1. When it comes to outfit posts on your own blog, be honest are they what you actually wore that day?
100 percent yes. Either I just come home from work and take pics or I have just came from church or some where and take pics after that. I have to wear my clothes that I wore that day. Or I like taking pics at home of me in my outfits.
2. For a fashion blogger, working in a corporate environment can be tricky. How do you mesh your day job with your personal style choices?
My individuality does not change but I also do not work in a corporate environment, I work for a non-profit organization and I cannot wear jeans, flip flops or cutouts to name a few. So since I can’t wear jeans I completely do a 360 and wear dresses, skirts, blouses and trouser pants etc. I love color and accessories so I brighten up my wardrobe by adding those pieces to my outfits.
3. When you get dressed in the morning, do you think what should I wear to work or what should I wear for the blog?
I get my outfits ready the Sunday before the work week and accessorize my jewelry and shoes so I am ready for each day. I have an active life away from my blog so my blog is not the first thing in the morning I think about.
4. Do professionals you interact with ever make comments about your clothing choices?
All the time. Even though I accessorize with jewelry, belts, headbands and purses I am always considered looking professional and put together. It looks like I have more clothing than I actually have because I work my outfits in so many different ways. I learned that technique from my mother, invaluable information. I have even been asked by a some colleagues if I could be their personal stylist.
5. Some bloggers openly admit to wearing outfits only for the blog post. What’s your opinion on that?
In my opinion I will not judge anyone because it’s their blog and they can do what they want with it. I can only speak for myself and I wear the outfits that day when I or my husband takes pics of me in them. My hubby enjoys taking the pics and it’s a lot of fun. I am very critical of the pics and he helps keep me grounded.
Lets walk the catwalk because it’s time for Friend Friday created by Katy Rose of www.modlychic.blogspot.com and it’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
Fashion week is fun and I take from it what I know what works best on me and it’s cool to see the different interpretations of apparel from different designers.
1. Do you pay attention to the shows during fashion week? Which designers collections are you looking forward to seeing?
Yes, I do pay attention to Fashion Weeks all over the world because I love the variety and I’m taking courses at university in Fashion so I often have to do research on various lines. I like to see what trends are in and what are the latest designer creations. It’s exciting!
I love seeing what the trends are overseas as well as in the states.
Rio Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 on July 28, 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
2. Where are you getting your Fashion Week news from?
QVC is a great source because they are attending Fashion Week in a big way with including a pop up store that will be located in Rockefeller Center. Youtube is another source to see my favorite collections.
The clothing line from Farah Angsana is simply beautiful.
3. Over the years the runway has become more than just models displaying the creations of a designer. They are now spectacles. Do you think that adds or detracts from the fashion?
I think that it depends on the theme of the designer’s collection. If the addition of extra entertainment detracts the show can lose interest to me. I want to see the clothes, it doesn’t matter about the hoopla. Designers want to draw attention and maybe that’s a way they can add more interest. What do you think?
Lady Gaga does the same attention drawing with her wardrobe and theatrical plays during her performances. Are designers secret performers? Maybe so but I still want to see the clothes.
4. Twice a year, as models begin to strut the catwalk we see articles about model size and body image. Do you think the super thin models are offering an unattainable goal to the public or are we immune to their looks?
Most models I have seen at fashion week are fairly thin.The majority of women are not that thin nor do they have to think that they should try to be that thin. Every model is not starving themselves. Some are just plain thin and that’s great and I am not immuned to only seeing thin models. I want to see models of all shapes walking and strutting their stuff down the runway. However, I do see in the media an acceptance of “if you are thin, you are beautiful.” But I am also seeing more full size models making their appearance and that’s wonderful. If mothers continually instill in their daughters that they are beautiful and that all sizes are beautiful, no one is excluded. So when young girls see those magazines with thin models, they do not feel worthless or not pretty.
5. If you could sit front row at any show what would you want to see? And which celebrity would you want to be sitting next to?
So many choices … Diane Von Furstenberg, Versace, Yves St. Laurent.
The celebrity (I do not like that word) I would like to sit next to is Simon Lebon of Duran Duran, my favorite rock band lead singer.
Valentino is my collection of choice. Valentino’s line is so romantic and whimsically, I love the fluidity of the ruffles in the dresses and blouses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Copying in the fashion industry is a huge topic. So this Friend Friday topic from Katy Rose at www.modlychic.blogspot.com it’s serious because it’s literally stealing. As consumers we are not giving credit to whom credit is due when we wear knock-offs. Where are you on the fence when it comes to buying that knock-off handbag at the flea market or from a vendor on the street? Do you feel fabulous when you buy something that looks like the real thing and wear it proudly?
Well I bought a knock off once and I didn’t feel good at all after I bought it. I decided that if I want a name brand anything, no matter what it is, I will save for it and buy it from the original designer . I think when you buy an imposter, you run into inferior materials and quality of brand. Consumers have to be careful because you can get burned -you may be thinking you are purchasing an original brand but it’s completely fake or you purchase a knock off version of an original and it falls apart because of poor quality. We don’t know who made those knock-off garments and what they were paid or how long of hours they worked to dish out those items. To much uncertainty to risk it just to look like I have a brand that really is only a copy.
1. Which side do you take… Copycat designs are a way for the average consumer to stay current and wear runway styles without breaking the bank OR Copycat designs take business from the designer and cheapen the value of their work. Explain.
Of course, I would take the side that copycat designs are a way for the average consumer to stay current and wear runway styles without breaking the bank. I don’t have a problem with designers who use other designer pieces as inspiration not as a way to make money off of another designer’s name. They make it more affordable for the consumer. Above is a sketch of Chelsea Clinton’s wedding dress, it’s simply beautiful but most ladies do not have thousands of dollars to spend on a Vera Wang gown. So for AB Schwartz to “knock off” the original for an inspiration piece to be sold at your favorite department store at a reasonable price is a dream come true for a lot of women. It’s part of the fashion cycle or often called the trickle down theory of fashion. The innovators are the first ones on the scene to get the latest fashion and then it starts to trickle down to the consumers where the designers may tweak it a bit and then after that it either goes out of fashion or runs the cycle all over again.
2. Sometimes we do things, even if they are unethical or illegal (downloading music for free, watching full movies on You Tube). Do you think it is unethical for a designer to copy a vintage piece, make it current and sell it? No. A period piece is different because it has been around for years so I don’t think it’s unethical. I would love it if the designer would draw inspiration from a vintage piece then copy it exactly and use their creativity because they are also using innovation to think outside of the box to make the design their own. For example, many designers draw upon Diane Von Furstenberg for inspiration (the wrap dress).
3. Would you buy an item that is a very well done copy of a runway garment if it fell within your budget? I would by an inspiration piece not a copy. As long as the designer was using the runway piece as a source of inspiration. For example, Chanel is suing a handbag corporation for knocking off their handbags and using inferior materials while doing it.http://bagbunch.com/chanel-sues-counterfeit-handbag-websites/ The company being sued by Chanel says that there bags are of good quality and not made of inferior quality. It is wrong to put a brand of another designer on your product and sell it because it’s not your brand, it’s literally stealing.
4. According to the fashion laws, at least in the US, apparel design is seen as too utilitarian to qualify for copyright protection. Would you think this is detrimental to the industry or beneficial. (Check out this video on The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe to get a better idea of this concept: http://taxonomyofmywardrobe.blogspot.com/2010/08/fashion-and-copyright-laws.html) I watched the video on Taxonomy of My Wardobe’s blog last weekend and yes when I looked at the video and read her blog I had some concern but a bill to help protect designs created by designers was recently amended due to most of the fashion industry feeling that the first bill was to stringent and could cause for many unnecessary court cases.
Innovative Design protection and Piracy Prevention Act (“IDPPPA”)
Senator Charles E. Schumer initiated an amended bill recently to protect original designs of fashion designers and has both the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and the AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association) in agreement for it to hopefully pass. Key points in this bill A ‘fashion design’ ‘‘(A) is the appearance as a whole of an article of apparel, including its ornamentation;and ‘‘(B) includes original elements of the article of apparel or the original arrangement or placement of original or non-original elements as incorporated in the overall appearance of the article of apparel that— ‘‘(i) are the result of a designer’s ow creative endeavor; and‘‘(ii) provide a unique, distinguishable, non-trivial and non-utilitarian variation over prior designs for similar types of articles.
So the proof of creativity and innovation is in the designers court. We shall see if it passes. Link to article on this bill:New York Times
Stop Fashion Piracy Stop Fashion Piracy encourages the public to get Congress to join in with this petition. If you would like to sign it click the link.
Pleas
e take action today!—– Sign the Petition in Support of the Design Piracy Prohibition Act. ——–Stop Fashion Piracy!
Design piracy, the blatant copying of anothers designs, is akin to counterfeiting without affixing the fake designer label. Sadly, because of a lack of adequate legal protection, design piracy has become a way of life in the fashion industry in the U.S. Design piracy is unfair to designers and is detrimental to competition within the fashion industry. It effectively allows others to plagiarize the original designer’s creative ideas and reap the benefits of the creator’s labor and assumption of risk. The U.S. legal system plays a key role in maintaining a fair playing field for businesses across a wide range of industries. However, the current intellectual property laws in the United States do not offer effective protections to ensure fair competition within the fashion industry. Your voice is very important in this determining the kinds of protections our legal system offers to designers SIGN BY CLICKING HERE AND FORWARD THIS LINK TO OTHERS. http://www.arts-of-fashion.org/
5. Own up… share the things in your closet that is a knock off. You know those things you got in China Town, on the streets of New York, or where ever. I bought two bags at a flea market a while back not knowing they were fakes. So naive am I when I looked at the bag I purchased for $40, online it retailed for approx. over $500.
Coach look alike tote
Louis Vuitton look a like
Louis Vuitton copy
Coach copy logo
After this purchase no more knock-offs for me. How to tell if your Louis Vuitton bag may be fake -If you buy it at a flea market or street vendor in China town -If the LV logo is cutoff or if the seams aren’t finished -Buying your bags online. This is tough because so many online vendors say that their bags are authentic -If your handles are plastic -Should have a registration number
My Grade school Graduation dress
My graduation dress from grade school was sewn by my God mother Mrs. C ( I know it looks fancy for grade school but that’s what all the girls wanted to wear). The pattern was from McCalls and the design of the dress was inspired by Lady Diana’s wedding gown. It’s not an exact replica but there are some hints of inspiration in the detail. The dress I have on is not a copy I consider it an inspiration of the gown Lady Diana wore on her wedding day. The whole world saw that beautiful gown she wore and almost every bride to be wanted to walk down the aisle in that dress. Well I wasn’t a bride but I wanted the look of that dress for my grade school graduation.
I love all seasons but I am not a fan of the heat and humidity. Fall is a great time of the year with the start of the feel of the cool breeze on my face and the leaves falling on the grass it’s just so lovely. Well today is Friday and it’s time for Friend Friday and my fellow fashion bloggers and myself are discussing Fall Fashion so I am on this topic hook line and sinker. If you would like to join fashion bloggers with posting the weekly discussion or stopping by to read blogger posts to this topic please stop by the creator of Friend Fridays blog, Katy Rose at www.modlychic.blogspot.com.
Great time of the year to start transitioning into deeper richer tones and heavier weight fabric attire.
I am not into “trends” for trend sake because they can be in today and out tomorrow. Instead I focus on what I like and what looks best on my body shape. For example I love turquoise jewelry and I have been wearing it since my first visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Well one day I was looking at different perfumes in a Macy’s store in my neck of the woods and a lady said your necklace is beautiful it so in now. That necklace was an item that I purchased at least two years before so we have to be careful of falling into the “trend” category. Don’t get me wrong because it’s nothing wrong with buying a piece or two that’s trendy but I always make sure that I don’t spend a lot of money on it because it’s not something that will last in my wardrobe for years to come.
1. What new fashion trend are you looking forward to sporting this fall?
Astrid Stawairz getty images:Courtesy of Piperlime.com
instyle.com
Heidi Klum instyle.com
I would love to rock some knee high boots. It maybe be a trend but I could see this trend lasting for a while because the look is so chic with a skirt or with a legging. This outfit in both pics could work in the office and out for the evening so it’s so versatile. Also notice the rich burgundy tones of the blouse and skirt that are so on trend for fall. Purses and accessories are a passion of mine. The handbag in the picture above is so rocker chic, awesome!
2. Which item in your closet is most likely to be your go-to transition piece?
My dresses, skirts and purses (check out my purse blog at the end of this post) will be go-to transition pieces. I can make my dresses and skirts fit right into fall by adding some cute color hosiery or by adding a cardigan or a cute jacket. Also, I have quite a few purses that can be worn all four seasons that can pop an outfit. Below are some pics of me in my favorite dresses and skirts.
3. What item from last year are you looking forward to reinventing this fall?
My velvet military jacket: I have worn it with jeans and a white lace blouse so I am seeking other ways to make this jacket fresh. Maybe a tunic or a ribbed turtleneck.
4. What is your favorite part about this time of the year?
Being outside more with my family without being bit by mosquitoes and seeing the beauty in the foliage when the leaves change colors. I love to decorate my home and smell the scents of cinnamon and pine. My husband and I love to bake cranberry bread and blueberry bread. Also, love trying out different soups and baking vegetable lasagna.
Fashionably speaking I can rock more outfits because of the different textures, rich hues and patterns. I love wearing hats and they look so great with a cute coat. Bonus is that I’m not thinking about the humidity because of the cool temperatures and I love to listen to Christmas music.
5. Will you be attending any fashion events this fall?
I would love to attend a Fashion event but so far not seeing any in sight. Fashion week for QVC will be in September so I will be watching. I know your thinking “QVC what?” but they are really incorporating a lot of fashion designers from various genres. I really like Bradley Bayou designs.
My Vlog took a long time to upload so here’s my post. Part I & II.
Stop by KatyRose’s blog www.modlychic.blogspot.com to join in on the great discussions of Friend Friday.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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