The Chanel quote appeared on Canadian designer David Dixon’s page. The French icon’s fashion advice and style tips for women are timeless and it seems impossible to argue with her point of view here!
The Fashion Spot posted this picture of the new Chanel hula hoop bag, a fine example of useless design. Karl Lagerfeld argues his creative bag is very functional: he intends for you to stick it in the sand at the beach and hang your towel over it! No wonder the best fashion blogs agree that a sandy beach and Chanel price tags do not go together.
A family member’s recent gift to my 12-year-old daughter sparked a conversation about age-appropriate clothing choices. A pair of leopard print underwear opened the door to a discussion about why animal prints are not always appropriate for children.
Just a few days later, outrage over Elizabeth Hurley’s line of bikinis for little girls broke in the news, with the leopard print pattern the biggest point of contention. Check out the video for an expert account of why you’ll want to think twice about putting your preteen or early teen daughter in animal prints or high heels.
Nathalie-Roze & Co. reported on Facebook today that independent Toronto boutique, Pho Pa, is closing its doors. She wrote: Stellar indie boutique Pho Pa has closed, after several years on Queen St. West. This is disheartening. The shop’s fiercely stylish owner/curator (Alexia Lewis) was one of the first retailers to really take Canadian fashion seriously. She’s long supported emerging local talent & gave it legit cachet. RIP Pho Pa. ♥
My sister and I used to have fun shopping at Pho Pa. You could find unique pieces that were practical yet quirky enough to make you feel like an individual, at very reasonable price tags. My sis and I have disparate styles yet both of us found what we were looking for at Pho Pa. The customer service was stellar, too, with the staff taking a vested interest in styling you and making sure you “understood” the clothing.
There’s something about an independent boutique you can’t get at the mall – styling services by the owner and founder, for instance. Maybe Alexia Lewis described you when she told BlogTO about her ideal customer: “They’ve grown up at shopping malls or making their own clothes and are sick and tired of both. They’re frustrated. Not rich. Not blenders. They just want their clothing to show who they are.”
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Vera Wang needs little introduction in the world of fashion. A native New Yorker, the iconic designer has spent her lifetime at the forefront of the industry. Well known for being the youngest ever Vogue fashion editor at the age of 23, Vera Wang is now best loved for her nonchalant approach to style and luxury. Her beautiful designer gowns have dressed some of the world’s most influential women on their wedding day including Victoria Beckham, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lopez.
While many brides aspire to wear a Vera Wang dress on their wedding day, few can afford the designer price tag. However thanks to a collaboration between the iconic designer and Interflora, the flower experts, label loving brides everywhere can now own a piece of bridal couture on their big day- in the shape of beautiful, designer wedding flowers.
Only available through selected Interflora florists from 1st October 2012, by making an appointment for a private consultation with your Vera Wang specialty florist, Interflora intends to create a personalised experience for brides-to-be. Each of the accredited Interflora florists will have expert knowledge of the Vera Wang brand and be able to interpret the bride’s own thoughts, colour themes and ideas into the final designs – an unforgettable couture consultation unique to each bride.
To find your local Vera Wang accredited florist or view the online inspiration gallery, visit the Interflora website.
Sally Guyer, owner of the Cambridge Raincoat Company, explains the idea behind her range of fashion rainwear for people who ride upright bicycles. She subscribes to Vivienne Westwood’s philosophy: “Buy less, choose well, and make it last.”
The raincoats are made in the UK to very high standards and made to last which is better for both the consumer and the environment. Concern for the environment is integral to the brand.
You may have read the post here on the Barney’s New York rep who convinced Disney to alter its characters’ silhouettes for a holiday campaign. He said designer clothing would not look good on the original characters unless they were super skinny and tall.
Besides insulting the vast majority of its clientele, Barney’s line of thinking is outmoded and has been proven by sound research to be bad for business.
Elena Miro’s For.Me collection which showed at Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday challenges the idea that only super slender types are qualified to walk couture runways. Thanks to 12+ UK Model Management for the pics (that’s US size 8).
You’ve probably read about Disney’s collaboration with Barney’s New York in which its characters are rendered unrecognizable in an attempt to couture-ize them for the high fashion market. After reading the well-considered rebuke from the Academy of Eating Disorders provided by Ashley at Nourishing the Soul, I have to ask: “What was Disney thinking?”
Disney made the change to their iconic figures after a Barney’s rep said their original forms would not look good in designer clothing.
Disney might be excused for being out of the loop when it comes to fashion and body image discussion, but does Barney’s not keep up with the most mainstream fashion news including Vogue’s manifesto to clean up its body image messaging and Ben Barry’s latest research that women intend to purchase more when the model looks more like them?
How many of its own clientele is Barney’s insulting by saying designer clothing only looks good on ultra-tall super-slender body types?
The ridiculous assertion that only a certain body type is qualified to model designer clothing because it “hangs better” (let’s call it the draping philosophy) is completely outmoded and has been thoroughly debunked at this point.
If you are a mother, you have the best reason to seethe at this offensive ad campaign…your children. As AED states in its release:
Viewership of such images is associated with low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction in young girls and women, placing them at risk for development of body image disturbances and eating disorders. These conditions can have devastating psychological as well as medical consequences. [Barney's] campaign runs counter to efforts across the globe to improve both the health of runway models and the representation of body image by the fashion industry.
Love to hear your thoughts.
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The significance of prom has risen exponentially over the past few decades. For many students, it is the most important night of their entire high school career. Since the dance is exclusive to seniors, underclassmen are only allowed to attend if they receive an invite. Thus, girls begin envisioning their perfect prom dress long before they are seniors.
The definition of a perfect prom dress has changed dramatically in the past two decades. The days of a big princess dress with a demure sweetheart neckline are long gone. The taffeta gowns with puff sleeves of the 80s are a source of much ridicule today. Fortunately, dresses became less elaborate in the following decade when girls began imitating debutantes. Modest A-Line gowns with long gloves became popular in the early 90s. The trend toward wearing revealing dresses began in the late 90s with front slits.
As a new century began, the slits became higher. Fashion trends shifted from formal and modest to simple and revealing. And with access to the World Wide Web, came more exposure to celebrities and fashion. Girls could now find out exactly what their favorite celebrities were wearing and mimic them. They want to look like Angelina Jolie, not Cinderella. That means wearing dresses that are glamorous enough for the red carpet. A quick online search for prom dresses will show results featuring dresses with thigh-high slits, plunging necklines and sexy cutouts. Since the styles are less formal, short prom dresses are also rising in popularity. The fabric of the dresses have also changed. Fabrics such as jersey, charmeuse and chiffon are now preferable to taffeta and satin. Girls are also more willing to try new trends such as animal prints, florals and brocade.
These dramatic changes have forced school administrators to create guidelines for prom attire. Many schools do not allow revealing dresses and there have been controversies with students who have been banned from their proms. But fashion is cyclical and demure dresses could become trendy once again. Twenty years from now, high school girls may be clamoring to wear taffeta princess gowns.
