sâmbătă, 12 februarie 2011

Buyers expect '70s influence at NY Fashion Week

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Rich colors, refined styles and 1970s minimalism are likely trends at New York Fashion Week, U.S. department store buyers say as they look for clothes to entice wary consumers amid a fragile economic recovery.
Americans are shopping more but remain cautious, demanding value for money from retailers and designers after the worst financial crisis in decades, said buyers from top department stores Barneys, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
Rising commodity prices, in particular with cotton prices hitting record levels, also will likely trickle through to higher costs for clothes this year, experts said.
New York Fashion Week began on Thursday with 89 designers due to show their fall and winter collections for 2011. It is followed by fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan.
"As the economy slowly recovers we're seeing customers returning to the stores but they're certainly very careful about what they're buying," said Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing. "We're not going to see customers shopping with the abandon that they were before the recession."
Spending by consumers, which accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy, has not recovered from the downturn as unemployment hovers at 9 percent and many Americans struggle with high household debt.
"We're in that post-recession hangover period and I think everyone's a little nervous about saying, 'OK, it's over,'" said Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of fashion retail consultants Tobe.
But she added: "There are a lot of consumers who are ready to buy.
"This notion of pent-up demand is real now and consumers are feeling like they deserve to shop. They have been holding back and they're ready to purchase."
RISING PRICES?
But with a frail economic recovery and supply fears fueling record cotton prices, Moellering said increased costs were likely to hit consumers later in the year.
Designers and retailers would need to give them a good reason to purchase, she said.
Among the trends buyers expect to see gracing the runways in New York during the next week are high-waisted full-leg trousers, knee- to calf-length and pleated skirts and evening fabrics such as velvet and silk satin used for day wear.



"We will still see a '70s mood with wider pants cuffed and fluid blouses," said Barneys chief merchant Daniella Vitale. "A minimalist mood initiated by (designer French label) Celine still exists."
The growing 1970s influence follows a retrospective of the late French designer Yves Saint Laurent in Paris last year.
Fall and winter 2011 colors are likely to be deeper with all the shades of red, from bright to Bordeaux, cranberry and plum, Downing said. "Think wine and rose."
Experts also predicted various shades of green and expect winter white to replace camel as a key neutral.
"Designers are fashion historians and make subtle references to the past so retro-feminism should move forward, allowing our customer to embrace her ladylike side," said Nordstrom fashion director Gregg Andrews.
"We are seeing a renewed sense of optimism from our customers and American designers," Andrews said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110211/stage_nm/us_fashion_newyork 

vineri, 11 februarie 2011

Prabal Gurung’s Fashion Week Diary



In the lead-up to New York fashion week, designers go through hundreds of behind-the-scenes preparations to arrive at the completed show. This NYFW, we’ve sweet-talked a few of them into giving us an exclusive peek behind the curtain as they cast, score, style, and ready their presentations.

“After I saw Didier’s [hairstylist Didier Malige] vision come to life on our muse, McCallan, it was time to regroup over some healthy eats with my stylist, Tiina Laakkonen. This past weekend I was able to really visualize all of the show elements coming together. Excitement ensued.”
“Nothing like a stellar shoe to really pull the look together. Here we are adding our PG touch to this season’s Nicholas Kirkwood shoes by working in some leather straps. Who wouldn’t develop a fast foot fetish from these heels?!”
http://www.style.com/stylefile/2011/02/prabal-gurungs-fashion-week-diary/#more-13198

White by Vera Wang Debuts at David's Bridal

 National wedding dress retailer David's Bridal has taken their extensive success in the retail wedding industry to the next level through their collaboration with bridal couturier and fashion designer Vera Wang. The exclusive collection, White by Vera Wang, is aimed to bring her renowned aesthetic to all women at a more affordable, lower price point than her more costly eponymous line.
"We had been in talks for a long time but I thought this was the right opportunity, the right partner, the right time for us to be able to further our designs to a more accessible audience," said Wang at her design studio in New York on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Known for her modern and sophisticated approach to design, Wang, who has dressed brides such as Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump, had to design for David's Bridal within specific parameters to be certain the collection hit a realistic balance between art and commerce. Not one to sacrifice on the visual, artistic component of fashion, Wang had guidelines to adhere to that would ensure the line could maintain the $600 to $1400 price range.
"To make something that's romantic and sensual but also keep it youthful," said Wang citing personal challenges that arose during the design process, "that's a hard dichotomy to strike."
Her gowns offer any bride-to-be manifold choices to find the look that suits them for their special day in colors ranging from soft white, ivory and blush, and styles from strapless, goddess and fit and flare silhouettes. Wang stayed true to her technique with her ultra feminine draping and superbly intricate beading and lace.
The spring 2011 White by Vera Wang collection will soon be available at 150 David's Bridal stores across the U.S. in sizes ranging from 0 to 14 and will be available up to size 26 in the fall. Bob Huth, president and CEO of David's Bridal, spared no enthusiasm toward the collection debut saying, "Vera is the queen of bridal, not a hard decision for us aside from convincing Vera that we were the right partner."
 http://news.yahoo.com/s/fwd/20110210/en_fashion_fwd/whitebyverawangdebutsatdavidsbridal


joi, 10 februarie 2011

amfAR Gala - New York

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK got off to a very glamorous start last night at the amfAR gala. Models Helena Christensen, Maggie Rizer and Karen Elson joined actress Julianna Margulies and Michelle Yeoh on the red carpet, where monochromatic gowns were the order of the evening.



Rose Byrne was sporting a new fringe and a Ralph Lauren gown in the palest of pink, while Carine Roitfeld - who was joined by her son and daughter Vladimir and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld at the event - chose an ice white dress
http://www.vogue.co.uk/celebrity-photos/110210-amfar-gala-new-york/gallery.aspx

Leopard meets Macramé for the Catwalk

  


  


 No.586 in a limited series- Extremely feminine and rich of textures, visual presence, a touch of luxurious wear that draws the line above simplicity

If you decide to go for the trend of the season, the macramé, without forgetting an iconic print such as leopard, opt for simple and subtle measures. The dress is classic, the colours match, and the silhouette follows the natural shape of the body.
  
From the catwalk SS11 womenswear, one of the few licenses made to non-white. The iconic leopard in crepe de chine enriched by the new trendy fabric: macramé.
The accessories: small bag over the shoulder with a chain that serves the purpose of cutting the print - a trick to slim down the overall effect.
The accessories: small bag over the shoulder with a chain that serves the purpose of cutting the print - a trick to slim down the overall effect.
Classic jewels: the gold chain with charms. Embroideries on the fabric that filrt with the print.
A selection of bags, from the small evening bag - either subtle in black, or protagonist in white with a diamond on the clasp.
http://www.swide.com/luxury-magazine/Style/Look-of-the-day/look-of-the-day/2011/2/10

duminică, 6 februarie 2011

Would You Ever Match Your Lipstick To Your Dress


Is it ever OK to match your makeup to your outfit? Not just coordinate. I mean go full-on matchy-matchy. This is the question consuming us today thanks to the sharp eyes at Gawker, who noticed that Paz de la Huerta always matches her lipstick to her dress.
In case you don’t know Paz, she’s an actress in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and did some indie projects prior to that. She has a reputation for being naked a lot. There’s an absolutely brilliant profile of her in New York Magazine which states, “Paz only wears black, so as not to detract from her personality.” Apparently that’s changed now that she has to promote her show and hit the red carpet regularly. She’s got the lipstick wardrobe to prove it. (I won’t comment on some of the other makeup issues she has happening in the pictures.)
I’m completely torn on this. Just yesterday I was admiring a pic of Anna Dello Russo on Jak & Jil in which her hot pink lipstick matches her Prada fur stole. Is that better or worse than matching it to your whole dress?
Designers actually use this technique on the runway quite a bit. Alexandre Herchcovitch took matching to a whole new level at his S/S 2011 show by matching the lipstick to every dress–including black, yellow, green, and aqua. The purple lipstick at the recent Armani Privé spring couture show was a dead ringer for the purple used through much of the collection. Do we give it a pass on the runway–because, you know, that’s all artsy and stuff–but not to the girl on the street?
I talked to Suresh, who is a celebrity makeup artist and owner of an eponymous makeup line. His Twitter stream (@SureshBeauty) is a must-follow if you’re the slightest bit interested in makeup. He posts detailed instructions, insider-y tips, and will often critique women he sees on the street for makeup mistakes. He does this all kindly and with a great deal of grace. He also recently posted that you shouldn’t match your makeup to your jewelry, so I had to get his opinion on this hot topic.
He was not quite as wishy-washy as I am and had this to say: “DON’T ever match your makeup to your outfit. It’s tacky, old fashioned, and not creative. DO choose colors that are a few shades darker or lighter. Coordinating is okay. Sometimes, choosing complementary colors (opposite color match of your outfit) works quite beautifully, too.”
http://fashionista.com/2011/02/matching-lipstick-and-dress-do-or-dont/

Tom Ford to Show in London


The hottest ticket at London Fashion Week?
Undoubtedly the Tom Ford presentation, which his PRs have confirmed is really happening.
Ford spends quite a bit of time in London, and his company is based there, so it makes sense. But we naively thought that the New York extravaganza would be the last for a long while. Will Ford ruin the mystery by continuing to produce top-secret (but not really) shows? We’ve got to admit, we were kind of sick of the whole thing by time the clothes hit Vogue. And that’s the opposite of what Ford wanted.
http://fashionista.com/2011/02/tom-ford-to-show-in-london/

joi, 3 februarie 2011

A Predictable Ceremony, but Unexpected Dresses at the SAG Awards







The red carpet at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards looked a lot like the Spring runways. There were plenty of bright prints and even more electric color. You couldn't take your eyes off newcomers Hailee Steinfeld and Jennifer Lawrence in stripey Prada and fuchsia Oscar de la Renta, respectively. Mila Kunis selected a flame-print strapless Alexander McQueen that instantly erased the memory of the too-old-for-her Vera Wang she wore to the Golden Globes. Claire Danes, meanwhile, opted against the minimalism of the backless number she donned for that ceremony. Instead, she chose a Louis Vuitton strapless print dress festooned with silk flowers and black pearls that apparently took the house's Paris atelier 100 hours to make. And thank goodness for all that eye candy. SAG members' tastes bear a striking resemblance to those of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association—most of tonight's winners had already enjoyed their moments in the spotlight at the Globes.
Other dresses were of a more recent extraction than the Spring 2011 collections: January Jones' Carolina Herrera and Nicole Kidman's Nina Ricci were two of our favorites from pre-fall: floor-length, body-skimming, gorgeous. As for the even more recent haute couture shows, it looks like Hollywood is waiting for the Oscars on February 27 to pull out the big guns. Or so we can dream. We saw plenty of possibilities for Best Actress shoo-in Natalie Portman (who glowed in strapless Azzaro tonight) at John Galliano's Dior show in Paris last week.
http://www.style.com/peopleparties/parties/scoop/redcarpet-013011_17th_Screen_Actors_Guild_Awards/