NEW VERSACE PERFECT BLOND 2011






January Jones features in Versace’s new Spring/Summer 2011 advertising campaign, shot by Mario Testino.


It seems that Donatella Versace found the next perfect “Versace blonde”

The new Versace accessories is showcased by January, showing of course her particular sophistication and beauty, together with her sensuality and elegance makes such a big impact that particularly forget that she is naked in every picture.




We clearly see a 60’s look reference on the pictures, black and White, subtle but marked eyes, weave middle length hair.


It's for sure an incredibly inspirational campaign, that couldn't be in other hands but Mario Testino's, 100% worthy to see!


Pictures taken from: www.justjared.buzznet.com

WE LOVE FASHION BLOGS!


Now a days, specifically since 2003 the blogosphere has become bigger and bigger. In record time fashion blogs had become one of the preferred media world-wide, influencing all “ambits” surrounding it, clothing, accessories, trends and celebrities fashion and street style.


The continuous updates, and massive posts tell us that they are information exponent, but we can’t forget that the revolution of the “open” vocabulary, the freedom involving every article, the possibility of comments, critics and the influential they can be on us tell us that blogs are opinion generators (lets say 50-50)


Through the rapidness of this media, blogs had certainly change the way people can perceive fashion, making possible for everyone to be aware of the latest trends, fast looks, shopping advices, giving honest opinions in every topic, all this without having to buy an expensive magazine or to wait until the last number of “Vogue” to come out. In my opinion this opened a huge “fashion” door to people that before wasn’t interested in fashion magazines. The same products we used to see before in the most famous Star, now we can see it on bloggers we follow. Due to this “blog-boom” every day more fashion brands want to advertise their products through the most influential bloggers, using “product placement” on this “real person” we like to read, why we believe it? As long as it’s respected the fine line between advertising what you and your readers like and advertising everything for money and keep it coherent could be fine, we all have different likes and dislikes, blogs are about writing, why not to say it?




Perhaps the success of blogs is because they are written or perceived to be written by a “real person” and we truly believed that the marketing people behind every glossy fashion magazine we can find in every bookstore haven’t manipulated the article.


With no doubt the nature of blogs is that they are a quicker and far more interactive form of communication that a traditional magazine, fashion shows, collections and opinions can be instantly posted giving interesting previews to the readers.


I think the most important factor in fashion blogs attracting so many readers is the enthusiasm, care and love that bloggers have for the subject.



Fashion blogs aren’t going to slow down their “revolution” right now, even though I don’t think they are going to replace printed media for sure they are going to continue growing, becoming the preferred source of information and ofcourse, inspiration for fashion consumers.


Pictures taken from: www.fashiongossips.com / www.thelovemagazine.co.uk / www.forever21.com/www.fashiontoast.com

Loewe`s Christmas come alive! (Daily Christmas Display)




Each year Loewe celebrates Christmas with amazingly creative projects, this year the luxury brand asked designer and illustrator, Gary Card to collaborate on their fantastic Christmas project.

The brand project plays with simple, recognizable silhouettes built with Loewe’s new gift boxes, we find a magical world of airplanes, robots and dinosaurs, amazing castles and Christmas threes with complements acting like Christmas lights. Deliberately innocent pieces, that could easily be toys that a kid receives as Christmas gifts, we could say this project make us fly on a nostalgic trip to our childhood.




Video shot by Jacob Sutton and styled by Sam Ranger.

In the stores we also have this childhood nostalgic trip through the window displays, little magical villages interacting with the brands product to recreate a perfect "Christmas Story"



Donna Karan Pre Fall 2011: Ubarn, chic!!



Donna Karan surprised us with her pre-fall collection showing us everyday cloth, dark colors and grays draped in layers, leather jackets and fur wraps that had Donna Karan written all over it (not literally, of course) maybe this is not unfamiliar for her already fans but it certainly gives us a more street and relax vibe, without giving up the Cashmere sweaters, of course!

But this “street wear” was just one of the lines inside the new collection and the dress designs following it even though evening wasn’t her priority this season, she delighted us with three of her already known goddess gowns where she proves ones again her taste and glamour.

The collection was full of pieces you inmidiatly fall in love with, “easy to wears” and always thinking on the day-a-day.

Some of my favourite pieces!









"BAREFOOTING ARROUND THE WORLD" Bruce Weber's film for Dedon

DEDON, the world’s premier outdoor furniture brand, presents to us ‘Barefooting around the World’, written and directed by the iconic American photographer Bruce Weber. It was shot on Montauk, the film delights us with a number of partners like the supermodel Elaine Irwin and Dree Hemingway

We can surely say that is a very personal film representing and reflecting the deep connection between Weber and Bobby Dekeyser (Dedon’s founder) evoking deep feelings such as friendship, family, adventure and the power and beauty of life outdoors, hobby that both men cherish.
‘Barefooting’ is set on a dreamlike, floating ‘sea house’ specially created by Stefan Beckman.

Decorated in a laid-back, luxuriously Bohemian style and furnished with DEDON’s unique, hand-woven, weather-resistant designs, the house awakens deepest fantasies of a life near the sea, with relaxing lazy rhythms, gentle breezes, and laughs under its blue skies.

The cast includes the British Paul Sculfor and American Kyleigh Kuhn, who balances Weber shoots for Italian Vogue with school building in Afghanistan. Creative Direction for the film was supplied by Alex Wiederin of Buero New York.

It’s a film full of feelings and sensation that make us dream about a fantastic adventure world with day-life “fairytales”, the wind in your hair, the water in your skin, the feeling of the sand in your feet and your heart rate racing, it’s the mood of the film referring to an incredibly free way of living.




(This is an excerpt from the film, in the original the music was desactivated for Copyright)

RE-INVENTIONS: O'CLOCK


Even though in this times everything is invented, the iportant thing is to know how RE-invent!
Let's dedicate a section to this incredible re-invention.

The first re-invention we are going to see is O'Clock!

Canned clocks!!, regular, singular, non luxurious but cool watches.
This innovative idea is a perfect RE-invention example, is not different or rare to go to a shop and buy a watch or to receive it as a gift, but it's obvious that buying a canned watch.
I think they are perfect for this Christmas season were we have so many ocassions to give presents... secret friend, new year, christmas...






New and "Musts" at Net-A-Porter





Michael Kors
Leather-trimmed bouclé-wool dress
€1,060
Mulberry
Bayswater leather bag
€940


Joseph
Coquette silk-satin pocketed tank
€165 Chloé
Metallic leather ballerina flats
€295





Thomas Wilde
Modern Love wool and silk-blend jacket
€2.400
Yves Saint Lauren
Tribute leather sandals
€570


Marc by Marc
Cashmere and silk-blend scarf
€215
Jacobs Lanvin
Ligne De Strass crystal ring
€265


Lanvin
Illustrated dress pen
€60


www.net-a-porter.com


Becouse time changes! SAKS FINALLY INTO THE BLOGGOSPHERE

Times are changing, technology is moving and and blogging is every day gaining importance for retailers. One of the leading department stores world wide is now into the bloggosphere. Saks Fifth Avenue created , Saks POV (Point Of View), calling people with their strap: " A Point of View on the the fashion world from the most style-obsessed people on the planet."

Saks also casts the people working on their stores as the experts to turn for knowledge about fashion, photography, jewlery and even where to eat pizza!

Of course it is not just about blogging, as Barney’s (B-Sides) and Berdorf Goodman (5th and 58th) are already did. It’s a good way to reach out customers, getting even closer and get them to spend money, as the store’s management to WWD.

“There is more of an emphasis on editorial,” Denise Incandela said (president of Saks). “We find customers respond very well to that, they look to us as a fashion authority for that. If you look at us now versus two years ago, you will see a big shift there. It’s very well received by customers, and we measure that in terms of traffic as well as sales conversions.”

Saks blog will have many surprises, interviews with designers, trends (of course) inspiring people and profile of people working in Saks.

Now it’s to soon to talk, but there’s a lot to expect from this new “luxury neighbor”, for now let’s welcome Saks to the bloggosphere!!

www.sakspov.com

Tiffany's Holiday Feeling




Tiffany & Co. has been the world's premier jeweler and America's house of design.

Now-a-Days if we hear Tiffany's we think on dreams, wishes, love, glamour, care and ofcourse DIAMONDS. we think on the brand, the values and what it represent through what we see on ads, mivies and history.

Today 4th of December of 2010 if we hear Tiffany's we have to think on Christmas, if missing 20 days to Christmas you still don't feel the Christmas spirit, Tiffany's advertisment revives the deepest feelings of this magical dates.



www.tiffany.es





Copyright Protection for Fashion Design: Getting closer!

This 1st of December, 2010 the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would give copyright protection to clothing designs. The Council of Fashion Designers of America, had been pushing for this for an incredible long time. The Design Piracy Protection Act failed, facing opposition from the American Apparel and Footwear Association. But Charles Schumer (senator) recently introduce a new version, called the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act supported by the CFDA and the AAFA.

“I think people are a lot more in agreement than they think,” Kurt Courtney said. “This bill really draws the line between inspiration and copying. We all understand the importance of inspiration in design. Most inspiration comes from the public domain. The bill seeks to protect that original artwork, it’s not about the utilitarian and the useful. This is specifically targeted at the most artistic fashion you can think of.”

It’s impossible to know yet if the Senate will vote before December vacations, in this case the decision it’s going to have a hard effect on the pinchbeck/imitation industry in United States.

Finally, this could mean the beginning of the end of piracy.



www.cfda.com (Council of Fashion Designers of America)
www.apparelandfootwear.org (AAFA)

Photo-illustration: Jed Egan;
Capitol Hill Photo: Faungg's Flickr

CUSTO + CASA BATLÒ: VINTAGE POP UP STORE!





Custo Barcelona opens the door to a Pop-Up Vintage Store in a unique space such as Casa Batlló in Barcelona that for several days will become a showcase of the firm. Everyday from 2 to December 11, you will discover new vintage clothing brand with the best deals.
This singular space, which opened the door coinciding with another unforgettable event, The Shopping Night Barcelona, also becomes a showcase of luxury to submit and present artwork in a contest that just launched Custo.


For the first time, Custo Barcelona invites creative minds to participate in a contest for illustrators, organized in Barcelona from 3rd to 9th of December. An illustration inspired by the "Custo Barcelona" world and their values are the main reason for the application to the contest.
On 11 December, a jury of one's own representatives Custo Dalmau and his team-Xavier de Balaguer, director of Project Fashion in the City of Barcelona, and Anna Grinberg, Director of Barcelona Activa-selected the winning artwork.





The winner will receive the assigment to design six illustrations to print in different shirts that will be part of the next collections.

If you want to participate or just want to visit a feel part of this creative expirience visit Casa Batló in Psg de Gracia, Barcelona.

www.custo-barcelona.com

Salvatore Ferragamo - The Red Carpet Project



Salvatore Ferragamo announced the launching of a new project this month letting his customers to become the designers. Called The Red Carpet Project, launched alongside the release of the movie “The Tourist” , where Angelina Jolie wears a shoe collection designed specifically for her character , “Elise” by the italian fashion house in collaboration with the film’s costume designer Colleen Atwood.

The main idea is DIY (Do It Yourself), customers design the shoes they want to wear choosing from six different shoe shapes from sandals to courts and twenty-three different satin colors having also the option to personalize it with a monogram, the process from design to “red carpet” wear takes approximately six weeks to be done. This project is debuting in selected boutiques worldwide. The customizable options will be changed with each season .

Salvatore Ferragamo began his career during the 20’s in Hollywood, he custom-made shoes for Hollywood starlets, maybe it is a “nostalgic” marketing strategy, we are seeing how his coming back to his roots making us feel closer to the brand, being able to double the feeling of what is to buy an Salvatore Ferragamo by involving our tastes and preferences with his exquisite design and quality.

DESIGNERS AGAINST AIDS: The First Decade


Ten years ago Ninette Murk took off the first HIV/AIDS project of DESIGNERS AGAINST AIDS, starting by spreading the word of safe sex message to young people all over the world, by then DAA was young but ambitious. Four years ago they started the collaboration with H&M (Fashion against AIDS) and since then time has flight, looking back through all this years of positivism, fun, passion and eve romanticism finally we can realize that the “dream” came true, collaborations, places, events, people, campaigns DAA word is louder and louder every day reaching many people.
On December the 1st DAA is opening the first International HIV/AIDS Awareness Education Center (IHAEC) in Belgium. This center in going to teach people coming from all over the world how to set up HIV prevention programs, using the same methods used by DAA, the family will become bigger being able to reach more people. The book AIDS: First Decade will help to finance the center.


Cover photo: by Erwin Olaf
Texts: Alain de Botton and Ninette Murk

“AIDS: First Decade” highlights the most inspiring moments, showing also pictures of more than 120 artists who supports DAA over the years, this photos were donated by them and represent for each “pure beauty”

Inside you will find, never before published Marilyn Monroe photo and more “pure beauty” in all its forms from artists as Olaf Breuning, Daniel Jackson, Michel Comte, Yoko Ono, Marc Atlan, Moby, Dita Von Teese, Marc Jacobs, Oliviero Toscani, Katy Perry, Erwin Olaf and many more, the book draws a face of optimism, celebration of beauty and life when it comes to HIV prevention work. This book looks back to the past but foward to the future, there's still a lot of work to be made

When it comes to helping and giving a hand human beings can be very sensible, some people gives what they don’t have for themselves or dedicate their whole lifes to a mission. THIS IS INSPIRATION!

If you are willing to buy this amazing book:
Check www.designersagainstaids.com to order it directly through DAA. There’s just 100 more books.

RUNNING INTO THE PAST



90's are BACK!
Fashion trends in the 90´s were based around blue jeans and t-shirt, very influenced by subcultures such as GRUNGE, with their flannels shirts and outdoor cloth that or they where or they looked like bought in thrift shops, willing with their style and music send an specific message of social alienation, apathy, confinement and desire of freedom in the opposite sight we had super models, athletic bodies, curves as the “perfect beauty” and Kate Moss with her carrier just about to take off with "Heroine Chik" look.

Sports clothing, leggings, pircings, opaque tights, sweatshirts, teenage “preppy look” and PUNK were also crucial at this time.

The circle of fashion dictates that styles and trends recycle about every 20 years and almost exactly at this deadline, little by little we’ve begun to see how 90´s fashion starts wriggling around.

Those who were the top models of the moment, the ones that gave more importance to women than to the designers, come back holding the hand of great fashion houses such as Channel or Ferragamo, trusting their image to Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and so on.

In catwalks and in the streets we have already seen many “comebacks”, crop tops were actually the ones that proved us that 90´s were back, together with Lycra dresses underneath, short skirts or just a pair of jeans were a must (and steel be) this summer. Bumbags came from the hand of brands such as Louis Vuitton (s/s 2010) together with all lengths baggy pants and lycra underneath mini dresses, and shorts.


Louis Vuitton s/s 2010 collection


Combat boots such as Doc Marten arrived with an incredible strength as a Grunge inspiration, following Nirvana´s “Come as you are”, worn in any color and even length, combined with anything you feel like to wear with them.

www.weheartit.com





www.weheartit.com


Even though since the lasts s/s collections we already watched big highlights of this almost 20 years old trend, they are just “reflections” of what it was, we are still missing typical backwards jerseys and shell-suits from hip hop culture for example.

We can say we are pretty much on the Eleine Benes (Seinfeld) total look!

Why not the 90’s? Economy was healthy, very inspirational movies such as pulp fiction, dazed and confused or even Clueless appear in this decade, we had Nirvana and the freedom feeling, actually, they were awesome!