Hip, Hot, High-End Fashion

Define beautiful.  Does the generic definition, delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration, accurately describe all that encompasses this word?  Or is beautiful an unattainable standard that the media has developed?  Women are exposed to thousands of advertisements every day encouraging them to be society’s distorted perception of beautiful. 

                Five percent of the population of women accurately portray this nearly impossible body type;  a big bust with a size double zero waist and long legs.  Although, each of these features would be nice to have as a woman, combining them on one body begins to create health disorders and psychological issues.  Women are willing to risk their health and state of mind in order to perfect this idea of beauty. 

                This should come as no surprise.  The infamous doll women played with as children named, Barbie, has body proportions that would be impossible for a healthy woman to obtain.  If Barbie was real, her back would be too weak to support her bust and her stomach would be too narrow to contain half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel.  What about this image is beautiful? 

                To the media, everything about their developed perception of beauty is beautiful.  The media has mastered the ability to make women believe they must buy the newest dietary supplement, wear the best make up to conceal their blemishes, and purchase hair products so they will have bounce, volume, and shine.  Beauty has become a money-making marketplace.

                A price tag should not define beautiful.  It seems society has forgotten that beauty often times comes from within.  Looks tend to fade, but personality and a kind heart always remains.  So why is it that we allow the media to shape our image?  It all seems silly when you take a step back and consider the message that is being sent to society, yet a majority of us attempt to follow it.  Fear of taking a stand and going against the desired norm consumes us. 

                We find it acceptable for women to be portrayed as vulnerable objects.  Many women find it necessary to have a breast “enhancement” because the breasts they were born with are either too small, too pointy, too jiggly, too lop-sided, too far apart, or too close together.  They find surgery necessary to make them more attractive and pleasing.  Many fail to realize that after surgery they lose sensation and feeling in their breasts, so who are they really trying to please? 

                Men now have the expectation for women to resemble the photo-shopped and edited versions of women they are surrounded by every day in advertisements.  When women do not meet this expectation they feel pressured to fulfill the standard men are searching for.  In an attempt, they begin to binge and purge or starve themselves and as a result risk their lives and become depressed.

                Is it really worth fulfilling this distorted perception of beauty to fit in with the social norms that the media has developed for society?  Women should feel beautiful in their own skin, whether it be white, black, yellow, purple, pink, or blue.  Women should be comfortable with their body, whether it be skinny, curvy, flat, or voluptuous.  Each individual whether male or female obtains beauty.  I pray for the day each individual realizes he or she is beautiful whether the media thinks so or not.  It is not left in the media’s hands to decide if you are beautiful, it is left in your hands to discover that you are.

                The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is finally here.  As always there will be plenty of eye candy for the men, but it’s the ladies who will really be drooling.  Tonight, Victoria’s Secret Angel Marisa Miller will be taking the catwalk and turning every head in the process.  Although the men might be looking at the beautiful model, the women will not be able to take their eyes off of the $3 million Harlequin Fantasy Bra worn upon her chest.  The jaw-dropping piece of lingerie contains 2,350 diamonds crisscrossing the cups and hanging at the crux of the décolletage, a  16-carat heart-shaped diamond pendant, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

                Due to the difficult economic times the Harlequin is the most modest of the Fantasy Bra’s that have been worn in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in years past.  It has one tenth the total carats of last year’s Black Diamond, less than a third of the total diamonds of the 2007 Very Sexy Holiday, and costs one fourth of the 2005 Sexy Splendor, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

                I’ve always thought a nude colored bra was what was considered modest or bland, but Victoria’s Secret took my idea of modest lingerie to the next level (or three levels).  Although it may be beautiful, sparkly, and every girl’s dream to own, it is completely impractical.  I just can’t picture a woman waking up in the morning and simply throwing on her $3 million bra.  With attempts to make the bra a little more practical, the Victoria’s Secret Plunge Multi-Way was the chosen bra for the Harlequin.  This allows the bra to be worn five different ways: strapless, halter, crossback, one-strap, or classic, according to Victoria’s Secret Online.  Who would want to purchase an item that expensive only to cover it up and hide it in the end?

                The bra was designed exclusively for the retailer by a team of 15 designers and craftsmen from famed jeweler Damiani, according to the Lingerie Post.  Damiani said about 800 hours of work went into creating and making the piece. 

                Let me just say, if I ever purchase/receive a $3 million bra that someone put 800 hours of work into making, I’m not sure I will ever take it off.  While I’m dreaming, I might as well add to my wish list that I would like to be the next Marisa Miller.  Hopefully that memo reaches the North Pole before the 25th of December.

The 2008 Fantasy Bra

This slideshow gives a few tips on how to have a hip and stylish look without emptying your bank account.  You don’t have to by designer apparel to get the look.  Just keep your wardrobe simple, with neutral colors.  Add accessories that compliment your outfit, but don’t overdo it.  Always remember you can mix and match your closet to create multiple outfits, while saving money at the same time. 

http://photopeach.com/album/13w390q

                The financial crisis has hit the fashion industry.  High-end fashion designer  Christian Lacroix, recently became the recession’s favorite victim.  Recently, the well-known fashion house bearing his name filed for court protection from creditors.  The voluntary petition was filed to the commercial court in Paris.  The court is left to decide whether to restructure or liquidate the company. 

                Potential buyers have expressed interest in acquiring the luxury fashion house.  Unfortunately, the prospective buyers did not submit financial guarantees to represent their proposals by a deadline that expired last Thursday.  Since the prospective buyers missed the date to deposit their checks, the court is now free to decide whether to accept the liquidation plan submitted by the house’s owners. 

                The intended plan envisioned by the owners is to pay off the house’s creditors with its licensing deals and to rid nearly all the employees.  They only intend to keep 11 employees who would administer the house’s accessory and perfume licenses. 

                The fashion house was founded in 1987 by Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.  According to The New York Times, the concept was to start with haute couture, at the apex of the luxury pyramid, and develop from it a range of ready-to-wear apparel, accessories and fragrances.

                Despite the company’s critical success, it never turned over a profit.  In 2008, the house of Christian Lacroix ran up losses of 10 million euros (14.9 million dollars) for sales of 30 million euros.  Lacroix said, “he was forced to declare insolvency due to the sharp downturn of the luxury market.”

                Christian Lacroix fashion house is not the only high-end luxury store being affected by the recession and financial turmoil.  Chanel recently laid off 200 temporary employees and Versace announced that revenue fell by 13 percent in the first quarter. 

                According to the New York Times, “the lessons seem to be that it is now difficult to survive in high fashion without being part of a corporate group that can invest in product development and flagship stores and that the pyramid model is no longer viable.”

                It is disheartening to see this high-end fashion house slowly dwindle and disappear before our eyes.  Christian Lacroix was the last fashion house to be established under formal couture rules.  Even if the house can be restructured, there will still be serious implications.  Although it is only natural for luxury goods to become unnecessary during times of hardship, it doesn’t make it any easier to accept the slow disappearance of designer fashion.  It is impossible to purchase high-end designs at a time like this, but I wish there was a way for the intricate designs and talented designers to remain appreciated.   

Daul Kim, international supermodel, was found dead in her Paris apartment Thursday morning.  The cause of her death has yet to be confirmed, but sources within the fashion industry suspect Daul committed suicide. 

Next Models, Kim’s modeling agency, said in a statement, “She was a top model and a great friend to all of us at Next.  Please respect her family’s privacy at this time of sadness.  We will all miss her very much.”

According to JooAng Daily, this year Kim left Elite Models, an agency in New York, signed with Next Model Management, and moved with her family to France.  Kim was a familiar face at fashion events.  She modeled for world famous fashion designers such as Chanel, Dries Van Noten, and Alexander McQueen.  Her most recent appearance was at Seoul Fashion Week in October this year, according to Epoch Times, Kim was known on the catwalks for her thick mane of hair and her quirkiness.  The 178 centimeter tall model was appreciated for her sense of style, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. 

Along with being a top model, Kim was also a painter and film director and authored a book on Seoul last year.  She was an accomplished woman dedicated to hard work, but despite her success Kim was consumed by depression and loneliness.

Kim authored a popular blog where she shared poetry, photos, and music.  On Thursday, her last blog post was titled “Say Hi to Forever” and included a link to a video of the song “I Go Deep” by British singer Jim Rivers.  “It appears she felt stressed about her work and ambivalent towards her hometown,” said the Epoch Times. 

Although I did not know Daul Kim, I feel sorry for her and the emotional struggles she faced day to day.  She was beautiful, talented, and incredibly successful, yet something was missing from her life.  Perhaps she occupied herself with work in attempts to cover up the emptiness she felt within.  Despite her fame in the fashion world, it appears she wasn’t searching for fame or fortune, but happiness.  It might seem cliché, but money really can’t buy a person happiness.  It seems intangible objects love, acceptance, and contentment, the things we can’t put a price tag on in life are what determine our happiness.  Daul Kim will truly be missed and always remembered.     

Joan Weinstein, the Queen of Fashion on Oak Street, recently passed away on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the age of 74.  Weinstein will be remembered for introducing Chicago to some of the most profound high-end fashion designers.  Within Weinstein’s boutique were the fashions of Giorgio Armani, Sonia Rykiel, and Jil Sander. 

The boutique, Ultimo, first opened in 1969 as a high-end men’s store by Ms. Weinstein’s husband, Jerry.  Although Ms. Weinstein had no previous experience with fashion, her husband suggested she use the second floor of the building to sell women’s clothing.   She always had an innate sense of what styles looked good. 

In the early 1970′s Mr. Weinstein died at the age of 46.  After her husband’s death Ms. Weinstein took the business on herself and eventually expanded the Ultimo boutique into the cities of San Francisco and Dallas.  She retired in 1999, after 30 years of running the successful business.

“It was time to move on.  I was tired of the day to day retailing business.   It’s seven days a week if you want to be successful, and we wanted to be successful.  We were in it for 30 years.  That’s a long time.  Now, I’m much happier,” Ms. Weinstein said.

Ms. Weinstein never did much to attract business to her store.  She believed most of her business simply came from word-of-mouth.  Ultimo remained well-known to the world of fashion because of Ms. Weinstein’s long involvement with the business.  Her trips to New York and Europe “gave her dibs on budding designers like Armani and cemented her reputation with the fashion elite,” according to Chicago Breaking News. 

“It helped that we went to Europe to buy before just about anybody.  We learned this business when European ready-to-wear was just emerging.  The Europeans knew our names and respected our business.  We had the jump on others,” Ms. Weinstein said. 

After selling the business in 1999, she moved to Miami Beach, but continued to serve as a consultant for IKRAM, “a high fashion Chicago designer boutique opened by a former salesperson (Ikram Goldman) from Ultimo,” according to Chicago Now. 

“She was magical.  She brought a sense of empowerment to women.  The effect is in every women that knew her,” Goldman said. 

Joan Weinstein is an inspiration to those who dream of being successful in the fashion world, but who aren’t sure where to begin.  Weinstein proves that by working hard and having a keen eye for style and what looks good, you can go far in life.  If you are willing to put in the time and effort, you can achieve what you have always dreamed of and the end results are proven to be rewarding. 

The bustling city of Chicago

                Supermodel Naomi Campbell, has become fed up with the fashion industry discriminating against black models.  Recently, Campbell put on a “Fashion for Relief Charity Event” in Africa in an effort to bring more black influence into the fashion industry.

                “Women of color who have had a great experience in life need to share their experiences with others.  The world is not made up of blonde hair and blue eyes.  We need to share ourselves,” Campbell said.

                At the fashion show, the British supermodel brought together flamboyant outfits laced with beads, peacock feathers, and big necklaces from local designers, as well as aspiring models from across the continent who are competing to be the new ‘Face of Africa’, according to The Daily Mail.

                After taking the runway for the first time in Africa, Campbell found that the continent has great potential.  “Africa is a place of tragedy, but I see beauty everywhere,” she said.  Campbell can look beyond the health issues and poverty, and find beauty and elegance hidden behind eyes of despair.  Although the women in Africa may not portray the typical body image seen on runways, they should not be discriminated against for appearing different, but rather accepted and appreciated for their individual characteristics.         

                Campbell is a global ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance, an international coalition for maternal health.  The Alliance focuses on bringing awareness to the effort specifically in Tanzania, where a woman dies in childbirth every hour.   All the proceeds raised from the fashion show in Dar es Salaam will go to support maternal health.  According to The Daily Mail, one of the dresses Campbell wore by local designer Mustafa Hassanali was auctioned off to charity for $10,000.  “No woman should die giving birth,” said Campbell from the catwalk at the end of the show. 

                Campbell should be admired for her efforts to stop the stereotypical perception of beauty and to bring about awareness of maternal health.  It is comforting to know that a supermodel herself disagrees with the socially accepted body structure that takes the runways and is willing to make a known effort that this must be changed.  According to the Telegraph, Campbell launched Fashion for Relief in 2005 to galvanize the fashion community to raise funds in times and places of need.    ”I am still an exception in this business.  I always have to work harder to be treated equally,”  Campbell said in an interview.  I hope Campbell’s efforts will bring about enough awareness to promote change, within the fashion industry and the rest of the world.

Naomi Campbell

For the first time ever Pakistan held its very own Fashion Week.  The Pakistan Fashion Week was held to promote a positive image that would change the nation’s stereotypical reputation.  According to the Daily Times, the organizers of the show hoped to prove that Pakistan also has a glamorous side and doesn’t strictly revolve around violence and militant extremism.  Ironically, the show was postponed twice due to threats to security.  The threats drove away foreign fashion designers and models, but the Pakistan fashion world was determined for their designs and models to take the runway.  Designer Rizwan Beyg said, “A dark picture of Pakistan is being painted globally, and we wanted to show that there is a lot of creativity and artistry that survives in the face of all opposition.”

                Thirty of the country’s top designers and thirty of their top models participated in the four-day Pakistan Fashion Week.  With the war occurring in Pakistan there was a large chance that the show could be a target, but surprisingly most of those who attended and watched the show appeared relaxed.  A young and upcoming designer Sanam Agha said, “We want to show that there is positivity in Pakistan, that there is hope for people to continue living at least a certain kind of life, even in the face of terror.”

                It was a promising idea to change the reputation of Pakistan by promoting a positive reputation through fashion and creativity, but it worries me that the designers and those who came to see the show were willing to put their lives at risk.  It saddens me that they have to live their lives in fear.  I am glad to know that those at the show were relaxed and enjoying themselves, and for a moment felt at peace because they became consumed in the world of fashion.  This proves that fashion is more than just clothing.  The designs are art and the runway is a stage for theater.  Fashion has the capability to take the audience to an imaginative world that goes beyond fabrics and accessories. 

                The designs presented at the show ranged from vicious spiked bracelets and body armor to being conservatively covered only revealing shoulders  and tattoos according to phillyburbs.com.  The male models wore long, Islamic robes as well as shorts and sequined T-shirts. 

                Although the Pakistan Fashion Show faced many challenges, the designers were determined to promote their creativity.  Each hoped to prove their nation is filled with talented people who often go unseen and unappreciated due to their nation’s negative reputation. 

1854- Louis Vuitton opened his first store in Paris.  There Vuitton founded his trademark, “the Louis Vuitton Trunk-Maker.”

1856- Thomas Burberry opened his own store in Basingstoke, Hampshire.  In 1880 Burberry invented gabardine fabric.  Gabardine is a water resistant, yet breathable fabric.  The yarn is waterproofed before weaving.

1912- Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel opened her first shop.  By 1920 she became a premier fashion designer in Paris, France.  Chanel is widely known for her elegant corset dresses and elaborate costume jewelry.

1913- Mario Prada began a leather goods store named Fratelli Prada, meaning “Prada Brothers” in Italian.  The store sold shoes, handbags, and luggage made from high quality leather.  The classic Prada suitcase was originally made from walrus skin, but as travel became more popular the handbag had to be modified because the weight of the walrus skin was not travel compatible.  Prada began making the luggage from wood, tortoise shells, and crystals.  The new luggage received a high reputation and became travelers nearby companions in the airport.

1921- Gucci opened his first boutique in Florence, and quickly achieved a reputation for high quality goods.  Gucci gained an appreciation for sophistication and aesthetics from his visits to Paris and London.

1947- Christian Dior released his first collection after returning home from duty in World War II.  His first collection presented a new look that focused on luxury rather than comfort.  His creative and innovative designs helped to re-establish France as the capital of world fashion.

1974- Georgio Armani established his own company with the assistance of his partner, Sergio Galeotti.  The brand is still known today for its clean and tailored lines.

1978- Gianni Versace founded his company and later that year his first collection was released.  The designs received high praise for their vibrant designs and distinctive cuts.