Categories — Page 13

Asian Fashion Collection Fall 2014: Global Incubation Project

February 9, 2014 by admin 2 Comments

R. Shemiste collection by Won Ji Yeun of Korea. Images courtesy of the Asian Fashion Collection

On paper, the Asian Fashion Collection intrigues for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s always interesting to see what students are up to. These are, after all, the designers of tomorrow and who doesn’t like the opportunity to spot potential genius in its early stages. Second, it’s no secret that Asia and Asian cultures have increasingly served as inspiration and reference points for today’s designers. In addition to fabrics, the influence also can be seen in details like shapes, tailoring and the growing popularity of fabric manipulation.

SEi collection by Yumiko SEi of the Vantan Design Institute of Japan

For the fall 2014 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, six student designers were selected through recommendations made by the Korea Fashion Association, the Taiwan Textile Federation, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, as well as through the collection’s co-sponsor, the Vantan Design Institute in Japan.

The students’ work—each designer, except one, showed eight pieces—reflected a range of taste and skill levels. While some of the pieces veered more towards workroom experiments or were hampered by questionable fabric or tailoring choices, other designers found a successful way to balance the experimental with more commercially viable pieces.

Akiko Kishimoto from the Vantan Design Institute of Japan. Images courtesy of the Asian Fashion Collection

Among the more successful collections were the colorful knitwear by Sei, by Vantan student Yumiko Sei; the street smart coats and jackets from R. Shemiste by Korean designer Won Ji Yeun; and the finely detailed separates by Vantan student Akiko Kishimoto.

—Karyn D. Collins

Tim Gunn Fires Back in Lifetime’s “Under the Gunn”

January 15, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment

Designer Nick Verreos is only half joking when he calls Tim Gunn “the Zeus of mentoring.” “He is a god,” said Verreos who admits to a flair for the dramatic.

But when it comes to Gunn, it isn’t hyperbole. The former head of Parsons the New School of Design has become a fashion celebrity in his own right as the mentor to designer contestants on the popular reality show Project Runway.

Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment

“He has a way of giving critiques that are unconditional, nurturing and honest. He’s a wonderful truth-teller and he can just lay down the law,” said Verreos, a fan favorite from the second season of Project Runway who now has two fashion lines of his own. “What Tim does is an art really. He has a great eye and he has a way of giving designers his knowledge in such a way that is natural and not condescending and always helpful. It’s always about the growth of the designer.

That’s why when the producers of Project Runway determined they needed to put its next season on hold because of a scheduling conflict with Project Runway producer and host Heidi Klum, they opted instead to build a new show around Gunn with an emphasis on mentoring.

The result, a weekly series called Under the Gunn, premieres at 9 p.m. Jan. 16 on Lifetime.

Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment

While the competition format of Under the Gunn is similar to that of Project Runway the new show shows more of an emphasis on mentoring the designer contestants in the workroom. Gunn said the new show reflects one of the keys to his success— knowing the difference between mentoring and teaching.

“A good mentor is a coach, a cheerleader, a truth-teller. And my own particular approach is to pummel people with questions. I need as much of a context as possible to understand what their point of departure is and what they are trying to achieve,” Gunn said. “I would never just walk up to someone and start speaking, and offering critical analysis of their work without fully understanding, or understanding as well as I can, what that designer is really trying to achieve.”

“When you are teaching, you can tell people what to do. And when you are mentoring, that is not a good idea. You really want the designer to be fully responsible for their decision-making.”

Image courtesy of projectrubioblogspot.com

Tim Gunn, Nick Verreos, Mondo Guerra, and Anya Ayoung-Chee, images courtesy of projectrubioblogspot.com

In Under the Gunn the key mentoring of the designer contestants is done by three Project Runway alums: Verreos, whom Gunn said he specifically selected because of his extensive teaching experience at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles; fan (and Klum) favorite Mondo Guerra, who was the runner-up during his season in 2010 and won the 2012 Project Runway: All-Stars; and Anya Ayoung-Chee, the former beauty pageant contestant who won her season of Project Runway in 2011.

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

“Tim was very vested in sort of guiding us through this whole mentorship process. He wanted all of us to grow and become better mentors and, in that way, become better designers in our professional world,” Verreos said. “He was still mentoring us, in a way, but as mentors. That was great to have Tim to either pull us back or to push us even further in our communications with the designers”

Gunn agreed there are some similarities format-wise to the popular singing competition show The Voice, but pointed out that in Under the Gunn, the mentors really aren’t competing with each other. Instead, Gunn said, the format of Under the Gunn was a chance to put the spotlight on the important role of mentoring; something he said he wished there was more of an opportunity to do on Project Runway.

“Under the Gunn” contestant Blake Smith. Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment

But you don’t just magically become a good mentor, Gunn noted. Coaching (and occasionally chastising) the mentors even pushed the usually unflappable (at least in public) Gunn to lose his cool on camera, he admitted. “There were many times I had to step in, including at one point, laying down some rules. And one of the first rules I needed to lay down was that … mentors had to leave the workroom an hour before (designers were to head to the runway showing) because (mentors) were becoming these irrepressible nags,” Gunn said. “They would be hanging over their designers saying, ‘No, don’t work on that, work on the collar’.”

“I had to pull Nick off of a designer once to say, ‘Let her go. This is now beyond the pale and unless you are resigned to make her work, which I will not allow you to do, there’s nothing else you can do’.”

While he hadn’t seen the series beyond the first episode, Gunn said he hopes the finished product reflects concerns he relayed to the show’s editors about not trying to force the mentor-designer relationship to be something it’s not. “[I told the editors] the mentors are not jockeys and the designers are not horses. It’s not a matter of getting on a horse and say ‘giddy up’ and ‘go faster’ and patting their rear ends and saying ‘you know, let’s get to the finish line right now’.”

“Under the Gunn” contestant Michelle Uberreste. Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment

“The designer and the mentor are two completely separate entities. And the editing team was trying to make this correlation between a designer’s success and a mentor’s good mentoring. And correspondingly, a designer’s failure and therefore it’s the mentor’s failure. I kept saying, ‘You can’t look at it that way’.”

Verreos, for one, heard Gunn’s messages loud and clear. The experience, he said, has changed him as a designer and as an educator. “I think one of the biggest things I took away from this was the importance of listening and letting the student or designer speak. Instead of answering the question, let them answer it first and see what happens from there,” Verreos said. “That’s something I didn’t do before meeting Tim Gunn. That was not in my vocabulary. So that’s something I’ve taken from the University of Tim Gunn as it were.”

—Karyn D. Collins

Fashion Reverie’s Top Fashion Stories of 2013

December 28, 2013 by admin 11 Comments

As every fashion year is filled with new beginnings for some and the changing of the guard at revered fashion houses and brands for others, 2013 has particularly been a year of evolving points of view and directional shifts in the fashion industry. From Marc Jacobs’ departure from Louis Vuitton to Kate Moss having a banner year of campaigns and endorsements, the fashion industry is always projecting toward the future.

As always Fashion Reverie keeps its readers informed on all the new developments in the industry, as well as the dominant, current trends in fashion. Remember, without change there is no growth, and Fashion Reverie gives its readers a front row seat on all the action.

Kate Moss Rules

This has been a banner year for Kate Moss. The 39-year old British supermodel has racked up campaigns with Stuart Weitzman, Eleven Paris, Prada, and Versace, as well as the cover of Playboy’s 60^th Anniversary cover. Add to that a contributing editor position at British Vogue.

Jil Sander Departs

Jil Sander announced in October that her spring/summer 2014 collection was her last collection for her eponymous label. The 69-year old Sander’s cited that her departure was “motivated by personal reasons.”

Founded in 1968, Sander sold her brand to a Japanese company in 1999, leaving a year later, but returning for a short stint in 2003, exiting short after her return to work at Uniqlo. Sander was back on board once again 2012, but after just 18 months, Sander had made the decision to leave.

Mario Cuomo Signs New Model Law

New York Governor Mario Cuomo signed into law stricter labor protections for child models. The new labor protections establishes the following:

Designers have to ensure 15 percent of the model’s fee is funneled into a trust account until he or she is 18.
If they miss three or more consecutive days of school, they must also be provided a tutor.
Models under 16 must also be provided a chaperone and a nurse with pediatric experience should be on hand.
Employers or guardians who break the rules will face fines of between $1,000 and $3,000.

Jeremy Scott’s New Job

Iconic Italian brand Moschino has a new creative director, Jeremy Scott. Seems like a good match. The LA–based Scott will head up a brand known for its irreverence and edgy aesthetic, similar to Scott’s own, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, the-fashion-world-be-damned, rebellious point of view.

Scott will make his runway debut for Moschino in February for the fall 2014 season. “It’s the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one,” explained Scott in a phone interview with style.com.

Sayonara New York Fashion Week

Y-3 says goodbye to New York Fashion Week for its fall/winter 2015 collection. The brand has decided to show in Paris starting this coming January. Y-3, a partnership between Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas has shown during New York Fashion Week since the inception of the company in 2003.

Trayon Christian

Shopping While Black

You may have heard of “driving while black.” Well, “shopping while black” has now come front and center as a lawsuit by Trayon Christian, an African American college student, was filed on Tuesday in a Manhattan Supreme Court claiming that Christian was racially profiled while purchasing a $350 Salvatore Ferragamo belt at Barneys New York last April.

In response to the racial profiling claim, Barneys has released the following statement, “Barneys New York typically does not comment on pending litigation. In this instance, we feel compelled to note that after carefully reviewing the incident of last April, it is clear that no employee of Barneys New York was involved in the pursuit of any action with the individual other than the sale. Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights.”

Let’s Just Kiss and Say Goodbye

After 16 years Marc Jacobs is leaving Louis Vuitton to concentrate on his own fashion lines. Inside sources contend that Marc Jacobs confirmed his departure backstage at the Louis Vuitton spring 2014 in Paris.

Jacobs is contributed with invigorating the iconic French fashion house which is now accounts for 7 billion dollars in sales and more than half of LVMH’s operating budget. It had been reported that LVMH has had major difficulties with Jacobs in the past and that Jacobs has been in contract negotiations with Louis Vuitton since January 2013.

Wal-Mart Brings it Home

Retail giant Wal-Mart has joined the economic movement around homegrown manufacturing. Wal-Mart pledged in January of this year to buy an additional $50 billion in U.S.–made goods over the next 10 years.

This decision has come on the back of some of Wal-Mart’s supplier’s decision to produce more products in the U.S. due to rising wages in China. Critics of Wal-Mart’s homegrown initiative have expressed concern over the mega brand sincere efforts to support U.S.–based manufacturing.

Estee Lauder Goes to Mother Africa

Tapping into Sub-Saharan Africa’s middle class Estée, Lauder has plans to expand its presence in the region by promoting two of its most lucrative brands, Clinique and MAC. There appears to be a demand for luxury cosmetics by the region’s middle class. ”Our target consumer is the emerging middle class, the established middle class and that affluent African consumer who’s probably extremely well-traveled and very brand savvy,” says Sue Fox, Estee Lauder’s managing director of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lacroix Returns

As the Paris Couture shows wrapped up on the last week of June, one of the biggest returns to the Paris Couture stage was Christian Lacroix. In a tribute to fashion icon Elsa Schiaparelli, Lacroix’s 18-piece “Homage to Elsa” referenced and reinterpreted Schiaparelli’s love affair with circuses, fairgrounds, and military uniforms.

Bangladesh Fires Spark Global Protests

Global concerns and protest continue as concerned groups united in June to protest against multinational retailers that have yet to support improving labor conditions and safety protections in Bangladesh’s booming garment sector. Activists staged protest around the world in major cities to draw attention and raise consumer awareness on safety violations and labor abuses in Bangladesh factories. These protests coincided with U.S. campaigns against the working conditions of Wal-Mart workers in stores and warehouses. Activists groups staged a variety of protests and demonstrations from Osaka, Japan to New York City.

Since the Rana Plaza factory collapse in April that took the lives of 1,100 workers, Bangladesh factories, as well as multinational brands have come under international scrutiny. According to the Death Trap campaign, about 50 international retailers have signed on to a proposed safety agreement that establishes a “binding contract between the brands and worker representatives that make these commitments enforceable—so the brands have to follow through, even if it means increased costs or longer turnaround times on orders.”

Dolce & Gabbana, Caged Birds?

In June designers Domenico Dolce and Steffano Gabbana were found guilty of failing to declare 1.3 billion in income to Italian authorities. Domenico and Steffano were both sentenced to 20 months in jail. Though both designers have denied the charges, prosecutors contend that the design team evaded taxes on earned income through a Luxembourg‒based company.

When brought up on charges of fraud two years ago, this highly publicized case was thrown out of court. Still, Italy’s high court stated the Dolce and Gabbana could be charged with evasion of taxes.

Galliano, the Shame of it all

After much contention and political protest, John Galliano’s four-day workshop at Parsons the New School of Design was canceled. The controversial former head of Dior was to teach a “Show Me Emotion” four-day workshop at the famed fashion school.

Fired from Dior in 2011 for anti-Semitic rants, Galliano is currently involved in a lawsuit against the iconic fashion house. Contention rose between Parsons and Galliano when neither party could reach a compromise of Galliano having a candid discussion about his career in a larger forum that Parsons had planned between Galliano and the student body.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion Reverie Wishes You a Happy Holiday Season

December 25, 2013 by admin 1 Comment

Fashion Reverie would like to wish its viewing audience a Happy Holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Let this be a season of gratitude, joy, and generosity.

This has been a banner year for Fashion Reverie. We’ve doubled our traffic reaching over 15 million hits. For the first time we’ve added our own generated videos for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) and well as incorporating “Conversations with Coco” in video format. We have acquired greater access and more extensive coverage of MBFW and New York International Fashion Week.

Sadly, some of our editors, Cory Orlando, Chandia Brennan, and Dana Givens, have moved on to other opportunities. Still, we have the great pleasure of adding menswear editor John Woody, style editor Renessta Olds, celebrity style editor TIjana Ibrahimovic, fashion commentator Cecily Daniels, fashion videographer/photographer Rick Kariolic, fashion photographers Ken Jones and Anthony Tudisco, and media specialist Will Cisco to our staff.

Look for many exciting things from Fashion Reverie in the 2014. Readers can look forward to more giveaways, coverage of fashion weeks from Paris, Milan, Sao Paolo and other fashion capitals, as well as in-depth videotaped interviews with some of the fashion industry’s key insiders. Remember, Fashion Reverie takes you from the front lines of fashion to the front row, and 2014 will no exception.

Again, have a Happy Holiday season and a prosperous New Year from all the Fashion Reverie staff.

William S. Gooch III

Editor-in-chief

Holiday Windows Have Never Looked this Good

December 24, 2013 by admin 1 Comment

Images clockwise Pull & Bear, Barcelona, Harrods, London, and Saks, NYC

Winter Wonderlands, Nutcracker Suites, and Santa’s Workshop are all typical themes explored, improvised and revised on for department store window’s holiday displays. How many times have you seen a sexy Santa and Mrs. Klaus, a Winter Wonderland that has gone to the dark side, or how about exploring a Nutcracker nestled in a futuristic Kingdom of Sweets.

Bloomingdales, NYC

Retailers spare no costs at creating holiday window displays that cause a sense of wonder, excitement and even titillate holiday shoppers. But sadly, many of the best holiday window displays are located in major fashion capitals far away from the Heartland. And unless you plan to be in the Big Apple, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo or Milan for the holiday season, many of these window masterpieces of art will pass you by.

Enter, Fashion Reverie to the rescue. In true keeping with the holiday spirit, and with the help of Windowswear.com, Fashion Reverie has assembled some holiday window displays from around the world that promise not only to stimulate the senses, and make you reach deep into your pockets but stretches the boundaries of the art of window dressing. The holidays have never been this imaginative or mind expanding.

Macy’s New York

Liberty, London

Galeries Lafayette, New York

Harrods, London

Printemps, Paris

Lord & Taylor, New York

Marks & Spencer, London. All images courtesy of windowswear.com

—William S. Gooch

Theia Conjures Up Kim Kardashian’s Fantasy Wedding Gown

October 25, 2013 by admin 3 Comments

On the heels of New York International Bridal Week, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced their engagement. Kanye West popped the question to Kim at the AT&T Park in San Francisco on Kardashian’s 33^rd birthday (October 21). West, a true devotee of theatrics, commissioned a 50-piece orchestra to play while “PLEEEASE MARRY MEEE!” was displayed on the Jumbotron.

Image courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

Kanye West placed a 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond ring on Kim’s finger, and Kardashian commented the next day to E! News, “last night was truly magical!!! I am the luckiest girl in the world!” …”I get to marry my best friend!”

While West and Kardashian celebrate their engagement, bridal designers across the globe speculate on what type of gown Kim will be wearing at her bridal ceremony. Fashion Reverie reached out Don O’Neill, creative director of Theia, and got his thoughts on Kim Kardashian’s choice in bridal gown. And we also got an inspirational bridal sketch from O’Neill, projecting what would look great on Kim.

Sketch courtesy of Don O’Neill. Image courtesy of JS Group International

“I chose this silhouette as it will flatter her [Kim Kardashian] amazing curves and fit like a second skin. It has lavish attention to detail with its intricate Swarovski crystal, silver-lined glass bead embroidery and miniature handmade silk flowers, a confection of silk organza but on a simple and dramatic silhouette. The crystal and handmade silk organza flowers and petals create rich texture on the bodice flowing down on to the dramatic mermaid skirt,” details O’Neill.

‘Having gone the traditional route with her last wedding, she can now feel free to try color. The skirt has a blush pink lining, and the ivory flowers on the skirt are delicately tipped with blush pink,” continues O’Neill.

The Theia Collection has been praised by Country Western musician Kerry Underwood and since its debut in 2009 has been picked up by Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and other specialty boutiques.The Theia Collection has also appeared in such publications as People Magazine, Life & Style, US Weekly, E! News, Glamour.com, InStyle.com, and outlets. For more information, go to theiacouture.com.

—William S. Gooch

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 Backstage

October 5, 2013 by admin Leave a Comment

Though Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week spring 2014 is over, as well as fashion weeks in London, Milan, and Paris, memories still linger. We all love the way the collections look on the runway, and the way each model brings that extra something that makes us look at silhouettes, construction, fabrications and the designer’s point of view in new ways. Still, it is not all sparkle and shine.

In Fashion Reverie’s unique way of presenting texture, nuance and a broader spectrum of perspectives and with the assistance of our photo editor, Ernest Green, we demonstrate that Fashion Week is a collaborative effort. Putting a runway show together is a lot of hard work and without the collaborative efforts of makeup artists, dressers, the ground crew, PR firms, the technical crew, and the models and designers themselves, the stunning presentations that we hold near and dear to our hearts would not happen.

Raleigh Denim Spring 2014 Backstage

Though the brand has extended beyond denim, their brand of denim has never looked so good.

Nicholas K Spring 2014 Backstage

Nicholas K is the first show of MBFW spring 2014 and the models are mostly just beginning a week of hair pulled, twisted and primed into all kinds of interesting configurations.

Nicholas K is the first show of MBFW and the models are just beginning a week of hair pulled, twisted and primed into all kinds of interesting configurations. Hang on kids, its going to be a lot of hair pulling!!

Nicholas K Spring 2014 Backstage

Kenneth Cole Spring 2014 Backstage

Diversity rules with Kenneth Cole.

Steve Alan Spring 2014 Backstage

With Kenneth Cole it all about the face. And guys will make passes at this model who wears glasses!!

Malan Breton Spring 2014 Backstage

OK, I’ve got a secret. These images are not from MBFW, but taken three weeks later at the Taiwan Museum’s cultural celebration. But hey, Malan Breton’s collection is still slammin!!

—Staff

Fashion and Dance Meet at the New York City Ballet Gala

September 18, 2013 by admin Leave a Comment

Coco Chanel’s costumes in “Le Train Bleu,” Christian Lacroix’s costumes in “La Source,” and Norma Kamali’s costumes in “In the Upper Room”

Fashion has traditionally had a home in the dance world. During the Diaghilev era, Coco Chanel created costumes for the famed Ballets Russes’ production of “Le Train Bleu” in 1924. That collaboration launched a trend that has seen a prestigious list of designers collaborate with dancemakers including Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Halston, Isaac Mizrahi, Norma Kamali, Christian Lacroix, and Rodarte.

Last fall, New York City Ballet premiered a ballet at its fall gala that featured costumes by Valentino (it should be noted that neither the ballet by Peter Martins nor the costumes earned critical acclaim.) For this year’s fall gala, which is being held Thursday, Sept. 19, fashion and dance are a central theme.

Images courtesy of teen vogue.com

The gala, the brainchild of actress and NYCB board member Sarah Jessica Parker, has paired three choreographers with three renowned designers.

The pairings are:

Choreographer Angelin Preljocaj with designer Olivier Theyskens
Choreographer Justin Peck with designer Prabal Gurung
Choreographer Benjamin Millepied with designer Iris van Herpen

Prabal Gurung images courtesy of Paul Kolnik and Erin Baiano, respectively

Marc Happel, City Ballet’s director of costumes, has worked closely with the designers and said the collaborations have been an eye-opener for the designers as they grapple with the unique demands of creating for dance.

“They’re very used to designing for the runway or the red carpet. Suddenly you’re giving them the challenge of designing a costume which has to be worn by incredibly athletic people—dancers, doing incredible movement onstage,” Happel said. “This whole factor of movement and being able to dance in what they’re designing is new for the designers who haven’t worked with dance before.”

Olivier Theysens images courtesy of Erin Baiano

Olivier Theyskens images courtesy of Erin Baiano

“What I also have to get (the designers) to really concentrate on are the realities of being onstage.” Those realities, he said, include the effect stage lights may have on colors of the costumes, the amount of physical handling that may occur as a dancer is lifted and turned. “I also have to get the designers to understand that there’s an incredible sweat factor involved, especially the men. These costumes have to be cleaned regularly,” he added.

That still leaves a lot of potential for some interesting creations among the collaborations.

Iris van Hepern images courtesy of Erin Baiano and Fly's Eye Films

Iris van Herpen images courtesy of Erin Baiano and Fly’s Eye Films

For the Preljocaj ballet, which is inspired by the Salem witch trials, the ballerinas will dance in unitards decorated with silicone shapes. For the Millepied ballet, van Herpen’s costumes are to be decorated with hundreds of plastic pieces that are intended to resemble an armadillo. The women will also wear special boots attached to their pointe shoes.

Happel said the dancers are enjoying the process of having something created on them that isn’t the usual leotard, tights and tutus. “Many of them are quite good about the challenge of dealing with costumes that are a little different,” he said. “I think they like the challenge. They find it to be a very interesting process.”

—Karyn D. Collins

Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair

September 2, 2013 by admin 17 Comments

Zang Toi Day ensemble. Ready-to-wear, fall/winter 2008–09 ,Bill Blass (United States), Day ensemble. Ready-to-wear, fall/winter 1997–98,Bob Mackie Evening ensemble. Ready-to-wear, fall/winter 1984–85, Yves Saint Laurent (France), ‘Picasso’ evening dress (and detail). Haute couture, fall/winter 1979-80.

Images clockwise: Zang Toi Day ensemble. Ready-to-wear, fall/winter 2008–09, Yves Saint Laurent ‘Picasso’ evening dress, Haute couture, fall/winter 1979-80, Bill Blass Day ensemble. Ready-to-wear, fall/winter 1997–98, Bob Mackie Evening ensemble. Ready-to-wear, fall/winter 1984–85, . Images courtesy of the Chicago History Museum

First and foremost, it is about the clothes. As it should be—bold, colorful, often audacious, but always colorful clothes.

As the first trio of outfits at the entrance to the “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair” exhibit suggest, the Ebony Fashion Fair, was about clothes. And not just any clothes—the flashiest haute couture and high-end designer fashions money could buy from Cardin, Dior and Lacroix to Saint Laurent, Pucci, Galliano for Dior and McQueen for Givenchy.

But the exhibit, like the Ebony Fashion Fair, is about more than just the clothes. The exhibit, which opened in March, is currently at the Chicago History Museum now through January 5, 2014 before it goes on tour across the country.

The Ebony Fashion Fair (EFF) began in 1958 and toured the United States, Caribbean and even London, England from 1961 until 2009. Created by Eunice W. Johnson, wife of Johnson Publications founder John H. Johnson, the EFF helped local groups raise money for charity while spreading the Johnsons’ gospel about aspirational culture to the black community. Over its history, the EFF raised more than $50 million for local charities.

Jean Patou day ensemble. Haute couture, fall/winter 1986–87.Chloé (France) by Karl Lagerfeld, Evening dress, ready-to-wear, fall/winter 1983-84, Krizia jumpsuit. Haute couture, fall/winter 1981–82.

Jean Patou day ensemble. Haute couture, fall/winter 1986–87, Chloé by Karl Lagerfeld, evening dress, ready-to-wear, fall/winter 1983-84, Valentino cocktail ensemble. Alta moda, fall/winter 1978–79, photograph by John Alderson. Images courtesy of Chicago History Museum.

“I really think my mother’s legacy was she brought beauty, style and sophistication to an African American audience,” said the couple’s only daughter, Linda Johnson Rice, in one of the exhibit’s many multimedia displays.

Model Pat Cleveland, who got her start with EFF when she was 15 said in the exhibit, “We let people see there’s something more to life than struggling.”

The EFF stopped touring after the 2009 season as many of its sponsoring groups found themselves needing to cut back on programming. Johnson died in 2010 at the age of 93.

While visitors may be dazzled by the outfits—Eunice Johnson, we are repeatedly reminded, loved boldly colorful and dramatic outfits for her shows—Joy Bivins, the exhibit’s curator, said the multimedia displays showcasing the EFF’s and Johnson Publications’ history were also a crucial part of the exhibit.

Eunice Johnson with designer Yves Saint Laurent, 1972. Photo courtesy of Johnson Publishing Company, LLC and Chicago History Museum.

“It’s important that people get an understanding for all that the Ebony Fashion Fair represented,” Bivins said. “Showing the significance of the Ebony Fashion Fair in terms of the fashions is great. “But the Ebony Fashion Fair was a true cultural happening that affected everything from the Johnson’s philosophy on how black people’s accomplishments and beauty should be celebrated to the use of black models, and the impact the show had on people in the communities where the Fashion Fair appeared.”

To that end the exhibit not only features 67 outfits, but includes multimedia displays covering the behind-the-scenes stories of the Ebony Fashion Fair with comments from industry luminaries like longtime commentator Audrey Smaltz and Cleveland about life on the tour, including navigating the Jim Crow South during the ‘60s. Other multimedia displays chronicle how EFF fit into the overall Johnson Publishing Company empire which was anchored by Ebony and Jet magazines and how audiences embraced the EFF.

Among other things visitors will learn that Johnson purchased all of the outfits herself—up to $1 million worth each year—and that some designers were nervous about having their creations photographed on black models. The displays also remind visitors that unlike most fashion shows today, the EFF shows featured models who dramatically posed, twirled and strutted on the runway.

Silver raffia gown, Givenchy by Alexander McQueen, Evening dress. Haute couture, fall/winter 1997-98, Emanuel Ungaro, Bridal gown. Haute couture, fall/winter 1996–97, Tilmann Grawe tubular plummage cocktail dress Haute couture, fall/winter 2003–04

Silver raffia gown, Givenchy by Alexander McQueen, Haute couture, fall/winter 1997-98, Emanuel Ungaro bridal gown. Haute couture, fall/winter 1996–97, Tilmann Grawe tubular plummage cocktail dress Haute couture, fall/winter 2003–04. Images courtesy of Chicago History Museum

Bivins said selecting outfits for the exhibit was a daunting task. “[The exhibit] is a very miniscule fraction of what was available. I would say there were between 3,500 and 5,000 pieces,” Bivins said. “Even once we narrowed things down, we could have easily had an exhibit that was three times the size of this one. “In selecting outfits, we went with designers there were obviously important to Mrs. Johnson and pieces that represented ideas and themes which were big for her.”

While the exhibit covers a lot of fashion ground, it doesn’t include any pieces from the EFF’s earliest days. Instead, the early years are represented mostly through photographs and a couple of film clips.

Nina Ricci cocktail ensemble. Coat, haute couture, fall/winter 1987–88. Azzedine Alaïa evening dress. Ready-to-wear, spring/summer 1986

Christian Dior evening ensemble. Haute couture, fall/winter 1968–69, Azzedine Alaïa evening dress, ready-to-wear, spring/summer 1986, Nina Ricci cocktail ensemble. Coat, haute couture, fall/winter 1987–88. Images courtesy of Chicago History Museum

“There were a couple of pieces from the late ‘60s that we really considered including but they had feathers on them and were more than 40 years old and weren’t in good condition. And there weren’t any pieces from the ‘50s at all,” she said.

Bivins pointed out that pieces from the early years may have also been in short supply because until the mid-‘70s the EFF used to sell off pieces for charity at the end of each season. “We still had some really spectacular pieces to choose from. Honestly, there were several exhibitions within that storage space. You could have done this in a few different ways,” Bivins said. “I think we met our biggest challenge—to really flesh out the breadth and fullness of the story of the Ebony Fashion Fair.

The Chicago History Museum is located at: 1601 N. Clark Street, Chicago IL. For more information call (312) 642-4600 or go online at www.chicagohistory.org.

—Karyn D. Collins

TOUR SCHEDULE for “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair”

Museum of Design Atlanta, GA
October 11, 2014 – January 4, 2015

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, MN
May 22, 2015 – August 16, 2015

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI
September 18, 2015 – January 3, 2016

Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, NY
January 30, 2016 – April 24, 2016

*Other dates and locations to be announced.

Nina Ricci cocktail ensemble. Coat, haute couture, fall/winter 1987–88,

Styled to Rock: There Are Some New Designers in Town

August 26, 2013 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of NBC Universal

Is Styled to Rock another Project Runway? Not. Though the new reality-based designer competition may have similarities to its design competition predecessor, Styled to Rock contestants compete weekly to dress noted entertainers and be America’s next trendsetting designer. Music and fashion mogul Pharrell Williams, model/designer Erin Wasson and Rihanna’s stylist Mel Ottenberg serve as weekly style mentors.

Erin Wasson

Based on the UK version of the same name which aired on August 12, 2012, like Project Runway, Styled to Rock has some twists and obstacles throughout the competition. Each week contestants will have a small amount of time to create an innovative garment and style the appointed entertainer from head to toe based on the celebrities’ detailed profile. Throughout each weekly challenge, the mentors will whittle down the created looks and those designers whose garments are unsatisfactory will be up for elimination. Prizes for the winner include $100,000, a fashion spread in Glamour magazine, and chance to be a member of Rihanna’s design team— oops, no trip to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Rihanna’s design or Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week show, which is the better prize? You decide.

Pharrell Williams

Styled to Rock premieres on the Style Network on November 5, 8pm, EST. Mega pop star and style icon Rihanna is the executive producer.

"Styled to Rock" contestants. Images courtesy of NBC Universal

“Styled to Rock” contestants. Image courtesy of NBC Universal

The competing designers are:

Cecilia Aragon (Age: 30) ‒ San Francisco, Calif.‒ Art and design instructor Cecilia Aragon is finally taking her own advice and following her dreams of solely working on her own clothing line. A consummate perfectionist, Aragon even has a different pair of scissors for each kind of material she uses. She credits Madonna and designer Jean Paul Gaultier as inspirations for her design aesthetic.

Adam Christoffel (Age: 30) ‒ Brooklyn, N.Y.‒ Minneapolis native Adam Christoffel discovered his love for styling at a young age. Since then, Christoffel has immersed himself in all things fashion. He graduated from the International Academy of Design & Technology and currently works as a freelance pattern maker. Christoffel is looking forward to the day when he can quit his day job and focus on his own line.

Jordan Crowson (Age: 32) ‒ Conway, Ark.‒ Women’s wear designer Jordan Crowson undoubtedly has an intense love for both music and fashion. He believes his couture designs could stand up to any of the designs at Fashion Week in New York, but he hasn’t had the financial means to break into the industry. Crowson credits his traditional Christian family for keeping him grounded and counts his father as his biggest supporter and best friend.

Adriana Diaz (Age: 22) ‒ Riverside, Calif. ‒ High-fashion street wear designer Adriana Diaz always has had a penchant for style, teaching herself how to sew at age eight. Diaz credits her daughter Adalie, whom she had when she was 17 years old, as her biggest inspiration and the driving force behind her determination to accomplish her dreams. Her design influences come from the Jamaican culture and street graffiti, and she longs to create universal high-fashion street wear.

Autumn Kietponglert (Age: 33) ‒ Philadelphia, Pa. ‒ Unapologetic designer Autumn Kietponglert has never concerned herself with what others think of her and cares more about following her artistic vision with her avant-garde designs than getting along with her fellow designers. Kietponglert says that her best design inspirations come from her dreams, which are detailed visions of the unseen world. Adept to more complex designs, her talents were recognized when she received the RAW Artist of the Year for Fashion Design in 2012.

Laura Petrielli-Pulice (Age: 35) ‒ Chicago, Ill. ‒ When she’s not spending time with her family, baking and making crafts, seemingly typical housewife and mother Laura Petrielli-Pulice designs latex fetish wear for her brand, Vex Clothing, Inc. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Lingerie from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she went on to create looks that have been featured in W Magazine and Italian Vogue. Despite her success in the world of latex, Petrielli-Pulice is ready to break out into mainstream fashion markets to prove that she can do more than custom fetish wear.

Kristie Metcalf (Age: 33) ‒ Seattle, Wash ‒ Kristie Metcalf, a women’s wear designer, has the unique challenge of sewing and designing with only one arm, but she doesn’t allow her disability to limit her potential. A graduate of Western Washington University, Metcalf is currently finishing a certificate program in Fashion Design at the New York Fashion Academy. Her fashion philosophy is“Form and function. Clothes should be beautiful, wearable and well-made.”

Ahni Radvanyi (Age: 27) ‒ Venice, Calif. ‒ Ahni Radvanyi is a free spirit. Outside of her design work, she enjoys centering herself through yoga and can often be found meditating or stretching in her workspace. In an effort to rebel against her strict conservative upbringing, Radvanyi joined counter-culture movements and became a performer doing circus acrobatics, hoop dancing and fire dancing. She believes that celebrities will embrace her adaptable designs because the clothes will allow them to transform throughout the day.

Dexter Simmons (Age: 29) ‒ Oakland, Calif. ‒ A designer, stylist and make-up artist, Bay area native Dexter Simmons hopes to be fashion’s next triple threat. A self-professed “oddball,” Simmons loves fashion because it’s the only place where he feels his quirky personality really translates. With this experience, he is looking to break out of the San Francisco art scene and find mainstream success with his over-the-top designs.

Andre Soriano (Age: 42) ‒ San Diego, Calif‒ Born in the Philippines, Andre Soriano gravitated toward fashion as a way of expressing himself after moving to America as a child. Although he had difficulty adjusting to a new culture at such a young age, he has embraced the idea that “fashion is freedom.” A couturier, his designs have been featured in multiple publications, including Italian Vogue. Andre’s fashion mantra is “Peace, love, glamour and fashion!”

Ebony White (Age: 36) ‒ New York, N.Y. ‒ Women’s wear designer Ebony White is eager to bring her fashion prowess to the forefront. White has been a ghost designer for several household labels. While she appreciates the opportunities given to her by working for those labels, her ultimate goal is to create a name for herself – “I’ve been designing with no voice for so long. For me, it’s just important to be able to have that opportunity to have a voice.”

Keenan Zeno (Age: 27) ‒ Atlanta, Ga‒ After losing everything to Hurricane Katrina, Keenan Zeno moved to Atlanta with only one suitcase. Through perseverance and a drive to succeed, Zeno graduated with two bachelor’s degrees in Apparel Textiles and Business Management from Southern Polytechnic State University, and he recently received his MBA in finance. While continuing to design in his personal time, Zeno makes a living as an accountant, where most of his co-workers are unaware of his designer ambitions.

—William S. Gooch