FASHION Magazine

From Marie Antoinette to 'The Birds' to the Fall 2019 runways, one writer argues our recurring preoccupation with the feather fashion trend isn't so easily defined.

The post Is Our Centuries-Long Obsession With the Feather Fashion Trend About Freedom or Insanity? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The birth and naming of Saint West has barely taken the pressure of the public eye off of Kylie Jenner since her controversial Interview Magazine cover hit the stands. In the spread, Jenner is dressed as a sort of sex doll in various constricting, shiny leather garments, her arms eerily stiff and arranged at robotic-like […]

The post A Look Back at Kylie Jenner’s Curious (But Amazing) Style Evolution appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the Barneys spring ads »

As calls for diversity increasingly infiltrate the fashion industry, it seems like major brands are finally starting to take note. So far, this season has seen a wheelchair-bound model front at Diesel and an increased racial mix at Prada.

The latest to break the mould for Spring 2014 is luxury retailer Barneys New York, whom debuted its “Brothers, Sisters, Sons & Daughters” campaign today, which features 17 transgendered people from all walks of life. Shot by legendary boundary-pusher Bruce Weber in New York City, the subjects, often posing with their loved ones, are confident and stylish in the high-end likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Saint Laurent outfits and more.

In one of the first four photos released, we meet Arin Andrews and Katie Hill, transgendered friends and a former couple both raised in the conservative Bible Belt of America. In another, Ahya Taylor is pictured with fellow model Dezjorn Gauthier on a Central Park bench, both wearing Balenciaga.

See the Paris Fashion Week Fall 2013 photos up-close »

There’s no city that the expression “the beauty is in the details” relates to more than Paris. In the city of lights, you don’t have to look too far to find exquisite minaudière-like jewels on an evening coat, a brightly festooned cashmere sweater or tight origami pleats on a day skirt. Paris’s claim on couture and the couture-like shines bright again with the Fall 2013 shows. From the delicate additions of Andy Warhol’s early fashion sketches seen earlier today at Christian Dior to the aforementioned feathers at Dries Van Noten, Paris proves once again, Fall 2013 is a visual feast.

The new wave of head-to-toe black looks in slick leathers and decadent fabrics casts a dark shadow over the season.

See this trend on the runway »

Twilight has fallen over spring’s garden of flirty ’50s looks, light-as-air fabrics and sugar-dusted pastels. Fall 2012 takes fashion in a darker direction, more easily defined by a mood than a trend. Black, in all its textural incarnations (patent leather, velvet, wool, fur, satin) rolled over the runways from New York to Paris like an impending storm cloud, urging us to take cover. But are these dark clothes for dark times? We haven’t experienced this level of sartorial sobriety since Fall 2009, when austerity reigned supreme as the result of a volatile stock market. This season, coverage is king (again) but there’s an underlying strength and sexiness to it this time around. 

Call it the Rooney Mara effect: Gareth Pugh, Riccardo Tisci and Ann Demeulemeester channelled Stieg Larsson’s anti-heroine, Lisbeth Salander, with their strict, second-skin leather looks. No ink or piercings required, just confidence with a capital C. At Pugh, there were loads of skinny leather trousers; at Givenchy, a body-con turtleneck dress that flared below the hips looked like it was composed of latex; and at Demeulemeester, construction, shape and architecture leapt from the shadows into the spotlight. Part apocalyptic warrior, part goth, part badass hacker, this moody message also contains whispers of the erotic, as witnessed at Viktor & Rolf’s partial peep show. Jean Paul Gaultier brought street style to a dark place, pairing a deconstructed two-tone moto jacket with a razor-sharp pencil skirt. Donatella Versace resurrected the idea of protection with her lineup of crucifix-embellished coats and sweaters, chain-mail dresses and armour-like corsets. These sinfully good elements were reminiscent of her late brother’s final collection in 1996. Clearly, sex and religion never go out of style.

View our top 5 picks »

The shop: I’ve written about London, UK’s LN-CC before, and I’ll write about them again, because there’s hardly a store like it. Set deep in Dalston in a cubist lair-like space, all raw wood and amber lighting and the smell of incense and cloth, it feels like a more organic future. And because they launched online concurrently, their e-shop is just as far out in front of the pack: their seasonal editorial shoots are so exquisitely on-point, they’ve landed on Style.com. If you’re not on the store’s mailing list, sign up now—you get as much sartorial inspiration as temptation, promise.

The goods: LN-CC, which does nearly three quarters of its business online, sells the best new London designers (J.W. Anderson before you knew who J.W. Anderson was), the most adventurous European labels (Givenchy, Ann Demeulemeester, Commes) and a host of international finds (like high-tech knitwear by Philadelphia’s Lauren Manoogian, or earrings by Canada’s own Jaime Sin). It’s easy to shop for two, too: the men’s section is (a rarity) as good as the women’s, with owner-buyer John Skelton hewing close to his own eclectic—but functional—taste. Just don’t fall for a $400 leather boot strap, because that’s why the Eurozone is collapsing.

None of this so-called curation comes cheap, as you can see, so I suggest keeping a clear head (when are you going to wear a dress that, judging from its price, is made entirely from Edie Sedgwick’s lost sequins and a unicorn’s hair?) and one tab open to their sale page. I am waiting, waiting, waiting for my recurring dream shoes, the derby wood platforms by shoechitect ETS Callatay, to land there. If only there were a god…

Trick-or-treating aside, one of our favourite Halloween rituals has to be attending a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. For those of you virgins (we’re not really calling you virgins) who have never been to a show, we implore you to try it for yourself this year. There are generally midnight showings for many days leading up to and on Halloween night, and it’s a great excuse to dress up, bring some rice to a theatre, and let your freak flag fly.

But, what to wear? The Rocky Horror look can get a little trashy at times, so we present our ultimate guide to haute-ifying it. Yes, some of these price tags are a wee bit of a splurge for one night only, but we predict that you’ll want to wash and repeat for many years to come.

Let’s get started! »
Go straight to Columbia »
Go straight to Dr Frankenfurter »
Go straight to Janet »
Go straight to Magenta »

For those in fashion, Antwerp is immediately associated with the Antwerp Six⎯a group of avant garde designers who graduated from the super-prestigious Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts during the early ’80s (Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester and Walter Van Beirendonck to name a few). Since then, Antwerp has become a breeding ground for innovative design⎯and jewellery designer Heaven Tanudiredja is no exception.

Haute fashion dolls are having a bit of a moment. Witness the Lady Gaga Barbies created by Beijing enthusiast Veik, or the designer finger puppets by Rubbish Magazine. Next up are some truly spectacular creations by New York artist Andrew Yang. Yang, who has designed for Dennis Basso and has a collection of couture dolls […]

The post We are ready to love these ready-to-wear dolls appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Daphne Guinness is the new face of Akris’ spring campaign. The off-the-wall fashionista will officially be tied to the new handbag collection launching in February. Designer Albert Kriemler explained his choice by saying that Daphne “emanates a sense of mystery and aristocracy.” We’re with you on the mystery part. [Fashionista]

Even Jeanne Beker can’t afford the multi-thousand dollar Balmain jeans from The Room. [BlogTO via Toronto Life]