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How was everybody’s Halloween? Now, maybe you didn’t dress-up or go out but why not? Hollywood has made it pretty clear that there is no age limit on dressing up for Halloween. Some of the cutest looks caught by the paparazzi are the family costumes seen last night, and over the weekend. Starting off with the classics, we spotted a super hero family, The Incredibles. Mariah Carey and husband, Nick Cannon, dressed as the Disney super hero family with their new double editions, twins Moroccan and Monroe. Another super hero that was spotted on Halloween was Melina Trump as Batgirl; however this super hero was riding solo as she was sans Robin and Batman. A fellow comic costume came from an unexpectedly solo villain, Kim Kardashian. As news has spread, Kim is going solo again in her real life as well as her costume persona, Poison Ivy – an awesome female villain from the Batman series (maybe this will inspire Christopher Nolan to bring back Poison Ivy after Catwoman takes her reign). My other favorite couple costume was Rodger Rabbit and Jessica Rabbit. The sweet, real-life couple that dressed as the cartoon couple was Rachel Ray and her hubby, John Cusimano. Also spotted as the cartoon crime-buster, Glee cast member Matthew Morrison. However, Jessica Rabbit was close by; we are not sure who the mystery woman really is.
Some of the most popular costumes for Halloween 2011 were none other than pop phenomena Katy Perry and Nikki Minaj. As both costumes require a colorful wig, colorful clothes, and simply to have fun, I’d say it was a pretty good choice. One TV persona that chose to do the colorful costume is Giada De Laurentiis. She appeared on day-time television as Katy Perry and said the costume was inspired by her young daughter’s admiration for the pop-singer. However, the real Katy Perry chose to go scary as a zombie/skeleton with some really cool face make-up. Speaking of day-time television, the cast of the Today Show went all out for this year’s festivities, all dressing as a member of the royal wedding. Meredith Vieira took the cake dressed as the Queen in her canary yellow dress and matching hat. Matt Lauer was Prince William and Ann Curry dressed as the new princess, Kate.
So who were your favorites? And what did you wear??
The winter months are coming quickly and unfortunately allergies and colds are right instep. As this also means dances, parties, and events, this is your opportunity to stay healthy and hopefully prevent yourself from suffering a cold in the bitter cold. We have brought you a few articles about staying healthy and preventing possible colds, however today I want to bring a few items to your attention that you may have never heard of, let alone thought about eating.
To start, I’ve selected a familiar food. You know what potatoes are, right? Well, the wonderful veggie that brings us such unhealthy snack foods as French fries and chips actually has a particular version that isn’t so unhealthy. The purple potato is a variety of potato that has been seen to improve your blood pressure. So, forget the low-carb, no-carb diets. This purple vegetable is good for you and your blood pressure. A research study from a university in Pennsylvania showed evidence of an average of a 4% drop in blood pressure levels among participants in their study. The best way to consume… roasted.
Ever hear of a lychee? Lychee is an Asian fruit that has a plethora of antioxidants. Tests have shown that this fruit has more antioxidants than grapes as well as being in the top two for heart healthy fruits. The best way to eat would be in a fruit salad or as a puree. Another Asian fruit is the Asian pear. Slightly larger and rounder than the pears we buy in super markets, the Asian pear is packed with nutrients and fiber. The Asian pear actually has 10g of fiber; we only need about 20g to meet our daily recommendation of fiber. This wonderful fruit will in turn, keep you full, lower your cholesterol and even manage your blood sugar levels.
Our final health food you may have never heard of is Bok Choy. This green, leafy veggie is also a native of Asia. Bok Choy is in the same family as broccoli but looks more like lettuce or spinach. Like the lychee, this vegetable is packed with antioxidants. The antioxidants in Bok Choy (in large amounts) has been studied in prevention of certain cancers, like broccoli its fellow green veggie family member. Bok Choy is also loaded with Vitamin A which helps vision and is very important for pre-teen and teens to consume as it provides important components in growth.
If this isn’t the definition of bucking a trend then we don’t know what is: In a world where every passing week sees another magazine or newspaper shrink its print format in favor of starting up an online counterpart, fashion website Style.com has released the first issue of their new magazine titled Style.com/Print. The glossy mag, which went on sale this morning is centered around the Spring 2012 runway shows which wrapped a few weeks back. This inaugural issue will also feature essays on Alexander McQueen and Proenza Schouler as well as a Q & A with Azzedine Alaia and a photo journal featuring Lindsey Wixson.
While many are wondering how a website with a primary focus on slides and videos of the latest runway shows from around the world will be able to remain relevant in print, others are still too busy reeling from sticker shock to ask such pressing questions. The first issue of Style.com/Print retails for a whopping $14.99, a figure that would make even a Vogue editor blush. Though given the list of special features above, the glossy is obviously offering its readers more substance and depth than is traditionally found on its parent site. However for Style.com diehards, fear not, the mag is also rife with Top Ten lists as voted on by website visitors and will feature all the same snazzy little asides such as Tommy Ton’s street style.
According to a press release on the Style.com site the idea behind Style.com/Print is to “uncover the most intriguing people, places and clothes of the season, [and] chart the highs and lows, the triumphs and setbacks, the public and private moments on the journey from New York to Paris, catwalk to sidewalk, backstage to after-party.” Certainly sounds like enough material to fill a magazine, the question that remains is if the content will be worth the price tag. For a reduced cost option you can order a copy of Style.com/Print right off of the Style.com site for $4.99 plus shipping.
The time has come; it only happens twice a year; it’s not winter break and most certainly not spring break. Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 marked one of the biannual meetings of the CFDA. The CFDA is the Council of Fashion Designers of America and is currently run by DVF herself, Diane Von Furstenberg – The fashion world certainly does love shortening any word or words they can (cough, cough, Rachel Zoe). This meeting was significant because it served as the inauguration, if you will, of some very important designers. These VIFDs – very important fashion designers – are none other than, Marc Jacobs, Lazaro Hernadez and Jack McCullough. Lazaro Hernadez and Jack McCullough are better known as the Proenza boys, as in the designers behind the label, Proenza Schouler.
These three prominent designers received awards from the CFDA this past year marking the timing for their induction to perfection. Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernadez were elected to their now council due to some great work they have been involved in on behalf of the CFDA. New York magazine’s The Cut reported the reasoning behind the men of Proenza Schouler’s initiation to the CFDA is not “particularly surprising [as] the Proenza boys have been lobbying hard on behalf of the CFDA’s efforts to establish stronger anti-knockoff legislation in Congress.” The anti-knockoff legislation will essentially give designers enough time (about three months) to produce, show, and profit from their designs before any other label or individual can legally be allowed to “copy” their designs (i.e. Forever 21 replicating Ana Sui’s rose print before she even showed her collection to all of her buyers, in turn hurting her profit margin). Similarly, Marc Jacobs, the other inductee, fell victim to a similar crime. A few years ago, around the same time as Ana Sui’s case, Marc Jacobs filed a lawsuit against the designer for Ed Hardy for copying his quilted tote. Therefore, Jacobs is most likely pleased with his fellow inductees. And as far as the reasoning for Jacobs becoming a member, well the man is head of his own label, head of the most well-known label in the world, and is talks for heading yet another one on the list of high-end design labels. Simply put, it is suiting that Jacobs will now be a member of the CFDA.
Earlier this week Forever 21 debuted their fall collection with a runway show like nothing the fashion world has ever seen before. Holographic models walked an invisible runway and climbed stairs that rose up to meet them out of nothing, at one point it even started pouring neon yellow rain drops with models springing up out of the forming puddles. Sufficed to say this new Hologram Fashion Show as it has been dubbed, is the talk of the industry with many insiders wondering if we’ve just caught a glimpse of the “future of fashion.”
The often controversial fast fashion retailer, which has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years with stores opening in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, is not the first to incorporate holograms into a runway show. That distinction goes to Alexander McQueen’s 2006 show which featured Kate Moss in a holographic dress. However Forever 21 deserves some credit for putting on the industry’s first fully holographic show.
While many are dismissing this as merely a gimmick, there are some very unique things that can be said about this show without so much as mentioning a hologram. For one thing this runway show has been on a tour longer than many bands could manage, visiting L.A., Brussels, London and Vienna earlier in the month. For another this show is geared not toward major buyers or fashion editors, but rather the average customer who for once can get a seat beside the runway, even if it is a holographic one. More than a few industry insiders who attended one of the 64 L.A. shows (another benefit of holograms is that they don’t get tired or need lunch breaks) commented that while the uniqueness of the experience was exhilarating, the medium of holographic projection made it difficult to really get a feel for the clothing. This may be true, but like iPods and PCs before it, holographic technology has no where to go but forward so that may not be the case for long. What makes this show a sign of a change in direction for the fashion world is its accessibility, rather then flying to New York or Milan this is a fashion show that comes to its audience and in a world where even couture is loosing out to convenience, that is nothing to laugh at.
As the holidays approach us – I know were not even past Halloween yet, but every store I go into thinks Christmas is about two weeks away – there are many things that start to come to mind, especially gifts. In the spirit of gifts and giving, there are a lot of charities and fundraisers that are really starting to get into the swing of things around this time of year (you know, before you spend all of your money on your friends and family, now is the perfect opportunity to give donations). One major issue in all of our lives is global warming and protecting our environment. This issue is also an easy one to deal with because you don’t need to spend money to support it. Try using reusable products; the easiest of examples is the reusable grocery bag and number one should be to recycle. It is so easy to do, yet so many people disregard the challenge.
One major player in the fashion world has welcomed this challenge along with his eco-friendly partner. The go-green duo is none other than the Sex and The City shoe man, Manolo Blahnik, and eco-conscious designer, Marcia Patmos. Patmos has been striving for sustainable products, as this is what her career has essentially been based on. She told Women’s Wear Daily, “I love bringing the idea of sustainability into the luxury market — it doesn’t have to be limited to T-shirts and grocery bags.”
The green designer also told WWD, “I am always researching sustainable materials and developments. I love the idea of tilapia skin because it is a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise be discarded, but it’s actually a beautiful material perfect for small leather goods.” Even though this skin by-product sounds like found trash it is actually just as expensive as any other animal hide found in high fashion. Therefore, do not be surprised to find out that this collaborative collection will empty you bank accounts for at least $895. The other materials used include cork and raffia and they created wo different shoe style, a strappy flat and a colorful heel.
We’re going to go ahead and assume that you have not been living in a cave for the past two months and therefore you are aware that the Versace for H&M collaboration hits the fast fashion retailer’s shelves next month. However just in case your curiosity hasn’t gotten better of you and your still in the dark as to what the collection contains, let us sum it up for you: The pieces offered at H&M will run from roughly $30 to $300 and include many of Versace’s signature sexy looks as well as a plethora of bold and busy prints that have already been described by some as “seizure-riffic”. In short it is a well rounded Versace collection that has drifted a little toward the strange side.
Now, in keeping with that trend, Versace has released a short video featuring Donatella herself discussing the collaboration’s accompanying ad campaign which is every bit as bizarre. Short teaser clips feature images of models climbing their way through the winding staircases of a clearly baroque inspired set and getting their exercise in by jogging in reverse on a gigantic golden hamster wheel (yes, you read that right). With spots like these the collaboration wont have any trouble grabbing the attention of shoppers, though at least a few pieces certainly didn’t need help standing out to begin with. However with much of the collection being aimed at Versace diehards who wouldn’t mind sporting an aqua leopard print on your average work day, it has yet to be seen how much buying the general shopping populace will do.
The Versace for H&M collection will launch on November 17th. The gold standard at the moment, and the one Versace will be compared to whether they like it or not, is the Missoni for Target collaboration that drove shoppers into a fashion induced frenzy earlier this fall. It should also be noted that Missoni’s ad campaign featured a twenty-five foot tall tweeting marionette so perhaps Versace is on to something, at the moment at least it seems when talking about high end designer/retail chain collaborations, strange sells.
As the crisp fall air smells of burning leaves and chillier days to come, I can’t stop thinking about all the perfumes that are currently available and which one I want to carry the scent of. The holiday season is approaching and that also means gift time! Along with the changing weather, holiday season also means new perfumes are constantly being released, and there’s a few that have some things in common. Remember our Oh Lola post, well it is coming back. Oh Lola has been doing great in sales and apparently in design as well. If you recall from the Oh Lola article, Oh Lola “is clad in pink, with a gentle, slender form (unless you want the big size, which has more of an oval shape) a topped with a pretty glass rose.” Well it appears that that very rose has made some major impressions on people such as, Justin Bieber with Someday, Vera Wang with Lovestruck, and BCBG Max Azaria with their newest fragrance BCBG Max Azaria Eau de Parfum Spray. All of the perfume bottles listed above are adorned with roses as the topper in the design. Justin Bieber’s perfume bottle, Someday, is probably the most similar to Marc Jacobs as the flower topper incorporated shades of red into pink. However, it was reported that Mr. Jacobs is fine and dandy with it as he believes in the saying, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery” – So informally from Mr. Jacobs to Justin, thank you! Continuing, Vera Wang’s rose topper is slightly more than that as her topper appears to be a bouquet, with ribbon and all. The newest of the perfumes, BCBG’s, is a more on the modern side with their rose topper. It appears to be glass like the bottle, and in peachy shades rather than pink/red. The scent is said to carry notes of strawberry and black cherry as well as some floral flavors thrown in to achieve a ‘sexy and sophisticated’ scent. I cannot personally say which will make a better holiday gift, as I have not been granted the opportunity to test each scent, but to all readers, please let us know your opinion of these perfumes. Maybe start a ranking for which is better for Homecoming and which is better for Prom?! Let me know!
Move over haute couture, there’s a new couture in town.
As every good fashionista knows online stores and retail websites have changed the way we shop in the 21st century, where it once took weeks to finally see photographs of what came down the runways in New York, Milan and Paris, these days you can go online and see it all with the click of a button mere minutes after the designer has taken their bow. Now it seems this style revolution has reached the furthest heights of high-end fashion, haute couture. While the term haute couture is often thrown around with little regard to what it means, true haute couture as seen twice a year on Paris runways must be sewn entirely by hand, it must come from officially recognized Paris ateliers and it must be made to the clients exact measurements. However in a word where images move at the speed of light and hot styles sell out with the click of a mouse, many high end designers are finding out that those clients who are willing to fly to Paris for a day’s worth of individual fittings are few and far between.
Enter demi-couture, the new nick-name that many within the industry are giving to the high-end side of ready-to-wear fashion, which has seen its popularity grow dramatically in the last few years. Pieces such as Mary Katrantzou’s Jewel Tree Dress, which requires more that 150 hours of work from four separate Paris ateliers and retails for over $14,000 dollars may not technically qualify as haute couture but are steadily taking its place in the world of high fashion. Considering the amount of craftsmanship and the price tag involved the odds of the wearer finding another party guest or red carpet walker showing off the same piece is slim indeed, and that uniqueness is what once made haute couture so appealing. “Pieces over $5,000 now account for six percent of our business. To put that into context, two years ago we sold nothing at that price.” said Joseph Velosa, president of ready-to-wear label Matthew Williamson.
Matthew Williamson is not alone, with up and coming designers such as Rodarte or Jason Wu and established houses like Chanel, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen all reporting noticeable upticks in sales for the high-end side of their ready-to-wear collections. Even Azzedine Alaia has jumped on board with this year’s July show which he introduced as “semi-couture”, atelier made pieces that can be purchased as-is from anywhere in the world through sites such as net-a-porter.com and Moda Operandi. While certain Parisians may be none to thrilled about this democratization of high end fashion, the market has spoken and in the 21st century the new couture is demi-couture.
Earlier in the month we reported on a series of products Urban Outfitters had been offering through their online store and retail locations which included such gems as the Navajo Hipster Panty and the Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask. The reason that these Navajo products caused such a stir was that they had nothing at all to do with the Navajo Nation. While the print found on the items coincides with a number of native tribal prints, including many used by actual Navajos, the products themselves were neither designed nor manufactured by the Navajo Nation or any Native American Tribe for that matter.
It turns out that appropriating another culture’s designs for profit under the guise of cultural appreciation is not only a pretty dirty trick, but in the case of Native American tribes, it is actually illegal thanks to a law passed in 1990 to help protect tribal craft manufacturers from loosing a substantial chunk of their business to cheaply made or machined knock-offs. Well after a substantial amount of backlash directed at Urban Outfitters from bloggers, fashion writers and the Attorney General of the Navajo Nation the retail chain finally got the hint and gave their Navajo products the axe.
Just kidding, they dropped the word Navajo from the names, and that’s all, no apology, no offer to compensate the Navajo Nation for the use of their name. In a press release issued earlier in the week Harrison Tsosie, the Navajo Nation Attorney General told reporters that “the Navajo Nation is vigilant and takes appropriate action in society, the law and the market to protect one of its most cherished elements: the Navajo name. So when companies sell products that have absolutely no connection to the Navajo Nation, its entities or its people, the Navajo Nation does not regard this as benign or trivial.”
Is there a lawsuit in the future? Only time will tell on that one. But one thing is for certain, when it comes to righting the wrongs of their marketing department Urban Outfitters is right up there with American Apparel for how little they care. Someone should tell them that they are behind the times, stealing from Native Americans is so 19th century.
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