{NM Daily}

Think pink! Support the search for a cure this month when you purchase beauty products, bras and bags that benefit breast cancer research and awareness organizations. All items shown are available on NeimanMarcus.com or Neiman Marcus stores.

6:45 am: Wake up to sad news…Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, has passed away.  He was such a visionary and champion of change. He changed how we saw the world. I have grown up with Apple products all my life. Steve Jobs was a part of our family. A true genius and innovator. Such a great loss. My thoughts and prayers to his wife, his children, and his Apple family.

8:45 am: Starbucks drive-by with Ken Downing, Jonathan Joselove and Louis Hopkins, on the way to our seasonal Neiman Marcus trend presentation.

9 to 10:30 am: The presentation is a great time for the entire team to come together and share what they are finding in the market. We are all very excited by what we have seen. So many clear and directional trends and products. Stay tuned for more…

10:45 to 12:00 pm: VBH with couture handbag buyer Sabrina Mitchell. Sabrina walks me through her picks and it is a beautiful assortment. Inspired by the runways and our trend presentation, we are excited about the colorblocked clutches, the tribal python Brera bags, and the metallic python combinations.

Our fab buyer Sabrina Mitchell and the VBH team going through the Spring buy.

Yet another trend to emerge from the audience at Paris Fashion Week: ankle socks. This has been a signature of top stylist Alex White for some time. (Last month she styled the entire Oscar de la Renta show with socks.) It makes any outfit appear more youthful and more quirky. For Fall we see boots and booties with trompe l’oeil sock effects, particularly the coveted Miu Miu glitter bootie, so our eyes are already adjusting to the way a sock defines the leg. The natural next step is to wear actual socks. And work those calves.

Shop Falke ankle socks on NeimanMarcus.com.

Sure, we go to Paris for the shows, but the people off the runway also hold us in thrall.

Photos by Gabrielle de Papp and Darlys Michaelis.

6:45 am: Wake up….a bit stressed today. I need to complete my trend report this morning. All the images and text need to go to our New York office to be formatted.

8:25 am: Trend presentation is complete! As usual, the file is too large and I am having difficulty getting the report to New York for formatting. Stress!

9:40 am: Meet Ken Downing in the lobby and head to the Louis Vuitton show.

9:57 am: True to form, Marc Jacobs starts a few minutes early. The curtain lifts to show a merry-go-round in the center with models perfectly placed.

The curtain rises on Le Carrousel at Louis Vuitton

The clothing is very feminine,  ladylike, and light. 

Bobbi's 10 original lipstick colors from 1991

A lot can happen in 20 years. For Bobbi Brown the past two decades have been made up of  makeup. In 1991, after a failed search for a wearable shade of lipstick to flatter her skin tone, Bobbi took to concocting her own color, a brown based hue. Her chance creation filled a makeup market void and her ensuing lipstick lineup – raisin, rose, pink, salmon, beige, orange, blackberry, burnt red and red – soon had her home phone ringing with orders. Before long Bergdorf Goodman rang and the iconic New York City department store picked up the ten shades, at the time called Bobbi Brown Essentials. Bobbi hoped she could sell 100 lipsticks in her first month at the store, but that monthly goal was broken after just one day on the beauty floor. The appeal? The subtle shades were universally flattering and instead of making up, they enhanced – exactly why Bobbi’s colors are still coveted today.

Wearing a Thakoon dress and Givenchy shoes.

6:34 am: Wake up. Edit Chloe and YSL shows for my Neiman Marcus trend report. The YSL shoes are beyond! A must have. We were loving their shoes for Resort. I get dressed and set for the day.

Roopal's Kara Ross and Hermes bracelets.

Chanel transformed the Grand Palais into an undersea fantasy of white on white with aquarium rocks, sculptural seaweed , shells and underwater creatures. A cellophane curtain in front of a glitter wall surrounded the room to mimic water. Pearls, the treasure of the sea, decorated models’ hair and were placed on the curve of their ears and eyelids and down the backs of their spines. Oversized pearls became buttons on spare dress and jacket ensembles in white, and on unadorned white suits. Pearl belts defined waists on jackets and dresses. Sea urchin heels on metallic  booties carried out the theme.

The shine of lurex was woven through fabrics, often with an iridescent sheen. Volume, big news in Paris, played with Haute Couture ideas in jackets and full skirts. Large crochet lace with a geometric motif… nude sheath with kimono sleeves… silver jacket with petal detail…mint, which is everywhere in Paris, in a jacket with a pleated skirt… peach and mint combinations… rain slickers over rain slicker pants… Chanel conversational prints on clear plastic over swim suits… metallic foil trims on hems and necklines… iridescent ribbons that are appliquéed and allowed to fly away… peplum jackets over full skirts with organza bits. Peplums everywhere. A gorgeous nude/buff jacket and full skirt is the new classic suit. Gorgeous clothes to make our Chanel girls very, VERY happy!

Photos by Gabrielle de Papp 

Roopal Patel in a Tuleh dress, with a Celine bag...

6:00 am: Early wake-up call today. We have our seasonal Vogue breakfast at the Ritz with Anna Wintour and her talented team. First I edit the Givenchy and Celine shows. The new envelope shapes at Celine are a must. 

Stella McCartney showed a charming mash-up of Baroque flourishes, sport influences and mixed pajama prints that added up to a fun, sexy and super cute collection. Baroque flourishes became cut-outs and tonal embroidery trims on white sheath dresses and jackets. Sport jersey mesh was mixed with embroidery and lace on slip dresses, sportswear pieces and jump suits.  Adorable, playful, lighthearted and lightweight — just what we love from Stella!

Photos by Gabrielle de Papp

Shop Stella McCartney’s Fall collection on NeimanMarcus.com.