Blog Post #10: Fashala: Birthstones

For our final project we decided to band together to create Fashala.  We were inspired to become stylists and create a collection based off of birthstones.  They are inspiring based on their color and time of the year which is what we went off of for our looks.

We analyzed what colors, features, and silhouettes would be best for each month.  When characterizing a month we took into consideration things like weather, holidays, and general things the month is known for.  Despite each of the months being drastically different, we shot in the same location for our lookbook to create cohesive collection.  This gave us the final product of a colorful yet sophisticated collection based on some extraordinary stones.

You can find a link to the lookbook for a better experience here.

Lastly, here is the link to our video showing our entire collection along with each of the moodboards we create for our months.

 

Blog Post #9

3D Printing – Technology and Fashion Collide

3D printing is a a new construction of fashion that could potentially change the game.  It provides new performance and structural ideas that we weren’t possible before.  It can takes hours to produce each item but it can be worth the unique result.  Designers have begun to explore this option and what it has to offer.

Iris Van Herpen is a designer famous for exploring the new world of 3D printed fashion.  Her avant-garde designs have no bounds with this method of creating garments.  They may not look the most comfortable as most of them are made out of plastic, but they certainly make a statement.

One of the greatest struggles for a shoe lover is fit.  Pinchy shoes are the most disappointing thing to come across when you have fallen in love with the look.  Under Armor has not only gone into 3D printing for the perfect fit but for performance as well.  3D printed items can be the lightest and most innovative if designed right.

3D printed jewelry can have the most creative designs.  New shapes and forms can be brought to life with a machine.

Although, any of these would be expensive with materials and take what seems like an eternity, but new advancements are always coming out.  From back to when it was first invented the technique has made leaps and bounds in its results.

Blog Post #8

For Love & Lemons Look Book

For Love & Lemons  is a brand I have been following for some time now because I love the setup of their look books.  Their photoshoots are very staged and elaborate which creates a cohesive collection.  This collection is clearly more girly and floral than their others based on the the prints, patterns, background, props, makeup, poses, and other elements.  The colors are one of the most important aspects in this look book and that is one think that makes it stand out.  The color pink is in every picture to unify each of the looks into a whole.  Lastly, this one was amazing because the mood was well suited with the brand, a lighter and more feminine look.

Blog Post #7

Georges Hobieka Trunk Show

This Lebanese designer was recently given the honorable title of “Official Guest Member of the Chambre de la Syndicale.”  He is known for his embellishment and embroidery which is well featured in this trunk show.  This season he stuck with pastels, creating a soft look to the collection.  This collection offers a romantic and elegant theme to the viewers.  The sequin florals and lines bring the gowns to life keeping in the season of spring/summer.  Even the dresses that are shorter are showstoppers with their colorful and detailed embellishment.  

The entire collection is carefully coordinated as he introduces the next colors through the details.  Also, he has started playing with sheer fabrics more around the chest and shoulder area.  The last gown strays from his comfort zone as it is mainly comprised of tulle where he normally sticks to long and thin silhouettes.  The trunk show will be running until the end of the week, and other than Moda Operandi there is not much press coverage or any promotional efforts.  From seeing the runway show and the trunk show I’m already looking forward to the next show!

Post #6

Dolce & Gabbana

This was my absolute favorite fashion show mainly because they are my favorite designers to begin with.  The majority of the styles are heavily inspired by Italian fashion.  One of the reasons I love this collection so much is because I am Italian but also because of the prints.  The prints and patterns are elaborate and the themes are all overflowing with creativity.  The collection as a whole is brought together by the Italian inspiration and underlying neutral color black in most of the garments.

These looks are mainly black with twists to make them more interesting with the sheer fabric and small fruit (of which gardening is a very popular hobby in Italy).

These prints are not so much inspired by Italy but they are their typical bold style.

The playing cards print is shown in the same bold style as the previous.

The first is a popular print from one of their previous collections with the color triad based on primary colors.  And the pea dress is returning to the theme of Italian lifestyle as vegetables are loved all over.

These are some of the most colorful pieces of the collection and they did not go unnoticed in the show.

They could not have had a more fierce exit with all of the black styles in the front to make a strong presence.  It was amazing to see this wave of strong women come out looking like they could conquer the world.  This made for an extravagant end suiting their usual overall tone.

 

Blog Post #5: Fierce Movie Costumes

First things first, I am a huge movie buff.  I have always had a passion for watching award winning movies because of how elaborate they are.  Movies should be a retreat from reality and our normal lives.  They are meant to tell a story that immerses and entrances us.  The costumes of many movies have so many details and hours of effort put into them they are breathtaking.  There are costumes that are placed in museums solely for people to appreciate their beauty.  Here are some of my favorite costumes or movies that had overall amazing costumes.  Most of them are more recent because now we can see more details in the costumes on the screen thanks to higher quality images.

1 The Great Gatsby

The costumes in this movie were appropriate for the time period which made it even better.  The amount of the embellishment on all of the dresses was amazing along with the attention to detail to each and every one.  One of the reasons why it became so popular was because everyone appreciated all of the gowns not just us fashion aficionados.

2 Grease

Grease was a huge hit in theaters as women emulated Sandy’s leather bodysuit.  People still wear the suit as a Halloween costume because it was so sleek and sexy.

 3 Moulin Rouge

The nightclub outfits are some of the most creative as they are based on the turn of the 20th century in Paris.  They needed to have passionate costumes to bring life to the musical and it was a definite success.

4 The Devil Wears Prada

 

The very famous Devil Wears Prada doesn’t have so many detailed dresses or gowns but the outfits are iconic.  They were perfectly styled together to show Anne Hathaway’s character’s gradual development in the movie.

Also, I want to give some special mentions to amazing recent time period movies like Marie Antoinette (2006), The Duchess (2008), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and The Young Victoria (2009).

Blog Post #4: Contrasting Colors Coming Up

To me spotting a color trend becomes a reverse game of spot the difference between two pictures.  You want to see the similarities past the styles.  Color is the first thing consumers and the public notice but that doesn’t always go for us who live for fashion.  Red as a trend has already emerged so what’s next?  Pairing black with other bright or pastel colors seems to be the common denominator in the majority of store windows.  The contrast creates an edgy look which is where we have seen fashion inching towards.

I am looking forward to the trend because in the past they haven’t been paired together.  I love both black and vibrant/pastel colors so I am excited to start styling the two together.  I am interested to see how other retailers will translate this into their store with their assortment and if there will be any noticeable changes.

Here we see black with the white sweater and the scarlet red coat (Banana Republic on 5th Ave. and 18th St.) 

The black paired with the trendy dusty rose pleated skirt (Club Monaco 5th Ave. and 21st) 

The leather Jacket paired with the pale pink trousers (Macy’s in Herald Square)

This one is slightly different with the bright pink dress and black knee high boots (Macy’s in Herald Square)

The white fur coat with (Macy’s in Herald Square)

Blog Post #3: Bishop Sleeves Sneak In

First they were popular in the 1900’s but now they are back.  Here we see how they were worn back then featured in vogue.   

Then we saw an abundance of them on the runway and they may even carry over into a mass market trend.

Zimmerman

Calvin Luo

Beaufille

Zac Posen

With these looks, the sleeves are huge so I don’t see the general public wearing them as much but perhaps in a more moderate style.  With the outrageous bishop sleeves they may be on the goofy side to the public but to us who follow fashion, we see them more as elegant and artistic.  Below are some examples already in stores so this trend is already apparent in some places.

 

Blog Post #2: Blazers and Jeans

I think this is an important street trend because it is showing a shift to casual dress.  We watch people head to their workplace and there has been an abundance of blazers with jeans.  The workplace dress has become much more casual as people long to be comfy at work.  It is said to encourage productivity, a friendly environment, and overall employee happiness.  This also leads to an easier transition from day to night looks for the average working woman.

Blog Post 1: 3 Blogs I follow

Blog #1: Man Repeller

Man Repeller is a lifestyle/style blog that is often praised for their humor on fashion conundrums or observations.  They take pride in the community they have created based on heated discussions created from their posts.  I have been following them for a little longer than a year and they are very entertaining.  I think they continue to be such a successful blog because they are not your traditional fashion blog that simply posts pictures and comments.  They make jokes and poke fun at things in our industry along with never sugar coating what they are writing about.

Blog #2: Thefashionguitar

Thefashionguitar is a very clean cut blog which is one of the reasons why myself and so many others love it.  It is simple and natural which makes it an easy and relaxing read.  She has built a blog on sharing her looks with seemingly impromptu photos.  She mainly discusses fashion but also talks about travel and beauty.  Her blog isn’t updated that often but it reinforces the lack of clutter.

Blog #3: Byhaleigh

Byhaleigh is mainly a lifestyle and travel blog but largely features style.  She travels from place to place and takes pictures of what she is wearing, what she buys, the scenery, and anything else that makes for a great picture.  This is a very visual blog because you must click on the pictures to learn more.  This is an amazing blog because each post is packed with information to make up for the gaps in her posts.

Blog #4: Gary Pepper

This blog has some of the most amazing pictures quality and color wise.  I love her pictures because they look like they were taken by a professional photographer.  They are so well set up when it comes to her outfits, runway shots, and any travel scenes.  She has separate categories for everything she blogs about but it does revolve around fashion.  Lastly, if you scroll to the bottom of her blog she has several pictures from her Instagram which is an amazing feature.