Fashion avant Fashion

The life of one of fashion’s most beloved designers is hitting the big-screen, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel , in the upcoming French film Coco avant Chanel (translates Coco Before Chanel). Her story is being recreated to celebrate her unforgettable influence in fashion and tell the story of a woman determined to succeed through her desires and experiences before she was even famous. The best part about this film is for us fashion gurus… we get our complete fashion-fixation while Karl Lagerfeld reproduces some of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s original costumes and accessories!! [sigh]

Filming will begin in September in Paris, France. The French film is expected to release in 2009 from Warner Bros. Entertainment. The movie stars young French actress Audrey Tautou as the young Coco. Audrey Tautou is mostly recognized in the U.S. for her role in The Da Vinci Code as Agent Sophie. Audrey also will be the face of Chanel No. 5 in upcoming campaigns and the new commercial. Nicole Kidman was the previous spokes model.

Audrey Tautou told VOGUE.com, “I'm very happy with the script because it is about her youth and the elements which tell us what she would become and why her style is what it is today," she also commented that “It gave me the freedom to be between the image of what people think about her [Chanel] but also her before her success."

I personally will be the first inline when this film hits theaters!ny

Good Vibrations!

Ladies, technology has now moved a step closer to our cosmetic bags! Estee Lauder has just introduced the very first, world-wide, vibrating mascara wand! No longer will we have to struggle in-front of the mirror because we can now make each and every one of our tiny lashes separate perfectly with maximum-volume, and length and curl that touches the ceiling. “ESTÉE LAUDER REINVENTS MASCARA. Now, you can have everything you ever dreamed of for your lashes—all from one mascara. It's the world's first "turbo-charged" motion mascara with a vibrating brush. An innovation of design and engineering. Auto-powered, patent pending*, and precision-engineered to achieve lash effects you never thought possible” (Estee Lauder Corporate Site).

Not only does this mascara give you the perfect lash look, but it also has the most fabulously-stylish tube! This mascara is now available as an exclusive to the counters at Saks 5th Avenue. But come December it will be available nationwide! The new Estee Lauder Turbolash All Effects Motion Mascara comes to a pretty penny though, $30.00. But who can put a price on perfection???ny

Fashion Essentials

No matter what anyone tells you, looks are the first impression you make on someone else. What you are wearing and how you present yourself makes the biggest impact on the person you are meeting. Whether it be for an interview, a date, or just a social event how you dress and present yourself is important. Personality and skill are too, but they just uphold your first impression. To make sure you are always presented in the best way possible, every woman's wardrobe should consist of 5 pieces. No matter who you are, what you do, where you live, or what your goals are these 5 pieces make any wardrobe.

1 You MUST own a pair of black pants. Black pants go with pretty much everything and can be used professionally or casually. Choose a fabric that is flattering and does not cling to the body. Don’t worry about the size ladies, every pant fits different. There is nothing worse than seeing a woman with tight black pants. If you’re not sure about the fit ask another person in the dressing room. They should be honest!



2 Along with black pants you should have a black blazer; preferably a fitted style. This blazer can compliment pants, jeans, a dress, or even a skirt.

3 A white tank is always an important staple for a woman's wardrobe. They can go under any top to disguise a see-through shirt or even by itself to allow for unique accessories to be seen!

4 Fitted jeans!! Not only should a woman have one pair of perfect jeans, she should probably have at least 5! Jeans have made their way into the top 5 essential pieces just within the past few years. They have been embellished, re-designed, and dyed to look trendy and fashionable! And they match everything dressy and casual.



5 The final MOST essential item should be every woman's favorite item... the little black dress. :) [sigh] So many styles, so many cuts, so many ways to accessorize! You can never go wrong with a little black dress!ny

Fall Equinox

Summer’s vivid and bright colors had a huge impact on the runway, in the stores, and on the streets. Some of the most eye-catching looks were one with the most light! Yes, neon colors lit up the runway in different electrifying shades of reds, pinks, blues, purples, and greens. Zesty yellows and citrus oranges covered the runways by some of the industry’s top designers like 3.1 Phillip Lim, Versace, Dior, Celine, and Posen.

Like many seasons before, we change color trends to very restrained and muted colors in the fall, mostly grays and burnt oranges, but ladies don’t worry about clearing your closet out yet! This fall the colors are going to be just as vibrant as the summer. An executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eisman says, “Fall is traditionally a time for subdued, quiet colors, but this season we are seeing a shift toward cool hues with bright, exciting undertones" (Pantone).

Fall’s top colors are reds, yellows, and purples. These bright colors from the summer look great paired with rich chocolates and black which help warm up this bright summer looks. Instead of letting summer go with a dreary frown let your wardrobe keep your smile vibrant a season!ny

The creators...

Saggy Jeans Designers
There are several designers that have incorporated the controversial trend of saggy jeans into their designs. Some of the designers that are most well-known for this trend include Rocawear’s, rapper gone entrepreneur, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, big brand ECKO, Sean Jean, and Russell Simmons’ Phat Farm.

Rocawear
Jay-z released his first album in 1996 and had his breakthrough in 1998. His story is definitely the rags to riches dream. Growing up in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NY, he has moved his status to elite executive of his very own record label, Ro-A-Fella records and Rocawear clothing.
Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, who launched Roc-A-Fella records wanted his business to spread into more than music, he wanted to incorporate fashion into his brand name. “Like Roc-A Fella Records, Rocawear quickly staked its claim in hip-hop history becoming the destination brand for street savvy consumers. Rocawear maintains a focus of providing clever innovation in fabrication, application and design to its customer. It has been the brand’s attention to detail that has pushed Rocawear’s appeal beyond its core urban customer. Ten years have passed since the genesis of The ROC and a dynasty now reigns” (Rocawear).
Jay-z has been in the public eye since his debut in 1996 and his hip-hop style has been duplicated and re-created ever since. The saggy jeans that are recognized from his early “Hard Knock Life” album have now been transferred into his own clothing line. Although it has been a decade since this trend was started, with the times changing and trends cycling loose fitting, saggy, baggy, or whatever you may call them jeans are still around. Kanye West and Pharrell Williams are great examples of the more modern fit of the saggy jean.

Phat Farm
The hip hop mongul Russell Simmons owner of the record label Def Jam, started Phat Farm in 1992. The label first retail store opened in New York a year later on Prince Street. When starting the line he had in mind to change the stereotypical thoughts about hip hop clothing in the hip hop community. Since his styles were derived from the street his clothing consisted of Baggy jeans, Shirts with the logo big on the front, and hoodies. Russell Simmons changed the stereotypes of sagging jeans and changed it from being a negative thing to it being a fashionable symbol.
In 2000 after Russell Simmons created a whole new vision on street clothing his former supermodel wife, started a Phat Farm line for women. Where she transformed the baggy look, to a whole new style for women but she still keeping it urban. The line included the all popular baby tees which caused a huge sensation in the fashion world.

ECKO
Symbolized by a Rhino, Ecko Unlimited is a brand for hip hop and urban clothing. Started in 1993 by Marc Ecko with a line of just 6 t-shirts, Ecko has grown into a lifestyle brand.
Marc Ecko began his artistic career as a graffiti artist in the New York area while still in college. Mark was beginning to get bored with the medium he used for his art, so he began to design handmade T-Shirts. Soon after the T-shirts became available Spike Lee and Chuck D began wearing Ecko’s designs.
The fashion brand embodies sports, music, and video games. Ecko has partnerships with Playboy, the NFL, the NCAA, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimi Hendrix, and Marvel Comics. Ecko’s lines include jeans, shirts, jackets, backpacks and has expanded to footwear, leather goods, gloves, and outerwear. Most recently Ecko has developed a cosmetics line, a magazine, and a children’s collection.

Sean John
Sean John Combs, also known as P.Diddy, Diddy, and Puff Daddy, is a successful rapper, record producer, fashion designer, and actor. He is a hip hop icon and one of the wealthiest celebrities in the United States. Sean Combs put his own mark in the fashion industry by introducing his clothing label, Sean John, in 1998. Sean John is a high-end urban fashion line that is targeted to trendy males ages 12-45.
The collection is separated into categories including Sean John, Bad Boy Sportswear, Sean John Tailored, and Sean John accessories. Each category in the collection reflects Combs own diverse and personal style. His various taste of style has been quite influential in the fashion industry and has been nominated for 5 years in a row for his designs by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) since 2000.
Since the early 1990’s, “saggy” or “baggy” jeans have become more fitted to an extent. The “old school” hip hop style has become “prep-hop” that features polo shirts, trucker hats, and fitted jeans. Sean John’s sportswear collection is an example of the prep-hop trend. Many of the jeans and sportswear could be considered somewhat saggy but it really depends on the person wearing the pants that decide how far down they want to sag and show their behind. Combs has been known for wearing saggy jeans in the past but over the years his own wardrobe has become more tailored and fitted.

Works Cited:
MarcEcko. About Us. 13 August 2008. http://www.shopecko.com/corp/index.jsp?clickid=about
Rocawear. About Us. 7 August 2008. http://www.rocawear.com/shop/aboutus.php
Phatfarm. 11 August 2008. http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/phatfarm
http://www.hoovers.com/sean-john/--ID__109178--/free-co-profile.xhtml
http://www.diddy.com/
http://seanjohn.com/main.html

When I grow up...

Elleria Couture
The first year for the Charlotte Fashion Week, September 18- 20 at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte NC, will be filled with new and upcoming fashion designers. This is a time for pretty much everyone to get some experience and network, network, NETWORK!

One of the designers showcasing her fashions this season will be Charlotte, NC native Arielle Parker Bergmann. I know very little about this young designer but I am already really excited to see her debut! On her website, http://www.elleiracouture.com/, you can find several images from her trendy new line that range from casual to chic.

After studying at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia she pursued her dream of becoming a fashion designer that she had since she was only 8 years old. Elevate Magazine, in the Fall of 2005, said that she “began mimicking the designs she saw on the shows [soap operas] and started creating fashions for her dolls.” Not only is she a women’s fashion designer, now, but she also spends her time teaching other design-dreamers what it takes to be heard in the industry.

I hope everyone is as excited about fashion week as I am! I know when I was 8 years old all I ever wanted to do was pretend I was hosting a fashion show for all my Barbies! :)ny

Future of Fashion Magazines

I am currently interning with an online publication, UCE Magazine. It is filled with Fashion, Design, and Culture! Check it out now while subscriptions are FREE!! I know you will love this magazine! Let me know what you think!

About:
“UCE Magazine is dedicated to bringing a richer lifestyle experience to the world through Fashion, Design and Culture. UCE Magazine connects with a young, well-educated, affluent audience that is abandoning traditional media. Our readers will click through the UCE Magazine environment recognizing all the brands they love and discovering new brands soon to be adored. UCE Magazine connects our techno-savvy reader to an immediate marketplace allowing readers the ability to purchase any featured or advertised product in a global marketplace with ONE CLICK.”

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Our FREEDOM issue is the brainchild of creatives from around the globe depicting the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints. Experience the work of DAMIEN VAN DER VLIST, ANDREA MASSARI, PETER JAWOROWSKI, LUDOVIC ANDRAL and more!
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