Alexander Wang

“IT'S ABOUT American tradition and heritage,” said Alexander Wang of the spring/summer 2010 collection he showed at Pier 94 on Saturday. “I didn’t want to put a time period on it. I didn’t want it to be about the Eighties or the Nineties, I wanted it to be about classic American sportswear with an edge.”

And, boy, did he deliver. From the military-inspired twill vest and shorts that opened the show to the tinsel dresses that closed it, Wang took classic American off-duty (and, as in the case of some football-inspired pieces, on-duty) sportswear to a very cool place.

In Wang’s world, a plain grey sweat suit gets sexed up with cut-outs, leather and lace, nylon baseball shorts are quilted and given exposed zips, while a striped rugby sweater is cropped to there and worn with khaki-and-sweatshirt fold-over trousers to reveal a very toned tummy. Oversized white button-downs boast back-baring crisscross details and the arms of an off the shoulder sweatshirt dress wrap around the model’s torso, making it look as though she’s hugging herself.

The models’ long, messy side braids, exposed cotton skivvies and backless knee socks (sounds weird, looks cool) only enhanced the sporty-sexy vibe. All told, another winner for Team Wang.

 Read More at http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8256

Nashville Fashion Week

Step back New York, Milan, London, and Paris - there’s a new fashion week in town: Nashville.  I know what you’re thinking, how could a relatively small town known for honky tonks and country music boast an amazing fashion week?  Well, we pulled it off and had a fabulous week which included fashion powerhouses like Christian Siriano and Kelly Cutrone!

Here were my top five highlights of the week:
1) Christian Siriano
Flowing gowns, perfect fabric, and over-the-top pieces encompassed Siriano’s collection.  The silhouettes and use of texture were absolutely breath-taking!

2) Kelly Cutrone Workshop
Seeing Kelly Cutrone speak was so inspiring and frankly, she was the opposite of how she comes across on television.  I found her to be compassionate, real, and extremely kind.  She spoke about her life and what it takes to make it in the fashion industry and also came to most of the fashion shows throughout the week! 

3) T. Rains by Traver Rains
Feathers, fur, and lots of bare legs flowed down the runway at the spectacular T. Rains show.  This was by far the most provocative and fun collection of the whole week!

4) White Rabbit
Local designer Shea Steele wowed crowds with her beautiful collection.  I was completely in love with her pieces and found it to be the most wearable collection of the week – you better believe I’ll be hopping over to her store Local Honey to pick up some these perfectly chic pieces.

5) Steven Oo
Steven Oo’s collection was filled with amazing knitwear and beautiful neutrals.  Seeing this collection made we want cozy up in a gorgeous piece of knit wear and go conquer the fashion world!

Read More at http://www.vogue.in/content/nashville-fashion-week

The Indigo Anniversary Brunch

Bloody Marys, mango martinis and pink champagne were the order of the day at Indigo’s 12th anniversary brunch this Sunday. Hosted by owners Rahul and Malini Akerkar, the mid-day party saw Mumbai’s food lovers and gourmets flock to the Colaba haunt, Indigo to celebrate.

Dressed for a relaxed Sunday brunch, the shindig saw Vogue’s Bandana Tewari, Pooja Bedi, Sabina Singh and Natasha Chibb in stylish resort wear. Not lagging behind in the well-dressed section the men looked suave in linen shirts and relaxed chinos.

The menu included Indigo’s finest pork spare ribs and filet mignon, strawberry terrine with port jelly in shot glasses and gooseberry tart with praline, proving once more that the luxurious restaurant is still one of the finest in the city. [05 Apr 2011]

Best Dressed Of The Week - 1/4/2011

KATE MOSS chose an appropriately Orient-inspired cheongsam minidress for the opening of the Longchamp store in Hong Kong, while in London, Keira Knightley wore a blush sequined Rodarte dress to accept her Hero Award at the Empire Awards this week.

SEE THIS WEEK'S BEST DRESSED PEOPLE

Vivienne Westwood opened her first shop in LA, with Mischa Barton, Malin Ackerman, Anna Kendrick and Christina Hendricks all donning Westwood looks to help the Dame celebrate.

Alberta Ferretti had a red carpet moment in London this week. The stars of Suckerpunch, Abbie Cornish and Vanessa Hudgens, both chose gowns from the Italian designer for the film's premiere in Leicester Square.

Elsewhere, Gwyneth Paltrow was in Antonio Berardi and Miranda Kerr wore Balenciaga for the Balenciaga and Spain exhibition opening in San Francisco; and English models Jade Parfitt, Jasmine Guinness and Amber Le Bon celebrated the opening of the new One For One club on Park Lane.
Read More at http://www.vogue.co.uk/celebrity-photos/110401-best-dressed-of-the-week--142011.aspx

Freja Beha Erichsen

Freja Beha Erichsen is a Danish model and a Vogue cover girl. She is renowned for her youthful androgynous look. "What you see at first is this tough boyishness, but then comes something else, a sensitive, softer side," said Vogue photographer Josh Olins in the August issue of Vogue. "She's beautifully androgynous."

    The daughter of two lawyers, Freja was born October 18 1987 in Roskilde, Denmark, and has a brother seven years her senior. Freja has described herself as tomboy and admits that, as a child, she enjoyed climbing trees and mountain biking.By the time she was 12, Freja was already 5 foot nine and at 17 was discovered on a street in Copenhagen by a modelling agent who drove past her in a taxi. In 2004 she signed with IMG.
    She made her modelling debut in 2005 when she opened Miu Miu's autumn/winter show and has since walked for Louis Vuitton and Prada.
    Freja has 16 tattoos. These include the word "float" which is written on her neck, "serendipity is life" on the back of her right arm, "This Too Shall Pass" written on the inside of her upper right arm, "This World Tonight is Mine" written on her right wrist and "Redemption" written on her upper left forearm.
    By July 2010, she had featured in 19 fashion campaigns including Gucci, Pringle, Roberto Cavalli, Chloe and Calvin Klein. Her first was for Jil Sander in 2005.
    Within Freja's first year of modelling she made it onto the front cover of French Vogue, which, in 2008 named her in its list of Top 30 Models.
    Freja has had numerous accessories named after her - including the Freja Chloe clutch and the Alexander Wang stiletto boot.
    Erichsen posed naked for the spring/summer 2010 edition of Purple magazine, shot by famed photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, in a shoot that meant to challenge stereotypical ideals of feminine beauty.
    Aside from fashion, Freja is a talented musician and plays the drums, piano and guitar. She is a fan of rock 'n' roll and blues including Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.
    Erichsen is based in New York but hopes to return to Denmark where she has recently bought a house.
    Freja appeared in 43 shows in the autumn/winter collections including Oscar de La Renta and Chanel.
    In July 2010 she opened Valentino's couture show.

Karl's New Girl

KARL LAGERFELD'S gang of favourite girls has a new addition: Carine Roitfeld. The former Vogue Paris editor, who is consulting with Barneys as guest editor for the forthcoming season, has also styled Chanel's autumn/winter 2011-12 campaign, starring Freja Beha Erichsen.

SEE FREJA ON MAY'S VOGUE COVER

"The mix with Freja was genius," Lagerfeld told WWD. "I like to work with the same girls and boys all the time."

As if to prove his point, Erichsen - a Chanel campaign regular - is not the only one making a return appearance in front of Lagerfeld's lens in the coming weeks. Anja Rubik - another Lagerfeld favourite - will next week front his Fendi campaign, and then Erichsen, Lady Amanda Harlech, Anna Mouglalis and Kristen McMenamy will appear in a film the designer is making to be shown alongside the Chanel cruise collection in Antibes on May 9. It will be shot in Monaco and other locations in the South of France.

YOU SHOULD SEE: What Karl Lagerfeld looked like 50 years ago...

YOU SHOULD SEE: Lagerfeld's best quotes... 

YOU SHOULD SEE: How many Vogue covers Freja has had...
Read More at http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/110405-karl-lagerfeld-carine-roitfeld-camp.aspx

Spring/Summer 2011 Runways

Over 116 designers for Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week and Lakme Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2011 catwalks are officially over. After careful observation from the front row, we give you the outfits that made for runway gold.

From Amit Aggarwal’s extended silhouettes to Aneeth Arora’s wearable hippie luxe outfits, the runways were rampant with trends that could compete on international standards. While prints of various kinds won hands down in the battle of the trends, other sartorial stars were the return of the white on white and colour blocking.

Watch this space for a detailed list of trends to follow.

Read More at http://www.vogue.in/content/30-standout-moments-springsummer-2011-runways#28

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week - Autumn Winter 2011

Schedule:

06 Apr 2011

    02:00 PM Neeru Kumar
    03:15 PM Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta / Kallol Datta 1955
    04:30 PM Urvashi Kaur / Rehane
    05:45 PM Geisha Designs by Paras & Shalini / Monapali
    07:00 PM Pankaj & Nidhi / Rishta by Arjun
    08:15 PM Varun Bahl
    09:30 PM The 3C Company presents Tarun Tahiliani 

07 Apr 2011

    11:30 AM Komal Sood / Jaya Rathore / Dolly J / Rahul Singh / Saaj By Ankita
    12:45 PM Joy Mitra / Sonia Jetleey / Zurhke by Rajdeep Ranawat & Naresh Chauhan
    02:00 PM Charu Parashar / Preeti Chandra
    03:15 PM am:pm by Ankur & Priyanka Modi / Zubair Kirmani
    04:30 PM Ashima - Leena
    05:45 PM Kavita Bhartia
    07:00 PM Payal Jain
    08:15 PM Label - Ritu Kumar
    09:30 PM Tata Manza presents Rajesh Pratap Singh

08 Apr 2011

    11:30 AM Mrinalini/Ritu & Rochana/Bhanuni by Jyoti Sharma/Chandrani Siingh Fllora/Divyam Mehta
    12:45 PM Hemant & Nandita/Prama by Pratima Pandey /Tanvi Kedia
    02:00 PM Gayatri by Gayatri Khanna/Raj Shroff/Walnut by Nidhi & Divya Gambhir
    03:15 PM Sanskar by Sonam Dubal/Smallshop JasonAnshu
    04:30 PM S & N Drape by Shantanu & Nikhil
    05:45 PM Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna
    07:00 PM Namrata Joshipura
    08:15 PM James Ferreira
    09:30 PM Spice Mobile presents Manish Malhotra

09 Apr 2011

    11:30 AM Pallavi Jaipur / Dozakh by Kartikeya & Isha / Sylph By Sadan Pande / Niket & Jainee / Sonia Sarin
    12:45 PM Anand Bhushan / Gaurav & Ritika / Koga by Jenjum & Jasleen
    02:00 PM Alpana & Neeraj / Atsu by Atsu Sekhose
    03:15 PM ‘my village’ by Rimzim Dadu / Péro by Aneeth Arora
    04:30 PM Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal / Virtues by Ashish Viral & Vikrant
    05:45 PM Gaurav Gupta
    07:00 PM Niki Mahajan
    08:15 PM Anamika Khanna
    09:30 PM Fiama Di Wills presents Abraham & Thakore

10 Apr 2011

    12:45 PM Nikhita Tandon / Khushali Kumar / Soltee by Sulakshna Monga
    02:00 PM Dev r Nil / Ritesh Kumar Ridzyn / Masaba
    03:15 PM Rabani & Rakha / Swapan & Seema
    04:30 PM Rahul Mishra / Rahul Reddy
    05:45 PM Anand Kabra
    07:00 PM Anita Dongre
    09:30 PM Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale by Sabyasachi

Read More at http://www.fdci.org/event/Event.aspx?EventID=30

Paris Fashion Week 2011

We bring you glimpses from the prestigious Paris Fashion Week 2011 featuring Fall-Winter Collections 2011/2012 of big names in fashion design.

 Sarah Burton

A model presents a frilly creation by British designer Sarah Burton for fashion house Alexander McQueen as part of her Fall-Winter 2011/2012 women's ready-to-wear fashion collection show during the Paris Fashion Week. Incidentally Sarah Burton is tipped to design the wedding dress of Kate Middleton.

read more at http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=5012628

LFW boasts of Japanese designers

Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) gets bigger this time, with eight Japanese names among the 78 designers. The mega fashion event is aiming at better global business and digital outreach as it kicks off Friday.

The LFW Summer/Resort collections, a grand show of creativity, style and art, has 16 sponsors. This edition also boasts of LFW TV that will bring glimpses of action in the lounge, after-hours parties, designer and model stories and newsmakers straight from the runway.

LFW has launched digital outreach for global recognition, an online live streaming channel on its official website www.lakmefashionweek.co.in.

"The digital medium is something that LFW has been exploring and actively developing as an interactive channel to reach consumers worldwide and engage all our stakeholders. The launch of LFW TV marks a turning point for Lakme Fashion Week in keeping with the rapidly changing times," said Anil Chopra, CEO, Lakme Lever.

"We are in an era of convergence of talent, trends and time. As a platform for business and promoting Indian designers, LFW constantly innovates and introduces newer concepts and best practices of the industry to drive commerce."

This comes after LFW's tie-up with e-commerce portal Fashion and You last season, a collaboration that was first amongst any  fashion weeks in Asia.

Another highlight of LFW is that it has collaborated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan as their cross-cultural exchange initiative Tokyoeye and audiences will get to see some top Japanese talents.

As per the tie-up, eight Japanese designers will participate in LFW, of which three renowned names - Tamae Hirokawa, Motonari Ono and Sara Arai - will showcase their collections at a show March 11, 2011.

"LFW is the only major Indian platform that is open to cross-border designer participation as this provides greater exposure to international buyers and the media for all LFW designers," said Ravi Krishnan, managing director, IMG South Asia and senior vice president-IMG.

"Tokyoeye's participation at LFW further illustrates the value this event creates for all stakeholders, and also positions India on the main stage of the global fashion market through LFW," said Krishnan.

This season will celebrate the return of Anamika Khanna on the LFW runway after three seasons. Other renowned designers like Anita Dongre, Anand Kabra, Anupama Dayal, Little Shilpa, Manish Malhotra, Pria Kataria Puri, Rocky S, Raakesh Agarvwal, Satya Paul, Shantanu Nikhil and Sabyasachi Mukherjee are geared up to set the ramp on fire with their creative extravaganza.

The mantle of the grand finale is on designer duo Gauri and Nainika.

Excited about it, Gauri said: "We are thrilled to be associated with Lakme. The theme this season, Fantasy Collection, is one that is close to our hearts. It is an exploration into the feminine and almost dreamy influences that drive many moods of all women. We hope that our collection will unfurl a whole new world of sparkling fantasies for women."

Lakme Fashion Week scheduled from March 11-15 and will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Since Bollywood and fashion go hand in hand, the presence of many Bollywood celebrities as show stoppers and front seat audience is expected.

read more at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/shows/LFW-boasts-of-Japanese-designers/articleshow/7670685.cms

Japanese designers to showcase at Lakme Fashion Week

Mumbai: Get ready for a Japanese flavour at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) as eight designers from the country will participate in its summer-resort 2011 event.

LFW has collaborated with Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan as part of their cross-cultural initiative - 'Tokyoeye'. The government-aided project aims to create enterprising relationships and provide access to international collections to buyers from India as well as other parts of the world.

The five-day fashion fete begins March 11-15 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Santacruz, Mumbai.

As per the tie up, out of the eight, three designers will showcase their collections on the ramp. Renowned brands like Somarta by designer Tamae Hirokawa, Motonari Ono by designer Motonari Ono and Araisara by designer Sara Arai will display their creations on the ramp.

'We are extremely pleased to announce this association with METI, Japan. This further solidifies our mission of integrating India into the Global Fashion World and also opens a new market, closer to home, amongst the Asian countries,' said Anil Chopra, CEO, Lakme Lever in a press release.

'This will also give an opportunity for Indian audience and trade to witness inspiring and creative Japanese fashion designers,' he added.

read more at http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/fashion/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5007093

Know how to preserve your blue suede shoes

Remember the Elvis Presley cult hit, "You can do anything but lay off my blue suede shoes"? Well, if you love your suede or leather footwear as much, you could do with some tips on how to keep them in good shape.

In a country that consumes 95 per cent of its leather footwear production, maintenance is important. Be it dust stains and black scuff marks on leather boots or flattened suede, experts say a little care can go a long way in preserving your favourite winter shoes.

"For packing away leather boots, it is important to wipe off the dust properly, especially from the soles. Make sure you clean it with damp cloth, then stuff the shoes either with shoe trees or tissue paper. Wrapping them in a non-woven bag with naphthalene balls is also the ideal way," footwear designer Swati Mehrotra of SwatiModo told IANS.

Space crunch is another factor to be considered while preserving your stylish and expensive footwear.

"First and foremost don't stack boots with any other footwear. Place loosely crushed paper inside the boots to provide strength in case you don't own boot jacks," said Geetika Handa, who owns a dozen pairs of leather boots.

Read More at http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/fashion/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5011475

Now, watch Lakme Fashion Week live online

New Delhi: The organisers of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) want to connect instantly with their audiences and are launching LFW TV online to enable people all around the globe watch all the shows live and catch exclusive backstage action as well.

'We have to recognise the importance of the online space. What people want is access to what is happening on the runway and behind it as well, provided they are given this access in a relevant manner. So with LFW TV, we are giving viewers an opportunity to see what happens in real time,' Ravi Krishnan, managing director, IMG South Asia and senior vice president IMG, told IANS at an event here Thursday.

'So, looking at these factors, we will also give them an insight about backstage activities, some exclusive interviews and post-show party fun as well. This will help fashion enthusiasts and buyers gain real-time access to shows,' he said.

Bandana Tewari, fashion features director of Vogue India, will host the short series, which will be available at www.lakmefashionweek.co.in

Expanding on the initiative, Lakme Lever CEO Anil Chopra said: 'We try to bring in a new change every season. We came out with this idea after we saw the data - we have as many as 30,000 followers on Facebook and in the past few months, we have received around 50,000 hits on our website.'

'So the data shows that people are interested in fashion and are keen to know about the latest trends,' he added.

This is not the first time LFW has embraced technology. Last year, the organisers had collaborated with e-commerce site Fashion and You, an online fashion retail portal, to generate business for the LFW designers.

'We are in an era of convergence - of talent, trends and time. A platform for business and promoting Indian designers. LFW constantly innovates and introduces newer concepts and best practices of the industry to drive commerce,' said Chopra.

Read More at http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/fashion/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5007079

Lakme Fashion Week 2011 - Preview

Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) gets bigger this time, with eight Japanese names among the 78 designers. The mega fashion event is aiming at better global business and digital outreach as it kicks off Friday.

 The LFW Summer/Resort collections, a grand show of creativity, style and art, has 16 sponsors. This edition also boasts of LFW TV that will bring glimpses of action in the lounge, after-hours parties, designer and model stories and newsmakers straight from the runway.

LFW has launched digital outreach for global recognition, an online live streaming channel on its official website www.lakmefashionweek.co.in.

"The digital medium is something that LFW has been exploring and actively developing as an interactive channel to reach consumers worldwide and engage all our stakeholders. The launch of LFW TV marks a turning point for Lakme Fashion Week in keeping with the rapidly changing times," said Anil Chopra, CEO, Lakme Lever.

"We are in an era of convergence of talent, trends and time. As a platform for business and promoting Indian designers, LFW constantly innovates and introduces newer concepts and best practices of the industry to drive commerce."