The Magnificent Fashion World: There Is Room For Us All

People often associate luxury with something unattainable. They tend to perceive it as the forbidden fruit that is therefore the sweetest. High fashion is a typical phenomenon of luxury. Every presentation of a new collection in the world of fashion is an event, well planned and directed, scheduled by the second.Its special character and magic require that the venue where the event is organised is equally luxurious. The choice and preparation of the venue should work in perfect harmony with the clothes presented on the catwalk. Everything is perfect - the setting, the lighting and the background music. Young, beautiful women, perfect make-up, and the hair styles matching the demonstrated clothes. The faces of the models gracefully walking up and down the podium do not betray the anxiety behind the scenes, the stress of the numerous people working there. Thus, everybody does their job irreproachably.The first row of the audience seats invited clients, potential customers, women who will later order the clothes and in some ways decide the fate of the designer. Even for internationally renowned designers each presentation of a new collection is a huge challenge and a way to secure his or her status. The latest spring collections of the fashion houses Dior and Channel are the best proof that fashion is the discipline of excellence and that Paris remains the cradle of the high fashion.

Designers working for prestigious fashion houses have all the possibilities to organise such events. However, how is a talented, young designer supposed to do that? How to organise a personal fashion show and to present the result of your work and imagination without a strong financial background? More and more young designers turn to Asia and other Eastern countries hoping to realise their dream there and then possibly returning to work in Paris. In any case, it will still be fashion, but somewhere else.High fashion is a tribute to creativity and fantasy. Often extravagant collections require a great deal of courage to present them, let alone the courage to wear them. Designers are first of all artists who reveal a part of their inner self with every piece of clothing they put on show. If you experience the sense of admiration and surprise while watching a fashion show, the designer's toil was not in vain. The fact that only a handful of women are prestigious fashion house clients does not mean that others have no choice. In any case, everyone has the extraordinary privilege to admire, appreciate and judge designers' works and thus touch upon the magic art world called high fashion.Luxury, on the other hand, also means choosing comfortable, high quality clothes that suit well, developing an individual style and feeling good in it. The privilege to choose every piece of clothing with a style and distinct character, to make sure that it matches your body and spirit, brings out your personality is becoming a big luxury and not at all everyone is endowed with it.

Fashion Fusion From East to West and Back Again

Just like a painting, or a song, fashion also plays a main role in the fusion of different cultures and influences. Eastern and Western cultures engage in an important part in the Fashion trends of today. These two are fused in the fashion industry in many ways, the British borrowing from the Russians, India from the French, Japan and Germany, and the list continues.Since 1890, fashion expresses tremendous influences from the Eastern culture in the western dress resulting from the artists and designers renowned interest in Art Nouveau. The 1905 war between Japan and Russia and the Chinese revolution in 1911 were fundamental for their inspiration at the moment, as well as today. Some of the most common characteristics are V-necklines, straight seams, hourglass silhouettes, full sleeves toward the end, sleeves sewn to bodice and contrasting wide waistband, to name some.In any store or designer line, you can find eastern inspired clothing like embroidered tunics, beaded necklines on dresses and shirts, jeweled handbags in Sari fabrics, reminiscing different characteristics from the East. Pashminas, for example, are now an every day basic item for most women to wear either on a date to the movies or to a fancy formal gala. Another essential item in women’s wardrobe today is the Kurta top, as simple as it can be it stands from the rest because of its beaded detail. The Nehru jacket, born in the 1940’s and remarketed in the 1960’s thanks to The Beatles, is still an acclaimed collar style in shirts, coats and jackets. The element of women wearing pants, men wearing caftans have even translated to comfort while being considered chic forms of relax-at-home fashion. Attire wrapped around the body like kimonos and robes, rich color fabrics, even pagoda sleeves are eastern trends incorporated in western fashion.Some of the most noted designers bidding on exotic eastern style in their creations are: Max Mara, exploring sexy necklines and strong fabrics, Cacharel with sweet flower prints, and Lacroix risking it with Japanese type sleeves. Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gianfranco Ferré and Versace are only some of the top names reaching out to their masculine lines by including eastern elements to their lines, like pants made with kimono fabrics, mao necklines, printed belts and even oriental type sandals with the use of silk and heavy silk, these fabrics are the foundation for the exotic oriental look designers are striving for.The Boho Chic look, on the other hand, can be represented as a western influence on eastern culture; it embraces a unique style where you can appreciate the fusion of both worlds with the modern and contemporary side of the western fashion and just a hint of eastern flair in the jewels and beading. Season to season, we see fashion face some radical changes, but the east and west mixture is inescapable, resulting always in a beautiful, artistic and also commercial masterpiece representing a multicultural society of designers and consumers.

Jewellery Fashion for 2009

In our age of mass media, mass consumption and mass consciousness being different is not an easy task. Contemporary jewellery has been for a while predominately minimalist, using smooth, curved lines to create a polished look that embodies the form of industrial mass consumerism. But this is changing; when this year is remembered it will be for change, development and progression. Not many months have passed and yet many events have taken place that have changed the course of history, stimulating global awareness in a way that is itself a cause for hope. Jewellery trends for 2009 are riding the wave of this change, fashion has always demonstrated dominant ideology and this year is no different, except that the ideology has changed. We are arriving at a mind set that has natural beauty and self worth at its heart; this is the phoenix that has arisen from the flames of global discord.
Catwalk Styles
Look no further than the catwalk and you can see the importance that is being given to symbolic adornments that glamorise and accentuate the strength and uniqueness of us as individuals. The bottom line in these uncertain times is that we must empower ourselves. Statement necklaces, long earrings and multiple bangles can be used to achieve this; they get us noticed as creative individuals and dramatically show that we have something to say. Not many of us can afford or would wish to wear the spectacular but impractical styles flaunted on the catwalk in our everyday lives. But we can bring the vibe of haute couture and the realism that characterises 2009 to our wardrobes with key statement pieces, so that we can visually demonstrate that we are moving with the times, that we are the embodiment of contemporary thinking.
Black Jewellery
There are a number of trends that are emerging; the first involves black and silver jewellery. This trend is a good one to develop because black jewellery can be worn on all occasions, you can dress it up or dress it down.

Buying striking black jewellery allows you to draw together many different outfits and you can keep the key vibe, big impressions, without making a huge impression on your wallet. An extra bonus is that black jewellery is not going to go out of fashion, invest in a quality piece and you will be wearing it for many years to come.
Quality Over Quantity
Quality is another thing to come back into mainstream fashion, the throw away culture of the 90's is being outmoded by products that last far longer than a season. It is no longer stylish to have many disposable pieces of jewellery, the focus on being green has now extended to our jewellery boxes. Mother nature is once again being recognised as the greatest designer of all. Natural, floral and leaf form jewellery are now considered highly desirable as they are a symbolic indication that you are ethically inspired. Similarly the focus is on natural stones such as onyx, agate and mother of pearl. All of which are relatively inexpensive, but tick the contemporary ethical and natural boxes.
So get ready for a new beginning, individualism is back. Express yours!

Fashion Forward 2009: Get Ready to Look Great and Feel Great

You probably don’t remember who said it, but whoever said that fashion comes full circle every 30 years or so was not too far off. Last season on the runway was reminiscent of the 1970s in both flowing fabric and easy style. We saw much more of the long skirt and much less of the micro mini. Materials like silk and chiffon, which tend to flow and gather, were popular for Spring 2008, and still have some staying power in 2009. However, fabrics like cotton and denim which tend to hold shape and lend themselves to casual styles are making a comeback this year.

If you got rid of a lot of your cotton and denim last season, not to worry; materials such as these remain inexpensive as always to replace! Some things from last season are still popular and can be recycled for this season. Accessories like metallic bags and clutches, as well as sequins and other ‘bling’ items are still quite popular and can still be worn with confidence. Left over from last season and still cute as ever are headbands.

Get rid of that pencil skirt from last season, though!Pairing a sheer shirt over a camisole with denim jeans is still a great casual look that you can pull off yet again, and “dressy sneakers” are another left over hit from 2008 that you can manage to make stretch into this season. It’s always a plus when style and comfort can be combined. Still popular for the young trendsetter are low cut, patterned sneakers with ties that sport the best of brand names. Brown was the new black a couple years back, and while brown has some staying power, metallic silvers and golds are sticking around from the 2008 season as well as muted grays. New this year is bold nautical type colors such as cobalt blues, yellows, and Kelly greens. Shoes are always on the forefront of the fashion questions people ask. Animal prints, which were in vogue last year for clothing, are all the rage for shoes in 2009. The pointy-toe pumps which came back last season are now popular in all styles of shoes and boots. Late 2009 promises to provide lots of classic leather looks as far as boots are concerned and the bigger, chunkier heels we saw last year are being exchanged for sleek, classier looks in leather.Of course, if we are going to talk shoes we must talk shades. Still popular are the Jackie-O style round and dark sunglasses that cover most of your face. Celebrities, of course, brought this trend to the forefront of fashion and it does not look like it is going anywhere anytime soon. Also popular are bright primary colors which, surprisingly, are available even in the larger round and square shapes and not just in sporty styles this year.Designer denim continues to be the hottest thing around. We all know that True Religion, Citizens of Humanity, Buffalo, Seven for all Mankind and Lucky have become standard, almost run-of-the mill designer jeans. Even though they range in cost from $125.00 to $300.00 a pair, they are still the ‘norm’. As for jean style and cut, the zipper-ankle and straight-leg varieties that were popular last year are tossed aside for boyfriend jeans and more casual, comfortable cuts. Expect to see them everywhere this season. For those of you that love the model-skinny jeans, never fear. They are still hot this season, even in the dark wash that was brought back before 2009.For the last few years, track suits have been popular for everyone from the average teen to the top supermodel to the homemaker shopping at the mall. Juicy Couture is likely still the most popular suit, but this look has expanded in popularity from Juicy to more reasonably priced retailers like Express, to top-of-the line designers like Cynthia Rowley. This season, the look extends to men as well. While warm-ups were always popular for men going to the gym, 2009 shows tracksuits worn by men in a casual yet designer fashion similar to the way women wear them. Gucci is a top designer dressing men in tracksuits this season.This season proves to be an interesting one for fashion trends and styles. Comfort and style mix nicely, so look forward to looking great and feeling great. Nothing too over-the-top this season to offend, but an eclectic mix of old and new that should satisfy pretty much anyone paying attention and keeping track of the current trends. So, get ready to shop and enjoy some of the comfortable and cool styles 2009 will be all about.

Madonna Fashion Trends

Madonna has lived in the limelight for over a decade. She succeeded in adapting to her constantly changing environment and even succeeding in making her environment adapt to her.Back in the 80's, Madonna first came out, clothed in leather and accessorized with bows, lace, fishnet stocking and religious effigies draped her neck. The virginal rebel was an instant hit, with platinum locks, a beauty mark and a vocal range what was not to like? Her fashion sense was a slew of edgy plus girly an effective eye catcher.Madonna was like the seasons, her music and changed to fit her lifestyle more than needing to fit into other people's lifestyles. She was a hit because she brought fashion onto the stage, she created different looks that was copied again and again. Her island look in La Isla Bonita has graced dozens of magazine fashion spreads. Material Girl was not only top of the music list but was additional advertising for jewelers like Tiffany & Co.During her portrayal in the movie Argentina, she was dressed in tailored dark suits favored by Evita Peron. The wardrobe gave way to many hit songs that spawned from the lifestyle that was Evita and Argentina. In the 1990's when most of the music was centered towards rock and grunge groups, Madonna still permeated the airwaves and the fashion world. Designers here and there clamored to have the honor of dressing her up during the Awards Nights and various functions that would definitely keep her in the spotlight for more than your average 15 minutes of fame. Her mere existence has brought about many young stars who have in a lot of ways mimicked and idolized her. Britney, Christina, Linsay, Ashley, even males like Justin and Kanye find Madonna to be an inspiration because of her chameleon ways.In the late 90's Madonna did not only change husbands but her fashion choices as well as her religious beliefs took a turn as well. Marrying British director Madonna also decided to join Kabalah which mainly holds Buddhist beliefs.Madonna has then been able to work with various people from nearly every genre.

Collaborations with Massive Attack, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake are a few to be mentioned. Most would say that the person that is Madonna is timeless; her ability to change has kept her still within the limelight. She has tried her hand in music, movie production, fitness, child rearing and even book author. Her books The English Roses have sold millions of copies world wide and so have her other stories. After years of being clothed by other designer labels, Madonna has finally at this point decided to make herself into a clothing label. Simply labeled "M", Madonna's clothes are not couture they are everyday clothes for working women and party girls. The fashion line is simple, comfortable, stylish and best of all affordable.

Bright And Happy 1980s Fashion

When you think back to the 1980s they are many things that come to mind. There is something that is highlighted in our minds when we think back on the 1980s, and that is the 80s fashion.It is very easy to recognize the fashion of the 1980s. This cannot be necessarily said of the fashion from the previous decades, because they share common elements that make them hard to distinguish from each other. It is safe to say that the 1980s fashion is in a completely distinct class of its own.Even though one can still find boys that are wearing tube socks today, during the 1980s tube socks were the in thing to wear for girls and they wore it with almost any kind of outfit. However, just plain old tube socks were not enough during the 1980s. They had to be a ruffled to make the girls look really in step with fashion.Movies played a huge part in influencing the 1980s fashion. Do you remember the movie Flashdance? That movie defined the new 1980s fashion look for young girls. Suddenly everyone had to wear large sweaters that exposed one shoulder with the gym bra strap exposed over the shoulder.The girls also wore their hair in ponytails that sat on one side of the head.Stonewashed jeans were the very big fashion item in the nineteen eighties. They had to be so skintight that you always wondered how people got into them in the first place. These jeans that were worn by men were accompanied by very colorful and decorative shirts or T-shirts. Leg warmers were also very popular during the nineteen eighties. Once again, very well-known celebrities influenced the fashion choices of teenage girls through a music video that they made. Girls were wearing leg warmers with shorts, skirts, and many other types of pants.As far as jewelry goes, one of the very popular items was the bracelet. And of course these could not be just any bracelets; they had to be flashy bangle bracelets. The more of these flashy bangles a girl could fit on her arm, the more hip she was. The 1980s were truly a very colorful time. Remember the popular male fashion accessory, those very brightly colored shoelaces? Do you think anybody would dare wear them today without looking like a complete fool? Hats decorated with flowers or other types of prints were also very popular during that time. That is one of the 1980s fashion trends that continued into the 90s.Probably the one distinctive concept that would define 1980s fashion would be uniqueness

Fashion in the 1970s

The 1970s continued the hippie look reminiscent of the past decade. Worn out jeans remained popular as well as tie-dye. The fashion for unisex was on the upswing. Afro hairstyle and platform soles became in with the rise of the radical chic. It is said that male appearance changed more in this decade than any other time in the century.

In the US, fashion focused on simple and longer skirts. Jeans became more popular, becoming an accepted item in the fashion scene. Some of the designers who rose to popularity were Calvin Klein and another US designer, Ralph Lauren. Meanwhile, Pierre Cardin popularized a staple style of clothing featuring narrow shoulders with tight fitting lines, having no tie and interfacing, and coupled with jackets and tunics.

Men also opted to dress down, regarded as hippie', and this gained recognition as more of a deliberate look.One of the more innovative designers of the decade was Kenzo Takada, who mixed Western and Oriental influences to create a new fashion trend. Another name worthy to mention is Sonia Rykiel, who created figure hugging knits.

An Italian designer who made waves in this decade was Giorgio Armani, who made a distinctively successful collection of clothes for women in 1975. It was also during the ‘70s when fashion trends began to cross borders quickly. Western fashion trends were looked upon by the rest of the world. Synthetic materials were also introduced. The decade also got inspiration from fashion trends in the previous decades.

Ladies Knitted Garments and Cardigans

Women’s clothing are available in different forms in the market. With the growing demand of latest fashionable dresses, the charm of Ladies Knitted Garments never fades. In the past years ladies used to knit the garments to pass time. But in this modern day women find very little time to do knitting and weaving. Also with the advancement of technology the machine made clothing takes place the earlier hand knitted garments. There is no doubt that weaved clothes and accessories for women are always stylish and well acclaimed. Knitted garments have wide variety of style, design, colour and cut. However, women who have little bit of knowledge about knitting can make a right choice. Various types and patterns of sweaters and jackets are available widely in the market. According to the change in trends and season the requirement of women outfit also changes. And that is why women can find ladies knitted garments round the year.
Women Cardigans are the front open sweater and it is tied either with buttons or with zips. Cardigans are generally made of wools or cottons and its length may be within 10.5 to 12.5 inches for normal ladies. Pregnant or plus size women find such clothing very suitable and comfortable. V-neckline is popular among other neckline designs. Women who work in corporate sector or who are working women always look good in cardigans. Perfection is the key of such clothing that gives professional look to your personality. The variety of colours like red, blue, black and mixed colours are available. To choose a right outfit for yourself it is necessary to consider some aspects like your body complexion, body structure, age and above all the ongoing current fashion. There are lots of local boutiques and retail shops where Women Designers Clothing can be found in variety of designs and styles. The size of the designer made clothes can vary from company to company and that is why it is very important to try out at least for once before you buy. If it fits exactly on your body than only that particular garment will look elegant on you otherwise the costly dress materials will go in vain.

Contact Lenses With Attitude

For years contact lenses were designed with only function in mind. Anyone with vision problems who didn't want to wear glasses could consult their eye care professional and make the change. Contact lenses were an unnoticeable and convenient way to correct vision.Now even people with 20/20 vision are lining up for contact lenses. Why?The latest, greatest fashion trend: colored contact lenses.What Are Colored Contact Lenses?Colored contact lenses have a tint, color or design embedded right on the contact lens itself. The center portion that fits over your pupil remains clear to allow your vision to be unimpeded. The tints can enhance your natural eye color, completely change your eye color or for a really wild look, imprint crazy designs or logos right on the iris.For example: you could have blue eyes one day, brown eyes the next and cat eyes on the weekend. They are versatile, flexible and fun!When buying colored contact lenses there are two main categories of contact lenses to choose from: Enhancer Contact Lenses and Opaque Contact Lenses.What Is The Difference Between Enhancer and Opaque Colored Contact Lenses?Enhancer colored contact lenses use translucent tints that allow certain wavelengths of light to pass through while absorbing others. This results in a vivid enhancement of your natural eye color. It can also change the way the iris looks underneath making your eyes clearly stand out. Enhancer colored contact lenses cannot change your eye color; only enhance what you already have. They work particularly well for people with green, blue or light colored eyes, creating dramatic and intense looks.Opaque colored contact lenses use opaque tints that completely mask your underlying iris. No light can pass through the opaque tint, which means your natural eye color is no longer visible. Regular opaque lenses are carefully designed to mimic the natural look of the eye while completely altering eye color.

You can go from brown-eyes to green, blue-eyes to purple, there is no limit to the color changes available.Natural looking opaque contact lenses are also used for cosmetic purposes to cover up any eye disfigurements a person has that would usually be visible. For a more fun appearance you can use costume or theatrical lenses. These opaque colored contact lenses are used all the time to create special effects in the movies and for Halloween. They can turn you from human to vampire, give you alien eyes, or allow you to have your favorite logo visible in your eye. They can also be ordered with customized iris flecks for a unique appearance.There is also a new development in colored contact lenses designed especially for the sports enthusiast. They have what are called light-filtering tints. These tints enhance the visibility of certain colors for the wearer and enable them to more easily see objects such as tennis balls. The tints effectively separate the object from the background giving you an advantage during play. There are a number of light-filtering contact lenses being designed for a variety of sports. Who Can Wear Colored Contact Lenses?Many colored contact lenses can be ordered in 'plano' form for people who do not need vision correction. There are also designs for people who require bifocal correction and for those with astigmatism. For anyone wishing to use colored contact lenses you do require an appointment with an eye care professional and a prescription, even if you have 20/20 vision. Contact lenses need to be fitted properly to the curvature of your eye for a safe and comfortable fit.