Month: May 2013

May 31, 2013

Fishy Business: Goldfish Swim in Handbags for Graduating Designer Cassandra Verity Green

So Central St. Martin had their annual fashion show to showcase the work of its graduating students. Designer Cassandra Verity Green decided to feature her ‘pet goldfish’ swimming in her handbags on the runway. Now that’s fishy business.

According to the Telegraph UK, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) absolutely does not approve of the use of living creatures on the catwalk. A spokeswoman for the organization stated: “While we understand that a graduate fashion show is about grabbing attention and headlines, we do have concerns that using a living creature to create a novel or unusual accessory encourages people to see them as replaceable ornaments, rather than living creatures in need of care and commitment.”

Now fashion is an art form and the runway features lots of fashion that never retails. Fashion always seems to strike a nerve, push boundaries and create controversy. But, isn’t that what fashion is supposed to do?

Whether Cassandra meant to retail her goldfish handbags or not, we must admit that it was a creative idea. It is the translation from runway to real way that the RSPCA is concerned with. But I think most of us want our handbags to accommodate items such as cell phones and lipstick, not goldfish.

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 30, 2013

The Consignment Bandwagon: I-Ella, Vintage Betsey Johnson Dress and Suzy Menkes

So after meeting Ella, founder of I-Ella.com, I decided to try the site and I love it! Who knew there were so many others that wear something once and never wear it again? We all have several items in our closet that probably have not seen the light of day for years! And it’s good stuff but either we just fell out of love with it, we’re over it because it had its “moment” or we just don’t go to enough cocktail or dinner parties. Whatever the reason, if you haven’t already, you should definitely jump on the consignment bandwagon. If you have nice designer pieces, why not get some cash instead of letting it sit in your closet for ages?

Suzy Menkes just recently announced that she will be auctioning her own private collection of goodies from Yves Saint Laurent to Christian Lacroix starting July 11 through Christie’s online. She admits that she hasn’t “thrown anything out of…[her]…wardrobe since 1964.” She continued saying “If I had a large open space in my home, I would dedicate it, like an art gallery, to my collection. But there is something sad about clothes laid in a tomb of trunks. They need to live again and this auction provides the opportunity for them to walk out in the sunshine, to dance the night away and to give someone else the joy that they gave to me.”

With that being said, check out I-Ella and my pink Betsey Johnson dress here.

Photo Credit: Jamie Nelson

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 29, 2013

Parlez-vous Français? Learning French on My Summer To-Do List

So now that summer is finally here and things slow down just a tad bit so that everyone can scurry to the Hamptons or that tropical island, I am setting a goal to learn just a tad bit of French. I already speak Spanish and they say that French should not be that tough as they are similar languages. With these lofty goals and some of this work that I am doing, no doubt, a tad bit of French will help.

I’ve had my eye on this beautiful green Python clutch from Lanvin that is not currently being shipped outside the EU. Fellow fashion lovers, these are the kinds of things that make you want to hop on a plane to France, right? Well, anyway, let’s see how much I can learn over the summer. Do you speak any languages?

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 28, 2013

Retail Fashion Truck on Wheels Post in Olena Fashion TV’s Magazine

Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend! Olena Fashion TV recently reached out to me to feature a guest post in their online Fashion Magazine. Check out my post First Food Trucks, Now Retail Fashion Trucks on Wheels? article in the online magazine here.

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 13, 2013

Summer is in the Air: Waves, Water and that Perfect Maxi Dress for a Hamptons Weekend

I was looking at some old Instagram photos of an amazing time I had on the beach last Memorial Day Weekend and decided to share a few. I just can’t wait for the weather to fully warm up in New York City and for a few Hamptons weekends. As an original native of Florida, I live for the beach (only the good ones though) and I adore cute summer sandals, hats, bikinis, maxi dresses and jumpers. As I finalize my summer plans and get out of these final exams at FIT, I am absolutely looking forward to summer this year!

Here’s an old painting of a beach wave that I did some time ago but I’m challenging myself to do better than that and get a bit more depth and contour in the wave and ocean water. As I said before, all of my artwork should be up on the blog before the summer is over.

Anyway, I love a good maxi dress for the summer and spotted some new ones recently that seem great for that Florida or Hamptons summer vacation weekend. Check out a few below from Tibi, Roberto Cavalli, and Diane von Furstenberg. See even more summer wear here.

Sincerely Yours,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 9, 2013

Will Anyone Ever Return to Sewing Their Own Clothing?

I was doing some research for a project on Twiggy and came across an amazing Prada advertisement in which she posed upside down in what was at that time, a brand new television (and probably a fascination). I started to think about the speed of production and delivery in this digital age and began to think back to the time when ready-to-wear was not as popular. My grandmother was a master seamstress and knew how to make gorgeous garments because back in those days, they would teach women “Home Economics” at school. The topics? Manners, sewing, cooking, and cleaning. We just might need a class like this again! But in any case, I thought to myself why didn’t I spend more time watching and learning from my grandmother in the sewing room?

And then I remembered. As a child, I was absolutely afraid of the needles that would pop out of her “strawberry” cushion and the speed to which the needle would pound the fabric on the sewing machine. Yes, I remember, I was terrified as a child! Now I look back and say, yes it could be very painful if you slip up with the needle but sewing is absolutely worth it. Why? Well, you can control your fabric choices, cost of production, quality and if you’re creative, you can design your own masterpiece.

That’s all well and good but let’s get real. How many of us have time in our daily lives to sew our own clothes for ourselves and our families? It’s so easy to shop ready-to-wear online, run to the store or buy off the street if you live in New York, so why sew? As I do all my homework in preparation for producing some of my own product, I ask myself if anyone will ever really sew again in the United States? And that, my friends, in the wake of an ever increasingly interdependent global economy, will remain a question to be answered.

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 8, 2013

Pratt Show 2013: Best Graduating Work in Art, Design and Fashion

So this week I attended the Pratt Design Show 2013 in midtown to view work from graduating students. Again, unfortunately, later that evening my electronics were stolen so I don’t have my own photos to share as usual, but I did grab some of the student’s photos and met several design students with great work. Here below are some of my favorites.

Came across a few cartoon illustrators with some outstanding and not-to-mention pretty funny stuff actually. Logan Fitzpatrick and Jenni Ng made me laugh with their funky illustrations.

In jewelry, I adored this necklace from Gabrielle Nicole Morris and loved work from Samantha Nania as well.

Necklace from Gabrielle Nicole Morris

And, lastly, the Pratt Graduating Fashion Show had some great looks. Take a look at some of my favorites on the runway from Emma Hastil, Madeline Gruen, Raya Kassisieh, Catherine Young, and Jefferson Musanda.

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

Photo Credit: Jesse Lirola of New York Magazine

May 6, 2013

A Wave Sketch: Studying Waves

So I’ve been studying waves as I want to use the ocean as inspiration for my next painting. The ocean and waves are not only gorgeous but give an automatically calming feeling.

Most of my artwork should be available for view by the end of this summer, so stay tuned.

Sincerely Yours,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 2, 2013

More Funky Street Style, Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s Exhibition Punk: Chaos to Couture

So I am so excited that this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s Exhibition entitled Punk: Chaos to Couture is all about punk and funky street style. I’ve blogged about funky street style almost all year; New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2013, Versace’s Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2013, and even created an amazing set of mix and match items for your every day (or night) funky street style. The punk and grunge look is what is now and if it’s not your style, you should try a piece or two and see what it feels like! If anything you can try a nice biker leather jacket or vest like the one I wore here.

I can’t wait to see what everyone wears at the Met Gala this coming May 6, ModaOperandi will be live streaming the red carpet at 7 PM. They are also giving our readers the opportunity to pre-order looks straight off the red carpet from Anthony Vacarello, Balmain, Delpozo, Rodarte, Nina Ricci and Wes Gordon on May 7. I will be live tweeting and running around the city as usual. Get excited and check out Exclusive Punk Collection, I’m kind of loving these mohawk headpieces and Hermes‘ attempt at the graffiti trend with their new Kelly bag. They even etched “New York City” on there for us locals and NYC lovers.

Yours Truly,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

May 1, 2013

How Socially Responsible is “Socially Responsible,” Really?

So, in light of recent events like 385 people dying in a poorly run Bangladesh factory collapse and the unrest that has resulted, I ask myself how socially responsible is socially responsible really?

Lots of manufacturing companies these days want to call themselves socially responsible but are they really? Now we all understand that everyone is in business to make a profit. Popular consensus is that being “socially responsible” or “green” doesn’t always mix with running a profitable company, but I would have to disagree. Arthur Caplan, chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s medical ethics department says that “fashion companies had better be pretty green and socially conscious, because they’re very much about image, …they’re selling products that induce guilt. Who needs all that high-end stuff? You’d better do what you can to make it guilt-free.”

Consumers and shoppers are becoming more and more educated, aware, and even skeptical of so-called “organic” anything or “green” companies. For this reason, it is imperative that companies create policies and stick to them. According to University of Missouri 2011 research, consumers are willing to pay an extra 15 to 20 percent for truly socially responsible or “green” products so it just may be in company’s best interests to change their practices.

Most of us have seen the issues that some companies have had with their consumption of water and fertilizer in cotton production, chemical processing at plants, airway and environmental pollution, worker safety problems like the disaster in Bangladesh, and fair wage and child labor exploitation. So what to do about it? When shopping in-store or online, check the label for where the product was manufactured, its fiber content and also look for the brand’s information on their code of conduct or social responsibility policy. Most companies employing socially responsible international policies publicize the information and post it on their websites such as J.Crew and the PPR Group (Gucci, Balenciaga, McQueen, etc).

Yours,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles