Green Campaign Takes Fashion World By Storm May 21, 2009

Have you ever wanted to be a recycling bin? Given today’s new green fashion movement you will now you have that opportunity, and you don’t even have to be bright green or blue. This innovative fashion movement has been in the works since the mid 2005. The cause started out smaller, with large fashion houses creating one eco-friendly item of clothing at a time. in 2006, a Vogue writer reported soy sweaters that were being produced. 

 

The “green campaign,” often thought to be a clever marketing campaign dreamt up by the marketing departments of large retail stores. Consumers really like the idea of a green fashion industry. Not only does this movement effect the environmental affect that a certain material has on the environment, but it becomes truly “eco-friendly” when it affects all of the aspects that go into making an item of clothing. 

This means not only the materials used, but the labor that goes into constructing the materials. In an article about a flagship green clothing line at Barney’s, when asked what sets this eco-friendly movement apart from mainstream clothing production, the response was described as making “environmental, ethical and even social considerations weaved into the design of each piece.”

One such brand, Rogan, produced by Rogan Gregory, is said to be the fashion response to the “Save Our Colored Brother Campaign.” One of Gregory’s items from this line that is currently at Barney’s has flown off the racks and been in incredible high demand. All of the materials used to produced the sweater are entirely natural. Yarn is made from hand-spun fur or wild Alpaca’s. No dye is used, the black and whit shades are completely natural. 

 

The green campaign is not something that is being limited exclusively to a certain age group either, even our newest generations are being inducted into it. Retailers such as Egiggle.com and Apple Seed, sell organic and environmentally friendly baby blankets, onesies, and other items. Even Wal-Mart has picked up on this trend and is producing a line of organic cotton clothing for infants.

The problem with this movement begins with the fact that there are no real regulations on claiming your self to be under the green campaign. Any designer or retailer could consider themselves eco-friendly even if they do so much as recycle in their office. Banana Republic has a similar issue recently. They brought our a line that had eco-friendly tags on the items of clothing, but nothing about the clothes themselves was actually any more environmentally friendly. However, the campaign was misleading.

“Green” apparel is no longer limited to just t-shirts, but designers are proving that basically any item can be produced in an environmentally protective manner. Vans has come out with a sneaker that is made of bamboo. Plank Designs, a yoga and fitness company, is producing a recyclable yoga mat.  Some designers like Claudia Garzesi, are not only using recycled materials, but showing them off as well. For instance her brooches made of recycled aluminum soda cans would be the focal point to any outfit. 

The green campaign made an appearance on the runways during Fashion Week in New York. The term being used during Fashion Week was EcoChic. Clothing lines that were seen on runways had all different sorts of ecologically friendly aspects to their clothing. Some items would have a small part that was particularly environmentally friendly, while others would have drastic measures taken for the good of our planet. Carmen Marc Valvo created an evening dress that was made with all-natural dyes. Ralph Rucci had created a recycled cardigan that was a huge hit. 

Some designers have sprung up with the sole purpose of being a clothing company that provides wonderful clothing with good materials. One such company is Nimli, based in New York City. Nimli showcases designer who use natural and organic materials in their clothing. Through this online clothing story, it is the hope of Nimli’s owner, Rajat Arora, that those who shop here will in turn begin to live a more green lifestyle overall.

Blogs about eco-friendly fashion are popping up all over the place. Here is a link to what is considered to be the Top 10 Green Fashion Blogs. 

It seems that everyone is jumping on the green bandwagon, the infamous fashion magazine, Vogue, devoted their entire June issue as being a green issue. Cameron Diaz was feature on the front surrounded by entirely green lettering on the front. Vogue editors made the effort to truly try some true green designers such as Hessntur and Del Forte Denim, as well as high-end labels with eco-friendly twists and accents.

Popular \”Green Boutiques\” Through the United States

To Fake or Not to Bake, That is the Question May 21, 2009

It is that time of year again and people all of the country are getting swept up in swimsuit season. The warner the weather gets the more people concentrate on exactly how they will obtain that perfectly tanned body.

The celebrities of today are showing up with a healthy glow all over the place. Thus causing the average American to desire the same bronzed skin.

The negative side effects of tanning beds are widely known. However, this rarely stops people from flocking to them throughout all months of the year to get a tan. Many people, willing to take these risks, continue to tan, ignoring the evident dangers. 

Celebrities are turning to alternative tanning methods to protect themselves but not entirely sacrifice that golden goddess appearance. When it comes to getting a “real” sunless tan, there are several steps involved. The first step is a spray tan that actually accentuates muscles and gives the illusion that you are more in shape than you actually are. 

One such tanning salon, where you can obtain these luxurious services is Infinity Sun in Beverly Hills, California. They have many high-profile clients who often come in for this short three minute tanning procedure.

According to expert tanning specialist, Coco, it is possible to create a healthy glow as well as create a toned or chiseled look to muscles, without clients actually ever setting foot in a gym. Some of Coco’s celebrity clients include: Eva Longoria and Lara Flynn Boyle.

 

One trick that Infinity Sun says has lead to their success is the fact that their clients undergo an extensive exfoliation prior to being sprayed. This allows the pores to open and the dead skin to be removed to keep the part of the skin that is being sprayed from flaking right off.

Tanning salons like Infinity Sun have made a great deal of profit off of eager customers who are willing to pay for a healthy alternative to skin damaging tanning beds. The real dangers of tanning beds have frightened customers into looking into all types of alternatives as well as creating a new product for those in the tanning business.

Project Runway. . . Or Should We Call it “Project RunAway” May 5, 2009

The tug-of-war over which network will host the infamous Project Runway is now over. The television show that gives young models the chance at a big time modeling career. The host of the show, supermodel Heidi Klum, will be moving with the show to Lifetime network starting August 20th this fall. 

Other than the major change of networks from Bravo to Lifetime, the show will also take place t a new design school. The show will jump across the country from east coast to west coast, from Parsons the School for Design in New York City to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. 

The producers of the show have expressed great enthusiasm about the sixth season of the show. Recently they have let on likely guests on the show, such as Tiki Barber, Victoria Beckham, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez and Lindsay Lohan, all will appear as judges during this coming season.

Tension began to grow in regard to Project Runway in April of last year, when it was announced that the hot show would no longer be appearing on its longtime home network. A writer for Entertainment Weekly, Missy Schwartz, explained to an anchor on the Early Show, the legal drama that was occurring last spring, around the same time of the finale for the show of season five.

 

The legal issues begun when the Weinstein Company decided to take the show to a different network. The Weinstein Company’s parent company, NBC Universal, then took legal action, accusing their sub company of breaking contract. The Weinstein company then turned around to sue Bravo (the network that the show appeared on until season five) of not properly promoting the show for the last season that it appeared on their network. In the end, Lifetime also ended up filing a lawsuit as well.

 

Finally, after long deliberation, the final ruling has finally been made that the show will appear on Lifetime for the first time this coming summer. After nearly a year, fan’s of the fashion show can put their minds at ease and enjoy a summer of fashion.

First Lady is First in Fashion April 3, 2009

This January our nation not only gained a new Commander in Chief but also a new fashion icon, ironically both under the same roof. The new first family has proven to be incredibly intriguing to the American public. One of the things that is drawing in the female demographic is the tasteful and elegant fashion sense of Michelle Obama. 

According to the Chicago Tribune, First Lady Michelle Obama is considered to be included in a rather exclusive group of fashionable women in politics, alongside Princess Diana, Jaqueline Kennedy, and Carla Bruni.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The First Lady has been seen wearing several unique and special pieces, however the piece that has attracted the most attention, aside from her white inaugural dress, is the Junya Watanabe sweater that she wore to the Royal Opera House during her recent European excursion. The sweater is asymmetrical and has a unique button pattern.

For the first time in years we are seeing not only a young family in the White House, but what seems to be a First Family that the American public actually consider celebrities. One of American’s current fashion icons, also currently resides in the White House. This is a trend that we have not seen since Jaqueline Kennedy. One of Jackie’s biggest fashion advocates and favorite fashion designers, Valentino, believes the Michelle Obama will fit nicely into the shoes of Jackie O. After the screening of the new documentary chronicling his life, he advised that in time, Michelle Obama will develop the same elegance, poise and fashion finesse that Jackie was famous for, however the new First Lady will do it with her own classic style.

Metal Replaces Skin on Runway March 30, 2009

How would you feel knowing that scientist can now replace you with a robot? For runway models this is coming to be a very real situation. For the first time ever, a runway model in the form of plastic and metal will grace the Fashion Week stage as the first-ever robot model in Tokyo.

Engineers have now enabled this female robot with the capabilities to make certain facial expressions and react to different stimuli. However, her overall appearance was modeled after an “average” Japanese woman. The AIST group shared that creating mechanical parts that were small enough and shaped properly to resemble the female form was the most challenging aspect of the entire project. 

Although this great unveiling has cause quite a stir, for today’s runway models, these robots pose no real threat to those already thriving in the modeling industry. 

The HRP-4C robot was unveiled only a week from the start of Fashion Week. The robot has assumed a female role and has been scaled down to 95 lbs. in order to take on the appearance of an actual model. Although she may seem to resemble humans in form, she has not be approved for safety standards in order to be incorporated in fashion shows along side human models. 

The group who funded this project and has been responsible for most of the innovation behind it, is the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. AIST hope to work towards the development of eyes, hair and other facial features that could help to personalize and humanize the robots. This could potentially add another $2 million to this project.

 

According to the designers of the HRP-4C, this cutting edge robot was dreamt up with the intention of use in everyday chores and eventually to be featured in amusement parks.

In other areas of Japan, they have configured and tested other robots for use as receptionists. These robots from the Tokyo University of Science and Hiroshi Ishiguro at Osaka University have more human-like features than those featured in Japan’s fashion week.

Fake Fun on Canal Street March 5, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing major things that makes high fashion and designers so highly desired is their exclusivity. In New York City, there is a street where dreams of designer handbags come true, and they come cheap. Welcome to Canal Street in Chinatown, the wonderland of the young and the fashionable. 

Women flock from all around the country for these oh-so-authentic looking designer accessories and are often willing to go into the deepest, darkest corners of Chinatown to get them for a low price.

For some New Yorkers, this fake purse frenzy has gotten to the point where whether or not you carry a real or fake designer bag doesn’t matter because the knockoffs are so accessible all around the city. One woman in Chinatown opted to return her $1,1000 authentic Louis Vuitton Handbag for a cheaper yet almost identical counterfeit purse. Why splurge on the real thing if you can get its twin for a fraction of the cost?

New York City police, however, are cracking down on counterfeit purse and accessory sales in the Canal Street area. Vendors are having to be more secretive and more strategic in their purse sales. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD officers recently raided a building in Chinatown, shutting down the entire block, and scaring fake purse vendors for all of the surrounding blocks. The raid uncovered almost $1 million dollars in counterfeit goods. The three landlords of the building are currently being prosecuted. 

Designers such as Louis Vuitton are taking matter into their own hands and cracking down on the sale of counterfeit goods with their products. Louis Vuitton is working with certain landlords on Canal Street. These landlords will post visible signs explaining that the building may house vendors that sell fake merchandise. In addition to this, regular searches will be done of the property of the vendors in these buildings.

New Meaning to “An American in Paris” March 5, 2009

Imagine going from growing up as an all American girl, being raised in St. Louis to the head of the world’s largest and most intriguing fashion house. For one such woman this is a reality.

Maureen Chiquet, the new worldwide CEO of Chanel is living that dream. Previously the executive vice president of Old Navy, she was a surprising choice for the position being that she is an American heading up an infamously French fashion house. As the vice president of Old Navy, Chiquet completely transformed the size of the chain from 35 to 850 stores over the period that she worked there.

Before her days as the vice president at Old Navy, Chiquet was a film and theater student at Yale University, and was very highly regarded by her peers there. Right out of college she took a position in Paris at L’Oreal, and quickly advanced from intern to brand manager. Chiquet then went on to advance in Gap and then become the head of the Banana Republic. In 2003 she moved over to Chanel and worked her way up the corporate ladder. 

Chiquet’s company philosophy for Chanel is to increase exclusivity and decrease the ease at which just anyone can obtain haute couture. She said, “Let’s not be thinking about how big we can make this, but how exclusive and special you can keep it.” This mentality is a reflection of the idea of what Chanel should be as dreamed up by it’s founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. 

One thing that has given Chiquet a particular edge at Chanel is her ability to see out from both sides of the counter. She has been a Chanel consumer for sometime and is now able to see it from the retailers perspective as well. Maureen Chiquet is a nontraditional yet completely perfect choice for this position, as she has already done amazing things with one of the world’s leading houses of fashion.

Strategic Fashion 101 February 17, 2009

In today’s fashion world there exists a wide array of fashion styles, designers and budgets within all of these categories. It is not easy to look effortlessly fabulous on a budget. However, the secret is to master the staple wardrobe items. There are several items each girl must have in her wardrobe. With these items you will be set and ready to look amazing everyday.

Each day when you step outside your door you have the chance to make a first impression based simply on what you are wearing. The first time you meet someone you have mere seconds to determine what you think of them before any words even come out of their mouth. What are they wearing? And not only what are they wearing, but how do they wear it? In a world that is so materialistic and artificial, it is easy to focus only on someone’s appearance, and forget what they are truly like on the inside. While it is unbelievably important to remember that the your true beauty is measured by virtue and not appearance, you should not entirely forget to take care of what is on the outside as well.

The way someone dresses and carries themselves says a lot about who they are and what they think of themselves. The way you dress is your way of presenting yourself to the world, to those whom you will see but not necessarily meet. So remember, when you wake up and dress this morning, that you can say so much by what you put on your body, do not cut yourself short, but maximize your full outer potential.

Hello world! February 17, 2009

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