Force for Fashion: May The Style Be With YouAfter the official premiere in Los Angeles, the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode VII, The Force Awakens is being released to the theaters in many countries tomorrow (12/17). Not only is the film and merchandise popular, Star Wars craze is sweeping the fashion industry worldwide. When C3P0 appeared on Rodarte catwalk last year, the beautiful collection celebrated the undeniably hypnotic power of the soon-to-be-released J.J. Abrams film. Many top brands and designers are creating special collections using the reference from the film’s characters. Even more, alongside with Disney and Bloomingdales, famous brands such as Diane von Furstenberg, Rag & Bone, Cynthia Rowley, and Opening Ceremony joined force to release one-of-a-kind designs for a mental health care fundraising initiative. Star Wars fans surely will go all out on following this trend. No wonder all the retails are pulling out their design lightsabers to win this fashion fight. Preen, Vans, J.W. Anderson, Pull and Bear, and Uniqlo are some examples. Granted, with all of the sales along with the movie, the fashion industry can thank their lucky Star Wars for increased sales. (MT)
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Guess who actually dress up like dramatic haute couture fashion in real life? Meet the standing out Laura Ziba Caraway. As a self-proclaimed thrift store girl, the 27-year-old is interestingly different. Besides being a model, Caraway is also a third year costume design student here at Academy of Art University. Let’s hear how she embodied elaborate fashion style as street wear. Q: Laura, you look incredibly fabulous. Tell us about what you are wearing today. A: Right now I’m wearing this blue rhinestone dress. It was only for four dollar at a thrift shop near my house in LA. My corset today is from Isabella Corsetry. The fabric is really beautiful so I made a matching bra – I hand sewed it. I often wear net stockings with lace pattern on windy day like this. These comfortable suede boots are from e-bay. I’ve been wearing this Guess velvet jacket for four years now and I use the black Uniqlo scarf as a belt. My bag was from Ross; it is a Jessica Simpson. Q: I still can’t believe that you can find the best things for under then dollars. Talking about corset, you remind me of Victorian tight lacing. A: Yeah. I’ve been doing corset training since I was 15. I wear it for seven to twelve hours each day. My waist now is at 24 without the corset − with it on, I can get down into the 16. Q: Who do you consider as your icon in the fashion world? I guess, Mr. Pearl in here? A: I adore Mr. Pearl and Dita Von Teese. But the must influential icon is Amanda Lepore - she is a transgender woman with huge red lips and a thin little waist. Another style icon of mine is the character Vampira, played by Maila Nurmi in black and white movie - Plan 9 from Outer Space. Q: You have a very distinctive look, how would you describe your fashion style? A: I call myself an alternative artist. People try to call me gothic or punk and I think that’s kind of juvenile and distasteful. I like to dress my art, that’s how I tell people. Q: Alternative? Can you specify it? A: The idea is from the 80’s Japanese Rock Band like Visual Key and Dir En Grey. They wore black, corset, and colored hair up. Most of my inspiration also came from manga, especially the work of Yoshitaka Amano. I mixed the Japanese influence with the vintage black and white picture. Q: Can you name out five things that define your signature look? A: For the last ten years, I’ve been noted with my corset, green hair, make up, tattoos and nose ring. They have to be together as a single whole. Q: Who is you favorite fashion designer? A: I love Rick Owen, Lee McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier and Franco Moschino. My favorite of all of them is Thierry Mugler. Q: Mugler! The corset King! I can see how you explore vintage fashion, but what do you think about contemporary fashion? A: Sloppy. I want to see man and woman dress up again. Fashion felt more personal back then and we have lost that essence. Q: My last question, what items do you think every girl needs to throw out from their closet? A: The Victoria Secret sweatpants that says JUICY on the bottom. Follow @sisterbonez to see more of Caraway’s pictures Livia Bianda played out her best game at the New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016Academy of Art University’s New York Fashion Week highlighted the talent of eight promising student designers – but it’s clear that Livia Bianda is the one to watch. Geometric, sporty and modern are the three words that describe the essence of Bianda’s Menswear Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The 23-year-old Indonesian designer managed to transform football uniforms into contemporary sportswear apparel with unconventional silhouettes and detailing. First came the boxy turtleneck top combined with shorts; the eye-catching geometric pattern brings a flashback of Yves Saint Laurent’s signature Mondrian dress from the 1960s. The designer took out her math toolset to construct shapes in straight lines − conceptualized innovative yet functional designs. The sharp, angular stripes resulted in chic and clean coordinated runway pieces. The thing that stood out the most was the insertion of built-in backpacks and fanny packs as part of the signature look of the collection – showcasing the designer’s skills in fabric manipulation and broad range of technique. From tops to outerwear, all seven looks combined the bonding and mounting of Lycra, mesh, pinstripe wool, cotton and foam-bounded fabrics – adding more volume to the squared silhouette. The concept of geometric design is not new but Bianda’s minimalist structure and mixture of different materials created an original unique look. “My passion for sportswear while leading a sporting lifestyle has referenced me to look at sportswear as an inspiration. My creative process evolves around a theme, but I always look back at sportswear and use some elements to my designs, either in fabrication or in color ways,” said Bianda in an interview with 303 Magazine. Bold white, black, light blue, olive and astro turf green color block enhanced the sporty look from Bianda’s neat collection. Bianda worked the sports jersey’s color shades into the clash of vertical and horizontal lines and completed the overall looks with sport crew length socks paired with black loafers. Bianda sent out a compelling collection, for what she is aiming to do: create clothes for modern, young men who keep comfort in mind while pushing the fashion style forward. Bianda presented her audience with a fresh and optimistic perspective on the future of men’s ready-to-wear clothing that encapsulates the endless boundaries of balance between wearability and design. (MT)
THE LUMBERSEXUAL TAKES IT TO THE NEXT LEVELThe ugly Christmas sweater is not the only trend that is booming this holiday season. As we all know, the beard epidemic is sweeping the nation. However, the lumbersexual takes it to the next level by pouring glitter on their beards. First started by the duo Brian DeLaurenti and Josh Dahl from @thegaybeards, the glitter beards are trending on Instagram. Grooming the beards doesn’t stop with glitters only; some hirsute hipsters literally put anything on their goatees. Now we have Cheetos beards, Lego beards and even firework beards. What do you think about this glitter bomb fashion? Should men stop glittering their beards or let the shimmery carnivals continue? One last question remains: how do you clean the bedazzled beards afterwards? (MT) |
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