Rachel Roy

Photo Credit: wsj.com
 
I appreciate what fashion designer Rachel Roy (above) had to say recently in a Los Angeles Times article: "You just have to be aware of what makes you happy, and it's the same for clothes. . . if I want to feel a certain way,  I will start with what to put on my body, and it helps get me there. And I think that's the great thing about fashion, that it can elevate your mood and then your confidence and then hopefully your intelligence."

I also applaud Roy's designs for plus-size women (below)  instead of ignoring this demographic like most of the fashion world. Her Rachel Roy Curvy line debuted this spring at Macy's.

Photo Credit: wwd.com

Owning It

Image Credit: publicradiointernational.org

I've been listening attentively to the series "Owning It" on Public Radio International. Each story is inspiring, as are the women who are starting businesses out of nothing in sometimes very challenging circumstances. Bravo to these women--from a yoga teacher in Africa to two mothers in Prague making handbags-- and to PRI for covering important topics like this.

Clever Designers

Photo Credit: bellasisters.com

A colleague had on a unique jacket the other day,  and she shared that it was indeed one-of-a-kind. She had received this Bellasisters jacket as a gift and was eager to tell me all about the folks who made it.  The company's tagline is "sustainable threads for the urban adventure," and the lovely jackets I show here highlight the designers' talents.

Flowers--in Gardens and on Fabrics

Image Credit: Musee Christian Dior Collection, Granville


I've always liked florals. When I was a young girl, I relished going to the fabric store to choose what my mom would use for a pattern I had picked out. She and my grandma made me dresses, tops, skirts, and even pants, and most of the time I chose fabric with a flower print. Those were the days!

A recent exhibit in France showed how gardens influenced the designer Christian Dior: "Fashion historian Florence Muller gathered drawings, photographs and paintings by Manet, Monet, Renoir and others for an exhibition on Dior and Impressionism, at the Dior Museum in Granville, the designer's hometown."

One look at the photo above gives you an idea of Dior's attention to detail and his love of beauty found in nature.

London, Anyone?

Oh, how I would love to zip over to England to see this glorious-sounding exhibition, "Valentino: Master of Couture." Through March 3, 2013, the Embankment Galleries at London’s Somerset House will spotlight Valentino’s extraordinarily glamorous career through pictures, film and a selection of the designer’s couture, two thirds of which has never been on public display."

If you cannot make it to London at this time, you can watch a magical film, "Valentino, the Last Emperor"  It left me in awe of this designer's artistic talent and the people who bring his ideas to fruition. Masterful!

Isabel Toledo

Photo credit: vivafashionblog

Isabel Toledo is a Cuban-born designer who has been on the fashion scene since introducing her first collection in 1985. She is an original, designing distinctive, often architectural clothing making deliberate choices to live a certain way with her artist husband, Ruben Toledo. Her book, Roots of Style, Weaving Together Life, Love, and Fashion was an eye-opening read. This piece from Harper's Bazaar, offers a nice snapshot of Isabel Toledo and her husband.  I learned a great deal about how Toledo lives as an artist,  and how her dedication to her craft has paid off. This book also gave me insight into what goes into creating a clothing collection from the ground floor up.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book which go way beyond fashion:

Fashion design moves forward when people think for themselves and dress their own minds and moods.

A person with true style is displaying a fertile and thinking mind. 

(This is what Wardrobe Wisdom is about!) People with style dress in harmony with their inner, most authentic selves. 

Clothing can help the wearer give voice to her emotions, whether she is feeling vulnerable, sensual, confident, powerful, or playful. Choices in color, texture, materials, and the cut of our clothes can all add up to a composite portrait of our inner psychological makeup. 

Fashion is much more than just clothes. It's about finding and defining yourself, and communicating your personality and individuality to other people through your outward appearance. 

If you can stay in love and keep your enthusiasm for what you choose to do with your life, you are living well indeed. 

Creativity stalks every profession. It is just waiting to happen. 

[Couture garments] are masterpieces of engineering and craft that are not always evident from the outside, but created for the wearer's ease and comfort as well as the splendor of the total effect. 

It is far easier sometimes to find an exquisite dress for a special occasion than it is to figure out your daily look.

Intelligent clothes earn a place of honor in your wardrobe, because these are the items you reach for again and again.

A great design has no expiration date. 

She offers profound fashion and life advice throughout the book, but the conclusion is especially brilliant and useful.

Model for a Day

Photo Credit: Evan Sung for the New York Times

I laughed out loud reading journalist Henry Alford's account of his recent experience (experiment?) as a model during New York's Fashion Week. I hope you enjoy this as well.

Valentino Virtual Museum

What on earth is a virtual museum? According to Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino Garavani's long-time business partner, "Animated galleries show a life's work, and hundreds of key dresses have been photographed revolving 360 degrees to show every line and stitch. One click on the dress and the user can discover its history—who wore it, where, and when. Five thousand documents, photos, and 190 videos make up the Museum's database."

In a previous post, I raved about the gorgeous movie, "Valentino: The Last Emporer." I was struck dumb by the art and genius behind Valentino's exquisite designs. Now I can view his creations via my computer. Go here to read more about this unique museum.

Diane von Furstenburg

Tom Ashbrook, one of the very best interviewers ever, recently spoke with Diane von Furstenberg. Go here to learn what she had to say about fashion, today and yesterday.