Ethnic Influences on Clothing

Everywhere around the world there are different cultures and different influences on how people dress. Even through western dress, it is easy to see how different cultures have influenced it. Some examples of this are the use of scarves, head wraps, and some grecian influences. Another style that came from Japan is the kimono. The kimono became very popular was very trendy.
The kimono is a popular form of tradititonal dress worn by the women of Japan. They used to be worn more often, but now they are only worn for special ocassions. The kimonos are made with very bright, vibrant pattersns, and the colors or patterns can have meanings behind them.
Today, the kimono inspired tops are flowy, with lots of different colors and patterns. They are not as long as the traditional kimonos, they have been modified into short dresses or tunic tops. The sleeves are the same, they are wide and long, and flowy. They also have the emphasis on the waist.
I really like the kimono style shirts. I think they are very pretty, and I like how the look is different. The patterns and florals are very similar to what could be seen in Japan. The kimono is only one example of how other cultures have influenced modern western dress.
Sources: http://www.forever21.com/

New York Fashion Week

The Spring 2009 fashion week in New York has just ended. All of the clothing had a main theme of "optimisim" and "freedom". The designers were showing upbeat, fun clothing with lots of color. Michael Kors even said himself that he doesn't ever do polka dots or bold prints, but he went with it this season which I feel is very important considering the tough times the economy is having. I think that is a great change from the Fall 2008 collections which were very dark. Hopefully the clothes for the spring will bring hope and the colors will make customers smile as was the intention from some designers.

My favorite designers for Spring 2009 were Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Vera Wang. Cathy Horn said in one of her reviews that, "The collection felt repetitive and in need of more color and surprise." I think that compared to all the bold colors all the other designers were showing it does need more color in that sense, but other than that I have to disagree. It's obvious that Donna Karan knows a woman's body I just love the silhouttes and the feel of the clothing. The colors were very junglesque, and I thought the draping was absolutley beautiful. Oscar de la Renta is just a classic. All of his clothes are always elegant, chic, and clean. As Rachel Zoe said in the video, everyone of all ages wants to wear Oscar. Carolina Herrera's dresses were also very beautiful. Her clothes look expensive and I loved all the dresses she had. The reds in her line were very bright and just attention grabbers. Red is normally assosicated as a seductive color, but she made it look very elegant. The look she was going for was romantic and I think she did a great job capturing that. As with Vera Wang, I love the simplicity of the foundation of her garments, and then how she goes and makes a color neckline, or belt that has a certain pop to the outfit. It makes the garment stand out so much more and it looks very nice and crisp.

As for designers I didn't like, I wasn't a big fan of the Calvin Klein show. Francisco Costa was showing "soft geometry". I didn't really like the shapes and how they stuck out. I appreciate his directions and his ideas, but I just wasn't feeling it. I also thought the colors were a little too soft, there was only like one or two blue dresses and the rest were white or really light pastel colors. I would've liked to see more pop in his collection. The Rodarte show was very interesting, but it was very out there. The only thing I really liked was the dress that swirled into different colors. I thought they way they made blue, purple, orange, and black work together. Other than that the collection will have to take some thinking outside of the box for me.

Overall, I thought the fashions for Spring 2009 were phenomenal. I'm hoping that the optimism shown in the clothing will really go through to the consumers and help us in our time of need of some kind hope. Maybe the clothing will reflect new beginnings in the Spring, and boost our morale as a country. Seeing these shows I can't wait till Spring, but i have to get through Winter first!

Organic and Environmental Friendly Clothing

I think that the movement for organic and environmental friendly clothing is a great thing. Environmental issues are very important for our generation, and it is great that companies are raising awareness. A lot of times at work, I see people coming in with reusable bags to put their clothing in when they go shopping, instead of getting shopping bags. At first it was strange, but now I see it a lot and just based on the bags, I think consumers would be willing to pay extra if they knew the clothes that they were wearing were all natural.
Many companies and designers are trying many things to ensure that their products are all natural. They invest billions of dollars and really are grabbing the attention of the consumers. I think that we should support the Sustainable Style Foundation for what they do to help designers keep up with the latest sustainability trends. Fibers such as organic cotton can be used for ear swabs all the way up to clothing. It is hoped that this will be used more in the future, and that enough consumers will be involved in making the difference for clothing made in years to come.
The only main issue with using environmentally safe methods of producing clothing is that the price will increase. Some people are all for the natural and organic movement, but they don't realize the cost that clothes will be. To naturally dye a product, the price of the good would increase 10 to 40 percent. With gas prices sky rocketing, and being a broke college student, it's hard to say if many people would sacrifice more money on clothes and less on other things they may need. For now, the movement to organic and environmentallly friendly clothing is starting slow, but is gaining speed and in the future, I think a big difference will be made.

My Favorite Designer

My favorite designer is Valentino. I chose Valentino because I did a project on him when I was a sophomore in high school and I really liked his collections and the kind of clothes he made. Valentino is a haute couture designer with a very distinguished classic look with elegance. He also designs shoes, handbags, and sunglasses. He uses very delicate fabrics and his known for the beautiful gowns he designs.

Valentino is very famous for the wedding dress he designed for Jaqueline Kennedy Onasis. The dress Valentino designed was a short lace mini dress. In 1968, it was not popular to have a short dress. Valentino's dress was photographed in magazines all over the world, and it instantly made him an iconic designer.

Valentino is now leaving the business. He is retiring and leaving his business in the hands of Alessandra Facchinetti. Valentino's last collection is his Spring 2008 collection. I just love the silhouttes of his clothes, and how they fit on the female body. He has a very good sense of what is luxurious and elegant, and whenever i look at his clothes all I can think is that I want this dress, this coat, this outfit, and these shoes. There isn't really one design I haven't liked by Valentino. His work is just very classic and elegant, and I don't think any designer could go wrong with that.