Simple, Classic, Sexy: The Wedding Gowns of Vera Wang

         Vera Wang has done more for bridesmaids than any other fashion designer in history. Her modern, sophisticated bridal collections removed much of the stigma associated with being a bridesmaid -- no one has to worry about wearing a puce-colored pouf skirt when Vera Wang is in your corner. Wang's sophisticated and streamlined bridal collections are what made her a household name, but there is much more to this talented designer.

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         Vera Wang got her start as the Senior Fashion Editor at Vogue. In her sixteen years there, she rubbed elbows with some of the most famous fashion designers in history and learned to anticipate trends and understand design principles. Ironically, it was a failure in her early life that led to her most famous early creation -- throughout her childhood, Vera Wang was a talented and dedicated ice-skating champion, with dreams of going to the Olympics. When that dream failed to materialize, Wang turned to her second love: fashion. (Wang's mother had been an extremely fashion-savvy woman, and Vera grew up with a love of clothing.) The design that turned her into a celebrity overnight? The diaphanous skating uniform worn by Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Olympics. The outfit garnered tons of media attention, and the rest was history!
          Vera Wang's bridal designs were also influenced by an event in her life -- her own wedding. In the 1980s, mainstream wedding gowns were matronly and sexless. Like many other designs of the time, bridal fashions were over-designed and gaudy. For her own wedding, Vera Wang searched high and low to find a simple, classic wedding gown, and couldn't. She ended up being married in a puffy-sleeved monstrosity that she disliked. This only served to inspire her creativity, however, and she set out to design wedding fashions that were sexy, sophisticated, and that reflected a woman's personal style. The Vera Wang label quickly established a precedent and earned praise from consumers and the media alike for its use of modern lines and sumptuous fabrics. According to one reviewer, "There was no fashion in bridal [design] until Vera Wang."
          Today, Vera Wang is much more than just a bridal couture designer. She has used her personal design aesthetic to create ready-to-wear collections, fragrance collections, and products for the home. She continues to innovate in her use of materials, proportion, and detailing.



source: http://www.fashion-schools.org/verawang.htm

The Little Black Dress

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Every woman looks great wearing it, and every woman has her own. It is the default date ensemble when it is one of those "I have nothing to wear" days. In fact, it is so popular, so necessary, and so much an institution in women's fashion that we had to ask: "Where did the "little black dress" come from?"
To properly understand the fashion environment necessary to produce such a simplistically fabulous necessity for any wardrobe, we must visit the 1920's. As women shed their long, layered dresses, cut their hair and enjoyed the fast-paced party life, society slowly became more accepting of women baring slightly more of her shoulders, back, and legs. The coveted silhouette of the era was generally very slender and youthful.
It was during the 20's that the legendary fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel first stitched her name into the history of women's clothing design. In fact, Chanel's designs are often considered to be the epitome of the 20's style because her work was so fresh, modern, and updated.
Chanel encouraged and inspired the style we typically envision when we think of flappers. She was fond of working with neutral colors and soft easy-to-wear jersey fabrics that were simple in shape and cut. Chanel was able to infuse comfort and sophistication into fashion, and this combination was considered revolutionary. It was during her early work, that Chanel designed and introduced the first little black dress to the world.
First introduced in 1926, black was previously considered to be a color reserved for funerals and periods of mourning. Truly simple and sexy, Chanel's design was a sleeveless sheath cut just above the knee. She could have never predicted the immediate and lasting love women would have with her simple, chic black dress.
As Chanel was quoted, "Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury." Whether a woman's little black dress cost $50 or $2,000 her intention is the same: to look effortlessly classic and appropriately sexy in just seconds. While most of us cannot afford to buy Chanel's breathtakingly beautiful pieces, we can certainly wear our trusty black dresses with the modern, sophisticated attitude she possessed.


source: http://www.fashion-schools.org/littleblackdressarticle.htm

Want To Be A Fashion Stylist?

             What a hair stylist does for your 'do, a fashion stylist does for your wardrobe!
It is the job of a fashion stylist to help a client figure out what "look" he or she desires and then help him or her get it. If a rocker chick is looking to tone it down for an interview, if an aspiring executive hopes to look the part, if a politician needs a new image, or if a mom desires to reclaim a lost sense of style and sophistication, he or she might consult a fashion stylist.

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            Ultimately, a fashion stylist is an image consultant. Professionals in this line of work have a keen fashion sense that is paired with an equally strong ability to recognize the desires and individuality of their clients. It is no big secret: we come in all shapes and sizes, and we have various personalities and lifestyles. We all want to look good, but we all want to look...well, like ourselves. A fashion stylist knows how to help clients choose outfits and accessories to compliment body type and sense of individuality.
           Becoming a fashion guru takes dedication, experience, and pizzazz. Most fashion stylists start out in the fashion industry - working in various positions, including retail sales, buying, advertising, and journalism. Our tip to stylist hopefuls: soak up all of the knowledge and experience of the fashion industry that you can. Whether you start out selling pantyhose at Macy's or picking up the fashion editor's morning latte, keep your ears and eyes open! Knowing and learning as much as you can about the fashion industry will only prepare you to launch your own dream career.
          Another tip: get experience by offering your services to family and friends. Everyone has the cousin whose wardrobe is stuck in the 1980's. Help your cousin out and practice your consulting skills! Don't be afraid to believe in your talent, and be adamant about marketing your services - even from the beginning. If you work hard, continue to engage in fashion design training, and want it bad enough you will eventually get a chance to show what you can do. Seize and dress every opportunity in a pair of Jimmy Choo's!



source: http://www.fashion-schools.org/fashionstylistarticle.htm

The Mystery of Fashion Trends

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         This summer it is "boho" chic. Last summer, it was preppy sailor simplicity. In the late 90's it was the grunge look. Yellow is the new black. Jeans are the new business casual. And on. And on. Yes, I am writing of fashion trends. The latest look, style, and color floods the covers of magazines, the shelves of retailers from Saks to H & M, the bodies of celebrities and television characters and, undoubtedly, is able to get enough of us to buy into it (literally and figuratively) to validate the whole cycle. So, while most of us are easily able to grasp this continuously perpetuating cycle of saturating the public with the latest, greatest duds, questions remain: how does a trend start? Who makes this decision? Why does it work? 

        Well, to be perfectly honest, there is no definitive answer to the myth that is a fashion trend. But, while the exact formula is beyond the consumer, we can be sure that it takes the work of several different interdependent fashion industry professions to convince us that espadrilles, suspenders, and terry-cloth suits are worthy of our dollars and donning. 

        Fashion designers gather their inspiration, whether it comes from popular culture, music, politics, a celebrity muse, or something else entirely. Then, they design - usually a spring and fall collection. With a slew of inspired, perfectly crafted designs ready to hit the runway, they show their collections. 

        It could possibly be said that the trend begins at the fashion show. Fashion writers, buyers, photographers and celebrities line the runways, waiting to take in, criticize and praise the designer's work.

        Writers go back to their offices and verbally comment on the design they have seen. If a collection is deemed great, the editor may be persuaded to feature the clothing on the cover of the month's issue. This is also influenced by fashion publicists - professionals who are paid to get the designer's duds in front of larger audiences. Thus, we read about the latest fashion trend.

        Photographers snap photos as the models parade down the runway and sell them to parties interested in the designer's work. The photos show up in newspapers, industry magazines, fashion magazines and various other media outlets. Thus, we see the latest fashion trend.

        Buyers, if impressed, order pieces that their clientele will be willing to pay hundreds or thousands to own. Other designers, those focused on mass production of more affordable versions of the latest trend, gather their inspiration here too. Thus, we can purchase the latest fashion trend.

        So, as you can see, it is impossible to pinpoint exactly how a fashion becomes a trend. What you can know, with certainty, is that it took many professionals in the fashion industry to get you to the cash register with your bohemian-inspired peasant blouse.



source: www.fashion-schools.org/fashionstylistarticle.htm

How To Figure Out If Fashion School Is Right For You

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              It is true that not every famous designer has gone to a fashion design college, but enrolling in fashion school programs is a sure way to perfect your design skills. While it is entirely possible (with hard work and unwavering determination) to become a successful, world renown fashion designer without school- like Alexander Queen, or Coco Chanel- it is more likely that you will reach the same end by attending fashion design schools. 

            There are plenty of those that made it big with the help of a formal education: Christian Lacroix, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors to name a few. They all attended school and earned a degree which gave them the needed boost to make their way in the industry. But, in case this is not enough to convince you that you should seek out the benefits of fashion design colleges, here is a list of reasons to go. 

            Fashion school programs will prepare you to reach your big picture career goals; attending fashion design school will give you the building blocks for the steps to achieving your dreams. Natural talent is one thing, but when combined with formal training, it makes a winning package. 

            Fashion school will help bolster your credentials and build your portfolio. The fashion industry is extremely competitive and you will have time to develop the necessary edge to succeed. 

            Fashion school programs will allow you to explore a full range of possible careers. If you have an eye for business as well as design, perhaps a career in fashion merchandising would suit you; become a textile buyer, a product promoter, or a wholesale merchandiser, among other great options. 

            Fashion design school is an excellent environment to network within the industry. You will be surrounded by aspiring artists as well as established designers who you can not only learn from, but also make connections with. Networking is a huge part of success in the fashion industry.

 

source: www.fashion-schools.org

Careers After Fashion School

          If you are considering going to fashion school to become a fashion designer, you should know that there are many other career paths open to you upon graduation. Fashion designing jobs can be extremely fun and artistically gratifying. However, they are often intense and very competitive. Do yourself a favor and explore all of the career options that come with completing fashion school. Here are just a few to get you started.

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Fashion journalist - For those who have a passion for fashion and for writing as well, fashion journalism could be an even better match for you than fashion designing jobs. Fashion journalists cover industry news and trends, from runway shows to new boutiques. A job like this requires serious writing skills, a natural curiosity and a profound respect for deadlines and producing quality articles. Learning about the industry in fashion school will definitely boost your career as a fashion journalist.
Fashion stylist - People who strive to become fashion stylists have a profound knowledge of fashion, a fierce personal style and a knack for putting together complete outfits for other people. While stylists do not have to attend fashion school to become successful, it is important that they know about fabrics, prints and other technical aspects of fashion as this knowledge will affect their fashion choices.
Fashion marketer - Marketing is all about creating an image of a product or company and broadcasting that image to the consumer. The world of fashion would come to a grinding halt without fashion marketers. Much like fashion journalists, people in fashion marketing must have excellent communication skills. They must also know how to gain and maintain a vast set of contacts.
 

source: http://www.fashion-schools.org/article-how-to-figure-out-if-fashion-school-is-right-for-you.htm