Archive for the ‘Designer Profiles’ Category
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Montreal fashion designer Denis Gagnon is quickly becoming one of Canada’s hottest designers and is loved for his flattering, minimalistic and body conscious garments. The fashion designer says that his inspiration to create each season’s collection is “The constant search to represent modernity.”
Denis Gagnon started his life in fashion as an art director. Working with fashion designer Yso on movies, advertising and theatre, Denis had the vision to dress the world in his own fashion instead of that of another.
Since the creation of his first line, Denis Gagnon has gained the attention of fashion fans across the country. In 2004, he was awarded the Fashion Export Award for best designer in his hometown of Montreal. A retrospective of his designs will be shown at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts this fall and a documentary entitled Je m’appelle Denis Gagnon premiered this year. Despite his growing fame and praise in the fashion industry here, Denis Gagnon chooses to stick close to Montreal and Toronto and continues to show his collections in these cities each season.
His recent 2010 line marks a return to fashion after a brief absence from the Canadian fashion scene. For Spring/Summer 2010, Denis Gagnon followed modern fashion trends with a celebration of the zipper. His line mixes couture style with functional fashion in his signature leather fabrics using the popular nude shades of the season. His fall fashion line continued that trend while using leathers in new fringe and weaves to create a new look.
While Denis Gagnon’s fashions are sold at his upscale boutique and Holt Renfrew, he is said to be working on an affordable collaborative fashion line with Bedo to be released this fall and a shoe line for Aldo.
Here are some looks from the Denis Gagnon fall fashion show:
[Denis Gagnon photo: Christine Roy]
Tags: Canadian fashion designer, Denis Gagnon, FASHION, fashion designer, Montreal fashion, Montreal fashion designer
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Some people make clothes because of a drive to dress the world or to fill a niche, but the men behind Rag & Bone, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, just wanted to create functional well-made fashion for their friends.
Marcus Wainwright and David Neville dove into the fashion industry learning how to cut, sew and create patterns from people who had been creating clothing for years in garment factories. They had their sights set on creating jeans and denim clothing with their high standards of quality. Two years later Rag & Bone launched their first line.
Fast forward a few short years, Rag & Bone has expanded from a menswear line to a full fashion outlet including menswear, womenswear, children’s wear, footwear and accessories known for their modern take on fashion classics.
Rag & Bone has managed to become Oh So British and Oh so Cool all at the same time. This is why theirs is one of the hottest fashion lines RIGHT now!Put it this way, in eight years the Rag & Bone designers went from nothing to winning Menswear Designers of the Year at the CFDA Awards this year. This is huge in the industry!
And they show no signs of slowing down; their fall/winter 2010collection was widely acknowledged as their strongest so far. Separates with British and menswear influence created a modern look with a classic feel. Tweed, kilts, plaid shirts, shearling show the influence of 20th century British explorers and capture the IT British cool chic moment of Alexa Chung and company. See our picks from the Rag & Bone Fall/Winter 2010 collection:
Find Rag & Bone at their two flagship stores in New York City, Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman.
Tags: Alexa chung fashion, British cool fashion, David Neville, denim, fall fashion, Fall/Winter 2010, Marcus Wainwright, Rag & Bone, Rag & Bone fall/winter 2010, rag & bone fashion
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
If you are in awe of the gorgeous red carpet gowns worn by celebrities, then chances are at one point or another you have fawned over a gown by fashion designer Elie Saab.
Starting out in his native country of Lebanon, Elie was designing by the age of 9. By 18 his first Atelier opened to praise in the local press. He moved to Europe in the 90’s and was invited to show at Paris Fashion Week. It wasn’t until 2002 when Halle Berry wore the famous burgundy gown to accept her Oscar at the 74th Academy awards that Elie Saab really burst on the world stage. Since then he has outfitted everyone from Fergie to Marion Cottilard to Rihanna, just to name a few.
Elie Saab is known for his feminine and romantic fashion vision. The fall/winter 2010 fashion line uses feminine fabrics such as lace and airy chiffon to create cocktail dresses and gowns. The line is made up of mainly dark shades of black, navy and grey, but has a splash of colour in lighter chiffon gowns and sequin dresses. His line this season was more wearable than usual with sheath dresses and suits that would be appropriate for the Real Style woman. Here are some of our favourite looks from the Elie Saab fall collection:
You can shop for Elie Saab at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Holt Renfrew or at his boutiques in France, The UK and Lebanon.
Halle Berry 2002 Oscar Gown
[photos via Elie Saab]
Tags: designer profile, elie saab, Elie Saab dress, Elie Saab gown, fall fashion, fall fashion trends, fashion designer, halle berry, Halle Berry Oscar gown, haute couture fashion
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer, Fashion Shows, Runway Report
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
As The Queen Of Seventh Avenue, fashion designer Donna Karan dedicated her life to creating clothes that she herself would be comfortable wearing each day. Her eponymous Donna Karan fashion line remains a staple of the New York fashion scene with its wardrobe staples that can be combined to create stylish professional looks for the modern woman.
Donna Karan started her fashion design career at Anne Klein where she worked her way up the ladder to eventually become head designer of the brand in the 70’s. She created her own line in 1984 and quickly became known for her essential separates that work into the modern woman’s wardrobe.
After the success of her own line, Donna Karan created one of (if not the first) diffusion line for younger fashion mavens, DKNY. The success of DKNY was followed up with DKNY Jeans and DKNY for Men. Donna Karan has been honoured with awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America on seven different occasions including winning designer of the year more than once and a lifetime achievement award.
You can find DKNY at her New York and London flagship boutiques or at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Holt Renfrew. Here are some of our favorite looks from the DKNY fall/winter 2010 line and we also absolutely LOVED the Mondrian inspired prints. You can see more photos here:
For the Donna Karan 2011 resort collection, the fashion designer showed many long flowing draped dresses that we loved. She also showed professional looks that would work perfectly to brighten up the style at the office. Her staples of black and white have been jazzed up with sequins and silver to give the office wardrobe some pizzazz. These day-to-night looks can be added to your existing wardrobe to keep you on the cutting edge of new fashion trends.
Tags: donna karan, Donna Karan fashion, fall fashion, fashion trends
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer, Runway Report
Monday, August 9th, 2010
Never one to hide in the shadows, fashion designer Betsey Johnson has been creating one of a kind, out of the box designs for over 40 years. Her fun, little girl style has been delighting the hearts of girly girls of all ages with ruffles and lace since she was first inspired to step into the world of fashion.
Betsey Johnson’s love of fashion came from a childhood based in dance. The costumes around her inspired her into a world of fashion where she could create her signature look. Scoring a job at a London boutique Betsey began her career as a designer the same way she does it today, creating funky, sexy, whimsical styles that only she could dream up. Since the beginning Betsey Johnson’s style has been at the heart of the wild arts and rock and roll scene. She opened her first boutique in 1969 with rock stars from Velvet Underground wearing her unique fashion. All the while Betsey Johnson has continued to create fashion that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
In 1978, Betsey Johnson partnered up with Chantal Bacon to create her eponymous label that you know today. Her passion, drive and original style has been honoured time and again over the years. Betsey Johnson has received numerous lifetime achievement awards and was inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame in 2002. As a breast cancer survivor, Betsey Johnson brings her spirit to each piece of clothing she designs.
For fall 2010 season, Betsey Johnson showed a line that was, as always, flirty and whimsical. Similar to Vivienne Westwood, Betsey Johnson mixed print, patterns and colours to create bright girly outfits. The looks were layered with all of the ruffles and lace you could ever need to release your girly side.
Betsey Johnson’s fashions are available in her 65 worldwide boutiques. Dresses are approximately $350.00, but you can find them for an even more affordable print at the end of the season. Here are some of our favourite looks from the Betsey Johnson’s fall fashion:
Tags: betsey johnson, Betsey Johnson dress, Betsey Johnson fall fashion, Betsey Johnson fashion, designer profile, fall fashion, fashion designer
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer
Saturday, August 7th, 2010
Yesterday Real Style Network told you about the wild and influential designs of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood from her Red Label collection. If you are looking for something even bigger and bolder for your fashion trends, Vivienne Westwood’s Gold Label is here to fulfill your fashion needs.
In the Gold Label, Vivienne Westwood took many of the ideas we saw in the Red Label to new heights. With a three musketeers inspiration, the Gold Label fashions are even more voluptuous with more colour. Everything in the Gold Label line is over the top with whimsical makeup that even goes as far as to paint mustaches and goatees on the models. Since Vivienne Westwood often takes her inspiration from the historical fashions from England and France, it should be no surprise that in the Gold Label line you will see everything from 17th century damsels in distress in over exaggerated skirts to the Esmeralda gypsy queen.
While a lot of Vivienne Westwood’s runway shows are pure theatre, there are fashion trends in all of the drama that translate to real life style. Layering, mixing textures and patterns, baggy, draped, loose and voluminous clothing are all fashion trends we are seeing from the fashion designer.
Here are some of the looks from fashion designer Vivienne Westwood’s Gold Label:
Tags: fall fashion, fall fashion show, fashion designer, fashion trends, vivienne westwood, Vivienne Westwood fashion, vivienne westwood Gold Label
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer, Fashion Shows, Runway Report
Friday, August 6th, 2010
From Punk Rock Princess to fashion legend, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has become one of the most iconic, and well known fashion designers of our time. Her usually over the top and dramatic fashions on the runway often signal a new change in clothing shapes, lengths, colour and even texture.
It all started when Vivienne Westwood opened her first store, Let It Rock, with Malcolm McClaren in 1970. Throughout the 70’s Vivienne Westwood would work with legendary rock and roll bands including The Sex Pistols (who are actually named after Westwood’s store). Together Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McClaren brought edgy punk and new wave fashions to the mainstream.
Vivienne Westwood designs have never been simple ready to wear events. Her first runway fashion show in 1981 featured the Pirate collection, which started off a decade long love affair for pirate fashion in all the designer collections.
From Punk Rock princess to purveyor of high fashion, Vivienne Westwood has become one of the most iconic designers of our day and her fashion can be seen in every aspect of society. From the youths of the day with ripped clothing to the big screen in Sex & The City where Carrie Bradshaw wears a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown. She has been named British Designer of The Year three times and has been awarded the Order of the British Empire, and is actually Dame Vivienne Westwood.
For fall 2010, Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label fashion line consisted of colourful, layered multi-textural looks for the outgoing fashionista. The fashion designer piled on skirts, jackets, pullovers, knee high socks and colourful leggings into voluminous looks. Vivienne combined unusual patterns and colour combinations that at first glance you would never think of. Given a second look though, she pulls the fashion together through the details.
Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label fashion is available at her showrooms in London, Paris, Los Angeles and Milan as well as online at luxury fashion sites such as Yoox. Pieces in the Vivienne Westwood Red Label are quite affordable for designer fashion and their worth checking out
Here are our favourite looks from the Vivienne Westwood Red Label:
Tags: designer profile, fall fashion, fashion designer, Malcolm McClaren, punk fashion, The Sex Pistols, vivienne westwood, Vivienne Westwood fashion, Vivienne Westwood Red Label
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer, Fashion Shows, Runway Report
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
After bowling over the competition on Project Runway with his “fierce” fashion, designer Christian Siriano dived right into the fashion industry making sure to keep his name in the forefront of fashion.
Whereas some reality show winners fade into the background, at just 24 years old Christian Siriano is expanding his fashion reach every year. He learned from the best working with fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen to hone his craft. He already has an affordable line with Payless Shoes, a Victoria’s Secret makeup line and a collaboration with Puma alongside his regular fashion line. He has made celebrity fans out of everyone from Rihanna to Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga and even dressed Whoopi Goldbreg when she hosted the 2008 Tony Awards.
For the fall season, Christian Siriano showed a very wearable line of city street style clothing for the professional young woman. He presented ladylike outerwear, suits and sheath dresses that are cut close to the body in dark colours. Military leather looks returned to runway continuing this fall fashion trend for another season. The hem lines are above the knee, but not too short which is a nice change from the super short fashion trends we have been seeing. Draped and strapless dresses with accents like big bows made up the more colourful evening wear gowns.
Christian Siriano designs are available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Intermix and in his online store.
Tags: Christian Siriano, Christian Siriano designs, Christian Siriano dress, Christian Siriano fashion, designer profile, fall fashion, fashion designer, payless shoes, project runway, Runway Report, victoria's secret
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer, Fashion Shows, Runway Report
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
As 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.
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.
Tags: CDFA, Council Of Fashion Designers Of America, designer profile, diane von furstenberg, Diane Von Furstenberg cruise 2010, Diane von Furstenberg fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress, DVF, DVF awards, DVF resort 2010 collection, DVF wrap dress, fashion designer, fashion designer profile
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
The 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.
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.
Tags: American Fashion Designer, designer profile, fall fashion, FASHION, fashion designer, Tory Burch
Posted in Designer Profiles, Fashion Designer
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