Archive for the ‘Designer Profiles’ Category

FASHION DESIGNER: Diane Von Furstenberg Profile

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Diane von Furstenberg fashion designerAs far as iconic American fashion designers go, you needn’t look any further than Diane von Furstenberg. Since her first knitted jersey wrap dress in 1972, Diane von Furstenberg has been a staple in fashion design around the world.

At 24 years old, this Belgian born designer started her fashion line with a $30,000 investment. Diane von Furstenberg quickly became known for her fashionable, yet comfortable garments most notably the wrap dress. Diane von Furstenberg made clothes that women wanted to wear and for her that was no fuss , figure flattering dresses in fashionable colours. This fashion designer filled a niche in the fashion world with stylish and affordable everyday clothing.

By 1976, Diane von Furstenberg had sold millions of her trademark wrap dresses. Her look has become so iconic that is has been included in the Smithsonian Institute.Diane von Furstenberg took a break from fashion in the 1980’s moving to Paris to fulfill her dream of having a literary salon. She returned to fashion in 1997 and with her son Alex Von Furstenberg’s help rebuilt her company to enjoy the greatest success!

Diane is not just all about fashion though, she has started lines of cosmetics, home-shopping companies, studios, written memoirs, designed a cell phone, decorated hotels and released a line of home furnishings. After over 30 years in the business, Diane von Furstenberg brand is sold in 50 countries around the world.

 

                                       Young Diane Von Furstenberg On The Cover Of Newsweek 1976 

In 2005, Diane von Furstenberg was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council Of Fashion Designers Of America (CDFA). The next year, she was elected as the CFDA president. She remains the president to this today.

Diane von Furstenberg’s rise is an inspiration to many women and she uses her time to inspire women. The fashion designer works to empower women through the Vital Voices Global Network and created the DVF Awards to recognize outstanding female leaders.

 

  • Share/Bookmark
2 Comments

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Tory Burch Profile

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Tory Burch fashion designerThe embellished tunic and the ballerina flats have one fashion designer to thank in the resurgence of their popularity. That fashion designer is Tory Burch. The maverick fashion success story behind the preppy-boho Tory Burch Fashion Line was first known for being a Manhattan socialite. This and Tory’s non fashion design background led to early on scepticism of the success of her fashion design business.

What most did not realize was that  Tory Burch started her working life in the fashion industry, as an assistant to fashion designer Zoran. She worked in a number of different facets in the fashion industry including at fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar and as a copywriter for Polo Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang. It was after working in the fashion industry for over 15 years,( she did take some time off to have 3 children) she then set out to create her own clothing line. She saw the opportunity to fill the niche for stylish clothing at an accessible price. The fashion designer said:

“I started the line because I had always loved fashion but was tired of paying designer prices. I didn’t feel there were many well-priced options out there for women who wanted chic and sophisticated clothing and accessories, but didn’t want to spend a designer price point.” – Elle Canada

Tory’s experience in the industry paid off as the fashion line became almost an immediate success. She launched her Tory Burch line in 2004. The classic American sportwear fashion line known for crisp lines, bold colours and ethnic style details was launched as a full ready-to-wear collection along with handbags, shoes and jewelry. On the first day of opening her flagship Manhattan store, the collection practically sold out. In the first year alone mega celebrities including Oprah Winfrey were already singing the praises of  Tory Burch’s fashions. The rest as they say is history, the brand is now carried in over 450 stores worldwide and 22 Tory Burch boutiques. She is known as one of the most successful fashion designers/lifestyle brands in America.

Here are some looks from her fall collection. Leather, sequins and high heeled construction boots all played a role in giving the Tory Burch fall collection a more rock and roll edge to the clothes. 

fall-fashion-tory-burch

You can purchase Tory Burch fashions on her website here, at any of her boutiques and at Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s.

  • Share/Bookmark
2 Comments

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Anna Sui Profile

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Real Style Fashion Designer Profile series provides the biographies of some of the remarkable fashion designers who influence  what we wear and how we look. This is Anna Sui’s Designer Profile.

anna-sui-headshot Since the age of four, Anna Sui knew she was meant for a life in fashion. As a child, she clipped fashion images from magazines. She dreamed of a life in the fashion world and even today these first images of fashion that she fell in love with inspire her to create her collections.

Anna Sui is known for her flirty, fun and feminine fashions.One of which was the uber popular collection for Target in 2009 which was based on the characters from Gossip Girl.

Her clothes always have a distinct boho feel to them with her inclusion of flowing fabrics and bright prints. This girly aesthetic has drawn young Hollywood to her garmets. The likes of Paris Hilton, Blake Lively, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Nicole Richie are all known to wear the Anna Sui brand.

People are attracted to my fashions because of all the elements I try to put into it — There’s always a very sweet feminine, girly aspect…a touch of nostalgia. There’s also the aspect of trendiness; the hipness I try to create by always adding a rock-and-roll coolness. There’s always that ambiguity…the Good Girl/Bad Girl thing. – Anna Sui

After attending Parsons The New School For Design, Anna Sui began designing and making her first fashion collection in her apartment. These homemade pieces were sold to huge retailers Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. That in itself was a pretty remarkable coup as the stores were turned onto the designer even though she was an unknown.

For the first ten years in the fashion business, Anna Sui never put together a formal runway show thus remaining a small boutique brand.Then after receiving encouragement from some of the top supermodels of the time including Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista she finally ventured into the big fashion arena and held her first fashion show in 1991. This show opened up the whole fashion world to Anna Sui helping her in to create the empire she has today.

Anna opened her first colourful and unique boutique in New York’s Soho District in 1992. This store had become the ideal of what the Anna Sui brand was and she soon started duplicating the magic. By 1997 her brand expanded into fragrances and was taking off in Asia in a big way. Now Anna Sui’s clothes, fragrances and accessories are available in 50 countries around the world. An amazing success story for a woman who herself says that when she started out , after she paid her employees she had no money left for a subway token and had to walk home!

Last year Anna Sui was honoured for her contributions to fashion with the Council Of Fashion Designers Of America Geoffery Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.

We have the photos of her/Winter 2010 collection at New York Fashion Week. The collection which was inspired by American arts and crafts movement defines her look. The clothing is delicate, free flowing and are detailed with intricate prints, trims and layering of multitudes of fabric. Vogue called this collection one of Anna’s finest showings.

See the images of her fall collection below to see why Anna Sui has become the iconic fashion designer she is today.

anna-sui-fall-fashion

  • Share/Bookmark
2 Comments

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Marc Jacobs Profile

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

marc-jacobs You can’t have a fashion blog without mentioning Marc Jacobs. Real Style Network’s Designer Profiles have featured many talented and emerging fashion designers. We are excited about this designer profile on Marc Jacobs, as he is THE must-have and must-see American designer of today.

A mercurial talent, Marc Jacobs is only defined by the fact that we never know what he will do next. He has created fashion looks ranging from NYC biker dude sporting a huge afro, one season just to switch it up to 50’s housewife proper and lady like the next. His recent Fall/Winter 2010 fashion line presented at New York Fashion Week had a classic, conservative retro feel. In previous seasons, Marc Jacobs has also been known to tap into the neons and bold fashions of the 80’s. Whether you love or hate his fashions, he remains a fashion forward innovator and trend setter in the industry. See him wearing the ‘skirt‘?  We guarantee you this will be a hot new look in upcoming seasons for men.

Jacobs has always known where the wind is blowing next, be it luxe logos, a prim fifties prettiness, or this new somber, romantic glamour. —Mark Holgate, Vogue

Marc Jacobs had a modest beginning living in New Jersey. As a teen he worked as a stock boy at a clothing boutique in New York City. He grew to attend the coveted Parsons School for Design. While still in school he designed and sold his first fashion line, a collection of hand knit sweaters.

In 1986, Marc Jacobs created his first real collection bearing his name. One year later he was the youngest designer to be awarded The Council Of Fashion Designers Of American Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. Year after year Marc Jacobs continued to awe the fashion world with his designs begin awarded The CFDA’s Women’s Designer Of The Year Award in 1992.

During the growth of his own line, Marc Jacobs also worked as designer at Perry Ellis. He was let go from the company in 1993 after creating a “grunge” line that turned heads. The flannel and Doc Marten looks wowed the press, but not the company. (Little did they know).

While Marc didn’t have the money to create the fashions he wanted after being fired, it opened him up to accept the call from a bigger company. As they say one door closes and another one opens!

In 1997, Marc Jacobs (alongside his long time business partner Robert Duffy) was appointed Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. Marc was allowed to create the first ready to wear collection for the luxury French fashion house. They also funded the first Marc Jacobs store on Mercer Street in New York. This was HUGE!

This New York fashion designer is as much a celebrity as those who wear his clothes. His rockstar persona got him into trouble in the 90’s with partying, but he has come through it now. His engagement to Lorenzo Martone has become front page news on fashion and celebrity blogs.

As of today there are several boutiques around the world featuring Marc’s many lines including his lower priced Marc by Marc Jacobs line, the Marc Jacobs menswear line and the Little Marc children’s line. Jacobs creates 8 full lines each year without counting his bags, shoes and perfumes. That’s one hard working man!

“If Ralph Lauren is a lifestyle, Marc Jacobs is an ethos. With his pitch-perfect instincts—say, using laconic, large-nosed Sofia Coppola in grainy, era-defining ads—he exerts an almost messianic pull.” —Lucy Kaylin, Executive Editor of Marie Claire GQ

Take a look at Marc Jacob’s Spring 2010 collection. This is why his clothes are so HOT!

marc-jacobs-spring-fashion-show

  • Share/Bookmark
4 Comments

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Nicole Miller Profile

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

nicole-miller-headshotFor our Designer Profile this week, Real Style Network is taking a look at American fashion designer Nicole Miller.

Creating truly beautiful pieces of fashion is an art. American designer Nicole Miller knows this and has combined her love of the arts with her passion for fashion in her life.

Nicole Miller is known for her feminine aesthetic in fashion design. Her dresses are the essence of modern femininity being both sophisticated and flirty. She creates fashion to flatter a woman’s body. Because of this, she has created fans out of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Nicole was one of the first designers to use celebrities on the runway and stars including Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Eva Longoria Parker continue to flock to her designs.

Nicole Miller grew up reading French Marie Claire and Vogue magazine that her Parisian mother had delivered from France. The designs she saw inspired her to delve into a life in fashion. She was trained at the Rhode Island School of Designer and Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Earning a degree in fine arts and the classic techniques of couture fashion, Nicole Miller has become an American fashion icon.

Nicole Miller’s first runway show was for the spring 1991 season and she hasn’t looked back since. While other fashion houses have faltered, Nicole Miller’s business has been growing each year from that point. She also designs handbags, shoes, intimates, coats, swimwear, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics and home furnishings. She is an independent and forward thinking woman who hasn’t given in to work under a larger label as many designer companies do.

Nicole Miller’s fashions often mix elements in clothes that other designers wouldn’t dare. She creates pieces that are complex and interesting. Her signature is using bright prints and patterns. She has said that the Nicole Miller woman is “She is the girl on the go, the mother, the daughter with an active lifestyle. Career woman or busy with family, she always has a lot going on in her life.”

Her fashions are not just for the rich and famous though. With the recent shift in economy, Nicole Miller took the initiative to broaden her horizons. In 2005, she became one of the first fashion designers to create a more affordable line to be sold in a large store. Her Nicole By Nicole Miller collection is available at JC Penney stores across the US.

There are a number of Nicole Miller stores in the US, but her collections are also available on her website and at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

nicole-miller-fashion

nicole-miller-fashion-2

  • Share/Bookmark
3 Comments

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: John Galliano Profile

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

John GallianoFor over 25 years, John Galliano has battled tough times to become what some consider to be one of the most influential fashion designers of our day, literally changing the clothes we wear.

Born in 1960, Galliano knew he had found his place when he arrived in the fashion world. The young daring designer didn’t waste any time getting attention. He graduated from St Martin’s College of Art and Design in 1984 and his first collection, Les Incroyables, inspired by the French Revolution, was bought by the London boutique Brown’s and completely sold out.

He continued and showed his first line at Paris Fashion Week in 1989. His vision often combining historical costume with a contemporary edge. The rave reviews he got were not without hardship. His label, Galliano, almost went bankrupt numerous times. Supermodels waived their fees to work with the designer. Yet it wasn’t until Anna Wintour took the fashion designer under her wing and introduced him to financial backers that the line became stable.

Eventually the Galliano fashion line was taken in by LVMH (one of the world’s largest luxury goods companies), a move that would forever change John Galliano’s life. In 1995, LVMH named Galliano the designer for Givenchy. This was the first time a British fashion designer would head up a French couture house. One year later, John Galliano would step up into one of the most prestigious roles in the fashion world. He was named designer for Christian Dior, a post he still holds.

He is known for his superb fashion shows that transport the audience to wherever he wants them to go. John Galliano changed the way we see clothes today, by insisting that the designs be cut closer to the body. While his clothes off the rack may be extravagant, his designs have influenced the styles today.

John Galliano has been awarded for his vision and skill on numerous occasions and he keeps striving for more. Through this decade, Galliano has expanded his fashion line to include bags, shoes, lingerie, fragrances and menswear. Between Dior and his own lines, Galliano currently creates six couture and ready-to-wear fashion lines and one mid-season collection each year.

John Galliano showed a luxurious collection for Fall 2010 at Paris Fashion Week, inspired by nomadic, warrior women. Voluminous, chiffon gowns, silk trousers and tulle gowns appeared on the runway. Fur was very prevalent in the collection, as we have seen before. Models wore huge headpieces of fur and feathers. Colours began in earthy tones, but opened up to include jewel tones and pastels. Trends of layering, draping and oversized clothing continued in Galliano’s fashion show.

John Galliano’s wildly romantic and often outrageous imagination is all his own. And it’s that untethered sense of fantasy and drama that has made him the most influential fashion designer of his generation. – Time
john-galliano1

[photo of John Galliano courtesy of pr photos, Galliano Spring/Summer 2010 photos courtesy of Galliano]

  • Share/Bookmark
1 Comment

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Mackage Profile

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

mackage-coat-kikoFrom an elementary school fantasy to the runways of New York Fashion Week, Canadian fashion line Mackage really is a dream come true.

Montreal natives, Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan’s dream began in elementary school where the pair met. They began sketching designs together imagining the day when their pictures could come to life. The pair attended La Salle College in Montreal where the idea grew. At 20 years old, the dream came alive in the form of Mackage.

Mackage is best known for their outerwear. Their coats are not only fashionable and beautifully tailored, but they are also warm and functional. These are stylish winter coats that can actually withstand a Montreal winter. They create elegant, timeless silhouettes with their leather, wool and fur lined coats that women of every age crave.

Celebrities Halle Berry, Andie McDowell and Catherine Zeta-Jones have discovered the luxury of each Mackage coat.

Ten years later, Mackage is internationally known. They recently opened a store in Paris and showed at New York Fashion Week for the third time. In 2009, the design duo debuted a new line, Soia & Kyo. This line is more youthful with bright colours and less of a focus on leather.

This year Mackage debuted their first full ready-to-wear collection to positive reviews. This dream is not over yet.

mackage-outerwear

  • Share/Bookmark
3 Comments

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring/Summer 2010 Collection

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

karl-lagerfeld-jackets-spring-2010For the Karl Lagerfeld Spring/Summer 2010 Collection the jackets are structured with round exaggerated shoulders and sport nipped in waists. Bottoms are mainly high-waisted shorts and mini skirts.

karl-lagerfeld-dress-spring-2010As is common with Karl Lagerfeld, the line sticks mainly to a black and white theme that easily works into any wardrobe. There are some navy blue pieces and a pop of coral to add drama to the duel coloured collection.

The collection has a classic feel with updated timeless silhouettes. Karl Lagerfeld has updated some of these classics to match the current fashion trends. You will see little additions of cutout dresses, ruffles and leather scattered throughout the line.

[Photos courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld]

  • Share/Bookmark
2 Comments

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Karl Lagerfeld Profile

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

karl-lagerfeldWhat name comes up when you think of modern fashion industry legends? Among a list of the top names in fashion sits Karl Lagerfeld, a man who has been in the fashion industry for decades working at the most coveted fashion houses ever. His 50 years on the fashion business have not been without controversy. See below for some of the highlights.

History:
Karl Lagerfeld grew up in Germany always knowing that he wanted a place in the fashion world. He moved to Paris in the 50’s to begin his informal education in fashion and quickly won a spot as Pierre Balmain’s assistant after beating Yves Saint Laurent in a design competition.

Karl Lagerfeld earned his dues working hard to perfect his design. His first haute couture collection for Jean Patou was actually booed by the press. Karl didn’t let that stop him from achieving his dream and he moved forward.

In 1972, Karl Lagerfeld began working for the fashion house Fendi, a collaboration that still exists to this day.

In 1983, Lagerfeld was named the art director of Chanel and together the fashion house and Lagerfeld have become a brand to be reckoned with. Karl Lagerfeld is the only major fashion designer without a house to call his own. But he has transformed Chanel and brought it into the modern day.

Currently he designs collections for Chanel, Fendi, Lagerfeld, Karl Lagerfeld and k Karl Lagerfeld.chanel-couture-fashion

The Artist:
Lagerfeld is not just a fashion designer though. The man is a skilled artist who has illustrated books and an achieved photographer. For decades, Karl Lagerfeld has been shooting the ad campaigns for Chanel and Fendi as well as taking pictures for fashion magazines, such as V Magazine.

Controversy:
Through the years, Lagerfeld has been the subject of controversy. In the 1990’s, Anna Wintour walked out of a Fendi show when Karl Lagerfeld used strippers and adult film stars as models.

His use of fur has caused a longstanding battle with PETA, who tried to pie him in 2001. Karl Lagerfeld has said about fur: In a meat eating world, wearing leather for shoes and even clothes, the discussion of fur is childish.

More recently he has received criticism on his input on the weight issues of models. The fashion designer said that Heidi Klum “is no runway model. She is simply too heavy and has too big a bust.” And caused outrage by saying that “no one wants to see round models.”

Karl Lagerfeld stands alone in the fashion world. Because of his intellect, because of his mastery of dressmaking, because of his German love of literature and humor, because of his evergreen curiosity, he alone among the designers of his generation has stayed vital and contemporary. He was trained in couture in the 1950s by people who were themselves trained in the 1920s, and it’s safe to say there is not a technique or trick he does not know. – New York Times

Love him or hate him. As Dior and Yves St. Laurent, Lagerfeld name is forever associated with high fashion of the 20th and now the 21st century.

[Karl Lagerfeld photo courtesy of PR Photos, Chanel Couture photo via Lisa Tant]

  • Share/Bookmark
3 Comments

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

FASHION DESIGNER: Kimberly Ovitz Profile

Monday, January 25th, 2010

kimberly-ovitz-dressHow many emerging fashion designers can say that just a year after launching their first line they have made fans of celebrities Chloe Sevigny and Olivia Wilde and have Anna Wintour attending their shows? Well, Kimberly Ovitz can and we can see why.

At 25-years-old, fashion designer, Kimberly Ovitz is making her name heard loud and clear in the fashion world. She always knew that she wanted to be a designer and dedicated her life to getting where she is today. She started her journey at 16 years old working an internship for J. Crew, but moved up the ranks to a spot interning for Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld.

In 2009, she launched her own line and quickly became known for her minimalist, androgynous style. Her Spring/Summer 2010 line follows in those same ideas with simple silhouettes and timeless pieces. She was inspired for her Spring/Summer 2010 pieces by minimalist design and art and the equestrian lifestyle.

Kimberly Ovitz told Style.com: This season is a lot more fluid, with more wrapped silhouettes. And I’m adding colour for the first time.

Her pieces are favoured because they are easily taken from day to night without being too dressy. She says that that the Kimberly Ovitz woman is edgy and not overly sophisticated. The Spring/Summer 2010 fashion line has something for every woman. It includes luxurious silk dresses and silk chiffon shirts, seersucker shorts, organic cotton dresses and tops to the extremes leather everything (jackets, pants and dresses) and stretch polyurethane dresses. There are even knits in linen and suede cording.

You can buy Kimberly Ovitz’ Spring-Summer collection at Holt Renfrew in Canada, Neiman Marcus or online at Net-A-Porter.

kimberly-ovitz-spring-summer-2010

Related Posts with Thumbnails
  • Share/Bookmark
2 Comments

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer

« Older Entries