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 The fashion forward Duchess
There is no doubt that every time Princess Kate steps out that all eyes are on her. She has taken royal fashion to the next level and made it very practical for everyone to share in her fashion choices. Unlike some royals or celebrities, she has kept her fashion choices simple, classy and accessible to the public. For example, the wonderful royal blue Issa dress she wore when the Duke and Duchess announced their engagement was around 385 euro’s. The dress sold out within 24 hours and made Issa a house hold name. There is no doubt she has access to whatever her heart desires but, Kate usually purchases her own clothing and accessories. This makes people feel they can relate to her and makes us love her even more!
Kate always has the perfect accessories. One area that Kate does splurge on, are her headpieces. The English people take pride in their fascinators and sometimes there is no getting around spending more on some of the one’s she has been spotted in. She is also known for throwing a pop of color into her wardrobe with her clutches, jewelry and stilettos. Amazingly, she wears them more than once! Who ever made the rule that you can only be seen in something once is ludicrous. In reality people wear things more than once all the time. It is refreshing to see her mixing and matching her clothing and accessories on her outings as a Princess. As for her makeup, she always does natural colors that complement her skin tone and hair. It was said that she even did her own makeup for her royal wedding!
No matter how we look at it, Kate’s first year in fashion was fantastic! She has used her fashion as a great example to people around the world. She has shown girls that you can be sexy without showing too much skin and humble, even with the most luxurious surroundings. She has proven that you can be price cautious and still look like a royal and that is ok to wear things more than once! The world looks forward to seeing Kate’s fashion in the future and she deserves a round of applause for having a fashionable first year!
For the last few months most of the popular runway shows have featured very tonal and monochromatic color schemes when it comes to makeup and all the magazines and makeup artists we follow have been advising that theme for this summer is going to be natural. So with that in mind let’s do a quick review of the products and styles you will need to stay chic all summer long.
The eyes – Think a modern take on nude when it comes to eye shadow with varying shades of cream, shell and taupe making up most of the palette and using earthy caramels or blushes where any added accent may be needed. As always in warm weather the lighter the texture the better and avoid shinny, your makeup doesn’t need to be flat but more of a semi-matte which will really help bring out your eyes.
The cheeks – With natural being the name of the game you will want to avoid using too much of any product on your cheeks this summer. Instead think earthy tones that work well with your natural complexion. These should be more than enough to help you achieve that high cheek bone look all the celebs crave.
The Lips – Lip primer is fast becoming a must on many a fashonista’s shopping list. Applying primer helps smooth out the natural tone of your lips so that you won’t need as much lip-stick, which helps keep you on the path to that natural look. Creamy and nude are popular choices in the summer but if you want something that really pops try bright red or fuchsia, both of these are good nail colors this time of year and if you can get a match the effect is very eye catching.
The Wildcard – Believe it or not neon is coming back in a big way and this year’s must have colors all sport names like tangerine tango or crazy orange. While this seems like the complete opposite of the natural look everyone is talking about remember that just because it is a bold color does not mean you have to go crazy when using it. If you have a darker complexion these could make for a good choice on the lips and nails. If your complexion is lighter then you will want to stick with the eyes, try blending upwards toward the brow to give your eyes a dramatic accent.
And as always don’t forget that no amount of makeup expertise will save you from having to find a few new fun and flirty short dresses to keep you cool in the hotter months.
It’s April, spring is in the air, flowers are blooming, the weather is getting warmer and all across the country young women are searching for the perfect prom dress for 2012. However in recent years a sinister trend has been developing in the online prom dress market that has left thousands of girls with poorly made knock off dresses when prom is only a few days away. Online dress boutiques claiming to sell top quality designer gowns are acting as fronts from illegal third world factories that churn out poorly made knock offs using the designers own photos!
In recent years these sites have become such a problem for designers, legitimate retailers and consumers alike that online advocacy groups have begun forming to help distinguish honest boutiques from crooks and educate consumers on how to avoid a prom dress disaster. One such advocacy group Top Prom Websites, estimates that last year these cheaply made knock off dresses cost the designer prom dress industry as much as 10 million dollars and left hundreds of thousands of consumers with defective dresses and no way to get their money back.
It works like this: illegally operated factories in countries like Indonesia, China and India set up online websites claiming to sell designer gowns by labels like Jovani, Sherri Hill, Tony Bowls, Clarisse and other premier prom dress designers. Unable to be prosecuted under US and European copyright laws they take pictures from designer’s websites and advertise “designer gowns made to your specific measurements”. While most of these factories do make each dress to individual specifications they do so with substandard materials and manufacturing processes that usually result in a dress which looks nothing like the original. However by the time the buyer realizes this they dress has already traveled half way across the world and the money has changed hands. And if you hadn’t already guessed, these sites don’t do returns.
Designers and respected online retailers alike are doing everything they can to raise awareness about this serious and illegal issue. Shoppers thinking of buying their dresses online are encouraged to double check to make sure the address of the shop they are ordering form is in fact in the United States and to watch out for warning signs like sites that claim they need 2 to 4 weeks to produce a dress, considering designer gowns have already been made months in advance this one is a huge red flag. To learn more about knock off prom gowns, and for a list of trusted online retailers visiting Top Prom Websites homepage here.
Actor, comedian and musician Jack Black is no stranger to doing his own thing. So it should come as no surprise that earlier this month when Hollywood’s most glamorous stars were walking the red carpet into the Beverly Hilton’s historic theater for the 69th Golden Globe Awards, Jack was nowhere to be found. However it is not the fact that he blew off the Golden Globes, but what he blew them off for that makes this story so touching. The 42-year-old California native was unable to attend the prestigious awards ceremony because he already had committed to attending a very special high school prom in nearby Sherman Oaks.
Black was attending the 13th annual Renal Teen Prom sponsored by the non-profit Renal Support Network. The prom was held in honor of 300 kids and young adults who were unable to attend their own high school proms because they were battling kidney disease. Some of the prom attendees had already undergone kidney transplants, while others were preparing to have the life saving transplants themselves and still other attendees had just been diagnosed and were preparing for the long battle to beat diseases that claim the lives of thousands of American’s each year.
“It’s a prom for kids that have kidney disease, that have had and transplant and didn’t get to have a prom of their own because they were having medical problems,” Black explained to a local NBC news affiliate “And it’s a great night where kids get to meet other kids that have had the same situation, make friends and share their stories… and have a really good time. Lots of good times… dancing… singing… partying… you know prom.”
The prom goers were clearly happy that Jack decided to attend their party rather than the nearby award ceremony and even crowned him this year’s prom king to show their appreciation. While the prom king’s crown may not be as impressive as a Golden Globe win, in this case it is still worth its weight in gold.
2011 was a banner year for Ukrainian born former TV star turned Hollywood starlet Mila Kunis, she got cast in a number of supporting roles in highly acclaimed films and took the leading lady role in a rom-com opposite Hollywood hunk Justin Timberlake plus the fashion world lavished their praises on her as the 28 year old actress finally established her sophisticated yet sexy red carpet style. Now Ms. Kunis is kicking off 2012 as the newest face for Christian Dior as the face of their Miss Dior handbag line.
“Mila Kunis is a very talented young actress; she embodies the true modern woman,” Dior’s deputy general manager Delphine Arnault told British Vogue. “Her performance in Black Swan was remarkable. She is very gifted. We are looking forward to a long relationship with her.” Kunis will join Black Swan co-star Natalie Portman, another one of Dior’s girls since 2010 many speculated that Ms. Portman who was born in Israel might sever ties with the french fashion house after their former creative director John Galliano was recording spouting an anti-Semitic tirade in a Paris bistro. However with Mr. Galliano long gong it seems Natalie has no problem remaining with the brand.
In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily Kunis is quoted as saying “”I find that Dior is an incredibly grounded house, I always thought what Dior does is so sophisticated, feminine and beautiful.” Which sounds like a perfect fit for the stunning young actress who is fast becoming one of the hottest names in both film and fashion. Check out this link to some of the sample photos at the Huffington Post and see if you can even bring yourself to disagree. Here at Promgirl News we can’t wait to see where the rest of 2012 will take this Ukrainian beauty.
While designer Jason Wu’s collaboration with retail giant Target may be more than a month away (the first pieces hit shelves on February 5th) a few sample photos from the capsule have already started to pop up online and considering that many pieces will be available for $60 or less, it is definitely something to be excited about. Images given to T Magazine and Glamour suggest that much like Wu’s main line this collaboration will be feminine, flirty and fun with plenty of nautical inspired spring dresses, pleated skirts and his signature Peter Pan collars complimented by a full range of accessories including some very stylish spring handbags.
The most interesting part of Wu’s newest retail collaboration is that unlike many collaborations we’ve seen recently, such as Missoni for Target and Versace for H&M, Wu seems to have resisted the urge to reinterpret pieces from his eponymous label into fast fashion counterparts and has instead offered up an entirely new collection while maintaining his signature style. In an interview with T Magazine Wu told the editors “My goal was not to duplicate anything from my main collection. Instead I designed completely new clothes and accessories that reflect my taste and have a voice of their own.”
While its safe to say Wu had plenty of help from the Target creative team as well as his own design studio it is still refreshing to see a big name designer offer up an affordable retail collaboration made up of brand new looks and styles. While Wu won’t be hyping the collaboration to the same level that Missoni and Versace did last year it is still safe to say that many of these pieces will be sought after enough to make February 5th a busy day for Target locations nationwide. Look for more images from the collection, including a completed look book, to be released as we get closer to the launch date and if you seen anything you like, make sure to mark the 5th of next month on your calendar because there is a good chance supplies wont last long.
Kendall and Kylie may have the Jenner last name, but ask any Hollywood insider, these girls are the last of the Kardashians. The two have already followed in their sisters footsteps, obviously they have a hit TV show on the E! channel (with the rest of the Kardashian krew), the pair has kicked off their modeling career with some major spots in New York fashion week, they have received the honor of being named Hollywood’s most stylish sisters, and now like their older sisters, Kendall and Kylie will have their own jewelry collection. So will their jewelry collection show up in Dash (Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe’s boutique)? Or what about with the Kardashian Kollection at Sear’s?
Well, no word yet on where the fun jewelry products will be available for purchase. However, Glamhouse Production is the company that has signed the deal with them, and quite frankly couldn’t be more ecstatic. “With their popular show on E! Entertainment Television, millions of teenagers look to Kendall and Kylie for style advice, so they were truly a perfect fit for the company and I’m thrilled to partner with them.” President of Glamhouse Productions, Pascal Mouawad said while swooning over the news.
And for the girls, well they are pretty excited as well, as any teenage girl would be about her (and her sister’s) own line of jewelry. Kylie and Kendall released a statement saying, “We love accessories, and it’s amazing that we’re going to have our own line to be able to wear every day—and for our friends to wear, too!”
The jewelry will be advertised to girls right around the same age of the youngest Jenner-Kardashian’s just in time for next year’s holiday season. Females, ages 12-19 is the target market and with the girls being so stylish (they won Hollywood’s most stylish sisters, beating out Kourtney and Kim!) that teen age group will be sure to jump on the opportunity to wear pieces designed by Kendall, Kylie, and the Glamhouse team.
Definitely one of the most surprising pieces of news out of fashion world over the last few weeks is Emily Blunt’s newest role as the face of Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium fragrance. While the British actress’s beauty is certainly not in question her well know sweet and down-to-earth demeanor seems the complete opposite of the storied and often controversial YSL fragrance which she will be representing. The first 60 second spot for the fragrance, which will be hard to miss by this time next month, features Emily in a black tuxedo and gold jewelry sharing screen time with a very real leopard which certainly goes a long way to giving the images some bite. However it is still a far cry from the YSL Opium ads earlier this year that scandalized Britain and earned a ban from the notorious Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after numerous complaints that the model’s dancing style simulated intravenous drug use.
Blunt herself seems a little surprised at YSL’s choice, when asked by the Telegraph as to why she was chosen Emily replied “I don’t know. I’ve no idea. There was no one else? They made a mistake, a terrible mistake.” All self deprecating humor aside perhaps Blunt is the smart choice for a fragrance that has often ended up on the wrong side of controversy in recent years. In addition to the ban put in place by the ASA earlier this year, YSL came under fire back in 2000 for an Opium billboard featuring a naked Sophie Dahl which after nearly a thousand complaints was also banned throughout the UK. Perhaps Ms. Blunt’s presence will help add a little nice to YSL Opium’s naughty rep. One thing is for sure, controversy certainly didn’t ward Emily away. In fact she told the Telegraph:
“There’s such an aura of scandal around this perfume that I have quiet attached to the idea of doing it from the word go. I’d been asked to do a couple of things but none were as classy as this. And I got to work with a leopard.”
To understand how much of a compliment this is to Givenchy and Ricardo Tisci’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection, you first must realize that Gisele Bundchen does not need to walk down runways anymore. In fact despite what the magazine covers, lingerie line, ad campaigns, and many other exploits would suggest Gisele Bundchen doesn’t really even need to get out a bed anymore. The world famous Brazilian supermodel and her all star NFL husband Tom Brady are in fact the world’s highest paid celebrity couple. While we are certain that Gisele is not modeling for Givenchy for free, or even on the cheap, what we are pointing out is that a woman in her position has the luxury of choosing which brands she wants to lend her name to; so when she appeared on the Givenchy runway this past September it turned a lot of heads and help build up some interest in the newest collection by Tisci.
Well it turns out that all those rumors about Gisele being Givenchy’s new girl were right on the money because the first images of the S/S 2012 ad campaign have hit the net and the blond Brazilian beauty is front and center channeling her most brooding aura in aid of Ricardo Tisci’s stormy new ad campaign. Coming on the heels of a fierce Fall/Winter 2011 campaign that featured legendary supermodel Naomi Campbell the new Gisele centric campaign is a sign that Givenchy wont be pulling any punches when it comes to advertising next year. The french fashion house has seen their fortunes rise in the last few years with the rebound of the international luxury markets and with Tisci in the creative director role they are showing no signs of loosing momentum. Link over to Huffington Post style section to see the first sample image or head to Givenchy’s site to see the full array of what is sure to be one of the Spring’s hottest collections.
A couple of months ago Promgirl News touched on the ever more obvious fact that, in a 21st century fashion world where runway images move at the speed of email and the hottest trends from Europe can be ordered off Net-A-Porter the minute they are released, the once celebrated world of haute couture is becoming less relevant. In our article we noted how many designers, such as the revered Azzadine Alaia, have forsaken traditional haute couture in favor of high end ready-to-wear which some have taken to referring to as semi- or demi-couture. Well it turns out that Mr. Alaia is in good company because in the January issue of Vogue writer Jonathan Van Meter interviews Louis Vuitton’s Marc Jacobs about conversations he had with Christian Dior execs regarding the possibility of becoming their new Creative Director and Mr. Jacob’s take on Dior and couture may surprise you.
“I am at Vuitton, and I am very happy there,” Jacobs told Van Meter “I’ve been saying that for a long time. There have been on-and-off conversations about Dior. I don’t know; maybe someday in the future, maybe years from now, I may end up going someplace else, maybe Dior. But right now I am at Vuitton, and all that matters to me is that that’s where I am and I’m going to keep doing my thing. The irony in all of this is that I don’t dream of doing anything else, or I didn’t. My greatest challenge is to do something better than we’ve done the season before. The idea of couture doesn’t hold that thing for me. It’s archaic – in my opinion. I mean, I am really interested in the craftsmanship behind couture. But I can explore all that in ready-to-wear. With couture, one dress each season is photographed by a couple of magazines; there’s no advertising; it reaches 20 customers. I don’t feel there is anything lacking in what we do. I get to work with these amazing craftsmen. Maybe not the same ateliers that would make a couture dress, but again, we are not in a deficit for working with people who create beautiful things. I am not sure I ever looked at couture as this great opportunity.”
As the old fashion saying goes, three instances makes a trend, if Mr. Alaia is one and Mr. Jacobs the second it shouldn’t be long before we see another big name designer eschew couture in favor of high end ready-to-wear. After all, in a world where you can find the most fashionable luxury online anytime it only makes sense the the appeal of couture level craftsmanship would outgrow the Paris ateliers who once commanded an industry to come to them.
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