Blockley's Helen is leading the way for inspirational women

(Photo:red carpet dresses) LIFE at 50+ is proving to be fabulous for one local lady who has been nominated as a finalist in a national competition recognising inspirational women.
Helen Yendall, 51, from Blockley is one of 10 finalists in the Peter Hahn Fabulous at 50 competition designed to celebrate women who continue to live life to its fullest post 50 years of age.
The contest is being run by premium mail order clothing brand Peter Hahn, which specialises in fashion for 50+ women and the UK’s longest-running women’s magazine The Lady.
Speaking about the initiative, Christopher Wheatley, sales manager at Peter Hahn UK said: “We know that in the UK women aged 50+ feel unrepresented by fashion. Just 20 per cent feel that they can find stylish, good quality clothing on the high street and a huge 76 per cent do not feel they are represented in advertising at all. At Peter Hahn, we celebrate women aged 50+ and wanted to recognise these empowering women.”
Helen was chosen by the panel of judges from hundreds of entries and is in the running to receive a £1,000 prize, a makeover and photoshoot and a feature in The Lady magazine. She will also become the face of Peter Hahn clothing on the company’s blog.
She enjoys a wealth of hobbies from playing tennis to swimming as well as dog walking, reading, and the arts. When she isn’t out and about, she dedicates her time to children's charity 'The Friendship Project' which matches volunteers with disadvantaged children. She has also run a creative writing class in Moreton for the past two years.
Mr Wheatley explained: “When we saw Helens entry we were immediately struck by her effortless style and care free attitude to life. For Peter Hahn, she is the very embodiment of what it means to be Fabulous at 50 and is an inspiration to women of all ages.”

“I am thrilled to be one of the finalists in the competition," said Helen. "For me it’s about building up your confidence - do something for you that raises your self-esteem and makes you feel good about yourself."Read more at:semi formal dresses

Fashion designer Zang Toi brings runway looks to Tampa Museum of Arts Saturday

It's been less than a week since Zang Toi caused gasps with his white wove

n hats and flowing ocean hued gowns at his Spring/Summer 2016 New York Fashion Week show, and he's already getting ready for the next phase.

"Hearing that even after being in this business for 26 years makes me want to work even harder," said Toi, 54, who lives in New York. "I say, 'You should work hard while they still want you.'"

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The Malaysian-born fashion powerhouse pictured here is bringing his well received "Splendor of Santorini" collection to town Saturday night.

Saks Fifth Avenue has partnered with the Tampa Museum of Art to host a showing of Toi's work at its 6th annual CITY: Fashion Art Culture. The next day, he'll host a trunk show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Saks store in Sarasota's The Mall at University Town Center.

The CITY event, for which tickets start at $150, will give patrons a night of music, dancing, hors d'oevres and interaction with a The House of Toi collection, tailored in crisp whites and serene turquoise/blues evocative of Toi's first trip to Santorini, Greece.

"The first thing you notice there is the beautiful white architecture against the backdrop of the blues and greens of the Mediterranean. That gave me the inspiration for the first 10 looks, the clean white suits and separates," Toi said. "I'm glad to find out that it's on trend, but I don't pay too much attention to what other designers are doing."

Following his Sept. 11 show, customers were clamoring to order his expertly rendered woven hats and crystal necklaces right off the runway.

"We'll be selling those on special order," he said. "Two women ordered them immediately saying they had to have the hat."

The designer is happy to be still in demand in a fashion landscape getting fresh infusions of talent every year.

"I think competition is good," Toi said. "It's healthy. It makes you want to work harder. This industry is hard. It's like being an actor in Hollywood. If you want to make it, you have to work extra hard to turn that dream into a reality."

As alum of Parsons School of Design, Toi hasn't been back to talk to students in more than five years but he imparts wisdom when he can on the new faces he meets.

"My advice to aspiring young designers is to never be a afraid to live your own way and have your own vision," he said. "No matter how creative you are, you need to be business-savvy to make it in this industry."

After stopping in Florida, Toi and his team will be taking the line around the country for trunk shows.

"I won't be back in New York for three weeks," he explained.

Don't feel sorry for him just yet. His next collection will be inspired by his upcoming Christmas vacation to the French Alps.

Tampa Museum of Art's 2015 CITY: Fashion, Art, Culture event begins at 7 p.m. Saturday. It includes an open bar cocktail reception, hors d'oevres, fashion presentation and dancing. The VIP reception happens from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Zang Toi's runway show will begin at 9 p.m. $150 to $250. tampamuseum.org/museum-events.

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Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart’ Tour Designer Costume Sketches

The costume designer Arianne Phillips was in London in late February when she heard through the grapevine about a designer who was just beginning to get people’s attention: Alessandro Michele.
The 42-year-old Roman had just shown two collections in quick succession after his appointment as Gucci creative director and suddenly found himself the toast of the fashion world.
This story first appeared in the September 9, 2015 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
Meanwhile, Phillips, an in-demand costume designer for the movies, a veteran of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” and an Academy Award nominee for “Walk the Line,” had just started preparing for her biggest project of the year: the months-long, all-consuming head trip known as a Madonna world tour.
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In a nice bit of kismet, or a psychic connection, Michele himself was somewhere in Florence working, unprompted, on a gift for Madonna when Phillips reached out to Gucci to contribute costumes to the tour.
“The energy was just out there,” Phillips says.
WWD Archives: The Best of Madonna in the Pages of WWD >>
When Madonna opens her “Rebel Heart” tour on Sept. 9 in Montreal, she will do so in Michele’s Gucci. And Prada and Jeremy Scott’s Moschino and Alexander Wang and Fausto Puglisi. Pop stars “collaborate,” to borrow an overused phrase, with designers all the time, mainly on red-carpet appearances.
But few can command at will, or use as prominently, marquee designers like these quite like the Material Girl, a unique position she’s enjoyed ever since she made a certain Parisian enfant terrible synonymous with a cone bra. More so than her peers, or her wannabes, Madonna has made high fashion an integral part of her music videos and tours, bestowing on designers the full force of her megawatt celebrity. Has anyone else worn Givenchy to the Super Bowl? When she calls, designers listen.
“She opened the door for all the pop girls out there today, many of whom I dress and who do respect her and give her props,” says Scott. “We all owe her a debt of gratitude.”
Plus, haven’t you heard her latest single? “She’s Madonna!” says Alexander Wang. “It goes without explanation, she’s iconic.” Michele adds simply: “I am crazy about her.”
A couple of weeks ago, Phillips was on her way to Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, N.Y., where Madonna is rehearsing, to work on costumes that were still not quite finished. Wang, for instance, was making alterations to his look, a long-sleeve mini in basketball mesh, because of last-minute changes in the production. Gucci had its last fitting a week later.
“For her, the performance comes first. She has to be able to dance and move and feel comfortable in it,” Wang says.
“[Madonna] doesn’t really finalize any of the designs until 100 percent of the choreography is set,” Phillips says. “It’s a real back-and-forth conversation and it’s a brutal process for most fashion designers. You’re hanging in the balance while all the practical aspects are worked out, like the choreography and the quick-changes.”
Not that Phillips sounds concerned. She’s gone through five of these marathons, each one larger than the last — this one has 28 performers; an average of 10 costume changes for 20 dancers, six for the background singers, four for the band and Madonna’s own eight full looks — and she knows it always comes down to the last minute.
By now, she’s been working on the tour on and off since December, when she organized her design team. She didn’t reach out to designers until April, when a working set list and the show’s usual four-act structure began to take shape.
Madonna’s conduit to the industry, Phillips is a longtime insider who can play the boss’ eyes and ears on the street and intuit her wishes. It was her job to design most of the show and then figure out the flourishes, which old collaborators to leave out and which new ones — accessories designers Lynn Ban and the Brit Rachel Freire — to bring into the fold.
“A stylist is like being a yenta. My job is finding out what’s relevant and what’s appropriate for the story Madonna’s trying to tell,” Phillips says.
She took the reins of the first act — a Joan of Arc-inspired section similar to the Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott-lensed cover art of the “Rebel Heart” album — and devised a series of costumes referencing liturgical fabrics and a recent exhibition of samurai armor at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Dancing nuns on stripper poles also make an appearance during this act. It wouldn’t be a Madonna show otherwise.
Miuccia Prada, who created original Prada and Miu Miu footwear for previous tours, was asked to design costumes as well this time around for the show’s second section. Her response? Rockabilly
meets Tokyo.
“Nothing we do is literal. Everything is a mash-up,” Phillips says.
It’s in the third act, the Latin quarter if you will, that things get really twisted. Puglisi and the Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran created more of the same matador-inspired looks that appeared in the music video and live performances of single “Living for Love.” But then, there’s the showstopper: Michele.
After finding out about him, Phillips inhaled his first two collections for Gucci: “I was completely blown away. I love his hand. His clothes are lyrical and feminine and they tell stories. I didn’t know him, but I felt there would be this synergy to have them together.” Boy, was there.
Michele imagines Madonna in full-blown “La Isla Bonita” mode, a mysterious gypsy wrapped in her fringed manila shawl, hiding behind her flamenco hat, lace and jacquard bodysuit and multicolor skirt.
“That’s a real highlight,” Phillips says breathlessly. Michele might have been working on his spring show simultaneously, but he had to make time for Madonna: “Now that I have had the chance to see her working, I truly understand why she is so grand!” he says, just as breathlessly.
Slideshow: Madonna’s Red Carpet Looks Through the Years >>
To end things with a bang, Madonna enlisted Jeremy Scott, fashion’s resident club kid, for the party section. She has worked with Scott intermittently since the early Aughts, but perhaps picking up on his ascendance in the public eye since his appointment at Moschino — not to mention his relationship with Miley Cyrus, et al — she brought him back into her orbit to work recently on several high-profile looks, including ones for her “Bitch I’m Madonna” music video.
“Madonna is often like a director,” he says, comparing her to younger pop starlets. “She has a vision and you get behind her to achieve that vision.”
Scott’s mandate was to come up with an homage to Harlem-flapper-meets-Paris-in-the-Twenties and several weeks after their joint appearance at the Costume Institute gala, he had the look: a blinding finale dress employing thousands of Swarovski crystals because, Scott says, “no showgirl would be complete without crystals.”
Phillips has finished recounting all the costumes and late nights in the run-up to the opening when she arrives on Long Island. Before she goes in, she pauses to savor the spectacle of that Moschino sparkler.
“We don’t need a disco ball,” she says. “We have Madonna in costume.”
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Fashion design outlets sealed for non-payment of taxes

A PRA team, headed by Additional Commissioner Ayesha Ranjha sealed 13 outlets for non-payment of taxes.
A PRA team, headed by Additional Commissioner Ayesha Ranjha, sealed the Zara Shahjahan, Mini Bindra, Sania Maskatiya, Nida Azwer, Ayesha Imram, Shirin Hassan and Ammar Belal outlets as well as six others, said a spokesman for the PRA.
The spokesman added the the PRA had been in contact with the fashion designers for over a year regarding tax collection on their services.
The sealed outlets owe Rs80 million tax to the authority, he said.
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Last month, the PRA in its on-going drive for General Sales Tax (GST) collection on services sealed a number of fitness centres on for non-payment of the tax.
According to a press release, PRA officials sealed Oxygen Gym and Convert Fitness in Z Block DHA, Vigour Gym, Genesis, Azhar Fitness Centre and Synergy Health Fitness in Jauhar Town. The PRA officials also met resistance when they went to seal Convert Fitness and Azhar Fitness Centre, the press release said.
Following imposition of Section 59 by the commissioner PRA, officials conducted complete monitoring of two eateries in the Gulberg area. A team of PRA has been stationed at Faridi Café and MS Barbeque in Gulberg to monitor sales and to compare findings with GST payments. PRA believes that the steps will lead to reduction in tax evasion.
Correction: An earlier version of the article erroneously stated Khadijah Shah’s store was among those sealed. The error is regretted. EDITOR.
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Feminist Fashion For Tomboys

Borrowed-from-the-boys fashion is having a moment – you see it in every boyfriend shirt or slouchy jean Madewell sells – but for some women it’s not a trend. Seattle’s TomboyX is for that woman.
Designed to outfit women who don’t feel comfortable in feminine women’s clothing, TomboyX’s collection of apparel, underwear and accessories was inspired by the Sally Rides and Katharine Hepburns of the world. We chatted with founder Fran Dunaway about the line, who her team designs for, and what’s next for the groundbreaking brand.

First, what prompted you to start TomboyX? Was there a particular anecdote that inspired you, or were you tired of not finding what you were looking for?TomboyX was founded by Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez in February of 2013. Naomi and I formed this company because, as tomboys, we were frustrated having to choose between feminine women’s clothing and ill-fitting, unfashionable men’s clothing. We realized that we couldn't find any well-made, stylish, menswear inspired clothing - let alone undergarments - that were made for and fit women. We set out to make classic cool clothing with tomboy style—clothes made for a woman’s body, but with features typically found in menswear: a looser fit, and quality fabrics, with creative attention to detail.
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There were many stories from our friends frustrated by the same lack of options; in particular, one of our good friends Carma, who happens to be one of Seattle’s finest – a bada** police officer. Years ago she found that boxer briefs were the most comfortable under her uniform. She couldn’t find women’s boxer briefs so she would wear men's boxer briefs while on the job in Seattle. But there were a few things about them that just don’t work for a woman’s body - like that extra fabric in front. [They aren’t] made for a woman’s curves, so they would ride up or tug in all the wrong places. We listened when she said “And while you’re at it, can you make a waistband that is soft and lasts as long as the underwear?” We had our marching orders and set out to do right by her.

Our design and production team started with a super soft, silky waistband. Once that passed muster we started on finding the right fabric and fit - for real women in sizes XS to 4X. We went into production on two styles, a 6” long version which we named after Carma, the “Good Carma”. Keeping with the police officer theme, the 4.5” version we call the “Feeling Frisky”. In May we introduced a “Bobbie” which is also 6” but instead of buttons they have a racing stripe down the sides.

Aside from Carma, who were you designing for originally and why?For women like Amelia Earhart and Katherine Hepburn. Women who are just more comfortable in clothes that don’t skew ultra feminine or super masculine.

Who helped get things off the ground?I was frustrated by the lack of clothing options for women like me, women who are most comfortable in clothing that isn’t feminine yet isn’t masculine either. More in a space between the two. Naomi got tired of hearing me complain and one day she asked ‘how hard can it be to start a clothing line?’ And off we went.

We thought the spirit of what we were trying to do was captured by the name Tomboy. We wanted to be an exchange of sorts so truncated Tomboy Exchange to TomboyX.

We knew what we wanted to provide women with, but we first wanted to test the desire for tomboy style within this huge market to see if it would resonate. So we ran a Kickstarter campaign, and not only was the tomboy style successful -- we raised $76,000 in 30 days -- but we also quickly recognized that we had tapped into an emotional component that a cross section of women and girls from around the world relate to and identify with. Whether it's all day every day or every once in a while ,they love identifying as tomboys and the independent spirit it represents. And they are hungry for a brand that authentically sees them.

Who runs the line now? Who are the go-to people who help keep everything running?TomboyX is a small, dedicated team of 6 employees, including the two co-founders, Fran and Naomi. The most exciting common thread amongst everyone on the team is our excitement for the brand; their enthusiasm, drive, and passion to meet a previously unmet need; and their real belief in the brand. We aren’t kidding when we say our tagline which is “by tomboys, for tomboys.”

Specifically, [my] background is in media strategies and advertising. Naomi is a small business owner and was the massage therapist for the US Women’s Olympic soccer team. Barb is our experienced and talented designer. She brings over 20 years of fashion industry experience to the team. Julie leads our product development and sourcing.

We also have two fearless interns working with us. Marjorie spent four years working in Strategy Consulting in the defense and national security market after graduating from Dartmouth College. And despite only just finishing her sophomore year of college at George Washington University in DC, Keiko brings incredible ideas and energy to our team.

And then, of course, like many start-ups we have many individuals who have supported and continue to support us along the way, including advisors, mentors, friends, and investors.

What are the pieces you started the line with? How has it evolved since then?We originally set out to clothe tomboys from head to toe: shirts, jeans, and accessories. Then we started hearing this mantra… boxer briefs, boxer briefs. No one makes boxer briefs for women? We started to check around and every time we searched women’s boxer briefs at other retailers we were astonished at what we’d see! Our customer is all about comfort and the so-called boxer briefs for women were anything but. So we got busy and in September of 2013 we introduced TomboyX boxer briefs. The results were overwhelming. Customers and the community were so excited about the boxer briefs that we sold 2500 pair in [under three] months. What’s more, our reviews have been outstanding. Since that time, we’ve been expanding the boxer brief styles, colors, and sizes – we’ve got many more patterns ready to go, samples already done and ideas exploding in our heads.

So in all, we are a clothing and accessory company that allows women to embrace their inner tomboy by providing comfortable, well-made, fashionable clothing that isn’t super feminine. The anchor product remains the line of women’s boxer briefs in a variety of sizes and colors, but our other items are very successful.

Where can customers buy the line?Customers can go to tomboyx to shop. We’ve also been spending a significant amount of time and energy trying to connect with our customers on a more grassroots level by sponsoring a number of U.S. LGBT Pride festivals, roller derby, community events, and other festivals. It’s really rewarding to interact with our customers so directly. We also recently partnered with WA Girl Scouts recently during their record breakingIndiegogo Campaign. We get great feedback, get to be involved in causes we really care about, and get to introduce even more women to our mission and products.

Who do you think finds TomboyX to be a go-to line for their wardrobe?Women who want comfortable, quality clothing that expresses who they are. We aren’t in the business of fast fashion and we are serious about taking good care of our customer. Our reviews reflect that we’re being true to that, and we are honored that women are feeling it.

What's the most surprising demographic you've found shopping the brand?For only being a 2-year-old company with the overwhelming majority of our ads only on social media, we are really excited that we’ve reached women in over 30 countries, from all walks of life and from 10 years old to 80. They get the spirit of the brand, and that’s exciting.

If there's one mission the brand has, what is it?Great question! We have been overwhelmed with how much our brand is resonating with women around the world and we are excited to be taking a stance about what we care about: anti-bullying; anti-stereotype; pro-individuality; anti-conformity; pro-gender spectrum; anti-judgment; and pro-humanity.

"Athleisure" is a trend that's big right now in mainstream fashion, and TomboyX seems to fit into that trend inadvertently. Have you seen a jump in popularity because of that?We are such a nascent company that I can’t really attribute our popularity to a particular fashion. We aren’t really in the fashion industry, per se, except the fashion of owning your inner tomboy spirit and expressing who you are with confidence and style. That being said, we do recognize that the timing is right for a clothing company that empowers women from the inside out. We aren’t trying to show women how to be cool – we honestly celebrate how cool they already are.

What's your ultimate goal with the line?To affect the conversation about what it means to be a woman today. We want to celebrate the tomboy spirit in all women and we want to do that by empowering them and honoring what it means to be comfortable in your own skin -- from the inside out.

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Why Embroidered Fashion Is Stitch Perfect

EVEN IF YOU were temporarily dumbstruck by the appearance of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, there was something else you couldn’t fail to miss: the label’s persistently exquisite use of embroidery.

After several collections marked by flora, fauna and abstract motifs rendered in a rainbow of thread, it’s fair to say that Valentino’s design duo, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, have cornered the market in embroidery since arriving at the label in 2008. While their opulently, they’ve applied embroidery to more unlikely pieces, too, like the fisherman sweater. Floral-stitched, that sturdy staple looks fresh and newly luxe.

Undoubtedly they’re leaders of the pack in embroidery’s resurgence, but the pre-fall and fall collections were awash with what Linda Fargo, a senior vice president at Bergdorf Goodman, terms “stitch-witchery.” Sharing the common thread are old-guard brands like Gucci, youngish London labels such as Christopher Kane and Simone Rocha as well as nicely priced ones like New York-based Sea.

It’s a direction that feels right for right now. After seasons of normcore and minimalism, such beautiful and tactile clothing resonates. “At a certain point you can only wear so much clean and austere fashion. The pendulum has to swing toward the dazzle of incredible surface interest,” said Ms. Fargo.
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While the Valentino duo takes a relatively traditional approach, Mr. Kane approaches embroidery more subversively. The London designer currently offers a black leather motorcycle jacket festooned with sweet pink flowers and curling green stems. In short: not your grandmother’s embroidery—though granny might admire the rather pretty handiwork. “I like to challenge perceptions, mixing the femininity of embroidery with unexpected pairings,” said Mr. Kane.

His fellow Londoner Ms. Rocha, one of the industry’s edgy new darlings, also likes to nod to tradition while turning it on its head. In her fall collection, that strategy took form in nude tulle dresses embroidered with flowers in chunky cotton-blend yarn instead of slender silk. The look is a far cry from the, which until recently were the calling card of many up-and-coming British designers. The handcrafted effect, said Ms. Rocha, adds warmth and distinctiveness. “It was about trying to make something feel special,” she said, “but also a way to do something quite playful.”

Another way to give embroidery new life is to work old-world motifs on streamlined, modern pieces. Russian designer Olga Vilshenko landed on that strategy when she launched her namesake collection four years ago. The result: traditional Eastern European crisscross and chain-stitch embroideries on unfussy, wearable dresses, skirts and tops. “People want to see a forgotten beauty,” said Ms. Vilshenko. But they also don’t want to feel like they’re in a costume. Her clothes, she said, are “a link between yesterday and today.”

Indeed, the history of embroidery is long, going way back to ancient China and India. It’s something London’s Victoria and Albert Museum seeks to unravel in a coming exhibition, “The Fabric of India,” which opens on Oct. 3. Co-curator Divia Patel pointed out that many of the pieces in the show were designed to connote status, wealth and glamour. Clearly some things haven’t changed much in the course of centuries. Consider the fortune required to own a heavily worked Valentino frock.

Still, wearing embroidery needn’t bust your budget. Look to American label Sea, which offers sweet embroidered smock tops for just upward of $200. “The market is saturated with sameness,” explained co-designer Sean Monahan. “Using embroidery allows us to give our customer something unique.”

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Madonna Taps Gucci, Moschino for Rebel Heart Tour Costumes

Throughout her long career, Madonna has enlisted the world’s top designers, most famously Jean Paul Gaultier, to collaborate on the costumes for her globe-trotting tours.

She’s again recruited a murderer’s row of fashion talent for her latest, the “Rebel Heart” World Tour, named after her 13th studio album of the same name.

On Wednesday, she revealed exclusively to WWD the designers who made the cut, including Jeremy Scott and Alexander Wang. And add Madonna to the Alessandro Michele fan club: the Gucci creative director also pitched in.

Related Story: Madonna’s Red Carpet Looks Through the Years

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Just like she’s been teasing her setlist on Instagram for months — yes, “Vogue” and “Holiday” will make appearances on the tour — Madonna has also been posting snippets of looks she’s been working on with her longtime costume designer, Academy Award-nominated Arianne Phillips.

Ahead of the tour’s opening in Montreal on Sept. 9, she is revealing the full list of designers today: Fausto Puglisi, Prada and Miu Miu, Swarovski and the Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran are the others. She’ll show sketches at a later date.

The pop singer’s predilection for some of these names has been evident for a while: she wore Scott for Moschino to the Costume Institute gala in May, on the red carpet as well as to various after parties, for instance. And she was also in full Moschino regalia in her last video, “B**ch I’m Madonna,” where Wang made an exuberant cameo. Before that, she was spotted around town wearing the platform moon boots from Wang’s fall show, practically straight off the runway.

Curiously, Versace, in whose 2015 advertising campaign Madonna appeared, is not involved in this tour. Phillips, who has been nominated for two Oscars, including her work on Madonna’s own “W.E.,” is marking her sixth tour with Madonna and will also contribute costumes.

Some of the other designers, though, like Michele, are more surprising, underscoring the singer’s knack for spotting new talent.

Slideshow: Madonna’s Concert Tour Costume Designs Through the Years >>

Long before pop acts fraternized with fashion designers, it was Madonna who asked Gaultier in 1990 to design costumes for her famous “Blonde Ambition” World Tour. He delivered the now iconic coned bra and the two have since collaborated on several tours, on 2001’s “Drowned World,” 2006’s “Confessions” and 2012’s “MDNA,” which included a reinterpretation of their best-known garment.

Previous tours included costumes from Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Christian Lacroix — he designed the crystal-studded corset that opened the “Reinvention” tour in 2004 — and Riccardo Tisci, who designed the costumes the singer wore during the halftime show at the 2012 Super Bowl.

“People say everything has a limit,” Tisci told WWD at the time, “but limits do not exist with Madonna.” With today’s news, that still seems to be the case.

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The New Avant-Garde: Four Fashion Brands to Watch

MARQUES‘ALMEIDA

The duo behind this London-based label, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida, met a decade ago in their native Portugal before heading to London’s Central Saint Martins to pursue master’s degrees in womenswear. While researching their joint thesis collection, they looked through ’90s issues of i-D and The Face and had an epiphany: Nearly every shoot featured denim. Inspired, the pair cut raw indigo fabric into oversize tops, slashed-open pants and one-sleeved dresses for their fall 2011 debut. “Jeans feel lived in,” says Marques, 28, who defines each collection’s mood while Almeida, 29, is the technician. “That seems more special to us than an expensive fabric.” Their frayed creations—which this season evolved to include brocade, ’50s-style silhouettes and denim in richly saturated hues—struck a chord with idiosyncratic retailer Opening Ceremony. They also impressed a jury composed of couturiers like Karl Lagerfeld, Phoebe Philo,  who handed them this year’s LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, which offers 300,000 euros ($330,000) and mentoring to the winner. Says Marques, “We want to create a product that feels valuable but accessible at the same time.”
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JACQUEMUS

Self-taught designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, 25, often looks to his late mother and to his own childhood in the village of Brame-Jean, in southern France, for inspiration for his experimental designs. “I grew up running barefoot in the fields and swimming every day,” says Jacquemus, who founded his Paris-based label in 2009 when he was 19 years old. His process is similarly free-spirited. Of working on his fall 2015 collection, he says, “I was like a kid, cutting up pieces in my studio”—which he then rearranged into deconstructed designs like a patchwork wool and cotton dress with a shirt sleeve across the front. The designer frequently posts personal photographs to his and Facebook feeds. “Sometimes I feel like a blogger because I’m on the floor in my studio taking a picture. I’m very connected to my generation,” he says. So far, it must be working: His line is carried at 85 locations including Dover Street Market, the concept stores owned by Japanese brand Comme des Garçons, for which Jacquemus once worked as a sales clerk.

THOMAS TAIT

Canadian designer Thomas Tait, 28, has been on an upward trajectory since trading his hometown of Montreal for London: In 2010, at 22, he became the youngest student ever to graduate from Central Saint Martins with a master’s degree in womenswear. The next February, he launched his self-named line out of London, and just three years later, in 2014, LVMH awarded him the inaugural Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Tait, who describes his aesthetic as “the glamorization of horror,” draws inspiration from touchstones like the 1990 satire Edward Scissorhands, artist Gregory Crewdson’s photographs of banal American life and the films of Italian director Dario Argento. The results are precisely executed designs with slightly surreal details, like oversize trouser cuffs or a leather jacket’s elongated sleeves from this fall’s collection, and even a print composed of blurry screen grabs from favorite Argento films.“I started the brand with absolutely no money and no idea what I was doing,” says Tait. “LVMH gave me hope about the future.”

VETEMENTS

Parisian label Vetements, the seven-person design collective led by 34-year-old Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia, has quickly gained momentum since launching last year. Gvasalia—who studied economics before graduating from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and designing for Louis Vuitton and Maison Margiela, where his six cohorts also worked—blends motifs from hip-hop, street culture and his own friends. “We work on clothing that people recognize,” says Gvasalia, whose collection is now sold in 80 stores. “Then we put it in a context of being modern so they see it in a new way.” For this fall, that means utilitarian uniforms that play with proportion and scale: cargo pants paired with bold-striped sweaters, and deliberately oversize trousers and suit jackets. “It’s a lot about attitude,” says Gvasalia. “The woman I dress is the ultimate designer of her clothes and her style.”

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Ashley Nell Tipton, 'Project Runway's' First Plus Size Designer, Talks Visibility For Plus Size Women

I swear I heard a collective gasp from the body positive Project Runway fans of the world when the show announced its groundbreaking choices in the casting for this year's program. The 14th season of the fashion design competition would be featuring in the U.S. franchise. So, yeah. That was a pretty memorable day.
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​Just over a year ago, beloved host Tim Gunn — the only thing on PR more delightful than Heidi Klum's adorable accent — told The Hollywood Reporterthat he'd like to work on a season of the show that featured only. It made perfect sense: The plus size fashion industry is arguably on fire right now and much of that is down to über talented, bloggers, and models paving the way to inclusivity. In fact, the worldwide and it continues to grow exponentially, especially amongst a younger demographic.

Plus size women can be such important influencers in fashion and these days they are stepping up to take their rightful place as trendsetters. Ashley Nell Tipton is undoubtedly poised to turn heads and make history by gaining a spot on a show as iconic as Project Runway. From the moment I first saw her debut collection making its rounds on Tumblr, I knew that her style was different from anything currently out there. Her vision and risk-taking prompted me to chat with Tipton via email about her journey to Project Runway, her design ethos, and the best (and hardest) parts of being a young designer.

Tipton began designing in high school when she was just 16 years old. "What sparked me to start designing was my freshman year when I had to design an entire wardrobe for the characters of my high school play Grease," Tipton writes. "I first remember being interested in fashion when I got my first job at Torrid when I was 16."

The designer has also revealed that because of her size, which drove her to pursue her dream of designing. "When people told me that I couldn't do something, I wanted to always prove them wrong," she told People. "That comes a lot from people always bullying me because of my size, and not thinking that I could do anything to impact the world or inspire other people."

Eventually, Tipton started noticing the distinct lack of bold, fashion-forward designs available for plus size women — the types of clothing that she'd like to wear herself. "I believe trendsetters and taking fashion risks with designing are gaps that exist in the plus size market," Tipton says. "Of course being plus sized myself and being an active member of the plus size fashion community affects the way I design and think about fashion because I think about what I want to wear and what other [plus size] women want to wear."

After studying design at fashion college and creating a debut collection that would make waves all over social media, Tipton received her big break by being invited to show at Full Figure Fashion Week. The interest in and enthusiastic reception to her work led her to create, having no doubt that she wanted to work on expanding her own brand rather than working for a retail chain or established designer. It hasn't been an easy feat, though.

"As a young designer, the biggest challenge for me so far has been creating my dream business. Especially with being so young and not having the financial stability to make a successful company just yet," Tipton explains. She describes the journey to this point in her career as a "roller coaster" that took "a lot of self encouragement and being creative."

It is Tipton's love of fashion and the plus size women who crave more of it that has kept her going throughout her struggles. "My inspiration that pushed me to keep creating fashion and designing is seeing all the clothing that is being made for the plus size women and has inspired me to make clothing that is missing in this industry," she says. The pastel-haired designer has an amazing network of support as well, citing her family, friends, and followers as her biggest champions. "They are the ones that keep me going because they inspire me to believe in myself."

Tipton is beyond excited for the opportunity to appear on the show and to see what that may mean for her line and her career. "The most exciting part about being on Project Runway so far — besides all the exposure I'm going to get — is getting critiqued by Tim, Heidi, Zac, and Nina. This is feedback that no one can get in the industry unless you pay for it," she explains.

However, nothing is more important than the message she wants her stint on the show sends to viewers. "I would like everyone to embrace who they are in this world, do what they want to do, and not let anyone take that away from them!" Tipton also hopes that people understand her passion and that it drives them to chase their own. "I hope viewers are inspired to chase after their dreams no matter how big they are, and don't let anyone or anything stop them. I would like them to know my tears are not tears of weakness but tears of passion."

No matter the outcome of the show, Tipton's appearance is definitely about more than a prize. It's a step towards visibility and more importantly, towards having another voice for plus size women in the fashion industry. A voice for all the fun, funky, fat babes craving beautiful clothes attached to a beautiful message.

Project Runway premieres Aug. 6 and will air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime. Personally, I'll be watching Ashley Nell Tipton and cheering her along, tears of passion and all.

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Designer, Chardon native Blake Patterson on Project Runway

The 14th season of Lifetime's Project Runway is set to begin on Thursday August 6 at 9 p.m. We hope that Chardon native Blake Patterson never hears supermodel and head judge Heidi Klum say the dreaded "auf Wiedersehen".
With a smooch on each cheek, those are the words Klum uses to dismiss a contestant at the end of every episode. It means "goodbye" in her native German, and it's the last thing any designer wants to hear.
Patterson is one of 16 candidates this season, which is set in New York City. The city will act as their inspiration and their canvas. The designers will be put through their grueling paces by mentor and fashion consultant Tim Gunn, and by Klum and her fellow judges Nina Garcia, who is the creative director at Marie Claire magazine, and Zac Posen, who is a fashion designer, plus a roster of guest judges.
Patterson, 24, grew up in Chardon and graduated from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School. Soon after, he packed a suitcase and headed to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, where he still resides.

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Even though he had to wear a uniform in high school, he managed to let his style and creativity shine through with carefully selected ties and doubled-up polo shirts. Being selected Best Dressed solidified his decision to chase his dream as a designer.
Patterson, who is inspired by African culture and is known for creating avant-garde designs, like his jellyfish-inspired collection, took some time out to answer a few questions.
Tell us a little about you.
I moved to LA from Ohio fall 2010 and graduated spring 2014 from the advanced fashion design program at FIDM where only 9 students from the whole school were selected.
How do you spend your days?
I spend my days talking with clients, fabric shopping, sketching, finding new inspirations, exploring new places, and coming up with new ideas constantly.
How do you describe your personal style?
I have two personal styles. One is causal luxury with a pop of glamour and the other is more on the preppy hipster side.
Was the Project Runway experience different from what you imagined from having viewed the show?
Project Runway was a very different experience from what I expected. It's a lot easier sitting on the couch at home than actually being there. No one will really understand what we, the designers, had to go through unless you already went through Project Runway. I give the previous designers so much credit and have a new found respect.
What was the best aspect of the show?
The best part was meeting all the other designers and seeing what they came up with in the competitions.
And the worst part?
The worst part was being shut out of the real world.
How were the judges?
There was one really great guest judge, Kelly Osbourne, who had a lot to say. I really respect her as a person and what she has to say. I love judges who are more opinionated than others and she definitely was one of them!
What can you tell us about Heidi Klum that we might not know?
Heidi's even more beautiful in person. She has a funny personality that made us all laugh a lot.
Is mentor Tim Gunn as wonderful as he seems? What can you tell us about him?
I wish Tim had been a little bit more opinionated. However, he did help guide me in the right direction a couple times with his critiques.
Not asking if you won, but what can you tells us about your plans for the future?
My plans are to keep making more dresses and jumpsuits for my clients. Then gala season is upon us and my clients need something amazing to wear!
Who is your client?
I design for women who are confident, feminine, and sophisticated.
Describe your design aesthetic.
My aesthetic when I'm designing is to make women feel empowered and beautiful. I love using volume to create something new and fresh.
What did you learn about yourself through this experience?
I learned that I can push myself further than I thought I could and get a lot more done in a short amount of time.
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Modest swimwear is making waves

Reminiscent of older fashions in beach attire, “modest swimwear” has made a comeback in recent years.
It first surfaced as an alternative swimwear option for religious women looking for a more conservative choice, but is now spreading to a larger audience. According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, it has now developed into a “competitive cottage industry.”
It comes in many different styles for many different kinds of women. From swim dresses to swim skirts, one-pieces to leggings, modest swimwear offers the choice of covering up as much — or as little — as you’d like.

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Companies are beginning to pop up all across the web, devoting entire catalogues to modest swimwear, or even debuting their own lines. ModLi, an online shopping hub for all kinds of modest wear, says it has seen an increase in sales and demand for the modest swimwear it produces.
The demand increase suggests the popularity is spreading beyond just those who seek to cover up due to religious reasons. Nava Brief-Fried, creator of ModLi, describes the kind of woman who she sells to as “moms with children, women who want to stay protected from the sun, plus size women, and religious women.”
“The more the bikini becomes popular the more women will look for alternatives (modest swimwear) so that they too will feel confident and good about themselves at the beach,” she added.
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RUTI SKEWS HOMOGENOUS TRENDS WITH ISRAELI FASHION

With every round-trip from her hometown in Tel Aviv, Israel, techie Ruti Zisser would lug more and more coveted pieces of clothing from the Holy Land back to her studio in Palo Alto to sell at trunk shows to her friends.
Soon, with more designer items to import and an unstoppable growing list of clients, she opened the first Ruti store in Town and Country Village across from Stanford University.
This brick-and-mortar boutique now has five locations, with the youngest living in the bustling fashion district on Abbot Kinney Blvd. Ruti brings a rustic yet modern style to the boho-chic fare typically seen on the street. This multi-brand store brings hard-to-find clothing and accessories from Tel Aviv to an otherwise homogenous American fashion.

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Owner Zisser has said in the past that she looks for clothing that is flattering to women of all shapes, sizes, styles, and opinions. She either designs or handpicks every piece in the collection.
“My stores tell my story – a story of love and fashion,” Zisser said on her retailer site. “I showcase a mixture of women’s ready-to-wear shoes, bags and jewelry which, together, create a singular, carefully-curated collection. Chic and modern, the collection combines my love of fashion with my Israeli roots, as most of the brands my stores carry are Tel-Aviv based.”
With established locations in the Bay Area and another on Montana Ave. (their first store opened in Palo Alto in 2009 and spread from there), Ruti is regularly bringing Middle Eastern sensibilities to the West Coast. What’s more, Ruti emphasizes fair trade and sustainable handwork; items range from $60 to $200.
“Everything that we carry in our boutique is all-Israeli inspired and all manufactured there, as well, in the city of Tel Aviv,” said Alyson, the Ruti merchandiser.
So, what’s hot this summer?
One of their best-selling garments is the Gloria dress, a geometrical dolman-like frock synched by a thin belt that hides inside the back.
“We get it in a lot of different colors and patterns throughout the year … it’s just an easy, very lightweight fabric. It’s also very flattering and women seem to find it easy to wear for any occasion, from casual to a wedding even. And it seems to be something that’s easy but also very chic and effortless.”
Another bestselling item if you’re looking for a non-body conscious outfit is Ruti’s Kisim Vest, meaning “pockets” in Hebrew.
“Basically it’s just a really great, versatile piece, again effortless-chic. It adds a lot of dimensions to any outfit really. So you can pair it with a dress, leggings, skinny jeans, shorts. We’ve sold out of it quite a few times.”
It’s safe to say Ruti is fit for all shapes and sizes. Their loose-fitting clothing plays well with L.A.’s year-round Mediterranean climate. But that’s not all they have.
If you’re hunting for European-inspired accessories, Ruti sells unorthodox jewelry and handbags. Chunky gold cuffs, necklaces with lava rock, and earrings made of bent metal pair well with the fine leather bags that eschew the current trends – this is essentially the Ruti principle.
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