http://www.kikocosmetics.com/eshop/it

When I moved to New York one of the first things I wanted to do was to get a manicure and pedicure here. Why? Because there is this myth about New York perfect manicures and pedicures, fashionable nail polish and the fact that you can get it almost everuwhere at anytime. OPI and Essie here are the top nail polishes and they offer different collections inspired by the colors of the season.

Also in Milan you can get great manicure treatments and there is a great nail polish that you cannot find here in New York – yet. KIKO Milano is a Milan cosmetic brand that is very popular in Italy. It offers from makeup to skincare, from face and body treatments to nail polish. High quality at very affordable prices. For example, a nail polish is €2.5 or lipsticks €3, pretty affordable!

Their concept quite recalls the MAC one, with an infinite range and shades of colors for each product. But it has a vibe of Italian style. And it is a nice way to try out new colors or new products without spending a fortune and without give up to quality.

A great Italian brand, highly professional, good quality products and an unbeatable price tag. I recommend you go try this brand. It has everything you would find with the other high end make-up brands such as MAC, Chanel, Dior, YSL, etc..and you can get the same results. It is also a great find to enrich your make-up collection with new colors and limited edition products, such this nail color summer bright color edition.

http://www.mandulis.net/2012/03/06/kiko-cosmetics-radical-free-nail-polish/

KIKO Milano is available for online in the following countries - Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal & UK at www.kikocosmetics.com.

http://fontcrafts.com/2012/02/boldly-dare-to-be-a-pop-of-color-in-a-black-white-world-printable/

Are Brights the new Black?

And if this summer we will take an eternal classic like the "Little Black Dress" and we will change it in "Little Bright Dress"? It is a time for a little fashion-philosophy consideration. If we pay just a little bit of attention around in New York or in Milan, or flip through magazines, or browse the fashion blogs, brights are really the new black, even though writing it sounds a paradox. I believe it has really become and developed in the must of the season. And it does not stop to dresses and clothes, but it covers shoes and accessories as we will see in my next incoming posts. 


Can we say that brights, season after season, are becoming a classic? Will brights eventually not fade away, season after season, as black does? Will brights be reinvented and reinterpreted? Will it remain a classic choice? Or it will eventually fade away by the next Spring/Summer? Even though in the imaginary brights are usually associated with eccentricity, now everyone can opt for it and it would be a trendy choice: the boldest would go for color-blocking outfits or colorful dresses. Those who like sobriety would opt for a bright or neon color bag, shoes or jewels. Whatever is the personal style, everyone in New York as well as in Milan are embracing this playful trend. And to me it has all the potential to become a new classic.

http://97sullivan.com/tag/fashion-2/

http://verycoolcoco.blogspot.com/2012/04/colored-and-cuffed-ecco-il-jeans-di.html

Summer is officially here, and even though the weather is going on and off these days in New York, the bright color trend does not stop at all. And in this last couple of days, maybe because the temperatures dropped a bit, after a spree of colorful dresses and shorts, ladys in the city chose not to give up the trend because of the bad weather, and are wearing the "everywhere seen" fashion trend of the season: Colored Jeans.


We've spotted them on celebrities – even one of my newest style inspiration Kate Middleton sported at the beginning of the season the famous coral jeans while playing a game of field hockey with UK's Olympic team – and when a trend is seen on the A-listers we all know it will spread very quickly. And if the trend is fun and easy-to-go-for like the colored jeans, the look will be replicated even faster.
On the streets colored jeans really can instantly boost any outfit out, whether you dress them up or down. And here a few examples of what I saw the trend on the streets - and I believe these can be good examples on how to wear it. 


Colored jeans & Neutral
You won’t go go wrong if you pair a pair of colored jeans with a black, white, cream or tan top. Any pair of bright jeans would look awesome with a white button-down dress shirt, a sheer black silk shirt, or a cream-colored cardigan sweater. This technique is a good way to feel out your new pants and ease into wearing them.

                                          

Color-jeans-blocking
Colorblocking is a really cool trend, but I believe it is a very bold choice, and only the boldest fashionistas can really pull this off. As far as I saw on the streets, as long as you pair your colored jeans with another solid, bold color, you’ll look trendy and fun. When colorblocking, I think it looks the coolest when you combine pastels with other pastels, and bolder colors with other bolds. In the example outfit below, it is a loud electric blue and yellow blocking. 

Colored Jeans & Print
This styling tip is my favorite: pair your colored jeans with a bold print. Polka dots, nautical stripes, floral prints, leopard print or geometric prints would all look really playful and a real stylist looking outfit. This outfit below represent one of the looks I saw the most on the streets: striped blouse or t-shirt and colored jeans.

A chat with a Milan style expert: Giulia Pieroni, Fashion Editor, Vogue Bambini

Read super carefully this Q&A with a very talented Fashion Editor about the Bright Color Summer trend inspirations and vibe in Milan. 

Who else can tell us all about it better than Giulia?

Can you describe your personal style?
I cannot live without vintage earrings, shirts (better if white) and lipstick. Backpack and “ventaglio” (fan). I find myself comfortable in any way, sometimes mix & matching works for me.

How does Milan inspire your day-to-day style?

Milan is a radial and circular city, there is no “one way” here. It is inspiring and the city gets inspired. It looks for the best and then it exploits it. And you can find the best only if you want to find it. There’s a very exclusive vibe.

How does your job inspire your style?

My inspiration often comes from the memories of my daily life: Sicily, Milan and my “on the road” life. Also from a leaf: "Si sta, come d'autunno, sugli alberi..." (Cit. Ungaretti, Italian poet). From there thousands of inspirations come to me.

What do you think about the current summer bold color trend? Are you wearing it? How are you wearing it?

I enjoy Sun Colors: orange and yellow. I like to wear them in a sober way.

How people in Milan are wearing this summer bold colors trend?

Milanesi are the neighbors of the fashion world, they are the first who meet the trends and they – nearly always – embrace them.

What is/are the must-have pieces for this summer in Milan?

A neon color piece. And a pleated skirt.

What are some of your favorite places to shop in Milan?  And online?

I actually don’t have any favorite place. When I feel it is the right price for the right piece, I just buy it, wherever I am in a street market or in Via della Spiga. Same thing online: I jump from one website to the other, following what I like most.

http://oliviasstyle.blogspot.com/

I believe Olivia Palermo has a great style and it's usually hard to pick favorites among her many outfits. I think she has great styling skills, very eclectic and beyond the basics of what it strictly fashionable in a season. There is always an additional surprisingtouch, and she’s a New Yorker, so I think she represents a good part of the true fashionistas of the city. Of course, she is very familiar with high-end designers, but she's also choosing Zara and Topshop for low-cost but nonetheless chic finds. I believe it is that kind of fashion strategy that she made her one of my favorite to watch. 
Olivia has launched her own style blog this summer, and I’ll pay extra-special attention on what she suggests week after week. I chose a couple of her look of this summer, that are a great example of her style, as well as her interpretation of the bright color summer trend I am exploring, from red-carpet moments to easy-chic outfits with her own styling twist. In her first look, she is wearing a bright light blue top and white shorts, topped with a vintage blazer and accessorized with gold jewelry, a plumed clutch and strappy matching bright light blue sandals. 

http://www.vanityfair.it/starstyle/i-like/2012/06/8/convivio_2012_red_carpet#?refresh_ce

In this second look she is at the charity event "Convivio" just happened in Milan, and she hit the red carpet in a long-sleeve bright red maxidress, burgundy belt, suede clutch and patent leather sandals.
The third look I chose, she is at New York Faberge's event and she’s wearing a relaxed bright striped blouse, black and white separates and vibrant colored Manolos completed the ensemble.

http://bellapetite.com/celebrity-petite-fashion-style-olivia-palermo-at-faberge-opening.html

In Milan, the bright color trend is all in the accessories. Chic Milanesi cannot give up the beloved monogrammed Italian designers bags, with the famous and ultra-recognizable logos like Fendi or Gucci. People in Milan are well known to opt for the classic beige/neutral nuances (like these monogrammed classic Fendi bags), declined in all possible materials from classic leather to canvas.

But this summer next to the classic color collections, designers and boutiques have introduced also the boldest colors of the season. In this pic for example, a bright yellow patent leather Dolce&Gabbana “Sicily” bag, paired with matching yellow ballet flats. This bag and shoe choice would usually be paired with very understated colors for the clothing outfit, for example all black, or black-and-white, or denim and white.

The mainstream color blocking trend in Milan is majorly focused on accessories, rather than on matching together contrasting color in clothes, or adding complementary colors for accessories as seen in New York City. The bold choice in Milan is adding color to a neutral outfit through accessories.

And matching the color of shoes and handbag would be the best way to experiment the trend. There was a time when matching your shoes and bags color used to be a hard and fast rule. Even though most stylists may say it can feel somewhat old fashioned, I believe matching shoes and handbag creates a unique and chic fashion statement, and it also adds more personality to a more basic outfit. And it certainly gives an instant polished and timeless look, whatever color you are choosing. I believe it is one of those timeless fashion choices especially if shoes and handbag color match exactly. 

Bright color is apparently not a trend to follow just for ladys this summer in New York. Also gentlemen, in their own way, can try it out. And for today's Father's Day, Saks Fifth Avenue suggests the best fashionable present for fathers of every age: bring a pop of bright colors in a man's outfit with bright and neon color socks! 
Of course these are designer and tasteful collection of fine socks, from single-colored to bold patterns in a huge array of brights, from cotton to merino and cachemire-silk. Great present idea.

http://images.thesartorialist.com/thumbnails/2012/06/60812Colorblock6639Web.jpg

One of the things I did before coming to New York to, at some extent, see what was going on in the city and its inspirations, was following The Sartorialist. I love his pictures and his eye. He takes pictures of people who are dressed in a way that catch his eye in New York's streets and in the various cities he visits. Today, he posted this great pic of a girl dressed in bright colors in New York - following the trend I am exploring here. The girl interprets the color block trend with a simple t-shirt, but neon yellow, an asymmetric flowing electric blue skirt and an emerald green shopper. The quintessence of the bright color blocking trend. In the street of New York this summer. 

As my journey goes on, the color-ful trend is really visible everywhere in NYC, especially as we are approaching into full summer (even the heavy rain does not stop the trend on the streets!).

So far, I have recorder one-color dresses as a impact-ful choice for any kind of occasions: you can wear it as a fashionable and easy statement during the daytime.  Or as effortless and elegant full-color evening gowns to attend an awards show. In both cases the trend we are discovering in its essence is the go-for choice: vibrant, energy and eye-catching nuances.

In New York, designer brand are displaying the trend also in the stores and in window shops. When I walk to NYU on 42nd street, I always stop by to check Alice & Olivia's store on 40th street. This is a line that I was not very familiar with -- in Milan it is not that popular as, for the same segment, there are Italian designer that are much more popular, like Patrizia Pepe or Twin Set. I personally appreciate the basic palette of black-and-whites enriched by all pops of color. My favorites: playful day dresses and embellished party dresses for the evening. The other day I stopped by the store and I saw that the the raks in the store were full of super colorful (also neon) tops, pants and dresses, in every bright color of the season, from hot pink to yellow, from green to tangerine. Alice & Olivia is presenting the bright color trend as one-color dresses, or bright separates paired with complementary white or black selections. Molto chic!

http://www.aliceandolivia.com/

http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/getting-ready-for-the-2012-tony-awards-nina-arianda-james-corden-cristin-milioti-and-jeremy-jordan/

Yesterday night (for the first time live for me) I watched the Tony Awards on TV, at New York’s Beacon Theatre. I am a huge fan of Broadway shows and I was very anxious of viewing this event live. Previously I could usually just view some extracts uploaded on YouTube.

A part from enjoying a lot the great performances of the Best Musical nominees, I was very happy to notice the full color blocking trend I am exploring in my comparative research and running on this blog. The bright color trend was a fashionable choice among nominees, and I could see that the trend was embraced especially with simple monochromatic gowns of the it-colors of the season. I particularly liked Once's Cristin Milioti's simple chic emerald green Jason Wu strapless silk chiffon gown, elegantly draped on the bodice, accessorized with a gold clutch and green jewels. In my opinion, the best dress of the night.

http://fashionbombdaily.com/2012/06/11

Audra McDonald, Tony Award winner for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, went for a one-bright-color choice as well: a effortless yet elegant one-shoulder electric-blue dress, accessorized with very simple understated jewelry.

Another proof that here in NYC the one-bright-color trend is very fashionable and is worn a very simple, sleek and visually powerful way - a real must, also on red carpets, this summer.

Tangerine is the color of the season. 17-1463 is the code of the color that the firm Pantone, the world-renowned authority on color, has indicated as the color of the year 2012: "Tangerine Tango". We have seen it everywhere, from runways to red carpets. From clothes to shoes, from makeup to accessories. It is the it-color of the season.

Tangerine is a high-impact, vibrant, seducing deep orange shade. It reminds of the color of the sunset, warm and energy. I spotted in Soho this woman wearing a long jersey tangerine dress, with a simple white cardigan. I liked the simplicity, yet visual impact of it.

And finally coming to NYC street style, this is the trend I have been noticing a lot around: long and short one-color-only dresses, paired with basic color accessories (black or brown), worn as a stand-alone or with another bold color.

You can hardly see women wearing this color trend in Milan, but here in NYC is pretty popular. I do love long strapless colored dresses. As a fashionista from Milan, I am not sure I would wear it back in my city (because of the basic chic rules I respectfully follow and that I talked in my previous posts!), but I am definitely going to give it a try here in New York. It seems so effortless and summery, and seeing colors worn like this really makes you wanna follow this trend.

Sometimes I feel a bit off-balance with my total neutral (still on the Milan time-zone) way of dressing, but I promise I will try!

Also InStyle in its Instant Stylist game features the trend I am exploring: colorful dress, in this case emerald green, accessorized with low neutral sandals, a complementary colored straw bag (yellow and blue), light blue scarf and a touch of gold with the long necklace. Would you wear it for a pool party (if the weather goes back to be warm and feels back to be in summer in NYC?)

           

Just to give and idea of what happens in Milan, here is a pic of my best friend B. We met for lunch and she was wearing basic colors (white blouse and jeans), platform sandals in white and was carrying a Banane Taipei yellow bag (very fashionable now in Milan) with an Hermes Birkin stamped on it ("meta-chic", chic within chic).

That's the quintessence of the Milan street style for the Bright-ful trend: just a touch of color, but not too much.

Now it's the turn of NYC people.

1 fashionable trend of the season. 2 fashion capitals. A trend face-off.


From Milan to New York City. This has been and will be my journey. And this would be an exclusive comparative research on trends from the streets of two of the major fashion capitals of the world. What is trend-ful in Milan? How does it translate in NYC? 

Let's start with the Bright Colors S/S 2012 trend. From tangerine, to fluorescent yellow, from electric blue, to emerald green a pop of color was seen everywhere during fashion weeks. 

What happens on the streets though? In Milan everyone is well known to be fashionable, chic and elegant. Being fashionable in Milan usually means conforming to the rule of wearing basic colors (black, blue, camel and white), choosing great fits and expensive fabrics, opting and showing off the well know designers labels. But I just came back from a trip there and I was quite impressed to see the that this season the bright color trend was embraced widely. The way the Milanesi are going for this is very clean and simple, adding a little bit of color especially with accessories (bags, shoes, scarves, jewels) matched with the basic neutrals. Keeping it simple, clean, classy and chic.

How is the trend lived in New York? I can anticipate that here it is embraced very differently on the streets. I see unique and highly individual interpretations of the trend. Nothing confoming to any set rule. High-street fashion everywhere. The answer and the comparison will be given post after post..