Thursday, July 22, 2010

Badgley Mischka-Fashion Feast


In July 1991 Vogue 's Dodie Kazanjian looked to six designers (including Bill Blass, Donna Karan, and Michael Kors) for the perfect "little black dress," and found it at Badgley Mischka. Her fashion designs gained name and fame.Her idea of fashion is out of the world.
Frances Lear, writing in Lear's (September 1991), also chose a Badgley Mischka wool jersey as the magazine's "Relevant Dress," calling it "reminiscent of other seminal dresses, yet perfectly contemporary…as comfortable as your own skin." Such is the unerring sense of ease and balance in Badgley Mischka designs—they create something expertly vital without superfluidity or trendiness.Fashion apparelsare just attractive. Fashion catwalks are held.
Lilly Daché, the great stylemaker of the 1950s once said, "real fashion begins with simplicity," and Badgley and Mischka employ this manda te, creating clothing that is not only beautifully made but beautiful to wear. By the end of the 20th century the designing duo dominated the eveningwear market, and had begun to make their mark on the bridalwear. Introduced in 1996, their gowns won raves from critics, stores, and brides-to-be.
In addition to eveningwear and bridal gowns, Badgley Mischka wanted to carve a niche in hip streetwear as well. While critics and celebrities crammed the runway for their opulently beaded gowns, many had little interest for the designers' more casual creations. Yet by 2000 their "tough chic" separates in colorful leather with chunky belts and bikerish cool garnered notice. Women's Wear Daily (20 September 2000) enthused, "Mark Badgley and James Mischka have lightened their touch considerably…. Hemlines rose, shapes got sportier and…though the overall effect was more buoyant, their signature sophistication remained. And it was nowhere more apparent than in the white leather-wrapped miniskirt worn with a gold knit t-shirt…and the flirty gold-accented halter dress—all of which fit to perfection."
Another milestone for the designers was opening their first store, in Beverly Hills, in fall 2000. The stylish Rodeo Drive boutique featured all of their signature creations, including their new footwear collection, launched the year before. The designers had plans for additional stores in New York and Florida, and had been negotiating a licensing agreement for a signature fragrance as well. And as if several starlets wearing their wares for the Academy Awards wasn't enough, Badgley and Mischka were awarded the Marymount Designer of the Year award from Marymount University in May 2001.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Oriens-The Birth Story Of Oriens


Hummmm……….There is a fashion news !Readers once you get used to this Oriens then you don’t look for any other perfume! The classy the aromatic and above all very feminine! It speaks the language of sensitivity. Oriens is considered as an ethnographic objects as it a blend of opulence and lightness as it belongs to the latest trends.Oriens offers fruity and floral blend, it is hard to miss. The perfume is highly elegant and meant for the class.Oriens feels surprisingly pleasant to wear. The perfume manages to create a mantle of security and semi-warmth cut through by a cool green anisic nuance running in the dark velvet material of the perfume which smells more and more of Hades-dark pomegranate with time. It is well known in fashion industry.
. The name Oriens makes sense also in this context as Venice was such a meeting point of cultures between Europe and the Orient.

Oriens smells to my nose like a black diamond more than a watermelon tourmaline. It is abstractly rendered as an oriental-chypre, a hybrid yet classic genre in perfumery which attempts to combine both the warmth and depth of the satisfying and a bit fleeting in the end. It succeeds well at hinting at and even making you live oriental opulence and the dark-lit charm of a chypre scent burning softly in a byzantine church like a lamp oil casting shadows on the wall. It is secretly comforting without being too obvious a gourmand or regressive fragrance. Bernard Ellena seems to excell at indirect, oblique perfumery references that are hard to place. But I also have to accept the fact that Oriens is not meant to be with me for the days ahead.Oriens starts like a classic perfume with a will to live and then vaporizes like it knows in its bones it can only pretend to be a fad and does not want to outstay its welcome.Oriens in this regard is an interesting social object or perhaps better said - ethnographic object - as it brings out the existence of contradictions instead of squashing them into a non-perfume, playing with opposite ideals - opulence and lightness - and resolving them in the end as a perfume of its time.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Badgley Mischka-Brand Created By Passion!


* Established: New York, in 1988, by Mark Badgley and James Mischka. Badgley born in East Saint Louis, Illinois, 12 January 1961; raised in Oregon; studied business, University of Southern California, to 1982; graduated from Parsons School of Design, New York, 1985. Mischka born in Burlington, Wisconsin, 23 December 1960; studied management and art history, Rice University, Houston, Texas, to 1982; graduated from Parsons School of Design, 1985. Before forming own company, Badgley designed for Jackie Rogers and Donna Karan, New York, 1985-88; Mischka designed for Willi Smith, New York, 1985-88.
* Company History: Acquired by Escada USA, 1992; introduced bridalwear, 1996; launched footwear line, 1999; opened first store, Beverly Hills, 2000.
* Awards: Mouton Cadet Young Designer award, 1989; Dallas International Apparel Mart Rising Star award, 1992; Marymount Designer[s] of the Year, 2001.
* Company Address: 525 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018, U.S.A.

Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka have said of their clothing, "one zip and you're glamorous." Their clothing radiates youthful confidence; fanciful but realistic, their designs recall the elegance of an age when one dressed for evening. The two young designers, who introduced their first collection in 1988 under the label Badgley Mischka in New York, have made glamour attainable by demystifying and simplifying it.

Uptown diners and downtown executives alike find something appropriate and pleasing in Badgley Mischka designs. Evening suits and dresses are refined and uncontrived—form-fitting wool jersey, cotton brocade, faille, embroidered lace, silk, and baby bouclé are used to create suits with long fitted jackets and pencil-thin or swingy full short skirts. One versatile wool jersey dress, perfect for career dressing, looks like two pieces, with a rib knit turtleneck and either a permanently pleated or straight wrap skirt, in gray or pale yellow.

The combination of fine crisp and softly draping fabrics (bouclé and silk, velvet trimmed wool, organza and silk chiffon) adds dimension and drama. Fitted, empire, or lowered, waistlines are superbly shaped. Expertly mixed cocktail dresses—with evocative cocktail names such as the Tom Collins, the Delmonico, the Bacardi— are off-the-shoulder, décolleté, bowed, lacy, or beaded and above the knee. All are subtly provocative, feminine, and flirtatious. Their bridal gowns cause women to swoon, such as the V-backed ivory lace and silk-crêpe dress, or the off-white silk brocade coatdress, with front wrap and jeweled buttons. Badgley Mischka bridal dresses are for the grown-up sweet tooth, confections allowing the beauty of the wearer to shine through the frills.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Feminine Fragrance-Van Cleef & Arpels.


Oriens is the latest feminine fragrance launch this spring 2010 by Van Cleef and Arpels who stress that they were the first jewelry house to associate their name with a perfume named First, introduced in 1976. The brand is also readying for a masculine release later this year. Oriens comes after a more youth-directed composition, Féérie (2008) while borrowing from similar codes, i.e., fruity-floral notes. Like for Féérie and pushed to a greater degree, the bottle of Oriens takes center stage and offers the vision of what you could call a "statement bottle." It is hefty, its cabochon is huge and expertly colored by designer Joël Desgrippes to imitate a watermelon tourmaline

While there are no doubt marketing reasons for the introduction of a perfume which pays homage to the Orient as Asia and the Middle East are revealing themselves to be emerging dynamic markets, I prefer to concentrate for the purpose of this review on the manner in which the idea - and as it turns out - the purported tastes of the Orient, have been interpreted into a perfume composition with a global reach.

The tension one feels readily in the composition is the one existing between the oriental motif which has its tradition and expectations in Western perfumery and the tastes of the potential wearers from the global arena. It might sound pretentious to attempt to discern a planetary trend developing across all markets, but I am ready to bite the bullet by saying that if there is a universal one, that would be the greater seriousness accorded the creation of lightly textured perfumes. Since perfumery, like its companion fashion is both commerce and art, it ensues inevitably that there are both money and aesthetic interests developing around that future of perfumery. It is as if the prescience that world demography is going to explode is bringing new realities in, like the collective need to tune down our scents so as not to stifle the atmosphere and deplete both the good-will of planet earth inhabitants and the soundness of the atmospheric layers. Despite strongholds of potent perfumery, we have seen more and more a perfumery that becomes ever more polite and self-effacing.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Anna Sui-Another Name In Fashion Industry



International Fashion Designer Anna Sui's involvement in fashion began at an early age, with a devotion to dressing her dolls and her neighbor's toy soldiers for her own personal version of the Academy Awards. Sui eventually extended her fashion interest to include designing her own clothes and clipping fashion magazine pages to serve as inspirations. To this very day, she continues to refer to these "genius files".
After graduating from high school in Detroit, Michigan, Sui moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. While at Parsons, Sui found a collaborator and close friend in Steven Meisel, today one of the world's top fashion photographers. Her early days as a stylist for Meisel's shoots included editorial for the Italian fashion magazine LEI.
After leaving Parsons, Sui worked at a variety of junior sportswear companies.
In 1980, Sui presented six original pieces at the Boutique Show and immediately received an order from Macy's, who featured one of her designs in a New York Times advertisement. That same year, Anna Sui launched her own business that operated out of her apartment throughout the 1980'sIn 1991, Anna Sui premiered her first runway show, featuring her signature "head-to-toe" look and prompting the New York Times to proclaim it a "pastiche of hip and haute styles." In that same year, Sui moved her business and showroom to its current location in the Garment District.

In 1992, Sui opened her own boutique at 113 Greene Street in the SoHo district of New York. The store reflects Sui's distinct taste: pairing flea market furniture and whimsical Dolly Head mannequins in a room with purple walls and red floors. In 1993, Sui won the prestegious CFDA Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.The first of three Anna Sui freestanding boutiques in Asia opened in May 1997 in Tokyo. The second opened in Osaka in the Fall of that same year. Another Osaka venue opened in 2000. The stores mark the continued worldwide expansion of the Anna Sui brand and lifestyle. Isetan Company Limited is the main licensee for the Japanese distribution of the women's collection and Mammina, a subsidiary of Isetan, is the distributor to department and specialty stores there.In 1997, Anna Sui Shoes premiered on her runway for Fall 1997. Manufactured by Ballin in Venice, Italy, the shoe collection is comprised of both day and evening styles, and include velvet, silk, patent leather, snake and lizard skin, shearling and suede.Anna Sui opened her Los Angeles boutique in 1999 in Sunset Plaza, in West Hollywood.In 1999, Sui launched her signature fragrance and cosmetic line. In October 1997, Anna Sui signed a fragrance licensing deal with Wella AG of Germany to develop a signature fragrance. In a three-sided arrangement, Wella shares the Anna Sui beauty business with Japanese cosmetics maker Albion, which holds the Anna Sui color cosmetics and skin care license. Under the agreement , Wella will produce and market Anna Sui fragrances while Albion introduces the Anna Sui color collection for Japan. Wella will sell the fragrances to Albion, which will distribute them inside Japan, while Albion will sell the color cosmetics to Wella for distribution outside of Japan.For Fall 2000, Sui Dreams, the second Anna Sui fragrance launched worldwide.Called a designer that "never panders" by The New York Times, Anna Sui continues to design and manufacture her signature Anna Sui Collection in her New York City headquarters. Her runway shows continue to set trends and inspire designers everywhere. Sui's signature wit and original designs draw legions of devotees to her pieces, including clients Patricia Arquette, Christina Ricci, Cher, Naomi Campbell, Sofia Coppola, Courtney Love of Hole and James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Alice Roi-An Amazing Sense Of Fashion


Like many before her, Alice Roi's road to becoming a fashion designer was unconventional: She received her bachelor's degree in fine arts from New York University and after continuing her studies at Parsons School of Design, she held various posts at Elle and Fashion Group International. But soon it became apparent that fashion consulting was not satisfying Alice's creativity. Bravely armed with a strong vision, she decided to take a chance and set up her own design house. The incredible effort paid off. After only three years, the label already represents a new sense of New York style. Her clothes and accessories have appeared on the coveted covers and pages of magazines such as Bazaar, Elle, and Nylon and style bibles ID and V.Born in 1976, Alice always had a knack for style. As a young girl, she put on fashion shows for friends and family. She loved to dress her friends up, always putting together outfits that were creative and different yet flattering and appealing. Between Alice's love of painting and New York, it's as if she's used the city as her palette, mixing all of its eclectic charm and irreverence in her collections. It's these qualities that helped her line gain instant market credibility; her first collection was immediately picked up by one of the leading independent stores in New York, Kirna Zabete.
The quick commercial success, along with strong press reaction, generated unprecedented momentum for the young brand. With the beginning steps underway, including the presentation of the Spring/Summer 2001 collection during New York Fashion Week, the platform was set for Alice Roi to secure the most reputable retailers throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Her clothes can now be found worldwide in stores such as Henri Bendel, New York; Louis Boston; Beauty Buy, Paris; and Joyce, Hong Kong. But all the commercial success couldn't compare with the recognition she received from her peers in the fashion industry. Alice was nominated for the Council of Fashion Designers of America's prestigious Perry Ellis Award for Women swear in 2001. And she continues to receive support from the fashion community, as proven by the invitations to show her collections in Bryant Park season after season.
Alice continues to labor diligently in her midtown Manhattan studio. She is committed to driving her vision and company to new places and making the women that wear her clothes feel more confident and beautiful.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Alexander McQueen-Exraordinary TalentDied Young


Alexander MacQueen

Born in the East End and the son of a taxi driver, Alexander McQueen was the quintessential bad boy made good. He had brains and brawn, having survived over ten years as a solo designer and being brought into the Gucci Group stable, which bought a 51 per cent stake in his company 2002. In 2008, his company not only turned a profit but was also opening new stores from LA to Beirut. He was awarded the coveted Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards four times.
• Alexander McQueen was born in 1970 in the East End of London - the son of a taxi driver.
• He left school at 16 and trained on Savile Row at Gieves & Hawkes, where he reportedly once embroidered a suit for the Prince of Wales with the words "I am a c**t" (in the lining).
• In 1991 his entire degree show was bought by influential stylist Isabella Blow, whose later suicide in 2007 led to him dedicating his entire spring/summer 2008 collection to her memory.
• He earned his master's degree in fashion design from London's Central Saint Martins (formerly Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) in 1992.
• The of LVMH president, Bernard Arnault, controversially installed McQueen as John Galliano's successor at Givenchy in 1996. McQueen told Vogue in October 1997 that his debut couture offering for the label was "crap", but he stayed with the house until March 2001 - continuing to create challenging collections, including one featuring car-robots spraying paint over white cotton dresses and double amputee model Aimee Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs - until the contract which he said was "constraining his creativity" was ended.
• McQueen won the British Fashion Awards' British Designer of the Year four times and won the Men's Wear Designer of the Year award in 2004. In 2003, he received the CFDA Award for Best International Designer and was honored with a CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the fashion industry.
• His spring/summer 2010 collection, which featured alien-inspired make-up and reptilian prints, was lauded as his best by the fashion press, with Selfridges buying director Anita Barr telling VOGUE.COM she believed it would be the department store's "best selling collection ever".
• McQueen died, aged 40, on February 11 2010, amid unconfirmed reports that he committed suicide.
Alexander McQueen delivered collections that were often described in superlatives: "I didn't plan out my life like that," he said. "When people recognise and respect what you do, that's nice, but I don't think you ever do this to be famous. Fame should be left to the film stars. We're just offering a service."