Ethnic Influences on Apparel

Designers always have some type of inspiration when designing a collection for a runway show. Some may be inspired by artwork, movies, music and even comic books. Designers often travel to different places around the world to get their inspiration. Recently I have seen more designers have an ethnic inspiration to their fashion. Recently Anna Sui’ s spring 2009 RTW fashion show had an Egyptian inspired theme. The clothing had large Egyptian geometric prints; chokers and an overall very symmetrical look to every garment. Her inspiration comes from Egyptian, African and Indian style clothing.






Any store you go in you can always find some garment with an ethnical influence. Places like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe have shirts and dresses with vibrant colors and patterns just like the designers are using. Below are dresses  from Forever 21 that have this new ethnic vibe.







These influences not only show up in clothing but they also are apparent in accessories too. Some of the most popular accessories today have ethnic influences behind them. For example bangles, originated in India….Turquoise jewelry was worn by Native Americans…scarf’s are worn by Muslim women… slouchy berets, from French culture. The most popular garments and accessories that we wear today are inspired by other cultures. I personally cant wait to see what the next new ethnical inspired clothing will be this upcoming spring season.



1st photo from: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2009RTW-ANNASUI
Other photos: http://www.forever21.com/category.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=acc&Page=1

Trends of Fashion week

Fashion week  is the highlight of any fashion forward person. It is the week where standards are met and rules are broken. For the spring 2009 season the designers were not afraid of color and bold new prints. With all the shows I watched I noticed that each designer had their own unique style and inspiration to their collection but they all followed the same new trends.

Bright colors and bold patterns was the main theme I saw. In the shows of Anna Sui, and Diane Von Furstenburg, the patterns were bold and daring. Even in the elegant line of Oscar de la Renta, bold, yet still very classy patterns were present. Another trend is big jewelry, mostly necklaces. Even with the bright colors and patterns the designers were not afraid to add big accessories to the outfit and surprisingly it wasn't over done or tacky. It made the outfit more appealing and fun and added a new sense of style to the whole outfit. Head pieces and hats were also part of the different collections. In Marc Jacobs show, each model had their own colorful hat which added a different appeal to the outfit. In Diane Von Furstenburg's collection her models had bohemian style headband with feathers and beads. Accessories was not the enemy at fashion week. The bigger the better; it was welcomed with opened arms.




Another new, upcoming trend is harlequin prints. Everything from shoes, bags, bracelets and even furniture is taking hold of this new style. With bright colors and bold patterns now welcomed into the fashion world this style will fit right in.

My favorite fashion show from the New York fashion week would have to be Oscar de la Renta's collection. I love color and prints but I am not the fashion forward person who isn't afraid to wear the neon pink, sparkle tunic. His collection had all the color and the patterns of the new spring trend, he just made it elegant and very classy. It was very simple yet daring. There was not a single piece of clothing that I did not like in his collection

Video from: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/video/S2009RTW-ODLRENTA
Pictures:http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2009RTW-ANNASUI
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2009RTW-DVFURSTE

Organic and Eco-Friendly Apparel

"Going Green" is the latest new trend in the world today. Everywhere you go there is some product that is safe for the environment. New the fashion industry wants to jump on the band wagon and is making its make in our new Eco-friendly world. Now clothes can be made by using natural products that will not harm the environment.

Cotton has been used to make clothing for centuries and now there are new ways to grow and manufacture the cotton that make it safer for the environment. Now cotton can be grown using less land, less water, fewer chemicals and less tillage of the land which means less carbon emissions.

While doing some research I ran across a company called Indigenous Designs. They produce organic apparel and fair trade fashion. This company is very impressive and is committed to 3 things. 1. They support and want to preserve  fair trade wages and artisan cooperative. 2. They invest in natural and organic fibers and environmentally friendly dyes and 3. They are spreading the beauty of handmade eco-friendly fashion. To find more information about this awesome company go to www.indigenousdesigns.com. 

I believe "going green" is a great concept and I am really excited to see fashion become a part of it.  There is nothing better than to were something fashionable and also good for the environment. It brings fashion to a new level.

This is a video of a Indigenous Design organic runway show. The clothes are stylish, and classy and everyone can wear them.

My favorite Designer: Christian Dior

Out of all the designers in the world, my favorite designer would have to be Christian Dior. Even though he past away 51 years ago his legacy still lives on. I believe he was the most influential designer of the twentieth century.  The garments he created were elegant, classic and stunning. They were the true definition of high style.

I have always loved fashion and culture of the 1940's and 1950's and Christian Dior really made women of that era beautiful. In 1947 Dior birthed the "New Look" as his first collection. The new look was a new style that was opposite of the severe living conditions of post-war France. He wanted women to feel beautiful and to embrace their curves in clothing that pushed the limit of that era.

Not only did he design amazing clothes but he also help bring licensing agreements to the fashion industry. He has done so much for fashion and is truly an inspiration for other designers and aspiring designers like myself. It is awesome to see the line of Dior still thriving. John Galliano is an amazing designer as well (and is my second favorite designer) and I am so glad he is the designer for Dior. I feel like he still bring the same feminine essence to  the line the same way Christian did in the 1950's.