Hard to believe, but it’s true: Claire Saldaña of Style Done Easy spoke with Studio 512 about fall fashion for 2022 (right in the middle of the heat of summer)! Claire worked with a great boutique in Buda called The Mercantile At Mill + Grain for some of next season’s biggest trends. Here’s what she pulled:
A polka dot matching set
A navy Sea/Salt/Sun sweater with white denim
A printed jumpsuit with distressed denim jacket
A blue dress, punched up with some fun accessories
Claire has worked with local boutiques in the past, and now runs her own styling business! Claire wants to help you find steals and deals. She can also come to you for personal styling and wardrobe organizing. Learn more about what services Claire offers on her website, or by following her on social media.
An employee at “Vestiaire Collective” an online marketplace to buy and sell pre-owned designer clothing and accessories, checks clothing in Tourcoing, France, December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
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PARIS, July 26 (Reuters) – Online fashion resale platform Vestiaire Collective said on Wednesday it is expanding into South Korea, choosing the fast-growing luxury market as a springboard for a deeper push into Asia.
The expansion of the Paris-based tech start-up that hit unicorn status last year comes as pre-owned fashion sales continue to grow quickly, fuelled by young, environmentally conscious shoppers seeking bargains for second-hand clothing.
The platform will be available in Korean and the company is adding an authentication site to its operations in Seoul.
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While luxury labels have traditionally been wary of secondhand sellers, an increasing number are exploring ways of getting involved in the market, partly as a way to engage with younger consumers or to provide an extra service to high-spending shoppers.
Investors in Vestiaire Collective include French luxury group Kering SA (PRTP.PA) which took a 5% stake last year, as well as private equity firm Eurazeo SE (EURA.PA), Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), U.S. investment firm Tiger Global Management and Vogue publisher Conde Nast.
Founded in Paris in 2009, the platform sells fashion and leather accessories from luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Dior, and in May marked its highest transaction – a Birkin handbag from Hermes that sold for 158,000 euros ($160,117).
($1 = 0.9868 euros)
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Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Christopher Cushing
Seriously opulent, luxurious and meticulously crafted fashion, jewelry and accessories by 100 designers from Saudi Arabia are being spotlighted starting Tuesday at the Iron23 event space in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood.
The Saudi designers, many considered emerging brands and selected from a field of 1,500, were challenged to create pieces expressly for the exhibit and that reflect Saudi heritage and culture. The exhibit, called “Saudi 100 Brands Fashion Exhibition,” has been organized by Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Commission. None of the 100 brands has been seen outside Saudi Arabia until now.
More from WWD
The exhibition, which debuted in Riyadh late last year, is split into eight different categories: ready-to-wear, modest, concept, premiere, demi-couture, bridal, handbags and jewelry. While ornate in terms of the heavy use of fabric, embroidery, laser-cuts, color and references from Saudi architecture and landscape, they are modest to the degree they cover the body. On display are long robes or “thobes,” long coats or “abaya” and large scarves for head coverings called “tarha.” But there is a diversity of style, with some streetwear — a hoodie and some shorts are shown — and more fitted and avant garde designs presented.
“This exhibit doesn’t have a commercial angle. It’s meant to give visibility to creativity from a region of the world that has never been exposed to the rest of the world,” Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Commission chief executive officer Burak Cakmak told WWD in an interview at the exhibit. “It’s open to anybody. It’s a free event. You just have to register.”
The exhibit represents “the starting point to show the level of creativity,” said Cakmak, a former dean of the Parsons School of Design. “Each of the brands are working on a wholesale collection. The idea is this fall, we will have wholesale collections available for retail. The majority of these designers have never sold outside the country. Several have sold in the region; one or two internationally. The intention is to show the diverse range of products that are designed in the country, but also with the exhibition we challenged them to create a showpiece, not meant as a retail piece, that projects their creativity and represents who they are.”
The intent is also to dispel misconceptions about fashion in Saudi Arabia and how people dress there.
From the Saudi 100 exhibit in New York. – Credit: Jared Siskin/PMC
Jared Siskin/PMC
Currently, there are no statistics available on the size of the Saudi fashion industry, though the commission is gathering data to determine that, Cakmak said. “Local brands have the ambition to grow internationally and there is a huge appetite for international bands to come to Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“One thing people don’t realize is that life in Saudi includes every kind of product. What is different from the rest of the world is what’s public or what’s private. That doesn’t mean all these products you see in the West are not selling in the East. There is a different way of using the product, but every category is still very much relevant in the region. There are no restrictions. It’s really a personal journey of each consumer to decide how they want to dress in the house and outside the house.”
The exhibit could travel to other cities, but that’s to be determined. To further help the designers, the Saudi government has been setting up mentoring programs and bringing in consultants and experts from fashion houses and academia to guide them.
From the Saudi 100 exhibit in New York. – Credit: Jared Siskin/PMC/PMC
Jared Siskin/PMC/PMC
Asked if international politics could affect the level of acceptance of Saudi design by Americans, Cakmak replied, “The intention is to connect creative communities and build a bridge for designers with other creatives, designers and businesses. At the end of the day, individual brands are very much focused on building their own business, and we very much want to focus on the business side with them. This is ultimately letting the creatives shine and helping them grow their business with no other intention. When we see creatives engage with the West, it doesn’t matter where they come from. You speak the same language. You are focused on where your inspiration comes from, where the culture comes from and how does that influence each other.
“Saudi Arabia is on a growth path across all sectors, including fashion, and there are great opportunities for local entrepreneurs to build new businesses across all parts of the fashion value chain,” Cakmak added. “A robust fashion sector benefits from local creatives, design studios, marketing and communication agencies, manufacturers and retailers. And through programs like Saudi 100 Brands, we look forward to seeing Saudi designers take their rightful place on the global stage.”
The exhibition, which runs from July 26 through Aug. 7, is open Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Iron23, 29 West 23rd Street. Tickets can be reserved at saudi100brands.nyc.
From the Saudi fashion exhibit in New York. – Credit: Jared Siskin/PMC
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Don’t fret! We still have plenty of summertime fun left on the calendar — but it is time to start prepping your closet for the later days of the sunny season. Back-to-school is fast-approaching, and these are pieces you can totally start wearing well into the fall months!
Buckle has the absolute perfect fashion finds for late summer and early fall, crushing it with our favorite clothing trends and eye-catching accessories. We could spend hours telling you about everything we want in our shopping cart, but we’ve narrowed it down to a quick seven picks to get you started!
This Plaid Dress With a Stylish Surprise
Buckle
Puff sleeves? Check. Square neck? Check. Smocked fabric? Check. Cute plaid print? Check. This mini dress has all of our favorite features — and yet it still manages to elevate itself even more by adding on a lace-up back! We also adore how perfect this pick will be with sneakers and sandals or with tights and booties!
This crop top is made with a semi-sheer weave, letting you have some fun with layering while also giving this piece an airy quality. The elasticized hem makes it easy to pair with high-rise jeans, skirts or shorts!
Late summer is all about casual, laid-back vibes, making ripped jeans a solid foundation for everyday outfits. They have to be comfy too! We love this pair because it features superior stretch fabric and a relaxed fit for a mega-cool, easygoing aura.
While we love an oversized blazer moment, this cropped one demanded our attention and we were happy to oblige. It has ribbed details and a silky lining, and it will have you looking like a model off duty when you wear it out!
The velvet on these scrunchies feels and looks absolutely luxurious! These hair accessories are just the thing for tying up your hair when it’s still hot out but fall is on the horizon. The colors are just gorgeous too. You can even wear one for a more dressed-up occasion. A date night, perhaps?
Forget your grade school canvas backpacks! They treated us well, but it’s time to upgrade. Whether you’re taking classes, commuting to work, taking a personal item on a plane or simply grabbing brunch with your best friends, this faux-leather backpack is going to earn you so many compliments!
These Comfy Pants You Can Wear to Work Out, Hang Out or Lounge About
Buckle
Thanks to their lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric, these pants can make great companions for your morning jogs, but their relaxed fit makes them totally game for Netflix binges on the couch as well. But you know what? They’re totally cute enough to wear out casually too, as you can see in the photo!
The Shop With Us team may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. In addition, Us Weekly receives compensation from the manufacturer of the products we write about when you click on a link and then purchase the product featured in an article. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product or service is featured or recommended. Shop With Us operates independently from advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback at [email protected]. Happy shopping!
Image Source : INSTAGRAM/EUMEWORLD Image representing a vegan handbag
Despite the harm it brings to our planet, leather is in, and it has been for decades – it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. This is perhaps why designers and luxury brands are attempting to find more sustainable alternatives to the beauty and elegance of leather.
Vegan handbags and clothing are now making their place in prominent fashion lines for their eco-friendly and affordable characteristics. However, many remain confused as to the making, process, and benefits of vegan bags.
Vegan handbags – The process
Now there are plenty of raw materials from which vegan bags can be made – cork, pineapple leaves, apple peels, recycled plastic, other fruit waste, and of course, polyurethane. The processes, depending on the source material, are distinct and yet easy to execute.
For example, in the case of pineapple leaves or apple peels (category of food waste), the material is degummed and made into luxe mesh material similar to felt in terms of touch and feel. Synthetic leather, on the other hand, is made by bonding a plastic coating to a fabric backing; the processes vary and are what defines whether the leather stands to be eco-friendly.
Polyurethane is observed to be a slightly less damaging plastic and is constantly being developed to reduce flaws such as the hazardous release of toxins during the manufacturing process. Typically, PU handbags are made with the help of fossil fuels.
A conscious purchase with benefits to the environment
Since the pandemic, consumers are making more conscious decisions about their purchases. They are eager to know the history, present, and impact of the products they add to their collections. Fashion enthusiasts, too, are not excluded from these efforts.
Popular designers like Stella McCartney, Angela and Roi (from AngelaRoi), Moenn, and more are adapting to vegan designs. The vegan leather market is expected to grow to a whopping $ 85 billion USD by the year 2025 due to recent reports. This indicates that more shoppers are currently switching from genuine to faux leather, promising a new trend in the fashion world.
To willingly contribute to the protection of the environmental impact of leather, people need to know how vegan alternatives are better suited. Many consider leather a by-product of the meat industry – in simple words, it is what we call ‘collateral damage’. And even though the argument may seem logical, there are many things to consider from an economic standpoint.
Take cows, for instance, it is remarkable yet terrifying how the industry has gravely exploited several uses for one animal – milk, meat, skin, horns. However, when a business boasts multiple profit streams, it is considered diversification, and not a by-product. Whether the leather industry contributes to these profit streams of 1 per cent, 5 per cent, or 20 per cent, it seems to be enough to pursue, eventually leading to more slaughter and horror.
Vegan bags are Cruelty-free
The other animals slaughtered for leather, the ones we don’t particularly eat, are a by-product of direct motivation that lies outside the co-product idea. All in all, the environment is destined to bleed if genuine leather remains in production, whether it is to do with the carcinogenic chemicals used and transferred to our bodies, the horrific conditions for employees in the industry, or the harmful toxins expelled during production. Thus, the emerging trend for vegan handbags, clothes, accessories, and more.
Not only are vegan handbags cruelty-free and sustainable, but, if maintained efficiently, are durable and most importantly not likely to cut a rather large hole in your pocket (as opposed to genuine leather).
It will be interesting to live in a time where fashion experts render genuine leather outdated and ‘so last season as they say. And vegan leather is our only saving grace if that is to happen. So if you are to flaunt a fashion-forward accessory or bag in front of your friends, at least, you’ll know you’re saving the environment while you’re at it.
Out of all of this summer’s trends, there’s only one that will literally make you feel cool; that, my friends, is the often underrated portable fan. Sure, it’s not what initially comes to mind when you think about summer accessories, but with abnormally scorching temperatures around the globe, portable air conditioners deserve a spotlight on the sartorial stage.
On a sunny day in Paris, Naomi Campbell proved the utility and elegance of a sleek battery-powered design while sitting front row at the most recent Louis Vuitton show. Although most eyes were on Kendrick Lamar, who was performing right next to the supermodel, my gaze was fixated on her ability to stay immaculately put together—even in the sweltering heat. Of course, she has a glam squad who deserves credit, but we also have to acknowledge the small yet mighty fan kept in hand.
If you don’t mind doing the work, a foldable portable fan works just as great, and there are so many elevated luxury designs, from Loewe’s Iraca palm creation to Gucci’s toile de Jouy design. A day before the Louis Vuitton runway show Campbell attended, Eva Longoria was spotted in Marbella, staying cool with a red polka-dot option and a Norma Kamali shirtdress.
Independent Swedish designer Ann-Sofie Back has applied her disruptive approach to fashion to interior design, with a new collection of unusual objects for the home.
Preserving the status quo has never held any charm for Back, who, in the course of her fashion career, constantly explored what she called “alien to me” themes like pornography, car culture, and God in work that was otherwise grounded in feminism and personal experience. A graduate of Beckmans College of Design and Central Saint Martins who launched her label in 2001, she traveled a path forged by female-led 1990s labels like Bless and Susan Cianciolo. Her deconstructions of the status quo were intimate and often humorous. (See: her “ass hoodie” pants and three-lens sunglasses.) “I don’t think you take yourself completely seriously if you like my brand,” Back told me in 2016; though it must be noted that she is indeed meticulous when it comes to patternmaking and construction.
Gala lampshade.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
Gala pillow.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
Gala lampshade.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
In addition to designing, Back also worked as a stylist (often teaming up with photographer Anders Edström), and acted as the creative director of Cheap Monday for almost a decade. After closing her business in 2018, Back freelanced with the Swedish electronics company Teenage Engineering, where she met the marketing maestro Mattias Dymling, who is her collaborator on this project. “He approached me and asked, ‘How would you feel about making interior design?” Back says. “I never thought about it really [and] I was a bit lost; my dad died at the same time as I left Teenage Engineering, and everything was upside down.”
Trophy chair cover.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
Trophy rug.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
Soon after Gnilmyd Kcab was formed (the unpronounceable name combines the founders’ surnames spelled backwards), Back was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment. But she seems to be starting a new chapter this year. “It’s less personal for me when I do interior design than when I did fashion, because with fashion, it was so tied into my own insecurities about femininity, and my body, and looks, and perfection,” she says. “When I do interior design, that’s not a problem anymore. What’s different is that I’m naive about interior design; I don’t know the history and I don’t know who the designers are, so I can be freer. It reminds me of starting out in fashion, when you feel like everything is possible and you don’t really know the boundaries.”
Wig lampshade.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
Surreal fashions in Vogue. Dresses by Chanel and Schiaparelli.
Artwork by Benito, Vogue, July 15, 1938
Wig lampshade.
Photo: Alva Le Febvre / Courtesy of GNILMYD KCAB
The off-ness that defined certain aspects of Back’s work in fashion has crossed over into the surreal with her pieces for the home. The debut Gnilmyd Kcab line features wig lampshades in emerald and lilac with an “Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction” vibe; a draped shade and pillow, called Gala, and faux fur “coats”—i.e. rugs—for floors and chairs. “I think of [the rugs] as a little bit sexual, like you meet someone and then you throw your fur on the floor and then you basically have sex in front of the fire… That was sort of the idea behind it.” Color us intrigued.
Amazon Prime Day winds down today, and there’s still time to save on everything from Apple products to beauty and skincare. But there’s one department that stylish deal hunters won’t want to neglect: the best fashion deals on Amazon.
In-the-know shoppers are well aware of the e-commerce retailer’s Luxury Stores and Shopbop boutique — so don’t be surprised to find luxe designers and cult-favorite fashion labels including Oscar de la Renta, Aquazzura, Loeffler Randall, Frame, Norma Kamali, Staud, Re/Done and many others mixed in with finds from Levi’s, Lacoste, Dockers and many other contemporary clothing brands. Let’s not forget that Amazon offers its own impressive roster of in-house fashion lines, including Amazon Essentials, The Drop, Goodthreads and others. Prime members can also score 10 percent off select full-priced designer pieces from Amazon’s Luxury Stores with the code LUXEPRIME22.
Here, we’ve rounded up the best fashion deals to shop during Amazon Prime Day on womenswear, menswear, kids clothing, footwear, jewelry and accessories. Our list is organized by department, so you’ll find curated picks for women, men, kids, shoes, accessories and activewear, as well as our top womenswear and menswear finds at the end. (Keep scrolling to the end if you don’t immediately find what you’re looking for.)
Looking for more Amazon Prime Day coverage? Click here for the best deals on beauty, smart TVs, computers, headphones, gifts for TV lovers and more.
The Best Amazon Prime Day Fashion Deals at a Glance
THE BEST PRIME DAY DEALS ON DESIGNER CLOTHING
THE BEST PRIME DAY DEALS ON AMAZON CLOTHING BRANDS
Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Network of Enterprising Women held a fashion show to benefit Empowerhouse at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in June. The event was a huge success with more than 100 attendees and 22 models.
Clothing and accessories from local Fredericksburg stores and boutiques along with donated raffle prizes helped to raise more than $2,500 for Empowerhouse. Raffle prizes included three hand-stitched leather bags donated by the Whelan Collection. Participating stores included Rappahannock Goodwill, Versona, Monkee’s, Heather, River Rock Outfitter, Adrian Soriano, Ava Laurenne, Lady Legacy, Macy’s, Jos. A. Bank, Fredericksburg Country Club and LoK Fashion Institute.
