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For almost two decades now fashion has been lending a hand in the fight against breast cancer, and this year’s Fall Fashion Week will be no different. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has been promoting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer since 1994 when fellow American fashion designer, Ralph Lauren, initiated the cause in hopes to prevent further lose of good friends and good people. The cause has done very well over the years, generating over $50 million in charitable donations and funds.
The FTBC, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, has come back into the spotlight because Nine West has created a program called, Runway Relief. The Runway Relief Program will assist in raising funds and awareness for FTBC. With the collaboration of the funds we find Nigel Barker, famous fashion photographer, and some fresh-faced models aiding the campaign. Of course, Nigel Barker is the eye behind the camera for the new ads, and the special edition featured in the shoot is the Runway Relief boots. Models featured in the upcoming Fall Fashion Week will be wearing the Relief boots to track their steps, and for every mile walked, one dollar will go to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. Their steps will be tracked with a pedometer which is equipped in every boot. Relief boots are also adorned with the FTBC logo, originally designed by Ralph Lauren. The logo consists of radiating circles in shades of blue (think Target), which are located on the top front of the boot. As this is the second year the Relief boots will be worn, this could possibly lead into several more fashion weeks supporting the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer cause.
This could be the first cause to promote “walking” for a cause that does not entail a mass of people joining to, literally, walk together. The Runway Relief boot is available to purchase on Nine West’s website as well as in-store, or if you prefer from Nordstrom’s. If you want to support the cause, but may not have $199 for the boots, you could also purchase the tank, at $25, or the messenger bag, at $59, both of which are only available from Nine West. All purchases will donate proceeds to the Runway Relief for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer cause. Even if you don’t want to purchase any merchandise, you can sponsor a model or make donations at Ninewest.com. Keep walking and fight with fashion!
Calling all little monsters! Lady Gaga will be playing the part of Santa Clause this holiday season. Barney’s on Madison Avenue in New York City will be bringing the little monsters’ Christmas wish to life this year. Gaga’s Workshop is the name, and taking over a whole floor of Barney’s in N.Y.C. is the game. Mark Lee, CEO of Barney’s, granted Lady Gaga the Santa of the Season with their new 2011-2012 Holiday Campaign.
The campaign consists of the Barney’s Madison Avenue window displays, adorned with Lady Gaga Workshop images. Yes, all of the windows on Madison Avenue (owned by Barney’s of course) will be adorned in art by Eli Sudbrack and Christophe Hamaide Pierson. The designs these two artists are creating are evoked by none other than Lady Gaga herself and her stylist/designer, Nicola Formachetti.
This entire floor takeover will begin during the first of the holiday months, November 2011, and is scheduled to carry on through January 2nd, 2012. This should give enough time for everyone to make it to New York City and give Barney’s the crowd they are expecting with a campaign like this. Also, along with the Gaga artwork, there will be Lady Gaga merchandise, exclusive to Barney’s and the Holiday campaign. The merchandise includes items like jewelry made of rock candy, lipsticks in Lady Gaga shades, books, CD’s, and many more holiday/ Lady Gaga inspired items.
Barney’s CEO Mark Lee spoke about why Lady Gaga and he put it like this, “Holiday is about joy, sharing and inclusiveness, and to me, Gaga really represents all of that. Her platform is so much about positivity, individuality and universality in a very today way.” Gaga’s holiday spirit will also extend to sharing, a major part of the holiday season and why Mark Lee picked her as the campaign head. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds of all the merchandise in the Lady Gaga Workshop will be donated to a charity of Lady Gaga’s choice. As Lady Gaga supports so many causes it is hard to try and guess what charities she has in mind. However, it is sure to be a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to little monsters and Barney’s fans alike.
The meatpacking district in New York City is about to get a little more exciting. Zac Posen will be launching his first ever store, adding to the many boutiques found in this New York City neighborhood. Doing his best to not bring 5th avenue to the meatpacking district, this Posen Boutique will carry Z Spoke. Z Spoke is Zac Posen’s lower-priced line of clothes. However, these ‘lower-priced’ looks are still going to cost a pretty penny. This line, consisting of Tee shirts to dresses, has prices starting just below $100. Posen’s other lines begin at about $800 and go all the way up into the tens of thousands of dollars and sell in Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barney’s, and other luxury department stores.
Zac Posen took a huge leap into fashion in his early twenties and surprisingly landed on his feet. Posen’s career in fashion had an excellent background which started him out with education from many of the best schools around the globe. He enrolled in a pre-college program at Parson’s the New School for Design, and attended Central Saint Martins School of Design at the University of the Arts London. Not to mention, while still in high school Posen interned with Nicole Miller and was mentored by Richard Martin, curator at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. With his lush background and avid inspiration, Zac Posen was sure to get the acclaim that come along with his name and brand.
The new store will be taking the spot of another boutique, Scoop Beach. The location is, like mentioned earlier, in the meatpacking district, on Washington Street, just between 13th street and 14th street. Opening day of Z Spoke boutique will be on Thursday, August 25th, 2011. If you are eager to be first in line, the exact address is 874 Washington Street, New York City, New York.
Hit AMC TV series, Mad Men is collaborating with major chain Banana Republic. Banana Republic is owned by Gap and was originally under different ownership, where they sold Safari wear like trench coats and luggage; one could say Gap’s older, adventurous brother. Since they were bought by Gap Inc. in 1983, Banana Republic has become the luxury version of Gap.
Janie Bryant is the costume designer on set at Mad Men, and her designs are the key to the collaboration. Mad Men began airing in 2007, and is getting ready for their fifth season; due out in 2012.The show is based in 1960’s America, in none other than good ole New York City. Their depiction of American life from nearly half a decade ago is what has brought this show to the height it has reached. Winning Emmy’s three years running, it is only appropriate that the show expand to reach a broader audience. As AMC is not a major channel for most TV watchers to turn too, this collaboration, and the hype surrounding it, could be what the show needs to add some new, possibly unexpected viewers.
The clothes themselves are priced the same as the regular Banana wear; starting at around $40 and going up to $250. No worries about ‘costume-y’ looks as the clothes will have the fit us contemporary shoppers are used to, the necklines and styles are what is different. Many of the women’s pieces are adorned with animal print and sport the cowl neck, along with the 60’s high-waist skirts. The men’s pieces include pin-stripes, pocket squares, and even money-clips. It seems many pieces tend be accessories, however, in this economy it may be smarter to stick with your basics and add accessories!
Like all retail collaborations, this will be short-lived. It is reported that the collection only consists of about sixty pieces. If you love retro, preppy, and in style looks be sure to make your way to the nearest Banana Republic and shop away. Currently all items are available online and will be in stores in the upcoming days.
As fear runs through the veins of investors and business men alike, due to the recent stock market scare, Polo’s Ralph Lauren stays cool as a cucumber. Polo shares went up over 8% and Ralph’s revenue is up 32%. As many of Polo’s merchandise is sold at Macy’s nationwide, both of the corporations have had better than expected numbers. Even in spite of the recent stock market scare, both corporations have reported to be doing just fine, if not extraordinary well selling full price merchandise; no need for mark-downs here.
Polo CEO stated, “We are a world-class Company that has been built on quality and timeless design with a long-term view. The clarity of our luxury lifestyle positioning runs through all that we do, from design to marketing to our in-store presentations. We are leveraging this clarity of vision and purpose with an expanding range of merchandise and store environments around the world. We know our customers well and we are committed to offering them the best of the World of Ralph Lauren. The consistency of our approach has supported our strong financial performance and the momentum of our brand worldwide is tremendous”
This aspect of Lifestyle mentioned by Polo is most-likely what’s keeping the company on top. While most other retail companies are offering pieces of a wardrobe, Polo Ralph Lauren is offering a lifestyle. His newest denim line features not just merchandise, but a whole wardrobe. Every piece on the racks has three more pieces to go along with the look, creating the Polo lifestyle. All in all, this is subconsciously urging customers to buy the jeans, along with the cashmere sweater, along with the under tee, following with the leather belt, and to finish off with the coat. One may be asking, how is this different from what other retailers are doing in Macy’s? Well the answer is, instead of having a rack of shirts and a table of denim placed around the store, Polo merchandises their clothing and accessories very strategically. While you are looking for your denim, you can’t help but notice the cashmere sweater placed just above, and then the mannequin sporting the look from head-to-toe. How could one resist.
This aspect of Polo Ralph Lauren is one his team prides themselves on, and without it, they would not be corporation they are today and will continue to be. If you haven’t already, maybe it’s time to pick-up a Polo or Macy’s stock.
For quite some years now, Target has been doing small collaborations with designers. Finally, Missoni has become one of those designers. Well-known for their colors and zigzag stripped pattern, Missoni hopes to open their world up to some new shoppers with this collaboration.
Angela Missoni has commented, “We really wanted to reach a large audience. As Missoni, we have a big name but we are not a huge company, so there’s not much product around.” She continued by explaining how spreading the Missoni image to the United States will hopefully bring upon the outcome of promoting the brand as being young and fresh.
As the anticipation rises, ad campaigns are carrying quite the buzz. The ads, like Missoni’s image, are taken from the streets of Italy and with one major factor, the face. The face of these ad campaigns features one of Missoni’s own, Margharita Maccapani Missoni. Margharita Maccapani Missoni is Angela Missoni’s daughter, and granddaughter of, Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, the founders of the Italian company. Target representatives have reported, “It’s certainly been one of the most collaborative partnerships we’ve had with any of our designers.” The close collaboration could possibly be contributed to the fact that the Missoni company is such a tight-knit family themselves, and quite literally.
The anticipated collaboration will be in Target stores nationwide beginning September 13th, and like all the Target collaborations, will only be available for a short period of time. The last day to shop the Missoni for Target collection will fall in late October.
For all the regular Target shoppers, no worries on spending limit. The prices have been set to start at $7.99. However the most expensive item will be in the $100 range, but don’t get too concerned as merchandise includes a pedal bike (con basket) and luggage.
Less than twenty-four hours ago, a judge decided that Louboutin’s “sole recognition” was no longer his. Louboutin had filled a lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent for using red soles on a number of YSL shoes from his recent resort collection.
A fashion outsider’s opinion on the matter is it’s a color; this is fashion, color is important and not one designer is only allowed to use that specific color, create a monopoly if you will. Well, a fashion insider can understand that point of view. However, when describing Louboutin, the only distinguishing marks the designer carries are his red sole. One could say, for instance they are expensive shoes, costing over $1,000. As it may be, almost every designer shoe is that costly (including YSL shoes), the only thing distinguishing Louboutin’s shoes from the pack is the dramatic peek of a rich red bursting out at you from beneath that magnificent heel. Walking down the streets of any major city, it is unmistakable when you witness this fashion phenomenon. You instantly become aware that, that woman must love shoes and is fortunate enough to be strutting around in a pair of Louboutin’s. It’s like she has her own, personal red carpet wherever she goes. The envy and the infamy are what made Louboutin and his company what he is today. By giving other designers the go ahead to essentially copy his signature look brings upon a fear that Louboutin may not stick around for much longer.
The judge’s decision came to this, “Because in the fashion industry color serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection.”
My question now is, where the people who gave him that trademark in 2008 are, I want to know the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s opinion on the matter, and their reasoning’s for granting the trademark three years ago.
Louboutin’s lawyers’ task now is to prove that this will create confusion amongst shoppers and the general customer, otherwise Louboutin may lose his exclusivity.
Apparently, it is perfectly O.K. to wear your pajamas in public. In fact, it is in style. The perfect example of this new trend was spotted just the other night at the film premier of “One Day,” the new Anne Hathaway movie. The now infamous P.J. wearer was none other than designer Rachael Roy. Her inspiration for the pajama set with her beloved Manolo heels and clutch came from Celine’s most recent Resort line. Rachael did not specifically say where her inspiration came from for the look, but it is unmistakable; Rachael’s outfit is a spitting image of one of Celine’s looks. Rachael gave a small explanation of her look saying, “It was hard for me to find something to go with these shoes where I didn’t feel too dressed up and too done.” Alluding to the fact that comfort must be important to her, as it is to most women. Also, it is much more practical than wearing a tight, tiny, cocktail dress to sit for almost two hours.
It is not too hard to imagine how we have come to this point in fashion. Wearing pajamas on a red carpet was bound to happen with trends for casual, comfort wear at such a high premium. First, everyone tried the boho look, for some it stuck for others they preferred a more fitted look (possibly just to stop any unwanted rumors about baby bumps and such things). Then came the leggings. Leggings have been a huge hit. Possibly stemming from the discomfort of the too tight skinny jean, leggings began their reign.
Not only leggings, but all lounge wear has become a huge fixation in fashion. Almost every collection contains, and almost every celebrity sports, an over sized sweater, oversized button-up, and now oversized trousers. In Celine’s 2012 Resort Collection her classic three piece suit was actually an oversized, floral-cut set. She is still using the basic black and whites, but you will not miss the floral patterns she has introduced, and not to mention the men’s-cut look (simply the fashion term for oversized women’s clothes).
I am not so sure that this trend is meant to extend to your cartoon pajamas. So for now, if you decide to take on this new trend, I suggest sticking to the designer duds and leaving SpongeBob and the Looney Tunes to the TV loungers. In conclusion, no laziness here, just trendy fashionistas at play.
Collaborations tend to be a good thing, and the press is saying this one is a good thing. First, we have the Hilfiger’s, while most go straight to Tommy; this fashion line is coming from Andy Hilfiger. Second, we have the Tyler’s, as in Steven Tyler. Yes, Aerosmith front man, Steven Tyler is working with Andy Hilfiger. While we are used to seeing Steven Tyler’s older daughters, like Liv Tyler (of Lord of the Rings), it’s time for 22 year old Chelsea to step out as the female face of the line. The fusion created is none other than, Andrew Charles.
Andy is mainly know for creating AHE, Andy Hilfiger Entertainment, a company made to fuse music, fashion, and entertainment, so no surprise here. However, this time he is going toward a genre of his own taste and one could say, straying away from the norm, for the Hilfiger’s at least. As one could have guessed, the collaboration of these two rock and rollers results in a 70’s inspired, scarf and leopard print adorned attire. Essentially, what could be identified as Steven Tyler esque fashion.
A very positive, and nostalgic, factor of Andrew Charles is Steven Tyler. Known for Aerosmith, Tyler is someone many people can say they grew up on. Whether it’s from listening to Aerosmith in the 70’s, 80’s, or even 90’s, to being of the new ‘tech’ generation and playing Guitar Hero and Rockband, people recognize Steven Tyler. Not to mention he is a judge on the hit TV show American Idol and has been in a number of cameo roles, such as on the Disney Channel.
Another positive aspect of Steven Tyler is the style credentials the celeb has had and has kept over the years. Andy Hilfiger is one of the bigger advocates on this topic. Andy said, “Steven has always been a respected fashion icon…the way he wears his leopards and his scarves. It’s all very 70’s, very gypsy, very boho. And that’s what our line [Andrew Charles] is about…we’re even doing a Steven Tyler scarf line.”
Keeping it in the family, Chelsea Tyler, Steven’s 22 year old daughter is the female face of the ad campaign. Both Steven and Chelsea appear in ads together as well as separately. One of the ads feature Chelsea in a beautiful print dress. However, no family bias here, Andy Hilfiger saw a picture of Chelsea and simply “thought she was perfect.”
The line will not be released until this coming fall (2011). Thus, the only peeks we have are the ad campaign. However, Andy did let loose on information about some of his favorite pieces including, “a jean that’s great…and it has silver buttons…the women’s leopard coat, and our black, tight stretch jeans are amazing.” Can’t wait? Get on your Facebook and check out Andrew Charles.
Project Runway has been on the air for just about nine seasons now and for the first time things are getting changed up a bit. There’s a new host, new judges, and the same contestants. The tenth season is airing as Project Runway All Stars; a second chance for past contestants to win the grand-prize and all its fame.
Angela Lindvall is said to be the new host for Project Runway All Stars. Like Klum, Lindvall is a model/actress who has graced many magazine covers and belongs with the likes of the Victoria’s Secret Angels.
The very first Project Runway premiered in 2004 on the first of December. Since then star and host Heidi Klum haven’t missed a beat, airing the subsequent seasons every year like clockwork. As well as hosting, Heidi Klum also judged the contestants along with famous designer, Michael Kors, and Elle Magazine’s Fashion Director, Nina Garcia. And not to be forgotten, Time Gunn, who some may consider to be the real star of the show. Tim Gunn’s role became that of the mentor to the contestants with his famous phrase, “Make it work!”
Over the course of the eight years and nine seasons, the producers have decided to go for a different tone and have the tenth season be dedicated to the “All Stars” of Project Runway. This new theme has brought on some other nuances as well, like a new host.
It is not clear as to why Heidi Klum wouldn’t want to stay the face of the show, but the rumor mills are saying “Heidi and the production company couldn’t come to terms on money.” Despite all the rumors, sometime next year on Lifetime Network, we will be seeing Angela Lindvall hosting Project Runway All Stars. It has also been decided that by Lindvall’s side, as judges, will be designer Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman of Marchesa. One judge’s chair will be left open, presumably for a weekly guest judge.
However, Heidi, Michael, and Nina are not gone forever; just for this second-chance season. Good Luck, again, contestants!
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