Thursday, September 11, 2008

My Journey at AI Charlotte


My journey started at the Art Institute of Charlotte in October of 2006. I attended a traditional university first and I would never declare a major. Then one day it hit me, I love fashion and always have been interested in it so why not major in it? So here I am at the Art Institute and I will graduate in June of 2009. My first quarter was a shock from the fast pace work load because I had not experienced this at a traditional university. I feel that this has prepared me to handle anything in the industry. I have gained a lot of knowledge from my professors that have worked in the fashion industry, and have enjoyed many of the projects that I have done. Especially the projects that involve us in the community such as event promotion and fashion journalism. Overall I have enjoyed my experience at the Art Institute and feel that it has prepared me for a wonderful future.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Obama Chic

The would-be first lady's fashion is already grabbing attention. Michelle Obama is being closely watched as a fashion icon, and is being regarded as someone with a wonderful sense of style. This much attention has not been paid to the potential first lady’s fashions since the exquisite taste of Jackie Kennedy, and some are even daring to comparing the two. Michelle Obama’s style sense receives as much attention as her political views. Michelle is always dressed appropriately and has a very definite sense of herself. She has made big belts and large pearls part of her signature style. Michelle Obama has been photographed in Maria Pinto's figure-flattering looks, Pinto is a designer in Michelle's hometown of Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from The Art Institute of Chicago she attended Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She than began selling her designs in Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue, and she recently opened her first boutique in downtown Chicago. Thanks to Pinto's exquisite designs Michelle Obama is becoming a fashion icon.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

When Hope is not Enough

Has your skin lost its radiance? Does you skin need revitalizing? Would you like to minimize the look of lines and wrinkles? Well you are in luck, Philosophy has created this awesome product that does all of these things in one bottle. You're thinking that this is to good to be true, its not! You don't have to use 5 different products on your skin that do 5 different things. You can just use this one step miracle product called when hope is not enough serum.This product is a light-weight firming and lifting serum that helps tone and firm skin, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while protecting against harmful environmental attack. This product is appropriate for all skin types, this oil-free gel is enriched with toning, firming, hydrating and anti-wrinkle properties that revitalize a dull, lifeless complexion. Philosophy's formula contains a unique blend of antioxidants that help to restore skin cells and reduce the signs of environmental damage. Apply this serum to clean, dry skin on face, neck and chest areas. This product will be available at the end of the month at Sephora, www.sephora.com, and www.philosophy.com, and sells $38.00 for 1 ounce. Treat your skin to this wonderful serum by Philosophy and you give your skin a glimmer of hope.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Sagging Pants Designers

Saggy Jeans Designers

There are several designers that have incorporated the controversial trend of saggy jeans into their designs. Some of the designers that are most well-known for this trend include Rocawear’s, rapper gone entrepreneur, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, big brand ECKO, Sean Jean, and Russell Simmons’ Phat Pharm.

Rocawear
Jay-z released his first album in 1996 and had his breakthrough in 1998. His story is definitely the rags to riches dream. Growing up in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NY, he has moved his status to elite executive of his very own record label, Ro-A-Fella records and Rocawear clothing.
Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, who launched Roc-A-Fella records wanted his business to spread into more than music, he wanted to incorporate fashion into his brand name. “Like Roc-A Fella Records, Rocawear quickly staked its claim in hip-hop history becoming the destination brand for street savvy consumers. Rocawear maintains a focus of providing clever innovation in fabrication, application and design to its customer. It has been the brand’s attention to detail that has pushed Rocawear’s appeal beyond its core urban customer. Ten years have passed since the genesis of The ROC and a dynasty now reigns” (Rocawear).
Jay-z has been in the public eye since his debut in 1996 and his hip-hop style has been duplicated and re-created ever since. The saggy jeans that are recognized from his early “Hard Knock Life” album have now been transferred into his own clothing line. Although it has been a decade since this trend was started, with the times changing and trends cycling loose fitting, saggy, baggy, or whatever you may call them jeans are still around. Kanye West and Pharrell Williams are great examples of the more modern fit of the saggy jean.
Phat Farm
The hip hop mongul Russell Simmons owner of the record label Def Jam, started Phat Farm in 1992. The label first retail store opened in New York a year later on Prince Street. When starting the line he had in mind to change the stereotypical thoughts about hip hop clothing in the hip hop community. Since his styles were derived from the street his clothing consisted of Baggy jeans, Shirts with the logo big on the front, and hoodies. Russell Simmons changed the stereotypes of sagging jeans and changed it from being a negative thing to it being a fashionable symbol.
In 2000 after Russell Simmons created a whole new vision on street clothing his former supermodel wife, started a Phat Farm line for women. Where she transformed the baggy look, to a whole new style for women but she still keeping it urban. The line included the all popular baby tees which caused a huge sensation in the fashion world.
ECKO
Symbolized by a Rhino, Ecko Unlimited is a brand for hip hop and urban clothing. Started in 1993 by Marc Ecko with a line of just 6 t-shirts, Ecko has grown into a lifestyle brand.
Marc Ecko began his artistic career as a graffiti artist in the New York area while still in college. Mark was beginning to get bored with the medium he used for his art, so he began to design handmade T-Shirts. Soon after the T-shirts became available Spike Lee and Chuck D began wearing Ecko’s designs.
The fashion brand embodies sports, music, and video games. Ecko has partnerships with Playboy, the NFL, the NCAA, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimi Hendrix, and Marvel Comics. Ecko’s lines include jeans, shirts, jackets, backpacks and has expanded to footwear, leather goods, gloves, and outerwear. Most recently Ecko has developed a cosmetics line, a magazine, and a children’s collection.
Sean John
Sean John Combs, also known as P.Diddy, Diddy, and Puff Daddy, is a successful rapper, record producer, fashion designer, and actor. He is a hip hop icon and one of the wealthiest celebrities in the United States. Sean Combs put his own mark in the fashion industry by introducing his clothing label, Sean John, in 1998. Sean John is a high-end urban fashion line that is targeted to trendy males ages 12-45.
The collection is separated into categories including Sean John, Bad Boy Sportswear, Sean John Tailored, and Sean John accessories. Each category in the collection reflects Combs own diverse and personal style. His various taste of style has been quite influential in the fashion industry and has been nominated for 5 years in a row for his designs by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) since 2000.
Since the early 1990’s, “saggy” or “baggy” jeans have become more fitted to an extent. The “old school” hip hop style has become “prep-hop” that features polo shirts, trucker hats, and fitted jeans. Sean John’s sportswear collection is an example of the prep-hop trend. Many of the jeans and sportswear could be considered somewhat saggy but it really depends on the person wearing the pants that decide how far down they want to sag and show their behind. Combs has been known for wearing saggy jeans in the past but over the years his own wardrobe has become more tailored and fitted.










To learn more about the controversy of saggy pants visit these blogs:
History of Saggy Pants
http://tanishaideas.blogspot.com




Sterotypes of Saggy Pantshttp://tipsfromnkeru.blogspot.com/






Works Cited:
MarcEcko. About Us. 13 August 2008. http://www.shopecko.com/corp/index.jsp?clickid=about
Rocawear. About Us. 7 August 2008. http://www.rocawear.com/shop/aboutus.php
Phatfarm. 11 August 2008. http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/phatfarm
http://www.hoovers.com/sean-john/--ID__109178--/free-co-profile.xhtml
http://www.diddy.com/
http://seanjohn.com/main.html

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Charlotte Fashion Week


I hope everyone is as excited as I am about the first ever Charlotte Fashion Week!!!! This is a great opportunity for the Charlotte community to show off the wonderful city we live in. This 3 day event will take place at the chic Blake hotel located in up-town Charlotte. This event will showcase designers from New York, Atlanta, and of course Charlotte. Some of the fabulous designers that will be there are Flow by Tara, Dammi, and Luis Machicao Couture, just to name a few. Charlotte Fashion Week is great networking event for people in the fashion and beauty industry as well. I can't wait to see all those fierce fashions walking down the runway, See you in the front row!!!!!!!!!!






Jennifer

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Before there was CAD, there was Rene




Before there was CAD , there was Rene.
The fashion industry is well known for its Fashion Illustrators to help create a visual prediction for fashion when photographers cannot capture the image. These drawings are used to communicate fashion in the industry between designers, magazines, and trend forecasting. This occupation has been around for hundreds of years using the same tool all the while, the croquis. There are millions of Fashion Illustrators and the techniques are ever changing, launching now into digital illustrations. When design began to develop things were mostly done by hand. People were hired to draw and paint images of clothing on croquis or design an eye-catching fashion image for a product. Since the late 80’s technique changed and allowed illustrators to develop their work digitally. This new advance changed the look of fashion illustrations forever, but many of the original fashion illustrators are still looked to for inspiration. One of the most well known illustrators that has been around for centuries, and who has recently passed, is Rene Gruau. His illustrations have been used in several fashion publications and used with several designers.
Rene Gruau was born Renato Zavagli Ricciadelli delle Camminate in 1909 to an Italian count and a French mother named Marie Gruau. His mother was beautiful and was one of the most well dressed woman at the most prestigious haute couture houses. When he entered the art world he adopted the name Gruau after his mother, and his mother soon became one of his biggest influences in the art industry. When asked about his mother he said, “My mother was a marvelous woman”.
Gruau was mostly known for his vibrant use of colors and the way he complements the element of lines. His unique fashion illustrations created a whole new world before fashion photography and digital art even came into play. Rene Gruau illustrated simple and dramatic designs that involved a few ink lines, which was usually black or red. In the 1940’s and the 50’s he became one of the favorites of the haute couture family. He worked with Femina, Marie-Claire, L’Officiel, L’Album Du Figaro and other high fashion magazines. In 1947, he was asked to launch the Miss Dior fragrance and he came up with a stunning design, a white swan with a black fan, glove and a pearl necklace. Designers everywhere were hired to help Gruau promote the “new look” of the fashion forties and early fifties. Even up to his death at age 95 Gruau kept creating fashion drawings for Elle, vogue, France, Madame Figaro and L’Officiel de la Couture.
Throughout Gruau’s life he painted 80,000 illustrations and worked with some of the greatest names in Haute Couture such as Balenciaga, Balmain, Givenchy, and Schiaparelli. Inspired by Japanese prints, art nouveau, and Toulouse-Lautrec's sketches of Paris night life. Gruau was a master at creating designs with elegant lines and feminine silhouettes. His works are exhibited in museums and art galleries around the world, including the Louvre in Paris. Gruau died at the age of 95 in Rome, Italy but his passion and gift of fashion illustration has made a huge impact in fashion history.




“Elegance is fluid and therefore difficult to define but it is made of desire and knowledge, of grace, refinement, perfection and distinction.” – Rene Gruau
Rene Gruau’s Art







Image links:
Dior_http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/Ross/5409~Dior-Man-Rear-View-Posters.jpg
Vogue_http://www.renegruau.com/gruau_artist/assets/images/vogueparis.gif
Black dress_http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/501277066_ba9fe0fb34.jpg?v=0
Rene_http://www.posterpage.ch/mem/gruau/f001635.jpg
Resource links:
http://www.findarticles.com/- Obituary: Rene Gruau
www.iht.com/articles - Remembering Rene Gruau
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ - Rene Gruau, Capturing the look of Parisian chic.


















Listen up all you Stylistas! Fashion Tips from Jason Allen




I had the pleasure of chatting with Jason Allen, the merchandise manager for Banana Republic Southpark. Jason and I talked about everything from where he loves to shop to what every man should have in their closet. Jason gets his fashion inspiration from Armani Exchange. He says"I love the urban chic feel, it really appeals to the youth of today in the more metropolitan areas." Jason feels that everyman should have these staple items in his wardrobe, " Everyman should have a basic black suit, a pair of premium denim that accentuate all their important attributes, and a pair of designer sunglasses." Jason feels that if a man has these staple items in his wardrobe he ready for any occasion. Jason has 3 designers that he adores; Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and Prada. Jason has a very simple fashion philosophy that he feels everyone should follow" If I have to spend more than 15 seconds debating on a garment in the fitting room, then it is a definite NO." I hope all you stylistas took notes on Jason's fashion tips!