Violette New York is back with a new winter drop!

Violette New York, the apparel line owned and designed by creative guru (and former Woman Making History) Va$htie Kola, is back with a selection of new designs for the Winter season. And although Spring is just around the corner, the saying “better late than never” certainly applies here, because Violette is back with the heat to warm up your late winter season!

The Winter Collection is titled "Ghetto Goth".

Entitled “Ghetto Goth”, the new collection reinterprets the culture clash of the hood and the ‘burbs, presenting unisex tops devoid of color and complication. The black and white color palette is designed to reflect “that kid from Brooklyn who listens to The Smiths, wears a black trench coat, but still rocks Jordans.” We know (and love!) a few of those, here at M.I.S.S!

Signature styles such as the colored-blocked V and the Violette heart make a return.

The brand remains simple in their cuts, providing short-sleeved and tank styles. The tees feature some of Violette’s signature logos, such as a heart and a “V” over a color blocked background.

New styles use tasteful graphics and text to interpret the "Ghetto Gothic" theme.

The seasons’ new styles inventively reflect the gothic theme thanks to elegant and fun graphics, especially the new simple white Tee with an etched black screenprint of a single rose emblazoned on the front.

Violette also collaborated with design duo Dee & Ricky to produce limited edition crosses.

In addition to the new crop of tops, Violette brings in the Winter season with a collaboration of limited edition pieces designed in tandem with designing brothers Dee & Ricky. Va$htie teamed up with the two to create a lego cross, which will come in both black and purple. Available exclusively on VioletteNewYork.com, only 45 pieces were made, so be sure to cop these exclusive beauties as quick as possible!

The Winter Drop

Director Va$htie produced a video lookbook of the new line, taking you behind the scenes of the shoot. Violette also teamed up with the new media company Creative Control to give you a behind the scenes look at the shoot. Peep both below, and make sure to visit Violette’s webstore to get your pieces today!

Violette New York Official Winter Lookbook

Violette New York x Creative Control Episode

DOWNTOWN’S SWEETHEART – EPISODE 1 from Creative Control on Vimeo.

Quiksilver Spring 2010 Lookbook

Quiksilver, the big sister brand to Roxy which we also recently took a look at is a line long associated with surfwear and boardsport related fashion and has over time has evolved to become more lifestyle based, along with their sporty roots. This is particularly evident in this Spring’s line, which has been influenced by music, and a blend of masculine and feminine casual tomboy chic. With a combination of pretty and tough pieces meant for effortless layering this more fashion based and mature incarnation of the classic company is sure to catch the eye of ladies who aim to express their inner gruff while still staying pretty.

Quiksilver Spring 2010 Lookbook

The key to this collection are the lightweight separates. The pieces are meant to be easily mismatched and integrate with each other and with pieces that already have a home in your no doubt crowded closet. As the weather warms up all it takes is the removal of a layer to appropriate your style to the temperature. Soft cottons with that homey well worn feel, and sexy silky comfort dominates in tanks, tops both simple and more complex, jumpers, distressed denim, knits and military style jackets.

Quiksilver Spring 2010 Lookbook

The Quiksilver Women’s Spring collection is hitting stores and their website right now, and will continue to drop over the next couple of months. Take a look at a video presentation of the collection and rest of the lookbook below

CTRL Spring/Summer '10 Collection

I got really excited when the CTRL lookbook landed in my inbox. The Spring/Summer 10’ lookbook is fire! Colours and prints and patterns – oh my!

This ‘Fistro Papi, Anthora‘ collection boasts collaborative t-shirts with UK photographer Gavin Watson and illustrator Jesse Auersalo. The rest of the cut and sew collection offers us a feast of stone wash denim, patterned leggings, harem pants, button up shirts and printed singlets.

A nautical theme is evident with an anchor print being featured on a few pieces including a cute little sailor dress that would look so very cute with a pair of tights and boots in this questionable weather.

My favourite number is a little denim overall dress. If I was to get my hands on one I’m pretty sure my milkshake will bring all the boys to the yard – here’s hoping!

Roxy Spring 2010 Lookbook

If you’re anything like me, when Spring comes around, the first thing you look for are easy, breezy, but sexy pieces to show off all that hard work you did in the the gym during your February and March mad dash at fitness. Ok, so maybe I am just about to start that whole fitness fest thing (one last weekend to pig out!), but the latest lookbook from the beach-friendly affordable line Roxy has already got me picking out which pieces I want for when April rolls around!

Easy, chic pieces are a big part of the Roxy Spring 2010 lineup.

The lookbook is based on the tenants of summer style, and includes chich and easy pieces perfect for multi-purpose use. Sheer soft tanks and tees are entirely wearable for lazy lounge weekends, and get a touch of the fantastic with distressed treatments, glitter elements, fun color palates, and feminine prints.

Roxy Spring 2010 Lookbook: Daisy Fields Shirt & Homesteader Skirt

Basics like jean shorts, essential minis, and standard jeans get fun upgrades thanks to innovative cuts. Designs like the Homesteader Skirt, a basic mini with a cinched waist and button-placket front, are the ideal solution for taking an outfit to a more fashionable level when you don’t have much time (or desire) to put in your max effort. And Roxy’s barely there shorts with rolled cuffs are the perfect spring fix for the brave with gams of gold!

Dresses are a summer staple that Roxy put a lot of purposeful detailing into.

For those of us in less than stellar shape, Roxy offers summer dresses simple enough to be your weekly standards. However, these dresses come complete with some thoughtful details. Multi-tiered ruffled paneling, neon Maui-esque color schemes, and both tropical and tribal prints are all elements that recur in Roxy’s Spring dress designs, giving you options galore for those perfect weather days.

Roxy Spring 2010 Lookbook: Treated jeans give a basic a bit of an edge.

Even though Roxy’s lookbook is a comprehensive display of your Springtime favorites, the design team managed to provide a dose of edgy appeal with some of the pieces in the line. Jeans get an updated, distressed look with a unique printed treatment running half-way up the calf. Items such as the studded denim cutoff vest will certainly give your basics a tough, trendy feel without trying too hard.

Roxy Spring 2010 Lookbook: Fun in the sun with overalls!

The brand also explores a few whimsical pieces for those of you who’d rather spend your money on a gym membership than expensive trendy pieces you’ll only end up wearing once. Fun pieces like the above pair of overalls, or a denim short romper, are well designed and practical, yet incredibly fun when pumped up with accessories like Roxy’s summer straw hats. Score!

Roxy Spring 2010 Lookbook: The mid-priced retailer delivers practicality with a touch of high fashion for Spring.

With flowery dresses, tomboy chic overalls, tissue thin tanks and treated distressed jeans in store for me this spring, the Roxy Spring lookbook is seriously motivating me to put down these cookies and hit the stair-master! At least I have two months to go until I need to fit into these fun basics!

Peep the rest of the lookbook below, and check back soon for a ridiculously fun peak inside the Roxy showroom! Hint: we may have gotten to style a Roxy x M.I.S.S mannequin!

Witches Spring 2010 Lookbook

Last week we gave you guys an abridged look at Gabby Applegate’s Witches line. We just got our gnarled hands on the Spring 2010 lookbook, which provides a much better look at these edgy mystical pieces. Check it out, and tip your pointed hat!

Obey Holiday Season 09 Lookbook & Obey Awareness Campaign

Obey’s Holiday season women’s line has a lot to offer in terms of wardrobe staples for the colder months. The holiday 09 lookbook features button down plaid shirts, printed tees, high waisted skirts and light, dark, zippered and ripped denim. The outerwear being the main focus, we see the resurgence of leather in the form of a quilted bomber jacket, hooded bomber jacket and vest. Knitwear is also prevalent in this collection, proving that layering is going to be a big hit again this winter with scarves, long sleeved tops and a cardigan that ties up at the waist.

Obey Holiday Season 09 Lookbook & Obey Awareness Campaign

Also, in order to create social awareness on homeless pets Obey has also teamed up with AdoptAPet.com in an Obey Awareness campaign and created a limited edition collection comprising of a printed tee, a dog collar and a dog leash. You can show your support by purchasing online at http://obeyclothing.com/ – all proceeds go directly to AdoptAPet.com.

There’s something about Alexandre Vauthier’s FW 09/10 collection that’s reminiscent of the power and sex appeal that Sharon Stone exuded in “Basic Instinct” (the interrogation scene, of course). It must  be the frosty white and the sleek pulled back hair-do. Add the smokey eyes, red lips, strong sculpted shoulders and soft draped bottoms and you’ve got the quintessential 80’s power look.

The 80’s look may have been a trend favorite for the past season but Vauthier has perfected it, especially the inverted wedge silhouette, a silhouette he has played with in previous collections. The collection could have very easily gone overboard had more embellishments and treatments been applied but by keeping those to a minimum, his “Acte II” couture collection came out  impeccable.

View the gallery to see the rest of Vauthier’s collection.

LSDB Spring 09

Designed by Trang Chau, each piece has amazing structure and a unique design. The Spring lookbook features solid colour and a bevy of well fitting, interesting pieces. Each piece looks convincingly simplistic from afar, but up close the detail gone into constructing each garment is very beautiful, and a testament to Chau’s background in sculpture and costume design. Although not something you would throw on to wear to the club, Le Sang Des Betes is a label you know you can invest in to last you through the trends.

Rich & Skinny Fall/Winter 09 Lookbook

Buying a well fitting pair of jeans is hard work – I can’t tell you how many tantrums I’ve thrown in shops because of ill fitting, uncomfortable jeans – and let’s be honest, they are a staple in almost all wardrobes, we are all looking for the perfect pair – so why not buy from two designers that are old hands at the denim game?

Created by power-team Michael Glasser (Seven For All Mankind) and Joie Rucker (Joie Jeans), Rich & Skinny is a luxury brand with a decadent spin on well fitting, comfy jeans.

Rich & Skinny Fall/Winter 09 Lookbook

The brand that has graced such legs as Blake Lively, Beyonce, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba, Rich and Skinny jeans have released an impressive Fall/Winter look book that is sure to please.

So what can you expect from the new women’s collection? Expect the usual fits; the relaxed fit of the classic ‘Boyfriend’ jean, the popular ‘Sleek’ fit – with a low rise waist and slim leg, the bootleg cut ‘Rich‘ jean, the low-rise waist bell-bottom fit of the ‘Belissima‘ jean and the ‘Super Skinny‘ leg jean (which I’m sure you can expect to be a super skinny fit). With vintage washes and distressed look pieces as part of the new collection, each pair of jeans is finished with a silk waistband lining and the signature ‘R‘ button.

For the men there are three fits – ‘Strong‘, ‘Bold‘ and ‘Chill,‘ each created with a high thread count for optimal comfort and finished with the signature ‘R‘ button, designed to look like vintage cufflinks.

Rich & Skinny Fall/Winter 09 Lookbook

Head to the amazingly interactive website – each model does a little strut and turn for you (I sat there watching Mr ‘Strong’ fit jean for about 20 minutes, hello!) – for more information, check out the Rich & Skinny blog and keep your eyes peeled for this brand in the stores.

Quirky Looks

Yesterday I promised you guys a closer look at the Charlotte Russe Fall ‘09 lookbook and here it is! The lookbook is broken up into 9 different sets of looks, representing different trends. Shoppers can use these trends – Quirky, Totem, Freedom, The Professional, Oh So Chic, Ex-Boyfriend, Heirloom, Buckingham, Proper English and Desire -  to either put together a top to bottom on-trend look, or mix and match between the different collections to create your own unique look.

The Quirky trend up above is defined by eclectic style. The look uses a combination of a classic schoolgirl prep aesthetic, with argyle prints, novelty plaids, and marching band fashion, similar to the in-school uniform styling of the female characters on TV’s Gossip Girl.

The Totem trend continues to show the influence of Native American, and frontier peasant style that has been around for the past few seasons. There are items with indigenous textile and blanket-like patterns, feathers, nature, and fringe details.

Items from the Freedom trend embody a seventies hippie chic, with psychedelic prints, scarves, patches, peace signs, and a bit of that road trip biker style.

Doing a complete about face, The Professional trend uses sexy sophistication to provide a youthful office-to-happy hour style, similar to what we often see Stacy and Clinton pushing on TLC’s What Not To Wear. Alongside the usual office blacks, this collection has pieces with intense color pops, and features faux python detail on some items, to provide a refined contemporary attitude.

The Professional & Oh So Chic Looks

Similarly, the Oh So Chic trend is a more refined look, but it hops on the subway and heads uptown. More of a nightlife look, we see contemporary rompers, and items with sexy cutouts, as well as pieces featuring ample use of satin. Both the apparel and the acccessories feature chunky stone embellishments, sequins and studs.

Rocking more of a downtown, and 90’s grunge retro look, the Ex-Boyfriend trend is characterized by boyish silhouettes with feminine details like camisoles and slips. There are muted plaid prints and flannels carrying over from last years fall trend, and also continues to propagate the motorcycle jacket trend, as well as tarnished metal adornment, and distressed and destroyed details we’ve been seeing on tights and denim on a lot of runways and from many retailers this year.

A very classic ladylike style emerges next with the Heirloom trend. Certainly inspired by the out of school fashion styling of Blair Waldorf, and the other “Queen Bees” on Gossip Girl, this trend gives a hearty nod to the styles of design houses  like Chanel, popular with Upper East Side society women with couture-inspired jackets, cardigans, and pearls, using fabrics like tweed, boucle, mesh and crochet.

A look across the pond to the UK’s Brit Punk scene has inspired the Buckingham trend, continuing the use of brighter, more contemporary tartans and plaids, alongside black leather and lace, and military details.

Continuing the Anglo influence, the Proper English trend uses saddle leathers to create a more English equestrian look featuring houndstooth, blackwatch plaids, buckles, and riding boot inspired footwear.

Proper English Looks

And finally, the Desire trend takes you back to the budoir with a look inspired by baroque romance, utilizing lace, fur, jet beads, feather and ribbon details alongside goddess draping, and a great interest in showing off the back.

Some of these styles, starting with the Quirky collection, have started dropping in Charlotte Russe stores, and online already, and will continue to arrive through September. Shopping online within a collection is super easy – after you choose the category you would like to shop in, simply choose the trend name to single out the items from that collection. Remember, Quirky is available right now! Most importantly, for you ladies shopping on a dime, prices are incredibly affordable. In all of the looks below, prices for individual pieces range from $4.99 for fingerless lace gloves, and go up to $49.99 for boots.