The Alexander Report / Fashion Magazine!

While I’m not a die-hard fan of any particular fashion TV show, I think there’s a lot you can learn from the various shows about fashion as well as those that feature fashion prominently in their story lines. While you may not agree with or like everything you see on them, fashion shows – like cooking shows – help broaden your understanding of the art, which in turn, helps you dress better.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular fashion TV shows (check your local listings for time and channel):

Project Runway

Project Runway is a reality show that pits aspiring fashion designers against other in a series of design challenges. The winner gets $100,000 to launch his first line, and builds name recognition and a following throughout the competition. Design contestants have had to do some crazy things over the years, like make apparel from grocery store items (remember Austin Scarlett’s beautiful corn husk dress?), design Wrestlemania costumes, work with couture prom gown clients, create cocktail apparel for their mothers, and more. Throw in a little back-stabbing, snarky comments, and down-to-the-deadline high drama, and it’s really easy to get addicted. Weiterlesen »

The Coach brand, familiar isn’t it? You might have encountered the brand name in various boutiques, shops and malls. Actually, it has been around for a while, for more than 60 years in fact. The brand had its humble beginnings in a small Manhattan loft way back in 1941. The now popular trademark started from a small family-run business.

The very first products that carried the brand name were leather handbags crafted by skilled hands and from high quality leather. Since then, their products have been synonymous to quality and beauty.

They continue to exhibit excellent workmanship until this day. The brand name can now be seen, not only in handbags, but also in various women accessories such as gloves, key rings, wallets, sunglasses, leather cases, wristlets, watches, even umbrellas, bracelets, silk scarves and floppy hats. Trough the years, the brand has also branched out to the fashionable men who want quality designer travel bags and briefcases, messenger bags, totes, watches, belts and ties.

Moreover, you can find the brand on a complete line of women leather shoes, which due to the rock solid reputation that the brand had built, has been quite successful in the fashion world this past years. This was totally different from a few years ago. Even though the brand has become famous for quality leather bags, they were not able to capture a wider market due to the fact that their products only appeal to a minute group of conservatives.

Their black and brown leather bags and shoes were never that popular to teens, hipsters and yuppies. They needed a fresh and younger look to sell. When finally they decided to expand their product lines, they started integrating the newest craze and trendiest styles in fashion into their designs. Slowly they built up their catalogues until they reached the level of diversity they have now. Weiterlesen »

I love NY t-shirts is a very popular item in the city of New York and across the globe. Also every country has some kind of mimicking of the “I love NY” style. You might be saying, who’s the founder of I love NY t-shirts? Well, it is no other than Milton Glaser, a revolutionary artist that made I love NY t-shirts that we have known to love.
Milton Glaser was born at 1929, and was a New York native. He attended High School of Music and Art and also went to Cooper Union Art School to further extend his education. Upon graduation, he obtained a scholarship to study under Giorgio Morandi in Italy. He loved exploring new graphic techniques and motifs.

Glaser founded his first company in 1954 called the “Push Pin Studios” with a couple of his classmates. As a graphic artist, Milton Glaser used culture and historic period styles as a way to create inspiration. His drawing style was very lively and witty. He helped big businesses marketing campaign on things like packaging, mailing, advertising and etc. He made a living and gained recognition as time passed from his art.

Glaser helped edited the New York Magazine in 1968. A couple of years later, Milton made his own graphic design company called Milton Glaser Inc. During that time he helped redecorate and redesign many magazines and gained many recognition and commission as a result of his talent and art. In 1973, Milton Glaser developed and made the logo “I Love NY” to help increase tourism in New York. It became a stunning success and every tourist was buying them. Later on, it became one of the most copied ideas as many countries were making their own “I Love Country” as a way to promote their own country.

Milton did what he loved and his love for art was undying. He used his talent as a way to captivate the viewers. Milton’s work was honored worldwide and my art museums hold his work. Milton is the founder of the “I Love NY” t-shirts that we have grown to love. Weiterlesen »

Getting ready for the hot weather? Let us take a look at what we can expect in Swimwear trends for 2008/2009.

First lets talk colour and prints. Fuchsia is huge this season as well as jewel tones including emerald, purple and sapphire blue. Geometrics, African prints and a touch of metallic bling are all making an appearance on the international catwalks. Of course we can not forget that nothing epitomises poolside glamour like a classic black swimsuit. As Kerry McCallum, editor of Shop Till You Drop recently remarked when asked on tips for buying a swimsuit this summer.

A black halter-neck on-piece. I am loving the revival of the on-piece I think its chic and glamorous.

While the return of the classic one-piece is evident, variations on this style including cut-outs, monokinis and stylish maillots will be gracing poolside and shorelines in a modern chic fashion. Also taking a front seat will be lower leg lines embracing a retro look in an updated way.

Who are the brands to watch out for? Swimwear has previously been dominated by the surf giants of the fashion world and although surf brands will always have their place, the recent acquisition of Tigerlily by surfwear giant Billabong proves that swimwear fashion is being taken more seriously. Weiterlesen »

Any business plan has the three magic letters USP (unique selling proposition). Prior to any new design creation or a series for the season it is essential to brainstorm on the look of the launch collection. This is a quite a process wherein team leaders vouch for various themes and the decision maker finalizes on a project. In a creative field, like fashion designing such management principles are hard to applied. But for survival in this-day competition this is essential.

USP can be a colour, a dress apparel, or simply exquisite dupatta or men’s jhuttis. Dramatic projections on the ramp at a fashion shows are not a reality. This is known to all and hence such creations minus the props are regular sales. It is an extensive work by your marketing team to decide on the launch product. Maintaining the brand is essential. In a desire to augment sales the brand positioning should not be compromised.

Once the brand or the fashion designer has won recognition his reputation is unquestioned. Fashion designing is just not about influencing and begetting customers from Page 3. It’s an era of awareness and to far-reach your sales. Niche clientele is a fleeting lot and succumbs to anything anew. Hence the need to re-invent. Weiterlesen »

With the fashion industry generating over 350 billion annually, a few New York based designers ( Diane Von Furstenberg, Narcisco Rodriguez and Nicole Miller just to name a few) have formed a coalition in seeking that the current US copy write law extend to the fashion world. The Council of Fashion Designers of America is pushing for the Design Piracy Prohibition Act. The act would grant a three year copyright protection in fashion designs, and would incur penalties of 250,000 or $5 per copy when violated.

The bill also might go as far as protecting not only the design concepts cut and shape, but also go farther and actually protect the pattern on a piece of fabric used for garment assembly. Both Houses have agreed and have drafted similar bills recognizing the need for US fashion industry to be protected by law.

What has caused this change of attitude in the fashion world when after all fashion is a re-inventing of itself from past trends to drawing inspiration from other designer’s .In the past the view was that”Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?” Why change now? Three drastic things have turned the American fashion world to take notice and re-think the rather relaxed view of the past. Weiterlesen »

It takes a lot of hard work and determination to reach the Top of the fashion business, and Anna Sui has certainly succeeded. Time Magazine included her in the list of five most important fashion gurus of this decade. She was born in Detroit in 1955 and moved to New York City after High School. She enrolled at the prestigious Parsons School of Design and went on to work as a stylist for the fashion photographer, Steven Meisel.

After designing clothes as a young woman, inspired by the models in magazines, Anna Sui found her own style. She developed her designing business throughout the 1980s and was ready to put on her first runway show in 1991. The models included Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. Anna launched her own clothing line the following year and opened the first of her boutiques in New York City. Eventually she would have boutiques in Tokyo, Osaka, Hollywood and Los Angeles. She has continued to be particularly popular in Japan, and has designed the costumes for an anime (Japanese style animation), Television series.

The collection is sold in over thirty countries, and commands premium price tags as befits a top designer Label. The range of dresses, tops and skirts etc. has a modern feel about it, and Anna Sui says she was inspired by the rock chic look. There are also accessories for sale such as bags and belts. Her status Is sealed by the endorsement of an impressive list of Celebrities including Madonna, Christina Ricci, Cher, Courtney Love and Patricia Arquette. James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins is also a fan. Weiterlesen »

by Glory Borgeson

Several years ago I watched the Academy Awards show from start to finish for the first time. In the years before that, I could only watch about 30 minutes of the show before I got bored out of my mind. But this particular year I didn’t have to work the next day, and after 30 minutes I wasn’t bored. Billy Crystal was hosting and he was hilarious. At the time, I just wanted to be entertained.

I don’t think I’ve watched many more “Oscars” shows from start to finish since then. However, once I added TiVo to my electronic equipment collection so I could record shows on the TiVo hard drive (and fast-forward through commercials and any boring parts), watching a long show such as the Academy Awards became easier. So in 2005, I intended to watch the Oscars for only an hour or so (which, with TiVo, would mean I would get to see about two hours of the show!). Yet, I found that I kept watching it beyond the first hour.

Why? I’m not a big movie buff. I certainly don’t care about Hollywood. And Chris Rock, who hosted that year, is funny, but he’s not funny enough to keep me glued to the tube for 3 hours (TiVo or no TiVo). Weiterlesen »

The television show American Idol is once again roaring through yet another blockbuster season on Fox Network. Are there marketing lessons buried within the weekly contest that draws millions of television viewers every week? Yes! The same strategies that creates stars on American Idol can help YOU create some star power for your own online business.

Differentiate Yourself - Simon Cowell is often heard telling American Idol contestants that their performance was “totally forgettable.” Well, since American Idol is about more than just vocals – making yourself memorable comes from being talented, original, fresh and contemporary.

The only way to stay alive in the competition is to consistently deliver what the American Idol fans want (such as recent contestant Melinda Doolittle)… week after week. You need to stand out from the pack and stay there. Even as a viewer – when someone asks who was the best on last night’s American Idol, it doesn’t say much for the show when there isn’t a performance that jumps out at you. Often times people are talking more about which performances were down right awful.

Differentiating yourself by showcasing your best gifts and strengths is how you will make yourself memorable – whether you are a contestant on American Idol or marketing yourself online. Your website, your tagline, your email signature and resource box for your articles should all work hard to make your business “memorable.”

Play on Your Strengths - So many American Weiterlesen »

By L. Winslow
You know what just cracks me up? Is when the peanut gallery makes comments about celebrities, for instance some people say Paris Hilton is a stupid blonde? Yah right? She makes $100,000 for attending a party. How much do you get paid for showing up at someone else’s party these days? Hmm? Tell me and inquiring minds just don’t want to know either.

Paris Hilton also has a clothes line and make-up line and gets paid millions for doing TV Ads? Real Dumb? huh? Her endorsements are over 5 million a year? You wish you were that dumb, I tell people. The joke is on everyone else!

All news is good news and anything to stay in the news ends up making her more money. Even if she gets arrested for some petty thing – Paris Hilton 10, everyone else 1 – look at the score board will you? Paris Hilton is No Dumb Blonde.

For those who are Online Article Writers you can cash in on writing about celebrities like the famous Paris Hilton icon. Perhaps you might use one of these titles below? Weiterlesen »