Local fashion designer marks one year anniversary with international fashion show

Had you told Danielle Salinas a year ago she’d be presenting her fashion line Maison de Papillon in Paris as part of the oldest, most prestigious lingerie fashion show in the world, she probably would not have believed you.
The 36-year-old McAllen resident celebrated the one year anniversary of her company on Nov. 26. The product of her hard work has resulted to her design line being featured in Salon International de la Lingerie in Paris, France, Jan. 26 through Jan. 28.
“This is our first international show,” Salinas said. “This is the oldest marketplace for lingerie in the world. This is when the major buyers of the world and celebrities come out and see the new trends. It’s kind of like a market show.”
A native of Weslaco, Salinas first launched Maison de Papillon a year ago after deciding to design a comfortable and versatile line of sleepwear and sleeping eye masks she calls “sleep shades.”

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“A few years back I had an epiphany of starting a sleepwear company. I wanted to design sleep shades and incredible pajamas because I was just so disappointed in the options,” Salinas said. “I literally woke up one morning and told my husband ‘I’m designing sleep shades because we need sleep shades and nobody has good sleep shades.’ He was like, ‘Ok, you do that.’”
After working on design prototypes and conducting research, Salinas was determined to set her dream into motion by attending Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.
“I told my husband I wanted to apply to Parsons and I’m going to have to move to New York to go to school,” she said. “I just decided this is what I wanted to do. My husband supported it.”
Two years later, Salinas completed her fashion program at Parsons. She had started working on her Maison de Papillon line while still enrolled in classes.
“We have had some incredible success in one year. We’ve been featured in Vogue, OK Magazine … it’s been incredible.” Salinas said.
What makes Maison de Papillon so unique is the versatility and concepts of the garments, Salinas said.
“The concept of the garment is like a hybrid garment. We work predominantly with silk, so we design a lot of silk blouses and silk drawstring pants, but the whole idea is that it’s very transitional,” she said. “You can wear it to travel and you can wear it, obviously, to sleep but you can also throw on a pencil skirt and wear it out to the office. So that’s what our buyers have been really excited about.”
The concept of the line has spurred attention from major markets such as Sea Island beach resorts, Baha Mar hotels in the Bahamas, the Beverly Wilshire, Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills and even Trump International Hotels.
“I actually got emails from Trump International Hotel which basically said they are using Maison de Papillon as a platform to legitimize their luxury spa,” Salinas said. “I mean, when you get an email like that from Trump Hotel — as a designer that’s only been in business for one year — that is pretty amazing.”
Maison de Papillon spearheaded when New York Fashion Week included the brand in their “Top 10 designers to watch out for” list. They were handpicked out of 480 designers from all around the world.
“We are so excited and it’s been a lot of hard work,” Salinas said. “And I’m a little girl from Texas, you know, not only Texas but from McAllen. Now we have big names like Harris, Harvey Nichols of London, Neiman Marcus, SAKS, Barneys — people just reaching out and basically saying ‘Look, this line Maison de Papillon is one you don’t want to miss.’”
With the growing success of the line, Salinas took on a partner this year, Shriya Bisht, whom she met while attending design school.
“We met at Parsons our first semester and became really good friends,” Salinas said. “We had similar visions in what we wanted to do and a very similar aesthetic, so it was just a perfect partnership.”
Now co-owner of the company, Salinas has been able to embark on a new project under the Maison de Papillon umbrella — a recently launched brand of teas.
“We just got featured in Vogue for our teas, which are sold exclusively on our website,” Salinas said. “It’s basically our version of a beautiful chamomile tea with peppermint. We are in collaboration with a tea salon and this tea is just incredible. So that is one of our big projects right now and we just launched it for holiday ’14.”
The tea, called Le Reve Chamomile Thé, is meant to go hand-in-hand with the overall message of the design line: comfort. La Reve is a soothing blend of chamomile, peppermint, rose and marigold petals, peppercorns and licorice.
“When I was a little girl, my parents gave me manzanilla (chamomile) tea whenever I had a cold,” Salians said. “For me, chamomile is such a huge part of my heritage. This particular blend for me really took me back home.”
Constantly traveling between New York and McAllen, Salinas attributes much of her ambition to her family, especially her 17-year-old son.
“… When you’re a parent, you just can’t fail. You have to prove to them that anything is possible through hard work.” Salinas said.
Salinas lives predominately in New York City to be close to her business but has never lost touch with her heritage and culture.
“It all started here with my roots. I’m really proud of where I’m from, I’m really proud of my heritage and I’m so proud of South Texas,” she said. “I think we have some of the best culture here and I’ve been all around the world. There’s still nothing like coming home.”
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Stop the madness and eat better in 2015

It's been a year since I started my journey of writing about making my life better. I've received many emails and letters from readers with words of encouragement and follow-up questions regarding some of the people, places and products I've written about.
This past year, I have changed almost everything I could think of to be the best possible version of myself. I have a way to go, but I get up every day determined to learn as much as I can, to help as many people as I can, and to be kind and gentle to myself and others.
In short order, I sold my house and moved back to my childhood neighborhood of East Hill, renovated a bungalow, started taking yoga lessons, read more, went to see my therapist once a week and ate healthier.

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Aspiring to become a minimalist, I stopped watching television, though I listened to more music. I purchased a more practical car, spent more time with my friends and family and decided to enjoy every minute that I could of this beautiful world.
I've been so very happy about it.
In 2015, I am going to start with being as healthy as I can possibly be. I love to be active, but I've spent too much of my life worrying about being skinny when I should have just enjoyed being able to be healthy and fit.
I have literally tried every diet that there is, was or could have been. I became obsessed with how my body looked instead of how healthy I was.
I have also found out that I'm not alone. Most women that I run into are unhappy with their size or shape — what a shame that is.
In fact, it needs to stop because it's stupid. Here's how stupid it actually is:
According to a recent study, over one half of the females between the ages of 18-25 would prefer to be run over by a truck than be fat, and two-thirds surveyed would rather be mean or stupid, according to G. Gaesser's "Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health."
Dieting is the most common behavior that will lead to an eating disorder, says Natalia Zunino, Ph.D., of American Anorexia and Bulimia Association, Inc.
One in five women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating, according to the National Institute of Mental Health's guide, "Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions."
Eating disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide, according to The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, ("Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources," published September 2002, revised October 2003, www.renfrew.org).
All but being hit by a truck, being mean or stupid resonates with me and a lot of my friends.
Over the past few years, I've been starving myself. I convinced myself that I was only hungry once a day and my body worked best this way. So, I'd have coffee, water, nothing all day — go home, eat dinner (whatever I wanted), and then pass out from a food coma, wake up, and start the cycle all over again. I got thin, all right, but it was never thin enough. I was hungry and mean. I was also very boring and zero fun to be around. Nothing is more dreadful than going to lunch with a girl who won't eat and is clearly hungry.
So this year is my year to just stop the madness and eat a delicious, sensible, locally sourced diet. I'm going to do my best to limit my sugar, corn and wheat intake because I really do think it's bad for our bodies to eat these. I'm also going to keep myself moving. I love to run, I love to do yoga and almost any sport. Living in East Hill, I've had a really awesome time riding my bike downtown for special events, to the Farmers Markets and going out to dinner.
Karen Shell, my therapist, says that I'm on track — she thinks all women are phenomenal goddesses.
In fact, the assignment she gave me when I told her that I was going to write about this was to go home and read the Maya Angelou poem, "Phenomenal Woman."
Until next time, y'all, relax and be phenomenal.

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Fashion Trends May Soon Be Predicted By Data, Technology

By analyzing relevant words and phrases from fashion reviews, researchers from Penn State University were able to identify a network of influence among major designers and track how those style trends moved through the industry.
"Data analytics, which is the idea that large amounts of data are becoming more available for finding patterns, establishing correlations and identifying emerging trends, is very hot these days and it is being applied to many industries and fields -- from health care to politics -- but what we wanted to see is if data analytics could be used in the fashion industry," Heng Xu, associate professor of information sciences and technology, said in a statement. "We were drawn to the question of whether or not we could really trace a hidden network of influence in fashion design."
For the study, researchers analyzed 6,629 runway reviews of 816 designers from Style, formerly the online site for Vogue, one of the most influential fashion magazines. The reviews covered 30 fashion seasons from 2000 to 2014.

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Xu said her team extracted keywords and phrases from these reviews that described silhouettes, colors, fabrics and other details from each designer's collections and added them to the dataset. The researchers then created an approach to rank the designers and map influences within the group.
While professionals in many industries are welcoming data analytics, this type of analysis may meet some skepticism from fashion designers, who view their work as a form of art and more difficult to quantify, said Yilu Zhou, associate professor of information systems, Fordham University, who worked with Xu.
"But, what we are finding from the data is that we can find footprints -- there are clues -- that can be traced back to individual designers," said Zhou.
The researchers said the technology could one day help industry professionals to better predict fashion trends and identify up-and-coming designers.
"We all know the big designers now, but could we use this type of technology to find out who will be the next big fashion designer, the next Jason Wu, for example, and what the next big design trend is going to be?" said Zhou.
Xu said that the technology may also help consumers by helping them create wardrobes that are in their budget and are also in style.
The findings were presented on Dec. 18 at the Workshop of Information Technology and Systems in Australia.
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Marques for millennials

THE MOST COVETED ticket at London’s half-yearly fashion weeks is to Burberry’s Prorsum show, where the British trench coat-maker presents its upmarket ready-to-wear clothing. Christopher Bailey, the brand’s chief creative officer and CEO, likes to surprise his audience. At the birds-and-bees-themed unveiling of his women’s wear for spring and summer 2015, held in September in London’s Kensington Gardens, the sartorial novelty was an indigo wasp-waist denim jacket. The digital novelties included a highlights tape on YouTube that let viewers zoom in to focus on various aspects of the show, such as the music. Twitter used the occasion to launch in-tweet purchasing for luxury.
This is a big change from the traditional model of presenting fashion in which designs are conceived at the top, handed down to journalists and buyers at fashion-week set-pieces and pop up in the shops four or five months later. Technology has narrowed the distance between designers and consumers and sparked a conversation. YouTube, Instagram, WeChat and the like have “completely disrupted” the way fashion companies communicate, says Imran Amed, editor of The Business of Fashion, an online journal.

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This is the first of three technology-induced changes that will profoundly affect luxury brands. The second is a shift from selling in physical stores to online. The third, for now only just visible in the distance, is a technology-related change in the way luxury goods are made.
The digital transition is running alongside a demographic one. By 2026 the main consumers of luxury will be millennials (or generation Y), people born in the 1980s and 90s, says Unity Marketing, an American market-research firm. Brands with pedigrees can use technology to win this age group over, as Burberry is trying to do. Newer ones can employ it to break through.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group reckons that millennials “are geared to pleasure rather than to possessions”, making them less inclined to buy things. They are assertive, sceptical of authority and nonconformist, none of which bodes well for traditional luxury brands. On the other hand, photo-sharing social media like Instagram put a premium on appearance, argues Mr Denis of Jimmy Choo, which should be a good thing for companies like his. In the same vein, Eric Briones, a French consultant who has written a book about the millennials’ relationship with luxury, says they consume it “without remorse”.
But not uncritically. Brands must prove that their products are worth the price, not rely on mystique alone. Generation Y-ers tend to be unimpressed by logos but entranced by “codes”, subtler ways of conveying a brand’s identity. The red soles of Christian Louboutin’s shoes and the quilting on Chanel’s 2.55 handbags are the sort of signs that young consumers can make their own, says Mr Briones. Unhappy customers can sound off on websites such as styleforum.net. Some millennials also want luxury goods to be made in ways that damage neither workers nor the environment.
Burberry was among the first to spot millennial potential. In the early 2000s Britain’s ostentatiously vulgar “chavs” (a particular group of loutish lower-class youths) were sporting the brand’s distinctive tartan plaid as their unofficial uniform. It appeared on baseball caps, even dogs. Angela Ahrendts, an American who became the company’s chief executive in 2006 (and has recently left for Apple), made the digital courtship of millennials a centrepiece of her strategy for reviving the brand. Today Burberry is unabashedly digital. Two-thirds of its staff are under 30 and use social media to talk both to each other and to Burberry’s customers.
Burberry sees its website and its shops as complementary. It even struck a deal with Amazon to list beauty products on the online retailer’s site. In the six months to September 30th Burberry booked a year-on-year rise in revenue of 14%, largely thanks to buoyant digital sales. It recently assumed direct control of its cosmetics and fragrances business, hoping to “disrupt beauty through digital”.
Disruption is not something that comes naturally to most established luxury brands, but when they embrace it they sometimes do it well. Creative directors are increasingly targeting millennials. The mission of Louis Vuitton’s newly appointed creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, is to “reboot the monogram”, making it less of a logo and more of a code, says Mr Briones.
Live-streaming of catwalk shows is now common practice, as is giving celebrity bloggers front-row seats alongside editors of the main fashion bibles. Brands feed their “communities” with streams of images on Instagram and Pinterest and Hollywood-quality videos on YouTube. Cartier’s L’Odyssée de Cartier, starring a bejewelled panther, has been seen 17.6m times.
But the conversation between luxury makers and their public can easily take an awkward turn. Stella McCartney, a designer who likes to display her social conscience, got into trouble when her company’s Instagram stream featured a photo of a painfully skinny model. On receiving complaints from fans, her company removed the photo and declared its enthusiasm for people of all colours, shapes and sizes.
Actually selling luxury online is more difficult than talking about it. Even brands that dabble in it doubt that any website can match the experience of shopping in a boutique. “To buy a luxury product you have to touch it,” says Mr Arnault. Many companies offer just a small range of their products for digital sale, and some none at all.
But e-commerce is making inroads. Net-A-Porter, a website that pioneered internet sales of upmarket fashion, has a customer base of 6m women and has persuaded some 650 brands to offer their wares on its platform. For now only about 8% of all luxury sales are online, but they are growing at a rate of 25-30% a year, says Claudia D’Arpizio of Bain’s Milan office. Much of this is at the expense of independent boutiques. If the share of digital sales goes much above 10%, investment in stores “will be rethought”, she says.
Goodbye to Bond Street?
The future is “direct to the consumer through the internet”, says Nathan Morse, who runs the business side of Hannah Martin, a London jeweller. It belongs to a new generation of luxury houses with no hang-ups about e-commerce (and not enough money to open a lot of stores). They may have short histories, but they have stories. Hannah Martin’s androgynous pieces are fashioned by hand in London.
It used to take 30 years to build a global brand, says Uché Okonkwo-Pézard of Luxe Corp. Thanks to the internet, “now you can become global in 18 months.” That has spawned new brands as well as business models. Bargain-hunters can turn to online outlets like The Outnet or flash-sales sites such as vente-privee and mei. People who want to hire can try Bag Borrow or Steal or LuxTNT, a Hong Kong startup. Second-hand luxury is available from stylesequel and InstantLuxe. Such services have been around for a long time, notes Stephanie Phair of The Outnet, but they have been “supercharged because of the internet”.
The final challenge is to decide how far to incorporate technology into the making of luxury, and perhaps into luxury itself. Iris van Herpen, a Dutch fashion designer, uses 3D printing to construct her garments. Ralph Lauren makes a handbag with a light and a smartphone charger. Suppose machines could stitch Birkin bags better than the craftsmen at Hermès or etch watch dials more finely than Vacheron Constantin’sguillocheurs? “The big gap between hand work and technology will become smaller and smaller,” predicts Ms van Herpen. Luxury can embrace innovation; what it must be wary of is obsolescence.
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Women on the verge of song and dance: why Almodóvar’s world is pure theatre

‘“Perhaps it’s the wrong time of day,” says Monica, the tourist office guide who’s taking me on the Pedro Almodóvar tour of Madrid. We’re in the La Latina quarter, looking at a 14th-century square. In the film-maker’s 1988 sex comedy Matador, we see this part of town in early evening: it’s the prelude to a mad seduction, and the scenes are shadowy, sultry and sweaty, full of lust and menace. But it’s not looking anything like that today. Everything is wrong: the light, the chill, the fact it’s deserted. The only other person here is draped over a bench holding a beer can. It’s hard to imagine him menacing anything, except possibly a bin.
Maybe a walking tour first thing on a Monday morning wasn’t the brightest of ideas. For the full Almodóvar experience, I say to Monica, perhaps we should have gone on a pill-fuelled bender through Chueca, the gay district, before leaping off the Viaducto de Segovia naked. She looks alarmed. We compromise on a cafe that features in Live Flesh.

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As a musical version of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown starring Tamsin Greig prepares to open in London’s West End, I’m in Madrid to explore the reality behind Almodóvar’s films: the city is so prominent in them that it sometimes feels like a genuine character. But as Monica and I trawl around the sober-suited, business-hour streets, it occurs to me that Almodóvar’s Madrid is, in fact, a strikingly unreal place, elusive and fragmentary, half-tangible and half-imagined, a chimera of shadows and reflections rather than picture-postcard snapshots.
It is, I am beginning to realise, more like the world of theatre itself, all of which makes a live-action, singing-and-dancing Women on the Verge seem a little less surprising. After all, from the Cocteau-influenced Law of Desire to the Lorca-tinged Dark Habits, his films feel steeped in the stage. He is probably the only film-maker in history who has placed scenes from A Streetcar Named Desire and Lorca’s Blood Wedding in the same movie, namely All About My Mother. Streetcar in particular infiltrates the film – the heroine sees the play at a life-changing moment and becomes so obsessed that she takes a job as assistant to the woman playing Blanche, even going on stage as Stella at the last minute.
Then there’s Talk to Her, the 2002 film in which a male nurse becomes fascinated with a woman he can see dancing from his apartment window. The great German choreographer Pina Bausch doesn’t just make a cameo – the whole film is infused with the spirit of her Tanztheater, leaping from one visual extravaganza to the next. We think of Almodóvar as a cinéaste, fond of filming love letters to Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk, but perhaps he’s actually more like a theatre-maker who happens to work in the movies.
Women on the Verge is not the first attempt to put Almodóvar on stage. In 2007, Diana Rigg and Mark Gatiss appeared in All About My Mother at the Old Vic in London. But it’s Verge, says director Bartlett Sher, that poses unique challenges. With the help of lyricist David Yazbek and composer Jeffrey Lane, Sher has performed major surgery on the musical since 2010, when it opened on Broadway and was called “a sad casualty of its own wandering mind” by the New York Times. “In Women on the Verge,” says Sher, “reality gets torn apart. It’s just so crazy, nothing is as you think it is. Everything is down the rabbithole.”
In fact, you could almost say Almodóvar’s picaresque tale of Pepa – who is spurned by her lover, chased through Madrid by his gun-toting wife, then drawn into an Islamist terrorist cell – is a fast-paced farce yelling to be put on stage. Theatre is more indulgent of disbelief than cinema: it’s easy to see how Almodóvar’s fondness for dream sequences and surreal plot leaps might translate. Music, too, is such a part of his universe that the most implausible ingredient of any musical – that someone might burst into song while waiting for a bus – hardly feels crazier than anything else, including the bit in Verge where two cops are drugged with gazpacho spiked with sedatives. “There’s a heightened sense of conflict and drama,” says Bartlett. “It’s the kind of material that sings.”
In Madrid, I have another appointment, with Agustín Almodóvar. Not only is he Pedro’s younger brother, he has also produced every one of his films since 1987’s Law of Desire, in addition to making fleeting cameos. A jowlier and more earnest version of his sibling, with a bald crown instead of the wild grey quiff, he sits with me in their airy production studio, explaining that theatre goes to the root of their work – right from their earliest days in the city.
Unable to enroll at Spain’s national film school because of the Franco dictatorship, Pedro fell in with an avant-garde drama troupe called Los Goliardos (a medieval word meaning, roughly, “vagabonds”), performing outrageous versions of Lorca and Sartre to a bohemian audience. “They were doing The House of Bernarda Alba,” says Agustín with a grin, “and the police came and shut it down because they thought it was subversive. We used that in our advertising for next time.”
While with Los Goliardos, Pedro met an actor who would change everything:Carmen Maura. She encouraged him to stop fiddling around making bawdy super-8 films and do features instead. Maura ended up starring in his first – 1980’s gleefully camp Pepi, Luci, Bom – and went on to play numerous redoubtable heroines, from the transsexual Tina in Law of Desire to Irene in Volver. Maura is not the only actor Almodóvar has collaborated with repeatedly: Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas have become familiar faces, alongside a reliable character cast. “It’s almost like he has a repertory company,” says Agustín. “Pedro calls it his family and he means it. You create blood ties with people you work with.”
If Almodovár seems reluctant to be trapped by the conventions of cinema, this may have something to do with the Movida Madrileña. A carnivalesque movement that burst on to the Madrid scene after Franco’s death in 1975, it comprised writers, musicians, designers, photographers, actors and artists, all joyously tearing down the restrictions imposed by Spain’s authoritarian government. Performance blended into porn, comic-books appeared and influenced fashion, while drugs and partygoing became practically compulsory.
“It was the big bang, when everything bubbled over,” says Agustín.” He seems the sensible type. Was Agustín out partying with the best? He smiles shyly. “I was lucky enough to be a witness. Pedro protected me, he was my older brother. Now, in a way, the roles are reversed.”
In the topsy-turvy, constantly evolving world of Almodóvar, it’s hard to pick out consistent themes, but one might be the nature of identity: how we project ourselves to the world, who we appear to be versus who we really are. Even films that stray nowhere near a theatre – Bad Education, The Skin I Live In – pose questions about illusion and artifice, about gender roles, about roles of all kinds.
Talk to Her was born out of Pedro’s friendship with Bausch, whose fascination with the relationship between the sexes nourished all her work. The brothers visited Wuppertal, her company’s home, and shot fragments of two Bausch works, Café Müller and Masurca Fogo, for the film’s opening and closing sequences. Café Müller’s ambiguous, disturbing images of entrapment and control – female dancers drifting distractedly through a thicket of chairs manoeuvred by men – mirror the movie’s own, says Agustín. “Pedro saw Pina as an artist who was totally original. There were no words in those scenes. Inner emotions were dramatised through movement.”
Given his enduring fascination with the stage and stagecraft, has his brother ever been tempted to return to theatre? “There have been times,” says Agustín, “but at the last minute he’s always gone back to film. He likes the control.”
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Breaking new grounds in fashion

Fashion designers are known for their unmatched sophistication and good taste. In the recent years, more and more Arab women are emerging as fashion designers and they simply do not exist in the field, they excel in it and make their presence felt like no other. Saudi designer Haifa Fahad is a young designer who has carved out a niche for herself in the fashion world. Arab News met with Fahad and found out more about her dreams and designs.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a young Saudi girl who lives in Riyadh. I studied interior design engineering, and then joined the Arts and Skills Institute where I studied fashion.
How did you start off as a designer?
At first I was designing for myself. My clothes got the attention of my friends and relatives, who started inquiring about them. At that point, I thought of designing more clothes and selling them at affordable prices. I initially designed for my relatives and then for my friends and colleagues. Through social media, the number of customers and orders I get has increased many folds.

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Who are the people who encouraged you to design?
The person who encouraged me most is my mother. She is the source of my inspiration. I have always gotten new ideas from my mother because she loves fashion and is well-informed on the latest fashion trends.
How would you describe your designs?
My designs are simple and they reflect a bit of my personality. I present something of myself. So any woman or girl who wears my design wears a piece of Haifa Fahad’s imprint.
How many collections have you released so far? What is the price range?
I have released two collections. The first collection comprises dresses designed for night parties and the prices start from SR 2,000.
The second collection is about exotic winter clothes, where the idea was inspired by exotic creatures. The prices start from SR 1,000.
What kind of a woman wears your clothes?
Everyone can wear my designs, but each person is different from the other, according to the personality and skin type. There are many colors and shades of the same color, and each color suits a certain personality and a certain skin color. I see a woman’s personality and the color of her skin and then I design the dress according to her taste and depending on the character and color of her skin so that the design suits her.
What sets your designs apart from the rest?
The material is an important thing in the design. The material of the fabric and the piece must be good and consistent with the colors so that the final outcome is well-designed, beautiful and appropriate. I focus on everything. I focus on the thread I use, for example, and I always follow up and supervise. I check the measurements and see if the dress is good enough to be displayed and sold.
Many people believe that the fashion designing world requires a considerable effort that is difficult to achieve. What tips would you like to give to our readers?
First of all, there is no such thing as difficult. I always remove words such as ‘difficult’, ‘I cannot’, and ‘impossible’ from my mind. True, some people say that the designing world is beautiful and wonderful, but there are also those who oppose and criticize the designs. A person can both succeed and fail. It is not shameful to fail. However, the real shame would be failing and not fixing the mistakes. By learning from our mistakes, through will and persistent effort, we can accomplish everything no matter how difficult things are. An individual must be prepared to face risks and challenges in all aspects of life, not just in the field of design.
Finally, how do you visualize your look on your wedding day.
My look would be unforgettable. I will design my wedding dress, which will be white in color, and not off-white. It will be simple, and not fluffy/ puffy, and that is what would distinguish my wedding dress from the rest.
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Talking clutch performance with Brett Heyman

Clutches, in all of their sequined fabulousness, have torn their fair share of shawls and snagged many an evening gown over the decades.
Enter the pearlescent, vintage-inspired Edie Parker line. Instead of sparkly decor that's appliquéd, these beauties have their shine inlaid into the acrylic cases.
But it's the edgy sayings in Edie Parker-stylized script - dope, wild, free, and my favorite '80s exclamation, word - that take the accessories beyond Judith Leiber-apropos to millennium glamour.
"I'm just a cheeky person," said the brand's CEO and creative director, Brett Heyman, who lives with her husband and two children in New York.
Despite hefty price tags - $800 to $2,000 - Heyman insists pretty-hued handbags aren't just for galas. These clutches are for ladies who don't mind carrying the same purse to work they might tote to brunch or the symphony.

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Heyman was one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America Award given out earlier this month, and her Edie Parker bags have a high-profile following.
Kate Hudson was the first A-lister spotted with one at the 2011 Met Gala. Other stars include Diane Kruger, Katy Perry, Solange Knowles, and Lupita Nyong'o. And Oprah Winfrey is pictured inside the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, holding a shiny, cherry-red custom Edie Parker with Oprah written in gold.
Heyman, 34, met with shoppers at Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd this month. Then, before she was whisked off to the Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia Mall, we talked.
Question: What is your fashion background?
Answer: I worked in public relations for both Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. But I always wanted to do something creative professionally. After I had my daughter, I decided I'd give it a try. (The Edie Parker handbag line is named after Heyman's daughter, who in turn is named after the first wife of Jack Kerouac.) We launched the brand in 2010.
Q: Why handbags?
A: I loved the glitz and glamour of the 1950s and 1960s bags, but I didn't want anything that would tear a dress. The traditional handbag is bedazzled with rhinestones. I don't like that. That's very limiting. These bags are all handmade in America. The acrylic is poured in New Jersey, and [the bags are] made in Illinois.
Q: Tell me about the first handbag.
A: Coming from a Gucci background, I sampled - a lot. That season there were three core styles: the Edie (oval), the Lara (with contrasting-color ends), and the Jean (square.) The Flavia (rectangular) - another core style - came out the next year. Some of the early color combinations were blue and purple, and navy and nude. I just thought they looked good together.
Q: When it comes to accessories, silver or gold?
A: Gold. It just looks better on my skin.
Q: Tell me about your collaboration with edgy jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher.
A: Jennifer Fisher is a dear friend, and I'm a fan of her work. She uses a lot of words in her pieces, too. It would be an easy idea to collaborate. We took words that meant something to her like epic, mama and taken, and we put them on the bags in a Goth[-style] font. They will be launching for holiday on Net-a-Porter.
Q: You also partnered with the art-inspired fashion label Libertine - the New York-based design duo Cindy Greene and Johnson Hartig?
A: We did a line of bags for Libertine's spring 2015 runway show, and we are working on something for fall 2015 as well. They will be available by special order in the coming months.
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Woo Youngmi Says Focus on Design and Trust Your Team

“Making it perfect, making it better, making it different — that was, and is, the guiding force for the business,” declared Woo Youngmi, long regarded by buyers as an unsung hero in global menswear. In a restrained black jumper, her hair a tousled gamine crop, Woo Youngmi’s appearance reflects the simplicity and precision of her menswear, renowned for its technical rigor. “Madam Woo,” as her employees call her, is engaging and composed even through the barriers of a translator and an intermittent Skype connection to her office in Seoul.
Woo founded Solid Homme, the contemporary menswear label that would evolve to become Solid Corporation and spawn Paris-based second line Wooyoungmi in 1988, in a country that would be almost unrecognizable to present-day visitors to South Korea. “If you think about Korea back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, there was no fashion business at all. There was nothing,” Woo recalled. “Up until 1988 and the Olympics, we were not living in a developed country. Everything was closed, limited: the culture, the clothes, the whole land.” And yet, even in a nation without a fashion industry, Woo grew up with a singular ambition: “In a very simple way, I wanted to create the nicest clothes I could possibly make.”

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Today, Woo’s business generates about $29.4 million in annual revenue and employs over 70 members of staff, split between Paris and Seoul. Her modern take on traditional menswear, distinguished by its clean proportions and nuanced application of technical and artistic details, is sold at 76 points of sale in 21 countries. But the designer is quick to stress that the growth of her company, more than a story of personal entrepreneurship alone, is inextricably linked to the rise of her country.
Born in Seoul, in 1959, to an architect father and a mother who taught both piano and art, Woo and her four siblings were exposed to a wider world from a young age, a result of her father’s extensive travel for work. “He would bring Elle and other magazines home from his travels abroad and I would realise there was another world [beyond Korea]. I was very curious about the world outside. I wanted to try all the things I had seen through the magazines.”
Not only was Woo awarded glimpses into a world beyond the then insular nation she lived in, but her family home was something of an incubator for the designer’s passion for clothes. “The environment I grew up in made me really curious about fashion,” she said. “When I was young, my mother would make clothes and textiles herself, so I began helping her and learning from her when I was ten or so.”
As Woo grew up, her love of fashion crystallized around two drivers. “I was obsessed with a silhouette and with the ideal of a particular man, which I had seen in magazines. I wanted to make clothes which that ideal of a man would wear — that was what drove me as a designer.” The second driver was her early ambition to build a real business. “Although there was no fashion business at the time I naturally thought of fashion as a business, because of those western influences.”
In 1978, Woo’s obsession took her to Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul to study fashion. However, far from being an idyllic period of youthful experimentation, her studies coincided with a period of dramatic upheaval in South Korea. Following the assassination of president Park Chung-Hee in 1979, the country was plunged into instability and descended into further chaos when army general Chun Doo-hwan took control of the government in a coup d’etat. Chun enforced martial law and closed the country’s universities. Then, beginning on 18th May, 686 paratroopers from the army’s special warfare command unit massacred 165 students at Chonnam National University in Kwangju. The killings sparked a movement that ultimately led to South Korea’s first steps towards democracy and economic progress. Woo was not personally affected by the violence, but the changes taking place in her homeland would later prove critical to the success of her business.
Following graduation, in 1983, Woo was selected to represent Korea in Japan’s Osaka Fashion Competition. “When I got into the competition I was working for LG Fashion [now LG Bando fashion] as a womenswear designer, which I didn’t like. After winning Osaka, I thought ok, now I have got enough self-confidence to do the menswear that I wanted to do. That was the starting point; that was the moment that I realised I could actually try and make a business from my designs.”
When she launched Solid Homme in 1988, Woo opened a store, studio and offices in a three-storey building owned by her sister in the up-and-coming area of Apgujung-dong in Seoul. To cover the start-up costs, she submitted a business plan to her father-in-law, who lent her the money. “I can’t remember the exact amount, but it was three months of salary for the three employees, samples and operating costs of the store.” In 1989, Woo’s younger sister Woo Janghee, joined the company, aiding her sister in building her brand’s identity.
Woo was able to pay her rent and her employees by selling just two pieces of clothing a week. But from the get-go, Woo sold a lot more. It took her just one year to repay her debt to her father-in-law.
Indeed, her nascent business benefitted from a period of significant economic growth in South Korea: between 1982 and 1987, the country’s GDP growth averaged about 9.2 percent , rising to 12.5 percent the following year. The Seoul Olympics, held in 1988, represented a turning point for the nation, according to Woo. “When I first started the business, Korea was still felt devastated. But, around the Olympics there was dramatic development in Seoul and everything boomed — really fast. The economy started to dramatically change and the country evolved into a developed country.”
“The menswear customer changed a lot as the economy expanded,” recalled Woo. “The Korean man became braver and more sophisticated very quickly and they were willing to buy more — that really drove the business and expansion. Solid Homme’s success was a product of the financial boom, based both on production and designs and our understanding of the market and the trends of the market.”
In the early 1990s, Woo’s business entered the next stage of its development when the designer was approached by Hyundai, the only department store group in South Korea at the time. “There were no men’s stores whatsoever in that period, so, after I had started my little tiny boutique, in ‘92 or ‘93, they approached me to open a store-in-store. Today, we have 21 stores with the group. Every year we opened one or two stores. There wasn’t a big jump.” In the succeeding years Lotte, Shinsegae and Galleria also picked up Solid Homme.
The additional workload of running an expanding business took its toll on the designer, however. “It was really painful to try and do three or four different jobs at once: design, retail, operations, but managing to do so was the beginning of the business’ success. I had no education for the business, or management, but I just loved fashion and I believed that I could do it.”
In 2002, another international sporting event hosted by South Korea ushered in the next chapter in Woo’s career. “When the World Cup happened, the whole country was talking about globalisation and going out into the world. The Olympics started the business and with the World Cup, I started the international business. I didn’t plan it, I don’t even like sport very much at all, but everything happened with sport.”
That year, Woo launched her second line, Wooyoungmi, at Men’s Fashion Week in Paris. Her decision to found a second line was motivated by her desire to free the scope of her aesthetic. “The man for Solid Homme and the man for Wooyougmi are completely different. Solid Homme is the Korean man, body-wise, taste-wise and style-wise,” she explained. “Wooyoungmi is a more Western, global standard. I wanted to create a designer label where I could put in more of my taste without so many commercial considerations. Wooyoungmi is my unlimited ideal man. There are no limitations.”
Wooyoungmi quickly found traction with the menswear cognoscenti. Today, the label is available in 21 countries, through 43 points of sale, and operates ‘ManMade’ concept stores in both Paris and Seoul. “I didn’t strategically plan the expansion of the business, it is just good design. The retailers, the department stores approached me. I didn’t strategically plan anything. That is what brought people to the show, that is what got the line into stores, people respect it,” she said.
Although menswear remains central to the label’s growth strategy, in recent years, Wooyoungmi has diversified its offering. Today, the label’s flagship stores stock products from tools to barware, stationary to accessories. The brand has also teamed up with Mr Porter on a series of exclusive collections, a move which helped Wooyoungmi to build wider awareness.
Now, the next generation of Woo’s family is getting involved in the business. Earlier this year, Woo’s daughter, Katie Chung, a Central Saint Martins graduate, was announced as co-creative director. Formerly, Chung, who shares her mother’s determined spirit, was art director of the business, responsible for the brand’s advertising campaigns, created in conjunction with artists.
“Katie’s role is important because she is part of a global, international generation. Through Katie the brand is evolving into the next level and becoming truly global in its outlook. I trust my daughter, but being different ages and different generations can be challenging. I am not having a design discussion with the same generation, so we fight each other quite a lot, but, in the end, it is a positive thing and better for the brand.”
Indeed, trust is central to Woo’s approach to business. “It is really important to appoint the right people. I am a designer and realistically I do not have enough time to look after everything, so once I trust a person I have to rely upon them. Sometimes I pretend that I understand everything, but I don’t,” Woo confessed.
“If we align on how we should approach the goals of the business, that’s the most important thing. That way I understand the person is on the same track with me and then I have no choice but to trust them. I can’t check every single detail of the business, if I am to check every detail of the design.”
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Marisol Deluna 25th Anniversary in Fashion Runway Show

New York fashion designer and San Antonio native Marisol Deluna presented a new collection for her Marisol Deluna New York label at a runway show held at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas on November 14, 2014. The show marked the designer's 25th anniversary in fashion and helped launch her latest effort, the Fashion Initiative of the Marisol Deluna Foundation.
Ms. Deluna presented a new collection, which offers her signature lifestyle designs in vibrant colors and prints. Models from across Texas walked the runway including men, women and children along with dogs for adoption from the Animal Defense League of Texas.
The collection was complimented with hats adorned by Deluna's prints, designed in collaboration with her longtime friend and New York milliner Rodney Keenan. After the show Keenan remarked, "Marisol's modern flourish brings new life and a sparkling femininity to the classic forms she works with. Her generosity is as boundless as her talent, and I'm delighted I could be here to cheer her on and this remarkable accomplishment. I look forward to the next 25."

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In attendance, fashion historian Cameron Silver noted "Marisol Deluna'sdistinctive signature prints have solidified her reputation as the 21st century Lilly Pulitzer. She's forged a unique business model with a philanthropic angle that was celebrated by fans during her 25th anniversary fashion spectacular."
The Foundation's Advisory Committee includes Rod Keenan and Cameron Silverin addition to fellow designers John Bartlett, Keanan Duffty and David Hart who share her vision. Ms. Deluna stated, "This show underscores a core principle of our brand that fashion can be harnessed for bigger ideas in the service of others. Mentorship is a privilege."
Former San Antonio Mayor and current United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julian Castro stated, "Marisol Deluna has the support of theCity of San Antonio. A hometown girl giving back to the city she grew up in. Her fashion line and accessories are unique. Her creation of the Marisol Deluna Foundation will provide, an educational opportunity for many local students and young designers in fashion trades."
About the Marisol Deluna Foundation: Marisol Deluna Foundation, Inc. is aTexas nonprofit corporation that supports the education and mentoring of students and young designers in fashion and design arts. The Foundation works in partnership with civic, corporate and government entities to promote educational initiatives and community benefits within the State of Texas.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Marisol Deluna began her career as a New York fashion designer in 1989. She is an active New York Executive Member of Fashion Group International and the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology Couture Council. The Marisol Deluna New York label and Deluna By Design, Inc. place fashion in the service of others alongside their signature lifestyle collections. Ms. Deluna supports the efforts of cultural, philanthropic and non-profit organizations by offering couture fashion designs, funding and educational mentorship. Her items are unique to each organization. She builds awareness, enhances public image and raises funds for various community projects internationally. In addition to couture designs, her label has offered a lifestyle collection since 1997.
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FAMOUS TURKISH FASHION DESIGNER RETURNS HOME

Zeynep Kartal is one of the most famous Turkish fashion designers worldwide. From her studio in the heart of Manchester, where she has been living for nine years, Zeynep Kartal has designed clothes for various celebrities, such as singer Cheryl Cole, and the wives of famous footballers like Coleen Rooney, English striker Wayne Rooney's significant other.
Despite having gained considerable recognition in the U.K. and all over Europe, Zeynep Kartal has not forgotten her Turkish roots, as she returns to her homeland to plan two charity fashion shows - one in the cosmopolitan city and another in her hometown of Konya, both in April 2015. This will mark the first time that she will present a new collection in Turkey.
"I am really excited about my fashion show in Turkey, especially because it will benefit my country and my hometown," she tells The Anadolu Agency. The revenue from the shows will serve as aid for destitute children, Kartal says, adding she also cooperated with Turkey's Ministry of Family and Social Policies for the project. To many, becoming a fashion designer when coming from the city of Konya, which has a reputation for being conservative, would appear to be far from a foregone conclusion.

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But Kartal says people misjudge the city. Konya is a modern city where there is "good potential," she says.
"This is another reason why I am having a fashion show in my hometown: to prove that most people in Konya are quite well educated and bright," she says. Her passion for designing came early. "I have always had a passion for designing beautiful clothes. When I was only 10, I attended a local sewing class with my older sister and my aunts. I received a symbolic award for my skills," she recalls.
With the support of her family, she was determined to become a stylist. "Twenty-five years ago today, people in Turkey did not know what a stylist did exactly. But I was determined and I studied fashion designing to make a career in Turkey," she says. But, for personal reasons, she moved to England nine years ago with her husband and her two sons. In order to improve her English, she attended classes in fashion design. Recognition in the U.K. came quickly... quicker than expected.
"I was very well received across England, with my brand 'Zeynep Kartal' gaining recognition from many celebrities even though it was quite new," says the Turkish designer. For two years in a row, she attended the London Fashion Week where some of the world's leading designing trends are showcased. Through her outfits, Zeynep Kartal wishes to make "women's feelings, ideas, and dreams come true." She has chosen to incorporate traditional Turkish motifs into her designs.
"My whole collection is a combination of silk and embroidery, both of which make women feel special," the Turkish designer said. "Silk is evocative of femininity, and is what helps women meet on a common ground." Her outfits regularly appear in European magazines such as Marie Claire, Vogue, or Hello. Kartal is also known for running fashion shows for charity purposes. Among them, a show organized for a David Beckham charity to help 19-year old Kirsty Howard who suffers from "Situs ambiguous" (the abnormal arrangement of organs and vessels). The fashion designer has never forgotten that she is a Turkish Muslim woman, she says, adding she also stressed it very often to the English-speaking media, who insistently describe her as a "British designer" (She has British nationality).
Turkey has quite a lot of successful designers, both men and women, Kartal says. "Maybe, they are not brave enough, or they have some obstacles which prevent them to be known world-wide. But, Turkey is really good at fashion and designing. There is almost no difference from Europe."
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interview with fashion designer henrik vibskov

danish creative henrik vibskov transcends the conventional titles of ‘fashion designer’ and ‘artist’ — he is the creator of eccentric universes that accompany each of his wearable collections. with projects bearing names like ‘the spaghetti handjob’, ‘the sticky brick fingers’ and ‘the solar donkey experiments’, vibskov’s oeuvre spans a wild and extraordinary range of music, exhibitions and artistic performances, making each runway show completely unique and undoubtedly captivating.
he has produced over 26 mens (and later also women’s) collections since he graduated from central st. martins in 2001, going on to participate in festivals, contests and talks, most recently presenting at the 2014 edition ofdesign indaba.designboom spoke with vibskov about where he draws influence from, processes and materials he most enjoys working with and how he dreams up those highly imaginative collection names.
DB: what originally made you want to study fashion and become a designer?HV: by accident I ended up in wrong school foundation. the course I really wanted to attend was fully booked. I went to CSM (central saint martins) because of a girl (it almost sounds like a pop song by jarvis cocker).

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I have actually been more into the music and have played the drums since the age of 10. I played some pretty dark music, and suddenly realized that the fashion and the music was very close connected towards some special codes in social circles.DB: who/what has been the biggest influence on your work to date?HV: I like when things are multiplied and technical advanced — I also like strange surreal twisted universes where things are a bit upside down.
I am influenced by many different things. it would be sad to nail it down to a few big things — it can really be anything from a movie to a walk. I also like when it has humor touch…like a whale in a swimming pool project.
DB: overall – what would you say is your strongest skill and how have you honed that skill over the years?HV: maybe my calmness? the old magazine ‘the face’ once wrote something like, ‘if henrik was more laid back he would have been asleep’ – fun note, right!?DB: what production techniques and materials have you enjoyed working with the most to realize your work?
HV: changing material is actually the most important for me — through different knit structures to print to woven compositions to….DB: what processes or materials would you like to explore further in the future?
HV: I would like to explore the woven machines more, to learn new techniques etc., etc.vibskov sent models down the runway for ‘the sticky brick fingers’ show alongside a series of choreographed dancers, performing within a shallow pool. a 150-square-meter basin filled with 4,000 liters of water served as the stage for ten dancers from the norwegian national opera and ballet, splashing their way through a sequence created by alexander ekman.
DB: what do you consider to be the most interesting developments in the field of fashion right now and why?
HV: I like that fashion has become wider than ‘just’ clothes and with more overlaps to other creative fields. maybe that is not a new thing, but it is a direction I find interesting. in new collaborations the generosity from fashion is used as a way to extend an expression in other creative worlds such as theater, music, ballet, arts etc. in that space between these different worlds funny things appear, and they are inspiring to me.
DB: does your work reflect your personal fashion taste?
HV: I think it works both ways: my work reflects on my personal fashion taste, and my personal fashion taste reflects on my work. when that is said, I am not sure if my personal fashion taste reflects on what I prefer wearing. I have some few things I use for years until they are worn out and then I try to find something similar.
DB: what do you know now that you wish you knew when you were 21?HV: I am not sure knowing what I know now would be any help to me at 21. of course, I have learned by my mistakes like anyone else, but I think it has also been good for me to make those mistakes. I’ve made a lot…DB: what are you currently fascinated by and how is it feeding into your designs?
HV: these last few weeks I have been very fascinated by horse-racing names. and how smoke can create different shades of transparency. I guess we will see later how and if it will affect design.DB: how do you decide the names of each collection?HV: it comes quite late. during the process of each collection we gather words. and at the end it makes sense to use and combine some of them.DB: what’s the last thing that made you say wow?HV: I am from the country side of jutland, we rarely say ‘wow’.
I guess we are more understated in our vocabulary.design indaba conference 2014dubbed ‘the conference on creativity’, the design indaba conference is all about how design, creativity and innovation can positively impact the world. so much more than a ‘how-to’ conference, this is a forum fueled by inspiration that breeds ideas, ingenuity and innovation. the conference is an opportunity to listen to the world’s foremost creatives, entrepreneurs and trendsetters. it’s the not-to-be-missed creative event in africa.
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HOW RIHANNA'S GO-TO DESIGNER ADAM SELMAN IS MAKING IT IN FASHION

Designer Adam Selman’s breakout moment was the dress seen 'round the world. It was hard to miss the over-230,000 Swarovski crystals hugging every curve of Rihanna’s body for her crowning as a CFDA Fashion Icon this past June. It was certainly a look, and it put Selman on the radar of everyone in fashion in a big way.
The moment came after the 31-year-old Belton, Texas native had been working with the pop star on both on- and off-stage looks for years. The buzz continued to build around him up until his spring 2015 show in New York in September, which included a nod to the now-famous, see-through frock -- and an appearance by Rihanna herself.
“I was going to make Rihanna a pearl option for the CFDA [Awards] as an extra piece,” Selman explained to us in his Garment District design studio recently. “We ended up making it and having it beaded in the same technique, but it just wasn’t right [for the event]. It was obviously all about the Swarovski dress in the end, so I took that and expanded on it. I knew that I wanted a 'wow' piece in the show, but done in my way. So it wasn’t about a gown, it wasn’t full length; I just wanted to make it cute and I knew people were going to want that from me.”

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It, along with the rest of the collection, was definitely what people wanted. Since last season, Selman has brought on The Grocery Store in San Francisco, Net-a-Porter and Intermix as stockists, adding to influential names like Opening Ceremony, Browns of London; K3, Candy and Whim Gazette all in Tokyo and Rare in Seoul. It’s been a bit of a slow build: Selman launched his eponymous line in 2013 after over a decade working in the custom sphere, designing costumes for everyone from Michael Jackson to Britney Spears, The Scissor Sisters, Lady Gaga and, of course, Rihanna.
Now, Selman is choosing when and how to grow his label. With three collections already under his belt and a fourth in the works, we chat with the designer about transitioning from costumes to ready-to-wear, his next collection and why fans and supporters (like Rihanna) keep coming back.
When exactly did the “fashion bug” bite?
So I originally was going to go to school for sculpture, which is why I went to Pratt. My parents were like, ‘You need some sort of business’ so I was like, fine I’ll do fashion. I had done theater and all that nonsense. My mom taught me how to sew at a really young age because I really wanted a vest growing up so it was just like a natural progression. I never really knew about 'fashion' fashion, but it was just a nice transition. I learned more about fashion whenever I got to New York.
Did you end up learning that business that you were supposed to at Pratt?
Not at all really. But I wasn’t really looking for that either. I was like, ‘I’m a creative guy and I don’t need that. I’m an ideas man.’ So all the business end has just come from working on it and just being hands-on and cognizant of what is happening around me. I try to pick up tips as I come to them and as I grow.
What is one major lesson that you took from your time at Pratt?
I think the biggest advice that a professor gave me was that there are so many powerful stylists in the world and styling is such a powerful profession and they do such amazing things with clothes that you always want to make sure to design your clothes like you would want them styled. So if you don’t want it to be worn backwards, make it so it can’t be worn backwards. Just make sure to drive the point home; don’t just say, 'I’ll style it later.' That’s not designing; that’s styling. Just make sure to design it how you want it to be worn.
So you interned as most people do. Who were you working for then?
Well I started at Nicole Miller and then a professor told me that a friend was looking for an intern and that turned out to be Desi Santiago, who was like a performance artist and jewelry designer. We would, like, make bamboo cuffs and sit around and eat fried chicken and make jewelry out of the bones. He introduced me to Zaldy and I interned for Zaldy after that and I worked for him for 10 years.
Those internships obviously influenced your progression.
Definitely! I think like those internships, working, school, living in New York and going out played a part. Going from Nicole Miller, I really wanted to do corporate fashion and athleticwear and things like that. That’s why I went down that road but when I met Desi and Zaldy, that’s when I switched to nightlife and the legendary club scene. It just made me look at fashion in a whole new way and also the possibility in New York that you don’t have to take a particular road; Just because you want to be a fashion designer, it doesn’t mean you have to take the most corporate position. That was my New York dream.
Did you find that going out was a big part of your development?
Yeah, I was definitely never a big party boy but I was always going out. I think it just helped me define my style. You can get away with a lot more after midnight than you can at noon. I would always wear like denim head to toe: skin tight jeans, cowboy boots, denim, denim, denim. Or like denim Daisy Dukes. It really just helped me develop my own voice like ‘this is me, this is who I am and who I want to portray.’ That was always evolving, but that’s what I learned about myself. Plus, you meet fun people and you just end up having a lot of fun.
So at what point did you decide you wanted to go into costume design?
Well I always knew that I wanted to be my own boss and I worked freelance for Zaldy, so I was my own boss in a way. He had a fashion collection for like four years and he stopped doing that and started doing the custom stuff, which I had a huge part to do with. We had like RuPaul, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Rufus Wainright and the Scissor Sisters. I went on tour with the Scissor Sisters for two years and was sort of like their ‘wardrobe boy.’ I really learned what worked on the road and what worked for stage -- that was a huge thing, just learning what worked.
After that, we were working on Britney Spears for Zaldy; and Mel Ottenberg, who was my boyfriend at the time [and still is], got the job [styling] Rihanna and he had never done stage/performance stuff, so he asked could I help. Originally, I was just going to consult and keep working with Zaldy on the Britney tour, but the next thing you know I’m doing half the costumes in a super tiny space with a friend of mine. It was so surreal. It just happened, it was never like ‘I need to branch out, I need to leave.’ It just organically happened.
Why do you think Rihanna has kept working with you all of this time?
I think the Mel connection didn’t hurt. But also, I think it was because we really worked on it together. Even when other people were making custom things, I’d have a voice in that as well to make sure it was the right fabric and the right fit. But I think my motto, especially with Rihanna, is that a lady likes options. So if they asked for a red dress because they were going to shoot a video, or there was one reference that they really liked, I would show up with that red dress and three other red dresses and then I’d throw some wild card in there. I just wanted to keep it going so that she’d be like, ‘oh wow I have to keep him around,’ and she did. I just wanted to show her that I was always pushing and I wanted to show her what I could do. I mean, I really needed that job.
Did you employ that same strategy of creating lots of options when you started doing your own collection?
Definitely! I like playing with pattern and playing with shape, so a lot of things will be the same pattern but I’ll make it in silk and I’ll make it as a sweatshirt. That way I’ll see which one works better and sometimes they both look great or only one looks great. I like to give myself options too to make sure I’m doing the right thing. Sometimes I present that to buyers but sometimes it’s like, that was an epic fail. But that’s fun too, though.
Is it just you making that selection process or is it your whole team?
It’s really my whole team. That’s everyone in the studio like Marley [Glassroth] and Bri [Magnificio] -- I rely on my girls heavily -- but I also get Mel involved and Jen Brill, who helps me with creative and I like to get her opinion on the clothes as well because she’s my kind of girl. But it’s really just getting all of them involved.
So when you’re coming from not getting too much of the business side in school and then doing one-off, custom pieces, what is going into the buying process like?
I really like it because I love feedback. I like to hear what people are saying. I did my sales the first season and I was like ‘OK, I never want to do that again.’ I hired Goods and Services because Joey, who owns it, is a friend of mine. They’ve been great in helping me shape my collection. They’ll give good advice like ‘maybe you want to think about this,’ or ‘don’t go too far down that development road, you should focus on this.’
Each season I’m trying to grow a little bit. So this upcoming season is knits and this past season was this “denim not denim” story. So each season I’m trying to capture a little bit more. With sales and press and buyers, it all plays in.
With that last “denim not denim” collection, is there a reason you decided to finally do a runway show? Even though it still had the feel of a presentation, it was really a small runway show.
I wanted it to be really fun and really intimate and I also wanted the pictures to be great. I wanted to make sure that I had really clear shots of the clothes on the runway and also in the vignettes. The inspiration for the set really came from Laura Mars and just those vignettes from the movie. That’s what I live for in fashion, it’s that moment. So I wanted these groupings of girls, under my name, giving you a moment.
When you’re going to design, how do you shift from designing for one person to designing your line.
I still keep my sensibilities, but if it’s for, like, Amy Sedaris, I know she likes pom poms and [a particular] fit of something, so I’m always thinking about her. That goes for Amy, Beyonce, Lorde; I’m thinking about them as opposed to the idea that I’m trying to get across and the clothes that are going to do well in stores and the overall feeling of the collection and the mood of it all.
So thinking about the future, where are you looking to expand to?
Well I’d love to do men’s! I’d also love to do accessories -- well more accessories -- and bags. I don’t really want to do an ‘It bag’ situation but each season I do a bag. I did a jumbo backpack and then I did a boucle backpack. This time, I did these baby bags and these little raffia bags. I mean everybody needs a bag.
Next time I might do a little evening but for the most part I think evening and gowns are more of an earned thing for a designer. So before I do evening I want to make sure that the clothes are in the stores and are selling well. I’ve already got great celebrity things. I mean, I want that and obviously need it but I’m not focused on getting a celebrity in my clothes, I’m more focused on getting the clothes in the stores and just getting them on girls.
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Meet 13-Year-Old Fashion Designer Isabella Rose Taylor

Isabella Rose Taylor is a high school grad, college student and already an accomplished designer. Did we mention she's also only 13 years old? Seriously. The young fashionista, artist and entrepreneur has accomplished more than many design hopefuls twice her age. We chatted with Isabella about her road to success, designing clothes for other girls her own age and why she thinks it's important for girls to build and create things.
Isabella recently made her New York Fashion Week debut, and her designs are currently sold onNordstrom. The Texas native says she's always been creating art, but she became interested in sewing when she was 8 years old.
"I'd been painting for a while, but that was when I started sewing. So I went to sewing camp and just sort of fell in love with it, because it's like 3D art and it's really an art," said Isabella. "So that's sort of how I got into it and then over the years it slowly grew into a business."

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The coolest part about Isabella's designs are that they are made for teen girls by a teen girl! She creates pieces for girls her own age.
"I think one advantage I have designing for the junior demographic is that all the other designers are older designing for this age group," said Isabella. "So I sort of design for myself in a way and my peers."
However, being one of the youngest fashion designers at her level in the field does come with some challenges.
"There were definitely a lot of challenges. It was a lot of trial and error and learning from my mistakes, but the main problem I had was fabric sourcing, that was a huge one and still is kind of a problem for me now and that's actually why I started designing my own textiles, which was sort of a blessing in disguise, because that makes me unique from other designers. No one else will have the textiles, because they're something I created," said Isabella. "So it's just another way to incorporate my art, which is a nice thing to do."It's no surprise Isabella has already found so much success at a young age, because she is one smart cookie. She graduated high school at age 11 and is currently taking college classes.
"I'm in my second year of college right now. I've always been accelerated academically, so once I graduated high school, college was the next step for me."
Isabella is all about being creative, whether it's with fashion or art.
We had to ask: Why do you think it's important for girls to build and create things?
"I think it's important just because even if you aren't maybe a creative person [or] you aren't interested in the arts, [you can] find that mind-set for what you are interested in whether it's math or science. Just having that sort of [creative] mind-set is just really important," said Isabella. "Entrepreneurship is a great sort of equalizer for girls and you have to be creative to start your own business."
Isabella has already accomplished a lot, and she's only 13. She opened up about her future goals and ultimate dream in fashion.
"[My ultimate goal] for my brand is definitely to be a global brand and expand to accessories that can really complete my look, and also mentoring some girls," said Isabella. "I feel that it's so important to offer any advice I can to other people who are interested in the same industry I am and try to pay it forward, so they can have some of the same opportunities I did."
What advice does she have for other girls who have big dreams they want to accomplish?
"I would say, 'just do.' I know it's sort of a basic thing, but I mean the act of doing is what makes you better. And also asking for help. I would not be where I am if I hadn't asked people," said Isabella. "You'd be surprised at how many people will give you the time, they will give you great advice if you let them."Since Isabella is a fashion guru, we had to get her take on the latest fall trends. Check out our style Q&A with Isabella below.
Cambio: Do you have a favorite piece from your line?
Isabella: My buffalo flannel jacket is one of my favorites if I had to pick one, but I like all of the pieces in my collection!
Cambio: What's your favorite fall trend?
Isabella: I love fall because of layering. Monochromatic pattern mixing is also one of my favorite things this season, but layering is sort of always relevant, not just in the fall.
Cambio: What's your must have accessory?
Isabella: I really like chokers. That's probably what I wear the most.
Cambio: What's your best piece of style advice for girls?
Isabella: I would say: simple and accessorize. Accessories jazz up any simple outfit.
Cambio: Who do you look up to?
Isablla: I love Nasty Gal. I think that she [Sophia Amoruso] really did an amazing job of growing her business and in a relatively short amount of time, so I really look up to her. Donna Karen, as well, for the business side of things.
Cambio: Where are your favorite places to shop?
Isabella: I really like Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom.
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Can Women in Power Still Be Stylish?

Of all the candidates running in next Tuesday’s American midterm elections, only one, it seems to me, really hasHalloween potential — which is to say, only one has succeeded in identifying herself closely enough with a specific sartorial semiology that a Pavlovian association is created in a viewer’s mind. See the garment, think the person.
I am speaking, of course, of Wendy Davis, the Texas state senator and beleaguered gubernatorial candidate, as well as famed Mizuno sneaker wearer. A blond wig, a bright suit andthose sneakers doth a costume create. Who needs masks when you have fashion?
Clothes have the power to define a person and a position, and though they are often seen as handicapping women in positions of authority, acting as a distraction from their achievements and substance, they can also be a strategic communication tool. One that is, ironically, more accessible to women than to men, who are stuck in a never-ending generic suit loop, forced to rely on the distinguishing characteristics of hair and tie color.

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If in doubt, simply consider an exhibition that opened Wednesday in London at the Design Museum, entitled “Women Fashion Power.” It has little to do with fashion as trend-driven designer vision, makes no aesthetic judgments and shies away from “power dressing” in the 1980s-Joan Collins-"Working Girl"-big-shouldered sense of the word. Rather, it focuses on image and authority in the public eye.
“It felt like it was the right time to look at the rise of women in contemporary power roles, and how they view and use fashion to facilitate their place in the world,” said the co-curator, Donna Loveday, describing the show as one of the most ambitious the museum has done.
She and her fellow curator, the fashion historian and journalist Colin McDowell, began work on the exhibition 10 months ago. Designed by Zaha Hadid, the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, it is laid out over almost 6,500 square feet in three parts: There is an analytic “corridor of power” that identifies 16 of the most influential dressers in history, starting with Hatshepsut, the Egyptian queen who used elements of male dress to establish authority after her husband’s death; culminating with Hillary Clinton; a 150-year timeline highlighting moments of public sartorial change (the “freedom from constraints” of the turn of the 20th century, the suffragist movement of the 1920s); and, most significant, a gallery of current power players who contributed a Q. and A. and favorite garments that reflect their words.
And since, as Ms. Loveday pointed out, “I don’t think there has really been an exhibit in a museum on the subject before,” it makes me wonder if this marks a turning point in our own relationship with fashion.
Just consider the fact that the show includes 25 high-profile women happy to go public with their thoughts on clothing. This includes the usual suspects: fashion professionals like Natalie Massenet, executive chairwoman of Net-a-Porter; the designer Vivienne Westwood; and the model Naomi Campbell. But it also includes Wei Sun Christianson, co-chief executive of Morgan Stanley Asia Pacific; Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris (who also opened the exhibition); Alfiya Kuanysheva, chief executive of the Kazakhstan finance group BATT; and Kirsty Wark, the British broadcaster.
That, it seems to me, is an enormous and meaningful change in the conversation about achievement and gender. The idea that women whose power is undeniable and exists in traditionally male sectors like banking and politics might stand up and say, for the record and posterity, that clothes matter and require (and deserve) thought is, in my experience, unprecedented.
Even just three years ago, Michelle Obama, featured in the corridor of power, was denying giving any real consideration to clothing, announcing on “Good Morning America”: “Look, women, wear what you love. That’s all I can say. That’s my motto.”
(It just so happened that she loved wearing dresses from small American brands made by designers with notably diverse backgrounds, hence raising their profile on the international stage — but, hey, guess that was a coincidence.)
Fashion, like money — if not more than money — has been the off-limits topic, the subject whispered about and obsessed over, but rarely acknowledged in any nonpejorative way. It’s the invisible elephant in the room; like disinformation, it’s the tool everyone uses — and has used, as the exhibition makes clear, since Joan of Arc threw on some male armor — but refuses to admit they use.
“For a very long period, as women began entering the workplace and taking up roles traditionally occupied by men, the subject of dress was really put to one side, and treated as a frivolous distraction,” Ms. Loveday said.
Indeed, in a Daily Beast article last year about Ms. Davis and her sneakers, the liberal pundit Sally Kohn wrote that noting what women wear “undercuts the leadership of women and quashes their voice.” It seems to me, however, and this exhibition shows, that the situation is the opposite: What women wear is an embodiment of their voice, and identifying it helps identify their agenda (as it does with men, for that matter).
Granted, there were still women, and some very big names, that chose not to take part in the Q. and A. section of the Design Museum show. Ms. Loveday had Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II on her wish list, and all begged off from participating in the interactive, though they are referenced in the show. But, Ms. Loveday said, the reason she was given for their demurrals was not “I don’t want to be seen talking about that subject,” but rather “time.”
Before you say “Well, isn’t that the same thing and weren’t they just being polite,” consider the fact that a few years ago when I was trying to convene a panel of power women to do some image analysis for a different newspaper, the answer I heard over and over again from chief executives I approached was a straightforward: “Thanks for thinking of me, but I can’t be involved in any overt discussion of fashion. It would undermine my hard-won seriousness.” (I’m paraphrasing, but not that much.)
I’m not saying the time excuse should be taken at face value or is anything but an excuse (though it could be true), but the sheer fact that the women involved bothered to make it, as opposed to taking umbrage at the very idea they might think about clothing is, in my book, a step forward.
Besides, even without the active participation of such pivotal figures, it is meaningful to think that for six months visitors to the Design Museum will be able to read the property developer Morwenna Wilson’s words — “Jackets are very important to me because I am petite and a woman, yet one with responsibility and authority working in a male dominated industry, often with a team of people older than me” — and Ms. Christianson of Morgan Stanley attesting that “I decided that while I was working in a man’s world, I was not going to suppress my femininity in an attempt to blend in.”
“It’s an incredibly positive message,” said Ms. Loveday, referring not just to Ms. Christianson’s words, but her willingness to contribute. I would have to agree.
Even more pointedly, the fact that this is now a public subject of conversation, blessed by a major institution, suggests that perhaps during the coming British elections, which will take place in May but with campaigning beginning in January, image analysis may be discussed in formerly unheard-of ways — and vis-à-vis candidates of any gender. And given that after “Women Fashion Power” closes in London, it may travel to the United States, Asia and Europe, it could potentially play a part in the presidential election here,if Hillary Clinton is a candidate.
And that in turn means that it is possible that this political cycle, instead of the usual disingenuous disavowals and fights about whether or not clothes are a legitimate part of spin and manipulation and the fight for higher office, we might actually be able to have a meaningful conversation about how exactly our candidates are attempting to communicate through cloth, and what exactly the subtext is.
Trick or treat?
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There's Still Something About Mary

IT'S six years this month that Mary Katrantzou - one of London fashion's fastest rising stars - began her label.
"Sometimes it feels like it's an eternity and sometimes it feels like it's just been three seasons," said the designer last night, talking at The Industry's latest networking event.
But time flies when you're having fun, are in demand and being very successful. Though it might surprise you to know that Katrantzou began her business after graduating from the Central Saint Martins Fashion MA with just eight dresses, a jacket and a pair of trousers - the latter developed because she felt that would constitute a "developed range".
The Greek-born designer is the first to tell you that going into fashion all very naively - from the course itself to setting up the business - worked in her favour.

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"I felt that I was doing a lot of catching up and self-exploration [when I was at CSM] with people who'd wanted to be a designer since the age of 14. You go into it a little blind-folded which makes it better as otherwise you have an abstract sense of perfection. Not having any pre-conceived notions helped."
Launching the now lauded label back in the dark days of recession wasn't a concern that had crossed her mind either.
"I was going into it as a student starting a business without huge expectations so you don't project them onto anyone else."
But she's come a long way since then.
"I understand more about myself than when I started. Back then a shift dress with a print had to do all of the work," she recalled. Since then lampshade skirts, pencil prints, bloom-strewn blazers and alphabet abstracts have done that.
"Every step you take you need to re-asses where you're going. You do evolve. I'm not as scared as when I first started - I thought I would run out of ideas."
And if there's one person who's not going to run out of ideas it's Katrantzou - season after season bowling us over with something exciting and innovative above and beyond our expectations.
"As a designer you want to work beyond what is your signature," she noted - joking at the description of her being "fearless" as directly related to exploring other avenues besides print. The past two seasons have leant themselves more instead to exquisite and elaborate embroidery. "She moved away from print - fearless!" she mock-gasped.
One facet that she has found especially interesting during her career is the role of social media - something that she says is so a part of her generation and world that she could not distinguish it as a separate entity to what she does and how.
"I was told by someone 'When I wore your dress I got the most likes I've ever had'," she recalled, noting the phenomenon's role as a great editing tool - the mass of media we digest each day meaning decisions have to be made at a constant pace.
And Katrantzou, currently working on collaborations and expanding the business (she now has a team of 55) aplenty, is going at a constant pace.
"I don't think it's just about sheer talent. It's about hard work, commitment and focus," she said offering up insight to those with fashion ambition. "It's a long marathon."
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Home-grown fashion leaders offer a message with style

"I just saw Kevan at the White House,'' says fashion designer Tracy Reese. "It was like a mini-reunion. At the White House of all places."
Yeah. At the White House of all places!
Two people who got their start in Detroit --Tracy Reese and Kevan Hall -- are now among the nation's top fashion designers. And they were both at the White House, among a select group of fashion designers honored recently by Michelle Obama.
Reese, now of New York City and Hall of L.A., who've each established their own fashion empires, happened to be in the D this week for separate events.
Reese was the featured guest Thursday at FashionSpeak, an annual conference on the fashion business presented by the Detroit Garment Group Guild.

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Hall will be honored Saturday at the Galaxy Ball of the nonprofit Black United Fund at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center.
Both Hall and Reese credit their families and their teachers at Cass Tech High -- notably arts educator Cledie Taylor-- with giving them their start.
Interestingly, before Taylor, both had considered architecture. Neither saw the fashion industry as an option.
"I didn't realize fashion design was a career. I thought it was a hobby," says Reese, who graduated from CT in 1981.
Hall, who graduated from Cass in 1975, said Taylor took him on his first trip to New York City to see the Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
He would go on to earn a degree from FIT and Reese earned a degree from Parsons.
The vibe and style of Detroit molded him, says Hall who grew up near what was then the Avenue of Fashion, a string of popular clothing shops on Livernois on Detroit's west side.
And, of course, there was Motown, a musical dynasty of charm, talent and style.
"They were all incredibly groomed and looked good when they were on or off stage," Hall says. "So Detroit and Motown is central to my eye and design."
Asked to name his favorite Motown artist and song, he said Marvin Gaye, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas "Dancing in the Street."
Reese's favorite song would have to be the Temptations "Ball of Confusion."
"It was the first record I owned. My sister bought it for me," she recalls.
Reese and Hall offer clear messages for students today sitting at the school desks they sat in a few years ago.
"You have to have passion," says Hall who pointed out that he started his business by packing his car with 15 pieces of his clothing and driving to stores to try to get them to buy his line, a line now sold around the world and worn by the likes of Angela Bassett, Celine Dion and Sharon Stone.
"You have to have a gift and an education," Hall says. "And surround yourself with people you can work with and learn from. Keep looking at the big picture. Don't focus on the problems, but focus on the goal."
Reese's message is similar.
"It's really about researching and preparing," Reese says. "You have to be patient. You have to be tentacious. You have to make it happen. Things aren't going to fall into your lap. If you're waiting for an opportunity, you'll continue to wait."
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Famous Fashion Designer Elizabeth Emanuel Seeks £750,000 Through Crowdcube For New Brand

The mastermind behind the famous 1981 Princess Diana wedding dress has made her way to Crowdcube! Elizabeth Emanuel, who has also made gorgeous dresses for other celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins, hit the equity crowdfunding platform on Sunday (October 12th) to raise £750,000 for her new brand, the Art of Being.
The campaign’s website shared the Art of Being is planning to offer a full service atelier of specialized craftsmen and women creating unique garments and accessories under Elizabeth’s guidance. The new brand intends to retain total control over the entire creative process and the manufacturing of all products ensuring the highest quality at all times.

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According to the Telegraph, Emanuel’s dresses will be priced from £20,000, and her off the rack items will start at £1,500. With the funds, she will be employing 10 creatives and will aim to open a shop off Bond Street in London as early as next year. She also projects a turnover of £10M in five years.
It was revealed that Emanuel has made one-off designs for high-profile clients in the recent years, but this is the first time she has a business proposal in place. She stated, “The problem has been putting a team together. There have been various investors along the way, but they’ve always insisted on putting in their own team – people with no fashion credibility.”
She also noted that she chose the crowdfunding method after being inspired by other high-profile projects, including Kevin McCloud’s campaign, which raised £1.9M last year for his sustainable Hab Housing. The famous designer has hired Andrew Marshall, who has 25 years of experience working with brands such as Montblanc and Gucci as her chief executive. She approached Marshall through LinkedIn earlier this year. They are joined on the board by other fashion design experts, including Guy Tritton (Chairman), Matthew Richards and Charles Buchan.
Emanuel has dubbed her collection as “distinctive contemporary glamour” along with an “eclectic mix of romance and allure.”
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