman. The woman behind the infamous "wrap dress." The woman behind so many classic creations that I can't even begin to list. Diane is the epitomy of style. She's another woman with impeccable style. She dresses to impress and designs exactly the same way for the women of the world. Who does not love a DVF creation? That little wrap dress is synonymous of Diane. This year marked the 40th anniversary of the wrap dress and she dedicated her fashion show to just that. I love the messages she writes on the boards for her models before every runway show. So positive and inspiring. She also does a lot of philanthropy work for non-profits and in support of women. I adore her!

#2 - Ralph Lauren. The awesomeness of this man is beyond any words that I can say. For years I've loved his style. The simplicity of his creations which in the end, are not simple in the least. They are gorgeous, beautiful, chic, modern and wearable. I'm such a fan of his fall collections because the way he mixes sweaters, pants, coats with scarves, hats, gloves and accessories is just wow. His dresses fit a woman's body to perfection. His menswear is high up on the list of musts. Ralph is extraordinary. When interviewed, there's a humbleness to him that is so endearing. Since I can remember, Ralph has been one of the many reason why I'd sit at home and sketch hoping to one day make it in this business. He is in my opinion, an icon in the fashion industry and his creations will forever be timeless pieces of joy. Adore!

...And my all time favorite fashion designer is...

#1 - Oscar de la Renta. Without a doubt this man has been my inspiration since the moment I decided I loved fashion. Oscar de la Renta is the embodiment of classy, stylish, elegance, sophistication... I can go on and on. If I could choose a designer as my mentor, it would be him. I once saw a short clip of Oscar in the workroom and it was like magic. His concentration, how he cut, draped and changed things until it was just right fascinated me. He creates his clothing with the hope of making every woman feel beautiful and confident and he's been successful thus far. He knows exactly what he wants and hits the mark every time. His fashion shows are a delight to watch. He uses color, prints, textures, and his accessories are just everything. He's done it all from clothing, children's clothing, fragances, to home collections and everything he creates is golden. Oscar was one of the first designers I'd heard about. I mean he is from the Dominican Republic, my country, so of course he was a household name there. One look and I was hooked.

Thank you Oscar for inspiring me, for having that effect on me that made me decide that this was what I wanted to do. To have the ability to create wonderful pieces that make women feel confident and beautiful. I hope to one day have that privilege and have someone say the same things about me. To someday do what I've known in my heart that I've always wanted to do. Reading your history and accomplishments always makes me see that I can also do it if I work hard enough. You are and will forever be my fashion idol. I adore you to pieces! <3

That's a wrap... There you have it my sweets. My top fifteen designers. For those who know me personally, you already knew who my number one was, but I'm sure you had no idea how diverse my tastes were as far as the other designers on the list. For those who are just stopping by, I hope I gave you a sense of  what I gravitate to when it comes to fashion. I'm more of a traditional, classic kind of gal. I love the glamour, the evening dresses, the feminity of a summer dress but also something for a casual day that is stylish and sexy. I've always felt that a great pair of jeans coupled with a sexy top and heels is fabulous, it's that casual chic kind of thing.

For the men, I love a man in a well tailored suit and I die for the pocket square. I feel like that is the finishing touch to that look. That is why I love Tom Ford. He knows what makes a man look dashing. That's not to say that I don't love a man in jeans and a t-shirt... I do as long as they're are well put together, and they carry themselves with confidence. It's all in the way you carry yourself.

So, what do you think? Are you a fan of any of my choices? Who are your favorite designers and why? Everyone has different tastes and I definitely love more designers than were on this list. Trust me, it was so hard to narrow it down to just fifteen. That being said, you all know the drill. Comment below and let me know if you love my choices and who your favorites are and why? Let's see if we have some in common. Once again, thank you all for supporting me during my first year as a blogger. Go! #engage

Until next time...

Gracias,

AnnaCris <3