and gives readers a sophisticated look into all that is "in vogue." I also added The Runway Scoop, a blog that posts interesting pieces on the international fashion industry. The blog encourages readers to spark discussion on issues, which are later discussed in posts. True to its name, The Runway Scoop offers up to the minute analysis and information on the hottest runway shows all over the world. I then put the link to W Magazine: Fashion on the linkroll. This site is devoted to fashion news as well as art. W Magazine: Fashion also provides a hub for discussion boards and the ubiquitous celebrity style file. Lastly, I added the diamond in the ruff—Fashionologie, which has recently become a member of the elite top bookmarks on my computer. First of all, Fashionologie (see left) has a beautifully simple yet sophisticated visual interface. The site employs a great balance of color with simple black lines that makes for a chic looking site. Aside from visuals, Fashionologie is a blog that covers fashion musings that are of high interest to my age and myself. The blog is very relatable yet very fashion forward. Fashionologie discuses popular magazine spreads, covers, and promotes discussion about the issues that such material evokes in the fashion industry. I really enjoyed reading all of the posts on Fashionologie and highly recommend that you take a look at the site as well as the other links that I have added and discussed in this post! Enjoy!
March 29, 2008
Link Roll Additions: The Haute Step Adds New Links to the Closet
A few weeks ago I surfed the Internet for interesting and relevant websites that I could add to my linkroll (right). After excavating the web for the finest fashion sites and blogs I decided that there were just too many to add at one time! This week I have added another ten links. The first is Catwalk Queen, a blog dedicated to fashion. Catwalk Queen provides up to date news and coverage on everything fashion. The site offers interesting reading material, although it is somewhat difficult to navigate. Next, I added Go Fug Yourself, which takes a tongue and cheek look at celebrity fashion and analyzes what ensembles were“fugly” and why. Overall, it’s a fun site for caddy fashionistas. Then, I added a blog titled I AM Fashion, which is written by a young American woman living in Paris. I AM Fashion is a blog devoted to translating trends and runway fashions into down to earth, youthful street fashion. This is a wonderful site as it channels high fashion while bringing it to a more reasonable level for the average reader. I AM Fashion welcomes commentary and utilize readers’ comments as a compass for what will be covered in the next blog. I also added the link to New York Fashion, a site that is devoted to publishing scholarly articles that cover the current musings of the fashion industry. Similar to New York Fashion, I put the link to The New York Times: Fashion & Style site into the linkroll, which also posts intellectual pieces that delve into the world of fashion. However, it must be noted that The New York Times: Fashion & Style site is a bit difficult to navigate and although the overall content is exquisite, the site has a low level of interactivity. Next is Style Bites, a blog written by an anonymous fashion industry insider who explores the world of modeling by posting her interviews and also her secrets to styling. Like Style Bites, I found a site called Style File. Style File shares a similar interface with Style Bites but instead Style File focuses on high fashion, high society, and culture. Style File is written by contributing editors at Vogue and gives readers a sophisticated look into all that is "in vogue." I also added The Runway Scoop, a blog that posts interesting pieces on the international fashion industry. The blog encourages readers to spark discussion on issues, which are later discussed in posts. True to its name, The Runway Scoop offers up to the minute analysis and information on the hottest runway shows all over the world. I then put the link to W Magazine: Fashion on the linkroll. This site is devoted to fashion news as well as art. W Magazine: Fashion also provides a hub for discussion boards and the ubiquitous celebrity style file. Lastly, I added the diamond in the ruff—Fashionologie, which has recently become a member of the elite top bookmarks on my computer. First of all, Fashionologie (see left) has a beautifully simple yet sophisticated visual interface. The site employs a great balance of color with simple black lines that makes for a chic looking site. Aside from visuals, Fashionologie is a blog that covers fashion musings that are of high interest to my age and myself. The blog is very relatable yet very fashion forward. Fashionologie discuses popular magazine spreads, covers, and promotes discussion about the issues that such material evokes in the fashion industry. I really enjoyed reading all of the posts on Fashionologie and highly recommend that you take a look at the site as well as the other links that I have added and discussed in this post! Enjoy!
and gives readers a sophisticated look into all that is "in vogue." I also added The Runway Scoop, a blog that posts interesting pieces on the international fashion industry. The blog encourages readers to spark discussion on issues, which are later discussed in posts. True to its name, The Runway Scoop offers up to the minute analysis and information on the hottest runway shows all over the world. I then put the link to W Magazine: Fashion on the linkroll. This site is devoted to fashion news as well as art. W Magazine: Fashion also provides a hub for discussion boards and the ubiquitous celebrity style file. Lastly, I added the diamond in the ruff—Fashionologie, which has recently become a member of the elite top bookmarks on my computer. First of all, Fashionologie (see left) has a beautifully simple yet sophisticated visual interface. The site employs a great balance of color with simple black lines that makes for a chic looking site. Aside from visuals, Fashionologie is a blog that covers fashion musings that are of high interest to my age and myself. The blog is very relatable yet very fashion forward. Fashionologie discuses popular magazine spreads, covers, and promotes discussion about the issues that such material evokes in the fashion industry. I really enjoyed reading all of the posts on Fashionologie and highly recommend that you take a look at the site as well as the other links that I have added and discussed in this post! Enjoy!
March 11, 2008
Project Runway: Did the Best Designer Win?
For a designer, there is nothing that can rival presenting your collection at the centerpiece of New York Fashion Week—Bryant Park—and in the largest venue no less. For the three final contestants on Bravo’s hit show, Project Runway, Jillian, Rami, and Christian, an experience that once seemed like an unattainable dream was quickly altered into reality with their continued success on the show. And so, their day finally arrived with the season finale of Project Runway where Jillian, Rami, and Christian showed their collections to the world. After showing each of their lines at New York Fashion Week the judges would decide which one of the three finalists would be named the winner of Project Runway. I must assert that Project Runway has never had the incredible level of talent and caliber that this season’s final three possessed. Christian, Rami, and Jillian all had palpable points of view and the execution of each item in their collections was impeccable. All three had superbly professional styling from hair and make-up right down to the accessories. At any rate, in this blog I will examine each of the finalist’s collections and explain why Christian won Project Runway.
Jillian presented a gorgeous and innovative collection, which was an extension of the Metropolitan Museum challenge crediting the Italian 15th century painting “Master of the Argonauts” as her muse. Surprisingly, Jillian opened her show with a variety of marvelous knits. The knitwear was ingenious and certainly channeled Sonia Rykiel while possibly rivaling the infamous Adrienne Vittadini. As the various knits that stormed the runway early in Jillian’s
show faded to gold lame and chiffon pieces it was evident that Jillian’s collection steadily lost its cohesion. Just as one began to see the serious sophistication in Jillian’s work the idea was thwarted by pieces such as the black and white knit top with undulating cap sleeves that seemed Seuss-like in demeanor (see right). It felt like Jillian made a lot of similar mistakes that ultimately translated as awkward placements within her show. Overall it seemed that Jillian failed to formulate a distinctive point of view. The absence of accord within her collection might be accredited to the fact that she has always worked under someone else’s vision during her lengthy tenure at Ralph Lauren and so she has never been able to cultivate her own style. Thus, Jillian’s overall final collection was pulled in too many directions making it disjointed. As Nina Garcia, a judge for Project Runway and fashion editor for Elle magazine said, “I just see too many ideas.” This is not to say Jillian lacks talent. Her extraordinary attention detail was executed with surgical precision. Each look was immaculate unto itself in terms of thought and detail. For example, the final look cleverly shifted away from a traditional full skirt and instead used a wide leg pant. While the essence of Jillian’s show was deficient in both theatrical and cohesive elements, her collection was indeed fun, accessible, and inherently feminine. Nevertheless, Jillian’s deep-seated femininity was rivaled by Rami’s “ode to women.”
Rami, the "King of Drapery," set out to prove to the judges that he could produce more than 12 variations of the same goddess dress, which was done with precise execution. His collection was cohesive and showcased the idea that every category of dressing may be comprised of separates. While the construction and technicality of Rami’s line conveyed his impeccable workmanship there was a serious problem with color. The color story was dour and was definitely a little lackluster. Designer and judge, Michael Kors, said it looked like Rami used “Brady Bunch colors”—a definite no-no high fashion. The colors were certainly off; the tacky fuchsia, dirty yellow, and leafy greens did not compliment the black lame or tan jersey Rami utilized as the base for his collection. Aside from the peculiar color choices, Rami displayed his master craftsmanship in an antique lace gown and the many woven bodices. However, as much as I liked the vintage 1930’s lace gown, I felt that it was rather old and stale on the runway. Another disappointment was a gold lame number that had a strange bulge on the thigh. This was surprising in that Rami is known for his keen understanding of the female body and yet the strange accentuation at the thigh would be displeasing to a womanly figure. Aside from this dress, I though Rami produced an array of amazing evening dresses that gave homage to his innovative construction techniques—although some of his textile choices eluded me, as they were both visually and literally heavy. To end on a good note, Rami’s final look was the crème de la crème of his entire collection: a black gown with innumerable glittering accordion-pleated layers—it was simply staggering. Ultimately, Rami’s final collection was cohesive and his gowns were exquisite but overall the line lacked the edge and finesse it needed to truly stand on its own.
Finally there was Christian—the well-deserved winner of Project Runway. Christian’s designs had an alluring power or should I say “fierceness” to them. His collection was full of drama and the theatricality was at full volume. Christian’s collection was all about counterpoint between exuberant volume and minimalist restraint. For example, there were blouson tops paired with cigarette pants or oversized brimmed hats styled with obtuse collars and lean pants. This juxtaposition of shapes is nostalgic of early Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, which happen to be the designers Christian worked under during his time in London. The palate was mostly black with merlot accents while ivories and browns dominated the eveningwear. His overall aesthetic was consistent and I think his youth and inexperience catered to his avant-garde fixation. While Christian’s collection may have pushed the envelope with drama he managed to be conscious of the wearability of his pieces. The showstoppers were definitely Christian’s final two looks. His second to last look (see left) was a belted cocktail dress with hundreds of vertical layers of chiffon that faded from light to dark creating an uber sophisticated ombre look which danced down the runway beautifully. But it was his finale that was the jaw-dropper: a full-length gown crafted entirely of feathers that screamed haute couture! By the time Christian’s final look made it down the catwalk, celebrity guest judge Victoria Beckham was in tears, Nina Garcia was clapping ecstatically, and Kors was simply "beside himself." Honestly, after seeing Christian’s collection I, too, was left with goose bumps. At the unripe age of 21, Christian’s collection was astonishing, cohesive, fierce, and truly innovative.
Considering the contempo of Christian's designs along with its wearability, Christian definitely deserved to win Project Runway. I hope to see Christian’s youthful influence spark a “fierce” fire within the fashion industry and lead him to great success. Although the Jillian and Rami produced beautiful collections, Christian's line had a stronger story to tell. His show amped up the volume and set a new standard for Project Runway contestants to come. So to answer my question--yes, the best designer did win.
Jillian presented a gorgeous and innovative collection, which was an extension of the Metropolitan Museum challenge crediting the Italian 15th century painting “Master of the Argonauts” as her muse. Surprisingly, Jillian opened her show with a variety of marvelous knits. The knitwear was ingenious and certainly channeled Sonia Rykiel while possibly rivaling the infamous Adrienne Vittadini. As the various knits that stormed the runway early in Jillian’s
show faded to gold lame and chiffon pieces it was evident that Jillian’s collection steadily lost its cohesion. Just as one began to see the serious sophistication in Jillian’s work the idea was thwarted by pieces such as the black and white knit top with undulating cap sleeves that seemed Seuss-like in demeanor (see right). It felt like Jillian made a lot of similar mistakes that ultimately translated as awkward placements within her show. Overall it seemed that Jillian failed to formulate a distinctive point of view. The absence of accord within her collection might be accredited to the fact that she has always worked under someone else’s vision during her lengthy tenure at Ralph Lauren and so she has never been able to cultivate her own style. Thus, Jillian’s overall final collection was pulled in too many directions making it disjointed. As Nina Garcia, a judge for Project Runway and fashion editor for Elle magazine said, “I just see too many ideas.” This is not to say Jillian lacks talent. Her extraordinary attention detail was executed with surgical precision. Each look was immaculate unto itself in terms of thought and detail. For example, the final look cleverly shifted away from a traditional full skirt and instead used a wide leg pant. While the essence of Jillian’s show was deficient in both theatrical and cohesive elements, her collection was indeed fun, accessible, and inherently feminine. Nevertheless, Jillian’s deep-seated femininity was rivaled by Rami’s “ode to women.”Rami, the "King of Drapery," set out to prove to the judges that he could produce more than 12 variations of the same goddess dress, which was done with precise execution. His collection was cohesive and showcased the idea that every category of dressing may be comprised of separates. While the construction and technicality of Rami’s line conveyed his impeccable workmanship there was a serious problem with color. The color story was dour and was definitely a little lackluster. Designer and judge, Michael Kors, said it looked like Rami used “Brady Bunch colors”—a definite no-no high fashion. The colors were certainly off; the tacky fuchsia, dirty yellow, and leafy greens did not compliment the black lame or tan jersey Rami utilized as the base for his collection. Aside from the peculiar color choices, Rami displayed his master craftsmanship in an antique lace gown and the many woven bodices. However, as much as I liked the vintage 1930’s lace gown, I felt that it was rather old and stale on the runway. Another disappointment was a gold lame number that had a strange bulge on the thigh. This was surprising in that Rami is known for his keen understanding of the female body and yet the strange accentuation at the thigh would be displeasing to a womanly figure. Aside from this dress, I though Rami produced an array of amazing evening dresses that gave homage to his innovative construction techniques—although some of his textile choices eluded me, as they were both visually and literally heavy. To end on a good note, Rami’s final look was the crème de la crème of his entire collection: a black gown with innumerable glittering accordion-pleated layers—it was simply staggering. Ultimately, Rami’s final collection was cohesive and his gowns were exquisite but overall the line lacked the edge and finesse it needed to truly stand on its own.
Finally there was Christian—the well-deserved winner of Project Runway. Christian’s designs had an alluring power or should I say “fierceness” to them. His collection was full of drama and the theatricality was at full volume. Christian’s collection was all about counterpoint between exuberant volume and minimalist restraint. For example, there were blouson tops paired with cigarette pants or oversized brimmed hats styled with obtuse collars and lean pants. This juxtaposition of shapes is nostalgic of early Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, which happen to be the designers Christian worked under during his time in London. The palate was mostly black with merlot accents while ivories and browns dominated the eveningwear. His overall aesthetic was consistent and I think his youth and inexperience catered to his avant-garde fixation. While Christian’s collection may have pushed the envelope with drama he managed to be conscious of the wearability of his pieces. The showstoppers were definitely Christian’s final two looks. His second to last look (see left) was a belted cocktail dress with hundreds of vertical layers of chiffon that faded from light to dark creating an uber sophisticated ombre look which danced down the runway beautifully. But it was his finale that was the jaw-dropper: a full-length gown crafted entirely of feathers that screamed haute couture! By the time Christian’s final look made it down the catwalk, celebrity guest judge Victoria Beckham was in tears, Nina Garcia was clapping ecstatically, and Kors was simply "beside himself." Honestly, after seeing Christian’s collection I, too, was left with goose bumps. At the unripe age of 21, Christian’s collection was astonishing, cohesive, fierce, and truly innovative.Considering the contempo of Christian's designs along with its wearability, Christian definitely deserved to win Project Runway. I hope to see Christian’s youthful influence spark a “fierce” fire within the fashion industry and lead him to great success. Although the Jillian and Rami produced beautiful collections, Christian's line had a stronger story to tell. His show amped up the volume and set a new standard for Project Runway contestants to come. So to answer my question--yes, the best designer did win.
March 3, 2008
Linkroll Additions: The Haute Step Surfs the Internet... In Stilettos Of Course
This week I decided to explore the Web for some credible and well-established resources to add to my linkroll (see right) that emphasize the same points of interest my blog focuses on. First I found an esteemed British blog titled Coquette, which takes an avant-garde look at current fashion and trends. Although the entries are brief, the blog is informative and easy to navigate. Next, I added Elle: Fashion to my linkroll. Aside from Vogue, Elle has an enormous following within the fashion community—many rely on this site for suggestions about how to wear current trends off the runway as well as obtain fashion updates from Paris to Los Angeles. I also added Fashion Net. Fashion Net was one of the most interesting sites I came across as it connects visitors with not only with the fashion community but also with art. As many industry insiders see fashion as a sect of art, it was really great to find a site that gave homage to fashion's deep roots. Fashion Net's overall visual design is very pleasing and the structure of the site is easy to navigate. Furthermore, Fashion Net provides various links to designers, labels, artists, magazines, mailers, blogs, and even books! Following Fashion Net, I found a great blog called Fashion Tribes. Fashion Tribes is an internationally well-known blog that provides fashion forecasts, fashion week reviews, and also takes a look at current ad campaigns for major design houses and labels. It was very exciting to find a blog that made note of fashion advertising as I am a firm believer that fashion ads always share a similar characteristic across the board, which ultimately suggest what is going to be the next big thing in fashion. Overall, Fashion Tribes is a simplistic blog in terms of content and structure yet it manages to cover important issues that are current and applicable to those interested in fashion. I also added Glamour: Fashion Blog to the linkroll because Glamour not only illuminates high fashion trends but also mixes upscale designers with more affordable labels. After all, Glamous Magazine is the top-selling publication at Conde Nast. Glamour: Fashion Blog is rich in content with a profound point of view and definite sense of knowledge about the industry. The blog is visually appealing and is definitely a trustful blog for fashionistas. Next, I added Los Angeles Times: IMAGE. The site is easy to navigate, functional, and is written by insightful industry insiders providing weekly reports, trends, shopping, and what is currently “All The Rage.” Although I was a bit tentative about the Los Angeles Times: IMAGE section I have become quite fond of it due to its local shopping finds and interesting perspectives on current fashion phenomena. Style Bakery was also added to the linkroll as it is an easy, fun, “sweet,” and charming website for those wanting to know up to the minute style suggestions and tips for dressing. The site is one of the most interactive (along with Who What Wear Daily) in light of its “Ask Questions” tab. The site also has its signature “Daily Scoop”
that posts photographs of celebrities, stylists, and designers spotlighting current fads right off the street. Like Style Bakery, Who What Wear Daily also posts bundles of images cropped together of celebrities, socialites, or other popular fashionistas and then tags every piece of clothing that these icons are wearing so that readers know what and where to buy the pieces they have seen. It really is one of my favorite sites because the discussions and commentary on each blog post are always fun to read and interesting. I also added the highly esteemed Style.com to my linkroll. Style.com is definitely the best site for everything fashion. The information is accurate and the articles, blogs, and other postings are written by guest editors, Vogue writers, models, and other important figures involved in fashion. Style.com also archives all of the top fashion shows with photographs of each piece that has ever come down the runway since the site was launched in 2000! Finally, one of my personal favorite fashion blogs is The Sartorialist. The Sartorialist was voted one of TIME Magazines top 100 design influences! This blog is written by an engaging and incredibly knowledgeable man who has been in the industry over 15 years. The Sartorilaist includes guest blogs from the infamous Georgio Armani himself to other style icons such as Dita Von Teese. I think it is fabulous how The Sartorialist not only provides an immaculately cultivated outlook on fashion but the blog also involves other prominent figures in the fashion community. Ultimately, these are some of the best fashion blogs and Web-sites that are on the internet, which hone in on the ever passing trends and news that fashion brings day in and day out.
that posts photographs of celebrities, stylists, and designers spotlighting current fads right off the street. Like Style Bakery, Who What Wear Daily also posts bundles of images cropped together of celebrities, socialites, or other popular fashionistas and then tags every piece of clothing that these icons are wearing so that readers know what and where to buy the pieces they have seen. It really is one of my favorite sites because the discussions and commentary on each blog post are always fun to read and interesting. I also added the highly esteemed Style.com to my linkroll. Style.com is definitely the best site for everything fashion. The information is accurate and the articles, blogs, and other postings are written by guest editors, Vogue writers, models, and other important figures involved in fashion. Style.com also archives all of the top fashion shows with photographs of each piece that has ever come down the runway since the site was launched in 2000! Finally, one of my personal favorite fashion blogs is The Sartorialist. The Sartorialist was voted one of TIME Magazines top 100 design influences! This blog is written by an engaging and incredibly knowledgeable man who has been in the industry over 15 years. The Sartorilaist includes guest blogs from the infamous Georgio Armani himself to other style icons such as Dita Von Teese. I think it is fabulous how The Sartorialist not only provides an immaculately cultivated outlook on fashion but the blog also involves other prominent figures in the fashion community. Ultimately, these are some of the best fashion blogs and Web-sites that are on the internet, which hone in on the ever passing trends and news that fashion brings day in and day out.
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