The Blonds Take You Down the Rabbit Hole Fall 2016

Well hello, Alice. The Blonds took you down the rabbit hole for NY Fashion Week for fall 2016. My favorite designers of over-the-top glam diva looks brought lots of pink, Marilyn Monroe and dazzling Preciosa crystals to the runway at Milk Studios.

If you have ever seen a pop star (like, any of them) and admired their glittering outfit, it was probably created by David and Phillipe Blond. There was a fantastic fashion exhibit of The Blonds' most iconic stage outfits last season with Rootstein Mannequins.

Fall 2016 was about surreal, sexy corsets, gown and lots and lots of bling. Christian Louboutin created custom heels to match the looks. There were a few gowns and some unsubtle streetwear options. These are not outfits for the wallflower or appropriate for the real life of most people. If you are not filling stadiums with your star wattage, these would be Haute Couture masterpieces for collecting. The looks were for the anti-heroine. Think Tarantino's kick-ass ladies more than Jane Austen.

The exquisite handwork of velvet applique roses, lace, structured boning would make any burlesque queen an obsessive. The pink palette and gigantic bows gave a nod to Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Huge crystal jewels in various sizes and shapes were augmented with extra reflective coatings to really shine.

The Blonds collaborated with crystal manufacturer Preciosa to work on special pieces for Britney Spears this season. As an embroidery designer who has used their product many times in my own work, it was a delight to chat with Klara Karaspova, the Area Trade Marketing Manager for the inside scoop. Their PR agency acted as matchmaker so Preciosa could offer their full offerings of crystal elements for The Blonds to incorporate into their designs.

Preciosa has a huge range of colors and finishes, but their product developers still scour the globe for the most important hues and textures of emerging trends for the designers to use. For fashion and jewelry designers can hot-fix the stones or embroider them when they are in fixed settings. Developing new colors or shapes can take months or even years before they are right for the market.

If you have ever wanted to live your own twisted fairy tale. The Blonds Fall 2016 collection have earned the King and Queen of my Heart. Preciosa crystals will be the ones to make the crown.