How has the housing crisis affected home fashion retail?

With the recession in play, it is obvious that houses are not selling well. With our economy falling each and every day, more than houses are not being bought. With houses that are unable to sell comes many problems. Real Estate agents jobs are in trouble.
Right now, people only want to buy the necessities they need in life. Most of these people already have a home that is already furnished so therefore the housing market and the home fashion market are continuing to decrease in sales. Since people are not buying houses, they are also not furnishing or remodeling them as they did in previous years when the economy was in a better standing.
With the recession, the last thing people are thinking about doing is refurnishing their home. They are only thinking about how they can get through this recession without causing problems within their finances. Once the economy does finally go back up, you can expect to see the home fashion retail market go up as well.

What I Learned from Elyse Mullis

Today when Elyse came and spoke with us, I was unsure of what she was going to be talking about. When she explained that she was a recent UNCG graduate and was going to tell us about the job she now has, I was all ears.
Elyse told us she was an English major and decided her junior year she wanted to minor in CARS. Before then she didn't even know UNCG had a CARS department. She then got an internship at the Greensboro Coliseum (which she didn't get credit for) but she wanted the experience to further assist her with her career. This was interesting to me because she still got a job with her minor of CARS after majoring in English.
She told us that it was important in the real world to have connections with people and it's all about who you know. This was true for her since she got the job at Westminster Fibers through her roomate's dad. She seems to really love her job since she gets to be really creative and do the graphic design side of the fabric business.
I really enjoyed hearing her speak. She was funny and entertaining and very informative. This opened my eyes to see all the jobs and opportunities a degree in CARS can give me.

Sweatshops: The Dirty Truth of Fashion

Sweatshops are a growing problem but how can we stop them? There are sweatshops all over the world including America. Although something may say it is "Made with Pride in the USA", that doesn't mean it was not constructed in a sweatshop. In many foreign countries, the children that work in these sweatshops make only a few cents for each garment they produce. The conditions in which they work are awful--they work long, grueling days.
"My mum is a fashion designer and I work with her. We have a concession in Top Shop and earn decent money for what we make but I found it difficult to deal with the fact that people in India with similar skills are living in poverty." This is typical for how sweatshop labor operates. These workers are very skilled and only making very little money while other people in the fashion industry are making great money and have very similar skills.
"In the fashion industry people make ridiculous amounts of money, yet I saw people in India working 18 hours for hardly anything. I was shocked and angry." It is unreal the amount of money some designers make compared to the amount of money these laborers are making.
Sweatshops are wrong and are a dark truth to the fashion industry. People often don't think of where their clothes come from. Americans want a great price and great look to their clothes and sweatshops make that possible.

Singh, Amar . "DESIGNER SAMPLES LIFE IN £2-A-DAY SWEATSHOPS." Evening Standard 21 Apr. 2008.

Milan Fashion: Art or Usabilty?

No matter what, fashion is a necessity. Even while the consumer is wearing nothing close to couture, fashion is still used in everyday life.

The Milan Fashion Week showcases fashion as more of a form of art rather than the practicality of a design. The designs featured in the Milan fashion week are very unique and intricate. Many of the designs shown had many of the artistic elements that Milan is known for while also being very chic and wearable.

I think fashion is an art form. Today's designers are truly artists of their own kind. While the garments being created are works of art, they still must be functional and wearable to the average person.

Couture, on the other hand has nothing to do with practicality. Over-the-top is what comes to mind when watching a couture show. The looks are unlike anything you have ever seen and are very much an equivalent to a work of art.

My Fashion Inspiration

Last year for my senior project, I knew automatically what my topic would be--Fashion Design. Next, I had to come up with the design I was going to create. I wanted it to be something very simple and elegant but also something very creative as well.

I came across several pictures in various magazines which gave me the initial idea of what I was going to create. They were photographs of long, floor-grazing gowns with just a small amount of draping around the bust. They were very "Grecian-Goddess" inspired. This to me is a very classic look with a modern twist of the draping.

As for the color I used I decided to go with a bold red which I think flatters many skin tones. For the actual dress, I used satin and chiffon both in matching red. With the satin, I constructed a simple, strapless dress that was the basis for my design. I attached a zipper to the back of it and also a slit to create the movement I wanted.

Next was the fun part. I got to be creative and decide how I wanted the draping to look. I pinned the chiffon to the strapless satin gown creating 1-inch pleats all across the panel of the garment. I then sewed this down which gave to dress the effortless look of draping.

What inspires me the most about fashion design is how classic garments and colors are always in style yet you can always update them with a unique twist! I really enjoyed being a "fashion designer for the day" and creating a dress I will always be proud of.

Ethnic Influences

Since fashion designers are all over the world, it makes sense that ethnic inspired clothing seems to appear everywhere in fashion. Everything from the colors a designer uses in their collection to the jewelry and accessories found in stores make up what we call "Ethnic Influences." From Grecian-inspired gowns to Indian-inspired tunics, different cultures seem to appear within each and every designer.
Animal print creates a feeling of the African Safari. Animal prints can be found on anything from jewelry to garments and even shoes. This trend remains popular in the United States today. Indian inspired clothing ranges from the always popular bangle to the intricately beaded and embroidered tunics. Hispanic influences come from the bold colors and flouncy styles of dresses and skirts. Long, flowing Grecian inspired gowns are a growing trend. The simplistic styles and elegant drapes are quickly becoming a go-to look for the red carpet.
We often forget where a design comes from simply because we are so used to seeing it in our American culture. These designs come from different foreign places and so many designers use these influences to give them inspiration for their next collection. Designers have been using these influences for as long as fashion has been a part of the American culture.

New York Fashion Week

At the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, the most of the fashions seemed fun, short and colorful. Designers such as Abaete, Diane von Furstenburg and Nanette Lepore chose bright colors while others such as Brian Reyes, Jill Stuart and Erin Fetherston chose a more neutral palette.
Some of my favorite designs were from Lela Rose, Badgley Mischka, Michael Kors, Cynthia Steffe and Monique Lhuillier. Lela Rose had really cute dresses that were bright and fun. Badgley Mischka had really gorgeous flowy and easy to wear gowns. Michael Kors had many vintage inspired silhouettes that were emphasized by bold primary colors. Cynthia Steffe had many flirty dresses that I just loved. And finally, Monique Lhuillier featured very glamorous nad flowy gowns.
Most of the designs featured bright and bold colors that are excellent for spring. Many of the designs were short dresses to emphasize the legs this spring. I really loved what the designers came up with for spring 2009. Everything looked very easy to wear and simplistic yet very sophisticated and polished.

Organic and Enviromentally Friendly Clothing

Organic and environmentally friendly clothing is a great step towards going green. Going green is everywhere and now it's even for fashionistas!
Organic clothing is great because the garments are produced without the use of pesticides and chemicals. Water and energy conservation, organically grown and recycled materials as well as cleaner dyeing and finishing processes are all taken into consideration when constructing organic and environmentally clothing.
Most of the materials used in making the organic clothing is sustainable and can be easily reproduced or grown again. Many popular companies are using the organic cotton and trying to help make a difference in our world. Natural dyes are also being used to treat the clothing. Other companies are trying to recycle scraps and parts of clothing that were not used in the final garment.
I think organic clothing is great. I never realized how much went into producing clothes and how wasteful it normally is. I hope all fashion companies look at the benefits of using organic materials and processes in the near future!

My favorite fashion designer is Marc Jacobs. Since he is a very talented designer, he also serves as the creative director for Louis Vuitton. I admire his creative and somewhat quirky designs which, somehow, still remain classic-looking. I'll admit, some of his creations are a bit over the top, but his handbags are always gorgeous.
I am a big fan of the Marc by Marc Jacobs special items. They are cute, fun and also very affordable. (I wish his clothing was that affordable!) My favorite perfume is of course, Marc Jacobs Daisy! I wear it almost everyday.
What I'm not so big on about Marc Jacobs are his advertisements. They always have a sort of mysterious and creepy look about them. In a recent Teen Vogue issue, there was a Marc Jacobs ad in which a man was the model wearing women's clothing. That wouldn't sell his product to me!
I love and admire Marc Jacobs for what he has done in the fashion industry!