Grunge. Graffiti. The 1990s. and Chanel? Really. Yes, Chanel has again jumped on the graffiti bandwagon for Spring 2014. It’s an interesting play on colors but for $3400? Label whores who do anything for a label might easily fork over the money for this but I would say if you really want a backpack like this, do it yourself. Make a fun art project out of this at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the creativity, colors and grunginess of it all but I just can’t get with the pricepoint. After seeing those Chanel boots from the F/W 2013 show, I am just not enthralled with the graffiti backpack. Are we wearing backpacks these days anymore anyway?
My random fashion thought for 2013. So what year do you predict plus-size fashion will be considered somewhat mainstream fashion? 2040? 2050?
On the heels of 2014 and another year passed, I reflected today on what will be the future of the fashion industry. Online trade shows, market weeks and incoming fashion for ‘curvy’ women? This year Paris held its first plus-size fashion week, Pulp Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week debuted its first plus-size collection from Eden Miller. It felt like a small victory for the curves in the world and was kind of a ‘new’ thing for NYFW. So, when will plus-size fashion be considered mainstream? When will designers go up in size and possible have spin-off ‘curvy’ collections just as they do petite? I mean, the averageAmerican woman is a size 14 and many women complain about not being able to find fashionable clothing appropriate for their size.
This is quite the opportunity. But, as designers, are we really thinking about how a fabric might drape from a curvy arm or leg? If you read my Sketch Model Wasnt Skinny Enough post, you definitely saw that most of us fashion students aren’t trained to think about the plus size woman (or average American size)! It’s quite possibly insane but from the looks of it, the industry is starting to make some strides to change. So, I ask again, what year do you think we’ll see ‘plus-size’ as simply ‘average’ size?
So this week Kanye West gave Kim Kardashian a George Condo hand-painted Hermes Birkin bag for Christmas and Kim showed it off on a shopping trip. Condo did the artwork for my favorite Kanye album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. June Ambrose photoshopped a photo of her with a George Condo painted Birkin on Instagram to generate chatter. Needless to say the art world has officially infiltrated fashion. And, well, although I like the provocative artwork on Kanye’s album cover, I can’t say the same about the Birkins. It just doesn’t do it for me. What do you think?
Looking fashionable when it’s really cold outside isn’t always the easiest thing to do. I’m not the biggest fan of old man winter but it’s definitely here! This tweed and lace grey wool Dolce & Gabbana shift dress is one of the most fashionable work wear items I’ve seen in a while. This could be perfect for a day at the office and a spontaneous afterwork get together. Either way, I love it for the winter. Check it out here.
So Lady Gaga’s new album ARTPOP recently came out and I’m curious to know why she named her album ARTPOP. In any case, I’m loving the references to traditional artwork and her recent fashion (or shall I say costumes?).Anyway, Gaga has always pushed the boundaries and with the world’s first flying dress, she has now made history.
From her meat dress to futuristic costumes, Gaga is shifting the paradigm on what we think is wearable. And it seems like either Marc Jacobs and the Gaga team had a chat before the Louis Vuitton Spring 2014 Show or Louis Vuitton simply took some inspiration from Gaga’s surreal approach to fashion. Do you think one day we’ll all be wearing clothing that can take flight? It’s possible. Or now that see-through has become the norm (at least on the runway), how about if we all just started wearing body paint or at least tried to get into one of these Louis Vuitton costumes or shall I say jumpsuits.
Black and white is definitely still the perfect color combo for Spring 2014. Cushnie et ochs seems to have made black and white its signature color combo and others like Louis Vuitton have simply done full shows in black or white recently. Balmain sent a beautiful black and white houndstooth coat down the runway (shown above) while Alice and Olivia put together a gorgeous black and white jacket and blouse (shown below).
At the Nolcha New York Fashion Week Media Lounge, several brands showcased their products and I zeroed in on handbags. I came across a gorgeous handbag from Marylai with a decorated handle, something I have not seen before. It went perfectly with my outfit as well as a yellow clutch from Medusa.
Sincerely,
