Since Alessandro Michele’s appointment as the creative director for Gucci, the world has gotten a lot more interesting. For A/W 17 he was influenced by science fiction films from the 50’s and 60’s. Pulling inspiration from classics like The Creature From the Black Lagoon and Forbidden Planet, Alessandro has proven that Gucci will transcend through space and time.
Category: fashion
Mermaid Launderette
"I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living."
Spotlight: Tro & Co.
There is nothing better than finding a new brand to be obsessed with and knowing that it’s completely manufactured in your own country. It’s easy to support fast-fashion stores like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 knowing where their price points lie, but it’s even easier to support local brands and shops knowing that their products come from your homeland. Since moving to Toronto in particular, I’ve begun to realize how many incredible artisans the city is home to, like Dan; the founder of Whisky & Spice. Another individual who is making waves in Toronto is Tro of Tro & Co.
Tro is super talented and at the helm of his own clothing line. Offering various streetwear-esque tees and sweatshirt options made from bamboo, Tro&Co catches your attention with the graphics and keeps it there with affordable price points. I had the opportunity to ask Tro a few questions about the line, being a designer in Toronto, and the future of Tro & Co.
Brand Mavens and the Future of Shopping
Texas A&M University released their research on the future of shopping and it has many valuable points of interest for retailers everywhere. We now live in a world where cash and credit cards are finding their way out the door, social media comments and reviews are pivotal to buying decisions, and shopping malls are being replaced by brand-specific apps. Personally, I’m not on board with using my iPhone as an Interac card but I do admit that I go on social media before making purchases at times for a second opinion and I love apps like Spring for mobile shopping. Digital has been taking over for a long time and this shouldn’t be a surprise yet not all retailers are utilizing it or social media. They should start paying more attention to social media though because these brand mavens make up 53% of U.S. shoppers.
When they buy a product from a store they love, they share it online, and it shows their loyalty to the brand as well as sharing that they are a brand they should consider buying. Not only is their passion for brands pushing sales yet the acquirement of branded currency in the form of gift cards and coupons. For the study, they considered 1,127 online survey respondents. The average maven spends $1000 a year on gift cards and renews $700 worth. That is a lot of money in brand loyalty and the rising demographic shows no signs of slowing down. Texas A&M professor and leader of the study Janakiraman said that these gift cards and coupons will migrate to online form, most easily redeemable through mobile apps increasingly in the future.
Their research also revealed that the mavens are 60% women, tech-savvy, middle income, and rely heavily on user product reviews or social media comments when deciding what to buy.
The study taught me new information and cemented things I already assumed (people care what other people think more than they let on, myself included) but it’s telling of the way our generation is changing. What do you think about digital shopping and social media? Are you a fan of brick and mortar stores or e-commerce? Let me know in the comments below.
{Cher Horowitz was ahead of the times in 1995 movie Clueless}
Style Crush: Amber Heard
It’s been a long time since I’ve been inspired enough by one person in particular to want to pen a Style Crush post. Recently, I’ve seen an influx of images of Amber Heard on Tumblr and tonight I decided to pay more attention. I was a fan of Amber in the past when it came to her acting chops but I never thought about her as someone who was stylish off screen. In the last few years she became more notable on the scene thanks to her relationship, leading to her recent marriage, to fellow actor Johnny Depp. They’re a beautiful couple but even on her own, Amber puts on a show. She’s mastered every look from glamazon to bohemian chic and she must have a chameleon personality to match to have linked up with an old soul like Depp. Here are some of my favourite looks Amber has pulled off lately.
{images via Daily Celebs}
Who Better to Interview Kanye than Kanye?
If you haven’t heard by now, Kanye West wrote his own profile to go with his cover for Paper Magazine’s April 2015 issue. Remember a few months ago when Kim Kardashian “broke the internet” by covering the same magazine naked with a champagne bottle on her bottom? Kimye have built a new mould for what it means to be a power couple. Getting back to the cover, hearing that Kanye wrote his own story for the issue makes so much sense. It seems that there has never been a universal agreement on what image he’s trying to evoke and no one can put their finger on it. I know that Kanye has been interviewed by countless journalists and reporters, yet he’s one subject who would be hard to write about and make the transcriptions come out well. This is nothing against the man himself or the writers at hand, yet how do you write about a man who is constantly evolving? The inner workings of Kanye’s mind astound me and reading this article made me even more fond of him as an artist and a human being. It’s not common for cover stars to write their own profiles but Kanye isn’t your typical celebrity. His fame covers many fields and I can imagine he will continue to build and burn bridges wherever he goes in an endless cycle that is enticing and revolting all at once. It’s the name of the game but it’s one he’s the master at so take a gander at how it looks from his perspective and let me know what you think.
{image via Paper Magazine}
All My Shit Designer
If you won the lottery, what would you buy? I would immediately go on a shopping spree. As someone who’s obsessed with fashion, having a huge sum of money to spend on clothes would leave me like a kid in a candy store. I have always wanted to go to a shopping mall and buy whatever I wanted without looking at price tags but that day has yet to come. I’m confident that one day I will make enough money to live a life of luxury but for now, I’m rubbing my dimes together. Even though I’ve succumb to jealousy that I can’t afford the same designer things as the majority of the bloggers, celebrities, and socialites that I admire, after reading this article on Four Pins I’m somewhat happy. To make a long story short, Four Pins shared an article from Business of Fashion that was a research piece related to shopping and it’s intriguing.
According to the research, in the past logic and rational reasoning were the main factors behind making the decision to buy something. Did it make sense to spend the money, would you have the essentials covered, can you afford it? These are all valid questions but this new research suggests that the shopper’s mentality is changing. Nowadays, people are buying things without thinking it through completely. I know that I’m guilty of this practice so I wanted to learn more. Instead of doing focus groups, the scientists took brain scans of how people reacted when shown certain images of designer logos and items. If you see the image for even less than a split second, it makes an impression on the pleasure centre in your brain. Think of your favourite brand, then think of a brand you aren’t fond of. If you were shown images from the two brands, the pleasure centre in your brain would more likely have a different reaction on the scan then the latter because it’s more valuable to you.
People who typically shop in the same price range and for the same items get accustomed to a certain lifestyle and a way of shopping. This isn’t a bad thing but when you find value in certain items, it is easier to defend making an impulse purchase even if it’s illogical. In the moment it may be a good idea but it’s always worth thinking the decision through so you don’t have to worry about money. Shopping smart and well will leave you and your wallet happy.
{image via AMD Law Group}
Piece of Kate
Kate Moss looks better than ever in this editorial for W Magazine’s May issue.
{images via Studded Hearts}
Mary Katrantzou Totes from A-Z
I have never formed an opinion on Mary Katrantzou until now. When she revealed her final collection at Central St Martins MA Fashion Show in 2008, her career catapulted immediately, as everyone was taken by her jewellery-print shift dresses. From there, she perfected her craft and has become known for her use of digital prints. The reason I have not wrote about or thought about Mary in the past was because her previous collections never stood out to me. You may be taken aback reading that, as her collections are full of wonder, yet they weren’t my cup of tea. I understand the use of digital prints and creating pieces that are works of art in their own right, and I am a huge fan of the theatrics loved by Galliano and McQueen, but there was something about Mary that never struck a chord with me. Never say never though as her latest handbag collection has me keeping my eye on her work. Teaming up with fellow British e-commerce retailer Matches Fashion, she created a capsule collection of 26-tote bags adorned with the letters of the alphabet and surrealist graphics. The themes range from pop art to pointillism to art deco and were created for a virtual art exhibition Mary collaborated on with ArtStack in 2014. The bags all retail for $1,070 each and are available now at MatchesFashion.
{images via MatchesFashion}
Chloë Sevigny Never Goes out of Style
Recently, a newfound interest in Chloë Sevigny has peaked inside of me. I first came across Chloë years ago in Nylon Magazine and I thought she was edgy and beautiful but I knew there was more to her story. I never realized that Chloë had been commanding the scene since she was 19 and it made me a bit anxious to go out and make a name for myself. Always one step ahead of the rest, she embodies that “I don’t care what you think” attitude because she has the confidence to back it up. There are plenty of reasons why I’m fascinated by her: she dated and lived with director and artist Harmony Korine in the 90’s, served as a muse to my designer darlings Proenza Schouler, starred in some of my favourite films (Gummo, Big Brown Bunny, Kids), and the way she speaks her mind freely. People have wrote that Chloë’s mouth has gotten her into trouble but I think that can be attributed to her having to make quotes since she was nineteen. Going from the streets of Connecticut to cutting teeth with New Yorkers would be a huge jump for any teenager, but Chloë took it in stride, resulting in the “Ooh’s” and “Ahh’s” of the cool girl who’s level we’ll never be on.
{some of my favourite pictures of Chloë}
Lost In Reverie 