For the last few weeks all I can think about is coats and jackets for fall/winter 2010. Besides summer, fall is my other favourite season of the year because it’s a time when you can really exercise your wardrobe to its fullest; layering multiple pieces of clothing on top of each other, get practical and stylish wear out of accessories, like hats and gloves and – my favourite part – pull out the leather jacket.
Below are six jackets and coats I’ve chosen which catches my attention and would make a great addition to anyone’s wardrobe. I love all the pieces and it was hard to pick just one
Fashion in the News is a collection of articles and blog posts found online that catches my attention, and is in my humble opinion worth reading. Enjoy!
Finance & the Fashion Blogger: Ignore-ance (Dramatis Personae) – Ashe Mischief of Dramatis Personae wrote this entry back in April, but re-reading it again struck a chord with me as lately I’ve had to justify my spending and shopping habits – to myself and others. Fashion bloggers will “write about fashion – but we don’t often write or talk about the financial choices behind our sartorial choices.”
Alexander McQueen’s final dress(The Fashionist) – Alexander McQueen’s fall/winter 2010 collection was bittersweet – the clothing created was spectacular but the designer’s suicide was an unexpected blow to the fashion world. Now, it’s said that a “stunning silk charmeuse gown with a collar of sliver feathers (was worn) to Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball. Reports are now circulating that the dress was actually McQueen's final creation.”
American Apparel Shares Fall as Woes Rise (The New York Times) – “Shares in American Apparel plummeted 25.9 per cent on Tuesday, to $1.03. They have fallen 67 per cent this year.” Yet, when looking a back at American Apparel’s controversial advertisements, employee practices and the choices Dov Charney, chief executive, has made it doesn’t come as a surprise.
The Rise of the Blogger (WWD) – “Industry players said blogs have gained clout and relevance because they can post information about a company or show its product much faster than traditional media...The blogs also serve as marketing tools that can go beyond conventional advertising, allowing brands to connect more closely with customers.”
The Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2011 menswear collection headed by Creative Director, Sarah Burton has a sombre look and feel – not surprisingly his staff and associates would still be feeling the effects of his death just four months prior.
The presentation of this collection is low key and minimalistic in its tendencies, many well tailored suits with slim silhouettes cutting close to the body.
This menswear line keeps bringing my thoughts back to McQueen’s spring/summer 2010 collection, the last one the designer himself created just prior to his death. The colour palette and the embroidery seen in pieces, such as the black and gold embroidered cut away jacket are echoes of his influence and vision.
Fashion in the News is a collection of articles and blog posts found online that catches my attention and is in my humble opinion worth reading. Enjoy!
Anthony Barboza, Pat Evans c. 1970
Japan going frugal with Forever 21 Ginza opening (Associated Press) – The Japanese are known to have a strong affinity to high-end luxury goods, but this seems to be changing as American chain of (cheap) clothing, Forever 21 invades Ginza shopping district.
Posing Beauty in African American Culture: Colour Fields (Canadian Art magazine) – Deborah Willis, Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, curates an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Hamilton called, “Posing Beauty in African American Culture.” This exhibit features 93 photographic works examining the notions of beauty and blackness, “how is it posed, constructed, imagined... in art, the media and everyday culture.”
Singapore capitalizes on its style sense, as fashionistas look East (Reuters article via National Post) – Singapore may be the next fashion capital of Asia with increased consumer spending and events such as the Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) which showcases designers’ creations from across the region to audiences and international buyers.
Grace Jones teams up with Chris Levine (Times Online) – Artist, Chris Levine discusses his collaboration with 80s icon Grace Jones; from her 2008 comeback concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London to his approaching exhibition, Stillness at the Speed of Light which is a series of holographic portraits of Jones. Jones also makes an appearance in the article and she is as flamboyant and magnificent as imagined.
Alexander McQueen: first book since designer's death to go on sale (Telegraph UK) –Alexander McQueen, Genius of a Generation by Kristin Knox will go on sale on May 7th. This will probably be the first in an array of biographical books examining Lee McQueen’s life and death.
Yesterday the last collection by Lee Alexander McQueen was presented in a very intimate and private show in Paris, France. Comprising of 16 pieces, McQueen’s fall/winter 2010 collection drew influences from Byzantine art and paintings by the Old Masters.
To say each garment was beautiful and intricately crafted would be an understatement. It can be very difficult to put into words how one feels when fashion is turned into an art form, and finding the right words to express how McQueen’s collections have altered and shaped my views on art, beauty and fashion, season after season, over years is somewhat an insurmountable task – even if I could put my feelings on paper it wouldn’t do him justice.
Fashion in the News is a collection of articles and blog posts found online that catches my attention, and is in my humble opinion worth reading. Enjoy!
Todd Lynn, fall/winter 2010 collection
Candid Cameraman (BiLT magazine) – Canadian fashion blogger, Tommy Ton answers a series of Q&As discussing how he got his start and the state of fashion blogging – article via Final Fashion.
Gareth Pugh Denies Talks to Succeed Alexander McQueen (The Cut) – Rumours of Gareth Pugh taking over the reins as Creative Director at Alexander McQueen circulated over the weekend... and then were quickly stopped.
The 10 best... fashion bloggers (Guardian UK) – In their opinion, the Guardian UK has published a list of the 10 best fashion bloggers. It’s not an earth shattering list nor does it provide you with any epiphanies within the blogosphere. What do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down on this one.
London calling: Canuck designers take centre stage during London fashion week (Toronto Life) – So far, the year 2010 has been packed full of momentous occasions for Canada, such as winning 14 gold medals at the Vancouver Olympic Games. Overseas, in the U.K., we are making waves in the form of three upcoming Canuck designers. They are: Erdem Moralioglu, Todd Lynn and Mark Fast.
Once a year, the M.A fashion students of Central Saint Martins’ College of Art and Design take the stage during London Fashion Week. This event is known to create a lot of buzz, because it is where the next crop of talented designers are scouted and are often plucked from the classroom by the fashion industry. Prestigious alumni from CSM include Christopher Kane, Hussein Chalayan and the late Lee Alexander McQueen.
I’ve always had an unexplainable fascination with the Brits, there’s something about the people, the country and culture that creates intrigue. For CSM’s fall/winter 2010 collections, there was an array of silhouettes, styles and artistic visions accompanying all 22 collections.
For me, two collections which stood out were Lilly Heine’s layers of fabrics and Rok Hwang’s sheath dresses with star shaped accessories. Both designers made geometric shapes an influential part of their fall/winter 2010 collections.
Lilly Heine, Harrods Award winner
Towards the end of the catwalk show, Jackie J.S. Lee and Lilly Heine were awarded the Harrods Design Prize, and Rok Hwang received the L'Oréal Professionnel award.
Rok Hwang, L’Oréal Professionel Creative Award winner
Images from Style.com, Central Saint Martins and video from YouTube
Fashion in the News is a collection of articles and blog posts found online that catches my attention, and is in my humble opinion worth reading. Enjoy!
CEO Talk | Robert Duffy, President, Marc Jacobs International (Business of Fashion) – President of Marc Jacobs International, Robert Duffy, answers questions about his foray into the realm of social media; using Twitter to communicate the development and lead up to the presentation of Marc Jacobs’ fall 2010 collection during New York Fashion Week and the lesson learned about tweeting.
Why London matters (The National) – Article discusses the renaissance of London Fashion Week with the emergence of a new crop of designers, the restructuring of the British Fashion Council (BFC) and it being the first fashion capital to stream live catwalk shows online.
Fashion's Online Numbers Game: Faking an Audience (Signature 9) – An insightful article by YM Ousley which talks about online measurement of fashion websites and blogs, as well as the inflation of audience numbers.
Who Sits Where at Fashion Week and Why (Vanityfair.com) – Ever wonder who sits in which seat during fashion week and how organizers keep track of the hundreds/thousands of invites? Vanity Fair takes you behind the technological innovations during New York Fashion Week.
Fashion's New Fever: Bloggers in Spotlight As They Aim for Fame (WWD) – WWD takes a look at the shifting attention by designers from celebrities and onto fashion bloggers. Tavi Gevinson of Style Rookie is heavily mentioned throughout the article. Blogger relations/outreach by companies and events focusing on the fashion blogging community, such as theChictopia and Independent Fashion Bloggers conferences are referenced.
Social Media: The New Front Row of Fashion(WWD) – Designers are embracing social media and are streaming their shows live online. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CreateThe Group, James Gardner, attributes it to two things, lower “cost of streaming ... And consumers’ appetite seems unquenchable for fashion.”
One of my favourite collections by Alexander McQueen:
It is with a heavy heart to say that iconic British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen has died. The Daily Mail UK was the first to report this stating through an online article that McQueen has taken his own life.
I found out on Twitter this morning and was instantly floored at the news. Subsequent tweets online mysteriously discovered McQueen’s Twitter page (@McQueenworld) and website went offline momentarily which was followed by the release of a statement on the site (click the image below to read the statement).
All we can do at this point is keep McQueen, his family and loved ones in our prayers, and respect their privacy. He will be greatly missed.
