Archive for the ‘Designers’ Category
Designers
By Andrea Petrou on November 24th, 2011
McQ will show for the first time at London Fashion Week in February 2012.
The Alexander McQueen diffusion line’s catwalk show of their autumn/winter 2012-13 collection will serve as a preview for the label’s debut store opening later in the year.
McQ are to open a store carrying womenswear, menswear and accessories in a Georgian townhouse in London’s exclusive Mayfair district.
Yesterday, it was announced that Stella McCartney will also show for the first time at London Fashion Week.
The British designer will showcase a “one off special fashion presentation” on February 18 ahead of an assault on the British capital which will see her launch a ‘World of Stella’ exhibition of Selfridges, a new fragrance launch, and the opening of a second store.
However, she will then present her new collection in Paris, France as she has done for the past decade.
Alexander McQueen – who was known as Lee to friends – committed suicide in February 2010 but his successor Sarah Burton recently revealed the company still runs as if he were alive.
She explained: “Lee used to always say that you have to know all the rules to be able to break them.
“We have an open studio, so a big room, and it’s very visual. On the wall, there are just hundreds of images from all different kinds of periods and fabrics. Lee taught me to do things in a three-dimensional way.”
Tags: Alexander McQueen, catwalk shows, LFW, McQ, Stella McCartney
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Designers
By Andrea Petrou on November 22nd, 2011
Manolo Blahnik’s life story has become the subject of a new fairytale.
The legendary shoe designer will see the tale of his time in the industry turned into a “mix of biography and fairy story” by fashion writer Camilla Morton, with Blahnik illustrating the tome himself.
Camilla told Vogue.co.uk: “The book is a mix of biography and fairy story. It is a blend of Manolo’s life – from his childhood on the banana plantation to his store in Chelsea today – mixed with the tale of ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker’.
“Fashion designers are too magical for a straightforward biography, so what better than to mix with well-known ‘Once Upon a Times’ – and the finishing touch, asking the designers themselves to illustrate their story.”
The Spanish-born shoe creator admitted he found the process of illustrating the book a “cathartic” experience.
He added: “I would do it whenever I had a moment, on a train, on my travels, it was a bit of a challenge. I haven’t ever illustrated a book like this before, but it was very cathartic in a way to look back and draw images from my past.
“I knew Camilla would create something wonderful. It was a very fun adventure.”
Manolo follows in the footsteps of Christian Lacroix, who illustrated ‘Sleeping Beauty’ – his own biography written by Camilla – earlier this year.
Tags: designer, designer shoes, lifestory, Manolo Blahnik, sex and the city, shoes
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Celebrity Style, designer pick of the week, Designers, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on November 8th, 2011
We’ve been spotting some bright colours mixed with soft fabrics on the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Iman and Sarah Jessica Parker of late and there’s only one designer to blame.
Prabal Gurung is fairly new to the fashion world launching his collection in February 2009. However, his Spring/Summer 2012 collection which comprised of sheer fabrics, with a hint of ethnicity, marked the seventh season for the American designer.
His designs clearly reflect his roots – he was born in Singapore and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal before studying in New Delhi. And it’s not just prints the designer does well with classic block colour frocks also a favourite of ours.
See the gallery below for star fans, SS 2012 collections and where to buy.
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Tags: Amanda Seyfried and Iman, Carey Muligan, Celebrity Style, Designers, ethnic prints, Prabal Gurung, spotlight, SS 2012 collections
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Designers, Ethical Fashions
By Andrea Petrou on November 8th, 2011
Leona Lewis has been joined by William Tempest in her search for the next big ethical designer.
The Bleeding Love hitmaker – who has teamed up with Talenthouse to launch a competition for young fashionistas to submit ideas for a new environmentally-friendly stage outfit for her to wear – will now be accompanied on her mission to find a rival to Stella McCartney by both British designer William and UK Glamour editor Jo Elvin.
Leona said: “I’m extremely thrilled to be joined by Jo and William. They are two people who are leaders in the field of fashion and that I’ve had the privilege of working with before.
“They take this competition to a whole new level.”
With William having dressed the likes of Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Emma Watson throughout his career as a designer and Jo having overseen thousands of fashion shoots during her time at the helm of Glamour magazine, the pair will help Leona pick out a future designer of tomorrow.
The winning design will be brought to life by a team of professionals and Leona will wear the outfit during an upcoming performance later in the year.
She also choose two runners up who will have their designs featured across her website and social media sites and receive $350 each.
Entries must be submitted by November 17th, and the winner will be announced on December 1st.
Tags: competition, ethical fashion, Glamour magazine, Leona Lewis, William Tempest
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Designers, dresses, Fashion Crush, First Looks, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on November 3rd, 2011
It’s time to revise that Christmas list with the launch of an exclusive capsule collection by Victoria Beckham for designer site Net-a-Porter.
The range described by Victoria as “chic, timeless and elegant” consists of five of Ms B’s best selling SS 2011 and AW 2011 dresses, all of which have been revamped especially for the website
However, you better hope your OH wins the lottery as the range doesn’t come cheap with a mark of between £1,050 and £1,950. And you also better hope he’s super speedy as many of them have sold out. Let’s hope the real Santa comes to our rescue.
See the gallery below for the range.
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Tags: Christmas gift list, David Beckham, designer fashion, Santa, Victoria Beckham, Victoria Beckham capsule collection for Net-a-Porter
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Designers
By Andrea Petrou on November 3rd, 2011
Alexander McQueen got his fashion inspiration from TV show Friends.
The tragic designer – who committed suicide in February 2010 – relied on a host of sources to get ideas for his eponymous fashion line and the now defunct comedy show was just one, according to his successor Sarah Burton.
She said: “I remember him saying to me, ‘I watched ‘Friends’ last night, did you see the shirt that Joey was wearing?’
“But then, he would get a [Jan] van Eyckbook out, so it was this kind of mad mix. There’s no snobbery to it. He had this way of making you look at everything for inspiration so you didn’t just go, ‘Ok, we’re doing Seventies.’”
Although Alexander – known as Lee to his friends – is no longer with them, Sarah revealed the company still runs as if he were alive.
She explained to website lanecrawford.com: “Lee used to always say that you have to know all the rules to be able to break them.
“We have an open studio, so a big room, and it’s very visual. On the wall, there are just hundreds of images from all different kinds of periods and fabrics. Lee taught me to do things in a three-dimensional way.”
Tags: Alexander McQueen, British designers, fashion inspiration, Friends, Sarah Burton
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Designers
By Andrea Petrou on October 27th, 2011
Manolo Blahnik has collaborated with Marcia Patmos to create two pairs of sustainable shoes.
This will be the first eco-friendly project for the footwear designer and he has made the two styles – a double strap, open-toe flat and a strappy, high-heeled sandal in combinations of electric blue, black, nude and yellow – entirely from discarded tilapia skins, cork and raffia.
Speaking about working with the legendary shoe maker on the designs, which will retail for $895 per pair, Marcia said: “I am always researching sustainable materials and developments. I love the idea of tilapia skin because it is a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise be discarded, but it’s actually a beautiful material perfect for small leather goods. I love bringing the idea of sustainability into the luxury market – it doesn’t have to be limited to T-shirts and grocery bags.”
Manolo is renowned for his beautiful designs and his are the footwear of choice for US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who has only worn two styles of shoes for over 10 years – both made by him.
He said: “I am incredibly thankful for Anna’s loyalty and if she chooses to move in another direction, I would also respect that. Betrayed is too strong a word but I’d definitely be hurt.”
Choosing Anna’s shoes is a collaborative process for the designer and the editor and he says it changes depending on her wardrobe.
He explained: “I often talk to Anna about what’s inspiring her that particular season and what she’s ordered for her wardrobe. Anna has fantastic legs, and her feet are always meticulously groomed. We’re always discussing materials and adjusting the heel heights and whether or not straps should be wider or stay the same. In the end, it is always up to Anna.”
Tags: eco friendly shoes, Manolo Blahnik, Marcia Patmos, sex and the city, shoe design, shoes
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Designers, Fashion News, Features, Gallery
By Elisabeth on October 24th, 2011
After months of anticipation images of the Versace for H&M collection have just been unveiled – including some great campaign shots – and while the complete collection is pretty amazing we have put our favourite pieces into a gallery.
The designer high street collection is available from 17th November with prices ranging from £19.99 for jewellery, £69.99 for shoes, £24.99 for leggings, and between £49.99 to £179.99 for dresses. We have already got our eyes on one or three items…
Check out more campaign shots below the gallery
Tags: H&M designer collaborations, high street, Versace, Versace for H&M
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Designers, Features, Gallery
By Elisabeth on October 21st, 2011
If you follow fashion – who am I kidding of course you do! – you’ll have noticed how Burberry were first with a tweetwalk during their show at this September’s London Fashion Week. Burberry has also been one of the many fashion brands embracing Instagram, the popular iPhone photo sharing app. And while we were busy noting the trends for Spring Summer 2012, Becca over on ShinyShiny had a look at which fashion brands are using Instagram in an interesting way to give their fans and followers a behind-the-scenes peek at the fast paces and highly aspirational industry.
Burberry
The classic British brand is another Instagram favourite and already has more than
100,000 followers! The snaps are always beautifully shot and show you just what
you can achieve with the app's great selection of filters.
ShinyShiny is also celebrating Instagram week and is running an easy to enter mobile photography competition with Orbitsound. All you have to do is take a photo with an Autumnal theme and share it on Twitter along with the hash tag #ShinyAutumn. It can be of a leaf or a Halloween costume, we really don’t mind. The winner will get a fabulous T12v3 speaker bar from Orbitsound and 19 runners up will get random iPhone related goodies.
Visit the #ShinyAutumn competition post to find out more.
Tags: "Kate Spade", ASOS, Bergdorf Goodman, Burberry, Desigual, fashion brands, gucci, Instagram, iphone, levis, Mango, Oscar PR Girl, photography, Threadless
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Celebrity gossip, Designers, Models
By Andrea Petrou on October 20th, 2011
Calvin Klein signed Kate Moss for his iconic 1990s campaigns as a reaction to “distasteful” glamour.
The legendary designer was tired of the way women were trying to boost their assets and so chose the slender supermodel to front his collections as a statement against what had gone before her.
He said: “”The reason for Kate and this whole group of women I found that someone named ‘waifs’ was because before that, a lot of women were getting breast implants and doing things to their buttocks. It was getting out of control. I just found something so distasteful about all that.
“I wanted someone who was natural, always thin. I was looking for the complete opposite of that glamour type that came before Kate.”
Calvin, 69, is also known for his eponymous underwear line and while he wears his own garments, he is also willing to wear those created by rival designers in order to see how they compare with his own creations.
He told ‘Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis’: “My second wife Kelly worked with me in the design studio for a long period of time and she was greatly responsible for us doing underwear. I still wear it. And I wear other people’s underwear, too, because I want to check out the competition.”
Tags: 1990s campaigns, breast implants, Calvin Klein, Kate Moss, Models, waif
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Designers, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on October 19th, 2011
Stella McCartney
Although some may say she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth we say her classic and sophisticated designs are enough to make her stand out in our top five.
Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
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Tags: Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Christopher Bailey, Hats, headpieces, Philip Treacey, royal wedding, Top five British designers, Vivienne Westwood
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Designers
By Andrea Petrou on October 18th, 2011
Christian Louboutin believes women wear high heels because they are empowering.
The shoe designer – renowned for his use of a bright red under-sole on all of his footwear – says men and women have different attitudes to shoes, with the female sex wearing heels for “seduction” purposes.
He explained to the Sunday Times newspaper: “There is an element of seduction in shoes that doesn’t exist for men. Think about Marlene Dietrich crossing her legs – the whole attitude. The language starts with the shoe and radiates over the whole body. A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. Shoes for men are about elegance or wealth; they are not playing with the inner character.
“That’s why women are happy to wear painful shoes. For some a little discomfort is balanced by something else, which has to do with desire. You feel yourself, empower yourself, know yourself. You are aware of your body. This little act of discomfort pays off in lots of other ways.”
Christian has previously revealed he measures how good his shoes are by what they look like on a naked woman.
He said: “The ultimate must still look good when a woman is naked. The design that encapsulates my career is the Pigalle, a low-cut, high-heeled pump. It’s so subtle in that it adds something sexy to the body, but you don’t immediately know that it’s the shoe that is making the difference.”
Tags: boots, Christan Louboutin, Christian Louboutin boots, heels, red soles, shoes, Women
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Designers
By Andrea Petrou on October 17th, 2011
Karl Lagerfeld thinks Coco Chanel would have “hated” his work.
The flamboyant designer – who is creative director at both Fendi and Chanel – believes he has done well at the fashion house because he was given total freedom, though he doesn’t think the label’s founder would have approved of his creations.
Asked how he copes with his workload, Karl said: “I have it in my blood. When I was asked to Chanel, it was not trendy. I made something of it because I was given total freedom by the owner. What I do Coco would have hated. It’s my job to keep Chanel updated.”
Karl also admitted he often forgets work he has done in the past, but is not upset by this as he thinks it has helped with his career.
Discussing his many collaborations – including work with Coca Cola, Macy’s and Magnum – he told CNN: “I’m a walking label no? My name is Labelfeld not Lagerfeld. I have a sort of Alzheimer’s for my own work, which I think is a very good thing. Today too many people remember what they did – just forget it all and start again.”
Tags: Alexa Ching, avant garde, Coco Chanel, Designer Fashions, Karl Lagerfeld
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Ethical Fashions
By Andrea Petrou on October 17th, 2011
Stella McCartney will launch a line of eco-friendly sunglasses next year.
The British designer and environmentalist – who is a vegetarian and refuses to use leather or fur in her creations – revealed the new collection will be made of more than 50 per cent natural and renewable materials.
She told WWD: “The greatest challenge was the amount of time that was spent on research and testing to get the best quality product possible with the highest performance in terms of resistance, while still maintaining the style and finish we always try to achieve.”
This is not Stella’s first sunglasses collection, she released a line in 2009 in collaboration with Luxottica and says it’s important to have fun with them.
She explained: “Women have two sets: a classic pair they’ll have forever, and a more playful pair. We’ve added that fun element to the line. ‘My mum had this mad pair with Christmas trees on them that I loved when I was little. Sunglasses are one of the only accessories that can really have a sense of humour. But you walk a fine line between looking like a complete idiot and getting it just right.”
Tags: Designers, eco friendly sunglasses, launch, Nancy Shevell's wedding to Sir Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney
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Designers
By Andrea Petrou on October 13th, 2011
US Vogue editor Anna Wintour
Jean Paul Gaultier thinks Anna Wintour is “monstrous”.
The flamboyant French designer insists he wasn’t a fan of fashion movie The Devil Wears Prada – which is thought to be based on the US Vogue editor and her offices – because he doesn’t think it was true to life.
He said: “Anna Wintour is a lot more monstrous than she is described.
“Is she a positive figure [in fashion]? She is a figure.”
Jean Paul also spoke of his sadness about John Galliano – who was recently found guilty of racist and anti-Semitic behaviour and was sacked from Dior and his eponymous label John Galliano – and what he has lost because of the incident.
He added: “I know John a little and I must say that what he does for his work shows he is not a racist.
“When you see the video you can see it is someone teasing him… John is very talented. He has done some beautiful things for Dior.
“I think it is completely sad he doesn’t have his own label anymore. I think it’s bad. There are some people who say and do terrible things and they are not even punished for it.”
Tags: Anna Wintour, Jean Paul Gaultier, monstrous, Neiman Marcus, The Devil Wears Prada, US Vogue
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McQ will show for the first time at London Fashion Week in February 2012.
From:Debenhams show us how to avoid tanning disasters this year