Michelle Obama Makes History in Fashion

Great challenge, Michelle Obama made fashion history last night. Rather than make her First Lady-Elect debut swathed in a classic Oscar de la Renta creation favored by First Ladies of yore Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, she set the stage of style to come in a bold (albeit not beloved by all), slightly-modified frock from the Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2009 runway.

This is not a First Lady who's going to play it safe when it comes to fashion, as we discovered when she finally hit her style stride on the campaign trail.

Throughout her husband's campaign she was heralded as the next Jackie O (aka Michelle O). She was also described as someone who "will bring affordable American sportswear to the forefront" -- a comment inspired by the humble $149 White House Black Market Donna Ricco dress she famously wore for her appearance on "The View."

But let's be honest -- there is nothing humble about Michelle Obama's wardrobe (nor was there about Jackie Kennedy's). Filled with custom Maria Pinto pieces, dresses from fashion-forward designers Thakoon and Narciso Rodriguez, and luxe accessories from Erickson Beamon and Azzedine Alaia, her wardrobe is nothing short of a fashionista's dream.

There is no doubt that change is coming to Washington D.C., and that is already evident in Michelle Obama's closet. America, get ready to see what a true modern style icon is all about...we are in for a wildly stylish ride.

Who Wants To Buy a Victoria Beckham's Label?

A small but perfectly formed moment of fashion fabulousness took place in the Royal Suite of the Waldorf Towers, Manhattan on Monday. For it was here that Victoria Beckham presented what she modestly referred to as her "dream of a lifetime" to a select gaggle of fashion press.

Victoria Beckham, left, attends New York Fashion Week and right, one of her new designs
Fashion folly: Beckham, left, at NY Fashion Week. Right: one of her designs, seemingly inspired by Roland Mouret

VB's dream constituted a collection of 10 dresses inspired by her favourite frocks, her love of Forties and Fifties design and - it must be acknowledged - a certain channelling of Roland Mouret, whose Galaxy dress proved the sartorial ghost at the feast.

Beckham's dresses appear both curiously wearable and really rather fetching. Primly foxy, kitted out with all manner of tailoring trompe-l'oeil, they will be available in sizes 6-14. Victoria apparently had in mind Nigella Lawson and Dame Helen Mirren by way of muses. The adjectives being bandied between air kisses were "beautiful", "classy" and "desirable". Be that as it may, the consensus regarding Brand Beckham remains a hearty "Thanks, but no thanks".

For, despite the line's exclusivity (only 400 pieces will be sold worldwide), no fashionista in her right mind would dish out a minimum of £650 a pop to emulate Queen Vic. If the likes of Burberry and Louis Vuitton can encounter challenges while trying to ensure that their brands remain unsullied, what hope a label born of a popstrel and a soccer player?

Impressionable teenage fans are unlikely to have the means to hoover up wares of up to £1,900, leaving Beckham's La La Land pals as the dresses' natural constituency. However sumptuous the finery, this puts her collection firmly in the territory of fashion folly.

Victoria has steadfastly insinuated herself into the world of high frockage, from a penchant for Dolce & Gabbana, via modelling for Cavalli, to satirical outings care of Marc Jacobs's advertising campaign and a stint on Ugly Betty.

By all accounts, she is as amiable and enthusiastic as any canny fashion intern. In the space of one lunch, British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman went from harbouring little interest to finding the notion of Beckham as April 2008 cover girl "an exciting idea" - despite conceding: "I don't particularly share her taste in clothes" (and how).

Nevertheless, likeability and a Protestant work ethic do not a fashion guru make (apart from in America, where a certain steadfast slogging tends to be admired). Despite recent "down-dressing" forays into boyfriend jeans and flip-flops, Posh consistently lives up to her ironic monicker. She is not, never has been, nor ever will be posh.

However, she damn well wants to be seen as such, hence the knee-jerk gathering of haute totems such as Birkin bags. The fashion world's own Becky Sharp is just too elbowing, too try-hard, lacking the insouciance of a true style icon.

On Monday, La Beckham endearingly remarked that the collection also originated in the desire to be comfortable. This is clearly a rather relative, WAG gish notion of comfort, of the popping down the mall in a pair of 6in Giambattista Valli "Victoria" heels, or playing baseball in lofty platform trainers variety.

Poor VB is cursed never to shake off her more than faint air of ridiculousness. Even when she gets things right, the effect can only ever be wrong.

A Night In London Fashion With The Designers

London fashion gathering when the chatter embraces polka dots, Sars masks and Pac-Man. For, while the financial world was busy channelling 1929, the British fashion industry was saluting a triumphant week for creativity and sales alike.

Donatella Versace (right) and daughter, Allegra, in Donatella’s designs
Dressed to impress: Donatella Versace (right) and daughter, Allegra, in Donatella’s designs

"I thought it would be nice to gather all the designers together for a celebration and to give everyone a chance to wind down," said Alexandra Shulman, who, as editor of Vogue, hosted the magazine's Celebration of Fashion Dinner last Thursday.

And while one might imagine that it would be all back-stabbing and temper tantrums, it was a relaxed affair. It even ran pretty much on time, once Donatella Versace was regally in situ in a risqué turquoise number, and a flurry of fashionistas had dashed over in the wake of the Vivienne Westwood show, not least the grand dame herself.

The exception was Kate Moss, who, on her second party of the night, retained haute status by appearing at 11pm before exiting for a bout of carousing with Versace's daughter, Allegra.

The kissing was hearty rather than air, amid the soothing environs of Brown's Hotel in Mayfair. Its relaunched Albemarle restaurant was given over to indulging the event's 120 diners with shoulder of lamb and not one but three sugar hits. The room's plush green furnishings perfectly co-ordinated with the packaging of co-host Crème de la Mer. It was the first time the brand has involved itself with gifting, bestowing TLC on Fashion Week-furrowed complexions.
The intimate scale was in no sense a sign of retrenchment. Shulman's speech noted that similar siren voices were heard 16 years ago when she took the helm of the magazine. Then, the view that British fashion might be having its last hurrah was followed by a flourishing of talent of the likes of Hussein Chalayan, Matthew Williamson, and Alexander McQueen.

Shulman's guests confirmed her optimism. "Despite the terrible news of bankruptcies, banks closing and stock-exchange chaos, we are working," remarked designer Nicole Farhi. "The day after my show, loads of people were coming to buy. There was such a buzz. So it would seem that there are some reasons to be cheerful."

Harold Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council, looking dapper in a black mohair suit, confirmed the buoyant mood. "We had strong indications of good business being written at the exhibition during LFW," he said. "I hope that the reason is that fashion will always bring a bright spot to people's lives, for what we do here in London is create and make a difference to fashion worldwide."

The evidence was apparent in the lavish finery all about. Shulman sported Temperley, a charming note since the eponymous Alice was forced to absent herself, having gone into labour with her son, Fox London Temperley von Bennigsen Mackiewicz.

Naturally, many of the designers were sporting their own wares. John Rocha's wife and design partner, Odette, was the envy of many with her hydrangea jacket, its ruffled shoulders resembling a pair of sumptuous black wings. "I'm a very happy man," beamed Rocha. "I've always been about making what people like rather than making a fashion statement, and that is what the world is realising it wants."

Shulman issued a rallying cry for her dream of an LFW at which British designers who no longer show in the capital would stage a return; a call that provoked whoops of delight from new talents such as Henry Holland, and the odd arched eyebrow among the exiles to whom she referred.

"It needs some of the big hitters with advertising campaigns behind them to show in London, such as Burberry and Pringle, along with some of the great British talents like John Galliano, Stella McCartney and McQueen," said Shulman.

"Then, along with the tremendous creative energy of some of the younger designers and our well-established names who do show here, we would have something that the international press and buyers would feel they couldn't afford to miss. It only works as a collaboration, though, and everyone would have to be prepared to try it and have the confidence to do it - even if only as a one-off. Given that this is the start of the 25th anniversary of LFW, next September would be the perfect time."

Lessons For Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNERS create clothing and accessory designs. They may plan the production and marketing of their creations. Designers specialize in one type of garment or accessory such as men's or women's wear, children's garments, swimwear, lingerie, handbags, or shoes. Some high-fashion Designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. They make fashion news by establishing the silhouette, colors, and kinds of materials that will be worn each season. Other self-employed, high-fashion Designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. They design original garments as well as follow the established fashion trends. Designers who work for apparel manufacturers do less original work; they adapt fashions set by other Designers for the mass market.

Designers' Assistants in apparel manufacturing are exposed to the fast pace of production schedules while performing routine aspects of the job. Assistant Designers acquire the knowledge of what creations will sell at a profit in an intended market, within a defined price range, at a particular time of the year. They learn the personality of firms, types of stores that buy the merchandise, and the age and tastes of the stores' clientele.

Fashion Designers perform the following tasks:
Sketch their ideas. Draw and cut patterns to create sample garments. Select fabric and trimmings. Combine basic dressmaking and tailoring principles with flat pattern work and draping techniques. Fit and modify the finished garment. Arrange showings for press and buyers when the sample garment line is ready. Compare merchandise with those of the competitors. Keep current on trends by reading trade magazines and attending fashion shows. Visit textile showrooms to keep up to date on latest fabrics.

Fashion Designers frequently use the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:
1. Design - Knowledge of design techniques, principles, tools and instruments involved in the production and use of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

2. Idea Generation - Generating a number of different approaches to problems.

3. Active Learning - Working with new material or information to grasp its implications.

4. Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

5. Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

6. Visioning - Developing an image of how a system should work under ideal conditions.

7. Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Good News, Get The Bridal Fashion Week

Twice a year, bridal editors across America congregate in New York City to preview the next season's collection of bridal gowns from designers like Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier. One by one, models float down the catwalk wearing the designer's interpretation of the ethereal white dress—”running the gamut from dramatic bejeweled ball gowns to simple sheath destination dresses.

A shortlist of yesterday's shows included Melissa Sweet, Amsale, Christos, Kenneth Pool, Claire Pettibone and Jenny Packham (my fave of the day!). Over the next week we will be uploading trend reports and detailed runway coverage. Below are a few shots that I took while at the shows, so you can get a sneak peek of what's to come. Enjoy and check back each day for insider scoop straight from the runway.

New Fashion Line From Victoria Beckham

World-renowned fashionista Victoria Beckham is kicking things up a notch by launching her first ever frock designs. Although counting only 15 models, the new designs by Posh perfectly embody the very essence of everything that made her so famous on the glitzy scene of fashion – class, elegance, sophistication and certain rigidity, which speaks volumes for the renunciation of comfort in favor of the shock factor.

However, it’s not like Victoria, once the proud Spice Girl, really wanted to bring to the table something other than a line that was purely, 100 percent, herself. Which is precisely why this collection brings us only somber shades, almost draconian cuts, with lots of emphasis on the curves of the beyond-thin woman – the waistline, the bony shoulders and very little prominent hips – and close to none originality.

"Every one of [these dresses] could've been pulled from Beckham's own closet. The silhouette is beyond body-conscious, ultra-fitted from shoulder line to below the knee," reads a first review of the collection. And so it is: what Victoria designed is precisely what we’ve already seen her wearing on not one, or two, but almost hundreds of occasions. Then again, this is perhaps what could also make it special – seeing how the former Spice is not just a fashionista, but a role model as well.

One thing though makes this brand new collection from Mrs. Beckham almost inaccessible (aside from the price, which ranges from $1,500 to $3,600), and that’s the fact that its target is as niched as are its cuts severe. Not only does Victoria Beckham NOT design for plumper women, but she even excludes regular-sized ones too from the very start, a thing for which she has often been heavily criticized. While she might not willingly and openly encourage size 0 in women, her latest line does come with limitations that could actually prove too much even for the slimmest of girls out there. Clearly, they don’t say beauty comes at a cost for nothing.

Blackwell, The Fashion Critic is Dead

Richard Selzer, US fashion critic , famed for an annual international "worst dressed" list which he penned as "Mr. Blackwell," died here at the age of 86, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
The newspaper said Mr. Blackwell, who had been in failing health, died late Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of complications from an intestinal infection.

His skewered such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and, more recently, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham for their fashion flubs.
Of Elizabeth Taylor, Mr. Blackwell wrote that her "plump" figure and revealing clothes reminded him of "the rebirth of the zeppelin," the Times noted.

Mr. Blackwell's list and comments were published annually in the American Weekly, a syndicated Sunday supplement magazine. Mr. Blackwell was born on August 29, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the younger of two sons of impoverished parents who were evicted from their apartment several times, the paper noted.

He started working in Hollywood in the late 1930s, but his acting career did not last long, according to The Times. He later went into the fashion business but abandoned it in the mid-1970s, focusing instead on being a fashion critic.

Start The Old Geeks With Glasses

If, until not long ago, wearing glasses was cause of shame for many, because they bespoke of a flaw that could have easily been used for mockery and ridicule, the world of fashion has not remained blind to their hidden potential as one of the trendiest accessories. From the most select catwalks down to the nearby street (and probably the very person sitting next to you), glasses have become the ultimate accessory for a chic look. Being a geek is suddenly hip and so are glasses – although, in all fairness, not all models will suffice to get that extra nerdy touch.

From the bug-eyed glasses to the grandpa-style thick-rimmed ones – that, without even mentioning the variety of colors they come in (although it’s best if you stick with black or, if not, at least dark colors) – today, glasses are a must. However, just because everybody seems to be doing it, that doesn’t mean that anyone can, under any given circumstance. Trendy as it might be, geekiness has not changed in what regards the only thing that once made it so prone to bad taste jokes from "the populars," namely that it has to come from within.

What this means is that you can’t just buy a pair of goofy patterned pants and colorful sneakers (with Pacman, if possible), slap on a pair of large glasses and suddenly pretend that you’re the hippest thing your friends have ever got the chance to cast their eyes upon. Wearing geeky glasses also requires a certain haircut (not one in particular, just that not ALL haircuts will do), as well as bone structure and a proper wardrobe. However, if you strongly believe that you can check these three musts, and you already have the necessary attitude, then it’s only the glasses that’s been missing for getting that extra hot, ultra trendy and totally chic geeky look. And you’ve got plenty to choose from, for what it’s worth.

It's Time To Get Beauty Fashion Girl

Fashion
-Accessorize accordingly: As you spend more time considering the life cycle of every piece of clothing that you buy (What is it made of? Where was it constructed? How was it manufactured? How did it get to my local store?), don’t forget your jewelry, handbags, belts and hats. They, too, can be made with environmentally conscious materials and manufactured without toxic dyes or glues.
-Update your undies: Begin your sustainable fashion transformation at the beginning. Seek out underwear made from organic cotton or sustainable materials like hemp or bamboo. Whether you’re into practical underthings with lots of support and few frills or sexy, lacy lingerie, there are many eco-friendly options for both men and women.
-Rethink your jeans: Denim is the staple of almost every wardrobe across the globe. Make your jeans-wearing experience even more rewarding by tapping into the growing collection of organic cotton jeans available today. Organic jeans range from simple button-fly, straight-leg styles to skinny and even flared — the choice is yours.
-Be open to unusual fabrics: With sea cell, bamboo, hemp, soy, PET and ramie, who needs organic cotton? (Actually, we all need organic cotton — and it’s especially wonderful blended with other eco-friendly fibers — but it’s important to explore other materials as well.)
-Seek out reclaimed pieces: When it comes to fashion, adding a previously worn piece of clothing to your wardrobe is probably the most eco-aware step you can take. Hit your local vintage or used-clothing store or find designers who use reclaimed fabrics in their collections.

Beauty
-Start with your teeth: Look for toothpaste that contains natural flavors and no artificial colors or sweeteners. Essential oils are powerful flavor agents. Your breath will be minty fresh and all-natural with pastes enhanced with peppermint, spearmint or cinnamon essential oils.
-Deodorize naturally: Though there is still no conclusive evidence, several of the ingredients found in conventional antiperspirants - and deodorants have been linked to Alzheimer’s, breast cancer and even kidney and liver damage. Skip the antiperspirant altogether and look for deodorants that are free from propylene glycol and parabens.
-Color carefully: Make an effort to seek out salons that use natural, ammonia-free hair color; bring your own color to your stylist (purchased in a health food store) or request less dangerous processes like semipermanent color.
-Know the top toxic ingredients: Get in the habit of scanning the label of each product before you bring it home, and be on the lookout for the most common toxic ingredients, which include petrolatum, phthalates, propylene glycol, parabens and toluene.
-Get your guy into the game: Organic and all - -natural personal care is not limited to the ladies. Many naturally scented soaps and lotions can easily be unisex (though guys in search of more masculine fragrances should stay away from rose and geranium and turn to sandalwood and sage), and several companies have developed products specifically for men.

Spring N New York’s fashion

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

Spring traditionally evokes a sense of freshness and new beginnings, with sprouting shoots and blossoming flowers that inspire designers to breakout of the winter doldrums. Bright colors return to the top 10 list for spring ’09, as designers incorporate vibrant pops into their collections, yet temper the vibrancy with deeper, translucent or neutral tones.

“New York’s fashion designers encourage hopeful attitudes with lively colors, while sophisticated, grounded hues address the need for stability in times of economic uncertainty,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

Fall ’08 saw blue and purple rise to the forefront of fashion. As is often true, colors evolve from season to season, and spring ’09 is no exception. Palace Blue, a favorite among designers this season, takes a steadfast, classic, spring navy-like tone and makes it sparkle. Paired with just about any color in the report, it offers many intriguing spring combinations. Taking purple in a lighter direction, Lavender presents a softer, more summery hue, extending the mystical aspects of purple available last fall.

As yellow continues to make its mark on the world of fashion, tangy Super Lemon brings a fun, optimistic outlook to the palette. Its luminosity is determined to evoke a smile and attract the roving consumer’s eyes. Taking a cue from its lemony neighbor, friendly and approachable Salmon Rose also conveys an optimistic outlook. The subtlest of oranges, Salmon Rose is flattering to most complexions and is beautiful with a summer glow. Think sensual and seductive Fuchsia Red for clothing, as well as lipstick and nail polish selections, this spring. With its blue undertones, this cool red is a real show-stopper, adding a sense of elegance to the palette.

Stabilizing neutrals provide practicality in a changing economic landscape. Not your average beige, Rose Dust breaks away from the typical neutrals associated with spring by adding dimension with subtle rose undertones. And with its bluish-green undertones, cool Slate Gray is a nuanced neutral that can be paired with any of the other nine colors in the report.

Three greens, each with their own distinct personality, round out the color palette for spring ‘09, perpetuating the idea of freshness and renewal. Vibrant Green, the quintessential spring hue, brings a true verdancy to the palette in a time of revitalization. Dark Citron, a citrus-inspired green, is calmer and more serious than most, offering an element of sophistication to the mix. Reflective Lucite Green, a clean, clear subtle hue, adds a slight shimmer.
For more information about the Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2009 please visit:
www.pantone.com/spring2009

For more information about the Pantone Goe System please read:
www.fashiontrendsetter.com/~Pantone-Goe-System.html