French Filipina designer Monique Lhuillier is well known in the fashion industry for her exquisite evening and wedding gowns, with a huge following celebrity following that includes Jennifer Lopez, Kristen Stewart, and Katy Perry. Her latest bridal collection for the Spring 2014 season was met with much adoration from the public, as it premiered at the 2013 New York Bridal Fashion Week from April 20-22. For the inspiration behind her collection, Lhuillier told Refinery29:

“I imagined myself being locked up in this gorgeous apartment in Paris looking out the windows and fantasizing what my wedding would be. That’s why the set was very much like a Parisian interior. I wanted my brides to be a little more covered this season. I find it sexier and newer to show a little less skin. So, I showed all those capes, which were more dramatic — and the entrance made more of a statement.”

For more images of the collection, please go here.

Though temperatures seem to be rising here in Southern California, it’s never too early to start getting ready for the cooler season of fall.  While I do appreciate the sunny days, I am anxious for the temperatures to start to come down and for my sweaters, boots and scarves to start to come out of storage.  Admittedly, I am even more excited for some new additions to my fall wardrobe.  Check out some of the trends – straight from the runway – that’ll be making their mark this fall!

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Etsy.com has become one of my favorite sites over the years, as I scour for the cute, the vintage and the unique. New shops pop up like daisies and it can be tiresome keeping track of my favorite stores.

But Jewel Numkki’s sweet line of dresses, tops, skirts and cardigans, all embellished with whimsical appliques and handmade touches, is hard to forget.

Designer Cecilia Lee started Jewel Numkki (pronounced jool-nuhm-kki) as a hobby, and it’s blown up into a bona fide small business for her. After graduating from the University of Hawaii in Fashion Design and Merchandising, Lee worked on another clothing line before moving to California. She continued to receive requests for custom-made dresses and tops from former clients, so she decided to start her own line through Etsy.

So what does Jewel Numkki mean? “I wanted my clothing line to have a name that was youthful, fun and expressive,” says the Korean American, so she anglicized the Korean word for “jump rope.” “It gets people to ask me what it means and I can teach them a Korean word at the same time,” she adds.

To give you a head start on your spring wardrobe this week, we’re giving away a Jewel Numkki gem: a purple “YoYo Garden” dress that retails for $88 and fits any size between XS and M.

To win:

Tweet or Facebook your favorite Audreymagazine.com post and comment below with a link to your tweet/FB post (be sure to @audreymagazine it so we can see it). You have until February 2, 11:59 pm to comment, and must have a U.S. mailing address to be eligible for the giveaway. Happy Friday!

The Little Black Dress. It is an iconic fashion staple and every woman’s wardrobe needs one…or two…or three…

The SA VA “Elizabeth” black dress is not anything like the dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Its design is something completely different and not-so-typical and that’s what makes it so appealing. It has a crossover V-neckline which is accented with cascading ruffles and the wrap front features adjustable waist ties with a pull-through slit at the side waist for a secure and flattering fit.

This dress is perfect for those warm, sunny days when you want to relax by frolicking at the beach. Or you can glam it up for the evening by pairing it with heels and cute clutch. Wherever and however you decide to rock this dress, you will no doubt look a like stunner!

I used to be such a tomboy when I was growing up. Skirts and dresses were out of the question; I just wanted to roll in the mud. But as I got older, I started to get girlier and girlier and you will hardly ever see me in anything other than a skirt or dress. This 2fer dress by Lucca Couture would be a great addition to my girly wardrobe. It’s a heather grey sleeveless tank on top and a printed purple skirt as the bottom half and is a great layering piece where you can add some leggings, boots, and even a jacket for cold weather or simply grab your favorite sweater for an everyday outing. Now, rolling in the mud is out of the question- why would I ever want to get such a cute outfit dirty?

Designer Joy Han brings her own flair to VAVA’s Tara One Shoulder Dress in Pink. With a flirty ruffle running across the top hem that breaks the horizontal pattern, this dress will make a bold statement whether you wear it out for some casual window shopping or at a club for girl’s night. The bright, saturated colors make it flirty and fresh while the darker colors prevent the dress from looking too young.

In need of a new dress? This is the one.

Death by Drone "Look Ma! It's all downhill from here" dress.

If there’s one thing Death by Drone is not, it’s boring.

A white cotton sateen dress. A tiny print. A classic silhouette.

But look closer. A pilgrim stuck headlong in a pile of strawberries. A baby in her christening gown looks on. What does it all mean?

Take your best guess. Stir up conversation. Ponder. Ruminate.

Or just give ‘em your best cryptic smile, slowly turn and saunter away. With its surprise dipped back, they’ll never know you have no idea either. Sometimes it’s just better to leave things unsaid.

A dipped back is a surprising detail.

Detail of the screen print.

A little black dress. Check.

A little white dress. Double check.

A look-at-me-make-a-statement-knock-them-off-their-ottomans dress? Double take!

We all know by now that every woman has to have her go-to LBD and LWD in her closet. Sigh — so ho hum.

But what those times when a basic just won’t do? When you have to look your best, when you have to wow everyone in the room? What about the L-WOW-D?

Shorty’s got you covered. The three Asian American women behind the line know what it’s like to need a L-WOW-D. Just check out their “The Mademoiselle” dress.

Shorty "The Mademoiselle" dress.

No accessories required. Except maybe some serious attitude.

Shorty "The Mademoiselle" dress.

You love your denim. You know you do. You own like 200 different pairs (hey, a skinny dark wash is completely different from a straight leg indigo — I feel ya). But sometimes you feel … maybe, just maybe … you’re getting into a denim rut.

That’s when you go out and get yourself Voom by Joy Han’s “Dove” off shoulder dress. It’s made of your favorite material — denim! But it’s a light, easy denim, in the perfect hue. Completely do-able for a 24-7 denim aficionado. And with a sassy off the shoulder neckline and artsy-crafty embellishment, you may … just may … forget your vintage wash bootlegs.

Voom by Joy Han "Dove" off shoulder dress.

Buy this Voom by Joy Han dress now at our exclusive, one-day only, guaranteed low price.

Another deal on a Death by Drone dress. This time, it’s their “Evil Eye Through The Garden of Suffocation” dress. Yes it’s quite a mouthful. But what a conversation starter! From afar, the dress looks like nothing more than a gorgeous ’50s inspired cocktail dress, littered with pretty flowers. Up close, notice the gleaming jewel in the unicorn’s eye and the darkly whimsical subtext.

Death by Drone "Evil Eye Through the Garden of Suffocation" dress.