What a Fashion week!!! by Cindy Quach

Well, I’ve never been to many Fashion events in just one week like this. It seemed I’d missed a lot before.

Anyways, last week was really awesome with a chain of the GREAT Fashion Events that happened in Academy of Art University. For those of you who had missed it out, I’m going to write a quick post about the overall of it. There were 3 awesome events that happened last week:

The symposium with honored guests Nathalie Rykiel, and Cathy Horyn, moderated by Gladys Perint Palmer

First, let me tell a little bit about who Nathalie Rykiel and Cathy Horyn are (of course you already knew about Gladys Perint Palmer)

Nathalie Rykiel is the daughter of Sonia Rykiel and also the creative director of the Sonia Rykiel label which has long been a favorite among celebrities, including Kirsten Dunst, Diane Kruger and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Cathy Horyn is an American fashion journalist, working as a critic for The New York Times where she also keeps a highly noted and provocative blog called “On The Runway.” She is only the second New York Times fashion critic, succeeding the late Amy Spindler when Spindler retired in November 2003.

You can check out her blog here: 

http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/

At the symposium with AAU students, they discussed about the fashion journalism and fashion blogging. They give a lot of advices and opinions about how the fashion journalists and merchandisers think, look at and report about fashion/style today. Nathalie had mentioned how important about the diversity of brand and its identity. To Cathy, blog is as a diary. Nowadays, people have been using blogs more than newspaper, but she said “paper is still paper, and it’s a serious place.” She advised to all the aspiring journalists to “be a reporter, don’t be a re-blogger.” The symposium was very insightful and thoughtful.

“Fashion is media and media is fashion.” — Cathy Horyn

“Fashion is Applied Art” — by Nathalie Rykiel

Last season, Sonia Rykiel paired with H&M on a range of naughty-but-nice underwear that turned everyone into a bombshell. And here is the clip of a grandiose and fantastic fashion show when Nathalie did the collaboration with H&M for that lingerie line.

And here is the clip:

Laure du Pavillon presentation

The presentations highlighted about Lesage embroidery and how art craftsmanship and fashion luxury are inseparable, and how craftsmanship makes a fashion dream come true.

First, she talked about the fashion history, the beginning of Haute Couture, the history of embroidery, its business, and how it links with Haute Couture. The process of making embroidery business starts from inspiration -> sample -> prototype -> repetition -> production.  It pretty much gave us a lot of information about Haute Couture and embroideries of Lesage, and her experiences at the house of Christian Lacroix, and the company she founded after Lacroix. In 2010, Laure du Pavillon opened her own agency Cœur d’entreprise with two main objectives: transmission of know-how, and linking philanthropy between fashion companies and social charity associations.

We also got to know more about why the prices/costs of craftsmanship/embroideries were so high. “The process of the craftsmanship is as same as Haute Couture, and it’s all about quality of time,” explained Laure.

For more information about the school/courses, visit this website below:

http://www.lesage-paris.com/

BFA Graduation Fashion Show – the collaboration of Fashion Designers and Textile Designers.

There was a lot of simple, yet tailoring collection that’d represented on last Thursday at AAU. Among of them, I’d noticed to the collections that had the special designs and the collaboration between fashion design and textile design. It was very impressed and seemed to take longer to finish than any other collections. The textures of fabrics and the designs worked very well together. It all showed the story of each collection. The students had successfully shown themselves as real designers.

And these are the collections that I think very special and awesome from the show.  

The 1^st one was the collection from Brittany Burggraff (BFA Fashion Design) and Wendy Tam (BFA Textile Design) that got inspired by the dark children’s stories, the abstract art of Yellena James. Vintage lingerie, and the Spider and the Fly poem by Mary Howitt and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi.

The 2^nd one was the collection from Lauren Haut (BFA Fashion Design) and Darrin George (BFA Textile Design) that got inspired by the loss of innocence, 1950s tailoring, 1950s and 1960s wallpaper, traditional prints, and organic shapes.

The 3^rd one was the collection from Cynthia Tran (BFA Fashion Design) and Kassie Moody (BFA Textile Design) that got inspired by Ludwig Bemelman’s Madeline children’s books, and1960s silhouettes.

It was an extremly successful show of the graduating students this year! As a fashion design student, the show was also a great inspirational source to me and all of the fashion design students who are not graduating yet or almost graduating. What else can I say? Good Luck to all of You.

Cindy Quach 3rd yr BFA AAU

1. Do you feel the need to change your hair and makeup routine with each season? Why or why not?

Yes, absolutely. No one wants to see one style of hair or makeup over and over again every season. Also, the makeup n hair style needs to match with the collection as well. So, creating/styling a new look of hair or makeup is very important.

2. Do hair and makeup trends on the runway influence you, and encourage you to try them out on yourself? Is it successful?

Yes, since I’ve been working as a makeup artist, I used to update new looks of hair/makeup trends on the runway.

3. Do you feel that the dramatic/extreme hair and makeup looks from the runway can easily translate to everyday?

Yes, but it only works for the parties/night.

4. Do you think the natural look of makeup is more compelling than the dramatic look? Why or why not?

Well, to me, everyone could do the natural makeup themselves because it’s very easy to do. All you need to do is apply foundation, powder, blush, eyebrow and a little eyeshadow. It might only take you 5 to 10 minutes. However, the dramtic look is completely different, the hardest part is doing the eyes makeup, and it might take longer than the natural makeup (about half an hour).

5. Do you coordinate your outfit around your makeup/hair- or the other way around?

Yes, you don’t wanna put a dramatic makeup or smokey eyes in the morning with your working outfit or going to school with that. Its only good for night.

6. Do you focus more on the clothes when you put an outfit together- or the makeup/ hair?

I focus on both, my outfit needs to totally fit and go well with my makeup/hair. I usually spend 2 hours on choosing outfits and doing hair/makeup if I go to party or any special occasions.

7. Do you feel that an eyeshadow color can inspire a whole outfit?

Of course, it would look nicer if you have a matching eyeshadow with your outfit.

8. Do you agree that getting a new hair cut can change your look? If so, how does it change your style?

Yes, because some outfits look nice/great with short hair, but some only can go with long hair/curly hair/ straight hair…

Tease Hair Tutorial

You will usually see this kinda hairstyle on the runway

Runway Hair Tutorial

You can stop at any steps as you like to create your own hair look

Oscar de la Renta Makeup

It would be great for working girls, very easy and quick to apply in the morning.

Valentino Girls

This hair can also be used for daily

Catwalk Makeup Tutorial – Versace

Here is some ways to apply the Runway Makeup to Reality. It would be awesome for your parties. Try it!

Cindy Quach 3rd yr BFA AAU

1. What defines “your” style? (think seriously about this one)

I have 2 different styles: I used to wear something simple/casual in the morning for school or work such as jeans/pants with shirts, and I used to wear dresses in the evening for any occasions.

2. Where does your fashion inspiration come from? (a designer, show, individual, icon…)

I usually dress something that I think fit me well. I’ve never thought of any inspiration that affects the way I dress

3. Do you believe that the runway and street fashion co-exist?

I think runway fashion is the the designers’ styling and idess, and street fashion is the different ideas from different people. That’s why we see the street fashion has different styles while the runway fashion has only one style.

4. Do you think street fashion photography is a growing trend? why? where (does location matter)?

I am not sure about this because I’ve never seen any street fashion photographers who are running around and hunting for fashion images like Bill Cunningham. If it’s really a growing trend, NYC  would be the best location where dressing up is as their required jobs everyday.

5. Finally, after learning about Bill Cunningham and his documentations of street wear: Is the fashion innovator on the street?

Yes, there are alot of people who have good taste in styling and fashion even though they are not reall designers. They know how to pick/choose/mix/match their clothing with accessories to create new images of fashion by their own ways. I admire!

Is the fashion innovator just someone with an idea and a unique way of expressing it (whether on the street or runway)?

I would say Yes because it’s the only way that makes them look different/stand out from the crowd, and maybe other people would follow/copy their styles. By that, it would create new street fashion styles. And it’s totally different from the runway’s, especially about the prices.

Bill Cunningham

 

Bill Cunningham is probably the most simple, honest (with a lovely smile) photojournalist in New York who lived in a tiny studio with no kitchen and with a bathroom down the hall…  yet he is the legendary street-fashion photographer and society chronicler for The New York Times.

He is now, at the age 81, the hardest working reporter in New York. He’s also among the most private, despite the fact that he can easily be spied in public, wearing a blue worker’s smock and bicycling fearlessly through city streets. He spends his whole life on the pursuit of fashion. His personal life is so understated, and even anonymous- which is what makes his point of view on fashion so intriguing.

 

He loves taking pictures of people on the street because to him, they are documents of fashion’s history. “I’m not interested in celebrities with their free dresses,” he says in the film. “I’m interested in the clothes.” He especially loves taking pictures of people in the rain because they “forget about you,” he says. “If they see you, they don’t go putting on airs, people are who they are.”

His work is so creative and animated- not only by a refined eye, but also by a worldly view. We can see his passion and enthusiasm in all of his work.

“I don’t decide anything,” he says. “I let the street speak to me, and in order for the street to speak to you, you’ve got to stay out there and see what it is.”

“I’ve said many times that we all get dressed for Bill,” Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue, says in the film.

 

Anna Wintour and Carmen Dell Orefice

 

Fashion icon Isabella Blow is photographed on March 20, 1999

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Or click on this link below to see all of his ‘On the Street’ videos

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/18/fashion/100000000732760/onthestreet.html?ref=billcunningham

On the Record: Cindy Quach, 3rd yr BFA AAU

How can a dandy influence the way men dress- is it starting a revolution in men’s fashion?

It can influence alot on the way men dress nowadays. Since menwears is so simple, and there are not alot of men fashion designers, so it would be great if there are more dandies who can create a new revolution in men’s fashion.
Who would you say is a female dandy?

Lady Gaga is an example since she has always created her own style and outfits.
How important is it to dress for yourself first, and not for others?

I always dress for myself. I always dress the styles that I like and fit me well. Im not a fashion victim, so I dont run after the fashion trend that doesnt fit me well. It would make me look funny in the crowd, and that’s not what I want to be.

Is showing your own style essential to showing who you really are?

Yes, absolutely.

What’s the most outrageous outfit you have ever worn?

I dont really have the most outrageous outfits. Im kinda simple.

Technology and the Internet play a huge role on getting images and people out for the world to see. Would you (or have you) intentionally shown your fashion style on blogs, youtube etc? Why or why not?

No, but I would if Im a fashion icon, haha. It takes so much time to do such things like that, and Im too busy for that.