Alexander Wang X H&M launched today

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Alexander Wang front row

The hype:
You’ve heard the hype for a while now: Alexander Wang’s collection for H&M has launched today and tons of fashionistas are lining up to get their hands on exclusive pieces. It all started on Alexander Wang’s Instagram account, when he shocked Instagram followers with an announcement that he would be collaborating with H&M. As the launch date grew near, sneak peeks of the collection continued to pop up on fashion news channels. Now Alexander Wang x H&M has launched with a bang – stunning fashionistas all over the world like what happened at Shanghai’s launch with legendary kpop group 2NE1 performing for the collection.

Click here for a look into the Toronto launch minutes after H&M opened, fast forward to 5:00 for the fashion madness

Alexander poses with the 2NE1 girls

Alexander poses with the 2NE1 girls

Blogger Borjana models a look

Blogger Borjana models a look

Live update:
Alexander Wang x H&M opened its doors at 8 A.M. today and shoppers were all given wristbands and a time limit of around 10 minutes to shop. Luckily for U.S. shoppers, the collection was made available online, but unluckily it seems like everyone’s wanting a piece as the site is currently down. For nine to fivers that were unable to make it out personally to shop for pieces, Kijiji and Craigslist ads have been posted offering to buy pieces for a fee. This is the smartest thing we’ve heard of and a necessity as a huge line had formed a day before the event. How else will we get a chance at wearing the hottest new sportswear? But it looks like you’ll need to empty out your pockets because some sellers quoted a hundred dollar service fee!

alexander wang clothes

One shopper’s did good at H&M

Photo credit @kkiimsm

Designer collaborations:
The hype makes this event so much fun, but we have to ask if we’ll be wearing these pieces in the longterm and if the hype reflects the quality of the collection. It’s a great marketing strategy for high and low to sell together as shown by the success of previous collaborations. And most importantly, it allows fashionistas to wear brands they’ve coveted at prices they can actually afford. For those that don’t closely follow fashion trends or don’t have a large interest in the fashion world (“Vera Wang?” anonymous asks) they won’t understand the madness. But these collaborations are extremely popular and the demand for designer pieces won’t stop anytime soon.

Alexander Wang runway

How to Get on the Best Dressed List: S/S 2015 Edition

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Throughout Fashion Month bloggers, reporters and enthusiasts shared their thoughts on trends, streetwear scene stealers and burgeoning designers. Fashion month is over, and the next time as much focus will be on beautiful clothing will be during award show season.

Let’s keep the conversation going with a little game called “How to Get on the Best Dressed List: S/S 2015 Edition.”

How do you play?

1. Pick a Fashion Month look

2. Choose a celebrity and share why you think they’ll be best dressed in the look you chose

3. Follow the celebrity throughout award season and see if they wore the look you chose or something similar

Here are my picks:

Round 1: Rosie Assoulin + Caitlin FitzGerald

Photo: Courtesy of Rosie Assoulin

Photo: Courtesy of Rosie Assoulin

Photo: Courtesy Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Photo: Courtesy Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Rosie Assoulin, the now solidified queen of timeless, elegant cool’s designs would be a perfectfit for Master of Sex’s Caitlin FitzGerald.

At the 2014 Golden Globes the actress wore a baby blue Emilia Wickstead number reminiscent of the 1960s-era character she plays on the show. The look on the left, from Rosie Assoulin’s S/S 2015 collection would look sharp and clean on the star who typically wears clean lines and structured fashions.

Round 2: Rochas + Lorde

Photo: Courtesy of Yannis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com

Photo: Courtesy of Yannis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com

Photo: www.popline.me

Photo: www.popline.me



Lorde, who takes many of her fashion cues from Morticia Addams, would look great in this Rochas all-black buckle harness get-up. Who wants to bet on how many times she’ll wear black to an award show?

Round 3: Ellery + Emma Watson

Photo: Courtesy of Yannis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com

Photo: Courtesy of Yannis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com

Photo: thefashionspot.com

Photo: thefashionspot.com

Emma pulls off androgynous chic so well. She would look fantastic in this white tailored blazer and feather-y Ellery skirt. She’s done a lot of blazers in the past, but this white number is a little off the beaten path of her typical blazer pants combo. The Harry Potter star has come a long way from Hogwarts.

Round 4: Mary Katrantzou + Sarah Jessica Parker

Photo: Courtesy of Yannis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com

Photo: Courtesy of Yannis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com

www.harpersbazaar.co.uk

www.harpersbazaar.co.uk

With rumors that Sex and the City will be back for a third installment, SJP is sure to be at many red carpets this upcoming season. This Mary Katrantzou dress adds a preppy twist with its collar and fits SJP’s eclectic aesthetic perfectly.

Thank you for playing! Look out for a follow up to this series during award show season.

This article was written by Kurie. You can follow her on Tumblr and Twitter @KurieFitz

Are you looking for a new writing opportunity? Perhaps you have style tips that you would like to share with the world? We value new fashion trends and are always looking for talented guest bloggers. If you’re a blogger or writer, this is the place for you to get noticed. Can you see yourself as a part of our blogging team? Apply here!

Fashion and Technology: How digital runway took over London Fashion Week

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The worlds of fashion and technology have few similarities between them. From both you can expect to see the next big thing and that was the case at London Fashion Week 2014 (Spring/Summer 2015) where the two worlds combined.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Design houses such as Burberry Prorsum and Topshop chose to showcase just how they are taking advantage of the digital wave in fashion.  As one of fashion’s digital pioneers Burberry was the 1st label to live stream its runway show back in 2010.  This season, Burberry Prorsum partnered with Twitter to sell their limited edition nail polish live for the Spring/Summer 2015 show through the “Buy New” button during the show.  It is the first fashion label to test out this particular feature. The limited edition nail polish is now available though September 29th.

Burberry Nail polishes 23

House of Holland chose a different approach by allowing viewers to watch the show live online and try on their favorite pieces via their own digital avatar at the same time as the models walked out.  It gave fans of the brand a virtual dressing room experience.

 

For its Spring/Summer 2015 collection Topshop took it further leveraging the popular social media platform Instagram.   The brand invited their customers to display their own looks by the using the hashtag #TOPSHOPWINDOW to be featured via a screen in the store with a street view.

If London Fashion Week has taught us anything it’s that fashion is now taking notice of ways it can stay ahead and how to become more accessible to customers.  This is only the beginning and we look forward to other fashion shows to  follow in London’s footsteps.  Technology benefits not only the labels, but also the fashion consumers eager to purchase straight from the runway.

Written by freelance fashion blogger Tamarah. You can read her blog here!

Are you looking for a new writing opportunity? Perhaps you have style tips that you would like to share with the world? We value new fashion trends and are always looking for talented guest bloggers. If you’re a blogger or writer, this is the place for you to get noticed. Can you see yourself as a part of our blogging team? Apply here!

Salute the Runway Kicks-Off NYFW by Giving Back

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New York Fashion Week is here – and we could not be more excited! We always look forward to seeing the fashions that will hit the runways but we are thrilled that the show that kick-starts NYFW is all about giving back!

Air Force Staff Sergeant Kayla Manthey. Photo from http://www.wwd.com

Air Force Staff Sergeant Kayla Manthey. Photo from http://www.wwd.com

This year, fifteen female army veterans and active-duty service women will take to the runway to raise awareness for the difficulties faced when transitioning from the military back to civilian life.

Non-for-profit organization Fatigues to Fabulous and Little Black Dress Wines are the sponsors for the Salute the Runway show that is held today at the Lincoln Centre.

These 15 women will be wearing different variations of the iconic little black from top designers including Calvin Klein, Mara Hoffman and DKNY and will have their hair and make-up professionally done by the designer’s stylists.

Along with the runway show, historic war uniforms will be on display from the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation in Washington.

To learn more about the organization and today’s event check out their Facebook page here.

#shoptherunway with Luevo

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Fashionistas around the world can now #shoptherunway!

We’re super excited to be launching the Spring/Summer 2015 season with fashion weeks across the US! Fashionistas no longer have to wait (or hope) for boutiques to stock their local designer’s latest offerings – they can let their wallets do the talking and reserve new looks straight off the runway.

While in the past runway shows were nothing but a tease, now you will be able to preorder your favorite look right after you see it on the runway, straight from the designer. Instead of waiting 6 to 8 months for these products to become available in retail (if they even do), fashion-forward consumers now have access to limited-production fashion directly from the designer, right after their fashion show.

This makes going to the fashion week that much more exciting and something to look forward to – we can’t wait to see these new and exciting designers launched! See all the fashion weeks that we’ll be featuring designers from at www.luevo.com.

Colour of the Year 2014

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Doesn’t the 2014 Colour of the Year, Radiant Orchid, sound divine!  Immediately we envision an image of what the colour must look like and what it must mean. A colour that can be found in the blooms of Orchids to the rays in sunsets ultimately you want to touch it, feel it, wear it and live it. The radiance speaks to its glossy sheen like appeal, and the Orchid makes us think of a rare love and beauty. “It’s a little different, it’s a little off the beaten path and its not a primary colour” explains executive director of Pantone, Leatrice Eiseman.

Colour of the year

When we think about colour shades, an intriguing aspect is their unique symbolism, and inherent meaning, which usually conjures up some kind of emotional response. The 2013 colour of the year Emerald was a symbolism of growth, renewal and prosperity but what about for 2014?  Stretching across the colour wheel, Radiant Orchid bedazzles the eye and entices the imagination. The magical and enigmatic Radiant Orchid is an alluring harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, one that inspires confidence and stems great joy, love and health. An “invitation to innovation”, Radiant Orchid “encourages expanded creativity and originality” (Leatrice Eiseman). Essentially being in the purple family, Radiant Orchid is special as it motivates us to innovate, wearing this colour can imbue with us a sense of distinctiveness. Such words correlate with pop culture today where cutting edge ideas and creativity for ‘what hasn’t been seen before’ are trending and increasingly valuable. It seems like Radiant Orchid is just the thing for today’s society. So, what are some of the ways we can introduce this 2014 colour palette into our lifestyles?

RadiantOrchidStuff

Radiant Orchid in Fashion

As a colour that makes a statement and demands attention, it is not unusual that we have seen Radiant Orchid populate the Spring 2014 runways. We will be expecting to see lots more of this colour and variations of the hue incorporated into clothing collections for men and women along with accessories. Radiant Orchid is a colour that no eye can miss!

Radiant Orchid 2

Photography by: AP Photos, Antonio Calanni/Pantone/Luca Bruno

Radiant Orchid in Beauty

Ready to adorn yourself in this vibrant shade? When we’re talking about beauty, we want to embrace ourselves with colour that is versatile and complementary to many skin tones. From nail polish, eye shadow to blush and eyeliner, Radiant Orchid is an ideal shade to add radiance to the skin, and a healthy glow. The purple and pink undertones give a flexible colour palette from pink and violet pastels to deep purple and fuchsia for a night out.

Radiant Orchid in Technology

What better colour to pair with technology? Bold and vibrant, Radiant Orchid imbues the creativity and ingenuity that defines technology. It would make sense that Radiant Orchid would appeal to many fashion minded tech savvy and cutting edge consumers. Yet at the same time, it’s a colour that encourages innovative thinking for the creation of technologies.

iphone

 

Article written by Raylin Grace aka the Red Curl Owl with Luevo. You can follow Raylin at @raylingm

 

Fast Fashion a Textile Waste

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“Its better to have fewer things of quality than too much expendable junk” Rachel Zoe.

These words from fashion icon Rachel Zoe, resonate with fast fashion, the culprit of “expendable junk”. Given globalization and cheap labour, it has become a mainstay for big name retailers to inexpensively yet quickly produce mass inventory. Coupled with the epidemic of consumerism, the “fast fashion” movement has become synonymous with disposable fashion and textile waste.

 

Fast fashion is the drive-through fast food version of fashion. To be more precise, fast fashion is low-cost clothing collections based off of current, high-cost luxury fashion. Delivering its instant gratification, fast fashion has a quick turnaround to replenish stock with merchandise that is “floor ready” in only a few weeks. In its entirety, fast fashion thrives on and cultivates from a toss away culture based on disposability and endless consumerism. Due to poor quality and manufacturing, the benchmark for fast fashion companies is an expected 10 washes until an item no longer holds its original quality and subsequently falls apart. This trend seems to be giving consumers the access card to toss away, filling landfills with the old to make room for the new in our wardrobes.

Fast Fashion Textile Waste in Garbage

Fast Fashion of Textile Waste

This throw away mentality coupled with retail discounting and changing fashion trends may fuel the demand for fast fashion but in actuality it contributes to unsustainable practices and an extensive amount of waste. In Canada, it is estimated that 85% of recyclable clothes are being thrown out, and approximately 500 million pounds of textile waste exist in Canadian landfills. From air pollution created in factories, depletion of water resources, to the increase uses of harmful chemicals and oil, its no secret that this impact of ‘waste couture’ is harmful to the environment. In a society where ‘living green’ and ‘eco friendly’ is the new fad, how do consumers justify their commitment to poorly produced disposable fashion?

Fast Fashion Landfill Textile Waste

While fast fashion can mimic luxury products, it is a poor match for quality such as high ethical standards in sourcing, cost of labour, efficient use of material, and low impact manufacturing. However, to a degree in the fashion industry, we are seeing a consumer demand for more information concerning product sourcing and manufacturing. As such, it is increasingly evident that there is a greater interest for transparency between ethics of tactile practice and consumer markets. While we do see sustainable initiatives in fast fashion today, there still exists uncertainty as to whether fast fashion can genuinely shift from fashion as the latest look and discount, to the materiality of fashion.

Article written by Raylin Grace aka the Red Curl Owl with Luevo. You can follow Raylin at@raylingm