spring runway report by ken downing
It was a spectacular show at Neiman Marcus Fashion Island in Newport Beach Ca curated by Ken Downing, Fashion Director and International Fashion Ambassador. This show was beautifully designed and packed full of spring trends. Since we basically just have one season Ken incorporated fall and spring for this Southern California spring runway report.
denim in unconventional ways
Anything denim beyond jeans in unconventional ways…in dresses shoes handbags tops and yes you can wear it all together.
Flare and bell bottoms elongate the leg and make you look taller. If you haven’t tried a pair Ken recommends doing it immediately.
Over sized abundant gold jewelry. Mix costume with real pieces wear it all at the same time.
Mini instead of maxi skirts.
pleats pleats pleats and more pleats
This is actually two skirts by Valentino.
The first is a long gold pleated skirt under a black fringe mini skirt.
Fringe skirts or belts. We love the BCBG fringe belts for versatility. Add them to any skirt or dress for an immediate wow factor!
White shoes? Okay...if you say so Ken.


wide pants
Wide pants are an important trend that will continue into this fall, long elevated or cropped.
Laced flats are trending.

black and white day or night
Easy to wear black and white for spring and summer, in light flowing fabrics.

lace is a must
Lace isn’t just for evening. It’s a must have this season for day or night.
Gold shoes.
Layer necklaces of different lengths.

bare shoulders always look beautiful
Bare shoulders off the shoulder tops are dresses. Shoulders always look beautiful and sexy because they never gain weight. Go bare if you dare.
Over the top ornate sunglasses.
Blazers, over the shoulder and perfectly tailored. Tuxedo jackets.
Gold and silver, wear them together with confidence. Rules no longer apply.
White at night.


Ken Downing, SVP Neiman Marcus, with Christina Clay, President & Stylist In Charge of Style Cliques.
Ken's show was the best I've ever attended. I learned so much about layers and accessorizing and what fashions make sense in our So Cal climate.
Notice the depth of his layers…I keep going back to the pictures and finding something new that I hadn’t noticed before.
Ken is a true inspiration.

Ken Downing's popup shop featured a wall of red.

Special thanks to Stefanie Leone my go to shoe gal at Neiman Marcus, Fashion Island in Newport Beach Ca. This lovely lady amazes me with her remarkable ability to hunt down those hard to find shoes!