Montreal Fashion Week – Melissa Nepton

So Montreal Fashion Week is officially at day number three! I’ve been having a lot of fun both yesterday and Monday viewing all the shows (except the Muse by Christian Chenail collection… lost track of time as soon as I found food in the Press Room – needed to recharge!) and meeting fellow local bloggers! I must say that I have been loving experiencing you all in person… words cannot explain how good it feels to meet the person at the other end of the twitter line! I have to give mega props to Sensation Mode this year! The setup is the most professional I have seen for Montreal Fashion Week and there seems to be a bigger budget to do things in a bit more of a professional manner. Go Montreal! We are on our way to claiming international fashion capitol appeal!

A big thank you to Miss Sly whom I spent most of the day with on Monday and who took the above pics for her blog! I decided on my DVF rouched satin watercolor dress and BCBG wedges… and who could resist pairing it all with MAC’s Show Orchid lippy? Added a bit of edge to the mix with my crocodile belt from my trip to South Africa and spiked Stephen Webster earrings Getting dressed is one of the best highlights to any event!

So the first show of the day was Melissa Nepton. Great variety of textures, materials and transparencies (actually, I have been noticing that has been quite a major theme for Montreal designers… lots of lace, mesh cutouts, sheer leggings, etc…). Booties (my die hard favorites) made statements with chain and feather appliques… wedges with fur trim at the ankle and trompe l’oeil lace up sandals that were really embellished tights gave an awesome depth to the collection. Glad to know that my BCBG wedges will still be up to date this up and coming fall! Actually, the woman sitting right next to me during the show asked me several times if I was wearing the same boots seen in Melissa’s collection… nope! Apparently we just enjoy the same caliber of shoe porn!

One thing that I am mega digging is all the furs right now. I know this is a controversial fashion subject… to fur or not to fur… but you cannot deny that the look and overall aesthetic is anything short of gorgeousness. While I adore the natural beauty of a real fur (I opt for recycled furs – Harricana styles), fake furs have their own identities and appeal. I have been scouring the internet as of late for a faux mink vest (or hell even jacket for that matter) to get a bit of that old school glam feeling for myself. Even though there are plenty of recycled fur options out there, at the end of the day the less killing (and supporting) of living beings the bigger my smile .

You really can never EVER go wrong with a wedge… easy to walk in, comfortable, stunning and low maintenance (no running to the shoe smith to change your heel every two weeks)! I would vote for the wedge if it was running for a perfect fall shoe presidency…

Now these are just flat out genius to me. Tights that give the illusion of a dramatic lace-up shoe – one of my favorite elements to the show. I would pair this with any and every black pump I own!

Although I enjoyed the show very much, I didn’t find much inspiration from the clothing itself. I loved what she did with the accessories and details, but somehow I felt the collection lacked imagination. As beautifully as everything came together, it was following some major trends that feel a bit too much in-the-moment already. I like seeing revolutionary collections. Shows that look towards the future and present things in a fresh and new fashion (even if it is the same damn pencil skirt). Sooooo… Melissa did a great job at what she set out for. Create a collection for super styling working women professionals that is approachable and wearable. This collection takes the trends of the moment we already know and love and brings them together into looks we already feel comfortable with… and really, that is marketing genius in itself.

Alright! It must be said! I want this girls hair color!!! I can promise you that when my “do” has grown out just a little bit longer I will be running to the salon! The contrast against her pale skin and the gray fur is really too much for me… suffering from major redhead envy!