Lepape, Georges

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Georges Lepape: Illustrator


Georges Lepape (1887-1971) was born in Paris where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Working as an illustrator of designs for pantaloon gowns by Paul Poiret from 1909, he captured the shocking yet anticipatory move towards allowing greater physical freedom in women's fashion. His collaboration with Poiret included the innovative compilation of limited-edition albums displaying fashion illustrations. Lepape illustrated the collections of Jean Patou from 1912 and worked freelance to illustrate fashion deigns in magazines including Femina, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. The sculptural simplicity and curvilinear style of his work was influenced by contemporary trends towards orientalism and movements such as Cubism.



Illustration by Georges Lepape (1887-1971) from Les choses de Paul Poiret Vues par Georges Lepape, Paris: Pour Paul Poiret par Maquet, 1911 

Dahl-Wolfe, Louise

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Louise Dahl-Wolfe: Photographer


Louise Dahl-Wolfe (1895-1989) was born in San Francisco, California. Following her attendace at the San Francisco Institute of Art in 1914, she spent the next twenty years travelling. She returned to her interest in photography in the mid-1930s, working first as a fashion photographer with Saks Fifth Avenue store in New York, and joining Harper's Bazaar in 1936. She frequently worked with the editor-stylist, Diana Vreeland.


Noted for her use of bright sunlight, many of Dahl-Wolfe's compositions feature beaches, deserts and sunny landscapes. Her luxurios photographs of exotic swimwear and playsuits are noted for their painterly use of colour.

Tyler, Richard

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Richard Tyler: Designer


Richard Tyler was born in 1946 in Australia, the son of a seamstress and costume designer. His first shop, Zippity-doo-dah, was opened in Melbourne when he was eighteen - only two years after leaving school to work for a Savile Row-trained tailor. His background and education were to prove invaluable in his recognition as a craftsman of women's tailoring. Moving to Los Angeles in 1974, Tyler's skills brought him success in designing clothes for rock stars. Together with his future wife, Lisa Trafficante, Tyler expanded into menswear with the opening of a boutique in 1988. This was followed by a womenswear range in 1989.


Many of Tyler's meticulously crafted clothes are styled on updated 1940s fashions. His celebrity clientele include Sigourney Weaver, Elton John, Cher and Diana Ross. Embodying a masculine, sculptured approach to tailoring, Tyler's collections are noted for their silk-lined jackets and exquisite craftsmanship.


Alfaro, Victor

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Victor Alfaro: Designer


Victor Alfaro was born in Mexico in 1965. He emigrated to the USA in 1981, and graduated from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology in 1987. He became an assistant of designer Mary Ann Restivo in the late 1980s, then worked for Joseph Abboud, an American prêt-a-porter designer. Alfaro's clothes are worn by celebrities including Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Mariah Carey and Winona Ryder. His eveningwear is characterised by designs embodying a spirit of sexuality and power through body-clinging garments in leather and sheer fabrics. Alvaro's style is avant-guarde, sleek in cut and line combined with the use of luxurious fabrics.


Awards

The Council of Designers of America Perry Ellis Award for New Design Talent in 1995

The Dallas Mart Award

The Vidal Sassoon Most Promising Designer Award

The Omni Fashion Designer Award for Best American Designer



By Victor Alfaro 

Photo courtesy of ExpFashion

Fashion Statements

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Fashion Statements


The declaration that clothes say something about their wearer is perhaps undisputable. It is certainly neither novel nor shocking. Whether in contemporary Western societies or the traditional practices of other cultures, a person’s choice of clothing is loaded with details that both describe and define aspects of their life as diverse as status, religion and life-style attachments. Moreover, judgements of personality and even intelligence are often made about an individual on the basis of their clothing alone. Appearance matters and first impressions of tastes in fashion count. Whilst these judgements may be made intuitively however, it is more difficult to determine the exact play of elements that combine to make this language, or code of clothing. The meanings conveyed by different styles change across time and place so that definitions are unstable and contextually embedded. According to the sociologist James Laver, a costume that is ‘indecent’ this year may be seen as ‘smart’ in ten years time, ‘ridiculous’ in a further twenty years and ‘beautiful’ in the next century. How then do fashion and clothing achieve their symbolic communications both to wearers and their viewers?


The symbols that form the code of clothing are both tactile and visual. All clothing styles and fashions must express their meanings through various permutations and combinations of texture, fabric, colour, pattern, line, shape and form. However, the psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler attempted to centre fashion’s key terms on psychological complexes rather than on the materially expressive elements available in different cultures. In 1953, he wrote, ‘Stripped to its essentials, fashion is no more than a series of permutations of seven given themes, each...a part of the female body: the breasts (neckline), waist (abdomen), hips, buttock, legs, arms, and length (or circumference) of the body itself. Organs ‘appear’ and ‘disappear’ as the theme of fashion changes, and one and then another part of the body is emphasized by succeeding styles’. Whether through elements of design or psychology, it is clear nevertheless that the clothing code draws on greatly limited constituent resources in comparison with the rich semantic resources of speech and writing.


Such a restriction of key expressive terms both accounts for and necessitates a high level of ambiguity in the statements made by fashion and clothing styles. In Western society, the same constituent symbols that proclaim beauty one year may also declare unattractiveness the following year and impropriety in another culture. The anthropologist and linguist Edward Sapir noted, ‘The chief difficulty of understanding fashion in its apparent vagaries is the lack of exact knowledge of the unconscious symbolisms attaching to forms, colours, textures, postures, and other expressive elements of a given culture. The difficulty is appreciably increased by the fact that some of the expressive elements tend to have quite different symbolic references in different areas.’ If a wide and contradictory range of meanings is communicated by so few key terms, it is because the source of this ambiguity itself lies in the socially negotiated associations of symbolic references. In other words, searches to uncover the exact rules and taxonomy of the clothing code will always be thwarted by its continual shift of meanings within common cultural understandings.


Statements are therefore conveyed in clothing through linking the elements, or key terms of the clothing code, to prevailing concepts of the elements of fashion and style in a society or community. Furthermore, for fashion to ‘say’ the same thing to all wearers and viewers, everyone must share an appreciation or perception of the images invoked by different items and styles of clothing. This is not to imply that all members of a society have to ascribe to the same values in order to understand the statements made by fashion. Rather, meanings are conveyed through insight into the differences and similarities between the ideals held within a community. Whilst admitting that clothing styles display high social variability, the eloquent rebellions of the Beatniks and Teddy Boys in the 1940s, Mods and Rockers in the 1950s, Skinheads and Hippies in the 1960s and Punks in the 1970s could all be easily understood by those fluent in the vocabulary of alienation from mainstream values.




Links

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Links


Lucire - The global fashion magazine, with features on international style, beauty, lifestyle and travel.


Apparel News - A comprehensive online source for fashion and apparel information.



Vogue - Online magazine featuring all the biggest names in modelling, with photos, articles and beauty tips.



Fashion-Era - 100+ content rich, illustrated pages of Fashion History, Costume, Clothing, Textiles and Social History.



Daily Fashion - An online fashion resource for girls with lots of tips, ideas and stories about fashion.



Focus on Style - Reality based fashion, beauty and style tips.



Fashionweb UK - Run by fashion professionals, unravelling the web for the fashion industry. Showrooms, Magazines, Directories, Recruitment and a whole lot more.



The A.M.A. Consultancy - A one-stop creative house that provides event management services and marketing solutions.



Anita Jewelry - Online store offering a wide range of products inluding rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, chains, charms, children's and religious jewelry.



Ragdale Hall Health Hydro - The ultimate leisure resort for day spa visits and weekend spa breaks. Combines state of the art facilities with the charm of traditional Victorian architecture.



Shirley of Hollywood in Knightsbridge - Lingerie boutique situated in the heart of London's most fashionable shopping districts, moments away from Harvey Nichols and Harrods.



All Dress Forms - Offer miniature dress forms, mannequins, fashion figurines and historical fashion clothing art prints. A family friendly site.



FashionShop - An online UK family-based business offering authentic high-brand fashions with discounted prices, exclusive membership discounts and seasonal special offers.



Fabric Link - The Educational Resource for Fabrics, Apparel, Home Furnishings, and Care.



Rivers - Online Rivers store with fashion information and links.



Beautylink - Gateway to the world of beauty on the web, with news and expert advice.



Fashion Network - Body, style and fashion news (in German).



Fashion Biz - Stories and product promotions from the fashion industry.



Beauty Matters - An exploration into the human creation of objects of beauty and the nature of beauty itself with original articles and teaching resources on aesthetics, visual arts, fashion, the culture of beauty and more.



Hint Fashion Magazine - Online magazine covering many aspects of fashion and style.



Female First - Female interest website with fashion reviews and celebrity gossip.



Sixties Central - Information about the fads, fashions and famous people of the 1960's, with a focus on sixties fashion design and fashion designers.



Jolique - A website that explores dress and culture across space and time.



Isabel Gallery - Fine art reproduction oil paintings of Masterpieces: Van Gogh, Cezanne, Degas, Manet, Botticelli, Gauguin, & more.



The Costumer's Manifesto - One of the World Wide Web's largest, and most eclectic, costume sites.



FashionSenseClub - dedicated to the promotion, support and training of Beauty Consultants throughout the US and Canada.



Fashion UK - Features the best of UK fashion from the street to the catwalk.



Fashion TV - Features FTV program guide, store and club, including fashion links and online video and music clips.



Leah Feldon - Style expert offers valuable fashion advice, tips on finding good buys, and style alerts that provide the lowdown on the latest trends.



Bruce Janz - Academic resources pages include supporting material for courses in aesthetics, visual culture, philosophy, contemporary culture and more.



A Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace - This site features commentary, data analyses, essays and links to stimulate the sociological imagination.



Sociology Central - One of the best sites for A level sociologists, this offers downloadable resources, specifically designed for post-16 sociology students.



The Association for the Teaching of the Social Sciences (ATSS) - Information relating to the teaching of Social Sciences, including resources, links and conference news.



Sociology Online - An extensive, interactive web site, with reference resources, quizzes and games.



Esociology - A site for AS and A Level Sociology students, with PowerPoint presentations and links to online tests and study skills advice.



Virtual Hair - Let us give you a virtual hairstyle makeover! Get results, without going to a salon.



Hair Boutique - Banishing bad hair days with news and information about hair care and products.



SWD Gems - Wholesale website of Ruby stone and Sapphire gemstones at a competitive price.



Zyra - Interesting eccentric site with thousands of pages of useful information on a wealth of subjects, oodles of fascinating and amusing items, and an encyclopaedic set of things connected together conceptually, plus a gateway to thousands of places around the world. Includes links to fashion sites, as well as sites in beauty, jewellery, lingerie, denim and shoes categories.



Fashion Glamour Model No.1 - Clothing advice, visual modelling and personal fashion advice as a means to beauty control.



Fashion - Fashion and Beauty - Galleries, Magazines, Ezines.



Clickstyles - A high traffic portal targetted to Clothing and Apparel, Health and Beauty, Business Opportunities, Fashion Accessories, Web Design and Hosting and more.



Fashion Cosmos - A site created as a tribute to the old Fashion Model Index.



The Video Beat - 1950s & 1960s Rock n Roll Movies on DVD.



Alumbo - A self-help website that includes pages of fashion resources.



UK Pages - Search for fashion-related information in this UK-based directory.



Web Portal & Web Directory - Home and Lifestyle Chapter of this Web Directory contains beauty and fashion information.


Fashion in the news 2004

Home > Fashion in the News > Fashion in the News 2004

Fashion in the News 2004




The Guardian profile: Tamara Mellon: The society princess who spotted a gap in the luxury shoe market has transformed herself into a fashion mogul. On Monday it was announced that Jimmy Choo, the shoe label she has presided over for almost a decade and by whose commendable efforts has been made essential for the fashion-conscious, is considering selling or floating itself on the stock market. This article traces Mellon's career from accessory editor at Vogue through to stiletto moguldom. While her fans coo over how a pair of Jimmy Choos will make them look thinner/sexier/cooler, Mellon recently cited a tellingly different benefit: "I feel so empowered when I put on a pair of heels. I like to be taller, to look a guy in the eye."

The Guardian: Friday 05 November, 2004


London makes an exhibition of itself: Tomorrow, the Museum of London will stage a celebration of London fashion through the ages. "The London Look: from Street to Catwalk" explores all aspects of London style and its influence on fashion worldwide. It also aims to show the industry's influence on the city's character. Edwina Ehrman, the exhibition's curator, believes that putting contemporary fashion in a historical context makes more sense of how influential London has been to fashion, both in the past and now. "Ultimately, fashion is a trade, but it is also the perfect barometer of social trends," she says.

Telegraph/Fashion: 28 October, 2004


Fashion's future is a 6-figure job: Fashion trend forecasting is a very small but lucrative field, with free trips to Paris. Trend forecasters take the pulse of the public's psychology and spot upcoming trends and products that will be hot next spring, next fall or even a few seasons beyond. David Wolfe, creative director of the Donegar Group expects to see a lot of apparel made from newly manufactured natural fibers in what he characterizes as a fear-based quest to get back to nature and downsize our lives. Trend analysts can work for forecasting firms, of which there are only about a dozen worldwide, Wolfe said. Or they can work directly for fashion retailers, design houses and clothing and shoe manufacturers, which often have their own in-house trend teams. A college degree in fashion (such as a bachelor's in fashion design or fabric styling) is a plus. And an internship with a forecasting team is one of the best ways to break into the field.

CNN/Money: 29 September, 2004


Fashion spread irks Spanish feminists: Spain's new Socialist government, which has won praise from women's groups for its support for gender equality, is now drawing their wrath. The government's eight Cabinet women, held up by the Socialists as a symbol of the party's commitment to equality for women, are being criticized for appearing in a fashion shoot on the grounds of the presidential complex for the September issue of Vogue magazine's Spanish edition. The article opens with a two-page photograph of the eight ministers, some reclining on a couch, one leaning against a pillar and all wearing fashionable if conservative clothing. The criticism of the article is the first significant attack on the government's feminist credentials since it came to office in April.

New York Times: 20 August, 2004


WOMAN: Designers cross first hurdle: The Malaysian-International Fashion Awards (MIFA), which was launched last year, has created a platform designed to unfold the talents of young designers. One of the three categories that make up the awards, the Upcoming Fashion Designers award (the other two are for Established Fashion Designers and Special Achievements), is designed to discover, recognise and groom a new generation of fashion designers. Panelist Geoffrey Thomas said that there has been a dramatic increase in fashion interest throughout the years. "There are a lot of talented fashion designers in Malaysia but they seem to concentrate on local influences. I believe that while you have to be proud of your heritage, it is also important to see yourself as a global designer," he added. In the first round of judging, candidates were expected to interpret their designs in a narrative form and they had to convince the judges that their designs carried interpretations of the 1910s.

New Straits Times: 12 July, 2004


Latest fashion is wearing your 'tude on your tee: Quotes on T-shirts that run the gamut from "Note to self: Breathe" to "I don't trust people whose names I can't pronounce" and worse, provide the wearers -- mostly young adults aged 18-22 -- with a venue to broadcast their likes and dislikes, political and sexual preferences, recent heartaches and just plain nonsense. Psychologists claim that wearing your beliefs on your shirt is often much more comfortable than speaking up. It appears that attitude T-shirts can contribute to self-esteem, as well. "The possibility of shock value can draw attention to a person, and that's an aspect of self-esteem," Wade says. "It makes the person feel as if they are someone of worth. It's a strong factor for adolescents who are trying to establish their identity. It's part of self-discovery.".

Contra Costa Times: Thursday 08 July, 2004


Bold Glory: As Independence Day approaches, Americans are buying Old Navy's flag T-shirts like crazy. "We are somehow affirming our identity," said Ruth P. Rubinstein, associate professor of sociology at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. "We wear the appropriate attire for the appropriate occasion. . . . We want to let people know that this is the United States." Old Navy introduced its "Famous Flag T" 10 years ago. This year, the company held a contest for kids to design a shirt, and the grand-prize-winning design already has sold out online.

The Arizona Republic: July 1, 2004


Fashion designer's 'half baked' idea is saved by the British: The fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, whose latest exhibition in Paris displays his famous creations in bread form, was obliged to use British bakers after leading French boulangers dismissed the job as impossible. The baker-exhibits at the Fondation Cartier, which include a dough version of the designer's infamous dress with a conical bra, are all dressed by Mr Gaultier.Yet when he asked French bakers to recreate his most famous garments, they said it could not be done. Moulds and resin were created instead by a team of young British sculptors, engineers and a baker based in Wandsworth.

The Daily Telegraph: Sunday 06 June, 2004


Designing for everyone: Michael Kors's simple but stylish creations draw on the suburbs for inspiration. The Council of Fashion Designers of America nominated Kors as the best womenswear and menswear designer of the year. In the fall women's collection, there's a moss paisley chiffon jersey, sleeveless long dress and fur shrug and a complementary purple paisley silk georgette minidress with fringe from the hip to the knee. Men get a camel cashmere coat that hits just above the knee with flared suede jeans or an olive coated cotton twill mac jacket. Kors says he now favours simple and well-made garments over trendy items, since time is the ultimate arbiter of style.

The London Free Press: Tuesday 01 June, 2004


It is FAB - but is it art?: Fashion and art are no strangers to each other. Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with surrealist artists including Dali, Cocteau and Giacometti as long ago as 1936; Hussein Chalayan produces catwalk presentations that are more performance art than runway show; museums present much-lauded exhibitions of dress, not just historical but contemporary: Westwood, Versace, Ossie Clarke. A new exhibition, "Fashion at Belsay", held at stately home Belsay Hall in the Northumberland countryside makes a further contribution to debates on the artistic status of fashion. 12 British fashion designers (including Alexander McQueen, Eley Kishimoto, Paul Smith, Hamish Morrow and Stella McCartney) have been asked to make non-garment contributions to the "Fashion At Belsay" (FAB) exhibition. The results include a series of three-sided confessional-style cubicles, a spiralled tendril of unfinished, joined-up shoes reaching from floor to ceiling and a spectacle based on a concept of how fabric would behave in zero gravity.

Financial Times: Tuesday 01 June, 2004


WoMan: Helping designers go global: The Malaysian-International Fashion Awards (Mifa) 2003, a platform to discover, recognise and groom the country's aspiring fashion designers, sees the recent showcases of six of its recognised talented designers. The elite team, part of the renowned "KL Six", was selected through polls by fashion professionals in the run-up to Mifa 2003. The KL Six are Chandran, Daniel Cho, Khoon Hooi, Melinda Looi, Tom Abang Saufi and Villiam Ooi. Their exposure in the foreign fashin scene was made possible with the implementation of Global Fashion Inspiration (GFI), a programme which is part of the Kuala Lumpur Asia Fashion Week, to be held in conjunction with Mifa 2004 this November.

New Straits Times: Monday 31 May, 2004


Fashion designer Nicole Miller putting 'Sesame Street' on kids: Fashion designer Nicole Miller is working with Sesame Workshop on "Sesame Street by Nicole Miller," an apparel line for newborns, infants and toddlers.

Houston Chronicle: 25 May, 2004


Wellington Fashion Designer, Emma Pahl: Emma Pahl is the designer behind new Wellington-based apparel label PAHL. Already catering to a strong base of private clients, the label will be officially launched to the public later this year with PAHL's Distinctive Spring/Summer 2004-05 range. The range will feature PAHL's signature detailing embroidery, beading and unexpected fabric manipulation.

Thread, New Zealand: 25 May, 2004









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