jesse abudayyeh fashion journal
DESCRIPTION
Introduction To Fashion Business (Online)TRANSCRIPT
Table of Contents
Entry #1 Page 3
Entry #2 Page 4
Entry #3 Page 5
Entry #4 Page 6
Entry #5 Page 7
Entry #6 Page 8
Entry #7 Page 9 & 10
Entry #8 Page 11 & 12
Entry #9 Page 13 & 14
Entry #10 Page 15
Entry #11 Page 16
Entry #12 Page 17
Entry #13 Page 18
Entry #14 Page 19
Entry #1
BLADE RUNNER
Entry #2
Original Article: The allure of the superhero this summer isn’t limited to blockbusters like X-Men or Thor: For his cologne, A*Men, Thierry Mugler handpicked South African Paralympics athlete Oscar Pistorius to front its futuristic campaign. The 24-year-old sprinter competes with the aid of two carbon fiber artificial limbs—thus earning him the nickname Blade Runner—and holds the Paralympic world record at 100, 200, and 400 meters. In a landscape populated by screen idols and rock stars, Pistorius (like his fellow Paralympic sprinter Aimee Mullins, who just signed on with L’Oréal) isn’t exactly the traditional choice for a cologne spokesman. But his combination of physical prowess and inner fortitude caught Mugler’s eye. For his part, Pistorius claims a natural affinity with the patchouli, coffee, and vanilla– based scent—though in a promotional video, the bare-chested sprinter lets his raw speed do the talking while sporting ergonomic silver leggings that meld with specially designed blades in place of his prosthetics. Because of a congenital disorder, Pistorius was born without fibias; both of his legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old. Still, he grew up wrestling and playing rugby, water polo, and tennis before discovering running at the relatively late age of 17. Though he has since conquered the Paralympic world, he’s faced a number of obstacles in his quest to take part in able-bodied events. An initial ban suggested his prostheses gave him an advantage, but he now races in both arenas. Currently, Pistorius is training hard with the goal of representing South Africa at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while also establishing a foundation to give prosthetics to those who can’t afford them. As for the “Muglerized” blades he nabbed from the A*Men shoot: “I’m not sure I’ll wear them again,” he says, “but they’re a great souvenir.”
When Oscar Pistorius was just 11 months old he had to get both of his legs
(below the knee) amputated. Oscar was born without fibulas because of a
congenital disorder. Even though he was different, it did not stop him from
water polo, tennis, rugby, and even running. Oscar has since conquered the
Paralympics world and is training hard to represent South Africa in the 2012
Olympics. Fashion power house Thierry Mugler was intrigued by his story
and appointed him as the new face of Mugler’s new cologne A*Men. The
promotional advertisement pictured above shows Oscar running with
blades in place of his normal prosthetic legs. I think this is an amazing
opportunity that Mugler is doing. I love the dark edginess to the brand and
especially love pop queen Lady Gaga’s involvement with them.
Entry #2
Plastic Is Fantastic ♦
The article Plastic Is Fantastic featured on the
Wall Street Journal web site is about... you guessed
it! Plastic! Widely noticed in the 1930’s was when
Surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli started to infuse
her revolutionary clothing with plastic. Later
throughout the 1960’s was when plastic kept showing
up in clothing but seemed to always be considered
experimental or even playful. This season a handful of
designers, such as Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana,
are in their futuristic Jetson’s mode and are going all
out with plastic. I personally love this movement; it
reminds me of when I did a media report on a new
Mulberry handbag that was made with silicone and
other Botox ingredients. The superficialities in
everyday life joined with fashion are a very fun thing
to see happening.
Entry #3 *November 2011
Accessorize Resort's Surf-Inspired Looks +With a Splash of Self-Assurance.
This article is a recent feature of Indian-American actress Frieda Pinto. The article
discusses mixing resort or safari type pieces with apparel that’s more professional or
formal. The dress Frieda is wearing is
by Diane Von Furstenberg and I
think she was the perfect choice for
this feature. I think she is the perfect
choice because this works well with
her refreshing image of being
ethnic, beautiful, and elegant. Frieda Pinto’s Indian roots are known for their vibrant
colors and dresses as common apparel; the infusion of the safari fashion fun with a clean
cut dress is truly electrifying.
Entry #4
The fashion observation I have noticed a lot is the off-white and dirty-white colors for
men’s fashion. The three designers here were creative in applying that trend to
different aspects of their collections. The photos above are all from Spring-Summer
2012. The model pictured to the very left is wearing Dolce & Gabbana, the model in the
middle is wearing Dries Van Noten, and the one on the right is wearing Roberto Cavalli; All
different brands with a similarity of applying the same trend. I really like how D&G had the
dirty white vest with the very casual outfit; it definitely gave it the pop that it needed. I felt
the DVN outfit is carried by not only the off white pants but the white shirt with the pop of
color design. Lastly, I found it very interesting how Cavalli used off white pants in what
appears to be suede with stripes and even a shine.
Entry #5
Soft & Hard Line Stripe Cross-Over’s
Entry #6
The stripes trend that
was very apparent and
mentioned in my previous
entry had a strong
reinforcement through WGSN.
Many reports, along with
many pictures that had me
gazing and not realizing how
much time I was spending,
were very informative and interesting. From Sao Paulo to Milan many designers had
featured stripes in their collections. Some of those designers range from Louis Vuitton,
Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermmano Scervino, and even Missoni. Stripes in spring are a
definite plus this season.
Pictured Left: Missoni S/S 12 sketch.
Entry #7
Three Colors I found to be trends in 2012 are
Tangerine Tango, Bellflower, & Driftwood. This
season definitely shows a mixture of bright colors,
neutrals, and darker colors.
Fabric Name: Silk
Fabric Content: natural filament fiber
produced by the silkworm
Country of Origin: China, other Asian countries
Fabric Name: Lace
Fabric Content: looped variety of yarn
Country of Origin: Italy, Belgium
Fabric Name: Chiffon
Fabric Content: twisted crepe fibers, cotton
Country of Origin: France, globally found
Entry #8
Global
Predictions Luckily the fashion industry is one of the not
so many industries that are ahead of its time.
Nowadays when looking into the future of fashion it
only requires a few simple computer clicks. It could
be spring time and I can already know what to look
for when winter comes around because designers
release their collections ahead of time to keep the balance throughout the industry. Based
on viewing the collections of many international designers around the globe, you can feel
a sense of their inspiration from the countries they are drawing their spark from.
The three designers that have high potential to influence fashion in the upcoming
seasons are Jason Wu of Taiwan & Canada, Reem Acra from Lebanon, and Yves Saint
Laurent of France.
The first trend I see taking over
is the differentiation of pencil
skirts. This Reem Acra pencil
skirt is more than the typical
skirt. If you walk in a room with
this on you could bet all eyes
are on you. This skirt grabs and
keeps attention and I definitely
expect to see inspired ‘fun’
skirts a lot.
For the upcoming winter season
you can expect tons of black and
lots of double breasted jackets
and sweaters for men. This Yves
Saint Laurent double breasted
look is helping men get through
the colder days with style and
comfort.
The silhouette of this Jason
Wu dress could not have a
better fit. The tailoring of it
has been given obvious
special attention which is
going to be even more
obvious during the next few
seasons. There is also a
strong use of velvet on this
dress which is something
that is going to have a large
fabric emergence. I especially
like how this, along with the
rest of the collection, has a
military feel to it. I love any
edginess in all fashion. One thing I can’t help but notice with all of these future
trends is that the way the apparel fits is going to be a main
focus. Pencil skirts, tailoring, and double buttoned clothing all
meet at a common ground which I see as shape being the
main objective.
Entry #9
♦Retail Sight Seeing♦
This picture to the left was taken at
the store A’Gaci on State St in
Chicago. I didn’t really like the looks
on the left and right because I felt
they were styled poorly, but the look
in the middle of the two was
fabulous. The material of the dress
was silk which, as previously
mentioned, is what’s really trendy for
this spring season.
This picture to the right was also taken
at A’Gaci. I liked this look as well
because it reinforced my statements on
the chiffon but also had a polyester mix
into it as well. Each of the colors, which
aren’t too far from the trendy
Driftwood color, all complements each
other really well.
♦Retail Sight Seeing♦
This photo was taken at Forever 21. I
thought it would be a good idea to
include men and women’s looks
together. The mannequin in the picture
to my left is wearing a very weather
appropriate outfit. I like this because it is
something I would wear; the shirt over
the v-neck has the ‘working class’ look to
it which is huge this year. This shirt in
particular has extra details that make it a
little more special, and it’s also very
affordable!
This photo was also taken at Forever 21.
Before I walked into the store, I was
hoping to find something that would
compliment my stripe trend report
section and surprisingly I didn’t even
have to walk in the store to find it! I
especially like how it has an overall
effortless feel to it. Don’t mind my
reflection, ha-ha!
Entry #10
A new movie that I recently saw was The Hunger Games. The
Hunger Games is a movie that has broken box office records and is even
proclaimed as “the new Harry Potter". The general fashion in this movie is very fun and is a
cross between futuristic and edgy during the majority of the film. There was a dress on Katniss,
one o f the main characters, that had a Valentino red colored gown on and when she turned
she was able to spark flames from the bottom of her dress. Although that seems to be quite
dangerous and not very likely to be a public item; I can definitely sense a lot more innovation
with gowns to come. Even today there are men zip-up sweatshirts with built in head phones,
which can give you a feel for the direction were headed in. In this movie I also noticed one of
the male characters wearing a side button asymmetrical sweater that I would totally wear.
Sequins also seem like they would be even more infused with men's clothing. In the movie I also
had noticed sequined blazers with ruffle shirts underneath that looked really good. Lastly,
something throughout the movie that was very present was the collars on shirts were
exaggerated. The collars were turtle neck high and had the collar fold which I loved. All of these
items have potential to inspire the fashion of tomorrow. Calvin Klein was also very inspired by
this movie and had designed a new dress appropriately named
Katniss.
Entry #11
The designer I chose is Dean & Dan of DSquared². The collection that I really loved is for
Fall/Winter 2012. Many of DSquared² shows have theatrical aspect to them. This one in
particular had the first male model walk out in a very sharp suit and had made his return to the
end of the catwalk, drapes were pulled and the stage turned into a classroom setting. The first
male model was supposed to be the teacher and the other models were the students whom
had walked afterwards. I absolutely loved it and was honestly even shocked when I saw that
happen because it wasn’t a typical fashion show. The types of retailers that would typically
carry DSquared² are Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and other various higher end stores. It’s
very hard to choose a favorite from this
collection but if I had to pick one it would
be this one pictured because it styled
together very well and this outfit is
something you could re-create using less
expensive labels because most people do
not shop in the DSquared² price range.
DSquared² fashion is great and the
runway shows seem to be lots of fun. I
would love to be able to attend one in the
future.
Entry #12
Responsibilities of Fashion Careers
The responsibilities of a fashion designer are more than the typical thoughtful creative
process. A designer is going to have to first do research. Searches of current and future trends
through trend reports by fashion trade groups are a part of the beginning stage. After the idea
has been made the sketching follows right after. Many designers use just paper and pencil and
many also use computer software. Choosing your materials and sampling your designs are great
for seeing your vision come to life. Finally the marketing stages can begin and the product can
soon then reach the customer.
The responsibilities of a fashion buyer differ from those of a designer. The main
objective of a buyer is to provide the latest fashion to the customers. The buyer also must
follow fashion trends just as a designer would but the buyer also has a heavy focus on keeping
track of selling percentages, delivery, knowledge on analyzing trends, and also keeping a good
communication with clients and management. It is also common for the buyer to have ties with
dealing with the fashion shows and promotions.
The responsibilities of a development manager are more skill based rather than direct
given tasks. Developmental managers must formulate and develop training, define, design,
organize, and conduct various learning and development programs within the organization or
company. Manager must search course to office staff to equip their professionalism as well as
evaluate, assess and monitor the effectiveness of overall learning & development programs.
Entry #13
4 Fashion Don’ts
Don't wear running sneakers with
your dress or skirt. This grabs
unwanted attention and removes the
professional purpose.
Don’t wear athletic socks with
business attire. Dress socks are
thinner which look better with
shoes and when your pant rises
your leg isn’t exposed with a thick
sock specified for sweat.
Wearing a tie with a short sleeve
button-up is never a good look. It
looks very tacky so if you get hot wear
a long sleeve shirt with rolled up
sleeves. It really does make a big
difference.
Wear tops that fit you and
compliment your body, not
outline your poor breast shape
or muffin tops. There are too
many fabric types available to
your benefit to even be guilty
of doing this.
Entry #14
Possible Career Opportunities
Fashion PR: I feel that the typical perception of working in PR is mainly based on working in
politics or corporations. I think fashion PR would be my best fit because it is tied in with
something I have a genuine passion for. Working with campaigns and seeing progressiveness of
projects you are a part of must be a great feeling.
Stylist: Being a stylist would be another good fit for me because I already am doing the job! I’m
the first person my friends come to for fashion advice or when they are in need of a helpful
shopping partner. I also think it would be a really fun experience to work with celebrities and be
a part of the team that puts the looks together for award shows and other events.
Editorial Assistant: Lastly, I think an editorial assistant position would be another good fit. I’m
usually really anal for spelling and grammar so I feel that is a definite plus for this job. Working
for a magazine or a hip and trendy publication would be a refreshing experience. With jobs like
these it’s really important to network and have strong contacts. Thankfully, I am grateful to
have friends in these fields to hopefully be of assistance sooner or later.
The types of careers that interest me most in fashion are the ones that are mainly
considered to be “behind the scenes”. I love the business side to marketing and PR so I feel that
combining that with my interest in fashion can open up doors to many opportunities. I also feel
that our career reports were very beneficial to me because I have a stronger insight on what
companies are looking for.