The 10 Gutsiest Fashion Risk Takers Of 2012

This is not entirely about fashion victims and those skewered by Joan Rivers in her show Fashion Police. Though there maybe one or two or five of those.

This story is more about individuals whose sartorial choices pushed the limits of conventional dressing. Men and women whose styles take mega doses of confidence and guts to pull off.

The model Anja Rubik literally showed her guts and more in an Anthony Vacarello dress at the Costume Institute gala for the Schiaparelli and Prada exhibit. The dress had a super high slit that ran all the way up to the model’s pelvic bone and it also boasted a diagonal slash across the bodice revealing more skin. As you moved your eyes from up to down, the dress looked like it was in various states of dishabille — exposed shoulder, exposed midriff, expose hips.

Marc Jacobs, at the same event, showed lots of skin too and his preferred underwear. He wore a sheer black lace dress from Comme des Garcons that exposed everything including his white boxer shorts. This derring-do later earned an homage and punch lines from Seth Meyers at the CFDA awards.

Michelle Harper seems to be taking on the role of Isabella Blow’s successor with her one of a kind outfits that are mash ups of Lady Gaga’s and Anna dello Russo’s closets — donning a wild hat here, sporting a frothy navel-grazing gown there.

At the MTV European Music Awards, Heidi Klum was also in a body-exposing mood. Like Rubik she wore a dress that showed boobs, ribs and legs all at the same time with complete abandon for the fashion rule to show only one body part at a time.

Sienna Miller channeled Gwyneth Paltrow when she showed up at the Hamptons International Film Festival in a dress and cape that looked suspiciously like Paltrow’s Tom Ford Oscars gown. It was by a designer called Alessandra Rich. It takes balls to wear a derivative of something that’s been hailed as the best red carpet look of 2012.

At the Emmy Awards, Julianne Moore won style points from fashion followers with her punchy yellow long sleeve Dior Haute Couture gown. However, many thought that it was a bit much. I thought it was beyond chic. Tilda Swinton is also quite the polarizing fashion icon. You either love or hate her. At the Time 100 Gala, she wore a light-colored tailored Celine jumpsuit. A jumpsuit alone is already quite the sartorial feat, imagine doing it in white.

Robert Pattinson borrowed from Andrew Garfield and Ryan Gosling’s style playbook by wearing a suit that’s not black or navy on the red carpet. The Twilight actor wore a dark green Gucci suit for his movie’s premiere night in Los Angeles. Because the suit is tailored to his physique, he comes off looking young and modern.

And of course no gutsy fashion risk-taker is complete without Kanye who’s been sporting skirts of late. True, men in skirts is hardly new but somehow Kanye has a way of wearing them that makes skirts fashion breaking news. And judging by the fashion blogs, expect to see many young men attempting the look in 2013.

Dubai fashion event aims to put region’s designer

Fashion Forward does not aim to be a conventional industry event, but it is precisely though its innovation that it may help emerging Lebanese designers fulfill their greatest ambition: getting their names on the international market.

The Dubai event, which will run from April 25-28 next year, is “not a fashion week or a week of fashion,” co-organizer Ramzi Nakad is quick to point out; rather, embracing both commercial and noncommercial aspects, it is “a fashion initiative.”

Combining traditional runway shows with developmental workshops and panel discussions, the organizers are hoping FFWD “will be the biggest and most definitive fashion platform in the Middle East,” Nakad, in Beirut to meet with designers, told The Daily Star Thursday.

The event will showcase design, but simultaneously it will work to instigate conversations between emerging designers and other members of the fashion community, addressing through its noncommercial events topics such as how to start your own label or how to launch an international fashion brand.

Already the organizers have teamed up with The London School of Fashion and the Dumos Academy among others to assist with this aspect of their program.

Nakad, and his business partner Bong Guerrero, who through their marketing agency Brag manage several fashion brands, conceived of the idea for FFWD a few years ago when they began to wonder what the Middle Eastern fashion industry was missing.

The obvious absence seemed to be a fashion week, but as Nakad points, fashion weeks have been launched in many cities around the globe with varying degrees of success.

“There’s a lot of a copy-paste syndrome ... a lot of countries have taken the notion of a fashion week and invited it to their cities. And some were more successful than others,” he says, identifying Sao Paolo in the successful category, but noting there are many more in the opposite grouping.

Noting, particularly in Lebanon, the array of emerging designers making a name on the local scene, Nakad and his partner worked to develop an event that would spotlight those names in a more international context.

“[In] Lebanon you have so many talented fashion designers,” Nakad, who is himself Lebanese, says.

He continues: “Some of them have really made it outside, like Elie Saab and Rabih Keyrouz, but you also have a lot of emerging talent and it’s a shame where right now in order to make it internationally you need to make it in Paris or Milan.”

“That’s because there is no platform that would host or house the talent here, and spotlight them to the international world,” he adds.

At FFWD, Nakad anticipates that of the 20-25 participating designers, seven to 10 of them will be Lebanese; although he cannot yet disclose names.

Others will hail from Dubai, the Gulf states, Syria, Iran and Morocco, while some participants will be Arab designers currently living outside the region.

Of the emirate chosen to host the event, Nakad says it was “a bit of an obvious choice.”

“You have a lot of international events in Dubai that are getting a lot of global attention so it was a natural city to host this event for now.”

With runway shows taking place on three catwalks and between six and 10 noncommercial events planned for over the four day event, Nakad expects there to be “almost something happening on the hour every hour.”

The organizers are expecting that approximately 10,000 fashion lovers and industry representatives will visit FFWD over the four days, although Nakad points out: “It’s not a ticketed event; it’s by invitation only.”

Sponsors, buyers and media will largely comprise the crowd at the runway shows, but the noncommercial events will be more open to the public.

However, places for very interested students will for the most part allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, Nakad says, although he adds: “We’re also hoping to accommodate people that are really serious so we might be able to make some exceptions.”

Mirror, Mirror: The whoa! fashion moments of 2012

There were the fashion trends of 2012: Color-blocking continued. Women of all shapes delighted in the return of the peplum. Guys and gals frolicked through town in salmon-pink skinny jeans. Metallic wedged sneakers were retro '80s chic. Ombre hair was hot. Ombre nails were hotter. And Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte brought icy grills back into the fashion fold.

But there were also the moments. These flashes in time forced us to rethink our shopping habits, challenged our long-standing stereotypes, and allowed guys to be girls and girls to be guys. Here are 12 moments of 2012.

Wherever I go, there you are. Brad Pitt became the first man to serve as the face of a women's perfume with one of the most-spoofed commercials in history, and high fashion continued to change the rules. Other gender-

bending examples: YSL's creative director used a woman, Saskia de Brauw, as the face of its menswear line. Lady Gaga posed as her alter ego "Jo" on the cover of Vogue Japan.

"Greige" gets a platform. America was introduced to the gray and beige combo color after first lady Michelle Obama wore the nail polish to the Democratic National Convention. Overnight, it skyrocketed from runway grunge to soccer-mom chic.

YSL goes longer. Creative director Hedi Slimane dropped the YSL moniker from its ready-to-wear line in June, becoming just Saint Laurent Paris. The name change signaled that luxury labels can get stale and that the "Housewives" can cheapen a once-elite brand.

Salon in the sky opens. Vidal Sassoon died, and we remembered the British stylist who was single-handedly responsible for creating the now-classic asymmetrical bob of the 1960s. It freed women from hairsprayed helmets that were twirled and curled and gave them hairstyles that needed no setting.

Michael Vick unveils V-7 Apparel. The Eagles quarterback launched his line of compression shirts and shorts with a lot of fanfare. But the apparel, and later the accompanying app, never really took off - kind of like the Eagles' 2012 season.

From workout gear to searing symbol. Florida teen Trayvon Martin's death forced us to ask the unfortunate but necessary question: Does a black man become menacing merely by donning a hoodie? Americans of all backgrounds pulled up their hoods as a way to challenge racial stereotypes within black and white communities.

The poor ponytail. Gabby Douglas may have won an Olympic gold medal, but black women slammed her for her messy do. The resulting brouhaha illustrated a culture's misplaced priorities: Perfect hair trumps all.

Opening-ceremony Olympic uniforms at a loss. Ralph Lauren's preppy made-in-China getups touched a nerve with Americans dealing with a dismal economy. Lauren promised the team's winter 2014 uniforms would be made here, and we all started to think twice about where our clothing comes from.

Daffy's goes dark. After 20 years, the designer discount retailer closed its doors, forcing on-a-budget style seekers to find the perfect velvet blazer elsewhere.

Intermix opens; Knit Wit moves. These stores up our fashion quotient, but their addresses mean more to Philadelphians than the DVF and J Brand labels they both carry. Walnut Street, once home to a string of upscale, independent boutiques, now is populated by fast-fashion stores and chains. And it seems the homegrown designer stores have moved to Chestnut. But with Center City rents continuing to skyrocket, who knows how long that will last?

Kanye West as legend in his own mind. The 35-year-old rapper launched a womenswear line in February at Paris Fashion Week to less-than-stellar reviews. It was the first move in a year of peculiar fashion choices: from dressing the same as Kim Kardashian - the couple became known as Kim-ye - to performing at the Concert for Sandy Relief in a skirt.

A Spanx shout-out. English songwriter Adele admitted to wearing four pairs at one time under her Grammy dress, illustrating our addiction to shapewear. Forbes dubbed founder Sara Blakely the youngest self-made female billionaire this year, and the King of Prussia mall landed the specialty store's second U.S. location.

Northofbostonusa.com Will Release its N5 Fashion Shoes Next Monday

Today, Northofbostonusa.com proudly announces that its N5 fashion shoes will be released next Monday, which are featured as: rich choices and fine tailor.

Today, Northofbostonusa.com proudly announces that its N5 fashion shoes will be released next Monday, which are featured as: rich choices and fine tailor. According to Scott Jones, CEO of Northofbostonusa.com, N5 fashion shoes will help people to follow up with the latest fashion trends.

Scott Jones, CEO of Northofbostonusa.com, said, "The standard material in N5 shoes is a very special tightly woven bonded fabric that is unique to these designer products. The most important benefit from this high tech material is its strength and the support it lends to the soft leathers used. When you see N5 fashion shoes, you will appreciate how this expensive high tech material makes these designer bags special.”
Northofbostonusa.com is a new player in the fashion industry, and it used to be a popular fashion blog, providing exclusive coupons for reviewing products.

Many women can get excited when talking on the topic of fashion. N5 fashion shoes are to help people grab eyesights at acceptable prices.

Northofbostonusa.com loves high-end fashion. Scott Jones said, "We have much experience in the fashion industry, and know the latest fashion trends. Now, people can know much information about luxury shoes, handbags, gifts, and other accessories without being stuck in crowded malls."

Future fashion

FASHION Week ends today in New York, even as we speak. You already have an idea of what to expect for Spring/Summer 2012.

But aren’t we just starting the Autumn/Winter 2011 fashion season? Well, you’ve just got to love fashion, if not for anything, for the speed in which it moves.

Who cares about Autumn/Winter? The style set is already taking notes on what to wear next season, and with social media and live streaming, you don’t have to physically be at any Fashion Week. Even better, most brands would have selected clothes to be pre-ordered soon for those who can’t wait until they hit the stores or want a jump start on the latest looks.

Given this current climate, there’s no such thing as waiting anymore. If you want to get ahead of everyone else, you would have observed, dissected and noted what to buy and wear.

As I’m writing this, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) isn’t over yet, so I can’t give a rundown. Besides, there’s still London, Paris and Milan coming up. But, there were some collections shown that had some beautiful and interesting looks.

My favourite is The Row by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The duo have an uncanny knack for knowing what women want to wear. Actually, it’s the things they want to wear or have in their wardrobe, and being spot-on in most of their fashion choices, which others seem to go for as well. Their multimillion dollar sales speak for itself, and the label which started in 2007, is known for its luxurious but classic edgy look.

For their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, it’s all about gorgeous, wearable pieces in a predominantly white palette. Easy looks of loose pants, chiffon and tulle overlays, satin pajamas, tunic tops, long and cropped jackets dominated the show. There were also specific detailing here and there just to give things an interesting variation. The best look, to me, was the caftan with detailing on the bodice. Simplicity in elegance was the keyword for this collection.

One of Sarah Jessica Parker’s favourite designers, Prabal Gurung, pushed the buttons in his SS2012 collection with engineered prints and transparent dresses. My favourite dress was a transparent black and white one with what looked like a criss-cross bodice of black leather strings at the waist. I also liked a print dress that had a handkerchief hemline but am not too sure of some of the plastic-looking latex materials used for a coat and some of the other outfits.

Alexander Wang’s collection was all sporty and athletic with plenty of mesh thrown in. Am not a fan of this collection, but am sure those who like hard-wired, sporty looks will go for this. Perfect for hanging out at a “Fast and Furious” type of gathering.

Altuzarra also went for sporty, with lots of fabulous fitted sleek dresses and plenty of prints. Leather and mesh were also thrown in the mix, so you had a combination of a print T-shirt with leather sleeves, or a half-leather skirt, and print and leather dresses.

I’m looking forward to seeing Marc Jacobs, of course. I love that his collections have more polished, grown-up looks and he’s always been a personal favourite. I have been lucky enough to actually attend his shows at NYFW before, and that’s always been a thrill. The other collection I’m looking out for is Victoria Beckham’s. Now, she is a celebrity turned fashion designer success story (like the Olsens) and her clothes always look right whether she’s wearing it or designing it. The thing with Beckham is that it’s always about the fit, so her clothes always fall perfectly. And really, when it comes to clothes, it is always, always about the fit.

So what are some of the trends from what’s been shown so far? A little too early to tell, but I think there’s plenty of colour; it is Spring/Summer after all. And sporty, athletic looks and prints, be it engineered or graphic. Let’s see what crops up for the rest of NYFW and the following Fashion Weeks in London, Paris and Milan.

I’ll be taking a short break, or rather this column will, just to refresh and rejuvenate. Like fashion, sometimes you need to redefine your look (or rather, oneself), and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. As the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer said: “Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal.”

Dzireena Mahadzir is looking for the meaning of life beyond the status quo. She’s planning on taking a break, and her Sense of Style column will return after two months.

Fashion show entertains veterans in Anderson

Five young girls took part in a fashion show Saturday afternoon that brought smiles to the faces and joy to the hearts of residents at the Richard M. Campbell Veterans Home in Anderson.

The girls were 4-year-old Reginae Boggs, 5-year-old Alexis Freeman, 6-year-old Ava Harsey and 9-year-olds Aaliyah Burton and Zari Trenton. They paraded through the facility’s activity room in dresses and more casual attire while the veterans in the audience applauded and cheered loudly.

Advanstar Global LLC Announces Completion of ENK Fashion Tradeshows Acquisition

Advanstar Global LLC  ("Advanstar Global "), a multi-platform events and information services company and owner of Advanstar Communications, today announced that it has successfully completed the previously announced acquisition of ENK International LLC ("ENK") for a purchase price of $155 million. With this acquisition, Advanstar Global significantly expands its international fashion event portfolio across multiple segments and markets. The acquisition combines current Advanstar Global properties – MAGIC, FN Platform and PROJECT – with ENK's shows, including Fashion Coterie, Intermezzo and Accessorie Circuit.
"The feedback from the industry about this acquisition since the initial announcement has been overwhelmingly positive. As we move forward, we will continue to offer the best services for our customers through innovative technology, customer service and enhanced offerings," said Joe Loggia, Advanstar Global's CEO. "These are complementary businesses whose strengths are in different regions and segments of the market, which will enable our customers to find what they are looking for in one place. Brands will speak with one voice to retailers and retailers can shop and edit the season's collection in one location."

ENK and Advanstar Communications will continue to operate separately to offer tailored and customized environments for customers. Each brand will focus on its market expertise bringing the best of both companies together for one tradeshow experience. Beginning in 2013, all customers will have access to Advanstar Global's new "Shop the Floor" digital solution, extending the tradeshow from three days to 60 days. Shop the Floor will become a brand's online showroom to be accessed by credentialed retailers. Retailers can review products in advance of the show to maximize their time on the show floor. The new digital platform offers another tool for planning and connecting and improving the experience for brands and buyers.

Advanstar Global's financial sponsors for the acquisition include Anchorage Capital Group LLC, Ares Management LLC, and Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

"We are pleased to support Advanstar's acquisition of ENK, and are excited by the combined company's future prospects as they execute on its strategy of creating a total, one-stop-shop solution for the fashion community across all platforms and segments," said Kevin Ulrich, Chief Executive Officer of Anchorage Capital Group LLC. "Working together, ENK and Advanstar will create increased operating efficiencies while providing the fashion industry an expansive array of options that best meets their market needs."

"With the addition of ENK to its portfolio of premium events, Advanstar Global continues to establish itself as a leader in the international tradeshow arena," said Chris Russell, partner at Veronis Suhler Stevenson. "The importance of face-to-face marketplaces, made more efficient by technology, continues to grow."

Debt capital funding was provided by GE Capital, RBS Citizens, N.A. and U.S. Bank.  Advisors to Advanstar Global and its investors included Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; PwC; AMR International and FTI Consulting.

Christmas Fashion Buying Guide Introduced for Shoppers

Fashion is something very closely associated with Christmas. Winter collections are obviously all the rage at the moment, but the Christmas season also throws up all sorts of opportunities for people of all ages to demonstrate their sartorial sensibilities. The team at nelly.com has introduced a special Christmas section to its website to help people approach the Christmas season with greater confidence.

Nelly.com is a website specialising in both men's and women's fashion, from very high-end names to collections in the region of a high-street budget. This Christmas, the team at nelly.com have found a way to help out those individuals who have decided to make fashion the theme of their gifts this year.

Visitors will currently find an excellent helping hand in the form of a Christmas buying guide - the perfect solution when it comes to turning great clothes into great gifts. Fashion and accessories make fantastic presents at Christmas because they give their recipients lasting pleasure and they are useful as well as good fun.

The Christmas buying guide is all about helping people to find the most stylish gifts for budding and fully-fledged fashionistas - even if it seems they have everything! The fashion world is constantly in a state of flux, so it's important to roll with the times and find gifts that are bang up to date - especially at Christmas when so many different items are needed for the wardrobe.

Nelly.com is a great place to find party dresses for the party season, stylish winter items with a practical twist, high-quality accessories to lift any outfit and gorgeous lingerie to give an ensemble a bit of extra special hidden power!

Joe’s® Opens New Retail Store at Fashion Valley in San Diego, CA

Joe’s Jeans Inc. (JOEZ) announced today the opening of its tenth California retail store at the Fashion Valley shopping center in San Diego, California. The premiere outdoor shopping center is home to Joe’s® 1,000-square-foot boutique featuring the brand’s signature modern, all white interior motif juxtaposed against crystal chandeliers and vintage furniture pieces handpicked by founder Joe Dahan.

The Fashion Valley location features the Joe’s lifestyle collection for men, women and children along with exclusive limited edition handbags. Joe’s currently has twenty-nine retail locations across the U.S., including major metropolitan cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco. In addition, the brand’s rapid retail expansion continues with the opening of a thirtieth location later this week.

Marc Crossman, President and CEO, stated, “We are excited to add another premium California location to our retail portfolio. With California being home to our brand, it has always been a strong market for us and we look forward to continuing to grow our presence in trendy, upscale locations throughout the state.”

Fashion meets furniture at San Diego’s AT-HOM fine-furniture store

Fashion meets furniture at San Diego’s AT-HOM showroom where manager Richard Romano and his colleagues guide clients through the many options available for their homes’ signature look.

Whether it’s a hand- rubbed four-poster spindled bed, a stylized Baroque mirror fashioned in silver leaf, a mid-60’s-influenced sofa, or customized hardwood furniture by Noir (featuring textured, hand-hammered zinc designs in the form of dining tables and dressers), AT-HOM elements are anything but ordinary.

AT-HOM fine-furniture store is located at 2310 Kettner Blvd., Suite B, San Diego. Phone: (619) 744-9974. Website: at-hom.com (Courtesy Photo)

Owner Lee Thomas’ inspiration to open AT-HOM two years ago grew from his realization that designer trends had slowly disappeared over the years in San Diego.

“We wanted to bring designer styles back and give San Diego a fresh, new look,” Romano said. “We feature transitional modern furniture and carry a lot of unique pieces that you can’t find in any of San Diego’s manufacturers.”

Visitors can explore a multitude of design elements by strolling through AT-HOM’s 5,000-square-foot showroom offering dozens of manufacturer’s pieces.

“We don’t put one manufacturer’s works all in one setting because we like our clients to see how a contemporary dining table would work with traditional chairs or a crystal chandelier over a very modern living room set,” Romano said. “That gives them the opportunity to see how different genres of design can be fused into one area, so clients feel like they have their own individuality.”

AT-HOM offers its clients either in-home or in-store service at no charge where a designer will present the many options for everything from a simple dining room to a complete house makeover.

“We do everything from window treatments to bedding to area rugs, and we’re getting into custom cabinetry and hardwood flooring, as well as lighting and accessories,” Romano said.

Color plays a significant role at AT-HOM where Romano finds that design is directly related to fashion. “I tell my female clients, ‘let me see what’s in your closet and I’ll design your home around it,’” Romano said. “We want to know what colors they like.”

According to Romano, there is no single popular color right now; instead a pattern of colors rule design. “We’re color blocking patterns of bright colors and rich jewel tones and doing a winter/summer mix,” he said. “We’re introducing deep royal blues this winter, but we’re popping that with the soft roses and tangerine colors that are summer influences.”

AT-HOM’s new area of the store features gift and accent pieces. Besides books, candles and fragrances, unique pieces include a bowling-pin decanter and serving set and vibrantly colored rubber bowls.

Fashion and Products for a Sustainable World

“Let’s recreate the equivalent of the Met ball in Europe and, rather than for the museum, give the money to environmental causes,” said the fashion world’s energetic activist Jochen Zeitz, referring to New York’s Metropolitan Museum’s annual fund-raising event.

“Fashion is a logical place to start to raise awareness for sustainable causes,” said Mr. Zeitz, who was formerly head of Puma and is now director of PPR, the French luxury group, and chairman of the board's sustainable development committee. “We should bring in an environmental attitude, and I think luxury should automatically be about sustainability and quality.”

Mr. Zeitz is not dreaming of a “green” Christmas. He has a much wider vision of a world in which environmental consciousness and sustainability is a built-in factor to product sourcing and design every day of the year. “We should make it part of the DNA of brand as a new definition of quality,” Mr. Zeitz said.

The two projects which make the executive unique are the nonprofit Zeitz Foundation, founded in 2008, which supports ecologically and socially responsible destinations and programs across the world from its epicenter on its Segera reserve in Kenya.

That initiative was celebrated last month at the London Zoo, where the Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt offered his support and one of his yellow and green Jamaica running vests for the auction.

After nearly two decades, Mr. Zeitz stepped down last month from his role as chairman of Puma, where he took the helm in 1993 at age 30 and transformed the ailing brand from sportswear to leisure. He also embraced designers in the PPR group from Hussein Chalayan through Alexander McQueen to Stella McCartney.

The other innovation is The B Team, founded in October by Mr. Zeitz and Richard Branson on the proposal that modern business needs a “plan B” as a global initiative to help transform capitalism into a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit.

Mr. Branson takes the line that “business needs to move away from a focus on immediate profit to one where it invests and operates for the long-term good of people and the planet.”

Mr. Zeitz said leaders in the private sector should help to move toward an “equitable and sustainable future.”

The mantra of each project is that sustainability does not need to come at the sacrifice of economic prosperity. But rather the opposite: that a holistic system integrates the four C’s: conservation, community, culture and commerce.

For Mr. Zeitz, therefore, sustainability is for life, not a short-lived gift for Christmas — and the new year is just the time to start good, sustainable practices.

Are green pine needles and conifer trees going out of fashion?

Anyone who has felt guilty that acres of pine forest are chopped down to satisfy Christmas consumers should have been at the auction of designer “trees” in Paris last week.

From digital projections, through the neon art works of Jean Charles de Castelbajac and Stella McCartney to the cluster of metallic poles by Elie Saab, it seemed that any Christmas tree is stylish — as long as it is not cut from a living plant.

Marie Christiane Marek is the force behind 17 years of imaginative “Sapins de Noël,” which were put up for auction in favor of a cancer charity. Jean Paul Gaultier, whose tree was made of a stack of Coca-Cola tins, was on site to watch the bidding, along with Chantal Thomas, with her light-as-lingerie, white-feathered creation.

The Lesage tree, a black embroidered “plant” in homage by Hugo Barriere to the late embroidery king François Lesage, struck a wistful note; while Pierre Hermé’s tree made up of multicolored macaroons won the children’s vote.

Polo and fashion to take centre stage in Auckland

Celebrating 36 years of hard fought chukkas, incredible horsemanship, divot stomping, fashion and champagne, this year’s BMW New Zealand Polo Open Finals Day returns to the Clevedon Polo Grounds on Sunday February 24th, 2013.

Auckland Polo Club Event Director, Amy Calway believes guests attending the 2013 event will be both surprised and delighted by the winning line-up of polo, fashion, music and premium vehicles on show.
"As well as the three top level polo matches and the hugely popular ‘BMW vs Polo Pony’ race taking place; this year we have a fabulous ‘Fashion Lawn’ area showcasing some of New Zealand’s top designers, as well as amazing prizes to win, luxurious corporate marquee areas and picnic spaces to enjoy," says Calway.

The Polo at Clevedon is an event like no other, in an idyllic green valley, where celebrities rub shoulders with horse lovers, with luxury marquees and champagne bar areas lining the playing field just meters away from thundering horses.

For the first time BMW will offer guests an opportunity to test their driving skills on a specially designed, world class BMW xDrive testing facility.

"BMW is proud to support the New Zealand Polo Open Finals for the fourth year. This world class event epitomises dynamism, elegance and performance, all values that align with the BMW brand," said Nina Englert, BMW Managing Director.

It’s often stated that fashion and polo go hand in hand, and in 2013, ticket holders are being encouraged to really ‘dress to impress’ in order to win big.

Helicopter flights, an afternoon sailing around on a Super Yacht with five friends and 30 celebrities, as well as high value goodie bags are all up for grabs for those who make the right impression to the six celebrity judges who’ll be roaming the fields across the day style-spotting.

The Fashion Lawn area will play host to six designer shows throughout the day, curated and coordinated by top New Zealand stylist Lulu Wilcox and George FM will be providing the soundtrack for the day, lead by top DJ duo Nice n’ Urlich.

A hair and make-up ‘Powder Room’ is also on-site to keep guests and spectators looking sharp all day, and nail polish and shoe shine bars will be available to maintain that perfectly groomed polo fashion look.

Says Calway, "those who’ve never been to the BMW New Zealand Polo Open are missing out on one of New Zealand’s truly unique and vibrant events. Tickets are strictly limited and will sell out, so it is important to book online to avoid disappointment."

Winners Announced in Nationwide Fur-Free Fashion Competition

The Humane Society of the United States and The Art Institutes announced Nicolle Bajgrowicz, a student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design program at The Art Institute of California – Orange County, a campus of Argosy University, as the grand prize winner of the eighth annual Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Design Competition. As grand prize winner, Bajgrowicz will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and an expense-paid, week-long internship in New York City with celebrated fur-free designer Victoria Bartlett.

"The Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Design Competition encourages fashion students to make humane choices by educating them about problems in the fur trade, including mislabeling, environmental impacts and welfare concerns for the millions of raccoon dogs, foxes, and other animals killed every year for their fur," said Michelle McDonald, fashion outreach manager of the fur-free campaign for The Humane Society of the United States.

Cool vs. Cruel challenges fashion students at The Art Institutes schools throughout North America to creatively reinterpret and replace animal fur on runway designs by Marc Jacobs, J. Mendel, BCBGMAXAZRIA and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

In addition, four students from across the country in The Art Institutes' Fashion programs received top honors. Evelyn Thompson, a student in the Bachelor of Arts in Fashion & Retail Management program at The Art Institute of Charleston, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, placed second and Vu Nguyen a student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design program at The Art Institute of Seattle, placed third and will receive $750 and $500, respectively. Cheryl Vick, a student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at The Art Institute of Houston, and Brehon Williams, a student in the Bachelor of Arts in Fashion & Retail Management program at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, both received honorable mention.

"We are proud to partner with The Humane Society of the United States in the Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Design Competition, which offers our students a fantastic opportunity to support an important cause and to show their creativity and skill in a national arena," said John Pufahl, vice president of academic affairs, The Art Institutes.

The judging panel selecting the winners included designers John Bartlett, Victoria Bartlett, Anna Fortino, Leanne Hilgart, Nary Manivong, Elizabeth Olsen, PAPER magazine editor Mickey Boardman, founder and president of Donna Salyers' Fabulous Furs Donna Salyers, writer and reporter Nell Alk and editor of TheDiscerningBrute.com Joshua Katcher.

"I have gone down many different paths to lead me to where I am today. I could not be happier with my decision to stop studying biology and follow my aspirations of being a fashion designer. This win means everything to me because I hope it gets the word out about cruelty-free clothing," said Bajgrowicz. "As a designer I think this is the right and responsible way to design, and I hope many more young designers will make the decision to go cruelty-free."

Photos of the finalists and their designs are available upon request or can be viewed on The HSUS Fur-Free Campaign's Facebook page.

Learn more about the competition, view the original runway looks and find out about The Humane Society of the United States fur-free campaign at humanesociety.org/coolvscruel. To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit artinstitutes.edu.

Teen fashion blogger branches out with book

Tavi Gevinson has accomplished more in her 16 years than most people double her age.

The style blogger, writer and darling of the fashion set launched a fashion blog from her suburban Chicago home before she turned 12. Two years later it was getting 50,000 hits a day and she was a fixture in the front row of fashion shows in New York, Paris and Tokyo.

Profiles of the young fashionista followed in the New York Times and the New Yorker, along with stories in French Vogue and in teen magazines.

Gevinson has added editor to her credits with the publication of "Rookie Yearbook One," a compilation of articles, photographs and drawings from her Rookie website, which she started about 15 months ago.
"I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to do a print component. Each month on the site is a different theme. I eventually realized that to do a yearly book, and call it a yearbook, would be the best format," she said.

The second book, due next September, is already in the works.

Despite its young audience, the yearbook claims it is not a guide to being a teenager. But with topics ranging from family, friends, relationships, to fashion and school its appeal is obvious.

And Gevinson admits she started the website, which focuses less on fashion and more on teen life, because there wasn't an online magazine for adolescent girls that respected its readers' intelligence.

"I decided to make a website and now a book that didn't talk down to teenagers and had beautiful art, fine articles about TV and all of that."

With more than 300 pages, 80 contributors, and articles ranging from "How to Bitchface" to "Breakup Breakdown" and "How to Approach the Person You Like Without Throwing Up," the book navigates teenage angst and a range of other topics and includes photos and graphics.

"Rookie is a place to make the best of the beautiful pain and cringe-worthy awkwardness of being an adolescent girl," is how Gevinson described it.

It has also attracted some star power, namely online interviews with "Mad Men's" Jon Hamm giving advice about love and guys, and wise words from actor Paul Rudd and producer/director Judd Apatow.

When Gevinson started her blog at 11 she saw it as an outlet that helped her get through middle school. She never expected it to mushroom into a website and the business it is today with a huge fan base.
The youngest of three children, Gevinson recently completed a tour to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Toronto and other cities to promote the book and still manages to keep up with her school work.

Her father, a retired English teacher, oversees the business side of Rookie, and there is a staff of paid adult editors, photographers and designers who work on the website and manage its contributors.

Despite it all, Gevinson seems unfazed by her success and the celebrity status that has come with it.
"I've enjoyed feeling I make something and people understand it, and that there are other people going through the things that I go through," she said. "That to me is the most valuable thing -- being heard by people who understand it."

L’Wren Scott: Fashion, Mick Jagger and Now a Fragrance

 BEFORE she was a fashion designer whose clothes can be found in the closets of Nicole Kidman and Michelle Obama, and before she was famous for a decade-plus romance with Mick Jagger, L’Wren Scott was one of the most successful stylists working in Los Angeles. One of her assignments, in the early 1990s, was an advertising campaign for Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds, which would become the best-selling celebrity fragrance in the world.

“I don’t remember ever smelling it,” Ms. Scott said the other day in the back seat of a black BMW 750i sedan, which smelled of hand sanitizer and breath mints. Each of the seat-back pouches in her car is stocked with a matching selection of Mentos, cinnamon-flavored Altoids and a miniature bottle of Purell, so that they are easily accessible no matter where she sits.

“It was all about Miss Taylor and her diamonds, which she said always brought her luck,” Ms. Scott said. “But I think that perfume brought her luck.”

Fame, fortune, fragrances, diamonds or men — however they come, and in what order, has little to do with luck.

You think Ms. Scott, adopted and raised by a Mormon family in Roy, Utah, got here by being lucky? As she recalled, it was her mother who told her: Luann (as she was once known), if you really want something, no one is going to knock on your door and just give it to you.

At 44 or so, with her own money and a sense of discipline that would rival a headmistress, Ms. Scott, who will not confirm her age, has created a small, but high-profile, fashion business that she believes is now ripe for outside investment.

She is convincing on this point. After six years in business, her clothes are sold in nearly 100 stores, she has designed a licensed collection of eyewear, and this week, she introduced a fragrance of her own, a limited-edition scent that is a collaboration with Barneys New York.

It is a big week for Ms. Scott, who is also coordinating an enormous wardrobe of clothes for Mr. Jagger to wear during the Rolling Stones “50 & Counting” tour.

At 6-foot-3, a onetime model who got her big break with a Pretty Polly legwear campaign, with a mane of black hair and a mannerist’s sense of movement, she is unmistakable — you might even say famous — though no one appeared to recognize her during an afternoon of scent shopping in Manhattan. When we met earlier at the Carlyle Hotel, just before Thanksgiving, Ms. Scott had mentioned that discovering fragrances was one of her passions.

“This is something I have been obsessed with from a very young age, when I was mixing potions in my mother’s kitchen,” Ms. Scott said. Following her mother’s advice (though not exactly as intended), she left for Paris to pursue her dreams when she was just 17, changed her name and began a life of travel that was defined by scents — “like in Paris, where the smell is buttery and sugary, almost confectionary,” or in India, “where I remember my eyes watering from the spice smell.”

We stopped at Enfleurage, a small store on West 13th Street that specializes in high-end aromatics. Sitting in the low-lighted shop, before a display of hundreds of oils lined up in rows, Ms. Scott dipped her nose into vials labeled vetiver, moss, frankincense, Japanese mint (high in menthol and good for the sinuses), eucalyptus (even better), rosemary oil, rosewood, oregano, bergamots from Calabria in Italy and the Ivory Coast, sandalwoods from Indonesia and Australia, and, finally, one bottle marked “Sex,” which, we were told, was a house blend of ylang-ylang, patchouli and lime.

Then we trotted over to Starbucks, where Ms. Scott, who can be very droll, took surreptitious cellphone photos of Chelsea boys and professed to have never before heard of a gingerbread latte.

“I’ve always been very into smells, and I can pretty much pinpoint them from very far away,” she said.

While creating hers, with the perfumer Ralf Schwieger, Ms. Scott, by her own admission, drove everyone around her “absolutely insane.” At her design studio on King’s Road in London, she dabbed samples on her interns at every opportunity. She invited Mr. Schwieger to stop by to smell the garden at one of her and Mr. Jagger’s homes, about an hour outside Paris in the Loire Valley. (He accidentally boarded an express train and ended up in Bordeaux, three hours away.)

'Fashion News' - a New Riversip Universal Fashion News App Makes It Easier Than Ever to Follow Fashion Trends & News

Following up on the tremendous success of its highly acclaimed Riversip News Apps, Briox Ltd. today unveiled its exciting new Riversip Fashion News App - a creative new free app that enables fashion enthusiasts to stay on top of the hottest items in Beauty & Fashion news at their own pace.

Fashion News is a one-of-a-kind way to follow fashion trends & videos on the go. Powered by the same algo-social editing technology that's powering the highly acclaimed Riversip line of apps, it has the ability to follow what's buzzing and grabbing fashion lovers' attention anywhere on the globe.

"When it comes to fashion, it is crucial to understand fashion fans' need to stay up-to-date at all times. Thanks to our Riversip technology, the app understands what fashion trends are really capturing attention online - and serves the hottest selection of items and videos, covering fashion shows, beauty blogs, top designers and more" - said Briox Co-Founder Itamar Rogel. "This, together with a handful of features packed into the app - makes it ridiculously easy to follow the news you're after."

Fashion Plays With Plaid

Ever since Queen Victoria made plaid a part of fashion, draping checked fabrics over herself and over the furnishing of the newly acquired Balmoral Castle, the British royal family has continued to treat tartan as a fashion extra.

A one-stop destination for Times fashion coverage and the latest from the runways.

Just days before her pregnancy was announced, the Duchess of Cambridge wore the Black Watch tartan fitted coat designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen during a visit to her alma mater. Prince William and his bride are not only alumni of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, they also have the titles of Earl and Countess of Strathearn. It was that clan’s check scarf that the former Kate Middleton wore on the rain-soaked flotilla for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the summer. When the Duke of Cambridge was honored as Knight of the Thistle, the Duchess carried the folded Strathearn tartan scarf.

But tartan has had a more checkered fashion career than just the squares on which the patterns are founded. Vivienne Westwood commandeered plaid as a uniform for the Punk era at the end of the 1970s. And tartan has remained part of street style and a fabric with an aggressive twist.

For the winter 2012 season, the effect is more stylish than rakish, with plaid coats serving their long-held purpose to brighten up a cold-weather wardrobe. Designers often choose tartan for outerwear, but it also appears as narrow pants, tailored jackets and, in these days of digital prints, as a mix of geometric squares overlaid for a visually dramatic effect.

Queen Victoria might well have twirled round the Balmoral ballroom in a tartan gown. And that initiative has been followed by designers who are using the print of plaid on fabrics not associated with the usual weave.

New, too, are clash-of-the-tartans accessories, with the shoe supremo Christian Louboutin producing plaid platform soles, bold boots and purses similar in design to the Scottish sporran.

Fashion Spotlight: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and More Stylish 2013 Grammy Nominees

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the Grammy nominations, many people are already abuzz with talk of who will take an award home on music's biggest night.

We, however, have to admit we're a little more excited about the fashion the nominees will wear when Grammy night arrives. Several stylish songbirds such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Carrie Underwood and more received nods from the Recording Academy, and if their red carpet track records are any indication, these lovely ladies are sure to impress with showstopping gowns come Feb. 13.

Swift has stunned us with pretty princesslike looks and romantic chiffon numbers from some of her go-to designers like Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad this year, so we can't wait to see what ladylike creation she'll choose for the awards show. While we haven't had too many major event appearances from Bey this year (the doting new mom has been busy with baby Ivy, no doubt), she has still managed to stun us on those occasions she did hit the red carpet. She absolutely took our breath away with her gorgeous Givenchy gown with ombre feathered detailing at the Met Gala, and we can't wait to see what fabulous embellishments she'll choose for the Grammys.

Underwood impressed us with her 11—yes 11!—outfit changes during her hosting duties at the CMAs earlier this year, including a glittery cocktail dress from one of her fave designers, Alice + Olivia. But will she go for another fun and flirty look at the Grammys or a more dramatic floor-length gown, like her purple Abed Mahfouz number at the American Music Awards?

Because we're bursting with excitement about Grammy night style, we've taken a closer look at Swift, Beyoncé, Underwood and other nominees' latest red carpet fashion moments in anticipation of the big awards show.

Wholesale-dress.net Brings Fast Fashion to E-Commerce

Every significant historic event has caused a fashion revolution to follow along closely, as people expressed these changes through the way they dress. Given today's ever-changing world, wholesale-dress.net has been adhering to the thought of incessant reforms in the E-commerce industry, bringing a better shopping experience to customers through neoteric modes.

Changes in the apparel industry
Since 1840, menswear has experienced thousands of changes, from long gowns and mandarin jacks to Lenin coats, Chinese tunic coats and today's clothes in different colors and styles. Similarly, women's clothing have also undergone extensive evolutions, progressing from early old-style cheongsams and Lenin coats to one-piece dresses, blouses and skirts in various styles. There have been many apparel revolutions in history. Taking modern Chinese history as an example, the Sun Yat-Sen suit and Mao Zedong suit are both clothes with specific political and cultural implications. Today's women, with a strong sense of fashion, are creating their own cultural phenomenon by wearing semitransparent, mini-cut skirts and form-flattering pants as their personal identities.

Opportunities and challenges
With an increased national economic strength, combined with a remarkably improved apparel industry and the tremendous development of its supporting industries, China has become a huge producer and consumer in the field of apparel. More open policies and a consumer-friendly environment provide a wide platform for enterprises. Additionally, international e-commerce is on the rise, with tons of foreign brands pouring into China. Meanwhile, Chinese clothing enterprises are going global. wholesale-dress.net has seized the opportunities presented by today's economic landscape and established its own e-commerce platform in 2008, with the goals of selling and helping distributors become successful.

wholesale-dress.net = fast fashion
Over the past few years, fast fashion offered by wholesale-dress.net has been gaining popularity in multiple, far-flung markets, including the US, Japan, Singapore, and many other countries worldwide by virtue of its three major advantages—competitive prices, fashionable styles and highly-efficient product-updates. wholesale-dress.net currently has over 580,000 different items and styles of fashion on offer. The average daily upload of new products has reached 200 to 300 pieces. Its customer service reaction time is within 10 seconds, and is offered in 14 languages.The establishment of its overseas warehouse has also greatly improved delivery speed. Choosing items from the new overseas warehouse allows customers' orders to arrive within three working days, the same as domestic vendors in the US and Japan. wholesale-dress.net's focus is on comfort, regardless whether a brand is famous or not. Only a product that makes the customer feel comfortable can be called excellent. wholesale-dress.net, with many offices overseas, has an operational philosophy of bringing affordable clothes to everyone, so they can be their own fashion icon.

Fashion Spotlight: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and More Stylish 2013 Grammy Nominees

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the Grammy nominations, many people are already abuzz with talk of who will take an award home on music's biggest night.

We, however, have to admit we're a little more excited about the fashion the nominees will wear when Grammy night arrives. Several stylish songbirds such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Carrie Underwood and more received nods from the Recording Academy, and if their red carpet track records are any indication, these lovely ladies are sure to impress with showstopping gowns come Feb. 13.

Swift has stunned us with pretty princesslike looks and romantic chiffon numbers from some of her go-to designers like Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad this year, so we can't wait to see what ladylike creation she'll choose for the awards show. While we haven't had too many major event appearances from Bey this year (the doting new mom has been busy with baby Ivy, no doubt), she has still managed to stun us on those occasions she did hit the red carpet. She absolutely took our breath away with her gorgeous Givenchy gown with ombre feathered detailing at the Met Gala, and we can't wait to see what fabulous embellishments she'll choose for the Grammys.

Check out celebs in sleek jumpsuits
Underwood impressed us with her 11—yes 11!—outfit changes during her hosting duties at the CMAs earlier this year, including a glittery cocktail dress from one of her fave designers, Alice + Olivia. But will she go for another fun and flirty look at the Grammys or a more dramatic floor-length gown, like her purple Abed Mahfouz number at the American Music Awards?

Because we're bursting with excitement about Grammy night style, we've taken a closer look at Swift, Beyoncé, Underwood and other nominees' latest red carpet fashion moments in anticipation of the big awards show.

LECTRA: Lectra Fashion PLM supports Façonnable in its French-chic brand strategy

Lectra Fashion PLM supports Façonnable in its French-chic brand strategy
Façonnable seeks to boost business growth with harmonized collection development

Paris, December 4, 2012 - Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials-textiles, leather, industrial fabrics, and composite materials-is pleased to announce that Façonnable has successfully implemented Lectra Fashion PLM to streamline collection development and preserve brand heritage, both prerequisites for driving a strategy of top line growth.

Founded in the 1950s by Jean Goldberg, Façonnable was acquired by M1 Group in 2007. The world-renowned company with a global presence is enjoying a new era that brings with it a long-term vision to increase brand equity. Façonnable's brand value is firmly rooted in style, quality and fit; preserving this chic French Côte d'Azur foundation while developing new lines for men and women and expanding into new territories is central to the company's strategic growth plan. However, it requires organization and structure that Façonnable strived to enhance.

Façonnable chose to implement Lectra Fashion PLM throughout product development to improve communication and monitor development in a way that would keep brand strategy consistent from design to final product. With strategy clearly defined and communicated from step one, Façonnable can now develop collections knowing that quality standards are clear and that selections will accurately reflect the brand in core regions as well as new territories.

Company-wide change to align business strategy with creative vision
The motivation to adopt Lectra Fashion PLM came from organizational challenges which threatened to undermine product quality, deliveries, and business development. "There wasn't a standard workflow before; this is now 100% controlled," says Peter Nyhan, Merchandising Director, Façonnable. Lectra Fashion PLM has aligned the business and creative departments to help strengthen the brand and enable growth.

Lectra Fashion PLM has had an impact at every level of Façonnable's organization, from Line Planning to Production, helping to monitor collection development and keep pace with the company's strategic goals. "With Lectra Fashion PLM, we now have a common thread running through the company that allows us to be more professional and more precise," says Amélie Serri, Product Manager, Façonnable.

"The main reason we sought a PLM solution was to streamline the product development process in the context of seasonal calendars," explains Allison Smith, Calendar and Special Project Manager, Façonnable. This not only saves time and confusion, it is helping Façonnable achieve their financial objectives as well. "One of the biggest improvements has been the ability to control cost from the beginning," explains Guilaine Ipert, Director of Production, Façonnable.

"We are pleased to count such a prestigious brand among Lectra's fashion customers," says Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. "Like us, they are building the future on their legacy. We hope to continue to play a key part in their development through our full range of advanced solutions."

Nordstrom To Relocate To Del Amo Fashion Center From South Bay Galleria

Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN) today announced plans to move its full-line store located at South Bay Galleria three miles south to Del Amo Fashion Center in order to better serve customers throughout the South Bay area. The two-level, 138,000 square-foot store will open in 2015 as part of a major renovation of Del Amo Fashion Center.

Relocating will allow the company to build a brand new store featuring the latest design concepts and join a revitalization effort that will transform Del Amo into one of the region's top fashion destinations.

"We feel fortunate that we've been able to serve South Bay for nearly 30 years and are excited about this chance to bring a better store to our loyal customers here," said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom, Inc. "While we're grateful for the business we've been able to do at South Bay Galleria over the years, we feel relocating gives us our best chance to deliver a more compelling shopping experience. We look forward to working with Simon and being part of this terrific redevelopment at Del Amo so that we can continue taking care of our South Bay area customers for many years to come."

As Simon announced today, Del Amo will undergo a comprehensive redevelopment beginning next year. Planned upgrades include a redeveloped north wing that will feature other fashion and specialty retailers along with Nordstrom. The renovation will also result in more parking, improved customer access to the mall, an updated garden-inspired dining area, fresh landscaping, interior refurbishments and numerous other amenities throughout the center. Del Amo Fashion Center is owned by Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG), the world's leading retail real estate company and institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

"We're thrilled Nordstrom will join Del Amo Fashion Center," said David Contis, president of Simon's Mall platform. "Their arrival highlights our efforts to further enhance the property's retail cache as the preeminent shopping destination for the South Bay and Palos Verdes peninsula communities. The addition of Nordstrom is a key piece of our plan at Del Amo to bring the best retailers to our already impressive line-up of anchor and specialty stores, including many new luxury retailers."

Laws of Attraction: Designer Transforms Fashion With Magnetized Apparel

Fashion entrepreneur Ian Stikeleather wants to rethink how we keep our clothes on.

Clothing fasteners are technology. Buttons with button holes didn’t appear until the 1400s. The zipper showed up in the late 1800s, but wasn’t widely adopted until the 1930s. Velcro was patented in 1951 and rose to prominence on the back of the space race. Stikeleather wants to add a new chapter to the fastener history books with a product line based on magnetic closures that he calls Affectation.

Affectation, being funded through Kickstarter, is a system of modular clothes that use hidden magnets to replace buttons, pins, zippers or other fasteners. Stikeleather points out that magnets are much easier to work with for people with limited mobility in their hands from things like arthritis, but ease of use is just the beginning.

“Throughout history, clothing has served two functions: to protect us from the elements or identify us with a social group,” says Stikeleather. “I put the protect-ourselves-from-the-elements part to the side.” He chose instead to focus on how people could quickly change what their clothes say about them.

An Affectation outfit generally starts with a simple base garment, like a black dress, a vest, or a shirt. Secreted around the garment are magnets, to which users (sorry, wearers) can attach a whole range of accessories. A dress collar can be removed and replaced with a hood, while buttons are replaced with studs and spikes. On a vest, shoulder lapels can grow and shrink or disappear entirely, while chains can be hung symmetrically or asymmetrically all over the place.

Spend some time with the company’s demo video and you’ll get a sense of what’s possible. It’s like Lego for clothes, and it’s hard not to think about super-spy disguises and Superman in a phone booth as you watch the transformations.