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Since we have a few inches of snow on the ground in New York, I thought this might be a good time to post about warm and sunny Miami!  After the cruise docked, Stefan and I headed to the Design District in Downtown Miami.  In addition to furniture showrooms, the Design District is home to some very chic boutiques.  One that impressed me the most was Christian Louboutin at 155 NE 40th Street.

Miami's beautiful climate means that they can have flowers and greenery all year long.  The store was designed by Eric Clough of 212box architects in New York who created a growing facade wall of orchids that stopped me in my tracks from across the street.   

A peek into the Christian Louboutin window.

The flowers extend into the store as well.

Many of the walls are made up of custom tiles that the architect inscribed with unique hieroglyphics, symbols and braille.  Perhaps this is an homage to Christian Louboutin's home in Egypt.

Miami is also known for its love of art and in the window and entrance are installations by artist Madeleine Berkhemer.  She has created spiderweb like designs using ladies hosiery which is a great compliment to the shoes.

Of course the store was filled with pretty shoes too!  I am loving the stripes and gingham prints for spring.

Not sure who made the bubble glass sculptures but they looked gorgeous next to the colorful shoes. The red carpet also matches the famous red soles of the shoes.

The patchwork furniture is by Bokja and is another interesting complement to the shoes.  

I found the Christian Louboutin boutique immensely inspiring and it's just another great example of how art, design and fashion are all related.  Looking at these photos also makes me wish I was still in warm Miami!

I don't attend any men's fashion shows but if there was one I did decide to attend, it would be Michael Bastian.  I love his modern take on preppy male clothing.  His chic style also extends to his West Village apartment.  You might remember it from the September 2008 issue of Domino magazine.  It still looks just as good more than two years later and he is often still photographed at home.  Most recently for Esquire magazine who has profiled the debonair designer for their March 2011 issue.  There is even a blog dedicated to the designer entitled My Affair with Michael Bastian.  It's one thing to write a blog.  It's quite another to have someone write one dedicated to you.  Wonder if the author attends the fashion show. 

Please welcome our newest chic sponsor Creations by Kage.  Designer Kristin Holstein creates vintage inspired bags and clutches that are modified for the modern woman. I especially love the Embroidered Tucker Clutch that would be perfect for spring and summer.  Kristin is also generously offering Habitually Chic readers 10% off any order.  Just use code habituallychic11 at checkout.  Happy Shopping!

P.S. It's not too late to advertise for March.  Contact me for sponsor rates!

It's a long holiday weekend and that means many people will be getting away.  Designer Stephen Shubel's chic fisherman's cottage in Sausalito looks like a chic yet cozy place spend some time off.  He describes it as being "like Marie Antoinette in a t-shirt...the past recreated for today."  He mixes French furniture with nautical touches that refer back to the cottage's seaside location.  Definitely makes me wish I was getting away again this weekend!

New York Fashion Week has ended and now the editors are on their way to London if they are not there already.  After that, they will cover fashion week in Milan and finally Paris. In March 1951, Life magazine featured an article about  Vogue fashion editor Bettina Ballard entitled Bettina's Busy Day that followed the editor around Paris during fashion week in February 1951.  What amazed me is that except for a few details and midnight photo sessions, the life of an editor hasn't changed much in 60 years. 

In the above photo, Bettina Ballard arrived at Balenciaga at 9:15am to select clothes while wearing a Balenciaga suit.  In the car are the coats and hats of the other fashion houses she will visit that day.

At 10:15am, she arrived for the Schiaparelli opening and wore a Schiaparelli coat over her Balenciaga suit.  She also greeted Bergdorf Goodman buyer Jessica Daube before finding her seat.

At Schiaparelli, Vogue editor Bettina Ballard sat next to Carmel Snow, the editor in chief of rival magazine Harper's Bazaar.  That definitely doesn't happen today!

After another change of clothes, she attended the Dior show wearing a black Dior suit.  She sat next to Michel de Brunhoff the editor of French Vogue.  There is also an ashtry next to the runway since everyone in those days smoked especially in Paris.

Bettina in a belted hotel robe holds a morning conference in her room at 8:00am with photographer John Rawlings and Vogue assistants Babs Simpson and Mary Haas.

Designer clothing can be borrowed and sent around the world for photo shoots today but in 1951, night studio sessions were the only way clothes could be obtained from the fashion houses who also needed them to show buyers. At midnight, Bettina and photographer John Rawlings direct models at a shoot.

A photo taken in Paris.

In the studio at night, Bettina poses models in pale pleated shantung Fath dresses.  The photo was rushed into the March 1 issue of Vogue.

At 2:00am while most of today's editors might be at a party, Bettina checks photos taken during the day and eats a late dinner.  She will decide what to send to Vogue editor Jessica Daves in New York and then will finally go to bed. In 1960, Bettina Ballard published a memoire In My Fashion whichfurther chronicles her life in fashion.  It's one of the only vintage books I don't own but I can't wait to read it!  Bon Weekend!

I took this photo of the front row at Nanette Lepore from my seat and it is one of my favorite moments from fashion week. I don't know the name of the first blonde but the second is Joanna Hillman, senior fashion market editor of Harper's Bazaar.  She is sitting next to her colleague David Thielebeule, the senior accessories editor of Harper's Bazaar.  The last blonde is Kate Dimmock, fashion director of People StyleWatch.  I don't think I have to tell you that the best view of a fashion show is from the first row.  But it's even more fun to watch the front row watch the show!

Only fashion could get me up and out of the house at 8:00am on a chilly Sunday morning.  Estee Lauder was kind enough to invite me backstage at the Derek Lam show and I'm excited to share my behind the scenes experience with you.  It's amazing how much work goes into a ten minute runway show. Tom Pecheux, Estee Lauder Creative Makeup Director, was shown sketches and fabric swatches prior to the show and created a few different options for the makeup.  He and Derek then worked together to finalize the look which can be seen tacked to the mirror above. Like the clothing he said, it is "sophisticated, feminine, and minimal without being boring."

It was very exciting to watch Tom Pecheux work his magic while describing the process. Even the way he applied moisturizer was mesmerizing.

Of course, all the products were Estee Lauder including the new Idealist Skintone Illuminator that will launch this summer.

A look at the long beauty table.

Tom Pecheux told a story about model Stella Tennant who once arrived from another show in tears.  She was crying because of how ugly the previous makeup artist had made her look.  It was at that moment that Tom said he realized that he didn't ever want to make the models not feel beautiful.  I thought this was really sweet.

Orlando Pita was also backstage working his hair magic.

There is a lot of multi-tasking that goes on before a show and it's quite chaotic.  I spent most a lot of time trying to not be in the way or get trampled by the photographers.  Although, as I joked on Twitter, perhaps I should have let them trample me because they are usually the only straight me at fashion week!

The nails were painted by the team of Jin Soon Choi for Estee Lauder in a winter white shade called Porcelain that will debut this fall.

Another look at the beauty team at work. Beyond the curtain lies the dressing area with the clothes.

Tom Pecheux said that the makeup look for a fashion is show is about creating a statement and having fun. 

The Estee Lauder eyeshadow used was a combination of silver mettalic and black shimmer that will also debut this fall.

Tom said this is more of a night look and he kept the face matte and the lips beige.  After all the bright lips for spring, it seems like they will be paler for fall.

“This look is very versatile; it almost changes with your movement. The silver metal on the eye reminds me of modern architecture, hard and strong and plays delicately against Derek’s minimal but sophisticated collection. These clothes, you want to keep forever,” described Pecheux, “This look is very confident and lovely.  It evokes the fantasy of the Derek Lam woman.”  Tom poses with Estee Lauder models Constance Jablonski, Liu Wen and Joan Smalls.

A slightly blurry shot of the model board.  While I was backstage, I ran into Emily Weiss writes the fabulous beauty blog Into the Gloss who was also covering the action.

One of the most exciting thing about being backstange is seeing the clothing before everyone else sees it on the runway. When I asked Derek what inspired him for fall he said it was the George Balanchine quote, "There are no new steps, only new combinations." He also said that he didn't want a crazy pop of color for fall but instead "something that would translate into a woman's wardrobe. Colors that would mix in with greys, black and camel."

Each outfit is steamed, de-linted and carefully hung along side a card that lists the model, number in the line up and accessories. 

As I mentioned in another post, red is a hot color for fall 2011.  This tomato red and a blue shade not shown were absolutely gorgeous in person.  I mentioned how much I loved them and Derek told me that they were inspired by the classic colors of uniforms.

Derek Lam is also an Aries and rams appear on many of his hangbags.  I think I need to buy myself one!

Grey is another big color for fall.

All of the shoes had labels with the model's nams in them to prevent confusion.  I was really impressed by the organization and sense of calm before the show in this area.

My all time favorite coat from fashion week!

Derek Lam was interview by many before the show including Moda Operandi here.  I was beyond honored that he took a minute to speak with me. 

Derek being interviewed by Louise Roe for Elle.com.

I was invited to stay for the runway show and this is a look at the calm before the storm!

I spotted interior designer Nate Berkus and his mother in the front row.

Others in the front row included Joanna Coles, editor in chief of Marie Claire, Nina Garcia, Aerin Lauder of Estee Lauder, and Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman.

I ran into J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons looking very chic.  I also happned to sit next to Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power of Who What Wear but I wasn't quite sure it was them until after the show.  I wish I had known earlier so I could have talked to them about their new book What to Wear Where.

Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her daughter Bee Shaffer sitting front row near Bill Cunningham.

Big thanks to Estee Lauder and Derek Lam for this wonderful treat during fashion week.  For complete coverage of all the looks, visit Style.com or Vogue.com.