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 The Delight is in The DetailThere's little doubt that in life it's thesmall things that matter. Perhaps that's because the bigger picture is never simply big, but more of a jigsaw. So it's in the details that we decide whether something, or even someone, should be part of our own broader canvas.It's the same in fashion: details count. So this season, as clothing trends have heralded a return to all things luxurious, from embellishing to luscious fabrics, we are once again seeing the rise to prominence of that most humble of details, the button. "I think designers are looking (as always) at ways to entice us to buy more of what we already have," says Natalie Massenet, founder of the on- line store Net-a-Porter.com. "And in our 'anything goes' mood, a time when individual style is championed, where hemlines are anyone's call, I suppose they look to the details. Do you really need another cardigan? But one with diamanté buttons becomes irresistible, and it lets people know, 'Hey, I might be wearing another cardigan, but it's this season's cardigan'." More than that, a designer's button choice can lift an outfit, change a mood, and give a clever twist to the traditional. So when Dolce and Gabbana placed diamanté buttons on tweed coats for their D&G diffusion range, they banished any Miss Marple connotations with every disc they added. Equally, when more news.ft... (134) added by Levent OZLER |
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 Mike Wendland: Design a Laptop Bag for the Commuter You LoveRemember when we carried briefcase bags?Then we toted our new laptops around in computer bags. Now, to be truly stylish as you carry that laptop and the assorted digital gadgetry that accompanies it, you need to get yourself a bicycle messenger bag -- even if you commute in an SUV instead of on a Schwinn. The single-strap, big-flapped, brightly colored bags are hot items these days among students who use them in place of the old two-strapped, backpack-style knapsacks and business types who've dumped the stiff-handled leather attaché cases that used to be corporate chic. The bags were first developed for couriers who plied the busy streets of London, New York and other metropolises delivering letters, contracts, architectural documents, small packages and legal papers. The first models were made of thick canvas and vinyl coated to keep out the rain. They were basically big, flap-covered pouches that looked like modernized versions of the bags once used by newspaper delivery boys. The bags were meant to be worn across the back with a wide strap that sat atop one shoulder and under the opposite armpit, leaving the hands free to steer the bike. Today's models are more typically made of nylon, are waterproof, contain numerous pockets, flaps and adjustable straps, and come in bright colors, like rooster red or M more www.fre... (591) added by Levent OZLER |
 New Design School Aims to Teach Real World Ways to Apply StyleMichelle Mooy once wanted to work as a stylist on a television show, but her classes at a Henderson interior and fashion design school have changed her plans.Now, Mooy, 31, dreams about having her own clothing line after she graduates from the Las Vegas Valley's only higher-education institution focusing exclusively on interior and fashion design. The International Academy of Design and Technology, which celebrated its grand opening at its Henderson campus Friday, opened its doors to students in April and already has 300 students enrolled in its design classes. The school is expecting to increase enrollment to 1,500 students over the next few years. "I could start working for someone big or someone smaller," Mooy said Friday. "We all have to do internships for one quarter of our third year. So that will help me decide." In the meantime Mooy is joining classmates to help produce and promote a new clothing line by Christa Hilda, a contestant from CBS' "Survivor." Mooy will be her event-planning manager at an upcoming Las Vegas fashion show. Mooy said a class assignment researching the financials of two similar companies helped her understand merchandising. "I looked at Warner Brothers and Disney. Both offer similar products but Disney is leading the way," Mooy said. "I learned a lot about character merchandis more www.rev... (120) added by Levent OZLER |
 Shirlette Thompson: From Trash to TreasureShirlette Thompson's fashion idea popped her in the head like a rubber band.She was doing her sister's hair one day and noticed the mound of rubber bands surrounding her feet. She envisioned an evening dress made of rubber bands. Simple, but yet so elastic. Nga Dinh had a vision, too. It was a wedding dress made of white plastic bags tied meticulously together in rose pattern. The layers of the dress draped along the floor and crunched nicely the way fresh plastic does. The women, both fashion design students at Houston Community College, let their creativity run wild for the school's recent annual Flash and Trash fashion show. Their ingenuity leads me to believe that we have it all wrong. Instead of searching for the coolest styles in the best fabrics, maybe we should take a nod from fashion students like those at Houston Community College. Their annual Flash and Trash fashion event shows us that a lot of creativity and trash can go a long way to creating fashion. The students use almost anything -- from leaves to macaroni to Sweet 'N Low packets -- to create their designs. Of course, this trash-as-treasure concept isn't new. We've had a variety of trendy recycled fashions in recent years: seat-belt purses, bottlecap belts, fleece jackets made of recycled plastic pop bottles, and, of course, clo more www.chr... (327) added by Levent OZLER |
 Stylewatch: Constructing The Perfect TieIf shoes are the cherry on top for a woman, what sets a man apart in sophisticated dressing? Neckwear, better known as ties, are to a gray suit what Manolo Blahniks are to the little black dress. Ties are the candy of men's fashion.Stylewatch caught up with one of the hottest menswear designers recently to chat about his signature collection of neckwear. Daniel de Fasson, a Cuban-born architect turned designer, takes ties to the must/lust, gotta-have-it category. We especially love the silk — pure momie for those fashion-savvy men — ties that are crafted in brilliant colors. This is the kind of stuff you want to hang on your wall, not just on your neck. One of de Fasson's signature touches to neckwear includes making each tie 2 inches longer and wider to provide what he calls a more elongated, sensual appearance. We love to pick a man's brain about fashion, and gave de Fasson a little Q-and-A. Q: How did an architect turn to fashion design? A: A love of fashion. It just absolutely turns me on. The concept utilizing architecture in fashion design is a natural for me. It doesn't matter if I speak in terms of brick or silk. Starting off with a blank piece of paper and finding a solution that makes people happy. Building something with beauty and function. As far as I'm concerned, I practice architecture every da more www.ten... (189) added by Levent OZLER |
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