DESIGNER PROFILE: Badgley Mishka

FULL NAMES: Mark Badgley and James Mischka

ORIGIN: America ( Mark Badgley from Wisconsin and James Mishka from Illinois)

FIRST COLLECTION: 1988

OVERVIEW: The partners in life and partners in fashion met at Parsons School of Design in New York in 1982. They went onto do their separate internships Badgley with Donna Karan and Mischka with Willi Smith. The pair formed their own company in 1985 with a vision for evening wear that satisfies both Uptown diners and downtown executives alike. Famous celebrities have been adorning their designs since their launch. Their clothing echo a time when women dressed for evenings, radiating youthful confidence and elegance.

WEBSITE: www.badgleymischka.com/

LATEST: Spring Summer 2011 by Badgley Mishka. The colours are a fresh and lively array of pastels, evoking dreams of ice cold lemonade on a summers day at the Sunday ladies luncheon. The floppy hats and drop-dead-gorgeous dresses may resonate timeless grace and glamour but are brought into the modern world with the sheer fabrics, lovely short skirts and modern materials.

LOVE OR LIKE: I very often wish I was living in a time where ladies and gentlemen graced the evenings in all their finery. A time where evening wear was a norm and not a dress code for a special event. This is why I appreciate all that Badgley Mishka offer, since most of us will only ever wear a gorgeous gown on our matric ball or wedding day, Badgley Mishka offer the everyday women a chance to glimpse into a time of grand balls and refined elegance.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

FROCK 'N ROLL

My fashion heart sang beautiful melodies as I chose my best trends for this seasons rockin frocks. I may have proclaimed undying loyalty and devotion to a few designers so far, but since I have yet to pass “A” in my designer profiles, and have not had the joy, nay, privilege of laying my eyes on Marchesa- I will now proclaim no further favoritism until I have seen them all (although, had my fashion chromosomes a voice, they would surely be screaming “VOTE MARCHESA!!” right this minute).

I have chosen to focus on cocktail dresses and the trends and inspirations for the season, because like most 20-somethings out there, red carpet glamour is not on top of my list along with say- food. (For instance)

RUFFLES

WHITE HOT


LACE

DETAILING

STRAPLESS

BOLD PRINTS

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

DESIGNER PROFILE: Alexander Wang

DESIGNER PROFILE: Alexander Wang

FULL NAMES: Alexander Wang

ORIGIN: California (Chinese-American heritage)

FIRST COLLECTION: 2007

OVERVIEW: Alexander Wang began his fashion journey at 18, attending Parsons The New School for Design. He dropped out (sophomore year) and launched his first collection in 2007. He won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008. Wang launched a diffusion line of pre-weathered cotton tees, tanks, and T-shirt dresses in spring 2009, T by Alexander Wang, as well as a footwear collection of towering platform sandals.

WEBSITE: www.alexanderwang.com/

LATEST: Spring Pret-a-Porter 2011.(The latest is actually pre-fall 2011). A splash of white turned literal by the paint liberally distributed through models hair. He was aiming for something bright, uplifting, pristine- but never without the slouchy grunge edge his known for. The sporty trend has been good for this designer, with his constructed pieces married with his usual rock-french chic that is the DNA of his designs.

LOVE OR LIKE: I love Alexander Wang, and alot may judge solely by this line, but there's really much more to this designer, and when his pieces thrive in the limelight, with his avid celebrity following, it puts it all into perspective. From here its easy to see why this young talented designer is moving on up.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

DESIGNER PROFILE: Alexander Mcqueen

FULL NAMES: Lee Mcqueen

ORIGIN: Lewisham, London

FIRST COLLECTION: 1997 (For Givenchy)

OVERVIEW: “I” enfant terrible and "the hooligan of English fashion" are phrases that clung to the designer as he made himself known. He started out designing and making clothing at age 16 for his sisters. From the East end of London Mcqueen earned himself successful apprenticeships, after which he applied at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College. His outstanding portfolio earned him admission on the spot. In 1996 (succeeding John Galliano) he was instated as head designer for Givenchy and stayed there till 2001. He is one of the youngest designers to achieve the title 'British Designer of the Year' in 1996, 1997 and again in 2001.

WEBSITE: www.alexandermcqueen.com/

LATEST: His final pieces (16 pieces for the A/W collection) were presented by his devout team in Paris, the last collection since the announcement of his death on 11 February 2010. Sarah Burton, his right hand for 15 years recently showcased the 2011 ready-to-wear collections for both seasons, and as beautiful and successful as the show was, I feel its only right to showcase the galvanizing designers final pieces. His last collection echoed the dark ages and he focused on his renowned couture skills, bringing a graceful melancholy to this romantic collection.

LOVE OR LIKE: Alexander Mcqueen is a legend. It saddens me greatly that I have only learned to appreciate all that is Alexander Mcqueen now. If I could even slightly grasp the flair of his couture dexterity, what a euphoric sense of achievement it would be. There will now always be a creative void where the “badboy of British fashion” left his legacy.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

I died and went to Shoe Heaven

Rockin’ shoes, Oh Rockin shoes
I could never choose!
I’de have to wear a pair a day
To give you all your dues

Dear Jimmy Choo
Dior and Miu
And Louboutin too

If I had my way
(Your shoes each day)
In Shoe Heaven, I would stay.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

DESIGNER PROFILE: Alberta Ferretti

FULL NAMES: Alberta Ferretti

ORIGIN: Italy

FIRST COLLECTION: 1993, Milan

OVERVIEW: Feretti presented her Ready-to-wear line in Milan (Inspired by The Great Gatsby). She started Aeffe U.S.A., which produced and distributed clothing by Moschino, Rifat Ozbek, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Narcisco Rodriguez as well as marketing her own lines. By 1998 she opened in-store boutiques for selling her signature and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti lines at Bergdorf Goodman.

WEBSITE: www.albertaferretti.com/

LATEST: Spring 2011. When I think of her designs the words, ethereal,delicate and graceful spring to mind. Ferreti is known for her twisting,tucking and draping techniques and her designs float down the runway. It was a challenge choosing only a few pieces to showcase as I love the intricate detailing and felt a pang of enthrallment and longing as I looked through the collection, as well as pain for the beauties I had to leave behind. I can only dream of what these pieces look like up close.

LOVE OR LIKE: LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. If ever I was looking for inspiration, here it is in the form of Alberta Ferreti. She is everything I aspire to be-a women with a powerful business sense and a confidence in her fashion beliefs. Her target customer is the cocktail crowd and the princess in me agrees that this was made for me. I love the feminine soft materials, the sheer and subtle sexiness. My adoration is hers- me, Sarah Jessica Parker, January Jones and about a kazillion other people.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

DESIGNER PROFILE: ADAM

FULL NAMES: Adam Lippes


ORIGIN: Buffalo, New York

FIRST COLLECTION: 2007, NYC


OVERVIEW: He began his fashion career at Polo Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta. Pursuing his dream of his own collection (to “fuse fashion with the perfect white tee” ) he launched his Collection of Basics in 2004, with huge success. His first formal runway show was at New York fashion week in September 2007. I would describe his collections as understated chic, always with a romantic dynamic and an obvious appreciation of femininity.

WEBSITE: www.shopadam.com/

LATEST: Pre-Fall 2011. This collection echoes my previous ideas on his ability to understand the graceful elegance of the lady form.There's a mix of leather, floral, pleating and cotton. The classic silouettes and beautiful floral patterns add soft texture. His inspiration? Wirtz International, the Belgian landscape architecture firm.

LOVE OR LIKE: At first I liked it but after a closer look I realized I rather loved it! There are pieces there that I would happily purchase, the leather skirt, the Maxi dress, the black dress and Aviator jacket. Sigh. If only.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

DESIGNER PROFILE: A Détacher

FULL NAMES: Mona Kowalska

ORIGIN: Warsaw, Poland

FIRST COLLECTION: NYC, 2008


OVERVIEW: The meaning of A Détacher is to be detached, and I could not have found a better way to describe Mona Kowalska’s designs, not in the cold, foreign sense of the word, but rather in a true and faithful sense. She doesn't seem to be phased too much by the pressure of Trend setting. She started a boutique in Nolita in 2008 and it has been a quiet success since then. Her signature? Bold prints.

WEBSITE: http://adetacher.com/

LATEST: Her S/S 2011 collection. Although I have chosen to focus on her collection for Fall 2010. Her source of inspiration -character “Lady Redneck” is indicative of her collection. The ladylike elements can be seen in the strong prints which are flirty and pretty. She incorporates lace, ruffles and cheeky preppy dresses. The Redneck element is divulged by the oversized jackets and dresses in all their wool, crochet and palid majesty.

LOVE OR LIKE: I’m going to say that I like her collections, I adore the bold prints and I do enjoy a preppy disposition from time to time, but Mona Kowalska creates pieces for the more conservative fashionista, and I am yet to be able to appreciate her for all she deserves.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo

Le chic Freak

DESIGNER PROFILE: A.F Vandevorst

FULL NAMES: An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx

ORIGIN: Antwerp, Belgium

FIRST COLLECTION: PARIS, 1998

PRODUCT LINES: Handbags, Shoes, Lingerie

OVERVIEW: Husband and wife duo are well know for their avante-garde, contrasting textures and fabrics and seductive structured pieces. In the past, tailored jackets and reworked classics have been notable.

WEBSITE: http://www.afvandevorst.be/

LATEST: The latest S/S 2011 ready-to-wear collection is a metallic dream where deft draping meets skilful structure. The metallics melt against the skin and the classic silouette of the dresses are contrasted by the modern draping. Harem-shaped trousers as well as skinny ripped varieties rule the catwalk . The pops of a mustard-gold pieces add a delightful boost to the greys and silver pieces shown below.

LOVE OR LIKE?: I love this collection because of the sexy and sultry way the pieces swim against the body, without showing too much skin, and I’m a real weakling for structured pieces.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxox

Le chic Freak

The A-Zeal of Designers

While I may be a fan of fashion, do I truly know the catwalk basics? The answer is no, and in order to educate myself (The Catwalk who's who for Dummies) I will be starting a profile on all the tops designers. A letter a month if you will. While it could very well be 2012 before I see the light that is the letter Z, I simply cannot see myself getting stuck in, have I not a basic education on the designers that grace the catwalks.

Was it not I who just yesterday was drowning in the woes of my long-distance relationship with Fashion. Indeed it was. So, I say to myself, get in there.

And coming up first, the dynamic duo that is A.F Vandervorst.

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxox
Le chic Freak

Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me..

Its been a slow and sluggish start to the New Year, but I'm finally ready to bounce into My New Year with a bang! Its time for me to take my fashion infactuation to a practical level. I can only adore fashion from the sidelines for so long. Since my association with fashion magazines is like a bad on-off relationship and I have don’t have a black American Express card-also known as the “Centurion Card” (sigh), I am currently only fulfilling my passion from a quiet distance. This disturbs my slightly since I have never been the type of person to take anything half tilt.

Which is why I love the “ New Year Syndrome” millions upon trillions of people feel a new lease on life, a fresh start, a… well, New Year. This is the time to banish the old and start again. So this year is all about taking those dreams of mine, and doing something to make it real.

To start with, I will focus a lot on the history of fashion, don’t fall asleep just yet, it’s the doorway to inspiration, and most importantly its what I need in order to appreciate the future. Other than that it will be me,as always, adoring and appreciating fashion in any which way I can.

Wish me luck!

Always chic, always inspired.

Xoxoxo
Le chic Freak