Posts Tagged: "fashion"

Welcome to the Metaverse: How Fashion and Cartoon Avatars Can Build Your Brand

Carol McDonald - October 31, 2021 - Current Topics in Fashion

(Image from the Balenciaga-themed episode of The Simpsons released by the brand during Paris Fashion Week Spring 2022)

In a previous UoF blog, we covered how Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia, co-created a bespoke 10-minute episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer tries to learn the correct pronunciation of the brand name, “buh-len-see-aa-guh” and seeks to find the perfect birthday gift for his wife Marge. The episode premiered during Paris Fashion Week 2022 at a red carpet event held at Théâtre de Chatelet, with a star power assist from Isabelle Huppert, Eliot Page, Cardi B and Naomi Campbell. It was a huge success, and the fashion industry took note. Another marketing avenue was paved.

Can I create my own DIY Cartoon Character?

(Image credit https://turnmeyellow.com/)

The answer is YES! With computer gaming on the rise, especially among Millennial and Gen Zers, some famous fashion brands have already gotten in on the act, creating fashion outfits for computer game characters. Not only does fashion created for characters add prestige to the games themselves, but they help bring brand awareness to a new cohort of potential customers who wouldn’t ordinarily shop heritage fashion houses, such as Vuitton, Balenciaga and Ralph Lauren.

(Image credit: South Park Avatar Creator)

Today, cartoon generator websites like turnmeyellow.com and getcartoonizer.com instruct you on how to take your photo (2D only) and then create a downloadable digital file of yourself, for example, a Simpson’s “yellow” character, or a character from Comedy Central’s hit series, South Park. However, while these apps will transform your photo to have the “same look” as a Simpson’s or a South Park character, obviously you are not actually a copyrighted character from these shows and therefore they cannot be used for commercial purposes. In the case of Balenciaga, their team worked closely with The Simpsons’ creators directly, and received permission to use their characters (and created new ones) to promote the Balenciaga brand.

Are personalized fashion avatars the next wave?

(Image credits: Ready Player Me)

Yes. The next wave is to create your own personalized fashion avatar and the marketing possibilities are endless. Either way, these new marketing tools have designers jumping for joy.

If you are familiar with 3D design software, such as CLO3D, Browzwear, Optitex, Gerber, and Tukatech, then you know how realistic-looking fashion avatars have become. And so, it comes as no surprise that apps for gaming and fashion-generation are now available to the general public.

One avatar creation app is Ready Player Me by Wolf3D, where you can create an avatar with or without a picture, specify gender (or not), and specify skin tone and hair. By generating a personal avatar from a selfie image, you’re able to use it in different gaming and virtual applications. In a newly announced partnership with metaverse fashion leader RTFKT, you’re able to use their shoes and jackets to customize your avatar and you have access to hundreds of hairstyles, eyebrows, glasses and other options. All of these assets are free for Ready Player Me users. In addition, their avatars can be used with gaming platforms such as, Unity and Unreal Engine and have web and IOS integration.

By the way, the personal plans and/or student plans from the two main game engines are free.

Platform	Link
Unity	https://store.unity.com/compare-plans
UnReal Engine	https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download

(Image credits: Ready Player Me)

How early 2D fashion toys helped build brands, thus paving the way for today’s digital fashion cartoons & avatars

(Image credit: Bunty’s cut-out paper dolls from Pinterest)

If you are of a certain age, then you might just remember a time when ‘cut-out dolls’ were all the rage. Girls would spend hours folding clothes with paper tabs over figures made of paper or thin cardboard (in fact, some of us even designed our own paper clothes!). Paper dolls, dating back to the mid 1600s, were mostly used as children’s toys. However, eventually they found their way into advertising. with movie stars and celebrities as the focus.

Fast forward to the 21^st century. Now you can create your own fashion ‘doll’ (avatar) to use for AR experiences on your phone and to bring your own personalized avatar into your favorite computer games.

With some entrepreneurial spirit, some mad computer & design skills, why not create your own computer game or cartoon character to promote your brand?

(Image credit: House of Math)

Let’s take a look at House of Math for inspiration. It’s a good example of using avatars to promote personalized learning. According to House of Math: “This gamified platform offers games, the whole curriculum for K12, math drills, boot camps, study techniques and problem solving. You can also create your own 3D-avatar which takes your through all your activities. In addition, we have Mentor-on-Demand: a teaching service where you can either chat, video chat or have a one of our over 140 mentors come and teach at your home.“

(Image credit: Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow on YouTube)

And let’s not forget Demna Gvasalia’s bespoke video game in 2020 entitled, “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow”.

How would I get my designs to games?

As you may have guessed, creating your own good computer game can cost thousands, and unless you or someone you know has some serious gaming chops, your best bet is to explore existing gaming platforms that allow you to design clothes for a particular game so that you can market your designs through your own social media channels. While there are services and software to make this easier, those may come with a fee.

To all our aspiring tech-savvy designers out there who are interested in promoting their own designs through computer games, let’s look at some popular garment design software and how to get your designs to games.

Remember, for games, you will need to export the garments and the avatar on whom you design the garments. CLO3D and Browzwear will allow you to export certain avatars. Marvelous Designer is similar to CLO3D and is focused on Animation and Gaming, but if you are using CLO3D for clothing design, there may be a different workflow.

Where to get started?

Let’s start with Browzwear and CLO3D. Since in any game, your avatar will want to move, both platforms have avatars that are already rigged and ready to export as FBX file types.

Tutorials on Automation	Source
https://browzwear.com/watch-your-designs-come-to-life-with-the-vstitcher-animation-workspace/	Browzwear
https://support.browzwear.com/VStitcher/Export/settings.htm#ExportFBX	Browzwear
https://support.clo3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/360055227373-Automatic-Rigging-Converter-ver-6-0-	CLO3D
https://support.clo3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000526908-3D-File-FBX-Import-Export	CLO3D

And if you want to use other poses or use other avatars, Mixamo works with Browzwear and this workflow is explained by Browzwear.

https://www.mixamo.com/#/

Mixamo Adobe

If your game allows import of your own avatar, they will give detailed instructions.

Game/ Platform	Link
VRChat	https://www.gameskinny.com/9c6x1/vrchat-guide-how-to-create-custom-avatars
Animaze	https://www.animaze.us/manual/gettingstarted3d/animaze3d
Valheimians	https://www.valheimians.com/article/how-to-import-custom-avatars-in-valheim-multiplayer-with-valheimvrm-mod/
Roblox	https://developer.roblox.com/en-us/articles/using-avatar-importer

But what if I want to get my designs into video format instead?

Good news, Browzwear can save to an MP4 and CLO3D can save to an MP4 or MOV file. You can also download garments with movement without the avatars. If you know how to edit MP4 files, this is another method to get your designs visible.

Tutorials on MP4 / MOV files	Source
https://browzwear.com/watch-your-designs-come-to-life-with-the-vstitcher-animation-workspace/	Browzwear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adx8WPVA92o&t=380s	Browzwear
https://support.clo3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004522187-Animation-Video-Capture	CLO3D
https://invideo.io/blog/how-to-merge-videos-in-windows-10/	Invideo.io

If you are less tech-savvy but love to draw, why not create your own cartoon character?

(Image credits: Sew Sketchy)

Sew Sketchy

Sew Sketchy is the brainchild of fashion illustrator/influencer/Parsons graduate, Romy Schreiber. Followers of Schreiber’s Sew Sketchy character have a ball as they watch Sew Sketchy explore life as a fashionista. In Schreiber’s own words, “she is a sartirical personification of the fashion girl stereotypes yet what you read is 100% inspired by her real life.”

Image credits: Sew Sketchy

The Most Stylish Cartoon Characters Best Dressed Lists

(Image credit: Cosmopolitan magazine, 2014)

Oh, and did you know? There are several ‘Best Dressed Lists’ when it comes to rating the most stylish cartoon characters (spoiler alert…Olive Oil from Popeye is not one of them). For example, there is Anime Motivation’s “The Best Anime Character Outfits”, 3Dtotal’s “15 Stylized Characters of Spring 2021”, Sara Scoop’s, “The 10 Most Stylish Disney Characters”, Cosmopolitan magazine’s “The Most Stylist Cartoon Characters of All Time”, Attire Club’s “The Most Stylish Male Cartoons Characters on TV”, MsMojo’s “Top 10 Cartoon Characters Who are Totally Fashion Goals”, and Elle magazine’s “Fashionable Cartoon Characters”.

But, in my book, the best of all is Pixar’s character Edna “E” Mode, the half-Japanese, half-German fashion designer from the animated cartoon, The Incredibles. Why? Not only does she have her own personal style, but she also knows how to design for all of the characters in the show.

Design wise, Edna Mode from the start was all about shape and size inclusivity, even before it was popular. She designed to the ‘person’s strengths’ and made personalized clothes just for them.

“I never look back, dahling. It distracts from the now.”

—Edna Mode

Too bad I can’t hire her for any of my own future products!

(Image credit: Pixar)

So, tell us, do you have a fav cartoon or game character and how motivated are you to use gaming to market your brand?

ARE INFLUENCERS REALLY INFLUENCING SALES?

Antonia Sardone - April 2, 2018 - Fashion Business

Millennials have become the generation of social media. Life doesn’t happen unless it’s on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and the many other digital platforms embraced by today’s society. So naturally, fashion and beauty brands have been shelling out big bucks to engage influencers with the expectation that their followers buy the products that they’re peddling.

Bots have become one of the Internet’s ‘Most Wanted’ (Courtesy of WWD.Com)

But now, in an era that created ‘Fake News’, the fashion and beauty world have come to a realization….that many of these so called influencers are not influencers at all, that is, they have ‘fake followers.’

Ryan Babenzien of Greats (Courtesy of WWD.Com)

Greats, the premiere sneaker brand, was about to pay an Influencer marketing agency with 10.5 million followers a mid, six-figure sum for a long-term partnership. The influencer, who Gates declined to name, was set to design a capsule collection of woman’s footwear, but the deal never went through. According to a WWD article published on Feb. 13, 2018, Ryan Babenzien, founder and chief executive officer of Greats, discovered that the majority of the influencer’s followers were fake. “In doing due diligence, to get a better understanding of this person’s metrics — largely to make sure her followers aligned with the brand’s target audience — Babenzien was supplied with screenshots containing details about her Facebook and Instagram followings. When we mapped that over the world, we found that it was mathematically impossible for her to be as popular as she was and not have any of the 10 major cities in the 10 major countries be in her top 10 follower cities. It was impossible, Babenzien said. I don’t know if they paid for followers or if they are bots, but there wasn’t the alignment she had in followers from the cities that she was allegedly popular in.”

Fashion, beauty and retail brands around the globe have been allotting sizeable portions of their advertising budgets to influencers to create content for them. But as the industry studies influencers and their followers, they are beginning to understand that many of these numbers are fake. In many cases, inflated follower counts that result in campaigns that generate little return on investment.

According to a WWD article published on Feb. 13, 1018, “The fashion and beauty industries — as well marketing firms, public relations agencies and influencers who have come by their followings honestly — are up in arms about the matter, which they claim is tantamount to stealing from the brands paying them based on false information. Unfortunately, many firms discover this too late and only after shelling out tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Or even worse, many are worried that dishonest content creators and bloggers will ruin it for the rest of the group by giving influencer marketing a bad rap. This means that brands, disappointed when campaigns underperform because influencers fail to generate the traction that someone with a following of their size is expected to, will begin to tighten their belts.”

Chiara Ferragni of The Blond Salad is the face of Pantene, she is a true influencer who has also created her own fashion label.

Brands must be savvy and investigate the influencers they chose to work with. For example, there may be some people who are really good at creating brand awareness, and maybe they have a ton of followers, but the exchange isn’t high, but then there may be smaller influencers who are able to push a lot of sales. So, it is important for brands to know who they are collaborating with and who their followers are. For example, Benefit Cosmetics has made some of the most significant investments in influencers across the entire beauty industry — including spending a reported $10 million on influencer initiatives to support its BadGal Bang Volumizing Mascara launch this month, according to a WWD article published on Feb. 13, 1018. “If Benefit gets credible info on an influencer with a lot of fake followers, we simply stop working with them, Toto Haba, senior vice president global digital at Benefit, told WWD.”

Benefit took 32 influencers to Utah’s luxe resort Amangiri for a three night, all-things-Benefit getaway to launch Badgal Bang! Volumizing Mascara (courtesy of WWD.Com)

So, how can a fashion, beauty or retail brand identify fake followers? Well there are a few paid tools that can estimate the percentage of fake followers on an account, including InfluencerDB, SocialBakers, Social Audit Pro and SocialBlade. Therefore, before you shell out a vast amount of your advertising budget on an influencer, don’t forget to do your homework and work with these tools to help identify fake followers.

Amidst the recent Facebook scandal, where millions of people’s identity and privacy were compromised and used to turn several global political elections, and with talk now of government regulation, how long will it take for more transparency on social media when it comes to fake influencers? We are truly living in the 21st century’s version of the Wild West. Bring on the sheriff and the cavalry!

A powerful influencer is Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine (photo courtesy of Buro 24/7)

So tell us, who is your favorite influencer? Do you think that social media should be regulated?

The New Influencers: Welcome to Revolve’s First Awards Ceremony

Antonia Sardone - November 13, 2017 - Fashion Business, Fashion Events, Red Carpet

Janice Joostema, Rocky Barnes, Marianna Hewitt, Camila Coelho and Aimee Song. (Photo Courtesy of Revolve)

What is an ‘Influencer’ you ask?

Digital natives, who post, snap and tweet to their hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers — who then rush out and buy the products that these Influencers recommend. Women (and men) no longer look to fashion and beauty magazines for inspiration and ideas. In today’s digital age, those titles — and their editors — are quickly becoming a thing of the past, not only to consumers (latest casualty, Teen Vogue) but to brands themselves, who are now relying on these ‘brand ambassadors’ who are disrupting and replacing advertising and marketing ‘agencies’.

So why not celebrate these fashion and beauty influencers!

Well on Nov. 2, Revolve, the trendy mega-retailer who collaborates and works with Influencers daily, has hosted its first ever Revolve Awards Show. Revolve has successfully built its business on influencer marketing and are now celebrating and awarding their partners. It was a fun-filled and fashionably bold night.

The glamourous evening took place at Hollywood’s Dream Hotel and was hosted by E!’s Terrence Jenkins. Attendees ranged from Chrissy Teigen, and Nicole Richie to Hailey Baldwin and plenty of Instagram stars. The ceremony focused on influencer-centric categories – such as, YouTube Channel of the Year, Best Influencer Brand, BFFs of the Year, Best Beauty Influencer, Brand of the Year, #COUPLEGOALS of the Year and Influencer of the Year. Half of the winners were chosen by a trusted panel of industry experts and fans had the opportunity to cast their votes as well.

Chrissy Teigen (Photo courtesy of Revolve)

Revolve, a multi-brand online shopping retailer based in Los Angeles, was one of the first to identify bloggers as the new voice of fashion. Bloggers, Vloggers, Influencers and Insta-stars, have the ability to catapult a fashion or beauty label to the masses. These fashion crusaders have gained the trust of their audience base because they speak and dress in a way that most young women aspire and can relate and to, in contrast to traditional global fashion scene which is often perceived as intimidating and snobby. “We’ve been blogger -believers since 2009,” Revolve Chief Brand Officer, Raissa Gerona, said at the brunch. “They speak to our customers in a really authentic way that’s really meaningful,” co-founder and co-CEO Michael Mente told Fashionista.Com.

“We’re millennials too, so we automatically got it,” Gerona told Fashionista.com of the blogger boom. “Instead of being like, why are you writing about your outfit? It’s like, cool, you’re telling me what you’re wearing on your blog! I feel like I can get someone else’s perspective that I can trust. It’s not like Anna Wintour, who I’m never ever going to meet, you know?” It’s the difference between being talked down to – and talking with your friends.

On an earlier Instagram post (prior to the event), Revolve stated “We are nominating and honoring the best in the biz, our Influencers, our top selling brands and our ambassadors, for whom we wouldn’t be here without. And you, our followers and customers, are the core of everything we’ve achieved and hustle for. Thank you everyone who’s ever believed in us and supported us from the beginning.”

And the investment in Influencers is paying off. According to an article published by WWD in October, Revolve in on track to do over $1 billion in sales this year, attributing 70 percent of that sum to the might of the e-tailer’s influencers, a global network of 5,000 content creators.

Revolve’s Influencer of the Year, was the biggest award of the night and of course, the catagorie was filled with a talented and beautiful range of eight nominees: Aimee Song, Chiara Ferragni, Camila Coelho, Negin Mirsalehi, Rocky Barnes, Julie Sariñana, Tash Oakley, and Arielle Charnas. But of course, there can only be one winner. So the ultra-stylish Negin Mirsalehi took home the prize. The trend-setter called her boyfriend Maurits Stibbe to the stage to help her accept the award, and they were adorable. According to Negin Mirsalehi in an interview with Fashionista.Com, “They were the first ones to understand from the Influencer’s perspective. They see that Influencers are more than just people who take pictures all the time,”noting the company’s willingness to collaborate and brainstorm with Influencers to create maximum benefit for both parties. Currently Mirsalehi has 206K views on YouTube and 4.3M followers on Instagram. Now that’s a massive ‘influence’, don’t you think?

Below is a list of the Revolve Award Winners:

Influencer of the Year: Negin Mirsalehi

Best Beauty Influencer: Jenn Im

YouTube Channel of the Year: Camila Coelho

BFFs of the Year: Aimee Song & Camila Coelho

#CoupleGoals of the Year: Negin Mirsalehi & Maurits Stibbe

Best Influencer Brand: Shop Sincerely Jules by Julie Sariñana

Brand of the Year: For Love & Lemons

Best Activewear Brand: Alo Yoga

Best Beauty Brand: Ouai

Best Swimwear Brand: Beach Riot

Innovator of the Year: Eva Chen

Artist of the Year: Rae Sremmurd

Icon of the Year: Nicole Richie

Woman of the Year: Chrissy Teigen

Muse of the Year: Shay Mitchell

Whether you follow these influencers religiously, or you find them to be self-promoting, label-whoring, fame-seeking pretty young things, it is undeniable that Revolve has distinguished itself with a powerful marketing tactic that is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the fashion industry. Many Influencers even have their own hashtags, such as Chiara Ferragni’s famous #TheBlondSaladGoesTo…. Love it or hate it, the fashion industry needs to pay attention to these teens and young adults, for the rise of social media is just the beginning.

So tell us, who is your favorite fashion or beauty influencer?

Nicole Richie (Photo Courtesy of Revolve)

Raissa Gerona and Negin Mirshalehi (Photo courtesy of Revolve)

Jasmine Sanders and Rachel Zoe (Photo courtesy of Revolve)

Shay Mitchell (Photo courtesy of Revolve)

Michael Mente, Elsa Hosk and Mike Karanikolas
(Photo courtesy of Revolve)

Designing for the Future: Process Instead of Product

Kara Laricks - November 6, 2017 - Fashion Innovation

As a fashion designer, have you ever hit a serious creative roadblock?

You know the drill. Tasked with designing the “next big thing,” you sit down with your sketchbook and draw a complete blank—literally.

“Everything’s been done before,” you mutter to yourself and head back to the inspiration drawing board.

We’ve been there, and to an extent, you’re right. The A-line dress has been designed in countless fabrics and prints. T-shirts have been taken apart, put back together, ripped, washed, distressed, embellished, frayed, short, long, oversized, cropped…you name it. And unfortunately, many of those clothes have ended up in landfills. Maybe there is a more viable (and valuable) way to come up with the next big thing in fashion.

Today’s designers, and those who will stand out from the pack in the future, must also be innovators. So instead of using our creative energy to determine how can we design a pair of jeans no one has ever seen before, maybe we should be considering how can we better the jeans that are already on the market.

Instead of researching for inspiration, research a current problem in the fashion industry.

Instead of producing more fashion industry waste, use waste from the fashion industry to produce.

Instead of using extensive (and often toxic) processing to achieve a new finish, explore a new process to reduce the fashion industry’s footprint on the environment.

Recently featured in an issue of Hue, a magazine published by FIT, Stacy Flynn and Christopher Stanev are a dynamic duo who have set out to change how clothes are made, in effect proving the “everything’s been done before” argument dead wrong. Formerly with DuPont, Target and Eddie Bauer, Flynn had sourced millions of yards of fabric and seen first hand the pollution produced by textile factories—in particular those factories using recycling technology.

While using plastic from bottles to create polar fleece may sound like a move in the more sustainable direction, unfortunately, the process necessary to transform plastic into fleece is almost as detrimental as creating polar fleece sans recycled plastic bottles. And those retailers who have started recycling programs in which consumers bring in clothes they will no longer wear are only making a small dent in the current landfill crisis in the US. Of the 16 million tons of textiles Americans dispose of each year, on 16 percent is reused or recycled.

And so, Flynn and textile chemist, Stanev began to research how they could create a virgin fiber by dissolving and purifying donated clothes, then extruding the results for use in creating new garments. The pair did not find answers overnight—Flynn started asking questions in 2010, partnered with Stanev and together they invested their savings and retirement accounts to discover a way to liquefy fabric, extract the raw cellulose (which makes up 98 percent of cotton) and turn it into a reusable sturdy fiber.

Stanev’s team of researchers developed safe, reusable solvents to break down fabric and in 2015, Patrice George (Flynn’s former weaving teacher) began to weave what Stanev and Flynn called Evrnu yarn into denim. At first the yarn was very weak. George described it as “a cross between cotton candy and peanut brittle.” Stanev worked to make each new skein of Evrnu he sent George stronger and she created 4.5 yards of denim with Evrnu as the weft and cotton as the warp.

Evrnu Denim Image: Hue Magazine

Flynn then met with Levi’s head of global product innovation and secured an early-adopter agreement for Evrnu use after having George’s handwoven denim made into two pairs of 511 jeans. Target then signed on to redevelop one of their core items, such as socks or Underwear For Men UFM, using Evrnu technology for debut in stores in 2018.

The real beauty and innovation of Evrnu?

• It can be enhanced. It it’s liquid state, moisture-wicking or antimicrobial properties can be added. Evrnu also takes dye efficiently (and with a 30 percent reduction in impact compared to the dying of cotton or polyester).

• It’s strong. Using Evrnu technology, the cellulose can be stripped down to a pure carbon chain which is three times stronger than steel and 1/5 as heavy.

• It’s good for the environment. Production of Evrnu takes 98 percent less water than cotton production and gives off 90 percent less carbon dioxide than the process used to create polyester.

And get this…Evrnu can be recycled again and again and again—literally three times before it breaks down into sugar.

Whew. As designers, many of us dream of never-before-used construction techniques, never-before-seen prints and textiles or incorporating cutting edge technology into garments to make consumers lives easier.

However, just imagine the larger impact of creating an A-line dress in Evrnu. While the A-line dress has certainly “been done before,” a garment that can be recycled and worn for generations to come with minimal impact on the environment? Well, we think that counts as “the next big thing” in fashion. Congrats, Flynn and Stanev—you inspire us to rethink the type of contributions emerging designers can make in the fashion industry.

So now…we must ask you, our readers, what will your contribution be?

Field Trip: Irving Penn at the Met

Kara Laricks - August 14, 2017 - Field Trip

When you think of iconic fashion magazine images, which favorite shots come to mind?

Ethereal, natural, almost dream-like images shot by Annie Leibovitz? Maybe bold, bright shots by Mario Testino? Perhaps the tongue-in-cheek, sexy, playful images by Cass Bird?

These prolific photogs share something in common. No matter the celebrity, product or scene they are shooting, they do so through their own recognizable lens.

Irving Penn is one such master at putting his spin on a photograph regardless of the subject—and is a recent subject himself of an exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibit marks the centennial celebration of Penn’s birth, and we were lucky to get a few of our own photos of this artist’s expansive body of work over a career spanning almost 70 years. Read More

The Faces of Powerful Women in Fashion Retail

Kara Laricks - July 31, 2017 - Women in Fashion

Right now, retail is rocky. And those responsible for moving retail forward into its next iteration are going to have to be…

Strong.

Savvy.

Strategic.

Women. Read More

The Impact of Immigrants on American Fashion

Kara Laricks - July 5, 2017 - Fashion Business, Fashion History, New York Garment District

This 4th of July has stirred up mixed feelings.

Through the excitement of fireworks, friends, star-spangled fashion and food, we are celebrating living in the land of opportunity. However, we can’t help but think about how the current political climate threatens the fabric of the US fashion industry. And as we honor those Americans who have come before us and have paved the way for successful lives and businesses in America, we are concerned about the future lives of those who make American fashion possible. Read More

The Women Behind the Accessories

Kara Laricks - April 25, 2017 - Women in Fashion

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.

Thanks to the Academy Award-winning film, Hidden Figures, these names are now synonymous with launching NASA’s astronauts safely into space.

But did you know that the fashion industry has many hidden figures of its own? Strong, powerful, talented women who are the creatives forces behind brands such as Gucci, Valentino and Marc Jacobs? And like the love of math was the thread that tied Johnson, Vaughan and Jackson together, accessory design is the common tie between the three female powerhouses in the fashion industry you’re about to meet. Read More

More than just Ruffles: How Spain Inspires International Fashion

Shilpa Ahuja - April 10, 2017 - Fashion History

Flamenco dancers, bullfighting, matadors, and paella, are only some of the things that come to mind when we think of Spain, but in the fashion world, Spain is really so much more.

Flamenco dancer (Image Credits: Wikipedia)

Bullfighter (Image Credits: Pixabay)

From Queen Isabella to Present Day

The history of Spanish fashion dates back more than 500 years, to Queen Isabella’s (1474-1504) commissioning of Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the New World. What became known as Spain’s “Golden Age,” which lasted into the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603), introduced the world to rich Spanish textiles, intricate laces, sumptuous leathers and delicate embroideries.

Born in Guetaria, Spain, Cristòbal Balenciaga (1895–1972), made major contributions to the fashion world. Not only did he train future famous designers André Courrèges and Emanuel Ungaro, but his namesake house still continues today. Under the creative leadership of Demna Gvasalia, the Balenciaga ‘bubble dress’ was re-invemted in 2017.

Balenciaga bubble dress from Fall 2017 collection (Image Credits: Balenciaga.com)

Loewe, originally founded in 1846 by a cooperative of leather artisans, is another example of a lasting Spanish heritage brand. Spanish designers Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera, Manolo Blahnik, and Miguel Adrover have left also their mark on the international fashion scene, as have Spanish fast fashion retailers, Desigual, Zara and Mango.

Spanish Inspired Fashion

Whether it is ruffles, flounces, peasant blouses, rich Cordovan leathers, Blonde lace, Tenerife Lace, fringe or Goldwork embroideries, designers from around the world continue to tap Spain for inspiration.

Let’s take a look at some Spanish -inspired fashion that has appeared on the runway in recent years, beginning with Ralph Lauren’s use of ruffles, flounces and matador hats n 2013.

ralph-lauren-ss13-spanish-inspired-fashion

Ralph Lauren Spring Summer 2013

Dolce & Gabbana, was inspired to create this tiered high-waisted skirt, an embroidered bolero shorts suit, and this fringed dress for their Spring Summer 2015 collection.

dolce-spring-2015-spanish-inspired-fashion

Dolce & Gabbana Spring Summer 2015

At Oscar de la Renta, Peter Copping used Spanish art, bullfighters and postcards as inspiration for this collection that featured Spanish lace, ruffles, and flounced skirts. The flamenco heeled shoe completed the look!

oscar-de-la-renta-ss16-1spanish-inspired-fashion

Oscar de la Renta Spring Summer 2016

Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler and Blugirl definitely had Spain on their minds as they all went ‘ruffle-crazy’, adding ruffles to flamenco skirts and sleeves in their Spring Summer 16 collections. Michael Kors even added some Spanish lace for allure.

Blugirl Spring Summer 2016

michael-kors-ss-spanish-inspired-fashion

Michael Kors Spring Summer 2016

proenza-schouler-ss16-spanish-inspired-fashion

Proenza Schouler Spring Summer 2016

Diane von Furstenberg showcased the Spanish peasant blouse and dress in her Spring Summer 2016 collection, and updated them in the hottest pink.

Diane von Furstenberg Spring Summer 2016

Spanish lace, fringe and ruffles at Balmain for Fall Winter 2016 was a glamorous take on male Flamenco dancers and modern Spanish fashion.

Balmain Fall Winter 2016 Collection

New Zealand designer Karen Walker, transformed Spanish frill sleeves and flamenco dresses into everyday wear – translating them into denim jackets for her Spring Summer 2017 collection.

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Karen Walker Spring Summer 2017 collection

Alberta Ferretti also got in on the act with her interpretation of tiered skirts paired with bandeaus and ruffle tops.

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Alberta Ferretti Spring Summer 2017

Modern Fashion in Spain

Whether it is by studying the work of Cristòbal Balenciaga, the ‘Master,’ who gave the world the bubble and sack dress or Manolo Blahnik, with his famous Sex and the City shoe, or the creative modern genius of Paco Rabanne, who used unconventional materials such as rhodöid discs, plastic paillettes and laser discs in his designs, Spain will undoubtedly continue to be a unique source of inspiration for future generations of fashion designers.

Paco Rabanne rhodöid disc dress 1966

Decades of Women Who Have Made Designers Household Names

Kara Laricks - April 1, 2017 - Women in Fashion

Ask any designer to rattle off a few famous women in fashion, and you’ll likely hear Vionnet…Chanel…perhaps Diane von Furstenberg or Donna Karan. We know their designs, and quite often their career paths and even life stories, as well.

But what about the women working tirelessly behind the scenes to promote the designers we call by name and design?

This week, we take the opportunity to feature influential women throughout history who made their careers in fashion journalism. Though many of these women have careers that span decades, notice the significant contributions they’ve made, decade by decade. Read More

University of Fashion Blog