How the housing crisis has affected home fashion retail...

The housing crisis has put a huge damper on home fashion retail. People are not buying houses now, and those that own a home don't have the money to "decorate" a house, especially when the cost is so high for furniture and accessories. More people are worried about paying their mortgage than decorating their home.

Although the clothing retail industry has also struggled, it has not struggled nearly as bad as home fashion retail has because clothing is a necessity. Decorating your home is not necessarily a necessity, although it is for me.

I am interested to see if home fashions will pick up in the near future. I believe that once more houses start selling, people will want to furnish them, therefore helping the home fashions side of retailing.

Guest Speaker

I really liked the guest speaker Elyse Mullis. She had a great personality and was very enthusiastic about her job. I liked especially how she designed the layouts for her company. That was neat. It was also cool to see what kinds of jobs you can get with a CARS degree.

I also liked how she lives near Southpark mall in Charlotte. That is my favorite mall. I also thought that it was neat that although she didn't get paid during her internship, she learned alot about graphic design and found out that it was a true passion of hers through her internship. While she didn't get paid, her experiences and what she learned while interning "paid" off and got her a job she really enjoys.

It was also interesting that she majored in English but got a minor in the CARS department. I didn't even know you could get a minor in CARS. I think she made a smart decision. That really also goes to show you that it really is all about connections like she stated during her presentation. She was a sweet girl that loved her job and she will do well in her field.

Sweatshops

A sweatshop is a manufacturing workplace that treats its workers inhumanely, paying low wages and imposing harsh and unsafe working conditions. Many of the workers can even be young children. Sweatshops can be located in all parts of the world, but are mainly found in developing nations. Sweatshops also produce many different goods, from clothing to shoes to furniture. The main product produced in sweatshops is clothing (wikipedia).


Many companies such as Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and New Balance have stopped using sweatshop workers to produce the goods they buy. This happened because these companies received intense pressure from campus anti-sweatshop groups. Wal-mart and Nike are two of the largest brands that still use sweatshops today. They claim they use "better sweatshops" instead of the really bad ones (wikipedia).


I am against the use of sweatshops. Everyone deserves to be treated humanely while at work. Everyone also deserves to be paid well enough to where you can live comfortably. These people in sweatshops can bring home a nickel a day after they have worked 15 hour days without a break. This doesn't even buy one meal for them to eat much less survive off of. Sweatshops need to be banned because they are inhumane and cruel.

Fashion...Art or Usability?

Fashion is a balance between art and usability. High fashion to me is considered art. The Milan fashion week is a perfect example of art. The pieces are extravagant. This year however, the Milan fashion week had pieces that were more usable for day to day wear than that of the previous seasons. While the pieces can be extravagantly beautiful and over the top, how many of us would wear something like that on a day to day basis? Don't get me wrong, I would. I love high fashion and it is a true form of art. Designers get ideas from nature, different ethnicity's, different eras, just everyday life in general and can create the most breath-taking pieces of art imaginable.

Everyday fashion such as jeans, t-shirts, sandals, etc is a form of usability. We wear these types of clothes to feel comfortable and to be part of the crowd. They get us from point A to point B and can withstand some wear and tear. Buying designer items such as a nice bag, nice jeans, shoes, etc to wear on a daily basis is to me bringing art into picture. I consider the way I dress and the way I feel about fashion to be more of an art form than usability.

Fashion is what makes me happy. I love to go shopping and I love designer fashion. I love Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc. I love high heels and designer jeans. Fashion can ultimately express who we are as individuals without even talking. To me it brings excitement into everyday life.

If I could have a dress designed for me...

My style is very classic and feminine with an edge. Since I am not in the actual fashion design part of the major, I will describe what I would want a dress made for me to look like. I have always wanted to be a fashion buyer for Nordstrom or any high-end department store.

My dress would be very Coco Chanel. The little black dress that is very form-fitting, comfortable and chic. It would fall right above or at the knee and would be made of satin. It would have a square neck that cut low and the back would be similar but not low cut. It would flare out from the waist and the rest of the dress would be very body contouring. Around the waist I would want a satin belt with a black bow draped to the side.

I would accent the dress with a black diamond necklace. Along with a bracelet and earrings to match. Overall, my dress would be very classic and elegant. The black diamonds would give the dress an edge. Coco Chanel is my idol. Very classic and elegant designs that make a woman feel beautiful. I love how Chanel used lots of blacks and actually introduced the color black into the fashion world. Black is my favorite color and it makes any outfit elegant and dressy.

Ethnic Influences on Apparel Design

Ethnic Influences are everywhere in fashion. Designers almost always use a theme in developing a line. This theme can come from other ethnic cultures. Ethnic styles include certain colors, trends and accessories. Animal prints are a big trend from ethnic cultures. Leopard and zebra prints symbolize the exotic wild life of Africa.

Egypt also has an influence on American designers. Egyptians have always used golds and turquoise colors in their jewelry and clothing. Americans have started buying lots of turquoise in the past few years. In India, bangles are extremely popular. On almost all fashion runways here in the US, we have seen many bangle bracelets on the arms of models.

India is also known for using elaborate colors. In Marc Jacobs 09 fashion show, most of his designs were made using neon bright colors. Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers line is strictly based on the styles of young Japanese teen girls. The bright, funky colors used and the actual "Harajuku" girl models also reflect the Japanese style. Ethnic influences are everywhere in the fashion world and American designers will continue to reflect the many different ethnicity's throughout the world in there designs.

Pulsemag.com

Main Trends of NY Fashion Week

According to chicintuition.com nude lips are a huge trend for NY fashion week. Instead of the red pout, nude lips are in. Stars like Lauren Conrad and Jennifer Lopez have already begun to wear nude lips. While they keep there lips light in color, they define their eyes with dark eyeliner and mascara.

According to thefunctionkey, melon is the hot new color. Many designers used pieces in this particular color range. Anything from peach to watermelon colors were used. Also, sherbet colors were hot this year. Muted mints, oranges, lavenders and raspberry were in this color scheme. Another color, bright red-orange hues. This bold color really made a statement on the runway with designers like Diane Von Furstenburg using it in her designs. Last but not least, cobalt blue was a popular color this year. Marc Jacobs used this color in many of his designs.

Patterned layers are also hot this year. Mixing patterns upon patterns creates a sophisticated dimension. In order to pull this off, you need the same color hue in each piece to bring the outfit together. Also, neutrals like gray and black are a staple in a wardrobe, brighten them up with bold accessories or even buy a neutral top with pops of color throughout.

Organic and Environmentally Friendly Clothing

Organic and Environmentally friendly clothing is becoming more popular as more people become concerned with the care of the environment. Organic clothing is made of all natural, non-synthetic materials and is a part of the organic agriculture movement. Organic clothing materials come from plants that have not been treated with chemical pesticides or radiated. All clothing materials labeled organic, whether it may be jeans, t-shirts, or sweaters etc, have all met standards of the USDA.

I am for organic and environmentally friendly clothing all the way. Who wouldn't want materials that better the environment, animals, and humans. Many of us probably already own pieces of clothing that are made from organic fabrics. These fabrics include cotton, silk, wool and hemp. Although these fabrics are organic naturally, they have to say organic on the label in order for them to be considered naturally organic. They must meet requirements by the Organic Trade Association. These requirements test fiber processing, dyeing, production and non-toxic handling.

Why should we wear organic and environmentally friendly clothing? Well, the answer is pretty simple. It reduces our exposure to the millions of pounds of pesticides sprayed on cotton and wool each year. Pesticides cause of variety of debilitating symptoms. They range from headaches to neurological problems to birth defects. To help the environment and yourself, give organic clothing a try!
organicnaturenews.com

Favorite Fashion Designer

My favorite designer would have to be Louis Vuitton. Ever since I watched the first episode of Newlyweds on MTV back in 2003 Jessica Simpson’s white multicolor speedy 30 bag caught my eye as amazingly beautiful. Since then, I have loved the brand for the monogram design. I think it is very classy, luxurious and feminine. I love the monogram bags, but just wish they didn’t have a leather trim on them as I am very animal-friendly.

The work that goes into each bag is immaculate. The bags are hand-made and are made using the highest quality materials. I also love the fact that the brand has no sales. This makes the brand more exclusive and top quality. The quality in authentic Louis Vuitton bags is great. The bags stand the test of time and are forever classic.

Louis Vuitton also has RTW (ready to wear) lines each season which I am not as fond of as I am about there monogram bags and accessories. I also love the history of the brand. It is one of the most highly recognized brands in the world. I have been lucky enough to collect a few pieces over the past few years.