Accessories!

As long as there are clothes, they will be accessories. Accessories are ways one can individualize their outfit, and can be anything from pocketbooks, belts, scarf’s, tights, shoes, headbands, to jewelry (which is a category of its own). Accessories can be made or purchased. They make great presents because one doesn’t have to know your size to buy you a bag or necklace, plus accessories look fantastic on everyone and anyone!
Not only are accessories a fashion statement, it is a way to show one’s belief (peace sign), religion (cross, star of David), one’s social status (designer handbags), or marital status (wedding band). They also serve a purpose. A bag can be used to carry items, hats to keep warm, shoes (well that’s self explanatory), and headband to keep hair out of one’s eyes.
Handbags and shoes are the most popular accessories in my opinion. An average American can save up for an Armani handbag easier than an Armani suit. And you don’t have to be model thin to look great in a pair of stilettos! Accessories can make an outfit go from average to outstanding. An average women with a bland black skirt and white blouse can become a fashionista just by pairing it with the right heels, jewelry and clutch.
Accessories are aesthetically pleasing, complimentary to a woman’s body and most importantly fun; and every woman deserves to have a little fun in their lives!

picture courtesy of http://www.topnews.in/files/fashionassry.JPG

Challenges in Retail

Over the past decade I have noticed that the apparel retail industry is facing turmoil. I say this because overall our economy is experiencing a recession and money is tight for the average shopper. After working at Macy’s for five years, I have observed a decrease in brand names such as Calvin Klein, and DKNY. Macy’s, like other large department stores, have “coupon specials” almost every weekend, brands such as Calvin Klein and DKNY are excluded from coupon use which accounts for part of why they is a decrease in their names . Private labels such as Charter Club have risen in sales at Macy’s because people believe they are saving more by using a shopping pass. These shopping-pass-coupons are sadly the only way department stores are keeping their head above water (barely may I add). Another challenge that department stores are facing is reestablishing a market. When one thinks about a department store, an image of an old lady being waited on hand and foot usually comes to mind. I know when Hecht’s turned in Macy’s, we had problems distinguishing the difference between Hecht’s (target customers were usually older) and Macy’s (a more hip younger market). It is hard to separate these old ideas of what department stores are now. I fear if the economy doesn’t improve, or a well established market is formed, the extinction of department stores will become a reality. That will be a sad day for me; where else can you buy cosmetics, shoes, clothing and accessories in one store?
On the flip side, discount retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target are experiencing an increase in apparel sales. I remember in the late 90’s, store brands such as The Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch were booming in sales. It may be the fact that I am getting older, thus growing out of the teenage target market, but I have observed a decline in these store brands because people believe they can get these clothes cheaper at off-price retailers such as T.J.Maxx and Marshall’s. Hopefully these challenges will be addressed soon, because I believe that this will put a damper on the fashion world as a whole. Who wants to get their outfits and their groceries at the same time at the Super Wal-Mart? Not me.

brutal sweatshops

About the first week of class Professor Sanghvi mentioned sweatshops to our class. Now, I know that I can be naïve, but I really didn’t know that this type of inhumane act is still practiced around the world, let alone in America! As a person that strongly believes in fair and equal treatment among all humans, I instantly had a passionate opinion about the use of sweatshops. They should not be tolerated!
Now, one might ask me, “if you are in retailing, don’t you want to have clothes made cheaply?” There are people who try to justify this inhumane treatment of people by saying “In developing countries sweatshop workers are paid enough to survive! They should be thanking us for their job!” Well, my answers to those question is yes, I am in retailing and yes, I do have a passion for fashion, but not at the expense of poor women being sexually harassed in a hot, unairconditioned factory, and forced to wear diapers because they have no bathroom breaks. I believe in being successful without having to step on people to get there. My success should not be done at someone else’s expense.
My definition of success is owning my own boutique, with one of a kind pieces, that were hand made by a designer that has a passion for making unique garments. I do not want to own a boutique that sells a major label because otherwise, it immediately is in competition with a large department store. Therefore, for my boutique, there will be no need for sweatshops. As an owner who controls the inventory, I will refuse to sell ready-to-wear, dime a dozen, cheap clothes. It will definitely take more than six seconds to make a garment that will be part of my boutique!
My conclusion is that sweatshops are inhumane, unnecessary and should be shut down But for this to happen, people must take a stand and not use sweatshops, or buy from stores or lines that use sweatshops. People must start thinking beyond their own pocketbook. By buying sweatshop items, we are directly contributing to the injustice of these shops. Plus, right now people are very concerned about our economy. Wouldn’t it help solve part of the problem of increasing unemployment if the sweatshop jobs were bought back to the United States? I believe that the question of whether sweatshops are good or bad boils down to this: money and greed vs. fairness and righteous.

picture from xanga.com

fashion: art or usability

In some cultures, people don’t wear clothes at all while in other cultures, people wear clothes out of necessity. In western culture, clothes have gone from being a necessity into being an art form, through which one can describe and express their feelings. One can easily tell the mood of the person, or their personality, by observing their clothes. In this case, clothes would be considered an art form. Fashion, in this case, is an art form.
In our society, it is unacceptable for people today to not wear clothes, and in act, one would be arrested if they were to show public nudity. Also, clothes are worn for protection from the weather, environment, or bad spirits. Furthermore, clothes are worn as recognition of authority or religious purposes. In these cases, clothes would be used as an utility.
According to Wikipedia, “art is the process or product of deliberately and creatively arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions, especially beauty.” Fashion design is all about arranging elements (fabrics) in a way that is appealing. We especially like to appeal to a person’s senses and emotions, and in the end, we want to hear that each design is beautiful. When one puts on clothes with the intent to make others see the beauty in the outfit, clothes, by definition, becomes an art form.
In the Milan fashion show for the spring/summer 09’, I feel that fashion was used as art. Of course, one could use the clothes as a utility, but the clothes were designed as an expression of feelings, therefore making the fashions an art form. I believe that if one dresses themselves with the intention to make a statement, or an expression of one‘s feelings, it is a art. If one gets dressed with no intention of making any kind of statement, then it is just clothes, just a utility. So I guess that in the end, art truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Picture from style.com

what inspires me

There are many different triggers that inspire me to create, buy or wear certain fashions. Music is a tremendous inspiration to me. I usually listen to classic rock, so clothes with lots of layers and a long necklace with bell bottoms and flowing blouses come to mind. When I listen to classical music, long evening dresses with strappy shoes and elegant earrings that dangle just a bit are formatted in my head. And when I listen to jazz, cocktail dresses, cocktail rings and stilettos is the outfit I create.

Another thing that inspires me are vintage photographers. My favorite is Horst P. Horst (who was b.f.f. with Cocoa Channel btw). The way he understood the female body and photographed it, while keeping the body’s total femininity is amazing. I love that his black and white photographs are so simple, yet they have such a deep meaning to them. When I view these photographs, glamour immediately becomes my inspiration. I think of Billie Holliday or Marilyn Monroe in the 50’s. The glamour images in my head are truly magnificent with short sequined dresses, high heels, diamond stud earrings, short curly hair and red lipstick.

I am also inspired by nature. Natural colors are so bright and vivid. I love the fall (maybe because I am a Virgo?) because when the leaves change colors, that is a true inspiration! The fiery colors and the cool, crisp sky bring warm bulky sweaters worn with a favorite pair of jeans and boots to my mind. Flowers are also a inspiration to me. Not only are the shapes intriguing, the colors are too. They set a great foundation for a color pallet. When I see colorful flowers, I think of summer dresses using not only the color but the shape of the flower.

There are many inspirations all around us daily. One just needs to take the time to stop, look around and appreciate the diversity of the landscape. Every object has its own shape and color, and that alone is enough to inspire.


The Beatles picture courtesy bringbackglam.com
Horst P Hosrt photo courtesy art.net
Flower picture courtesy flickr.com

Eastern Styles: A Influential Factor

Eastern styles have had a tremendous impact on the western fashion. In fact, ethnic style have played a vital role in fashion around the world. Since North America makes up only about 10% of the world’s population, it would be almost impossible not to be influenced by other cultures. Isn’t that what America is, a mixture of cultures anyway? Ethnic styles have molded fashion into what it is today. One can’t look through a magazine or watch television without seeing this obvious trend. In recent years, celebrities have popularized this style. Famous fashion icons, such as Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Kate Moss, and many more, are have led the way in wearing ethnic apparel.
Jewelry in particular has been heavily influenced by Eastern fashion. Chandelier earrings are influenced by India. Long necklaces popularized the “bohemian” style that was so popular a few years back. Bangles were originally seen in Northern Africa, Japan, China, and South America, to name a few. Other accessories such a berets, scarves and cameo pendant’s originated in England.

Dresses that are influenced by Kente cloth are popular (from Africa), along with the safari fad. Madonna brought the Kimono dress to the states (Japanese). Tunics are a classic style from middle eastern countries and Gwen Stefani was often seen wearing this flattering style while pregnant. A very popular style recently is the one shoulder dress which comes from ancient Greece. Deep eyeliner and dark brown hair with short bangs is influenced by ancient Egypt and popularized by Elizabeth Taylor.
Styles have blended over the years, and styles from Africa and Asia have had a major impact on the styles we see now. They have made eastern styles more interesting and exciting.

Fashion Week Trends

Fashion week is so exciting for everyone, especially people who enjoy seeing the fashions that will shape the next year! This week is the time of year that all the fashion gurus come together to show off their ingenious fashion collections. Since there is so much creative talent in the fashion design field, fashion week features an array of brilliant trends.
One of my favorite trends, which caught my eye, was the romantic, whimsical-goddess like dresses. This trend is built around flowing draped fabric, predominately in muted earth toned, luster fabrics. Loose fitted and not curve hugging, these dresses are airy and forgiving as well! Often sleeveless or sometimes baring one shoulder, the movement of this dress is ideal on a breezy spring day. Off set by big, clunky shoes, this whole look keeps the eye interested in the entire ensemble, making it truly interesting.
Another trend that I admired was the more fitted, boxy dresses. The print is often full of geometric shapes in a black and white colored palette. I love how this look is very sophisticated and classy. One could wear this look to work, and later to a evening event. The look is completed with a pair of chunky platforms. I can image any woman feeling confident and powerful wearing this style.
The last trend I chose was the eccentrically cut dresses. This is by far the most interesting style of them all! It is peppy and fun, with all sorts of citrus colors. It reminds me of a bowl of fruit. This look is also paired with big chunky shoes, and I love the modern play of trimming, very 70’s.
Fashion week gives the world a view of the new styles. The designers show their creativity and their many talents, and in return, the world, which includes fashion students, get to dream of the day that their design is on the runway. Wow, what a dream!

Be Fashionable: Go Green!

Living Green and sustainability are buzz words that are heard often these days. When one thinks about these terms, we tend to think of building a building that requires less energy to heat or cool, or recycling or eating organic food. But, these concepts go far beyond those ideas and have even reached into the fashion industry. Environmentally friendly clothes are increasingly becoming more popular, and the designers of these clothes are making sure that they are keeping up with the fashion trends.
What are environmentally friendly clothes or organic clothing? Clothes that are made from plants, such as cotton, that have been grown organically or in other words, without the use of pesticides and herbicides. While in the past there were only a few companies that carried an environmentally friendly line of clothes, it is becoming more and more popular. Going beyond the thought that environmentally friendly clothes make our world a better place, another reason to wear organic clothes is because they do not contain chemicals that cause some people to react negatively to non-organic clothes.
Even designers are taking a step in the more eco-friendly direction. Some designers, such as Stella McCartney, have designed and produced organic clothing since they started their fashion lines. Even big stars, such as Natalie Portman (who has started her own vegan line of shoes) and Alicia Silverstone have made a point to only wear organic clothing, thus starting a new trend in Hollywood.
Today the environment is no longer about politics. The younger generation is becoming passionate about recycling and being environmentally friendly. It is hard to go anywhere these days without seeing a young adult wearing a shirt bearing the words “green is the new black.” And, I personally feel that we are heading in the right direction.

Betsey Johnson Leads the Way

In such a competitive and talented industry of fashion design, it is hard to choose my absolute favorite designer. I thought about many of the talented designers for a while, and I kept coming back to one. This designer is a role model, creative beyond imagination, and her passion for fashion has inspired me for years. So for many reasons, Betsey Johnson rose to the top of my favorites list.

Betsey Johnson is a very unique designer in many ways. Her designs are youthful, vibrant, girly, flirty, and most importantly fun. In a world of fashion, designers often are flakey, but Betsey has remained true to her one-of-a-kind style. Her trade marks include bows, horse shoes, roses, leopard print, and of course her favorite color, hot pink. Viewing her collection, one would never imagine this designer as a grandmother in her mid 60’s! She truly has a young spirit, which is probably one of the reasons she has become so successful. She always manages to change with the times, and has often left me wondering how she keeps coming up with new design without repeating herself, or becoming bland and dull.

As a survivor of breast cancer, Betsey has participated in many charities, and auctioned off one-of-a-kind items to raise funds for breast cancer, along with other various charities. Therefore, I admire Betsey not only as a leader in the design industry, but also as a strong, independent woman who is family oriented.