Many designers have collaborated with H&M in the past, including Lanvin, Matthew Williamson, Maison Martin Margiela, Versace and Karl Lagerfeld. The latest visionary to partner with the Swedish fast-fashion company is French designer Isabel Marant.

Known for her effortlessly chic, bohemian, Parisian-cool style, Marant’s ready-to-wear collections often speak to many women due to her wearable, stylish and transitional designs. Marant is known to pair basic staples with masculine pieces, like a plain white T-shirt with a strong-shouldered blazer or a loose knee-high dress with thigh-high suede boots and an oversized blazer.

In her collaboration with H&M, Marant offers everyday staples with a French twist. Shoppers will find oversized blazers, brocade bomber jackets, leather ankle-length pants, loose-fit T-shirts, chunky sweaters, oversized cardigans, delicate day dresses, knee-length skirts and more. Her collection also includes shoes and accessories such as embroidered heels, fringed boots, gold-embellished belts and fringed scarves. The color palette is primarily black, white, charcoal gray and red — a favorite color combination of Marant.

One highlight of Marant’s H&M collection is a brocade black, white and gray bomber jacket with red accents on the shoulder, chest and sleeves. She also includes her signature leather ankle-length pants in red and metallic silver colorways. Another highlight is her famed fringed black suede leather boots, which can be easily paired with every item in her collection.

The lookbook features renowned models Constance Jablonski, Milla Jovovich, Lou Doillon and Alek Wek.  Fully styled in Marant’s exclusive pieces for H&M, the looks epitomize the designer’s aesthetic and inspiration while each of the models looked comfortable, relaxed and remarkably chic — all of which are Marant’s signature motifs.

On Nov. 14, Marant held a bash in Paris to celebrate her collection launch. The party included guest performances, a large disco-styled dance floor, and bright confetti flying in the air. Famous guests who attended the extravagant event all wore head-to-toe Marant for H&M, including French actress Audrey Tautou, Wek, and actresses January Jones and Frieda Pinto.

The collection is now worldwide in select stores. If you are in Philadelphia, you can head on over to H&M, located at 1725 Walnut St., to snag a few pieces from the collaboration. This collection has been highly anticipated for months, so head on over to H&M as soon as you can before it sells out!

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Drexel University welcomed the prestigious China Central Academy of Fine Arts Oct. 4 to present its latest collection at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. The exhibition, “The Start of a Long Journey,” includes many contemporary works from CAFA’s top 24 graduates.

Photo Courtesy Drexel University. Wu Wer’s “Adding and Subtracting” sculpture (pictured) is one of many pieces from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts now on display in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

CAFA and Drexel hosted an opening reception to celebrate the start of CAFA’s U.S. tour. Guests who attended were able to have a first look at the exhibition and talk to representatives from CAFA as well as enjoy food and beverages. In addition, CAFA and Drexel held a special ceremony during the opening reception where the two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding for future faculty and student exchanges.

During the memorandum signing ceremony, Dean Allen Sabinson of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design joined a number of notable CAFA representatives, including Wang Min, dean of CAFA’s School of Design, and Wang Huangsheng, director of the CAFA Art Museum. Additionally, exhibition curator Joseph Gregory and Leonard Pearlstein Gallery Director Orlando Pelliccia were also significant organizers of the exhibition.

“The Start of a Long Journey” exhibition series first began five years ago and is a way to encapsulate the graduates’ work and growth over their years studying at CAFA. It is also a way for the graduates to gain exposure to a larger audience. In the preface of CAFA’s exhibition guide booklet, CAFA explains, “These young people will become artists with independent exploration capabilities and plunge into the vast artistic community.” The exhibit lends a fantastic opportunity to art majors and has gained international recognition in the process.

The exhibition embraces approximately 60 contemporary pieces from the 24 graduates, including methods of art like oil painting, Chinese painting, print, installation, sculpture and video. Each piece includes a short description of the artist’s inspiration, meaning, message and style. A particularly captivating example is Kim Hyo-Suk’s explanation. Kim’s inspiration came from the relationship between an elderly man and his dog. To turn the inspiration into an art piece, Kim used pulp, iron wire and batten (a thin strip of solid material) to create the elderly man looking out his window for his dog. He explained how many elderly people in Beijing have developed a strong relationship with their pets due to lack of contact with their own children. As a result of these personal blurbs from the artists, the audience is able to grasp a better understanding of their pieces, making the experience at the exhibition more meaningful and significant.

“The Start of a Long Journey” will be on exhibition at the URBN Annex’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery until Nov. 22.

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Last week, Philadelphia held its 10th year of Restaurant Week in Center City. Presented by TD Bank, Restaurant Week is when many restaurants take part in serving a three-course meal for lunch and/or dinner, priced at $20 and $35, respectively. Because of this, making reservations in advance is a must, especially when renowned restaurants participate in the festivities.

Photo Courtesy zanda. Buddakan is one of many restaurants owned by renowned chef Stephen Starr. The a la carte menu features a variety of Asian dishes including Cantonese Spring Rolls, Hamachi Sashimi and Pan-Seared Sea Bass.

One such place is Buddakan, a modern Asian restaurant. As it is part of Stephen Starr’s repertoire of eateries, my expectations for Buddakan were high because of the restaurateur’s reputation for providing excellent service, ambience and food.

When I walked into the restaurant, I sensed the lively and energetic vibe. Every table was filled, and many anxious people were standing outside waiting for a table to be available. There was no doubt that Buddakan was a popular choice for Restaurant Week.

Situated at 325 Chestnut St., Buddakan provides a mixture of sophisticated and contemporary ambience. Right when you enter the restaurant, a large Buddha statue in the center of the restaurant immediately strikes your attention, making it the main focus of the restaurant’s design aesthetic. The lighting is dim, making the dining experience more intimate and warm. The decor is remarkable and unique, and the furnishing is sleek and stylish.

The a la carte menu is not outrageously expensive but definitely not cheap. It’s not exactly a regular spot for a college student to visit, but it is a great place if you would like to celebrate a special occasion with friends and family. However, their Restaurant Week menu included many delicious choices for the three-course dinner.

For the first course, choices included Cantonese Spring Rolls, Hamachi Sashimi, Chicken and Ginger Dumplings, and Buddakan House Salad. The second course offered Wok Cashew Chicken, Pan-Seared Sea Bass, Short Rib Chow Fun and Barbecue Pork Tenderloin. Lastly, dessert options included Chocolate Fondant with Vietnamese Ice cream, “Dip Sum” doughnuts and Coconut Panna Cotta. I ordered the Hamachi Sashimi, Pan Seared Sea Bass and Coconut Panna Cotta, and all were fantastic choices.

The Hamachi Sashimi consisted of fish sashimi topped with roasted pineapples and chilies — a refreshing choice for an appetizer. It was the perfect balance between raw and spicy components. This dish definitely opened up my taste buds and made me even more excited for my next two courses.

Next, I had the Pan-Seared Sea Bass topped with haricot verts, butternut squash, maitake mushrooms and truffle jus. The sea bass was soft and delicate yet filling. Overall it was a satisfying main course.

To end the dinner, I had the Coconut Panna Cotta with raspberry sorbet and pineapple-mango brunoises for dessert. The panna cotta was not too heavy or sweet and was a great way to wrap up the meal.

My experience at Buddakan was remarkable and delicious. The entire dining experience impressed me, and I would love to go back in the near future, even if it’s not Restaurant Week!

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Each year, the Costume Institute Gala presents a fashion exhibit at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art to commemorate either a notable designer or a highly celebrated movement in the fashion industry. In order to celebrate, Vogue hosts the Met Ball to mark the exhibit’s opening. This year’s Met Ball was held May 6 with the theme of “Punk: Chaos to Couture.”

The Costume Institute featured its yearly fashion exhibit at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vogue hosted the Met Ball to celebrate the opening of the event on May 6. In attendance were notable personalities such as Jennifer Lawrence and Cameron Diaz.

Known as “the Oscars of the East Coast,” the Met Ball is a night where designers, models, actors, actresses and many other notable elites wear their most distinguished attire. Attendees usually spend approximately three months planning their outfit because their ensemble for that night is highly publicized. It is also traditional for attendees to wear an outfit that fits with the exhibit’s theme.

Past themes include “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” in 2012, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” in 2011, “American Women: Fashioning a National Identity” in 2010, “The Model as Muse” in 2009 and “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” in 2008.

There were many notable outfits that walked down the red carpet during this year’s Met Ball. Many attendees greatly impressed the public by wearing theme-appropriate outfits. Singer/songwriter and actress Beyonce wore a black Givenchy gown with a gold ornamental pattern below her waist. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker stayed loyal to the theme and wore a dress by Giles Deacon with a dramatic headpiece by Philip Treacy. Actress Jennifer Lawrence looked elegant by wearing a simple black shoulderless Dior gown. Actress Cameron Diaz looked regal in a blue Stella McCartney gown with a heavily studded belt that was cinched at the waist.

Attendees who didn’t fully impress the public included Kim Kardashian, who wore a Riccardo Tisci floral-printed gown that covered her body all the way from her neck to her fingers, which didn’t complement her silhouette. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow wore a hot pink Valentino Couture gown that covered her entire body, including her neck and arms, with a slit above her chest.

With this year’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture” theme, the exhibit will contrast London and New York, two cities where punk originated. The exhibit will display designs by notable “punk” designers, including Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood and Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent, to name a few. In addition, the exhibit will also focus on different kinds of punk aesthetics, including “hardware,” “bricolage,” “graffiti,” “agitprop” and “destroy.”

The exhibit is open to the public May 9 through Aug. 14.

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