Friday, October 29, 2010

FALLING IN LOVE

I am soooo in love with fall in New York; the mild temperatures are a welcomed change from the usual drop to freezing back in Winnipeg and the presence of changing leaves this late in October is beautiful! The weather is great for cozy layers and a warm chai tea latte serves as the perfect accessory. Delicious! Plus it's finally boot season! I got these lace-up boots in SoHo for $30 and I'm obsessed! Gotta love an amazing deal. If you're ready to get a head start on your holiday shopping, visit my friends at DesignerApparel.com for some amazing finds, including designers like Betsey Johnson, BCBG, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and more! xo Nia

Saturday, October 16, 2010

FOREVER YOUNG

Forever21 cape, pleated skirt, and tutu ● Le Château tank ● Aldo heels
 
Photos by Clay

The changing of the season is inevitably forcing me to leave the innocent bliss of summer behind me and focus on the future. This little ensemble I grabbed from Forever21 ironically reminded me that my 22nd birthday is just around the corner - less than one month away! 
At twenty-one I feel caught between a listless state of youth and a propelling urge to become a "real" adult; meaning a real career with real money and very real responsibilities. Both the excitement and uncertainty is overwhelming, and although I don't want to be twenty-one forever, for now I'll set aside my wrinkle cream and stack of resumes for prospective jobs careers for my grown-up, twenty-two year-old self!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

AFINGO: BEHIND THE SEAMS

On Friday, October 8 I had the pleasure of attending the Afingo.com Behind the Seams Fashion Industry Forum at The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. For those of you who don't know, Afingo (which means "fashion" in Latin) is a social media platform and community for the fashion industry that connects designers, retailers, industry service providers, and fashion-conscious consumers. It is the equivalent of Facebook for fashion and if you're not already a member, join today!

The Behind the Seams event featured several panel discussions led by industry leaders. The highlight for me was the Trend Forecasting panel which featured Steven Alan (founder of Steven Alan), Sally Lohan (Head of Content and Forecasting at WGSN), Sharon Graubard (Senior V.P of Trend Analysis at Stylesight), Lesley M. M. Blume (Historical Fashion Writer/Contributing Style Editor at The Huffington Post), and Jennifer Mankins (Owner of Bird). 
From left: Jennifer Mankins, Steven Alan, Sharon Graubard, Lesley M. M. Blume, Sally Lohan, and Syl Tang, CEO of HipGuide and the panel moderator.

As I mentioned in previous posts, being an aspiring fashion market editor consistently brings my passion for trend forecasting and analysis to the forefront, so I was extremely excited to participate in the Trend Forecasting discussion. The panel offered great insight into the intricacies behind the art and science of fashion forecasting. Each panelist offered valuable advice to aspiring forecasters, editors, and designers. Sharon Graubard insisted that interning and gaining hands on experience is paramount and that communication is vital; a breadth of knowledge including art history, film, fashion terminology, journalism, public speaking as well as a sensitivity towards politics will allow you to successfully identify emerging trends, but that "trusting your own eye" can be key in determining what trends may be successful and profitable in a fashion business.
Sally Lohan explained that global research, music, culture, and technology are all platforms in which forecasters will develop macrotrends. The idea is not solely to forecast, but to inspire.
A BlackBerry pic snapped of me by one of the ladies from Afingo at the event. Source: Afingo Facebook page

Former Vogue editor and fashion icon Diana Vreeland once declared "Give them what they never knew they wanted", which clearly embodies the complex profession of fashion forecasting and trend analysis. A truly exciting career that I soon hope to be apart of!

Other exciting panels included Marketing 2.0 which highlighted modern technology and social networking platforms heavily utilized in fashion marketing today. The Getting it Made: From Factory to Funding discussion was extremely valuable for all aspiring designers as the panelists discussed product development, sourcing, and cost as well as sustainability and the garment industry in America today.

Thank you so much for the team at Afingo.com for including me in this amazing event! If you are in L.A, Afingo is holding a Behind the Seams Forum on November 20 at Raleigh Theaters. You won't want to miss this! I'm looking forward to more inspiring and informative events from Afingo in the future!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

MODERN TRIBE

As an aspiring fashion market editor, I'm always looking forward for leads on emerging trends. Although "tribal" isn't a new trend (ikat prints were heavily featured on 2010 runways and "tribal" has served as inspiration for countless collections in the past), the direction of tribal is shifting; a less organic design featuring twisted and digitally remixed prints take away the instant tribal recognition, providing a modern tribal aesthetic through twisted geometries, abstract ikat, mixed scale, mosaic patterns, and computerized print.

Missoni Spring 2011 highlighted a slightly psychedelic print immersed with acid colors and tribal shapes while LAMB Spring 2011 featured a heavy African influence in ruffle-tiered silhouettes and voluminous bustier dresses complete with platform heels with braided and raffia detailing and bold African-bead necklaces.

Tribal begins to take a techno-twist, undeniably an emerging trend for Spring 2012, where digitized, exaggerated tribal shapes are heightened with bold color combinations, as seen at Holly Fulton Spring 2011. 

I'm ready to embrace the techno tribal revival and can't wait to fill my closet with digitized ikats and bold African prints!