'Decades' of fashion history and inspiration

Cameron Silver, owner of the vintage shopping institution Decades, has spent the last 15 years teaching Hollywood and the fashion world that what's old is new. And now he has written a book on the subject.

"Decades: A Century of Fashion" (Bloomsbury, $60), co-written with Rebecca DiLiberto, is the colorful story of 20th century fashion and trends told decade by decade, through more than 200 images of celebrity style icons and designer clothing.

In the introduction, Silver explains that he started his career as a cabaret singer and came to fashion accidentally: After stumbling upon so many gently-used treasures during his travels while on tour as a performer, he eventually decided to open a shop to sell them in a high-end setting.

Decades opened its doors on Melrose Avenue in 1997 when fashion was all about grunge and Hollywood hated getting dressed up. But eventually stylists and editors came around to Silver's vintage Chanels and Yves Saint Laurents. Nicole Kidman wore a vintage Loris Azzaro gown from Decades to the 2001 premiere of "Moulin Rouge," and soon, Vogue did a eight-page vintage fashion spread.

Before buying a vintage piece for the store, Silver makes certain it looks modern and relevant to today, not costumey. The rule has served him well. By the mid-2000s, vintage haute couture was all the rage on the red carpet and Silver's star was rising.

Today, he's recognized as an industry expert and front-row regular, with a forthcoming reality show on Bravo. With this book, he shows readers that the world of vintage fashion is much wider than they may have realized.

A decade is a long time, sartorially speaking, with multiple looks, rival trends and tastemakers. For example, the cool blond Grace Kelly was an icon of the 1950s, but so was sexpot Bettie Page. The 1960s were a decade of pills and pillbox hats, of rock and revolution, the space age and "the old age," as in old- world couture designed by Pierre Balmain, Oleg Cassini and Ferdinando Sarmi and worn by icons Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Arden. Each chapter covers a decade, closing with a single designer who made the biggest impact -- Paul Poiret from the 1920s, Rudi Gernreich for the 1960s and Narciso Rodriguez for the 1990s.

It's an education about the people who create fashion but also the people who bring the looks to life, which, in this decade dominated by the Hollywood red carpet, is more important than ever.

Victoria Beckham Is Quietly Becoming A Global Force In Fashion

Victoria Beckham is about to become a major name in fashion.
Beckham is most recognized for her gig as The Spice Girls' Posh Spice 15 years ago. She also has a high-profile marriage to soccer star David Beckham.

But Beckham is on her way to global sartorial success. Her clothing lines are selling out at high-end department stores like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, reports Rachel Brown at Women's Wear Daily. Beckham sold about $12 million worth of clothing in 2011. 

The former pop star has built clientele by hosting private events in major cities. She doesn't do a lot of press, and limits the number of garments she releases, which can run $1,500 and up.
The main complaint with Beckham's clothing is that it runs out of stock quickly, a Neiman Marcus executive told WWD.

Beckham, like Stella McCartney, focuses on providing slimming dresses to women in their 30's and 40's. Women at an event called her garments "lipo in a dress" and "almost magic."

Even though she's popular with women in the U.S., Beckham's true fan base is forming overseas in the Middle East and Asia, according to WWD.

Many women there haven't heard of her besides as a fashion designer.

" You assume that everyone is going to think of that side of Victoria. That’s not the case. The Middle East is very much about as her as a designer. People never refer to her as Posh. The same is true in Hong Kong and China," a Neiman executive told WWD.

Like the Olsen twins, Jessica Simpson and Stella McCartney, Beckham is using her celebrity to build a global fashion brand.

Yoko Ono Launches John Lennon-Inspired Fashion Line

Yoko Ono can now add fashion designer to her list of accomplishments.
The 79-year-old author, artist, musician and innovator unveiled her latest fashion campaign with Opening Ceremony, a global clothing brand with collections for women, men and children.

The concept behind Ono's collection, titled "Fashions for Men: 1969-2012," began when she met designer and Opening Ceremony co-founder Umberto Leon three years ago in Tokyo. When Ono presented her idea to Leon, he decided to join her.

This week, Ono launches her limited-edition fashion line, which includes 18 styles with 52 separate pieces. The pieces were inspired by a gift, including a series of drawings and sketches that Ono presented to her late husband, John Lennon, on their wedding anniversary in 1969.

"I was inspired to create 'Fashions for Men,' amazed at how my man was looking so great," Ono said of her 1969 sketches. "I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasizing his very sexy bod. So, I made this whole series with love for his hot bod, and gave it to him as a wedding present."

"You can IMAGINE how he went wild and fell in love with me even more!" she added. "My sophisticated, tasteful, and sensible friends across the world all scream - 'We love it!'"

The collection includes jersey blazers, suit pants and hoodies, starting at $75. New York City stores have already stocked their shelves with the latest items. Opening Ceremony will carry Ono's collections in its Los Angeles, London and Tokyo stores.

"I think she just fell in love with John's body and wanted to show off all of the parts of his body that she loved," Leon told WWD. "There's something so beautiful about that sentiment."

British Fashion Awards 2012 Nominees

The British Fashion Awards are basically the fashion version of the Oscars, and are being held TONIGHT! We can't wait! The annual ceremony honours the most innovative and successful designers in the UK fashion industry.

The designers up for the prestigous Designer Of The Year Award are Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Stella McCartney - we can't wait to see who clinches it!

Check out the full list of nominees below:

EMERGING TALENT AWARD - READY-TO-WEAR

An innovative and directional designer who is emerging as an influential force in British fashion in the ready-to-wear category.
Nominees: J.W. Anderson, Michael van der Ham, Simone Rocha

EMERGING TALENT AWARD - ACCESSORIES

An innovative and directional accessories designer who is emerging as an influential force in British fashion in the Accessories category.

Nominees: Dominic Jones, Jordan Askill, Sophie Hulme

EMERGING TALENT AWARD - MENSWEAR

An innovative and directional designer who is emerging as an influential force in British menswear ready-to-wear design.
Nominees: Agi & Sam, Jonathan Saunders, Lou Dalton

MODEL

A British model who has contributed most to the international fashion scene in the past year.

Nominees: Cara Delevingne, David Gandy, Jourdan Dunn

DESIGNER BRAND

A leading British based designer brand that has excelled and made an impact on the international stage over the past year.

Nominees: Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Mulberry, Stella McCartney

MENSWEAR DESIGNER

A leading British designer of ready-to-wear and bespoke tailoring who has been instrumental in enhancing men's fashion in the past year.

Nominees: Kim Jones for Louis Vuitton, Oliver Spencer, Richard James

ISABELLA BLOW AWARD FOR FASHION CREATOR

A British creative, stylist, make-up artist, photographer, art director or producer whose creativity has been a major inspiration and influence in the past year.

Nominees: Edward Enninful, Katie Grand, Professor Louise Wilson OBE

RED CARPET AWARD

Gives recognition to a British designer who is creating global awareness of their designs through Red Carpet dressing and the resulting media coverage.

Nominees: Alessandra Rich, Roksanda Ilincic, Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham

ACCESSORY DESIGNER

The leading British designer of shoes, jewellery, millinery or accessories within the past year.

Nominees: Katie Hillier, Nicholas Kirkwood, Philip Treacy

NEW ESTABLISHMENT AWARD

The New Establishment Award recognises a particular movement in British fashion that is taking the industry by storm.
Nominees: Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Meadham Kirchhoff

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

The ultimate accolade, which recognises an internationally acclaimed, leading British designer of couture, ready-to-wear, knitwear or accessories who has directed the shape of fashion in the past year both in the UK and internationally.

Nominees: Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou, Stella McCartney
This year, the British Fashion Awards will also celebrate two additional awards: the BFC Outstanding Achievement Award and the British Style Award for style icon of the year, brought to you by Vodafone.

The Art Institutes Announces the 8th Annual Passion for Fashion Competition

Teens with a love of fashion and style are challenged to unleash their creativity for an opportunity to earn a tuition scholarship and be named a winner in The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition 2013.  Two national competition grand prize winners will each earn a half-tuition scholarship to attend an Art Institutes school, receive a VIP trip to New York City, participate in a "meet and greet" at Seventeen magazine's New York City offices, have lunch with a Seventeen Style Pro, receive a $500 shopping spree at DKNY with the Style Pro, and a $500 gift card to shop anywhere in the Big Apple.

"It is our distinct honor to present the eighth annual Passion for Fashion Competition.  We believe the competition serves as a vehicle where aspiring fashion professionals can express their zeal for an industry that is both dynamic and rewarding. It is a fun opportunity for high school seniors to showcase their creative ideas for the opportunity to earn a scholarship towards a hands-on fashion education," said John Pufahl, Vice President, Academic Affairs for The Art Institutes.

The competition consists of two separate categories: 1) Fashion Design and 2) Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management.  For the Fashion Design category, entrants submit three original sketches of an evening wear garment; and for the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management category, entrants submit a fashion trend forecast board.  Entrants must choose an Art Institutes school that they wish to represent in this competition, and later attend. Local competitions will take place at each participating Art Institutes school throughout U.S. and Canada.

Each local Fashion Design competition winner and each local Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management competition winner will earn a $3,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institutes school they represent in the competition.  Local first place winners in each category will move on to the national competition where the national grand prize winners will be chosen by a panel of fashion industry professionals.

The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition is open to legal residents of the fifty United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are full-or part-time high school seniors scheduled to graduate in 2013 with a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average.  Entries must be submitted at The Art Institutes Scholarship Competition site at www.AiCompetitions.com. Entries must be submitted online by February 14, 2013. To learn more about The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition, including how to enter, see official rules, and learn about other scholarship opportunities visit www.AiCompetitions.com/fashion.

The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of more than 50 schools located throughout North America. The Art Institutes schools provide an important source for design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University. OH Registration # 04-01-1698B; AC0165, AC0080; Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 1287, 3427, 3110, 2581. Since The Art Institutes is comprised of several institutions, see aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

Christmas Fashion Handbags Promotion

Recently, Efficacyhost.com, a popular fashion handbag supplier, introduced its Christmas Fashion Handbags collection with great discount, up to 59% off. Moreover, all the Handbags are free shipping worldwide.

Recently, Efficacyhost.com, a popular fashion handbag supplier, introduced its Christmas Fashion Handbags collection with great discount, up to 59% off. Moreover, all the Handbags are free shipping worldwide.

Many women can become excited when it comes to the topic of fashion handbags. Actually, most fashion bags are not affordable for most white-collars. The Christmas Fashion Handbags collection from Efficacyhost.com is to help people grab eyesights with handbags at acceptable prices. In addition, they are available in a wide variety of style and color.

"We have much experience in the fashion industry, and know what are the latest styles and what customers need. We believe that our Christmas Fashion Handbags Collection will be a stimulator of sales in the next two months. We are ready for this golden period of the holiday season." Said, Alisa Cork.

Fashion handbags have been one of the most important accessories for women to assist them to acquire a complete look. With a vast knowledge of craftsmanship and consumer needs, Efficacyhost.com has the confidence to do better in the future.

“We offer best products with fast delivery to customers, and they can receive our products within few days after payment. Furthermore, we also possess a top-quality guarantee service" added, Alisa Cork.
In addition, Efficacyhost.com offers in-depth reviews, coupons, and discounts for women fashion handbags in the market. It is providing several exclusive coupon and discount codes for reviewing products, and these coupon codes are regularly updated as new deals become available.

Rise of the non-fashion statement

In the modern world, there exists a group of people - the so-called "circle of fashion". Those belonging to this group regularly speak and spell names of designers from all over the world, and their free time is used to text friends to update them with phrases deriving from names of runway prints and trends, which change from one season to another.

Of course this is incomprehensible to those living outside that bubble - those who have other priorities aside from names and the premium prices used to create value in clothes. These people's "real" life of waking up, venturing into the traffic to get to work, and going back home again - the loop of everyday life - comes with more pressing necessity and pairing a suit colour with a new necktie, or thinking of new details of shoes that won't be on shelves for the next six months, are simply irrelevant.

Frankly speaking, the terms "what's in" and "what's out" have nothing to do with this majority of people. They do not heed the demands of fashion marketing mechanisms. Interestingly, it is this kind of je ne sais quoi that the fashion world is gearing towards. We're looking at these people who don't care to remember designers' names and wear whatever they want to wear without caring what trends are in. Amidst the intense competition of the fashion market, several brands are seriously looking at this segment in the market as a gap they can cash in on - the "non-fashion" field.


Acne Max Pure slim-fit jeans

The non-fashion movement has been gliding quietly into the main arena of fashion since about early 2006 when Ermenegildo Zegna Group announced a collaboration with Tom Ford to set up a new super-luxury brand by the former fashion emperor. It marked a new chapter for Ermenegildo Zegna, putting this suiting supremo on front pages of publications, and such a move served as a front-runner of the term "collaborated collection", which has now become a fixture in all fashion glossies. Unlike hiring new "it" designers, collaborations are a win-win situation for brands, gaining immense exposure through the hired design icons, and they don't need to risk losing their much-cherished identity - something that many non-fashion customers hold onto.

The easiest examples of this kind of collaborated collection can be seen in two footwear giants: Dr Martens and Converse. Their existence is a testament to the massive presence of non-fashion. Men who swear by Converse sneakers need not drink their espresso from a Bodum mug or sip Champagne like it's water. Dr Martens' signature rebellious look is based on the fact that it never follows trends, but sticking instead to brand identity and the spirit of British punk hidden in all members of Generation Y.

"It goes back to editing, and also appreciation of quality," J. Crew's creative director Jenna Lyons said of stocking non-fashion (and non-J. Crew) items. Some brand examples include Red Wing Shoes, Alden leather footwear, Sperry Top-Siders or even limited-edition models of New Balance shoes. In Lyons' view, these products respond to the needs of real men who don't look for any more glorious fashion elements than quality and everyday life utility.

So, without the fashion element, what exactly is the key message in each item for non-fashion people to discuss? What these non-fashion products boast can be likened to new engine specs of an automobile and the country that manufactures it - something not many females would understand.

"They come with tons of history and brand integrity," she said.

"It isn't a tribe or a cult or even a particularly inaccessible marker of privilege," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said of http://www.mrporter.com, the one-year-old men's apparel website under the Net-A-Porter website, which has gradually been gaining attention from men. What mrporter.com offers defines the demands of the non-fashion majority - something not overtly fashionable, and yet not ordinary.

"It's the sharpest, and in many ways the most egalitarian, too. It is agnostic as to style, catering to preps and eccentrics and even a bro or two," added Caramanica.

Although 60% of brands in the website's catalogue are fashion goliaths whose products the fashion maniac would search the world to acquire, their products also prove that it is a haven for non-fashion fanatics. Their online magazine - The Journal - is an accessible guide to men's lifestyle and revolves around non-fashion role models such as Daniel Craig, Jamie Hince and even Pablo Picasso. They are non-fashion, but their immaculate look is a testament to the fact that even when you don't run after the latest fashion trends, it doesn't mean you don't have style.