The Coterie: a structured affair

So this...Got me into here:

No wait, here:

And once inside, I realized my Chocolate Factory comparison from last week may have been written with my tongue pressed a little too firmly in my cheek.

This place was, in all seriousness, a veritable wonderland for anyone who loves to talk, look, buy and breathe fashion.

I expected all along to gravitate toward ASJiNE standbys like Robert Rodriguez, Mint and Karen Zambos Vintage Couture, but as the hours ticked by and my red satin flats logged another lap, I found myself no longer looking for a familiar name on a placard but rather drawn toward uniquely-cut pieces, the majority of which, it turned out, came from a crop of brilliant, unfamiliar lines like Stella & Jamie, Erik Hart and Form.

Considering the volume of information and inspiration with which all this Coterie-ing hath filled my head, I decided it'd be better for you in terms of keeping your 'scroll finger' from developing a callus and for me in terms of not losing my mind trying to weave everything into a single cohesive post, that I break down my 180+ photos, my eight identified trends and my five newly-in-love-with designer discoveries into more manageable, one-per-day portions.

Today's focus is on a hugely popular trend I hope is here and here to stay: structure.

Enjoy.

Oh, and please, try to remember that a decent camera does not a decent photographer make.

From the stiff sleeves to the hard-pleated neckline to the giveless fabric - I found in this dress a piece of pure, structured perfection.

Ardistia*

The pretty party frock's perfect date -- a structured silk topper.
Biba

So strictly structured I half expected to find hinges -not a zipper- on its side.
Chace

No double-sided tape required on this securely stayin'-in-place kimono-sleeve dress.
Candela NYC

Even the handbags have lost their slouch
Jack Rabbit

What I imagine the Dita von Teese of the Victorian Age might have worn on her way home from work...
Mackage

Hervé Léger + Salvador Dali = strikingly structured strapless.
Iódice

The wearable-for-work version of Miu Miu's Spring '08 structured runway skirt
Chloe & Reese

And because I'm an unabashed fan of reality TV and all the people it has launched into semi-stardom, looksies at whosies I bumped into while making my way over to the Anlo booth:
So entranced by the extent of Jeffery's unique tattage -not to mention the charming contradiction of his preppy ensemble- I found it quite difficult to keep my hand steady and my celebriwhoreitis under control.

Thankfully for her and me, only LC's (ahem, underwhelming) eponymous collection was present at yesterday's show...

*unfortunately, the Ardistia representatives wouldn't allow me to take any photographs of what was hands-down my favorite collection of the entire show. So that you could still enjoy the view of one of their Mouret-inspired designs, I included an image from their website.

10 Best Dresses of Summer '07

This post may not on the outset look like it would have taken much time to piece together, but believe me, the 10 dresses you see here - the 10 I'm presenting to you as the 10 'best' of Summer '07 - represent only a very wee fraction of the near 800 celebrity photos I've right-clicked and saved over the past two and two-thirds months.

For every photo of Jessica Alba in a gorgeous metallic sheath, I had to skip over five of Fergie sans makeup in a fedora with high-waisted purple skinny jeans; for every photo of Jennifer Lopez looking stunning in a Lanvin mini, I had to suffer through dozens of Cameron Diaz in a pair of don't-pity-me-I'm-"gorgeous" short shorts and seafoam green wrap-up-the-leg gladiator sandals.

Point is, when I finally finished making my cuts, it was late, my eyes hurt and frankly, I was taxed from the two trips to the salon it took Sayed to get my hair as close to this* as my half-Asian locks would allow. If you feel strongly one or more of these dresses doesn't belong among the ranks of the rest, you're just gonna have to ask me (after you berate me) for an explanation in the comments section.

And no, I did not pick Eva Mendes three times just to pick Eva Mendes three times.

In no particular order, here are my favorite celebrity dresses for the season that was Summer 2007 (I declared it over after the fourth straight day of needing a sweatshirt to walk Monte in the morning):

L.C. in a knit bubble dress by Lauren Conrad Collection
Jessica Alba in a metallic column gown by John Galliano for DiorMary-Kate Olsen in a kimono style dress by Elizabeth & James

Eva Longoria in a bib-front belted mini by Monique Lhuillier
Julia Stiles in a ruffle-trim shirt dress by Zac Posen
Jessica Alba in a metallic sheath by Dolce & Gabbana

Jennifer Lopez in a lantern-neck mini by LanvinEva Mendes in a floor-length strapless gown by Valentino

Eva Mendes in a sleeveless metallic sheath by Dolce & Gabbana

Eva Mendes in a one-shouldered Grecian gown by Alberta Ferretti

*photo courtesy of The Sartorialist

T-8.75 hours...

Super busy today, but I couldn't let you go without mentioning once more that tonight at 8pm (and then again at 10 and 10:30), MTV will air the third season premiere of the most fashionable half-hour on television, a representative taste of which can be seen above with Lauren (at the show's L.A. launch party last Thursday) in an art-deco inspired Alexander Wang plunge-front dress and simple-'n'-sweet black round-toed pumps.

Keep your fingers crossed the producers were smart enough to fill the void left by Heidi "You don't know what he's like when it's just the two of us" Montag with my favorite character: the leggy and calculating East Coast 'Super Intern,' Ms. Emily Weiss.

LC in my living room *and* in my closet?

Scarlett O'Hara, Gloria Wandrous, Heather Chandler, Claire Standish, Regina George, Emily from The Devil Wears Prada, my college friend S, my DC friends K, C and E -- these are the type of women to whom I've always been most drawn both on-screen and in real life.

Put simply, I like a sharp, confident bitch.

It's no wonder, then, when I tuned into MTV's first episode of "Laguna Beach" three years ago - and every episode subsequent - it was toward Kristin, the conscience-free beauty born with a made-for-sin body and an acute understanding of how to use an eye roll and a smirk to make everyone around her feel inferior, I felt the most affinity, not her co-star and intended main draw, Lauren Conrad -- better known as "LC."

But for a number of reasons over the past year and a half - her string of unsavory male companions, her painful gotta-pay-the-bills appearances at shopping malls, the fact that she abandoned her Boston Terrier puppy when she left now ex-boyfriend Brody Jenner and proceeded to replace him with a Yorkie, among others - I've slowly begun to uproot myself from the Kristin camp and shockingly, because I really couldn't stomach her until the second season of "The Hills," move toward Team LC.

Now I still think Lauren is often insufferable (please, just let the Heidi/Spencer drama go already) and has squandered much of what she's been afforded through nepotistic internships at Three Dots and Teen Vogue, but where she makes up for all her immaturity and all her self-entitlement is in her classy-beyond-her-years, very ASJiNE-approved wardrobe.

Word is, Ms. Conrad is even debuting an eponymous clothing line later this season, a delicious taste of which you can sample in the first picture below.

It's not clear whether the Lauren Conrad Collection will be a more moderately priced SJP/Bitten endeavor or a pricier Sienna/Twenty8Twelve one, but either way, I'm in such an excited state over this news that I can't decide if I'm more looking forward to my Carvel Cake and "The Hills" premiere with the ladies on Monday night or for the day in the not-too-distant future when I find LC's name tucked in between 'LaROK' and 'Lauren Merkin' on the left hand side of Bop's website.

Enjoy a small stylish slice of LC's signature style:

In a knit bubble-hemmed dress of her own design and metallic round-toeds*

In an empire-waisted DvF cocktail dress and Jimmy Choo sandals In a belted cowl-neck sweater dress and an embellished headbandIn a square-neck halter trapeze dress by 3.1 Phillip Lim and Louboutin peep toes*
In a crocheted-neckline Development mini and Moschino cutout pumps

In a Pamela Roland strapless gown and Giuseppi Zanotti sandals

In a rosette-detailed Rebecca Taylor tank dress and Louboutin peep toes

In Tsubi skinny jeans, a bell-sleeved tunic and Mary Jane stilettos

In a cotton mini skirt, buckled peep toes and a paisley-print chiffon blouse

*your editrix's favorite looks