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BALENCIAGA-SO-BEAUTIFUL

An absolutely GORGEOUS Balenciaga SS13 preview!

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Watch out for the up-and-coming designer, Vladimir Karaleev - we're loving his latest Lookbook!

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We're glad Claire Danes is back!

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The new GENTLEWOMAN is here!

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ALL ABOUT ALEXI

When did you launch your first collection?

I started releasing made-to-measure and capsule collections in the 90s, but it wasn't until Spring/Summer 2006 that I realized my first official ALEXI FREEMAN collection.

How would you describe your line to someone who’s never seen it?

Versatile clothing for modern women who are enamored by the past but lust after the future.

What’s been the most unexpected thing that has happened since launching your brand?

Being commissioned to design costumes for The Australian Ballet’s 50th anniversary Infinity season. It was such an honor to be a part of this momentous occasion.

What are your favorite blogs & magazines?

There’s a plethora of amazing blogs and magazines these days, but I particularly love AnOther and Purple.

Is there one practical piece of advice you’d give to any fashion designer starting out?

Don’t start a fashion label unless you’re a glutton for punishment; they say 10 years is an overnight success, and in most cases it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, before you get to that point.

Who are your style icons?

Anyone who embraces the new but mixes it up with their own unique take on what has gone on before.

Dream store that you hope will carry your collections?

Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Browns Focus would all be nice! Or closer to home – Dilettante, Assin, or Eastern Market.

Do you feel that there is anything particularly Australian about your brand? Is your hometown reflected in your collections?

Not so much my hometown per se but yes, I think there is a very Australian relaxed vibe that runs throughout my collection, juxtaposed with a healthy dose of European savoir-fare.

Who are your favorite designers?

Alexander McQueen and Martin Margiela.

If there was one trend you could keep around forever, what would it be?

Fluro highlight colours. I always love a good dose of intense color!

What are your favorite fabrics to work with?

Ah, there are so many… But I always love working with luxurious natural fabrics like silk or merino jersey, crepe de chine, wool crepe, merino suiting, and angora coating cloths.

What made you decide to join BFB?

To help bring my work out of my studio and into the world!

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The many faces of Lady Gaga...

Kisses to you all! Xx, Inez and Vinoodh

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Modern Matter

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NYFW SS13: DRESSES

TOP: ALEXANDER WANG 

BOTTOM: MARC JACOBS

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DAZED DIGITAL.

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MAIYET

As you probably know by now, we're crazy about scarves. We love this new line, Maiyet! Available online at Mona Moore. 

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So excited that this exquisite brand is BACK!

Apiece Apart SS13 - The Whites

notesfromapart:

- APIECE APART -

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DESIGNER DOSSIER: KATHERINE FEINER

Designer Dossier is an on-going series on the BFB Tumblr, on the lives of up-and-coming designers, who are at the helm of their own start-ups. Conventional wisdom teaches us that anyone can become a fashion designer. But what does it really take to get your label off the ground? 

We couldn't wait to kick off this series by spending a day with the New York-based designer, Katherine Feiner. The Los Angeles native planted her designer roots at London College of Fashion, where she discovered the underworld of fabrics and textiles. She soon sharpened her focus on intricate beading and embroidery, and found a crossroads that allowed her to create simple pieces at affordable prices, for the girl who'd live in couture if she could.

When we arrived at her studio, we ran our fingers along lustrous silk dresses in reds and creams, but soon were off to a day of appointments. Before we hit the streets, we chatted for a bit about the latest issue of WSJ magazine (one of her favorites), and the subject turned to high fashion. "I'm going after the people who can't necessarily afford Lanvin," she told us.

Straddling the line between practical ready-to-wear and whimsical, Feiner is always on the hunt for fabrics she's sure she won't see in other collections. Preferring to find her inspiration from Indian and Italian textile companies, she particularly loves L'Amore Tessuto, who are able to supply printed, embroidered, and laminated cuts through the mail. She discovered them through Premiere Vision, a show that grants access to the most renowned mills in the world. For more immediate decision making, Feiner keeps it local.

We accompanied Feiner to her appointment at Milaaya in the Garment District, a company known for its exotic collection of hand embroideries and beading. If some of our favorite brands are known for their love-worn cottons and jersey knits, it was at Milaaya that we learned Feiner's collections are all about organza silks and embroidery. 

4 POINTERS WE LEARNED FROM KATHERINE:

1. When a designer takes out textile swatches on loan, nobody else has access to them.

2. There are four Chinese silk houses in New York.

3. There are often machine-embroidered options of the same pattern, which can help a designer stay within budget.

4. Sample garments usually cost double to produce than what production will eventually cost. 

After browsing through racks of fabrics, we were off to Queens where Feiner met her tailor to nip, tuck, and dart pieces that will soon be off to production. It is here that we learn the benefits of using organza; placing a bit of the material in a seam helps to keep a garment's cut intact when its worn, and it assists in keeping the piece from stretching as well. 

We fell in love with this black silk romper!

Places to Source Fabrics:

Premiere Vision - http://www.premierevision-newyork.com/

L'Amore Tessuto - http://www.amoretessuto.com/

Milaaya - http://milaayaembroideries.com/

Read our Q&A with Katherine Feiner here!

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KATHERINE FEINER: Q&A

What's been the most unexpected thing that has happened since launching your brand? 

The attention! I am very used to working behind the scenes and love the design process, from start to finish. When launching this brand, I knew I would need to be my own brand ambassador, especially in the beginning. I love everything that goes along with being the embodiment of the brand, but was definitely not used to talking about myself so much! Kind of like what I'm doing now :) It's taken some getting used to.

What are your favorite blogs & magazines?

My favorite blogs would have to be - and I'm seriously editing here!

1. Labelholics - the blog attached to the fantastic online fashion publication called Line-Mag.

2. I think The Man Repeller is brilliant and hilarious. I've been a fan for awhile.

3. For inspiring images, I always turn to the tumblr, Just Me. It's an amazing collection of images, usually grouped in a color theme. Never fails to put me in a good mood.

My favorite publications would have to be the usual suspects: Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Tatler. I'm a big fan of WSJ magazine; they tend to have amazing articles on fashion and designer profiles. WWD and Drapers Record for the daily dose of the business. I'm also pretty much obsessed with any food and travel-related magazine. I have binders full of recipes I've torn out of Bon Appettit, Food and Wine, etc. over the years... Not very fashiony, but it's the truth!

Is there one practical piece of advice you'd give to any fashion designer starting out?

Know your business and demographic before you start. Owning your own label as a designer has many moving parts, and the design aspect is only a small piece. Unless you are taking on someone from the get-go to help manage the setting up, planning, and financials of the business, I would suggest to anyone thinking of starting their own line to take a course in planning and business management first. If you have working knowledge in this area and are able to handle it properly, then you'll have much more time to do all the fun stuff relating to design. And get an accountant! 

Secondly, don't underestimate the power of a rock-solid brand identity and aesthetic. Your clothing will change season-to-season, and you will obviously be able to cultivate a style through your collections, but the branding in the background will be a constant. It needs to be solid and well-designed. Good website, good labels, good hangtags, business cards, photography, etc. all contribute to your success as a brand in conjunction with your collections. 

Who are your style icons?

Audrey Hepburn, Carolina Herrara, Diane Kruger, Grace Kelly, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Dream store that you hope will carry your collections?

Colette!

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A CRUSADE TO SAVE TEXTILES

Trendtablet is an amazing website. The editorial team consistently aims to explain how and why trends "grow, evolve, and flow." We've copied and pasted the article below (originally published in a recent Trendtablet e-newsletter) because we know that textiles are the life force of any serious fashion designer.

At a time when textile heritage is at a crossroads and centuries of tradition and knowledge are on the verge of being compromised, the need arises to protect our endangered species in the same way we have come to defend our more familiar friends in the natural world.

The heart of the matter is a serious one and this matter is China; a massive production giant jeopardizing the Italian fabric industry and many of our former textile partners in Morocco, Turkey, Portugal, Mexico and India. (In India, for example, sari silk plants are closing because polyester imported from China has inundated the market; Como should perhaps take over these plants to relocate their cheaper lines).

I have gone on a little and personal crusade to fight the current movement where all eggs are put in a basket called China, a country that is not yet a declared democracy. Today, our leaders trade airplanes for T-shirts and don't seem to understand the crucial cultural component. By losing our textile knowledge, we will surely go on to create only with basics and basic printed matter for the rest of our lives...quite a depressing thought.

As soon as fashion yearns for touch and structure which is more complex or intricate, as is increasingly the case today, the reliable and special talents of Italy, Japan and beyond will soon enough cease to answer our requests.

But maybe the biggest problem of all is price; we now see T-shirts advertised for 1.50 €, which is less than the price a croissant... Somebody is suffering along the line, if we acknowledge that 3/4 of that amount goes to the distributor. The aggressive price war is sending out a devestating signal condemning fashion to be a fast fashion business – discardible and without any value. On the longer term this will devalue fashion’s image and possibly lead to a common distaste of the whole industry (a trend already in the air).

The recent success of American Apparel, produced locally in downtown Los Angeles, gives me an example to advise local solutions to this ever increasing danger. I believe it is time to redefine and redivide the cake on a global scale where all partners should excel in what they know how to do best.

If we fail in this latest cultural pandemic, the extraordinary shreds of beauty on the following pages that I recently found at an Indian market will be all that remains.

Lidewij Edelkoort

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Fall 2012 is all about bed head! 

Top Row: Marie Claire - September 2012

Bottom Row: British Vogue - September 2012

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INGMAR BERGMAN'S PERSONA

The fashion in Ingmar Bergman's seminal film, Persona, is ultra-incredible & we're amazed that it's taken us so long to see it! Having first appeared on screens in 1966, it is not surprising that the clothing packs such a punch; we all know that the 60s and 70s were quite covetable decades in the realm of style. We most love Liv Ullman in her black one-piece bathing suit and matching headband. So simple and elegant, which happens to be nothing like her character. Make sure to watch the film. You'll feel differently about your wardrobe.

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JEM FABRIC WAREHOUSE

Did you know that there is an AMAZING fabric warehouse in NYC that offers sewing and pattern-making classes? There is! Located at 355 Broadway, Jem Fabric Warehouse is community of designers, artists, crafters, and sewers nestled among the aisles of downtown's best fabric store. 

Tuition: $245 - 4 CLASSES

In this class, you will learn the ins 'n outs of your home sewing machine, along with an introduction to pattern-making. You will be taught a variety of techniques to mend garments, make pillows, and create other small projects. 

If you’d like to register, e-mail jemonbroadway@aol.com with the dates and times that you are available. 

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LOVE!

Gorgeous vintage covers of Vogue, found in The Art Of Vogue Covers 1909-1940.