Alexander McQueen (1969-2010)

 

Among the ranks of Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gautier, and John Galliano-the kings of luxury craftsmanship that have kept Paris in reign of fashion's dictatorship-Alexander McQueen made his mark after being christened by the French to design for couture house Givenchy. After five years, he'd had enough, and went on to launch his own label. He built an empire of a brand with his truly British spirit, while still showing and exerting his influence from Paris. 

There is no other fashion designer that was able to marry a deep rebellion in artistry and a commitment to appreciation for beauty quite like McQueen. His designs, while elaborate, were ofter gothic, dark, and shocking. According to Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, McQueen stormed out of a meeting with Bernard Arnault, after being handed an opportunity at LVMH any designer would kill for. Arnault knew his rage would set fire to his creativity..yet it was still perfectly disciplined. 

Girls of today's generation don't love Chanel like they do McQueen. He was always protective of a woman's inner animal or alien; beauty was not barbie-like to him. He honored individuality, and will never be forgotten as one of the leaders in today's changing world of fashion. He once said: "It's a new era in fashion-there are no rules. It's about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together." He will never be replaced.

 

  

  

 

  

  

 

J Crew Revisited

These past few months, J Crew has been catching my eye more and more. And not because of Michelle Obama. Jenna Lyon, the brand's creative director, has really allowed it to take flight. The formerly preppy brand has been introducing romance, glamour and the spirit of travel to its collection. It was always the brand whose catalog you'd anticipate. Famous for mix-and-match swimsuit separates, platform wedge flip flops in every color and classic cardigan sets. The prepsters decked out in their slacks and scoop necks. From vintage-inspired jewels to panama hats to embellished leather bags and distressed ruffle, I've never seen the brand so inspired or full or personality. Check out the site for Jenna's Eye Candy.

P.S. J Crew is also making wedding dresses..Weddings & Parties. Talk about Ambitious..

It's Still Rock & Roll to Me

Remember how we anticipated style in the new Millenium? Would we have purple triangular collars like Judy Jetson? Would individuality be sacrificed for the greater good and mankind be forced to wear uniforms, like in Demolition Man? Unless you count Gareth Pugh's dystopic-like creations and Alexander McQueen's alien shoes, fashion is still headed for the past. Because like history, it repeats itself. Designers are easing into denim use, as it's now a mainstream luxury comparable to leather. Blending the best of both worlds is how designers like Alexander Wang and Helmut Lang are invoking the 80's to set mass trends. Welcome back to the age of jive.

 

Burberry Prorsum PF10, G-Star SS10, Rag & Bone SS10

From top left: Yigal Azourel jacket $979, Rick Owens jacket $1373, Alexander Wang bag $780, Mango jacket $44.99. From bottom left: Helmut Lang jacket $780 and skirt $275. Alice + Olivia dress $495 and pants $297.

Excerpts From “Vol de Jour” by Karl Lagerfeld

   
"why is Chanel investing in creating and publishing all this digital content? The answer is rooted in the changing nature of media, marketing and technology and underscores lessons that all major fashion brands would do well to observe"

"In the past, marketing fashion collections mostly meant buying pages in magazines or space on strategically positioned billboards. In both cases, brands paid to interrupt consumers, repeating a visual theme or message in order to create recognition, desire and conversion. By exerting their influence as advertisers, brands also forced magazines to feature their products in their editorial. But today, affluent consumers are migrating online, where the balance of power is dramatically different."

"These days, it’s not about being louder. It’s about being more interesting. To communicate effectively, brands must inspire and harness conversations amongst consumers by giving people something remarkable to talk about — something of value that they will actively seek out, amplify and share with others. In this new reality, forward-thinking fashion brands like Chanel are learning to think like media companies, creating and publishing original editorial content to earn attention and attract fans who will carry their message across the internet."

Read the Full Story: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2010/01/fashion-2-0-chanel-learns-to-think-like-a-media-company.html

Visit Chanel News http://www.chanel.com/fashion/8-fashion-trends#8-fashion-trends

Too Much Fun With Polyvore

"You Looked Like Me on Sunday" by alexandramari featuring L.A.M.B. sandals

Fun with Polyvore

Inspired by Gauguin by alexandramari featuring Alexander McQueen accessories

Because, Grunge or Diva, I'll Never Get Over the Early 90's

Because Germans do it Best

So Last Decade...

The decade of the 00's oversaw a lot of both ridiculous and forward thinking trends. Celebrities continued to have a huge impact on the fashion world and it seemed like almost every one launched a line, making it look way easier than the brilliant minds we saw on shows like Project Runway.

Designers capitalized on denim. We have the $150 dollar jean and the emergence of niche brands. 20 years ago, paying that much to look like Kurt Cobain would have been insane. My favorite is the skinny jean, which also assisted the rebirth of the embellished, platformed, heels we can now happily show off.
Which takes me to the sky-high platform, where average woman can taste the altitude of models and tower over men. Sorry guys, we don't feel bad anymore. And did I mention androgony? The growing number of women in executive positions in the workforce saw a masculization of women. I'm not talking boyfriend clothes. Think sharp and boxed. Balmain shoulders and millitairy jackets from h&m. The boyfriend blazer. Designers started to reshape women, threatening to embrace other things than her softness and curves. Perhaps this has something to do with the 00's trend of emaciation. The super skinny girl and the obessesion of talking about her-whether dieting or excercize or photoshopping or models dying mysteriously-the topic was always catching headlines.

Guilty pleasures:
velour track suits: A very embarassing trend, but luckily I was in college at the time so I could wear Juicy jumpsuits to class every day.
Leggings: To me, it's straight laziness. But they are awesome for fat days
Big slouchy bags:  They are great because you can literally carry 3 outfits, a hair-dryer, a computer and a meal at once, but they shouldn't be worn with a careless outfit outside of the east village. 
Flannel shirts: I love anything reminiscent of the grunge era.

Celebs like Mary Kate&Ashley Olsen (though they dress up well) and Lindsay Lohan introduced Homeless chic. The intersection of starvation and homelessness.

LA fashion scene zzzzz. Lauren Conrad just keep to your coast.

Massive Collaborations for retail giants like H&M, Target, Uniqlo. The wave of the future, as fashion becomes collective.

As luxury and materialism have been questioned in times of recession, let's hope the fashion industry continues to think ahead by being socially responsible. The first step is an educated consumer.