Beauty Style News

Christian Dior’s 2009 couture line definitely does not disappoint, not in the slightest.  At the onset, if you are just browsing through pictures of his couture collection, it may initially strike you as a bit boring.  It struck me that way, until I started to take a close up look at the story he is attempting to tell.  That is one thing for which we can all thank Project Runway: if you’ve watched at least a few episodes, then you know that fashion tells a story.  Every outfit in a collection is like a puzzle piece; seen together, the entire line gives you the full tale.

But anyway!  Unless you are a veritable fashion expert with an inside line to the designer, most of those stories are a matter of interpretation.  My take on the one Dior is telling with his couture line is quite simple.  Dior is taking us back to innocence.  His couture line is entirely black and white.  Some outfits are solid white, some solid black, some patterned.  Whether dresses, skirts and shirts, or tops and pants, through silhouette and design, there is a little bit of flirty flapper dress, beguiling baby doll dress, and enchanting wedding gown.

I don’t know about everyone else out there in Interweb land, but I for one am absolutely ecstatic about one of the many fashion trends emerging this season.  Winter of 2008 is shaping up to be unusually hip, especially for the eclectic types out there who classify themselves as tomboys with a sleek, sophisticated edge.

As you can see, it’s all about boys this season.  Specifically, us girls get a chance to rock out some of the tailored, sexy fashions we’ve been admiring on guys for years.

Pinstriped suits with a femme fatale edge are totally in this season.  Pairing a fitted jacket with some tailored trousers and a crisp shirt has long been acceptable, but now the ladies get to take it a little further.  For instance, why not pair that jacket with a matching vest, a funky little tie, and a cute skirt?  You can combine the best of masculine and feminine for a truly to die for look.

Accessories are big with this trend as well.  Like say, ties are all the rage, from skinny little Boho ties to the best of Italian silk.  However, you can go way farther than that.  Treat yourself to a fedora; wear it at the right angle with your sexy little dude duds, and you’ll definitely be breaking hearts all around the office.

Without a doubt, the most important staple of any woman’s wardrobe should be the little black dress.  Affectionately known as the LBD, this classic piece, no matter what the cut, is designed to make a women feel beautiful, sexy, and chic.  With winter coming up, a lot of us are sure to be attending a lot of holiday parties, where the LBD is clearly a must.

The second staple?  At least one pair of to-die-for high heels.  If you’re not into stilettos, don’t worry about it — they hurt to high heaven anyway.  But every girl has that one pair of dress shoes which make her look and feel sexy.  They suit those glamorous gams and make you feel like a Glamazon, so never neglect the footwear.

Staple three: that one pair of jeans which somehow manage to be both amazingly comfortable and casually sexy.  You love to wear them and, even better, you know they make your butt look great.  If you’re like me, then you’ve got them worn out to perfection and wouldn’t think of throwing them away, even though the hems are ragged and ripped.  Doesn’t matter, baby, that’s just style.

Milan is currently aflutter with fashion, and Roberto Cavalli is right at the center of it all.  Cavalli is quite well known for his avant garde raciness.  That makes his decision for the upcoming season quite surprising.  The fashion world as a whole, not to manage those showing in Milan, are abuzz with Cavalli’s decision to go for sweet sophisticated over anything too sexy and suggestive.  As you can see, this new collection is full of mini gowns dressed up with embroidery, shining and shimmering shorts, and cropped jackets.  If all goes according to Cavalli’s trend, then this coming spring we’ll see a lot of bracelets in gold and stone, not to mention a variety of other jewels, making for a bright, glittering season.

What is there to talk about, but New York Fashion Week and the fabulous run of catwalk couture, illustrating what we have to look forward to in spring of 2009?   NYFW kicked off earlier this week, and I’ve kept a close eye trained on the proceedings.  It might be a little bit early to pick a favorite, and in truth I already have a lot, but right now I am absolutely crazy about Diane Von Furstenberg’s groovy Rock Goddess collection.  It’s actually a continuation of current trends, but with the added touch of DVF’s infamous, oh so classic innovations.  Spring is just about guaranteed to bring shades of purple, metallic materials, new age tie dye, lace, pleats, flowing and draped clothing, jewels, sequins, and fabrics with a sheen.  Keep a close watch, though, because there are a number of other designers to look out for and pay attention to, including Nicole Miller (but only some of her pieces), Tracy Reese, and Andy & Debb.

Though time tested and much loved, the Givenchy line is guaranteed some new publicity, and not just thanks to the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.  Rather, Givenchy will be getting some worldwide attention, due to the fact that none other than Madonna will be sporting some specially designed, likely racy ensembles on her upcoming, much anticipated Sticky & Sweet tour.

Given the fact that Givenchy is still one of the most beloved French designers out there and the fact that Madonna herself is still a trendsetter at age 50, the odds are quite likely that the line will soon be in even higher demand.

Riccardo Tisci, an Italian designer who has been working with Givenchy for about three years, is behind Madge’s clothing.  He is famed for his very Gothic clothing and has a penchant for dark, decadent fabrics and textures.  The outfit Madonna will be wearing for the opening number suggests as much.  She is set to appear in a black, stretch satin frock coat, which sounds as lovely as it will surely look.  The second Givenchy outfit will show up in the third act.  It will be a black dress, dolled up with colored ribbons for a Gypsy kind of flair – especially when paired with a long cape.

Madonna has an affinity for French designers, namely Jean-Paul Gaultier, who is responsible for the infamous cones which once decorated her chest.  Gaultier’s glamourous for certain, but the addition of Givenchy’s work into her costume line suggests that the pop queen has crossed a threshold and is eager to pair glitz and glamour with an element of dark sophistication.

Emanuel Ungaro is one of the fashion designers who has been a long-time favorite of female celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie.

At the head of the menswear division is Franck Boclet, who was the Artistic Director for Francesco Smalto from 1991 to 2006.

He has some very exacting standards for the technique used in his creations: “Atelier, cut, construction, volume, rigour, fall, fit.”

When these basic principles along with inspiration from cinema idols Steve McQueen and Marlon Brando combine under the watchful eye of Artistic Director Franck Boclet for Emanuel Ungaro it’s all about luxury and elegance in men’s style.

A mere two years following the launch of his signature label “Giles,” the name of this London designer is on the lips of some of the fashion world heavyweights retailers.

Most recently, Nordstrom has joined Barneys, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols in the appreciation of his style.

Giles Deacon has crytalized his vision of fine detail combine with a healthy dose of the WoW! factor and the result is jaw-dropping.

In his Spring 2008 collection, the edgy influences of goth, S&M and punk elements arre expertly woven to create “high society stylin’ cocktail dresses and statement gowns.

He is very serious about quality, but prefers fashion itself with a dash of whimsy, reflected in his larger than life feather-covered helmets.

Named British Designer of the Year in 2007, Giles rose to fame after taking the reins of the Italian luxury goods label Bottega Veneta.

Men are as style conscious as women these days and the Spring/Summer 2009 collection from Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana is sure to make your eyes sparkle with delight. The Italian designing duo brought a relaxed vibe to kick off Milan’s fashion week.

Taking their fashion cue from the Orient for their signature line, butterfly and dragon motifs appear on neutral white, grey, black and sepia backgrounds. The motifs decorated the evening jackets as well matched beautifully with black trousers.

On the other end of the spectrum in formal and casual wear is a crisp and clean color palette of beige, brown, light and dark blue stripe suits (pictured on the right). The menswear collection is refreshing with the distinctive D&G attention to detail.

You may have noticed recently that more women, especially celebrities are abandoning the sleek, straight hairstyle in favor of waves and curls. At Nexxus.com the look is all-out glamour (see photo on the right).

Nothing in fashion is constant but change and while some women have never let go of their curls, the Marcel or finger wave hairstyles are beginning to turn heads everywhere.

If you like this hairstyle, you can catch the wave using
NEXXUS Versastyler Artistic Designing Lotion when you are ready to turn up the glamor, nothing works the magic like Nexxus hair care products.

If you have been wishing you could find affordable and comfortable workout gear, Jennifer Lopez is getting ready to make your wish come true with her own line of exercise clothing.

Jennifer is married to Marc Anthony and gave birth to twins Max and Emme in February.

Evidently the inspiration for the exercise clothing line came to the singer/actress after she splashed out $50,000 on a home gym to help lose her baby weight.

This will be the fourth brand of the Jennifer Lopez’s fashion empire which includes; J.Lo, Sweetface and JustSweet.

She is also planning to start all-natural food company: “Fresh Mommy” will deliver healthy meals to expectant or new mothers.

Not to be outdone by Miuccia Prada and Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior has joined the fray of designer mobile phones.

If you are looking to spice up your style, this high fashion accessory will make you the envy of your peers.

ModeLabs worked with Dior to design this new phone with a touch screen display and camera that has the signature logo of the company on the metal frame.

This new entry into the luxury mobile phone has a starting price of $5,000 US Dollars or €3.500. The elite model is adorned with 640 diamonds and has its own alligator skin pouch for a mere $25,000 or €18,000.

Stella McCartney, the British designer, presented her 2008 autumn and winter “Eco” Collection in Liverpool on June 1st.

She is one of the growing numbers of designers who prefer the ecological approach to fashion abstaining from the use of leather and fur in their collections.

After designing an organic line for Barney’s New York last year, Ms. McCartney decided to extend the availability to London.

This catwalk presentation was held at the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts was part of program which celebrates Liverpool as the 2008 European “City of Culture”.

The evening fulfilled its promise to be an entertaining event; with sights of beautiful clothing followed by beautiful music at the Anfield Stadium courtesy of Sir Paul McCartney, father of the designer.

The fashion industry is always one step ahead in terms of the seasons, but it’s refreshing to see a designer whose creations let the wearer’s alter ego express itself.

The designs are fluid; built around innovative fabrics, styled with just a hint of mystery and intrigue. The fashions of Julia Jentzsch are modernly romantic with a classic touch that make it oh-so nice to be a woman.

And wearing this type of sensuous look not only gives the ego a nice massage, it transmits the vibe of the power that women possess. The Fall Collection definitely brings to mind the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: you can almost see that mysterious woman in her belted rain cape talking to Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes on a foggy London street.

When it comes to evening elegance, the allure of the Sexy Little Black Dress is still a captivating way to get heads turning.

If you adore the best in fashion you will absolutely love Couture Candy’s line-up which includes Joe’s Jeans, Raw 7, Susana Monaco, Da-Nang and Lotta Stensson.

And to give you even more incentive to look gorgeous, now you can save $10 at CoutureCandy.

The fabulous black ruffle tunic by Zoa Ltd. on the right is just one reason why this online store that combines all of the online convenience you love with attention to personal service is so popular.