URBANE TIMES: June 2009

BRACELETS

1. Andrew Hamilton Crawford

2. Luc Fieffer

3. Kenneth Jay Lane

4. Kenneth Jay Lane

5. Alex and Ani

6. Kara Ross

7. Chanel

8. Fallon

9. Kenneth Jay Lane

I haven't seen too much of The City--- in fact, I don't think I've ever seen an episode; just a few clips, but I've heard a lot about the friend/foe of the star Whitney Port's 'character' and her amazing style.

She keeps accessories to a minimum, but when she puts them on, she makes a STATEMENT. They are almost always intricate pieces that lend a air of glamour to her outfits.

What I noticed about Olivia, who is a 'socialite' in New York City, is that her style epitomizes New York chic. Which to me, is an effortless look with an overall classic sense. But she mixes fabrics and prints with great statement jewelry and she always looks REALLY pretty (at least to me!).

Even though The City season 1 has ended, I am definitely going to tune in for Season 2 to see what Olivia wears on and off the camera.

Here are a couple of examples of her style. She gravitates towards classic lines, mixed with interesting cuts which join forces for a fresh and effortless look. That's why she's an Urbane Style Icon.

2009 CFDA Awards

Last night, fashion's elite gathered in New York City to present established and emerging designers with awards for their work.

The Scoop: Marc Jacobs won the International Award as creative director of Louis Vuitton. Can you believe he's been there for 12 years?

Alexander Wang won for Emerging Talent. *Duh!*

The first ever popular vote for best designer went to the iconic Ralph Lauren.

The coveted Womenswear Designer Of The Year went to the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte.

But we really just care about who wore what. In my opinion, best dressed went to Blake Lively in Michael Kors. What she wore was a simple hot pink, but with that tan and those golden locks; she looked absolutely amazing. Other standouts are Diane Kruger in Jason Wu, Kerry Washington in Doo.Ri, Rachel Roy in her own design, Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte.

Coco Rocha in Michael Kors

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte.

Blake Lively in Michael Kors.

Diane Kruger in Jason Wu

60 models waiting outside.

Ashley Olsen in vintage. I'm kind of on the fence about this dress. I think it looks great on her, but the overall design kind of puzzles me.

Arlenis Sosa playing peekaboo in her Emmanuel Ungaro. She looks so tall compared to this guy!

The lovely Kerry Washington in Doo.Ri

Rachel Roy in her own design. She is the best spokesperson of her line. Gorgeous.

Urbane Times EXCLUSIVE: Melissa Coker of Wren Clothing

You read the title right. An Urbane Times EXCLUSIVE. *screams*

My new obsession is finding clothing lines that have a following, but aren't as big in the mainstream world of fashion. I bring to you wren. Wren was started in 2007 by Melissa Coker, who worked at Vogue, and Details before she began her foray into the world of fashion design.

Ever since I saw Lucky magazine's article about LA style vs. NYC style, my love for Melissa Coker and wren began. So when tweeting every single detail about my mundane life (http://www.twitter.com/vanhall), and randomly being followed by @wrenclothing, I got super excited.

What happened in the next 24-48 hrs. is pretty much a blur. I friended Melissa Coker on Facebook, wrote a small feature about wren and Ms. Coker on http://www.examiner.com/

and to make a long story short, we have the first Urbane Times EXCLUSIVE interview with the founder and designer of wren.

An Introduction:

Wren, started by Melissa Coker, and named after a Dicken's character is the epitome of effortless cool. Their unfussy clothes have attracted a following in such celebrities as Katie Holmes, Vanessa Hudgens, and Keira Knightley. When I saw some of the past wren collections, classic and modern come to mind. These are clothes that you can wear now, and probably for the rest of your life. Coker's feminine and simple aesthetic is something that is sure to please even the pickiest dresser. Wren's slouchy tanks, full skirts, and bright pops of color (and my personal favorite: CARDIGANS) are what make Coker's clothing line stand out. California cool indeed.

Urbane Times: What motivated you to start Wren?

Melissa Coker: a few things...mainly, wanting to work for myself and just be able to follow my own ideas through to production. It's so nice to be able to work for yourself, I'm sure you feel that with your blog! Your concepts, your format.

UT: Who or what inspires you before you design a collection?

MC: A lot of it is just the things that I want to wear myself combined with special fabrics or trims that I find that I think are especially pretty or exciting.

UT: What are your staples for summer?

MC: Baggy cotton things!

UT: What can we expect from Wren in the fall?

MC: Lace mixed with tarnished shine & brightly colored silks.

UT: Literature seems to be important to you, since Wren is named after a Dicken's character. If you could have the wardrobe of any literary heroine, who would you pick?
MC: Holly Golightly in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's OR any Edith Wharton heroine would be nice as well.

UT: What song (no matter where you are) makes you dance?
MC: Any Madonna song from any album preceding (and including) Like a Prayer.

Thanks Melissa for being such a great designer who is approachable and friendly! At Urbane Times, we love Melissa and we love wren!

Here are some past and present looks from wren. You can get more information about wren (and where to buy) and Melissa Coker at wren clothing. Also be sure to follow them on Twitter@wrenclothing!