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NYFW – SPRING 2014 Day 3 Trend Report

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Day 3 was full of lots of shows for me to attend.  I ended my evening at 10pm after the 9pm Venexiana show. What a day of exciting Fashion! Team M&MS (Mara, Maryna, and myself Shalanda) started early in the morning backstage at Ruffian for designer interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and a chat with the lead hair stylist Nick.  In between shows Maryna and I hung out at the press lounge presented by Samsung galaxy to edit photos and generate this trend report for you from the Day 3 Spring 2014 Collections of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week! Enjoy!

COLOR – Day 3 introduced the first collection that focused on bright, neon colors and that was Mara Hoffman’s vibrant Spring 2014 collection. Son Jung Wan presented pop of neon using a vibrant yellow hue for some of their garments, but mostly they stay with the color white.  Still the overall theme for Day 3 remains steady at pastels, white, & beige and surprisingly darker hues of blue, green, red, & purple that would typically be seen in Fall collections. Designers overall are really moving away from the bright, neon trend.

FABRIC – Sheers, Sheen, & Leather. It’s no secret that sheer fabrics are in, and they have been for awhile. The Lacoste brand added chiffon elements to their sporty looks, elevating them from gym chic, to street chic.  Ruffian favored fabrics with sheen, and created jackets, dresses and suits in sateen materials.   Leather was a popular choice in Jill Stuart’s collection.

NYFW Spring 2013

Ruffian / Photographer Maryna Marston – www.squareearthstudio.com

NYFW Spring 2013

Lacoste / Photographer Maryna Marston – www.squareearthstudio.com

GARMENT TRENDS – Crop tops, and peek-a-boo cut-outs were popular choices in the Charlotte Ronson & Jill Stuart collections. Charlotte also played around with menswear inspired embellishments in her garments using Peter Pan collars, and illusions of ties and suspenders.

PRINT – Florals, Stripes, and more emergence of plaid.  Plaid was seen at Ruffian, & Charlotte Ronson.

NYFW Spring 2013

Ruffian / Photographer Maryna Marston – www.squareearthstudio.com

FIT – Lots of ankle pants, A-line skirts, and longer shorts & dresses.

HAIR & MAKEUP – Big hair was featured on the Son Jung Wan runway, while Ruffian inspired by vintage French aristocrats presented the side wave on their models.  However, braids returned in a big way via Mara Hoffman with her models donning the longest braids I’ve ever seen to compliment her collection

NYFW Spring 2013

Ruffian / Photographer Maryna Marston – www.squareearthstudio.com

Credit: Shalanda Turner – FashionMingle.Net Style Editor, Blogger at Live Life in Style . Feature image: Mara Hoffman / Photographer Shalanda Turner –  Live Life in Style. 

Style Starts Within – Bishme Cromartie, Fashion Designer

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Clearly emerging fashion designer Bishme Cromartie of Baltimore, MD was born with the fashion bug; as a little boy he used socks and scraps of fabric to make clothes for his toys. At the age of eight he began putting his creative visions on paper sketching designs for women’s clothing. I would love to see the early designs of a young and uninhibited Bishme with his own imaginings of what the female should look like.

[two_third]February 9, 2007 was a defining moment for the 16 year old Bishme; destiny knocked on his door and he showcased his work at his first solo fashion show. His designs were remarkably chic and very well made for someone of his age. Word spread quickly about this wiz kid designer on the rise. Today Bishme’s architectural-looking creations are modish, vibrant and over dramatic; and have been featured in Elle Vietnam and on Vogue Italia’s website. R&B singer Ashanti wore his design on a “Good Morning America” appearance. Who says dreams don’t come true, in the “Emerging Designer” category? Bishme showed his exhilarating pieces at New York’s Fashion Week 2013!

Bishme’s collections are strong and beautifully sleek sultry works of art. They are eye catching with exaggerated shoulders and hips. His collections absolutely tell a story of strength and are not for the faint of heart. Women who wear his clothing must not be shy or afraid of having all eyes on her.[/two_third][one_third_last] BishmeC_Image1[/one_third_last]

 

[one_half]Bishme is never afraid to go against the wind with his line, so he is inspired by designers that are the same. One of his favorite designers is Giambattista Valii, who is known for being dramatic and paying the upmost attention to detail. When asked what was so special about this designer, Bishme told the team at Greedmont: “[he] is never afraid to go against the norm and it is a very pleasing thing to see such creative work from [him]”. [/one_half]
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You can view Bishme Cromartie’s full collections on his personal website.

Guest Blogger: Elaine Crocker

Sitting Down with Lois Laine – Part2

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This is part 2 of a two part interview with Toronto based independent fashion designer Lois Laine. Lois designs eco-friendly clothing with fabrics and labour sourced in Canada. If you haven’t already, check out part one of this interview here.

What do you hope your consumers see when they are attracted to your brand?
I want them to see that it’s unique, but not showy. It’s unique and subtle, just something that they want to grab on to every day.

Lois Laine Fashion Designer

What are some of your fashion goals?
You know I really know that I should have it more defined, but my main goal is to be able to keep doing what I do. I have envisioned a couple of different scenarios: I think generally people have to get bigger to sustain their job in this industry, for me that’s not the most important thing; if I need to get bigger I’m happy to do that. But if I can keep going like this where I have been up till now designing for the upcoming season, and I really enjoy doing that and I can take advantage of doing those limited yardages and I can be more on the season because its coming right up. But if I go into the wholesome market, which is generally how you get bigger then I need to be able to order a 100 meters of something and so I won’t be able to do some of these other nice little treaty things. So my plan is to do two fall/winters this year, so that I can get into the wholesome market and see how that goes. I’ve been in contact with Ana Caracaleanu from Luevo and I am very excited about their idea, the platform would allow me to keep going with the fabrics that I can just grab onto and do small scale or big. That is just very exciting to me. I’m still doing some artisan sales like: the Wearable Arts Show in October from the 24th-26th at 918 Bathurst St. Also, I’ve been invited into the Fresh Collective in the fall (August/September).

 

For more information on Lois Laine collections please go to the designer’s website: loislaine.com
Guest Blogger: Tiffany D’Souza, tiffanydsouza.com

Fashion Designers Apply Now to Fund Your Next Collection!

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We are so excited to have seen a wonderful 2014/2015 season with so many amazing collections being funded on our platform!

Here is a short list of FAQs to prepare you for the application process:

Q1. I am fresh out of school can I still apply?

A1. Yes. Your acceptance depends on a combination of  factors: experience, education, skills, awards received, uniqueness of products. We are looking for talented individuals  that have the potential to grow when using our service.

Q2. I am a somewhat established independent fashion designer, what can I get from your service?

A2. As an established designer  you can use the Luevo platform to test the market desirability of  your new products. Better yet, you gain more followers, pre-sell your collections and further strengthen your brand!

Q3. Can I just post my design drawings?

A3. Unfortunately, no. Our customers want to see exactly the final product they will be buying. You will have to produce a sample and post high-resolution images that show the details of your product.

Q4. Is Luevo manufacturing my products once they are successfully funded?

A4. NO. You as a designer are in charge of your own production.

Q5. Do my products have to be handmade?

A5. NO. This is not a site for handmade products only. You can choose to make your own production or outsource. We encourage using local manufacturers and suppliers.

Q6.What happens with the returns?

A6. You are responsible for accepting returns and refund the customer.

Q7. Do I have to compromise on price because I am pre-selling my products?

A7.  You are responsible for determining the appropriate price for your products, based on your costs and required profit margins. If your minimums are high then it makes business sense to reduce pricing accordingly.

Q8. Does Luevo own the rights over my designs?

A8. NOPE. You own full rights over your designs, products and brand.

Q9. Do I have to be based in North America to post my products on Luevo?

A9. YES. Currently we can only launch US and Canada based designers.

Q10. Do I have to pay to have my products on Luevo?

A10. NO. It is free to post products and request pre-orders. We only make money if you do, after you successfully fund your products.

If you are a fashion designer ready to crowdfund your next collection, please use our online application HERE. And if you’d like to learn more, don’t forget to check out our free tips and sign-up for courses and webinars.

 

3 Tips for the Emerging Fashion Designer

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Yet another week of fashion extravaganza stormed through our city, and many emerging fashion designers have had the opportunity to mingle, network or even launch their collections.

I am a big follower of everything that moves in the fashion industry: bloggers, stylists, designers, fashionistas and pretty much anyone that cares and is involved in the local fashion scene. I lived every moment of the fashion week by digesting Twitter feeds , Instagram pictures and Facebook posts.

And here is tip #1: If you are an aspiring or emerging fashion designer – you must stay connected to your local fashion influencers! Twitter is a good place to “stalk” them and stay up-to-date with latest news and events in the fashion industry. Find bloggers, stylists, fashion publications and organizations that will surely overload you with the latest fashion news.

Indeed, during fashion week it can be a little overwhelming with all the media hype around the big established designers and the runway shows. But learn to listen and filter to what is of real value to you
FashionWeek

Tip #2: Attend smaller events where you can get valuable networking done.

Best part of fashion week is the high concentration of fashion influencers, but you will have to find the appropriate event to network with them. One of these opportunities was the speed-networking event organized by Fashion Group international and Fashion Takes Action. This event is typically sold-out, and you can meet with potential clients, HR recruiting firms specializing in fashion, bloggers, boutique owners and mentors. I recommend these types of events to anyone starting up in any kind of industry, and make sure you bring tons of business cards!
speed_networking

Tip #3: Enroll in industry specific organizations before the fashion week.

You are very lucky to be able to start a fashion business in a city like Toronto. Bigger metropolitan cities typically have fashion hubs that come with non-for-profit organizations, incubators, and an abundance of mentors. Being part of these will give you access to latest news, reduced ticket prices to fashion events and more networking opportunities.
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Here is a short list of organizations that as an aspiring or emerging fashion designer in Toronto you should seriously consider:

Toronto Fashion Incubator – an innovative and highly respected non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and nurturing small business entrepreneurs in the fashion industry.

Fashion Group International – global non-profit organization of executives, designers and entrepreneurs in more than 30 chapters around the world. Toronto is their only Canadian chapter.

Fashion Takes Action – Canada’s premier non-profit organization that focuses on sustainability in the fashion industry.

Is Eco-Fashion Just a Trend?

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I recently attended the GREEN JOBS FORUM in Toronto to find among the speakers many young entrepreneurs in the fields of fashion and beauty.  I became curious about eco-trends in fashion when we were recently approached by local designers Alexandra Wilson and Jessica van Enckevort from LittleWhiteDress (we will review their line in a separate post).

We are picky eaters, picky travelers, picky partners, but how about fashion? How concerned are we of where our clothes are being made, or if young children were the “tailors” of our clothes? I would leave that up to you my reader, but my guess is most of us aren’t. Most brand name labels do produce their lines in a third world country, but I am not even going to go there.

This post is about those designers that are trying to make a difference, and not only that they source their materials and produce their designs locally, but they also try to incorporate sustainable practices in the manufacturing process of their clothing lines.

At the GREEN JOBS FORUM I listened to Shawna Robinson co-owner of LABEL.

The designers at LABEL use recycled and organic materials as much as they can and they use eco-friendly printing processes for their T-shirts. Shawna also made an interesting point on being  sustainable versus eco, as a company. They choose “sustainable” design patterns, to make full use of the materials available and reduce waste. This is one of the reason why their most recent collection has a lot of asymmetrical designs – which is not only sustainable but also very trendy, and we love it!

Obviously, prices are always going to be an issue for the buyer, as most of the sustainable and eco-friendly clothing will bear a higher price tag than, you know their non-so-sustainable competition. But I believe if we can pay  50% more on organic foods than we should consider local designers that  not only are they doing something good about our environment, but they are also a source for  innovative  fashion and high-quality craftsmanship.

For more information on sustainable and eco-friendly fashion you can have a look at FASHION TAKES ACTION,  an industry non-profit organization.