LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN will make its catwalk début on Friday June 15, running for two days and three nights until Sunday 17 June. The brainchild of some of Britain’s best-known designers and fashion writers, the aim is to give menswear the attention it deserves, rather than relegating it to the final day of London Fashion Week, when many of the most important people in the industry have already departed the capital for Milan.

The programme, which will include catwalk shows, presentations and even cultural events, will be decided by a committee with some illustrious members. Dylan Jones, editor of GQ and chairman of the committee, will be ably assisted by Jeremy Langmead of Mr Porter, fashion blogger Tim Blanks, fashion icon David Furnish and designer Tom Ford.

London Fashion Week has always focused on women’s fashions, in comparison with the other big European style events which devote an entire week to men’s designs; including the Paris show in January and Milan in June. As the new LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN event will hit the catwalks before any of the other summer fashion shows, it will be the first time that many of the autumn and winter designs have been seen by both journalists and buyers.

Industry insiders have welcomed the decision to give British menswear its own event, anticipating that it will help raise the profile of young designers previously overshadowed by their counterparts in women’s fashions.  Early names who have signed up for the inaugural event include Rake, Gieves & Hawkes, Christopher Raeburn, Fashion East and High Street favourites Topman.

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In an effort to aid stewards at the course, who had been instructed to give anyone not meeting the dress code a friendly reminder of the new instructions, those whose outfits did not pass muster were issued with bright orange stickers to wear prominently on their clothing.

Ascot management said the move had been an attempt to stop customers from having their day interrupted by being repeatedly spoken to by members of the racecourse staff, but instead many of those in attendance said they ended up feeling stigmatised and ashamed by the move. Ascot has now offered a full refund to the more than 1,000 customers affected by the ill-conceived idea; a gesture which is likely to end up costing the racecourse over £25,000.

The chief executive at Ascot, Charles Barnett, apologised for any distress that was caused adding that the stickers had been issued with the best of intentions, with the aim of reducing the impact the new dress rules would have on customers’ enjoyment of their day out.

However, the racecourse’s PR chief, Nick Smith, insisted that Ascot is still going ahead with its plans to smarten up those who attend race days in the premier enclosure and that those issued with the orange stickers had no problem with the policy itself, merely the way it was enforced on its first day.

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We’ve followed the runway shows. We’ve read vogue. We’ve sample sale-d. Yet somehow, it’s hard for most of us to find a healthy balance between incredibly chic and powerfully professional at the office. The black pencil skirt and suit jacket combo is tired, while slacks seem lackluster. Why not indulge in some office wear that makes you shine? If you want to look fabulous even in the office, rethink your current wardrobe and go business glam.

Dresses are great for virtually any office environment, especially tailored, 50s-inspired cuts. Skinny, patent leather belts worn at your waist can accentuate the smallest part of your body. You can also find dresses with a pencil skirt and shirt dress combo, which would accentuate your hips without looking too sexy. Make sure the dress is long enough, preferably right at the knee. Dresses that are too long will make your legs look short, so always get your dresses tailored to the perfect length. As a general rule, always steer clear from maxi dresses and try to stay away from sheer fabrics.

Take inspiration from Anne Bancroft circa The Graduate and Michael Kors’ spring 2012 collection of animal prints when trying to add prints to your black or dreary office attire. Generally, your animal prints should be of a “natural” color palette. You can incorporate animal prints into your outfit through blazers, bags, button up shirts, and scarfs.

Indulge in a comfortable pair of designer pumps that are wearable and versatile to give yourself a little bit of height. Closed-toe shoes always look more professional and sandals  generally should not be worn on the job (even if they’re metallic!).

Last but not least, don’t underestimate the basics of appearance. Buy fitted bras, always keep up with your roots, stay away from sparkly nail polish, and wear basic, natural-looking makeup. Who knows? Looking great could make a world of difference in your professional career.

About Clari Farkash

Designer and fashion entrepreneur Clari Farkash was raised in Europe and studied design at the University of Upsala. She designs prom dresses, cocktail dresses, homecoming dresses and other special occasion dresses for the Clarisse line of dresses sold by Promgirl.net. Clari strives to integrate environmental friendly techniques in the manufacturing of all her designs.

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Dresses have been around since we first ever decided to stop walking around naked. Only 60 years ago you would be lucky to see anyone over the age of 40 wearing anything else apart from a dress, but thanks to the denim revolution, they started to be worn only for special occasions or nights out as women embraced the comfort and practicality of jeans and trousers.

We seem to have come a full circle as dresses are not only very much back in vogue, but there is once more dresses for every kind of situation imaginable; from glamorous nights out to comfy every day dresses. This current uplift in popularity has resulted in every store, both online and on the high street, stocking dresses in every kind of style, colour and length imaginable, and often at eye popping prices.

We all know how the internet has revolutionised shopping as we know it, and how with just a few clicks of a mouse we can buy everything from a pair of earrings to a car, but the growth of online retail websites does have a downside. There are now so many sites out there that finding exactly what you want can be time consuming and frustrating. This isn’t a problem with dresses however; you simply have to head to www.boohoo.com

From the moment you enter this amazing site, you are greeted with a selection of dresses that has to be seen to be believed. By selecting a heading, say evening for example, and using the filters to select size, colour, style and price range you will instantly be rewarded with a stunning range of dresses to suit your criteria. Whatever the occasion you want the dress for, you will find the perfect one on boohoo.com.

Not only are the garment on boohoo.com incredibly high quality, they also come with the kind of price tags that make you rub your hands with glee. It’s hard to think where else you could get a stylish sequinned shift dresses for only £10, or a long sleeved leopard print mini dress for £12. At prices like these, you can fill your wardrobe with the dresses on boohoo.com and have one at your disposal for any eventuality.

Once you have selected your dress, you don’t have to look far for your shoes and accessories, as they are all available on the boohoo.com website. There are stunning sateen spiked heeled shows here for only £20, the perfect accompaniment for a short evening dress. Add some jewellery and a bag from the accessory department and you are all set for that big night out without your purse suffering much discomfort.
Article for Boohoo.com

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Milan had scheduled the start of their fashion week for the 19^th before the organisers of the New York show realised that starting on the 13^th would lead to a clash.

The CEO of the American Council of Fashion Designers, Steven Kolb, pointed out that the four cities [New York, London, Milan and Paris] needed to work together to look at the fashion season as a whole, rather than as four individual weeks.

The Camera Nazionale della Moda, or Italian Chamber of Fashion, argued that the original agreement that the four cities had made had expired, so there was no necessity for the shows to commence on the 2^nd Thursday of September. It was only a 3 year agreement.

As a result, New York has agreed that they will start earlier than originally planned, followed by London, then Milan. Hopefully in the future, there will not be this same confusion, and the cities can work together to guarantee a successful season.

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Yet almost half of British women are a size 16 or above – and unable to buy the latest fashions because catwalk and High Street designers have decided they are too big. It is hardly surprising that so many women have issues with their size and weight when they are bombarded with evidence that the perfect figure is a size 8 or even smaller.

One designer who has decided to buck the trend and start designing fashionable clothes for the larger lady is the German-born Anna Scholz. Anna has learned her trade at some of the fashion industry’s most prestigious institutions, includingLondon’sCentral Saint Martin’s College.

It was while she was a student in the capital that the small chainBryant Lane, shops that specialised in styles for women size 16 and over, spotted some of her designs in a store that she and some college friends had opened and were so impressed that they bought her first collection.

Since then, Anna’s career has gone from strength to strength, with celebrities such as Queen Latifah and Jill Scott regularly wearing her designs on the red carpet.

Anna is careful to emphasise that she is not encouraging women to become overweight and unhealthy; rather she is providing a service for fashion-conscious women who are happy with their size and do not want to diet just to be able to wear the latest styles. The successful designer adds that her role is to make women happy not to address the problems that society in general has with obesity.

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The Clothes Show was a huge event associated with Suzuki which took place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. The venue attracted many fashion eager individuals during the show dates, 2nd-7th December, 2011. The main catwalk show which was showcased at the Suzuki fashion theatre brought a whole entertaining 45 minutes of professional dancers, models and singers on stage.

Amongst the musical performances included ex-Pussycat Doll member Kimberly Wyatt entertained the stage featuring the band, Her majesty and the Wolves. While X-factor contestants, The Risk had the girls screaming out loud while performing! The winner of Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model 2011, Jade Thompson was one of the 40 talented models featured. Also, television star BB from Dirty Sexy Things was there to entertain the ladies on the catwalk. Karl Willet was the stylist behind the successful outfits which were worn and showcased by the models and dancers. The fashion outfits included a combination of popular high street clothing labels. The outfits themselves included various styles including bright street wear, bridal wear, high-fashion and lingerie to mention a few. All together it was a spectacular experience for everyone who attended the show.

THE LIST OF CELEBRITIES AND GURUS AT THE SHOW INCLUDED:

The Risk

Alexandra Burke

The Only Way Is Essex

Hollyoaks

Daytona Lights

Her Majesty & the Wolves

George Lamb

Grace Woodward

Jeff Brazier

Parade

Lucien Laviscount

FranKo

Max Rogers

Jackson Williams

Jamie Stevens

Karl Willett

Rachel Wood

Caryn Franklin

Eli Prime

Zoe Birkett

AND THE DESIGNERS:

Avit

Bow!

Burlesque Shoes

Espirit

Jadey-Lou

James Tudor

Jasper Garvida

Jasper Sinchai Chadprajong

Julien Trivedi

Kandee Shoes

La Senza

Mascaro

Nicole Chisnal

Phannatiq

Saskia Schijen

Slanovskiy

White Mischief Bridal

William Wilde

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Mr Jacobs commented, “I’m very honoured to have been considered to take the helm at Christian Dior and I’m very grateful that people think I’m such a capable designer. Currently though I am very happy at Louis Vuitton and I have so much work left to do here that I can hardly think about leaving just yet, I have barely started.”

He did, however, also comment that it was more than just his decision saying, “It’s a decision that is best for everyone but it is more complicated than just been mine.” In other news, Mr Jacobs has recently said that Louis Vuitton is planning on releasing a new fragrance. It has been rumoured that Jacques Cavillier-Belletrud is working on it and that it has been in development for some time.

About the fragrance, Mr Jacobs said, “Making a fragrance is something I’ve wanted to do at Louis Vuitton for a long time and I’m very pleased that we have started work on creating exactly the right perfume for our customers.” There is soon to be an exhibition in Paris dedicated to Mr Jacobs starting in March, and will display some of the most iconic pieces that his fashion house has ever designed.

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Many celebrities, including Fern Cotton and Ellie Goulding, have been seen wearing hats made out of fur. Many of the leading designers have created the items and one of the most popular comes from a Los Angeles brand called SpiritHoods. This company is particularly known for donating part of its profits to helping endangered species, and the fur it is using is artificial.

SpiritHoods was founded in Oregon by Alexander Mendeluk and Marley Marotta, who are both in their late 20s. They started the company after realising that hats were very popular among their friends and they have recently managed to secure a contract with Disney and twill also be designing hats based on the Muppets film in the near future.

Mendeluk has commented, “Interestingly, it was Disney who contacted us and not the other way round. They just thought that our hats were something that would work in their business and they are something we are certainly capable of designing.”

The idea behind the company is that a customer will buy a hat that reflects their personality type and all of the different hats have different traits attached to them by the company. For example, those who were the tiger hat they are said to be loving and confident.

A recent article in the Observer has praised the hats, saying that as well as looking good they are capable of keeping your head very warm indeed. It is fully expected that this trend for animal fur hats will continue.

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The name of the store is Ben & Fakto and is selling clothing that is environmentally friendly and also socially conscious. The clothing is going to be designed by leading designers in the industry and there is also going to be a range of accessories available.

Fashion is an industry that is rarely bothered with the ethics of the clothes that they produce and high fashion by brands such as Chanel are focused on other things that they see as more important, but the founders of this new French store see this as an opportunity for them to do some good for the industry and change it from one of neglect to one that embraces social responsibility.

The entrepreneurs and business students who are based in Lille said they are hoping that their business knowledge learned on the course will allow them to take off in the fashion industry. 10% of all the proceeds from each purchase is being given to projects overseas to help budding entrepreneurs in these countries succeed with their ventures.

Since beginning the project the store has already raised enough money to allow a man in Cambodia to fund the launch of his own grocery store. On the website, there are many environmentally responsible items of clothing available including those that have a low carbon footprint and are made from organic materials. The company have said that they want to see their customers asking where the clothes come from and not just who they are made by.

Since the launch of the store, many orders have come in from all over the country and the entrepreneurs are now wondering whether there is a global market for the clothing that they are selling. All of the products that are purchased from the company are delivered from their online store to customers in recyclable packaging.

While all of the entrepreneurs are rather young they consider this as an advantage as they have a fresh view on an industry that is rather set in its ways. Many people, however, expect that their youth may be one of the biggest setbacks to their success as they lack the business experience that comes with age. They have refuted these comments, saying that they can get the experience they need from the University which provides help for young people who are looking to succeed in the business world.

The founders have said that they ultimately hope to be able to design their own clothing in an ethical way that will retail around the world, while remaining true to their roots of providing microcredit for people in less fortunate situations.

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