Tag Archives: Fashion news

Designers support Clinton at NYFW

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By SIDNEY STERLING

As the iconic New York Fashion Week (NYFW) came to a close on the 19th, style gurus, designers and models were buzzing about something other than the latest haute couture.

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Big name designers like Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow of Public School revealed campaign shirts in support of democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on and off the runways of NYFW.

These shirts are a key part of Clinton’s “Made for History” project and all of the profits go directly to her presidential campaign.

The goal of “Made for History” is to include more upscale merchandise to Clinton’s online store, provide an additional way for supporters to express themselves and help gain traction for Clinton’s campaign.

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Each designer was reportedly given free rein for their personal designs and all three t-shirts are priced at $45 and can be purchased on hillaryclinton.com.

After seeing the shirts all over NYFW, celebrities are sharing their comments about the designs on social media.

Kendall Jenner posed in her Marc Jacobs deigned Hillary shirt and posted on her Instagram saying, “Shirt by @themarcjacobs. History by @hillaryclinton. #MadeforHistory #ImWithHer @voguemagazine.”

The New York Times thought the campaign idea was “brilliant” and stated, “Fashion Week is not normally the first event that comes to mind when one thinks of the perfect time to hold a political fund-raiser.”

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However other fashion blogs like Digiday are criticizing Clinton for an “elitist” move.

Adam Wray, the curator of Fashion ReDef newsletter, told Digiday, “My main issue with the t-shirts is simply that they’re ugly and in addition to other millennial-pandering items like the “Chillary Clinton” beer koozie, is not going to help her flagging standing among young people.”

Like it or hate it, people are still talking about Clinton’s latest fashion statement (no, not a different color pantsuit) and chatter creates momentum for political campaigns, which is the ultimate goal.

Controversial Yeezy re-release is Friday

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By SIDNEY STERLING

Adidas will restock Kanye West’s personally designed Yeezy Boost 350 Pirate Black shoes on Friday to retailers and consumers around the world. Anyone who follows sneaker news and Kanye West in general knows this is a huge deal for the “sneaker head” community.

Landing Yeezy’s during a scheduled release, for their retail value of $200, could entail reselling the shoes for around $800 to $1,000. However, due to high demand, most shoppers just want to flaunt that they were lucky enough to snatch a pair.

Prior to this release, Adidas first debuted this design in August 2015 and it immediately flew off the shelves. Due to high demand and West’s exposure, they are re-releasing the Pirate Black color for a second time just six months later.

Retail stores like Champs, Footlocker and Adidas held raffles to avoid overcrowding, long lines and potential safety hazards on the actual release day.

Social media platforms, fashion bloggers and mainstream sites have been raving and taunting West for weeks regarding the re-release of his shoes, his new album and recent twitter rants/tangents. Maybe the timing of all these events is not a coincidence.

News outlets available to the everyday consumer are exposing West for “broken promises” to his loyal fans.

In a story, GQ stated, “Despite Kanye’s intentions to make the sneakers available to a wider audience, the only big box stores that will be carrying them are Finish Line, Foot Locker, and Champs. And you can only claim a pair at those stores through raffles you either already had to wait in line to get or should be currently in line to get.”

In lieu of the drop of the Yeezy’s, West conveniently claimed he was $53 million in debt from launching his own clothing line.

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In response CNN said, “Oh, Kanye West. Wow. Even by your attention-grabbing standards, this was a weekend to remember.”

On another note, fans of West and his designs had a more positive take on the situation.

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.”
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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.”

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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?

Barbie breaking gender stereotypes

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By SAMANTHA COHEN

I recently saw the new Moschino Barbie commercial, which totally shattered gender stereotypes. The commercial featured a boy in the Barbie commercial for the first time ever. They selected three children to be in the ad two of which were young girls and the other the young boy.

The boy is seen giggling and smiling with the two friends for the new limited edition Moschino Barbie doll. He says, “Moschino Barbie is so fierce,” as he holds Barbie’s purse. This commercial is truly breaking boundaries.

For years Barbie has been an icon for young girls but Barbie has finally broken down the gender specific toy and is now targeting a male demographic. I think it is a highly positive message. Target recently decided to stop labeling their toys for boys or girls, to simply using the term kids.

Numerous people have been responding positively towards the new ad star, with comments like “Thank you for this! Boys like dolls too!” and “This is a wonderful ad, very nice to see gender race and sexual orientation equality in this ad.” Barbie is finally making a brand change and introducing more progressive dolls rather than the traditional doll.

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.

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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.

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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.

Body shaming grows across media

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By SAMANTHA COHEN

Body shaming and negative comments using social media outlets have become a major issue in society and has reached an all time high.

It has recently been reported all over the Internet on how supermodel Gigi Hadid slammed a body-shaming “troll” on Instagram. The model received negative comments on her body after posting a picture of herself in a bathing suit.

The newly founded word “troll” associated with online users who negatively comment on stories and a variety of posts online has become too common. Not only are trolls taking over social media with negative comments about others, but they are also commenting on political and social issues on news websites using defamatory language.

It is interesting that this issue is all over media outlets when there are numerous people dealing with trolls everyday. Body shaming has become a major issue that affects not only grown adults but children as well. For years publications of fashion magazines and articles in gossip columns have created an image that one has to look a certain way. This use of media has created the source of negative comments coming from trolls.

Social media change NYFW coverage

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By BRITTANY CHANDANI

New York Fashion Week runs from Sept. 10 through 17, setting the style precedent for the upcoming season with international designer shows of Spring/Summer 2016 collections.

New York Fashion Week is one of the most coveted events to attend by young women and socialites alike. Celebrities like Jessica Alba, Steven Tyler, Julia Roberts and Kylie Jenner attend the star-studded event to watch famous models walk the runway, showcasing new trends from designers like Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Diane Von Furstenburg and Carolina Herrera.

NYFW’s website streams the fashion shows in real time, beginning at 11 a.m., while also providing links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr. The great variety of social media coverage has revolutionized the way Fashion Week is covered. Hashtags #NYFW, #MBFW or “hashtag-ing” the designer’s name, provides a categorical expanse of fashion week happenings. Snapchat, a video messaging application, now has its own story attributed to Fashion Week, allowing those who access the app to conveniently view coverage. Celebrities and fashion icons tweet in real time what they see onstage and backstage.

The viewer stress to provide real time content is changing the way journalists report on fashion week. As social media are the easiest and most efficient platform for this raw coverage, it is now the norm. The emphasis on backstage and behind the scenes coverage is made possible by social media, as it is easier to report quickly by snapping a photo on a phone and uploading it straight to Twitter, along with a caption and appropriate hashtags.

In past years, The Wall Street Journal did not cover Fashion Week in real time, but instead wrote and published stories prior to Fashion Week; after Fashion Week, editors would publish articles around the time the collections would reach stores.

The growing demand to view raw visual content such as backstage production, has coupled with increased methods of social media coverage. Journalists are now obliged to use many forms of social media to make Fashion Week more viewable by all.

NYFW through eyes of social media

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By SAMANTHA COHEN

New York Fashion Week 2015 is in full swing and social media has been heating up with the latest coverage. Now more than ever, viewers get an inside look into the ins and outs of Fashion Week through social media outlets such as Instagram and Snapchat. It was a huge advance when shows started to be filmed live on YouTube a few years ago, but now we can see fashion week from every angle.

From behind-the-scenes footage, designers talking directly to viewers, models interacting, and the shows themselves. Through these social media outlets we are able to be a part of a global event that is normally closed off for A-list celebrities and fashions elite. Fashion houses use their social media platforms to promote their shows, get their name out there to be the best of the best.

Fashion brands rely heavily on their social media status to connect with customers, designers, buyers, and fashion media. The more publicity they receive on these media platforms the better. Numerous designers are finding ways to incorporate Instagram to their shows, which their calling Insta-Show, which involves fashion influencers to take snapshots of the collection and post them to their social media accounts rather than conduct a runway show.

The latest major story to hit social media was the opening ceremony’s dance performance runway. Throughout my Insta feed everyone was posting videos of the performance giving it rave reviews. Without this coverage we wouldn’t have been able to see this and be apart of the show itself. I can’t wait to continue to see what new advancement will be next for New York Fashion Week coverage.

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.