Trends: Roses, Velour, and Feminism

Trends: Roses, Velour, and Feminism

Thursday, March 23, 2017

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Is the shopping bug starting to itch?  Before you touch your credit card, check out some of the best trends straight off the runway and the newsfeed.

designers left to right: vivienne westwood (spring 2017) , gucci (spring 2017), alexander wang (spring 2017 rtw) , adam selman (spring 2017) , maison margiela (a/w 2017)

Roses

The handful of people who actually read this blog might be thinking, "Hey, you mentioned this in your last trend report." Why, yes I did. I'm here to tell you to hop on this if you haven't already. This is also reminder that this print can be worn multiple kinds of ways, no matter your preconceived aesthetic. Take cues from the forever-rebellious Vivienne Westwood and the house's revamped camouflage featuring a Victorian version of the flower. Gucci wants us to sit pretty in pink roses and ultra-feminine billowing sleeves. Alexander Wang sticks to the "rose tattoo" motif, except this kind seems to be acceptable to showcase with your work slacks. Adam Selman's is the definition of Ready To Wear. I need this outfit in my life. Maison Margiela show the most understated rose printed jacket, but pairs it with another popular print: flames. You can choose to downplay the print or to make it the centerpiece. If you don't get a bouquet of roses anytime soon, just wear them instead.

left to right: alberta ferretti (spring 2017), valentino (spring 2017)  alberta ferretti (spring 2016), vetements (spring 2017),  marcelo burlon county of milan (spring 2017)

Velour

The second I noticed Juicy Couture was making a comeback I was ecstatic. Shoutout to my mother for holding onto my velour sets this long. Velour is notorious for said iconic sweatpants and they're coming back in waves through Vetements and Urban Outfitters collaborations. The fabric is not exclusive to streetwear and pants with elastic waists. Velvet was a huge trend recently and odds are if you bought something "velvet" in a fast fashion shop, it was actually velour. The slip-trend is starting its way out, find pieces like fitted dresses, those with tie details, or other bedroom-inspired wear.  I wouldnt count this fabric out, especially since we're taking the "effortless" dressing to a whole new level. 

left to right: dior, public school, prabal gurung, opening ceremony, and chanel fashion show (spring 2015)

Feminist Slogans

In the era of the Trump presidency and post-Brexit, people have become more vocal than ever when it comes to their beliefs and causes they support. From creating shirts for Hillary Clinton to hosting fundraisers for Planned Parenthood, the fashion industry and the individuals within it became its own force. Though some might say this movement is just capitalizing off the movement, I say we're just trading the hearts on our sleeve for mantras across our chest...just don't go around thinking your resistance stops there. If you wanna wear a $600 Dior shirt to show off your feminist pride, live your life. If you really want to benefit a movement, donate to Planned Parenthood or ACLU directly while you're out making moves. Or buy feminist wear from small-businesses and artists who are part of marginalized communities rather than cheap fast fashion corporations. Put your money where your mouth is instead of trying to keep up with Rihanna. That being said, a good graphic tee never goes out of style.

Check out some of my favorite smaller brands below:

Photos from: Vogue Runway, Refinery29, and Twitter

Somerset House

Somerset House

Sunday, February 19, 2017

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A lil belly never killed nobody. 

DIY Coat: Slide on a (faux) fur collar on with some bobby pins + actual pins.

As someone who has loved fashion near since birth, Fashion Week has always fascinated me. To be fair, I'm drawn to anything that creates a spectacle of clothing and self-expression. Since I'm studying abroad in London I decided I would try and see a Fashion Week up close. Unfortunately, the mix of my irrelevancy and my procrastination left me with no way to get into a show or presentation. It ended up becoming a day of exploration: from Topshop Show Space at Tate Modern to Somerset House aka the former home of LFW.

Though there will forever be a hierarchy in the industry, one thing we have equal access to are the new trends. First, mesh had its comeback and now its best friend tulle is making her debut. This fabric is no longer reserved for ballerinas or couture gowns. Tulle is taking form in tops, dresses, and even accent paneling on "revamped vintage" pieces. Layer it over or under tops to give your OOTD a little extra umph. The fabric doesn't discriminate whether your style is more androgynous or boyish, if anything you can customize it. As we get closer to festival season and the harsh consequences of global warming, keep an eye out on tulle dresses over bralettes or paired with high-waisted briefs. 

Another piece making its way back into mainstream consciousness is the camera bag. Shoutout to Pop & Suki for getting this style in the hands of "It"-girls everywhere. Not only is it a great size for those trying to keep their purse essentials to a minimum, but it's perfect for those nights out. 

What I'm Wearing:

Nobody's Child tulle top | H&M jeans | Primark bag | Sam Edelman Boots 

That's it for now. With Fashion Month and the Academy Awards...check back soon.

Menswear feat. Cameron

Menswear feat. Cameron

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

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Let's get the record straight: yes, I know my brother is cooler than me. 

Wake up everyone! It's 2017. Fashion houses are starting to mix their gendered collections and the pieces themselves are becoming more androgynous. What caused this change? Perhaps it's the times we're living in as people are beginning to express and identify with all different parts of the sexual and gender identity spectrums. Or maybe it's strictly financial since many designers can't keep up with the grueling Fashion Week schedules thrust upon them. Maybe it's a mix of the two. So let's talk menswear. 

It's good to keep an eye out on what the boys are wearing because the trends usually remain the same between the two genders. The only guy I talk fashion and clothing with is my cool kid brother, Cameron. Back at home he was my (reluctant) resident photographer, but since he's a college boy with goals of jumping into the fashion world...here he is. 

His style can be segmented into his different brand obsessions: Superdry, Supreme, and now just about everything. We both went through this phase of obsessing over Yeezys, to the point where our family would trek to LA to enter a raffle. Now, we just stick to matching in merch. I asked him to text me a list of his favorite high fashion and street wear presentations and this is what he gave me:

The main theme behind his list is the screenprint piece. Alexander Wang's Spring 2017 collection is making a more subtle nod to the skate and surf culture of California than he did in his last collection. But he's gone from the simple "GIRLS" lettering to naked girls printed and sewn all over.

  TRAVIS SCOTT x Helmut Lang couldn't have dropped at a better time. Though Travis Scott said the capsule collection was inspired by his home state Texas, phrases like "no man's land" and "prototype" along with photos of fire and smoke seem to be channeling something dystopian. As for the rest of them, these are skate and surf brands you and friends should start wearing (besides Supreme) so you're not caught wearing the same brands as 13-year-old boys at The Grove.

All of these collections are shoppable, so check out Cameron's list below.

L to R, top down: Pleasures Now, FOREVER LIT YEAH YEAH,  Pleasures Now, Sex Skateboards -- MSFTSREP x VFILES, Hippie Sex, Alexander Wang, Adidas x Arthur Ashe

What He's Wearing:

Supreme Betty Boop Satin Club Jacket

Let me know if you'd like to see more of my brother around here.