Thanks to shortomatic.com, now you can sport custom-printed, hand-sewn board shorts. Just upload your image, choose size and trim color, even personalize the inner waistband. At $99 a pop, it’s a bit of an investment, but you’ll never be caught wearing the same gear as the pudgy sunbather one beach blanket over-- a small price to pay for that.
If you have any desire to go behind the scenes of a fashion mag, or simply want to appreciate your own boss a little more, “The September Issue” hits newsstands theaters today.
The documentary follows feared and revered Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her team through the scramble of making the magazine's September 2007 issue. Weighing in at close to five pounds (that's 840 pages), it is the largest single issue of a magazine ever published. And drastically larger than the mere 584 pages in the September 2009 issue.
A sort of Simon Cowell of the fashion world, Anna doesn’t mince words. The real-life devil clad in Prada, Anna was the inspiration for Meryl Streep’s character who tortured poor Anne Hathaway. She has become quite the personality whom everyone loves to hate.
Anna recently stepped outside the glossy walls of the magazine amongst poorly-dressed commoners to go on Letterman, where she even laughed at herself saying, "I read in The New York Times this week that I'm an ice queen, I'm the Sun King, I'm an alien fleeing from District 9 and I'm a dominatrix.”
No, she may not be nice. This is fashion. She’s the editor of VOGUE. She has stuff to do. Decisions to make. And her job is to have a critical eye and absolute certainty. No time for coddling. And, no, maybe you shouldn’t look her directly in the eyes, but that’s what the sunglasses are for.
But who can blame her for a little grumpiness. After all, her industry is in peril, and she along with many other magazine editors are concerned for their jobs. Things must be getting bad if she’s even been reduced to fetching her own coffee.
As Miranda Priestly would dismissively say, ”That’s all.”
Proving the universal truth that selling jeans is really about seeing more skin, two major jean companies have recently used the same provocative photographer for their new ad campaigns.
Ryan McGinley, buzz-worthy photographer known for his carefree, and often clothes-free, photographs of youth frolicking through nature, is the chosen visionary for both brands.
Levi's launches its new campaign today with the tag “Go Forth.” And Wrangler recently launched a rebranding with “We Are Animals.”
Even though McGinley’s voyeuristic lens captures images for both, the campaigns are quite different in tone.
Levi's takes a rebellious, young American approach, while Wrangler creeps darker and more primal to say the least. Pictured is one of the tame ones (more here)…thank goodness it's only appearing in France. Americans are not prepared for something so very…how you say…French.
Case in point, the removal of a recent Calvin Klein Jeans billboard from Houston Street in New York City. It’s nothing new for Calvin’s imagery to make the grown-ups nervous, but this made even jaded New Yorkers blush. Judge for yourself. Now go immediately to church.
When a McCafe replaced the designer waters and champagne at this week's New York Fashion Week, it became apparent that the fashion world is also tightening its belt. While extravagant fashion may be taking a hit, this industry obsessed with the new and the next can be reassured that creative style is still alive and well.
Enter Lookbook.nu. Describing itself as a “collective fashion consciousness,” Lookbook is an online social network of stylish youth eager to share their wardrobe successes with the world. It’s like Facebook for international fashionistas in training -- some more successful than others of course, but all putting it out there nonetheless, which is what it’s all about. more >>>
Is this a glimpse into the future of fashion marketing? Perhaps. Contrary to the name, you can only “LOOK” and not “BOOK.” No apparel is available for purchase directly from the site, and no “models” are available for bookings. Yet. The photos are, however, brilliantly sorted and tagged by brands, items of apparel and location. So it likely will just be a matter of time.
No doubt the major fashion brands are onto it. Members show love for favorites by awarding lookbook points or “hype” as they call it. And isn’t hype what every brand wants after all? But unlike the rest of the highly-critical fashion world, what you’ll find at Lookbook is largely encouragement and compliments for each other’s creative expression through apparel.
If nothing else, Lookbook is a goldmine for designers, photographers and stylists seeking inspiration. Not to mention casual people watchers. Since fashion isn’t fashion until someone embraces it, these kids have taken back the reins and are showing each other what fashion is to them, creating a runway from their living rooms.
But rest assured, fashion world. As most stylish scenes go, you can belong to Lookbook by invitation only. Some things will never change.