Although award show season is over, we still have events such as the Met’s Costume Institute Gala to thank for providing an array of celebrities in designer gowns to envy and critique.  The attendees of this year’s event came out looking their best, and I must say, there were fewer major flops this time around than I had seen earlier in the year.  Overall, I felt the stars, models, and designers looked glamourous, elegant, and (most importantly) appropriate on the red carpet.  The following were some of my absolute favorites.  Now the only question is: When is my invite coming for next year??

[View with PicLens]

Wow!  My sincerest apologies for such an extended hiatus from writing!  I guess my senioritis has kicked in not only in my classes but in my blog as well!  I’ll try to be more on top of my game in the future, I promise.

Anywho!  If any of you out there are as *abashedly* huge fans as I am of “The Hills” and “The City” on MTV, you saw the reveal of Whitney Port’s Spring 2010 collection at Bryant Park last night on the show.  As a fashionista who gained her fame through a reality television show, some people may discredit her abilities as a legitimate designer.  However, from what I saw of her show, I would beg to differ!  I have always been a fan of Whitney’s style on The Hills, and I believe her collection showed off her fun and glamorous point of view.

Check out her runway show here.  Her pieces are young, flirty, and a little sparkly: all things any girl would love to be!  Not only that but the girl is a total sweetheart!  How many MTV stars can we say that about??

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMogjUXHybM

Being the broke college kid that I am, I have always loved Target’s cheap but chic fashions, especially when they began partnering with up-and-coming designers to create affordable but trendy collections. When word spread that Jean Paul Gaultier was going to be the next on their list of collaborations, you can imagine my excitement and eagerness as to what he was going to come up with. To think…even I could own a piece of true designer work!  (Okay, okay…maybe it’s a little different.  But still exciting!).

Well! My curiosity can finally be put at ease, as his 20-look collection has finally been revealed in this look book. Maybe some looks aren’t for everyone, but the ability to mix and match all of these pieces and be creative in your styling is what it’s all about!

Now I just have to wait until March 7th when they hit stores to get my hands on them!

[View with PicLens]

by John Zarocostas

Posted Tuesday October 27, 2009

GENEVA — A high percentage of U.S. consumers are expected to convert to eco-friendly products across many industries, including 59 percent in apparel and 74 percent in health and beauty, according to a report by consultancy group Grail Research.

However, the report, called “The Green Revolution,” concludes price is the main reason why some consumers consider not buying green products, followed by a lack of many choices and that they are not easily available.

For apparel, the most important feature for driving purchases of green goods, said the report, was the manufacturing of the product caused minimal harmful emissions and the packaging is made of recyclable material. For health and beauty, the most important factors are that the product is natural and not tested on animals.

The report, which polled shopper preferences across the U.S. this summer, found the vast majority of American consumers have bought green products, but only 9 percent said they chose to buy eco-friendly goods for most of their purchases.

The primary sources of information about green products and companies for consumers, according to the survey, were product labels, followed by word of mouth, TV advertisements, print media and Web sites.

The study found that, when respondents were asked about the first thing that comes to their minds when they think of green products, 83 percent said “made of recyclable material,” 77 percent said “energy-efficient uses,” 71 percent said “made of natural ingredients,” 61 percent said “nontoxicity” and “reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” and 47 percent said “green certifications.”

Textile and apparel industry experts said a trend is emerging toward more eco-friendly apparel, but noted it’s still in the early stages.

Munir Ahmad, executive director of the International Textiles & Clothing Bureau, said so far it’s still a niche market focused largely in high-end products.

Some big buyers already active in the eco-apparel segment include H&M, Marks & Spencer and Zara, he noted.

Ahmad said apparel makers respond when they come under pressure to adjust, and the lead is normally from big buyers. But until now, the average consumer has shown little interest in green apparel and goes by price, quality and design.

The biggest problem for the industry, Ahmad added, is the use of chemicals, but he noted the big chemical companies are now more conscious of their environmental impact.

Francesco Marchi, economic affairs director with the Brussels-based European Apparel & Textile Association, said, “The trend is there, partially.”

But so far it has been “marketing-inspired,” he said, and singled out the British apparel market, where there is a lot of interest in green products.

He said while there is some interest among older consumers who “have the power to buy,” the major move toward green apparel purchases is coming from the younger generation, which is generally more attentive to environmental issues.

Concerning the possibility of more stringent greenhouse emission-reduction targets in rich nations likely to come down the road, Marchi said they will hit the textile manufacturing industry, but less so than the steel or auto sectors.

The Euratex representative said, “If we do not see equivalent restriction by industries in China, India” and other emerging countries, “we are likely to see migration of textile production to countries where there are fewer controls and no specific carbon emission-reduction targets.”

WWD.com

Talk about fashion influence! Among their stylish accomplishments, Levi Strauss & Co. created the first pair of women’s jeans 75 years ago.

Back in the fall of 1934, the all-American company took a gamble by producing the first jeans made exclusively for women called “Lady Levi’s jeans.” The line was originally made for “Western women” on ranches and farms that had been borrowing men’s Levi’s (the first Boyfriend jeans?).

Now the brand is celebrating the anniversary of equal denim duds for everyone by rolling out store events nationwide. Levi’s historian Lynn Downey will be on hand for many of the festivities, starting at New York’s Soho store on Sept 26, then moving on to Beverly Hills, San Francisco and Chicago to chat on the history of women’s jeans.

As it turns out, the traditional workwear pants were more than just a fashion statement — thirteen years after they were introduced, women won the right to vote. Coincidence? We think not.

Downey adds, “Levi Strauss & Co.’s decision to create a line of women’s Levi’s jeans was very progressive at the time. Pants still weren’t an acceptable part of a woman’s wardrobe, let alone a style of pants considered to be men’s workwear.”

Stylelist.com

Who could forget the spunky and out-there personality of Christian Siriano, the winner of the fourth season of Project Runway?  While Christian is probably most remembered for his “fierce” attitude and crazy antics, it was by no fluke that he was the declared winner of the show after showing at New York Fashion Week in 2008.  Since then, Siriano has continued designing and most recently put out the line shown in this video.  The muted color palette combined with the use of luxurious fabrics lent itself to an elegant and rich collection that displays Siriano’s amazing talent, outside of just Project Runway.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuFRPI4UFWo

PARIS (Reuters Life!) – At the height of the luxury goods boom, launching a single successful “it” bag was enough to substantially alter a company’s profit outlook.

Over the past week at the Paris fashion shows, buyers, designers and executives were hoping the same kind of accessories magic would help luxury firms weather the economic downturn.

“Yes there is the crisis, but it’s always an opportunity for some brands. We’re going to have a record year and record profit,” Sebastian Manes, director of accessories at Selfridges&Co, told Reuters at the Vivienne Westwood show.

He said the British department store had seen double-digit growth in handbag sales compared to last year, diversifying its buying strategy as the craze for celebrity-endorsed “it” handbags faded.

Whereas before, there would be a key bag for each designer, Manes said the store now offered a broader range that changed often and included edgier brands such as Martin Margiela, Westwood and Dries Van Noten.

“We’re coming to Paris with plenty of cash in our pockets,” he added.

Luxury goods companies have seen their sales hammered by the downturn, but accessories have proven relatively resilient as shoppers use them to freshen last year’s recycled wardrobe.

“There’s less demand for evening wear, for ceremonies, but there’s more demand for bags, shoes and foulards because people use it to renew their look,” said Simone Rondelli, co-owner of the Supperclub boutique in Bologna, Italy.

In the second quarter of this year, sales at the leather goods and saddlery division at Hermes rose 21 percent on a like-for-like basis to 228 million euros ($336 million), accounting for more than half of total revenue.

At Dior, part of luxury group LVMH that also saw gains in leather goods prop up overall results, big leather bags played a prominent part in the film noir-inspired show. Chief Executive Sidney Toledano told reporters backstage that accessories would continue to be “extremely important.”

Some designers are clearly looking for a new cult accessory that could succeed the “it” bag — at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld made a model pretend to answer her blackberry on the catwalk to draw attention to the device’s designer case.

Others still bet on one must-have bag for each season and say they do not believe the “it” bag — defined as a highly recognizable, best-selling bag that is marketed heavily and touted by celebrities such as Kate Moss — has had its day.

“I don’t think it’s really over,” Estelle Orilland, accessories designer at Stella McCartney, told Reuters after a show that featured intricate bags made of wood.

For spring/summer 2010, Orilland mixed jewelry and accessories by combining the hand-made bags with precious materials such as crystals.

“For us it’s about one bag of the season, and then the different materials. I know the “it” bag is a bit…but we try to work on details,” she added.

Yahoo! News

Recently, one of my friends told me about a website service called ShoeDazzle.  It is a completely new concept where you’re essentially a part of a monthly shoe club and can receive a brand new pair of shoes each month for $39 (shipping included).  You fill out a short survey about your fashion preferences, and professional stylists pick out 5 pairs of shoes for you that you get to choose from.  If you don’t like any of them…no worries!  Skip the month and check out your selection next month.  These are the ones I just got in the mail and I’m so excited about them!  Looks like I found a new addiction to satisfy my shoe obsession!  Uh oh…