Fashion Collection

Haviannas sandals are like the most comfortable rubber flip-flops in the world, they’re made in Brazil using a secret rubber formula. I’m left to ponder that a bit, since all rubber formulas seem a bit dubious to me.
Created in 1962, Havaianas (Portuguese for "Hawaiians") have been flip, flip flopping for years. But it’s really only in the last 5 years Havaianas have been named by Cosmopolitan, Elle, and other fashion trendhunters as one of summer’s hottest items. Need it.
Summer 2007 Havaianas as actually improving an already great thing. Especially with their new Slim Collection that combines a thin metallic strap and pretty flower print in ultra comfy style.Exclusively at www.shopintuition.com is the adorable SUPERGIRL fashion collection! The line is based on the universally recognized symbol of strength and leadership – the S-shield, and celebrates the power of independence and self expression. Fans include Molly Sims, Gabrielle Reece, and Tori Spelling.
But if you’re feeling more grown up than Super Girl and want to release the Lynda Carter in you - - Custom Wonder Woman flip flops in two hot colors with the option to customize with your own color of crystals. Girl power on the beaches!












Fashion Plate Collection



The original fashion plates collected by Blanche Payne and others have been cataloged and carefully stored for preservation purposes in archival housing. Many of these plates are from some of the leading French, British, American, and other continental fashion journals of the 19th century and early 20th century: Belle assemblée; Le bon ton; Le Follet, courrier des salons; Journal des dames and des modes; Godey's lady's book and magazine, and others. They are primarily hand-colored engravings although some of the plates after 1885 are colored lithographs. A project was undertaken by the Digital Initiatives Program to digitize and provide online access to selections from this collection. The 417 digital images cover many stylistic periods in French and English history. These include the Empire (1806-1813), Georgian (1806-1836), Regency (1811-1820), Romantic (1825-1850), Victorian (1837-1859), Late Victorian (1860-1900) and Edwardian (1901-1915). Although the original items are available for viewing by appointment through the Special Collections Division, providing web access increases the visibility and use of such unique resources.
Blanche Payne taught historic costume and apparel design in the School of Home Economics at the University of Washington. She joined the University faculty in 1927. Engaged in intensive research on clothing and historic costume, she supervised work on the Textile Costume Study Collection housed in the Home Economics Department. As part of her studies of non-Western folk dress and embroidery technique, she traveled extensively in Europe, collecting original ethnic costumes, textile and embroidery examples. Her primary interest was Eastern Europe. She considered the Balkan countries a valuable source for studying ethnic dress in its original context and wanted to provide her students with primary source material for the study of modern costume construction and fine craftsmanship. Unfortunately, her Yugoslavian research failed to result in a full length publication because of the prohibitive costs of publishing and destruction of some of the color plates during the war years.
One of her subsequent accomplishments, however, was the completion of a book entitled "History of Costume", a college textbook describing the evolution of fashion from 3000 B.C. to 1900. Published in 1965, it contains detailed descriptions of historical and cultural fashion along with renditions of small-scale garment patterns that she meticulously drafted from various museum collections. To research her book, she spent two years avidly collecting illustrations: photographs, postcards, art prints, and fashion plates. Her book is still considered today a foremost resource in the study of costume history. It reflects her teaching philosophy that the study of original artifacts is of essential importance in the understanding of good design.
Blanche Payne retired from the University of Washington faculty in 1966. The textile and ethnic dress samples she purchased from funds from the School of Home Economics were bequeathed to the Henry Art Gallery Textile Collection. Her collection of costume and textile books, as well as the archival photographic material, fashion plates, drawing and garment patterns she researched for her publications remain as part of the UW Libraries Manuscripts, Special Collections, University Archives. Manuscripts relating to the Eastern European costume, including her travel journal through the Balkan countries and notes for her book "History of Costume" are also available to researchers through the University Archives.
Plate 1: Empire period fashion. Garden Promenade dresses for November 1809. They reflect the Empire style. The fashion trend in the late years of the 18th and early 19th centuries was influenced by Classical Greece: high waisted gowns with long thin muslin skirts and long stoles. In the foreground the figure sports such details as: a shawl mantelet in purple silk, trimmed with a rich silk amber coloured fringe, fastened on the bosom with a pebble brooch, amber hoop earrings, shoes of white Morocco; gloves of York tan; parasol purple shot and fringed with amber. The figure in the back represents a lady with a Nun's hood thrown carelessly round the head, and falling in graceful negligence over the shoulders. (Original source: La Belle assemblee, vol. 7, no. 51)




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New york women drawing some fire of her own from several black fashion industry veterans. criticized the fashion clothing of Mrs. Obama for not wearing the work of a black designer on Inauguration Day"The comment is inappropriate," said Bethann Hardison, a former model who now is an agent representing Tyson Beckford and an advocate for diversity on the runway. "You don't wear a designer because they are just black; you wear them because they are great."Amnau Eele, co-founder of a little-known group called the Black Artists Association, claimed she received death threats after Women's Wear Daily published comments she made in an e-mail last week. "If you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?" she wrote.for more read : http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/news/ny-etmich296015716jan29,0,19358.story

Beth Ditto's launching a fashion collection-Hooray!
Beth Ditto is my kind of lady. In fact, I think it's safe to say that I may even have a bit of a girly-crush on her. She's cute, clever, isn't afraid to speak her mind, and has opened the world's eyes to the fact that "curvy women" (of which, I am one) can be both beautiful AND fashionable.

So, perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm rather elated by the news that she's going to be designing a clothes range for high street clothing chain Evans. According to Handbag.com, the range is due to hit stores this July, and will be featuring graphic dresses, oversized knitwear and a selection of hot accessories, all reflecting Ditto's inimitable signature style.
Add this to the fact that rumours are currently flying around the fashion world that Beth will be doing a repeat of her naked NME cover for the launch issue of Katie Grand's new magazine Love next month, and it seems she's one in-demand lady.
I do have just one minor gripe about this, though. As excited as I am about all of this (mainly because it means I might be able to get something over my breasts in the next few months which doesn't resemble a sack), why do larger ladies get a (for want of a better term) "larger" lady to design for them, whilst slim ladies get a slim lady to design for them? Want an example-look at the collections Lily Allen has done for New Look, Kate Moss has designed for Topshop. Why does it always feel that if you're looking for something both functional and fashionable on the High Street designed by someone you admire, you have to be built a certain way?
Great as it is that Beth is designing for Evans, it feels a bit like a token gesture. Retail magnates, if you're reading, I don't want to scare you or anything but, you know, just for once, can't us size 16 women have an international supermodel of Kate Moss's ilk designing clothes for us too?

Many designers carefully research and plan a collection so that all the items in it complement each other, and have the particular fashion look which the company is known for or is going for. Oftentimes, a designer will look at what the fashion directions have been in previous seasons, keep an eye on what others in the fashion business are doing, and read fashion forecasting magazines. They also rely on knowledge of their own customers to see which styles succeeded and which were less popular in past seasons. Such research is combined with creative ideas to develop a theme for a collection. Other considerations must be taken into account as well, such as which season the collection is designed for (e.g. choosing thinner, lighter fabrics for summer; thicker, warmer fabrics for winter).

Instep: Why do you think fashion has not evolved in Islamabad over the years?SN: I think it has. You have to understand that it's not that highly populated and the city is a little aloof. But women are becoming more and more aware. They come to me asking for the latest trends in Lahore and Karachi.

Instep: As a fashion designer, how are you assisting the evolution?SN: I am just one person and it's not as easy as it sounds. Plus I'm a single parent and have no support system in my business. I can't afford to network and publicize as much as I should. But I do try to educate women as much as I can. Honestly, I don't think things are as backward here as they are made out to be.Instep: And how do you plan to expand further now that you have started lawn prints?SN: Well I am busy with the lawn collection right now. I am stocking in Islamabad and at the Boulevard in Lahore. I will be stocking at Labels in Karachi from April as well. I am very happy with my clientele; it keeps me very busy. I have been participating in Dubai International Fashion Week for the past two years and shall continue to do so. In Islamabad I will be launching my summer collection soon.
-- Sobia Nazir was talking to Aamna Haider Isani
Sobia Nazir lawn will be available in:Karachi: March 19 and 20 at the MarriotLahore: March 24 and 25 at the Pearl ContinentalIslamabad: March 29 to April 1 at Sobia Nazir studio

Instep: Which textile mill are you working with?SN: I am not in collaboration with any one mill, in fact I have paid several mills to print my lawn.Instep: Do you feel you can control the quality of the fabric by doing so? Won't there be a variation in quality?SN: I have worked very hard to keep the quality of the fabric consistent. In fact I even dropped a print because I felt the quality wasn't up to market. So no, the quality will not suffer.

Instep: You are the only reputable fashion designer to have evolved from Islamabad over the years. As a member of the fashion fraternity, do you feel that's an advantage or a hindrance?SN: It's certainly not a hindrance. The market is huge here and I sell to Islamabad, Peshawer, Lahore, Karachi as well as London and other places. Sometimes being the only one is an advantage because I get highlighted for that fact, though there are other designers here they are not profiled yet. The only disadvantage is that Islamabad is somewhat isolated from fashion centres Lahore and Karachi. I have to travel there for sourcing fabric and raw material, for shoots and for advertising. That's an inconvenience.

The role 'fabric' plays in fashion is stronger than ever this year. Designers have always collaborated with textile mills to take out their personalized lawn collections, but the number of high-fashion lawn ranges coming out this year certainly is unprecedented. The flow of regulars has started – Mausummery and Mohammad Farooq have their shows on the road. Rizwan Beyg, Sana Safinaz, Vaneeza, Yahsir Waheed and Sara Shahid have come up with some high profile ranges and now from Islamabad, Sobia Nazir will also be launching her interpretation of summer prints. Her lawn exhibitions will kick off in Karachi on March 19 and they will work their way through Lahore to Islamabad. Instep talks to Sobia regarding this latest expansion…Instep: Tell us, what is Sobia Nazir lawn about and how does it differ from other designer lawn collections available in the market?

Sobia Nazir: As with a fashion collection, I do think a lawn collection also reflects a designer's signature style. My collections have always been prêt oriented and my lawn too is targeting the masses. The suits will retail for approximately Rs 1295, which is the average price in the market. Since the season is gearing up towards warmer temperatures, the theme of my collection is 'spring' and the prints are floral and very colourful. They are very vibrant and reflect the kind of clothes I like to design.