Indigo jones » fashion

Neon and On and On

indigo jones — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:34:59 +0000

Neon is a big trend for spring/summer, but wearing it can pose a challenge. Here are a few tips to help you navigate through the bright colors of the season:

A little goes a long way:

Neon worn with neon is a bit much. Mix one great intensely colored piece with something more subtle.

The 80’s are over:

Black can be harsh with strong neon colors and takes us back to the 80’s. To look completely modern, mix neon with white, grey, beige or denim, for a less jarring effect. Stripes can also be a great foil for all the strong color.

Softer is easier:

Head to toe neon can be overwhelming, but soft whitened versions of the same color family can work really well together. Try a soft pink with a neon pink, or a pale green with an acid green.

A little dab will do you:

Just a touch of neon in an accessory can be an instant update without making the whole outfit loud. Look for neon shoes, belts or bags as a great way to lift any outfit.

Neon nail polish is a short term commitment. Try a little on your fingers or toes for a fun, temporary trial on the trend.

Mad Hatter

indigo jones — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:52 +0000

The Fall 2013 collections had a theatrical appeal, with clothing and accessories straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. Historical references, and exaggerated shapes were recreated in modern textiles giving us a new vision of the past.

Most remarkable, were the two collections shown by Marc Jacobs; his own eponymous collection, staged in New York and the Louis Vuitton collection, set in a train station in Paris.

Both featured incredible hats designed in collaboration with milliner Stephen Jones.

For Marc Jacobs, Jones created colorful oversized hats, looking like those envisioned by the late Dr. Seuss.

The hats at Louis Vuitton evoked another era, yet were no less spectacular.

Although these are not conducive to day-to-day life, they set the stage for exploring the fantasy world of fashion.

White Space

indigo jones — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:59:30 +0000

There is an age-old rule of fashion that declares, “ White should not be worn before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.” For decades, women adhered to this, as if it were gospel. Until now.

This season, many designers showed white leather shoes and handbags for winter, causing a clash of seasonality and fashion etiquette that somehow looks very modern.

Phillip Lim showed white t-strap dancing shoes with heavy winter woolens. Worn with bare legs, or dark tights, the contradiction of style looks very fresh and youthful.

J.Mendel, known for his luxe sophisticated sportswear and furs, showed creamy winter whites layered head to toe. His white leather shoes and bags were the perfect accompaniment.

Indie design favorite, Alexander Wang also embraced the rule-bending, by adding an oversized white bag to this edgy black and white look.

As our weather patterns spiral out of control, predicting what is appropriate to wear is nearly impossible. Why not just roll with it, and let your style be the guiding force, rather than a confused weather-person, or an outdated notion of what is proper?

Collared

indigo jones — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:03:45 +0000

There is a sense of modesty that has been brewing on the runway for the last few seasons. Gone are the skin-tight dresses of the past, cut just below the panty line with plunging necklines. A certain presence of decorum is more prevalent today, than overt sexiness.

For Fall 2012-2013, many designers used prim collars to fill in the necklines of their tops and dresses. The most interesting were those that were not actually attached to the garments. These separate collars were made from a plethora of materials and took the place of a necklace.

At Cacharel, metal, or delicate crochet were used to fashion the collars, which sat high on the neck.

Donna Karan’s Victorian dandies wore crisp white wing collars, often accompanied by separate French cuffs.

Antonio Marras took his luxe patchwork concept to the next level, with double collars featuring multiple patterns.

Rodarte collars were made of lace.

Color REAL

indigo jones — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:47:31 +0000

Color and trend forecasting is a big business. Most large apparel and accessories companies use some sort of outside service to help guide their product decisions, which are often made 9-12 months before the merchandise hits the stores.

The information is usually disseminated via suggested color palettes and trend reports, based on the forecaster’s interpretation of catwalk trends, textile shows and a gut reaction to what feels right for the future.

Interactive artist and software developer Pedro Miguel Cruz, has taken a more scientific approach to the process, for French retailer Pimkie.

Cruz has installed webcams in the most fashionable areas of Paris, Milan and Antwerp, and puts the imagery through a computer program, which isolates the colored pixels and logs the information.

The data can be viewed on their website, as live feed, colored graphs, or as color recommendations for items available for purchase at the Pimkie store.

The information is also available on Twitter.

While this may not directly impact those needing long-term color direction, this is a great tool for short term planning, and getting a handle on what is trending in real time.

Barkanista Fashion Show

indigo jones — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:50:16 +0000

Students enrolled in the professional development certified program in pet product design at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology showed their wares last week on canine models. The “barkanistas” strutted their stuff at the school, showing a wide array of styles for dogs of all kinds.

Jiyoung Moon’s clear plastic rain poncho, modeled by Lily, a papillon.

Lily also modeled a pink prom dress, by designer Cheryl Jackson.

“Best in Show” winner, Dawn Diesler showed a collection of handbags and leashes, in luxe skins. Here, Chappy Fox, a toy schnauzer, models a python and neon leather set, with studs.

Aisle Style

indigo jones — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:03:23 +0000

Now that marriage equality has finally been legalized in several states, people of the same gender are celebrating their commitment to one another in a more traditional way. While the world is slowly waking up to the concept of same-sex marriage, the bridal market is sadly lagging behind.

Magazines feature lots of ideas for brides marrying the man of their dreams, but what if that person waiting at the altar happens to be another woman?
Alternative fashion looks for the big day are relatively scarce. Many lesbian women are not comfortable in a dress, especially a big, fluffy white one.

Designers are slowly introducing white pant suits into their collections to meet the needs of same-sex brides, as well as those looking for a less traditional take on wedding attire.

Times they are a changing and its time for the marketplace to evolve to accommodate it. Do we see “white space” here?

Bottom photo: Carolina Herrera/ Fall 2013 bridal collection

More than Just a Pretty Face?

indigo jones — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:50:05 +0000

These days, a recognizable name seems to be worth more than a barrel of talent or carefully cultivated skills.

Models complain that actresses and musicians have taken over the magazine covers that used to be their domain. Serious actors complain that reality stars get all the ratings and attention previously focused on them. Fashion designers complain that models, actors, musicians and reality stars all have signature collections that they pretend to design. Jessica Simpson, (singer and reality star) even has a gig on a reality TV show, where she mentors young wannabees as if she actually designs the stuff bearing her name herself!

Today’s entry into the marketplace really rubs salt into our wounds.

Giselle Bundchen’s niece not only has a modeling contract with a Brazilian apparel firm, but she now has her own line bearing her name.

Did I mention she is 5 years old?

The collection, Duda Bundchen for Brandili Mundi, will hit the stores in July,
According to Germano Costa, the commercial and marketing director of Brandili Textile, “ Duda told us her preferences on prints, cuts and details, and based on the briefing we received from her, we came up with a collaborative collection.”

Let’s see if this little entrepreneur with good genes can actually guide a team of real designers (who must have LOVED taking direction from a 5 year old!) to create a successful brand.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to my (insert random career that I have no talent for here) class.

Never Say Never

indigo jones — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:55:31 +0000

Fashion is a funny thing. I remember many years ago being quoted in Instyle magazine that a “denim don’t” was wearing high heels or a dressy top with jeans. For those of you that know me well, that look has become a staple for me.

My former co-workers know that I firmly believe that animal prints belong only on animals, yet you have all seen my furry leopard booties that I wear constantly.

The mixing of stripes and prints has long been considered a fashion faux pas, but this season it’s considered a chic modern way to express your style.

As fashion evolves, and our eye adjusts, many of those old school rules get broken.

One thing I never expected to emerge as a trend is the animal sweater. You know the ones I’m talking about; the kind a distant relative with questionable taste might send you for a gift. The ones you see in airports on people you might be inclined to make fun of ( don’t get all judge-y here, you know you do it too !) I can’t even tell you they’re back because I’m not sure they were ever fashionable in the first place.

This season, designers across the globe showed intarsia sweaters with animal motifs. Lions and tigers and bears, (oh my!) as well as the occasional horse or owl. The look is very ’80s in most cases, and skews toward the tacky side.

It’s not something I think I will be sporting come fall, but one thing I have learned after all these years in the fashion biz, is to “never say never”.

Victoria’s Secret: Photoshop

indigo jones — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:48:23 +0000

Nobody’s perfect; not even the Victoria’s Secret Angels. Fashion Indie obtained pre-photoshopped images of the ladies on location in St.Barts this weekend, and what we see is not exactly what they look like. Don’t get me wrong, they look great. But it’s important to note that they have flaws, just like the rest of us. Some get a little digital lipo, and others get their skeletal frames smoothed out to be a bit less extreme. Their skin gets airbrushed, and a false perfection is achieved.

These woman, even without photoshop are beautiful. It’s sad that the ideal we all aspire to, is a cyber fantasy not even achieved by top lingerie models.