Accessorizing

Accessorizing is a topic I am very familiar with, probably too familiar with. I am a firm believer that an accessory can make or break one's outfit. Not only that but accessorizing an outfit also expresses ones individuality. Wearing a spiked bracelet and choker certainly gives off a much different impression than a Tiffany's charm set.

Accessorizing today is a billion dollar industry. Everyone wants to get in on the action. I had an eye for accessories at a young age. Its easy to buy a pair of cute shoes or a great handbag when your surrounded by barbie sized clothing that you can't fit in to. I can wear a simple outfit and always manage to spruce it up with the right accent. Another great thing about accessorizing is that any budget can afford it. Now days you can go to Target and find some great costume jewelry or browse the finer departments for timeless pieces.

Whatever accessory you decide to dazzle your outfit with, shoes, handbags, bracelets, watches, rings, hats, it is all a reflection of our individuality. Personally I thrive off of showing my individual tastes and setting myself apart from the norm. One way to do that is wearing eye-catching unique jewelry, like neon colored feathers or numerous bracelets at once with sayings on them. Not only does accessorizing an outfit give an individual an identity of their own it is affordable and easily accessible. The accessory industry is here to stay for many years to come.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/english/beauty/beauty_boutique/images/accessories.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/english/beauty/beauty_boutique/accessories.html&usg=__fMoAqJqs94Ac9UqHayepMdkrrg0=&h=310&w=380&sz=120&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=UnDJBcq5hjLW_M:&tbnh=100&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Daccessories%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Milan Fashion Week: Art vs. Usabillity

In order for a fashion line to be successful the designer and the merchandiser must see eye to eye. They both have equally as important jobs. The designer's job is to create art while the merchandiser's job is to turn that art into wearable fashion available to the mass public. A line must encompass both art and usability to be a great success.

Milan fashion week produces one of the most creative, innovative, and artistic shows to in history. As of late, Italian designers are toning down their over the top artistic designs to compete with the more wearable designs of New York, London, and Paris. Several designers during Milan fashion week brought their "A-Game" and came out on top with more wearable designs than ever.

In Marni's design (directly below), she combines stripes, spots, blurry checks and painterly abstracts with a sophisticated dress mixing elements of tolerable unusual femininity with classic shapes.

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2009RTW-MARNI

New York s/s 2009 trends

New York fashion week is the epitome of American fashion. This September we witnessed numerous trends reoccurring throughout several different collections. The New York spring/summer 2009 fashion week is already behind us but the looks, the trends, and inspirations are leading us to the next season. A few of the main trends included natural skin tones, folk art, blue, little star white dresses, femininity, prints and patterns.

A major trend in the in the Fall/Winter in '08-'09 collections was head to toe natural skin tones that are still a key color palette. Many designers created a fusion of beige and neutral tones, among them Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Thakoon, Tommy Hilfiger and Carmen Marc Valvo. Amongst natural tones every shade of blue from electric to sky were splashing the runways. The trends also represented a summer of love with fun, colorful patterns, floral embroideries, paisley & horse prints, adorned waist coats, lace, elaborate embellishments, oversized features, beautiful butterflies elements, embroidered, printed or appliqué, floral & folk-ethnic prints, abstract figures and geometric patterns. Shapes included soft or structured, creased, ruffled, pleated, draped and voluminous. All of these trends made the New York fashion week unforgettable.

Challenges in Apparel Retail

The retail industry faces challenges similar to those in other industries. Over the past 10 years there has been a decline in employment mostly in the apparel industry. With our economy in a current recession spending is decreasing all over the place. With a fast-paced society and faster-paced technological changes, customers want new, different, and customized goods now retail companies have their work cut out for them.

Retail companies are constantly having to come up with ways to form the best products for the best prices with a demanding and ever-changing customer. The problems we as a nation have been facing over the past decade has not helped. Starting with September 11, 2001. After that date salaries and jobs were cut leading to more jobs overseas. Less jobs in the United States means less money circulation throughout the economy. Unfortunately this creates a vicious cycle.

The biggest problem retailers face today is the current economic situation. I see this first hand working at American Eagle Outfitters. For the past few months it has been an extreme challenge in itself to make day. According to a consulting firm, AlixPartners, "Post-Wall Street meltdown and heading into the winter holiday-shopping season, a wide majority (64%) of U.S. consumers are planning to spend less on gifts this year, tightening their belts in the face of an economic shockdown that almost half (46%) don't foresee ending for at least three years." According to Matthew Katz, head of AlixPartners’ Retail Performance Improvement Practice and a managing director with the firm, “Consumers are going to be trading-down in terms of which products they buy, in terms of how many products they buy, in terms of the brands they buy and in terms of the types of stores they shop in. Everything is under attack as consumers actively and purposefully trade down in retail channels, out of necessity in some cases and out of fear in others. Department stores and specialty retailers, we believe, will be particularly hard hit; but no retailer is immune from this tidal wave that looks to be coming as an aftershock to the Wall Street crisis.” I think as a whole the retail industry has a long way to go before it will ever be back to normal. Which is why personally, I am so glad Obama one the presidential election. Like he says "Its time for a change." :)

Sweat Shops

Sweatshop workers undergo horrible working conditions including sub-minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, verbal and physical abuse, corporal punishment, and illegal firings. Children are often found working in sweatshops instead of going to school. Sweatshop operators are famous for ignoring maternity leave forcing women workers to take birth control or to abort their pregnancies. Are sweat shops a necessary evil?

A sweatshop is a working onment with very difficult or dangerous conditions, usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situationI do believe sweat shops are a necessary evil. Of course I don't like them, but considering the idea that most of these children would not have jobs and be able to support their families it does seem like an ok prospect.

Defenders of sweatshops, such as Paul Krugman and Johan Norberg claim that people choose to work in sweatshops because the sweatshops offer them higher wages and better working conditions as opposed to their previous jobs of manual farm labor, and that sweatshops are an early step in the process of technological and economic development. Sometimes anti-sweatshop activists are successful in getting sweatshops to close, some of the employees who had been working in the sweatshops ended up starving to death, while others ended up turning to prostitution.The website below contains a list of apparel companies that are union operated working against sweat shops :)

http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/sweatfreeproducts.cfm

http://www.coopamerica.org/images/sweatshops_lg.jpg

Fashion Inspiration

Fashion is an impeccable field for numerous reasons, my favorite however is the use of ones imagination. Fashion truly is art, which I have trouble explaining to several people, especially my parents. It is wearable art that comes from each designer's unique inspirations. I am currently studying to be a buyer in the fashion industry so the design aspect is very foreign to me. However foreign design is to me I still manage to gather inspirations on new ideas. Whether it be from magazines, movies, runway shows, music, even observing peoples outfits and trends helps inspire me. However most of my inspiration comes from watching runway shows. They are the most extreme form of wearable art as you can get with little to none limits which is what I like.

One of my all time favorite style icons is Audrey Hepburn. Her idea of simplicity mixed with bold statements is my motto of thinking everyday. Her love for little black dresses, oversized sunglasses, and ballet flats are a major part of my wardrobe. I also love her idea of full skirts, cinched waists, unique, special and striking silhouettes. She is a true fashion icon.

I really do not pride myself on being a good sketcher, so please look to the left with caution :). It took me a few days but here is the best of what I could come up with. I designed a dress because I am absolutely in love with dresses, I would wear them everyday if I could. I was inspired to do gold because I love warm, shimmery, golden bronzed tones and I added a well fitted top with a little bit of a design for a twist. I like to mix pieces that seem as though they would not go together; a long skirt with a fitted baby doll patterned top. It is almost vintage mixed with a hint of modern.

Ethnic Influence in Apparel

Fashion is a blend of culture and diversity that form together to make a piece of clothing. Fashion is obviously not just a piece of clothing but a statement. Most of today's trends, colors, accessories, and basic style gracing cat walks and fashion magazines represent a combination of all ethnicities. Countries such as India, Egypt, and Africa greatly influence fashion trends today.

India's culture is a major trend right now. Bangle jewelry and chandelier earrings is a good example of a trend with ethnic influence, they have both been worn by women of India for centuries. Egypt however is a very surprising ethnic influence on fashion. Africa has quite a large influence on today's fashion world with influences of animal prints and beaded bone-like jewelry. The colors turquoise, gold, and lapis, which are all very popular today, were first used by Egyptians.

Part of the reason I chose to do fashion as a major is for the great collision of ethnicities it entails. Not only is it art, but it is speakable art to not one culture but every culture. When art can speak to more than one ethnicity it is truly beautiful.

Organic Clothing

"Going Green"

With the world becoming more and more "green," going "eco-fashionable" is on the fast track to popularity. Organic cotton is the version of its conventional counterpart grown without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or any other chemicals, and that makes it hugely different, especially considering that cotton (organic or otherwise) provides about half of all the world's fiber needs. Organically raised cotton is gradually winning over new ground both in the marketplace and on the farm.

Chemicals are taking a toll on our environment and human health as a whole. EVERY t-shirt made of conventional cotton requires 1/4 pound of harmful chemicals!! Recently, in the cotton field, growers are encouraged to implement soil conservation techniques such as no-till farming and improved irrigation to reduce soil erosion. Most of these techniques are practiced by organic cogtton farmer who are promising to lower levels of costly and environmentally harmful insecticides.

Soft and comfy, it's used for almost every type of clothing. Socks, shirts, sweaters, dresses, jackets, sportswear, and sleepwear and more are all made of cotton. Cotton farming, however is hard on the environment. Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up ten percent of all agricultural chemicals and twenty-five percent of insecticides on three percent of our arable land. Twenty thousand deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming, according to the World Health Organization. Lets all go as organic as we can to not only help save the world, but ourselves :).

GO GREEN!! :)

Valentino

"Valentino"

For years I have been following the careers of Christian Lacroix, Chanel, Givenchy, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and countless others whom have truly inspired me. However one brand stands out amongst the rest, the undeniably incredible Valentino. Valentino embraces fashion as wearable art, the way it should be.

Valentino stands for grace, femininity, elegance, and sophistication, all of which are becoming rare in a new era of visual overload. The brand incorporates bows, ruffles, and polka dots as symbols of playful lightness. Valentino's cocktail dresses are made to perfection as they flatter the female form in every which way possible. The brand's latest collection has been able to mix patterns, bold colors, and larger than life accessories to match the evolving trends of the classy woman.

Without designers such as Valentino students such as myself would be left with little to no imagination. Not only does the brand combine imagination with meticulous detailing and magnificent embroidery, it is wearable. Unlike other designers who simply design art not necessarily made for the public, Valentino designs everyday pieces for every occassion.

The link below is a video of Valentino's best runway cuts from 2007-2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79BzJQd4-tI&feature=related

Also, the next link below provides pictures from Valentino's ready-to-wear collection Spring/Summer 2008 (one of my favorite collections)

http://www.top-fashion-designers.info/collections/spring-summer-2008/valentino/