I N S P I R E D B Y A L A I A | Tribute Review

It's Summer 2025 Tribute season! We're starting off with Alaia - this is a brand we've had once before, I honestly had it in my mind that we'd had it at least a couple of times, but nope, it's our second release. Last time it was a small release with 7 looks, so this time it's a big step up - the advertising looks pretty dark, but I quite like the vibes and the deep jewel tones. Lets get in and see the whole release:

The store is of typical size for recent releases, there are 3 floors and a total of 17 looks - a small number of pieces are available for both male and female dolls. I have to say at first glance I quite like this collection, the colours really look great, I like the mix of them with both lights and dark tones, and I also like the mix of both Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter pieces, which I think will be pretty versatile for styling. So starting with the accessories. There are 7 pairs of shoes to choose from with both heels and flats on offer. The Fishnet Ballet Flats, Black Criss Cross Flats and Gold Fishnet Flats are of the current trendy ballet-flat style that are quite all over the place right now - I like that these are options for our dolls to have although they're not so much my style. I love the design of both the Red and Black Le Coeur Heels, these are fab with the heart toe-design and mule style with the perspex strap. There are 5 bags on offer, all in very different styles and designs, I really like these options. The Maroon Le Coeur Bag caught my eye first, love the deep colour and the smart heart design, very sleek. Also really like the Black Leather Waist Purse, a different take on a belt bag, it's a looser fit with a low slung belt and the bag itself is simple but stylish. The Mina Leather Lace Bag is also a sleek stylish piece, the lace design is lovely and is reminiscent of the first Alaia release. Of other pieces there are several jewellery items to choose from - I really like the Le Coeur Necklace Gold and Silver, this really looks great on the doll and super versatile, plus there are matching Le Coeur Studs Gold and Silver as well.

Onto the clothing. The first two floors are quite mixed, there's a big focus on dark pieces then light brights are interspersed between them. To be honest, the dark pieces don't really stand out to me, I think it doesn't help that the interior is dark and that the mannequin is black, so the pieces don't get highlighted well - it really makes those coloured items pop. However I did pick up the Black Turtleneck, which is a fab basic and in SCs and also the Exagurated Denim Pants which look like a fun twist on jeans and I'm excited to give them a go. On the first floor the star of the show for me is the pretty periwinkle colour, while the bottoms aren't my thing, I love the Periwinkle Crop Windbreaker (which very much looks like a top to me and not a jacket), the fit and gathering are fab and I just love the sleeves. I really wanted to love the Maroon Rope Skirt, but the design of it around the waist just isn't my style and I don't like how it fits on my doll. On the second floor, the Beaded Net Dress pops being in a contrasting white, I like the high neckline and sleeveless style to this and I can see it will be a popular choice for Summer stylings. Another piece I wanted to like was the Tied Maroon Dress, the design on the top with all the bows looks amazing and unique, and I love the colour, but it wasn't love when I tried it on, it just doesn't feel quite right for me. The third floor pulled my eyes in all directions with the colours! The first piece that I added to my bag was the co-ord of the Yellow Wave Shirt and Skirt, the colour is amazing and the design is great, these fit on the doll very well too, and I'm so pleased with them. I also really like the Ruffle Denim Skirt, it's super fun and fits with current trends as well - I think it will also be pretty versatile for styling. A piece that I think will be popular but I'm still a little undecided about is the Maroon Cropped Leather Jacket, it has great detailing and I think it fits the doll really nicely, but the open over the bust is just offputting for me, it's something to constantly think about to wear it and always needing to layer. It will suit some styles, just not so much mine.

F E A T U R E S

First up in the features is vanderrohe who wears the popular Beaded Net Dress and also includes the Mina Leather Lace Bag, opting for a smart layered look with black trousers. These work well an the design of the net pops even more with a dark base. I think it works well with a balanced base of nude and black. Accessories are simple but fitting, and love the pulled back hairstyle really showing off all aspects of the dress design^

Next up also in the Beaded Net Dress is harpie highlighting a different layered option, it's super fun to pair with a printed dress beneath, but I really like the blue and lilac, plus the accessories tie in well too. What's super fun though is the neck ties added, I just love that a lot and think they are perfect for the dress, they could easily have been an original part of the design!

Now we have tormenta who styles the Maroon Cropped Leather Jacket in such a perfect way! The colour combination here is perfection, the skirt is a great fit with the jacket along with the slight contrast added in the bag, plus all those textures together are great, Love the accessorising a lot, especially the belt paired with the neck brooch and the silver on the strap of the shoes, it's simple but such an effective touch =)

Our next look is from sarah_1980 who has gone all out, every item is from the release - the Latex Bodysuit, Exagurated Denim Pants, Handle Belt, Cheetah Le Teckel bag, the Gold Spiral Hoops and the Asymmetrical Sandals. These pieces weren't together at all in the store, but fit so well - actually this look really highlights the Latex Bodysuit to me as in the store it didn't really stand out to me, but it looks fantastic here, so I think I might need to give it a chance! Plus adore the hair and beauty look here!

The penultimate styling is from MissDark1990 who wears the Exagurated Denim Pants in the most fabulous way, I love this for a super sleek yet simple but also designer styling^ The wide leg design of the jeans make them perfect for adding boots, I love these wide-legged ones added, the are almost a perfect colour and texture match for the jeans, a perfect combination. The white on top and in the bag adds a light Summer touch, and the simplicity in the colour palate is so stylish - plus the gold earrings are a fab finishing touch^

And last but not least, SS-diamond styles up the Periwinkle Crop Windbreaker in a perfect outfit for it, I love it =) Honestly so happy to see someone style this up, I was a bit worried it was just me who liked it. I love the layering on the top with the white tails over the abdomen, I think that geometry pairs really well with the hems of the skirt (still one of my favourite pieces). Accessories are simple but effective, love the belt and shoes especially, perfect for here!

P R A D A | Tribute Review

Next up in this Tribute season, Prada! We've only had a couple of releases of Prada in the Tribute Seasons over the years, the last one being 2 years ago so I'm excited for a refresh of the brand in the Plaza. When I saw the advertising I was excited, I love the mix of brights and darks, and thought the pieces looked pretty good from first glances - let's take a look inside:

The store has the standard 3 floors, with 13 looks for females and 2 for males, with a number of pieces available for both male and female dolls. Starting with accessories, there are 8 pairs of shoes, which is a really good selection for a Tribute store. These are mostly heels, with some classic loafers in the mix too - for me I'm not so much a loafer wearer but I do like the heels. The White and Black Patent Leather Heels are a great classic, the kitten heel height is a popular one and I love the slingback style. The PRADA Pink and Beige Slingbacks Pumps also have this style, I really think these shoes look great and the mixed colours really are great combinations. I've gone with the Beige option and I think this colour suits my doll very nicely. I can see the Prada Curled Leather Loafers will be a very popular style, I do think it's a fun one and the brown and white colour looks fab, they're just not so much a pair of shoes I can see myself wearing. There are 7 bags in the release, 3 are of one style, 2 of another, and then 2 with individual styles. I'm not hugely loving the choice of bags, but I do really like the Red Furry PRADA Handbag, it really stands out in the release and amongst a lot of the bags we've had recently in the Plaza recently. I'm very excited to style this one! There are a few other accessories pieces, but no jewellery items. I think the Pink PRADA Headband will be a popular one, but it doesn't so much suit me. The accessories focus is really on the shoes and bags than other pieces.

Onto the clothing. The first floor is all about the brights and bolds, those reds are great! The brights have definitely been mixed in more wearable looks with neutral tones, which will appeal to a wider audience for sure. The Red Leather Collared Jacket is a fab piece, I love the oversizing and the texture, and the contrasting collar to both of those really stands out nicely. The Yellow Furry Leather Coat looks great, the mix of colours is really nice and I love the fit. I somehow could see styling options immediately when I saw it, so it's a piece I have to give a chance to, even though it's definitely a more unconventional style. Slightly less bright, but the Green Organza Zipped Skirt looks amazing, a super classy style and I love the green colour so much, this is a perfect piece for Spring stylings, and is a great refresh for midi-skirts. Also with some green is the Snake Print Fur Collared Coat, this is quite fun with the green fur collar against the grey snake print, the only thing I don't like so much is the shape of the piece, it's not as flattering on my doll as I would like. Onto the more neutral pieces, the Grey Wool Pants are fitting that category perfectly, they have a really nice loose but slim fit on the doll and will work in a lot of ways. I really like the Brown Structured Tshirt, it's made of a light soft fabric and I like the combination of the short sleeves with the slight turtleneck. The colour is great and I think it's going to look fantastic in outfits. The second floor is all about the neutrals with brown, light and navy tones, I'm a big fan^ The first outfit that caught my eye was the PRADA Brown Sweater and White Silk Flower Skirt combination, such a pretty pairing and I love the feminine Spring vibes. Both pieces will style well separately as well, and I especially see the Sweater being a popular piece. The Brown Shirt Dress wasn't really a piece I noticed initially, but after some time I'm really liking the look of it. It's definitely a different take on a classic shirt-dress by being a maxi style, and the slim fit to the body is also something different. The tie details at the neck and shoulders are also very nice. I'm a big fan of navy, so I really love the Blue Oversized Shirt, it's a cropped length with long sleeves and I love the buttoned-up style. It's on a male mannequin, but fits the female doll as well, and I'm really looking forward to styling this. The third floor is also a neutral one, but includes grey tones. The Light Pink Bow Dress particularly stands out by being a pastel pink amongst the darker tones, this is such a fun piece, I love the detailed design and also the shift-dress style, this will be super fun to accessorise. Also in lighter tones on this floor is the White PRADA Tank Top, a simple but very nice tank top in white which is available in SCs. And also the Grey 3D Flowers Miniskirt, which really feels Prada to me and will be perfect for the upcoming Spring. The final piece for me to mention is the Grey Wool Checked Blazer, this is super similar to a few I know I already have, but I love the look and fit of the piece and think it will fit well with my collection, but also we've not had something like this in the Plaza for a while so I think it will do well from that point of view as well.

F E A T U R E S

First up in the features is Tormenta who styles the Brown Structured Tshirt, Hooked Denim Kilt, Grey Belted Tights and Prada Curled Leather Loafers - so many pieces, but they work great together and I think each piece does well to stand out. I was really drawn in by the browns in this look and the oversized aviator-style jacket really ties the look together nicely, and I especially love the addition of the little neck scarf, the colours are perfect here.The grey, almost purple, tones on the bottom go really nicely with the scarf too^

Next up and going with sweet purple and pink tones is Blair wearing the Argyle Foulard Sweater, Grey Belted Tights and Black 3D Flower Bag - these pieces are fab together! The colour mix of the sweater is perfect for adding different tones to, which is why both the pink skirt and the black bag look so good with it and each other. The grey tights make for a winter touch, and I adore these lavender heels, they are the perfect accessory for both the tights and also balancing with the sweater, I love it =)

And finally in the features is harpie, who has opted for the Green Organza Zipped Skirt and Black Patent Leather Heels, a perfect pairing =) The added greens look great with the skirt, the tights are fab and the accessories are a perfect touch, while the black of the shoes is balances with the bag which I love a lot in this look, it's a perfect style to go with this look. The browns on the top half add an earthy neutral touch against the green. Plus the metallic touch of the jewellery is great with the pop of the zipper detail on the skirt^