Tag Archives: Fashion news

Fashion Week’s top ticket

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By MIA POLLACK

Every September and February, American designers prepare to show their freshly minted collection for the spring-summer and fall-winter collections ahead, bringing fashion lovers, bloggers, and celebrities to New York from all over the world.

Every designer has hype over his or her show or presentation: Who’s sitting front row, what bloggers are in attendance, and so forth. Even though New York Fashion Week just started Wednesday, the show that everyone could not stop talking about was Kanye West’s “Yeezy Season 3” fashion extravaganza at Madison Square Garden.

In addition to his fashion show, he debuted his newest album, “T.L.O.P.” or “The Life of Pablo,” which in the past few weeks has undergone multiple title changes until landing on this one.

The fashion show-concert was very much different from his show last season; where models were ushered in by the calls of drill sergeants. This time, Kanye started the show by thanking the individuals who helped and supported during the making of this album, as well as his wife and kids.

The models were ushered in on two large platforms in the center of Madison Square Garden and, according to Vanity Fair, were still for a good amount of the show. They just stood there, with about 100 others dressed in Yeezy on the floor beneath them.

I knew as of last week that the Yeezy show would be the hot ticket of the week, but I still did not understand what all of the hype was about. Yes the Kardashian-Jenner clan would be there or, as Kanye calls them, “the new Jacksons” on one of his tracks, but still?

I guess it’s because people have lusted after the looks of the K-family and editors like Anna Wintour of American Vogue and Carine Roitfeld of CR Fashion Book adore Kanye. Evidence enough can be found  in interviews and documentaries by both fashion moguls.

The other hype: I guess that the clothes sell for hundreds of dollars in the stores and the shoes go for a few thousand when being auctioned off online. The exclusivity of these items is over the top.

Does the sound “I wanna be like Kanye,” ring a bell?

SI debuts plus-size swimsuit model

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By SIDNEY STERLING

Every year, males and females alike, anxiously await the release of the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit Issue. This year, the magazine is set to hit stands on Feb. 17. However, this year the aura surrounding the launch is different from the past.

In the 1990s, women craved to look and dress like Kate Moss. Her size zero physique and luscious blonde hair consumed the minds of women and men around the world. Girls wanted to be her, guys wanted to date her.

Flash forward to our digital society in the 21st century; out goes Kate Moss and her tiny frame and in comes Kim Kardashian taking up the entire lens with her behind.

Bottom line, with our constantly evolving society our idea of the ideal body type rapidly changes and with that, so does the Sports Illustrated magazine’s swimsuit edition.

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 12.11.55 AMThis year’s magazine will feature the first plus-sized model in all of Sports Illustrated swimsuit history. Ashley Graham, a 28-year-old Lincoln, Neb., native and seasoned plus-size model, will show her voluptuous curves inside the coveted yearly edition.

When she heard the news, she immediately declared her excitement and anticipation for her big break on Instagram.

However, others were not exactly “welcoming her with open arms.”

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Graham is no rookie when it comes to modeling. Her resume includes modeling for Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 12.24.42 AMmagazines such as Vogue, Glamour and Latina. She has also appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “CBS News” with regards to her career in modeling and breaking social barriers.

Many news outlets like ABC and CNN speak positively about Sports Illustrated’s decision to revamp its image and stray away from the stereotypical skinny swimsuit models.

Sports Illustrated and Graham fans seem supportive of this progressive move.

Do you think society is headed in the right direction based on this move by Sports Illustrated? Do you think it was simply just a publicity stunt or will it continue to have plus-sized models in every yearly issue?

Dolce & Gabbana releases unique line

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By SIDNEY STERLING

Dolce & Gabbana has released a new fashion statement within its Spring/Summer 2016 line including a stylistic twist on hijabs and abayas (ankle-length robes) designed for Muslim shoppers in the Middle East.

The new line, meticulously designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, is called The Abaya Collection: The Allure of the Middle East. These pieces can only be purchased on Style.com/Arabia and at select boutiques in the Middle East, Paris, London, Milan and Munich.

These hijabs and abayas contain a neutral hue containing black and beige accents. Other patterns include luminous daisies, crisp lemons and luscious red roses.

CNN’s fashion section reported the line in a positive light calling the hijabs and abayas “a signature sexy silhouettes for something a little more modest.”
Screen Shot 2016-02-04 at 5.10.33 PM

Dolce & Gabbana released a statement and said their new line is intended as “an enchanting visual story about the grace and beauty of the marvelous women of Arabia.”

Consumers are criticizing Dolce & Gabbana on Twitter Screen Shot 2016-02-04 at 5.11.58 PM
regarding their new line.

Others, think Dolce & Gabbana is simply “fashionably late.”

Fashion gurus are also raising crucial questions testing the Italian fashion line about the motive of its designs.

Amani Al-Khatahbeh, editor-in-chief of the fashion blog MuslimGirl.net raised the question of whether Dolce & Gabbana is “finally catering to Muslim women, or if they exploiting them?”

Due to social media platforms, word is traveling fast and everyday
consumers, fashionistas and reporters are getting their hands on this groundbreaking story.

When style meets controversial religious issues, we must remember people are entitled to their own opinions and belief systems.

What do you think of Dolce & Gabbana’s latest “haute couture”? Do you agree with Amani Al-Khatahbeh?

Instagram star quits social media

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BY MEREDITH SLOAN

Australian model and Instagram star Essena O’Neill announced she was quitting social media this week via YouTube.

https://youtu.be/Xe1Qyks8QEM

According to ABC News, O’Neill, who had more than 700,00 followers on Instagram and 260,000 subscribers on YouTube, posted a shocking confession announcing that social media made her “miserable” and that online and mobile-sharing platforms can be unhealthy. She decided that she wanted to shut down all of her accounts.

 

According to CNN, O’Neill’s social media friends Nina and Randa Nelson published a YouTube video alleging she was doing this as a stunt to get more followers.

https://youtu.be/WB3HtCMfZic

All social media platforms have been exploding with both support and opposition for O’Neill’s stance. This debate has been a hot topic for news organizations alike.

 

I support O’Neill’s stance because her issue with social media is situational. She said that she didn’t like how the pressure to be perfect influenced her mental health. She also said that she wanted to set a good example for her younger sister and show her that she doesn’t have to be perfect and likeable online to be happy.

 

I do think that social media outlets are informative and necessary in this day and age for the spreading of information. Although, I don’t think that personal business accounts like O’Neill that promote unrealistic body images and clothing brands are necessary.

Twitter strikes again

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By KACIE NELSON

I last posted about how social media, more specifically Twitter, are becoming a very integral part of how news is not only spread, but also generated in today’s culture. Once again, the social media giant strikes again, this time bringing to light a very distasteful issue.

Earlier this week, it came to light that the popular brand, Urban Outfitters, was selling a “vintage” Kent State sweatshirt. What was interesting about this item wasn’t that it was supposedly “vintage”; not that it was the only one for sale; not even that it was being sold for an outlandish $129!

What made this particular item so buzz-worthy was its design. It contained what appeared to be blood stains surrounding holes in the shirt (presumed to be bullet holes), reminiscent of the 1970 “Kent State Massacre.”

The listing for the Kent State sweatshirt on urbanoutfitters.com

Forty-four years ago, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a group of unarmed students, leaving four dead and nine injured.

The image of the sweatshirt on the Urban Outfitters website spread like wild fire on social media, after being posted on the popular website Buzzfeed. Outrage ensued and spurred Kent State officials to write Urban Outfitters a letter expressing their disgust.

Urban Outfitters released a full apology to Kent State and all those offended by the sweatshirt, claiming that the dye pattern was a result of poor coloring on the sweatshirt, and the holes were due to wear and tear.

Obviously, this did not pacify anyone.

Why would Urban Outfitters buy and sell such a distasteful and offensive item? Was it an honest mistake?

We may never know, but luckily for us we’ll always have Twitter to vent and get our opinions heard.

The role of today’s fashion reporters

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By GABRIELLA SHOFFER

As the fashion world moves into its second week of frenzy, designers, bloggers, buyers and models are out on show with photographers and reporters scrambling to document their every move and be the first to report on the latest fashion news.

With London and New York fashion weeks having concluded, the fashion pack continued its jet setting by landing in Milan this week. For the majority of society who aren’t part of the fashion elite, the news media reports are our only source of insight into what goes on at these exclusive events.

The exclusivity of this industry results in fashion news presenting many points of discussion in terms of the role that reporters play in providing to-the-minute updates about the events and trends.

However, through the increased use of the Internet and social media, it can be argued that the role of the reporters is becoming less relevant. With bloggers and celebrities posting immediate updates throughout fashion shows, the general public is fed snippets of information through Instagram snaps and Twitter posts.

The issue this presents is that these people provide limited viewpoints. They do not follow general reporting principles and their reporting reflects their opinions and personal judgment.

Additionally, of late, fashion reporting has been infiltrated by a multitude of young amateur bloggers, many of whom have racked up thousands of followers based on their social media accounts. With many people trusting these bloggers as the source of fashion news, there is less reliance on the reporting by professional fashion reporters.

Ultimately, in order to gain an accurate report of the fashion events of the season, multiple sources may need to be consulted. With many fashion experts shunning the new flock of bloggers for their lack of professionalism and experience, is will be interesting to watch if their access to these intimate shows is revoked or increased in the future.

Additionally, the fashion industry faces constant ridicule by reporters in other industries and is often not taken seriously. As reporters compete in the race to discover the latest “it” items, less care is taken in regards to reporting accuracy.

This was highlighted by a prank experiment staged by a blogger to see if photographers and reporters believed that she was part of the fashion elite based on her alternative clothing. Her results highlighted that fashion is all about perception, often the truth isn’t relevant at all. I find this concept interesting yet contradictory as it undermines the fundamental principles of news reporting which should apply to all reporting industries.

Trends from London Fashion Week 2014

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By XUANCHEN FAN

The Scottish question may be the biggest issue in Great Britain right now, but on London’s other side, people are enthralled in the fashion world. During Sept. 12-16, London collected a mountain of brands for Fashion Week 2014.

And the news media are present, telling us what is new and hot. As with previous years, the week is dominated the main fashion trends for the upcoming year. Let’s take a look at items that caught the eye of fashion journalists:

Trainers

Trainers are always popular and they’re always comfortable. This year, trainers appeared on the catwalks of Burberry and Temperley. Burberry Prorsum tried its best to prove that trainers are good with everything, even dresses. And Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative officer and chief executive, used a nostalgia denim jacket with collaged chiffon dresses to match the trainers, which is creative and stylish.

School

Anya Hindmarch showed clutch bags with a pencil cases as an accessory. Meanwhile, Christopher Kane showed off her latest school uniforms. London is a city famous around the world for its school uniforms. They are fashionable and still classical and always catch designers’ eyes.

Venn diagram curves

Among the best of Christopher Kane, Jasper Conran and Stella McCartney, you can find the semi-circles of overlapping colors. This type can also be found in the New York Fashion Week, which showed during earlier this month.

Denim jackets

Demin jackets are very common and almost everybody has one in the closet. Christopher Bailey nipped them in at the waist on the Burberry Prorsum show. And Bailey matched it with dresses, which is cool and a little show off.

Leather

This theme happens in every fashion week. Now it is Mulberry’s turn to present this cutie.

Compared to the used London fashion week, this one is more vivid. Designers fully used colors to highlight the the variable clothes. And as I mentioned above, the elements in the fashion week, which contains school, leather and ancient style, attracted mounts of people to London.

Where is fashion journalism going?

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By KYLA THORPE

The April issue of Vogue has Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover. Whether you think this is a big deal or not, it represents something major.

The famous couple, seen weekly on gossip magazines and websites, has made it to the top of the fashion industry, gracing the cover of the most influential fashion magazine in the world.

Already, there are people across this Internet who are not in favor of this cover. Vogue, though it predominantly focuses on fashion, is still a trusted journalism source. Putting these two on the cover has caused its readers to question where the magazine is going in the fashion journalism world.

Usually, on the cover, there is an actress with an upcoming movie, or a singer with a newly released album. While Kanye’s latest album was released last June, Kim hasn’t done anything recently that might warrant her to be held in such a high regard.

She didn’t enter into Hollywood through acting, singing, or modeling, and while she’s incredibly, “famous for being famous,” it’s usually people who are at the height of their respective careers who are seen on the cover of the grandiose magazine.

I feel like this shift has been happening from reputable news sources, across all platforms. While they would prefer to stick to writing and reporting on people who matter within their specific realms, it does better for the business of the company when the paper sells–meaning it has to be sellable.

Infamous celebrities certainly do sell. While Kim and Kanye can both be fashionable, they aren’t necessarily figures who people look up to, fashionably.

I still love Vogue and many people will too, but this cover sends a message that journalism is turning more into a business rather than a creative outlet.

It will probably sell many copies and be widely read, but putting Kim and Kanye on the cover might have cost the magazine some respect.