The 2013 Fall/Winter Collection by Micah Cohen was all about the juxtapositions of men’s traditional tones and textures. Think: a double-breasted wool overcoat paired with a knit sweater, knit hoodie, and lounge pants (in richer hues than years past).

The ensembles put a hip twist on classic American pieces, and I have to say, the styling was impeccable – who wouldn’t want to look this good? My personal favorite was the textures and colorblocking on the waffle-knit sweaters.

By Alejandro Lopez, Adentro Style

What did you think of Micah Cohen’s Fall/Winter Collection? Share in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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1. Add some pattern to your favorite cardigan or V-neck sweater with a striped tie for a warm, office-ready look.
2. Get your striped summer sweater out from the closet and add a solid coat or quilted vest to break up the bold pattern.
3. Look to striped T-shirts as layering pieces and let them peek through your solid V-neck sweater. This look is great for an errand run.

By Alejandro Lopez, Adentro Style

How are you wearing your stripes this winter? Share in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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In her ongoing Fashion Icons series at New York’s 92Y, Fern Mallis interviewed the icon to end all icons: Polly Allen Mellen.

While most folks outside of the fashion world might not have heard of her, Polly Mellen is a legend in the industry. The stylist responsible for some of fashion’s most indelible 20th-century images – Twiggy’s flower-power Vogue covers, Nastassja Kinski and the snake, Lisa Taylor in The Story of Ohhh…., Deborah Turbeville’s bathhouse shots – Polly started her career as a salesgirl and display designer at Lord & Taylor before going on to work as a sittings editor at Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Allure.

She retired in 2001, after winning the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, to spend time with her beloved family, but is enjoying a mini comeback thanks to her inclusion in the new book, In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye, and her appearance in the accompanying HBO documentary of the same name, in which she stars alongside Vogue fashion editors Babs Simpson, Tonne Goodman, and Grace Coddington.

On Wednesday night, the 88-year-old spitfire (who still skis, swims, hikes, gardens, and does Pilates every day) took to the stage in her trademark silver bob, black turtleneck, and sparkly Vera Wang trousers to talk about her days at Miss Porter’s School alongside classmates Gloria Vanderbilt and Jacqueline Bouvier, her reputation as a demanding boss (both Vera Wang and Joe Zee got their starts as Polly’s assistant), and her storied 60-year career working with Diana Vreeland and such legendary photographers as Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Arthur Elgort, and Bruce Weber. Here are the highlights.

On taking chances in life and work:
“If you don’t dare you will stay in the mainstream. You don’t want to stay in the mainstream.”

On visiting Diana Vreeland’s office with her two young children:
“I went to see Mrs. Vreeland with my two children and she said, ‘Now, Polly, I’ve seen you. Now I want to be with your children. You go do something.’ So the door was closed, the two children were in there, and I was thinking, ‘They are never going to forgive me.’ When I was called back into her office, Baker had on her earrings, Leslie had on a couple of her gold chains, they were laughing and having a ball. The only trouble was Mrs. Vreeland would send me two beautiful little dresses every Christmas. She had forgotten that Baker was a boy.”

On working in the College Shop at Lord & Taylor after being a WWII nurse’s aid:
“I couldn’t get into college; I was a terrible student. That was the closest I ever got to college.”

On the best career advice she’s ever received:
[From Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief Carmel Snow]: “Go see every designer everywhere. You never know where the next talent is coming from. Open your eyes, have a little humility, and let go of ego.”

On shooting in Japan with Richard Avedon and Veruschka for five weeks in 1966 (the most expensive fashion feature ever produced):
“I came back more Japanese than the Japanese. It was extraordinary and really affected me.”

On current creative directors, photographers, and designers she thinks are talented:
“I have great respect for Fabien Baron. Mert & Marcus are terrific. Steven Miesel. Nicolas Ghesquiere is something. Michael Kors is a great American designer. Marc Jacobs. Ralph Lauren. Zac Posen. And the guy who just replaced Nicolas at Balenciaga: Alexander Wang.”

On hiring an assistant:
“Arthur [Elgort] said to me, ‘Polly, when you’re interviewing someone, drop something. If you pick it up faster than they do, they’re not for you.’”

On the famous 1981 Nastassja Kinski shoot:
“We did some pictures that were interesting, not great. I went to her dressing room and asked if she had any favorite pets. She said, ‘Yes, I love snakes.’ I asked her if she would want to do a picture with a snake and she said that would really interest her. I ran down and got Dick [Avedon], and we called an animal trainer who brought the snake. She held it and I could tell she was really fascinated and turned on by it. Dick asked her if she would lie down and be nude with the snake. The snake wound up her body very slowly. Nobody was telling it what to do. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. When the snake got to her ear, he put out his tongue and kissed her. Then the shoot was over and I was crying. It was amazing.”

On overcoming doubt:
“I am not sure that I believe in doubt, because if you’re learning and curious something else takes over and doubt can be erased. I think doubt is a negative feeling and I don’t think I am a negative person. There is no need to feel negative. It is much better to feel rosy, to look forward. That’s what I do.”

On being a judge on Project Runway:
“I love that show – I watch it with my granddaughter. Let’s make it happen!”

On her reputation in the industry:
“I was the spoiled brat of the fashion world. I knew it, I know it, and I loved it.”

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

In honor of the holiday season, I asked a few of my favorite tastemakers to share their best holiday gifts (both given and received). Their answers may surprise you.

CHRISTINA CALDWELL, Online Director, W magazine
“My favorite gifts are always the sentimental ones – my father engraving his vintage Rolex for me, the blanket a friend knitted for the birth of my son, and a very simple gold star necklace from my mom that was the first present my father gave her 35 years ago.”

NEIL BLUMENTHAL, Warby Parker
“Do genetic gifts count? I endowed my teething two-year-old son, Griffin, with a love of Philly-style hard pretzels. Best gift received? Easy. Optimus Prime Transformer when I was eight years old. I’d just seen the animated movie the day before, so I was primed for maximum gift impact.”

LAURA SIEGEL, designer
“I love giving the gift of a surprise! When I was a teenager, my friends and I would plan big surprises for each other’s birthdays. Now I love knitting people gifts personal to them. The most meaningful gift I received was something my great grandfather gave my grandmother on her twentieth birthday: a Spanish silver bracelet with fine cut-outs and detailed engraved designs (her nickname and twentieth birthdate were engraved on the interior). On my twentieth birthday, my grandmother gave this bracelet to me.”

LISA MAYOCK and SOPHIE BUHAI, Vena Cava
“My husband [Shipley & Halmos designer, Jeff Halmos] made me a book of photographs from over the course of our relationship. The cover has a really creepy cartoon pizza from a delivery pizza spot we both love by our offices so I wasn’t sure at first what it was when he gave it to me, but it’s probably one of my favorite things I own.” –Lisa

“My brother and I are taking my mom on a road trip through Mexico wine country for her birthday. It’s a trip that will be both memorable, beautiful, and terrifying. I think life experiences make great gifts!” –Sophie

ROBERT VERDI, celebrity stylist
“The best gift I ever gave was a library of cookbooks all autographed by the world famous chefs and authors. It was months of calling and organizing, but it blew the recipient’s mind. As for the best gift I ever received, it’s a toss up between a drawing that my niece Phoebe did of me for my birthday and a 40k crocodile bag that I received for my 40th birthday. I think it’s a tie.”

ROBIN RENZI, Me&Ro
“I have given lots of jewelry to my friends as gifts – to be able to bejewel the people I love (as it is one of my big passions). I guess one of the greatest gifts I have ever received is to be able to work at something I love to do. That is truly a gift!”

DORIA SANTLOFER, stylist
“There’s a pair of overalls that were mine when I was a baby, which according to my mother, I wore all the time. Over the  years, she has loaned them to several of her close friends who have had babies – they’ve probably been circulated to over 15 different people at this point! I recently gave them to a friend and her new baby and she was very touched – it meant a lot to us both to keep the cycle of these little overalls going. Art is something I really treasure getting, perhaps because it’s a big part of my family and because it’s very special to receive something that someone you love created. When I was born, my father made a painting called ‘Young Love’ for me. That painting is incredibly important to me and has hung in every one of my bedrooms for the past 30 years.”

LAUREN CRAFT, jewelry designer
“The most meaningful gift I have ever received are my Cartier love bracelets from my Dad, which I have never taken off.”

WENDY BRANDES, jewelry designer
“The best gift I’ve given was a surprise birthday party for my husband. All four of his children came – two from across the country – and he had no idea ’til he saw them in the restaurant. One of the best gifts I ever got was in February 2003. I was considering getting a rescue dog but hesitated because she didn’t seem to get along with my first dog. Then they called and said if I didn’t pick up Gigi immediately, they’d take her to the pound. I had the flu, we were having a blizzard, and my husband isn’t a big dog person, but somehow he got across town to fetch a very frightened Gigi for me.”

AMINA AKHTAR, Executive Editor, Elle.com
“My mother gave me her wedding clothes. We’re Pakistani so there are days’ worth of outfits. They don’t fit me but I wanted to keep them in the family. Best gift given? Well, my sister is the same size shoe as me, so every shoe sale, there’s one for her, one for me. It may not sound meaningful, but trust me, it makes her day. I’m also really excited about the gift I’m giving my nephew this year. He likes to play on a keyboard (he’s almost two). So I’m getting him a piano that’s his size.”

JACKIE FRASER-SWAN, Emerson
“My husband loves the scrapbooks that I have made for him over the years. They have pictures from us dating and of our children growing up. I love the Chanel camellia ring that my husband gave to me for Christmas when I was pregnant with our twin girls. It has two flowers, one for each baby. He also gave me two more Chanel camellia flower bracelets for each of our other girls. I wear them all every day.”

STEFANIE SYAT, hair/makeup artist, Pre-Dame
“I find it so fulfilling when I can give the gift of confidence through a simple makeup application or lesson. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing the look on a woman’s face when she sees herself in the mirror for the first time. My goal is always to bring out my client’s natural beauty by highlighting her best features, and therefore that first look in the mirror really surprises her: it’s not a lot of makeup, it’s just the right makeup. Teaching someone who is new to makeup tips and tricks to bring out her natural features and really build an inner beauty is so fulfilling. It seems silly to think a great makeup job can boost confidence, but I hear it quite often. After all, that’s why I started Pre-Dame! To bring professional makeup to the average girl and hopefully build confidence along the way. Updates from past clients are probably the most fulfilling and rewarding gifts I receive – I have some awesome clients!”

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

Hurricane Sandy may have delayed the Calvin Klein Spring 2013 Preview by a few weeks, but the show (make that presentation) went on as planned at the end of November and was – as always – an event to remember.

Last year marked the debut of the ck one color cosmetics line. This time around, the focus was squarely on the clothes, denim, accessories, and underwear.

Models posed prettily amid a structure billed as “a modernist house constructed of black frames,” which was “filtering light and casting shadows within a pure, all-white setting” while guests walked around enjoying tumblers of OJ and breakfast nibbles. The black frames reminded me of very chic prison cells, especially in conjunction with the bunker-like benches and graphic, black-and-white stripes (a huge trend for spring) worn by many of the models.

There were also a lot of 007-worthy pale grey suits and short-sleeved button-downs (for the gents), as well as colorblocked trousers and painterly print separates (for the ladies). Pale denim; sleek swimwear; chunky, heeled sandals; and handheld, fold-over bags completed the picture.

Worn beneath everything, of course, was Calvin Klein’s famous underwear, including the new Calvin Klein Concept line constructed from seamless, high-tech performance fabric.

On the way out, instead of the usual goodie bag, guests were offered their choice of a cropped denim jacket or a pair of sunglasses. Calvin Klein for everyone!

Winter brings gloomier weather, and as you look around, people tend to wear more somber colors like grey and black. This winter, don’t fall in to that habit. Instead, include a subtle yet eye-catching pattern to add some interest to your outfit.

As shown above, you can wear a solid-colored shirt and use a combination of classic fall patterns, like herringbone and plaid, which can be incorporated by use of outerwear accessories and, of course, sport coats. By adding small doses of these rich patterns, you’ll keep dismal weather from getting your style down. For more pattern (and layering) help, check out the step-by-step guide below.

Step 1. Start with a simple (and comfy) crewneck tee.
Step 2. Add a classic button-front (I recommend chambray).
Step 3. Throw on a soft v-neck sweater.
Step 4. Incorporate some texture. A herringbone sport coat will work wonders for this step.
Step 5. Look to patterned outerwear accessories. A plaid scarf in dark hues is the perfect neutral eye candy.

Designer Walter Baker, who helms a namesake line and W118 by Walter Baker, spends his weekdays working like a maniac. His weekends? Well, they’re spent working out like a maniac. For reals. But his downtime’s not all about the treadmill and the tennis court. “For Thanksgiving I go to my house in the south of Florida,” Walter tells Rue. “I like to be by the pool when it’s cold in NYC. That’s what I’m thankful for: some time to relax!” As for the rest of his weekend…

I wake up at 3AM every day – the weekends are no different – at my house in NYC. After I wake up I answer the hundreds of emails I have to go through, then go to the gym at 5AM and read WWD while I’m on the treadmill. I think I’m the only guy who’s reading WWD at the gym. Then I go to Battery Place Market and get a croissant, which I only have on the weekends. At home, my wife, Agnes, makes me a cappuccino in our Nespresso® machine. I’m obsessed. By 8AM I’m on the tennis court playing indoor singles for two hours.

In the afternoon I go shopping with Agnes. I like to go to Soho or the Upper East Side, always dressed head to toe in Rick Owens, black on black. I like checking out the stores to see what women are wearing and feeling out the vibe in NYC, and seeing my line in some of the best stores in NYC. Interacting with my customers is just a really awesome experience. Saturday nights I have dinner in the Village at Il Mulino. I have a standing reservation for every Saturday at 10PM for six people. It’s always a good time and the food is the best.

Sunday is basically rinse and repeat. I go to the gym but don’t play tennis, then watch sports in the afternoon and order in dinner.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

As with many East Coasters, Hurricane Sandy hit the New York fashion industry hard. The stores and headquarters of countless designers were met with damaged merchandise and office equipment, along with power and electricity outages that made conducting everyday business near impossible.

But as they did with the AIDS crisis and 9/11 (which spawned Seventh on Sale and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, respectively), fashion insiders have united to help out those hit hardest.

Within days of the disaster, stylist Mary Alice Stephenson’s non-profit, Glam4Good, was collecting clothes, toys, and beauty basics and distributing them in the Far Rockaways, where thousands of people had lost everything. Glam4Good also partnered with Richer Poorer and Fashion Indie on the Hurricane Sock Hop, an event that delivered donations to those in need as a second Nor’easter hit the Tri-State area.

On the retail front, dozens of stores and sites, including Elizabeth Charles, Salvatore Ferragamo, Alexis Bittar, Fashionhaus, and Barneys New York, donated a portion of profits to relief efforts. But the contributions didn’t stop there. Artist Sebastian Errazuriz created two very clever T-shirts to raise funds for survivors, W magazine beauty director Jane Larkworthy took to Twitter to call upon her editor pals to donate the contents of their magazines’ beauty closets to victims, and Fashion Girls For Humanity hosted a two-day sample sale with merch from hundreds of designers.

Still on the horizon, The Pratt Center for Community Development is giving local manufacturers a hand with their online Made in NYC Holiday Shop, featuring wares from 170 local brands affected by the storm, and 2(x)ist opened a holiday pop-up shop in Times Square, with 100% of the profits going to the American Red Cross in Greater New York.

Finally, Fashion For Sandy Relief, organized by the CFDA and Vogue, kicked off with a one-night-only sale in Manhattan hosted by Tory Burch, which continues through December 5 with an online auction at charitybuzz.com featuring once-in-a-lifetime experiences. These include a New York Fashion Week backstage visit with Victoria Beckham, dinner with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali, and a private tour of the 2013 Costume Institute Gala with Anna Wintour herself.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

The Do-Gooder: Bobbi Brown
The Cause: Dress for Success (DFS)
The Mission: To promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Lauren: How did you originally get involved with Dress for Success?
Bobbi: I first got involved in 2001 and joined the board in 2005. During my first introductory meeting with Dress for Success, I was so moved by the cause I remember that I took off the scarf I was wearing to donate it. My goal from the beginning of my career has been to empower women, so this cause aligns perfectly with that.

Lauren: What is it about Dress for Success that speaks to you, personally?
Bobbi: Dress for Success is an amazing organization because it gives women the tools and knowledge they need to look like, and eventually become, the person they hope to be. It empowers women to be self-sustaining and take care of themselves and their families, ultimately building their confidence and repairing their self-esteem.

Lauren: Can you describe the work that you do with them?
Bobbi: At the beginning, we were involved through in-kind donations and monetary support. Over the years, we’ve donated time and support in a variety of ways, including makeup lessons to teach women how to create work-appropriate makeup looks. The brand also donates $25,000 to DFS every time I appear on QVC. [Bobbi also cochaired the 2011 Something to Share gala, which raised a record-breaking $1.75 million.]

Lauren: What’s been your most memorable experience with Dress for Success?
Bobbi: It’s hard to choose just one. I look forward to chairing the annual galas and volunteering at the DFS Walk Fundraisers. Another great moment was when I actually hired a DFS client on the spot when I met her in 2010. She currently works in our NYC office with our Artistry team.

Lauren: How has your involvement inspired you, personally or professionally?
Bobbi: I firmly believe that the more you give in life, the more you get back. DFS is just one of the organizations I’ve been involved with over the years that I’ve gotten so much out of through my involvement. The reason that I started my brand was to empower women to be their best selves, so to be aligned with an organization that does this in another way is even more fulfilling.

Lauren: How can others get involved?
Bobbi: By volunteering your time, donating clothing, or even pledging money (think of it as a “gift that gives back” with the holidays coming up). The Dress for Success website is a great resource for all these things.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

Michael Jackson was feeling “Dangerous” in 1993 and his AMAs performance – complete with male backup dancers wearing matching black suits, skinny ties, and fedoras – made him look like the leader of an army of well-dressed mobsters.

In 2007, Fergie took to the stage in a barely there sequined Jenny Packham sheath and sky-high red stilettos, giving Tina Turner a run for her money in the legs-up-to-there department, while her Black Eyed Peas bandmate will.i.am looked every inch the gentleman in his top hat and velvet smoking jacket. That same year, Avril Lavigne transitioned from teen punk rocker to grown-up divorcée in a black T-shirt and silver skirt.

A year later, Beyoncé channeled her alter ego, Sasha Fierce, and tore up “Single Ladies” wearing a plunging black and white Armani Privé satin jacket with matching black booty shorts beside backup dancer (and current Glee star) Heather Morris in a coordinating one-armed bodysuit.

Jennifer Lopez went for the gold – literally – during her boxing-inspired 2009 AMAs performance of “Louboutins,” with a 24K microphone and glittering gold, leather, and lace romper that almost made us forget she fell on her butt mid-song, while Rihanna opted for a skin-baring white bandage jumpsuit. Thankfully, there were no wardrobe malfunctions during her performance, despite having only a thin strip of leather covering her lady bits.

Not one to be outdone, Lady Gaga also went the jumpsuit route in 2009 but in her case, it was flesh-toned, covered by a plastic exoskeleton that extended from her ankles to her rib cage, completely obscuring the upper half of her face and lighting up when she moved.

And in 2010 Katy Perry set off “Fireworks” in a sparkly crimson Marco Marco jumpsuit that did her figure all kinds of favors.

With Nicki Minaj and Rihanna leading the 2012 AMAs with four nominations each, and Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Adele, and Taylor Swift also in the running, we know this year’s AMAs is sure to have more than a few looks to remember.

The 2012 American Music Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, November 18, at 8PM ET on ABC.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.