VICTORIA BECKHAM returns for Spring 2011 with a looser, but shapely and still sexy silhouette. There is no mistaking the feminine body conscious shapes that have become her trademark. She has shown us that she is quite capable of producing very alluring and salable collections while sticking to her original design philosophy.

MONIQUE LHUILLIER is well known for red carpet confections and bridal gowns, this season she revs it up for those camera ready moments. From cocktails to drop dead evening extravagance, Ms. Lhuillier has kept the bar high for any occasion after 5 PM.

RALPH LAUREN consistently delivers incredible collections season after season and is forever mining the archives and refining his designs until they are perfection. The urbane couture cowgirl for Spring is no exception. In pristine whites, beiges browns and silver think of prairie skirts, suedes, cottons, concha belts, whip stitching, cavalry shirts, ruffles, lace, Navajo patterns and then just throw in some bugle beads and silver lame and you have all the ingredients of the collection. There is no stone unturned and not one element missed. He cannot be praised enough for salable, chic, endlessly appealing collections.

OSCAR de la RENTA remains the favorite for socials, starlets and the perennial best dressed ladies of the world. The pinks, the neutrals, the crispness of black and white and a few nods to Chanel will keep Mr. de la Renta enthroned for a while longer. He certainly has accentuated the waist and maybe even brought a bit of retro to the collection but nothing gets in the way of his exquisite gowns and those Latin influenced ruffle numbers.

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ might need to examine this collection and ask why. His usual structural and architectural looks were replaced by a bunch of disappointingly soft and slouchy looks. Yes, it is Spring and no one wants to be harnessed in to some tight ass constructed garment but there has to be some common ground between what he presented and what was his usual fare.

REED KARKOFF is insistent on being a designer entity unto himself despite his success with Coach. In his namesake collection, which is in its second season, the DNA has not yet been fully developed and that’s where the issues begin. One can assume that the collection will remain on its minimalist path but when Mr. Krakoff veers off that path, then we see trouble. Again we see the folds and the origami work of so many collections but here we see it become clumsy. Even his use of red jolts us as with his black: they become odious under his hand.

STEPHEN BURROWS has presented Spring 2011 in a very relaxed, if not amateurish setting and seems to have lost his way. This is the man who was king of sexy matte jersey and the King of Henri Bendel when Geraldine Stutz ruled the roost. He would be far wiser and certainly better received if he would only dig into the archives, as so many have done and continue to do, and give it a fresh twist. So much more is expected from a designer of this caliber.

Don’t forget to check in with www.style.com for full photo coverage of all the collections and you can always find me on Facebook  as well as http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com/  and now at http://www.examiner.com/user/2062506/2038116/articles  so please subscribe.

VICTORIA BECKHAM

MONIQUE LHUILLIER

RALPH LAUREN

OSCAR de la RENTA

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ

STEPHEN BURROWS

REED KRAKOFF

• Apparently Vogue wouldn’t consider Posh for the cover for four months, so she jumped over to Elle for an immediate coverspot for the October issue. Hey Vogue… Ouch? Popgloss.com
• While Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw has shown no signs of letting go of her designer duds — she has already been spotted in two pairs of Christian Louboutin pumps! — Ugly Betty’s Wilhelmina Slater, played by Vanessa Williams, looks to be cutting back on spending due to the recession. People.com
• Everybody wants to get their hands on Stella McCartney’s lacy goodies; she even wore her own lace creation at the Met Gala. Rumer Willis then donned McCartney’s intricate lace blazer at the Sorority Row LA premiere. Rachel McAdams stepped onto the Venice Film Festival red carpet wearing the lace dress version from resort. FabSugar.com

• Well respected designer Robert Danes is looking for new interns, and we think you indies deserve the first crack at the job! FashionIndie.com
• Target has transformed its iconic Times Square Bullseye billboards into an artistic homage to New York City with larger-than-life commissioned works from four emerging artists. FashionTribes.com

Photo courtesy of Popgloss.com

• Christina Ricci on June 19, Victoria Beckham on June 10, and Megan Fox.Trends don’t always go from the runway to the masses overnight. And looking, um, cold is no exception. Popgloss.com
• Previously stereotyped by pajamas and pillow fights, movie nights are finally getting a touch of glamour thanks to the almost impossible to find nature of The September Issue. Set for release in September, fashion insiders are so desperate to see the film they have resorted to bootlegging! FashionIndie.com
• Milan Men’s Fashion Week just wrapped up, so don’t miss the last batch of our mantastic spring 2010 runway slideshows from Italy. As you can see, short shorts are definitely in. NYMag.com

Photo courtesy of NYMag.com

• Harem pants have to be one of the funniest trends of ’09. To be super clear, here’s the definition. Do a ShopStyle search of “harem” + “pants” and you’ll be very entertained — I was. But some are more outrageous than others… FabSugar.com
• Rumor has it that Patricia Field might part ways with the Sex and the City sequel, over creative differences with Sarah Jessica Parker. Fashionista.com
• Goodbye, Sweetface. J. Lo’s contemporary sportswear brand is on “hiatus” until it finds an “entirely new fashion point of view.” We’re guessing that means it wasn’t doing so hot. Style.com

• People matched up an image of a pedaling MK in windblown hair, layered necklaces, and Lennon-style sunglasses, with an eerily similar image of Ozzy Osbourne. Prince of Darkness vs Fashion Princess. Who rocks the look better? FashionIndie.com
• As of 2008, Gisele Bündchen was still at the top of the Forbes Top-Earning Models list, followed by Heidi Klum, Kate Moss, Adriana Lima, and Doutzen Kroes. But according to the Young People section of the Sunday Times rich list, Karen Elson and her hubby Jack White made the list at 52, while Natalia Vodianova placed 42nd, and Lily Cole came in 86th. Modelinia.com
• Last night at the Hot Pink Party for breast-cancer research we overheard Michael Kors talking about Spanx. Underthings being a favorite topic of ours, we tottered over to join the conversation. “I was talking about how they should make Spanx for men and call it Manx. Manx for men. But I’m not wearing Manx. But I might,” Kors said. NYMag.com
• Until now, style icon Victoria has been the Beckham family’s resident designer — but it looks like Posh is in for a little competition! Her footballer husband David is branching out from underwear modeling to launch his own fall-winter men’s line for Adidas Originals by Originals, WWD reports. People.com
• Karl Lagerfeld really loves music doesn’t he? He owns 100 iPods and he confessed to Bazaar that he dreams to be rapper. And now check out those outrages headphones, helmets… RockTheTrend.com

• Apparently Whitney Port is mightier than the economy. At a time when several celebrity fashion lines are being canned, put on hold, or downgraded — as with former Hills co-star Lauren Conrad’s eponymous effort, first on hiatus and later bumped to Kohl’s — Port’s people leaked sneak-peek photos of her Whitney Eve fall 2009 collection, officially making her the only person from MTV’s initially fashion-related reality franchise to be creating fashion-related buzz in real life. NYMag.com
• Rachel Bilson will write a Q&A, and answer reader’s questions relating style for InStyle Magazine. As well as talking about her favorite trends. She will have a monthly column starting from the May issue. FashionIndie.com
• Fashion houses are not yet in quite the same pickle as banks, though you might not know it for all the bailout plans in the works from American designers. NYTimes.com
• Earth Day is not over yet… As you know, I have been following the green scene for some time and have opinions about who the best eco-friendly designers are. Of course, SF-loving Stella McCartney tops my list, as does the Loomstate for Target collection. FabSugar.com
• Although she has been facing some stiff competition from Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss always tends to be the first when it comes to trends. Kate was spotted out and about in a Balmain dress hot off the Autumn/Winter 09 catwalks. MyFashionLife.com

• While the fashion shows charge on in New York, the parties have been few and far between. It’s no surprise, then, that Giorgio Armani blew into town to throw an all-star fête in honor of his new Fifth Avenue flagship. Among the familiar faces in the crowd were Leonardo DiCaprio, Alicia Keys, and Milla Jovovich. HarpersBazaar.com
• Justin Timberlake was so nervous when his William Rast clothing line hit the catwalk at New York Fashion Week on Monday, he insisted that bailing out the Grammy Awards was nothing by comparison. The pop superstar was asked to fill in for an absent Rihanna at the Grammys on February 8, and he faced the prospect of having to persuade his hero Al Green to join him onstage, according to SFGate.com.
• According to NYDailyNews.com, Fashion Week cannot escape the celebutard whirlwinds that are the Hilton sisters. The Hiltons multitasked via Blackberry, Googling and demanding free dresses while the show was underway. Paris even ordered one poor staffer to say that none of the bags of free things sent to their hotel room “worked” for her, and she’d be needing more.
• Klum dropped the bomb during Fashion Week at Bryant Park that it will be “at least a couple of months before Project Runway airs.” This, she said, “obviously is sad for the designers because they’ve really worked their butts off for so many weeks being on the show and normally, you know, this is their moment. That’s why they’re here, because they want to get the recognition at Fashion Week.” NYMag.com
• Victoria Beckham may have started her dress collection with 12 styles in September 2008, but she’s returned this Fashion Week with a expanded collection of gowns, jackets and embellished minis that has debuted to rave reviews. Style.com says, “These dresses look so well-made, so of-the-moment yet also timeless…that they do the talking for [Beckham]”.

Dear Oligo Editor,

From runways to celebrities, I’ve been seeing a lot of chicks dressed up like dudes lately. I’ve tried and tried to wear my man’s clothes, but I end up looking like I’m in drag. How can I pull off the latest menswear trend without looking like I raided my boyfriends closet? Please help!—Lost in a Mans World, San Francisco

Dear Lost in SF,

Let me first pay tribute to the fashion Gods and remind you that man-inspired women’s wear was made famous decades ago by Yves Saint Laurent and the sexy tuxedo. Stop borrowing your beau’s clothes immediately, my confused friend. Baggy (and probably smelly) jeans, dirty flannels, and so-big-that-you-trip shoes are not cute nor are they fashion forward.

The inspiration behind the menswear trend is meant to accentuate femininity and highlight ones curves. When creating your look, steal only one or two pieces from the boys. Wear a man’s vest over your favorite dress or blouse. Try pairing man-inspired shoes with your jeans. Pair some wide-legged pants with a ruffly and ever-so feminine blouse. Wear a man’s blazer with some skinny jeans and heels. Accesorizing this trend is fun with a plethora of choices. Go with girlie by piling on bangles and long necklaces or finish off your look with a stylish fedora.

The beauty of this menswear trend is that it is a classic and timeless style. So your purchases will serve you well for years to come. There is no need to break the bank but a few key pieces from the list below (that you might already have) will help make your woMANly debut:

• Tuxedo trousers
• Well-tailored blazers
• Sharp vests
• Button-down shirts
• High-heeled bootie shoes
• Wide-legged pants
• Lace-up shoes
• Hats: Fedoras, newspaper boy caps
• Masculine dresses (with tuxedo belts or a front-button)
• Manly prints: dark checks, argyle, large stripes
• Menswear fabrics: Houndstooth and tweeds
• Briefcase style bags

Stay Stylish,

Oligo Editor

Got a fashion dilemma?! Email the Oligoville editors for a rapid solution at Claudette@oligoville.com

Photo credits: Elle.com, Mango.com, ThisNext.com, Flickr.