After making and displaying their collections to the panel of distinguished judges the winner has been announced: Stine Riis, a 28 year old student from the London College of Fashion.

Stine was chosen by a grand jury which included fashion designer Christopher Kane, noted fashion journalists Hilary Alexander and Kristopher Arden Houser, fashion blogger Susie Lau, H&M’s creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch and H&M’s head of design, Ann-Sofie Johansson.

She received major praise for the use of color and creating a collection with a strong, yet subtle undertone. The collection is young but sophisticated and is ready-to-wear. Fifteen pieces from the collection will be made available in select H&M stores worldwide in September. You can expect to see much more of this young designer, check out her winners portrait video and her stunning collection hit the runway!

The collection features French inspired pieces with pleated skirts, nautical inspired dresses and shorts. It also includes  wristlets and shoulder bags for the girl on the go and scarves for a little extra style. The collection will be available to customers in Target stores on February 5. “My goal was not to duplicate anything from my main collection,” Wu explains. “Instead I designed completely new clothes and accessories that reflect my taste and have a voice of their own.”

Source

You will need:
A clutch
A thin, matching belt

I chose to use my Michael Kors clutch and a gold belt I found in my closet. So long that the colors coordinate you can use any belt and clutch combination.

Vanessa F.

H&M has created this brand new, international design award with the ambition of supporting talented designers across the world after their graduation. This award focuses of putting fashion students in the right position and have them working in the right direction, so that they can continue to grow and develop their work as fashion designers.

Graduates from fourteen of the most prestigious design schools in six countries will compete for the prize of $50,000 and a priceless chance to have their graduate collection shown at Stockholm’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 1, 2012.

Starting January 13th, everyone with an interest in fashion can follow the awards process online through a series of films at www.designaward2012.hm.com. It will feature behind the scenes footage of the colleges and portraits of the designers, as well as the jury sessions and live streaming of the winner’s show on February 1st.

With a little research and a couple of days of separating I was able to get my overwhelming wardrobe into a manageable and accessible closet that was inviting. With just a few changes you can have a wardrobe haven instead of that messy space where you keep your clothes.

1. Know What You Have

The one thing women do is shop and we buy without really thinking of the space in the closet; being too enamored with the piece the credit card is handed over and you have plus one item in your wardrobe. You get home only to find you have something similar and you’ve just added to the sardine style closet you have. Knowing what you have available in your wardrobe can save you money but also space. Buy pieces you know will last and can be re-worn different ways to avoid over filling the closet with nothing you really need.

2. Start a System

Having a system can make going through your wardrobe a lot easier and less time consuming. The way you organize your closet systematically can be done by style or by color. I, personally use by style starting with tube and tank tops, short sleeves, ¾ sleeve progressing to long sleeve. Doing it this way also separates your closet for the seasons as all the long sleeves will be in one area and tanks in another. Do this with your pants and bottoms starting with shorts and skirts progressing to full length pants. Using a color coordinated system can also make it super easy to find what you are in the mood for on a particular day. If you know you want to wear that red blouse with the sequence you know it is with the red section of the closet. Do this with your pants and skirts starting with white and khaki progressing to dark denim and black slacks.

3. Sort Your Shoes
Most women can confess that their shoe collection is the largest collection of collectibles they own, and yes shoes can be collectibles! The downside is there is two of everything so keeping things organized and kept together can be a challenge. First, get in the habit of taking your shoes off and putting them away. This avoids having any mess laying around your living space. Once you have this down have your shoes organized so that they are easy to see and easy to get to. One great way is using shoe bins to store your shoes. This not only protects your shoes from it’s environment the clear containers are stackable and translucent so you can see which shoes you are looking for. Organize your shoes by style starting with casual moving to formal. Keep the shoes you wear most at the top of your stack for easier access. These containers can be found for only $8 at The Container Store and are very much worth it!

4. Cycle Your Wardrobe

It happens to all of us, you get comfortable wearing the same pieces from your wardrobe that the rest of it stays sitting in the closet never to be seen again. This is a waste of cute clothes and money spent! Cycling through your wardrobe is an easy way to keep your clothes organized; it keeps you aware of what you have and lets you seem like such a fashionistas because you will not be wearing the same thing every week! Doing this is simple, once you have worn the item move it to the back of your section. Whether you have your closet organized by style or color put it at the back and move the rest forward so that you progress through all you have and your entire wardrobe gets put to use.

5. Plan for More

The shopping never ends and that is a fact. So always be prepared to bring new pieces into your closet. You can do this by doing a ‘closet cleansing’ every two months. Pull out the pieces you use the least and donate it! This opens up space in your closet for future purchases and gives clothes to those who can use it. Having a little available space does not mean you can just go shopping to fill the void but rather it means you have the space if you need it.

srs: focusonstyle

The collection features a mix of tailored menswear outfits with over-sized flowing blouses and dresses. You can skip the skinny jeans because this season ankle pants are all the rave.

I am loving the stark white outfits in the collection, there is nothing like stepping out in a crisp, white outfit on a bright day.  The collection is infused with bright pops of color and is full of light, flowing fabrics that can catch the breeze. It is a well rounded collection that includes pants, jackets, dresses, shorts, blouses and my favorite the platform wedge. The great thing about the wedge is they offer support and stability without having to give up on style. Pick up a pair of wedge heels, white ankle pants and a white shirt and you are ready for anything! Enjoy!

srs: blackdiamondsky.com

Spanning the globe, Fashion’s Night Out brings together the crème de la crème of the fashion world as well as celebrities and industry professionals. This year San Antonio will experience the best of Fashion’s Night Out! The Shops at La Cantera will be hosting one of San Antonio’s most stylish nights. Fashion’s Night Out will be held at Neiman Marcus on Thursday, September 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. The night will be full of perks, incentives and giveaways, not to mention live entertainment! Dress to impress!

I had an excellent time last year at Fashion’s Night Out 2010. If it is anything like the last it is not an event you want to miss! There is great shopping, delicious food and drinks and of course great fashion as far as the eye can see! Here are a few photos from last year’s Fashion’s Night Out. Keep an eye out for an event recap!

Fashion Editor Vanessa Fernandez with runway models

Editor Vanessa Fernandez with designer Chris Cantoya

On the runway