Higher Commodity Prices Hit Fashion

One of the things that makes the fashion industry so great is the fact that it is global.  Ideas and people swirl around the world and normally it equals better fashion.  Well, it also equals higher prices.  Commodity prices have soared lately.

Fashion is the "textile industry"--I think they give it that name so that men in suits don't feel like they're talking about "womens' concerns", but that discussion is for another day.  The cost of your favorite new dress directly correlates to the price of raw materials around the world.  In the last 12 months, prices have skyrocketed.

Cotton prices are the highest they've been since the US Civil War.  In the 1860s, prices were so high due to war and blockade.  Now, it is a combination of ruined crops in Pakistan and Australia, coupled with growing demand around the world.  Higher demand plus lower supply equals higher prices.  That means your dress is going to be more costly.

Its not just cotton that is pricier.  Silk, leather, cashmere, fiber for synthetics, etc.... have all gotten more expensive.  Much of it is due to higher demand, transportation costs and in the case of vegetable fibers, failed crops.  One of the largest sources of the rising demand is China.  With the Chinese economy growing, the demand for garments and other textiles rises and so does the price of such things around the world.

What are designers doing about this?  Midlevel designers have been rethinking their collections so that they use less or cheaper materials, in order to not have to raise their prices.  For example, Luca Luca has been trying to order in bulk and use less fabric variety to keep the prices down.  But, they were far enough into their Spring 2011 collection to where they've had to eat much of the cost increases.  This is bad for fashion in the long term--when the designers become less profitable, it will be harder for them to survive changes in demand for their products and to invest in new talent and methods.  This means lower quality items with less innovation.  Hopefully next season Luca Luca will find a better way to deal with this than to eat the cost--it can only do that for so long before they'll have to fold, and then no more pretty dresses from them....

High-End designers are simply passing on the rise in costs to their consumers.  So, if you want high-grade silk to line your blazer, you better be prepared to pay.

Information from Wall Street Journal and Luca Luca runway photo from Style

Huge Congrats to Narciss & Alise Trautmane!

One of my favorite up-and-coming designers is Latvia-based Narciss led by Alise Trautmane.  She knows what women want, and melds that Baltic/Eastern Europe sensibility with a good story and consequently consistently puts out designs that are beautiful & wearable.  I think this company is one to watch!

Well, Narciss was named DESIGNER OF THE YEAR for Latvia by the Baltic Fashion Federation!  I think it is a well-deserved honor for a designer that consistently does a great job.

To the left is a beautiful dress in her online store--its classic while being flattering and practical.  Its something the average woman could actually wear and not feel ridiculous.  It doesn't scream any particular season, instead it says "classic black dress".  I love it!

I can't wait to see the new collection that Narciss is putting out in February 2011!

Picture from NARCISS

Kat Graham + Filhas de Gaia = Questionable Judgement

I haven't seen a lot of great things out and about in the fashion world as of late.  I don't know, maybe I'm looking in the wrong spots.  One of these wrong spots if Kat Graham.

Ugh, she stepped out in public to the ASCAP Grammy Brunch wearing this horrible oneise jumpsuit thing by Filhas de Gaia.  I'm sorry, but it looks like some sad saggy-crotch getup she stole from the reject wardrobe pile of DALLAS.  I can't figure out why this is supposed to make her "aspirational" or an "IT Girl".  It makes me wonder instead if she doesn't own a mirror.  I'm so sad--the print is great and this designer does lots of great looks.

Filhas de Gaia is a great Brazilian designer that shows in Rio de Janeiro.  The Spring 2011 collection was full of great looks--super cute cocktail dresses and wonderful clothes for a woman of Kat Graham's age.  That's what makes me wonder so much at how she ended up in such an unflattering thing--she certainly had plenty to choose from.  *SIGH*  The world may never know.

Picture from WENN

Inspired by Shoson Prints--Time to BE Spring!!!!!

I'm so sick of winter.  The cold, in particular.  I hate the cold, I hate the boring colors, I strongly dislike winter.  I'm so tired of being trapped inside!  I've found myself looking at Japanese Woodblocks and their beautiful images since a trip to a museum the other day and they make me look forward to spring like no other.  One of my favorites is this one by Shoson of cherry blossoms and birds, the ultimate image of spring.  I want everything to look like this right now!

Whenever I look at the Spring 2011 shows, I feel so annoyed.  Almost everything is black and white!  What's going on?!  Where's the color and celebration of being able to leave the house and wear something pretty without being swaddled in layers and layers of black coat?  Luckily, Dries van Noten had a few prints, and they remind me so much of Japanese woodblock prints.  The yellow is so nice, so warm!

The back of this dress is just delicious!!  I love it!  I want it both on a dress and a blouse!  The open back goes just low enough to be completely sexy and interesting but high enough to be able to find a bra to wear under it.  Dries van Noten is one of the few designers who is consistently unafraid of prints and this season, I'm so happy to see it.  I can just imagine wearing this on an early May day, out with friends.

This Spring 2011 Hanii Y dress just makes me sigh with relief!  Its not black or beige or white!  It looks like so much fun and thoroughly reminds me of the Shoson print.  Its got the same colors and captures that same spirit of warmth and beauty.  I love the shape, it isn't frumpy, and it looks like something that would be great to wear out on a Saturday when running errands.

I know I can always count on Tsumori Chisato for something colorful and happy!  This Spring 2011 get-up just looks so "spring-y"!  I love it!  All of the color and print just makes me smile.  The pink is that same pink in the Shoson print and just looks like candy.  What really makes this outfit are the shoes.  That little pop of yellow is the perfect finishing touch--like a warm vanilla sky sunset.

I'm so done with winter.  I want to wear a skirt and ballet flats and not regret doing so.  I want color and print and beauty.  I wish the world always looked like a Shoson print!

Runway pictures from Style and Shoson print from Ronin Gallery

Garden Party with Erdem!

Okay, so its no surprise.  I'm currently obsessed with antique-y looking floral prints on dresses.  I always have been.  Not everyone makes them look like something worth wearing, however.  One of the few who makes an awesome floral-print dress consistently beautiful is Erdem.

Erdem is a London-based design house led by Erdem Moralioglu.  He's of Turkish/English descent from Montreal, Canada and worked for a year under Diane von Furstenberg.  In 2005 he moved to London and started his own line.  Since then he won the British Vogue Fashion Award and is recognized as one of the top up-and-coming designers.  And, boy is he good!

 

One of the things he does so well is use print.  That's so rare!  His prints remind me of re-edited antique floral prints.  The yellow with the red and pink reminds me of this woodblock print by Kono Bairei from 1880.  To me, his dresses from Spring Summer 2011 look like he took prints like this, cut them up and made a collage and then painted over them with watercolors.  Lovely!

Another thing I like so much is the fact that the prints are strategically place to take your eye to the most flattering parts of the dress.  This dress is cut to slim the wearer and then the print leads the eye to the smallest part of the waist, the bust and then the hem to see the model's legs.  Its like a giant sign to "ignore my hips and admire the fact that I have a lovely shape!"  I love it!

Hands down, my favorite dress is the one.  It totally reminds me of antique Japanese woodblock prints of flowers, but in a modern, wearable way.  Love it!  Plus, you can wear this dress on your fattest day and never look like you've had too many cupcakes.  Its classic, its comfortable and its friggin pretty!  I don't know if you've ever played with these dresses in person, but the silk is to die for.  Erdem doesn't scrimp when it comes to materials.  Not at all.  Sure, his stuff is expensive but you get what you pay for!  In this case, its silk worth wearing for the rest of your life.  

Pictures from Erdem, woodblock print from A Private Collection

You may also be interested in my prior post about Peter Som

Chanel Spring/Summer 2011--Thug In A Cocktail Dress

Just because a designer is main-stream doesn't mean that they should be ignored.  Quite the opposite--they are the annointed taste-makers.  And, well, I happen to like Chanel.  Its classic, you really can go wrong with their suiting, so I'm usually excited to see their shows.  Spring/Summer 2011 is no exception!

There were some really cute dresses in the show.  Feminine, but tough, like someone in their 20s could wear them out for a fun night and not feel like they're robbed their grandmother or that they're looking like an Italian divorcee.  My favorite was this black & white number, looks totally Chanel but still young and fun.  I like the contrasting trim over the major seams, it gives the dress a nice shape and really makes the wearer look trim.  I hate the shoes, they look like clunky bricks.  Oh well.  Can't win them all.

Another look I really liked was the art deco-inspired A-Line dress with the front bib and the tulle.  I know, its a bit fussy, but its pretty! Its one of those dresses that you'd wear to a big event, but its interesting and it doesn't scream "I'm wearing Chanel!  Out of my way bitches!!"  Instead, the model looks very well dressed and doesn't fall prey to what Chanel sometimes does of just looking to...elderly.

Not everything in the show came up roses.  In fact, a large portion of the looks just...sucked.  Okay, so why is Karl Lagerfeld trying to dress Chanel-thugs?  What's with the open golashes, booty shorts and just ugly?  What's he thinking?  Tweedy booty shorts?  REALLY?!  Does he picture women who wear Chanel out trying to pick up men in alleys?  Girl looks like a thug.  Another look I particularly disliked is the floral dress that I'm sad to say came from the Chanel show.  Is it just me, or does it look like that horrible prairie dress that your aunt gives you when you're 7 and your mom makes you wear for the family portrait?  It's even got that silly pilgrim collar, awkward length and frumpy waist.  The way that the model is standing says it all--her pose makes me think that she's about ready to pull a HULK on it and rip it off.  Poor girl, having to wear something so embarrassing.

The Chanel spring-summer 2011 show started out so nicely, with lovely tweed and ended with beautiful cocktail dresses.  For some reason, the middle was filled with girls who looked like they were going to jump you for your hair clip.  So sad!  But, that doesn't take away from the fact that I needs to get me another tweedy jacket....

Pictures from Style

You may also be interested in a prior post about Chanel Accessories

Vicuna--A Sweater Fit For The Sapa Inca

There's more variety to protein fibers than just wool & cashmere.  There's all kinds of different animals woolens can be produced from!  One of these is Vicuna, the hair from the vicuna animal of Peru.  Traditionally, vicuna in Incan culture was so valuable that it was only for the royals to wear.  Vicuna or Vicugna, is considered to be the finest and softest wool in the world at 12 micrometers in diameter--the fibers are only 70% as wide as cashmere and even better at trapping warmth.  It is so fine that normally, it is left its natural color for fear that dyes will ruin it.

Vicuna is a threatened species of camelid (camel!) native to Peru, Chile, Bolivia and other parts of South America, previously endangered.  What has allowed this species to come back from the brink is its wool.  The Peruvian government made it its national animal and came up with a scheme to bring both jobs to the locals and save the animal.  Once a year, the locals hold a Chaccu, a traditional shearing ceremony where the vicuna are rounded up, shorn and then released.  A vicuna can only be shorn every 3 years and there are specific standards for how long the hair can be in order to be shorn.  This system of only allowing vicuna wool to be harvested in specific situations and the ending of vicuna hunting has allowed the species to bounce back and become a very valuable commodity to the community.  The practices that are currently being followed are considered sustainable and vicuna is an eco-friendly textile.

There are some things to beware of.  Despite the best efforts of the Peruvian officials and community, there is an illegal trade in vicuna.  Because of this, several countries have outright banned it and many require an official certificate that it was legally harvested.  Make sure that you purchase your vicuna from a legitimate source and try to stick to an established, reputable company like Loro Piano or Jacques Cartier yarns.  Also, if you really look closely at most of the items that come up when you search "vicuna"--you'll notice that they're not ACTUALLY made of vicuna, instead vicuna is just the name of the color.  Don't be fooled and get stuck with lamb's wool!  The high price of vicuna is worth it!

Pictures from Livanti Alpacas and The Guardian

You may also be interested in my prior posts about Qiviut and Ramie