As holidays approach here are some gift ideas for your fashion-loving loved ones.
After some research at the web, I rounded up the best fashion books from 2012 and pointed you in the right direction of what to choose.
Below, you can see the most interesting books. They vary from an editor-focused Vogue photography book to a juicy Diana Vreeland biography.
Also, there are books with countless iconic fashion figures, from Kate Moss to Alber Elbaz that have been remembered and immortalized in tomes.
As a fashion freak, I would love to get a giift like that!
Well, have a look at the list below to choose for your fashion obsessed friends!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A PROSPEROUS 2013!!!
My fav brand along along with my fav sport come together as the perfect match!
CHANEL produces horse back riding accessories and fans of luxury and prestige can now benefit from the new sports line! It is true that Chanel makes the best of everything from handbags to surfboards. The horse riding kit is something fantastic!
Although the line is done in a pretty standard sportswear aesthetic who wouldn’t love to have a little Chanel logo on their practice helmet?
Visit Chanel.com for additional information.
Online giant Ebay has created 300 self-made millionaires. The website, once famous for selling used goods, has been transformed from an auction house to a virtual high street. Almost 70 per cent of products are now sold at full price and the number is growing as more traditional retailers join in. Many fashion retailers have their own Ebay stores or use the platform to sell out of season goods. “The rules of the game have fundamentally changed,” says Gilmartin, Head of Ebay UK. “Just as it was important 15 years ago to have as many stores in the UK as possible and to be five minutes away from as many customers as possible, today it is incredibly important to be in front of as many customers as possible online and on mobile.”
More importantly, the online retailer, Ebay, is to open a pop up shop during Christmas. The store will be open for 5 days only from December 1st. There will be no tills in the shop and a very limited number of products on display none of which customers can take away with them. Instead the shop will feature display of 200 of Ebay’s best selling items, all with QR codes which customers can scan with their smartphone to make a purchase. Apart from that, eBay is launching its first ever designer pop-up shop with British designer Henry Holland. The pop-up marks the start of the new partnership between eBay Fashion and the British Fashion Council and will take place during London Fashion Week. From September 12 – 18, eBay.co.uk will offer a House of Holland collection that has been specially curated by Henry Holland from his autumn/winter 2012 collection.
Melanie Smallwood, head of eBay fashion brands said: “Partnering with the British Fashion Council provides an opportunity to support exciting British fashion talent like Henry Holland and helping them to develop the long-term success of their businesses.” Henry Holland added: “This is the first season that eBay are supporting the BFC’s Fashion Forward initiative and I’m really excited to be the first designer to open a pop up shop on eBay for the duration of LFW.
This online giant is the worst enemy of street retailers and this is only the beginning.
.More is yet to come...
Alessandra Ambrosio, the Victoria's Secret angel has a low profile look when it comes to her daily outgoings. Alessandra give her off-duty wardrobe a hippy touch via her boho accessories.
Jessica Hart is one of my fav models. She gives out a vintage and simple style and the belief that the outfit is original with zero try. I have seen her wearing bright blazers and sharp minis and I admit that this style is sooooooo her!!
What could somebody say about her style? There is not a single moment that she has made a fashion don't. The queen of off-duty cool, Kate mixes vintage styles, designer buys and her I'm-with-the-band attitude that show her know-how and give out amazing looks.
Super-mum Miranda knows the power of a head turning dress. Either it is cut-out, femminine or minimalist chic, she never makes mistakes when she is out of home. I have seen photos with her baby on hand and she is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!
With the market facing hard times, high street retailers have found new life in the form of pop up shops and exhibitions utilising the free space which only stay open for just a few weeks or months. The number of pop-ups is definitely increasing. After a year of deteriorating consumer confidence and lower incomes, stores more than ever need a boost for the holidays when retailers in some sectors can make one third of their annual sales. Pop ups started mainly as a means to attract immediate consumer and press attention to brands fighting their corner in today’s saturated market. Now they have become a way for retailers to equal a quick sales boost. Pop-up stores typically pay landlords little or no rent outside of services such as electricity and construction costs. For property owners, the aim is to add retailers that can bring in more customers and improve the shopping experience. Airports are key places for pop up stores. They are a good option for brands who wouldnt have enough retail pull to be offered a permanent airport space. I visited my first pop up store during my vacation in Mykonos the past summer. It was hosted by Muzungu sisters at Benvedere hotel. I got an invitation from Dana Alikhani, co-inventor of Muzungu sisters and I grapped the opportunity to combine vacation and shopping. The event was fabulous. They offered a wide range of scarves, sarrongs, bags and other among all and coctails. Customers had the opportunity to touch and buy sarrongs from India or bags from Peru. Retailers are expecting this new pop up facility to be an ongoing trend – with driving sales key to their success, it’s a win win for retailers in this difficult climate.
It is no doubt the most comfortable shoe ever!!
Slippers have borrowed a from-the-boys-look without appearing too masculine. Current reeditions of this classic shoe come in different fabrics, different embroidery designs and patterns. They are perfect with skinny trousers and skirts to accompany your everyday personal style. They also work well with casual look like Alexa Chung at the photo below. I got my slippers from a local mass production store during my visit in Milan: Total black velvet to suit with almost everything! Ready to step on your pair of slippers?
“We see the line as an opportunity to experiment with art and products,” says the designer Consuelo Castiglioni about Marni’s Edition collaborations. Los Angeles based artist Brian Rea is the former art director for the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. He has produced drawings and designs for books, murals, fashion, posters, music videos, and magazines around the world. His design clients include Marni, Herman Miller, Kate Spade, Honda, Billabong, Random House and MTV.
For Fall-Winter 2013, Rea collaborates with Marni brand and the result is awesome! He designed both men and women clothes accessories and his collection includes drawings and prints fot T-shirts, bags, scarves and an installation in the Milan showroom. Castiglioni tapped the New York Times contributing illustrator Brian Rea and he says: “When I came across Brian Rea’s work, I was captured by his vision”. Rea’s drawings for Marni depict distinctive melancholy-magical scenes. Rea states: “My work doesn’t always show emotion though the cartoons most often rely on the quiet stories of anxiety, longing, humor and love. And he adds: “I think of Marni as sometimes sweet, sometimes fierce, which is a nice place for all of these stories and emotions to become wearable.”
Enjoy some pieces of the collection below:
Dear Santa Claus,
During the year of 2012 I was the best kid. I gave love, hope, joy and happy moments to everyone. I faced bad and unlucky moments with dignity and Ι was close to my family and friends. As a gift if, I repeat if, you happen to pass by Macy's NYC here is a short list of what to drop me on NEW YEAR'S EVE. I am not asking a lot cause I know you have to buy maaaaaaaaaaaany presents. Please email me so that I can give you my adress and the exact sizes and details of the goodies you have to buy for me!!!
HO, HO, HO!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS,
Angela
1. BAROQUE:
Hairbands with stones, earrings like chandeliers, necklaces, belts: More is more. Enrich your little black dress with accessories that point to Visconti divas.
2. STUDS:
It all started two years ago with the " Rockstud" Valentino collection. Now it is everywhere!!!
3. BOOTS:
The come back of high and black boots are influenced by riding boots or 70s. I adore those of Bottega Veneta!!!
4. High Heels:
80s heels came back. Those of Callvin Clein Collection are perfect for a special occasion!!!
5. X LARGE HANDBAGS:
Those of Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Marc Jacobs and Fendi are must have bags.
Minnetonka shoes are the most comfortable and warm shoes ever! When I was in the beautiful island of Santorini two years ago, there was a store situated on Caldera that was selling Minnetonkas. This shop had low and high Minnetonka boots in grey, brown, camel, and black. It was full of Japanese ladies that were buying their Minnetonka.
I had a look at the shapes and designs and I got mine: Tramper Ankle boots in camel. The name " Minnetonka" derives from a little place in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
And speaking of modern worlds, Minnetonka seems to have taken over the fashion world too: from the hipsters of Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue to the trendy circles of London’s Primrose Hill, every in-crowd and en-vogue clique has been teaming their skinny jeans and maxi-dresses with the hottest boot.
Not to mention the celebrity that already own a boot like this: Kate Moss wandering around a Glastonbury field in the Tramper boots or Rachel Bilson picking up a coffee and shaking her fringing with every step. After all, once you’ve experienced the comfort of a Minnetonka moccasin, nothing else quite stands up.
In the year 2005, while I was studying Fashion Management at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy, the carrot of the effort of studying too much was a ticket to a Missoni fashion show at Milan Fashion Week. I was so excited! One of my dreams came true!
We were about a team of 5 students and we took our way to the show. The building was huge! There were so many stairs and so many "fashion" and "it" people around us. Each one of us was looking with dispair to see Gisele, Allessandra or Miranda. When we arrived inside the building there were plenty of qiosques with the latest Vogue magazines that each one of us could take for free. We had some walking and then there it was! A studio full of lights, photographers and front row guests. We showed our magical ticket at the entrance and we sat at the fifth row. In about some minutes the show started. Supermodels with the latest Missoni bikinis, wanna have bodies and porcelain faces were five meters ahead us! I couldn't stop taking photos with my cell. The atmosphere was unique: Soft music background, strong lightning at the stage, supermodels with a fantastic air and fashion crowd. The only thing that made me a little bit frustrated was that it only lasted for a few minutes. After the show it was like an empty space around us. I felt like the only difference was made by he supermodels on the stage. Everybody cared about what was going to happen during these five minutes.
On my way out, I saw Daria Werbowy in front of me....WHAT A GODDESS....I still have her photo on my desk! Just near the photo there is also an autograph of Daria: "To Angela with love, Daria".
