Author: stephanielogar

With so many vintage trends coming back in style, is there even room for our favorite LBD anymore? 

Don’t let the title of this post confuse you, I do not think the little black dress is dead, but I do think it’s on its way out…

The history of the little black dress dates back all the way to the Georgian and Victorian eras where wearing black at a funeral was very common to mourn the death of someone. Flash forward a few hundred years to when the real “LBD” made it’s first debut in the 1920s by the one and only Coco Chanel. The little black dress was seen in a 1926 issue of Vogue paired with long narrow sleeves and a string of pearls around the neck. It was dubbed as a simple and accessible dress for women of all classes. 

It didn’t take long for other designers such as Christian Dior to amp up the little black dress and turn it into the sexy iconic symbol it still represents today. That brings us to what many people refer to when they think of the LBD and that is Audrey Hepburn’s dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s designed by Hubert de Givenchy. And ever since then the little black dress has remained a staple item in every women’s wardrobe. 

So now I argue if this mindset, that has been engrained into every young women’s mind for countless of years, still holds the same value it once did? While it would be foolish of me to think that the little black dress will ever actually go out of style, I can’t help but shake the fact that the LBD faces some tough competition with other classic clothing trends. 

Maybe it is a generational debate or maybe I am simply just too naive to think that other articles of clothing are found more in women’s closets today. From a personal standpoint, I only own one little black dress, and while I love the look of it, I rarely actually wear it. With so many new trends and designs coming out weekly/monthly it is simply too hard to find time to wear everything that I want. So I usually push aside clothing such as my LDB because I want to utilize other items while they are still in style. And I can’t be the only one who has this issue too right? 

I think another major factor in why I argue this point is because of the way media works in today’s social climate. Growing up in a era heavily revolved around social media, taking photos, and Instagram influencers a simple LDB is just (dare I say) too basic for society. Let me rephrase myself to avoid any outrage. The LBD is not “basic” but its simplicity is often now being overshadowed by more eccentric, fun, and original pieces. Everyone wants to stand out and be unique in their own way. 

So while I’m not counting out the little black dress entirely, I merely opening the idea that it is loosing its following, and that is okay. 

-Stephanie

And the gold medal goes to Off-White!

Until I started working in the fashion industry I never really paid much attention to Fashion Week. Now that my interest in fashion has heightened, I would give just about anything to have a front row seat a major designer’s show. 

This September I was lucky enough to be right in the heart of Paris during their fashion week. And while I wasn’t lucky enough to get a seat at one of the shows, I did keep up online with which shows stood out to me and which ones left my unimpressed. 

I want to quickly clarify that I am NOT a fashion expert by any means. Nor do I have enough background in fashion for my opinions to be taken with anymore than a grain of salt. I’m simply stating my personal opinions on the shows I saw!

So today I’m going to rate some two of my favorite shows and least favorite shows from the fall 2018 Paris Fashion Week and why:

Loves: Off-White Spring Summer 2019 Women’s Collection

I absolutely adore this collection. Maybe it’s because I love the idea of athletic wear being incorporated as a fashion statement, or maybe it’s because I am a major Virgil Abloh fan, but whatever the case may be this collection was my favorite from the whole week. From the clothes, to the models, to the music, and the overall show itself Virgil hit the head on the nail with this collection. And I am not the only one who agrees. Vogue and Elle Magazine both praised his “Track and Field” collection as well. From start to finish the show was epic and a must see if you haven’t had the chance to yet! I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next season.

Loathes: Saint Laurent Fall 2018/2019 Collection

I love Saint Laurent, they are one of my favorite brands, however this show left me feeling like I wanted more. What was interesting to me was after watching the show for a second time I realized I actually really liked the collection from a clothing standpoint, however the execution of them in their show made me dislike them. You’d think by Saint Laurent using such an iconic backdrop (the Eiffel Tower at night) would make for a super cool show. However, unfortunately that was not the case. Maybe it was a combination and all the flashing background lights, but I simply could not stay focused while watching this. I still was impressed by the actually collection, I just wish it could have been executed better. 

I could spend all day talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly of Paris’ most recent fashion week, but instead I will let the collections do the talking. I was so pleased by so many of the shows this season it would be too hard to try and include them all in this post. 

Every time a fashion week wraps I feel like the other one is just around the corner! I can’t wait to see what designers bring to the table in the spring! 

-Virginia

What’s the deal with all these counterfeit Louis’? 

When you live in a major metropolitan city its not uncommon to walk past markets or street stores filled floor to ceiling with counterfeit designer bags, belts, wallets, and shoes. In fact, the counterfeit business is extremely large and expands to almost every country. For a large majority of our population, interested in designer items, these counterfeit items are useless, but to foreigners these can be a real gold mind. 

With the rise in social media, and the overwhelming constant need for people to fit into what society is promoting, the idea of a counterfeit designer bag doesn’t sound too bad of idea. But why do we feel this way? We have created a culture where some feel such a strong need to fit in with what Instagram influencers, celebrities, and models are doing, even if they can’t afford it. 

Now enter the counterfeit market and we have ourselves the perfect match. As long a there is a market for people willing to buy fake designer bags, these scammers will remain in business. And that is the problem we are facing. 

And even worse, fakes are getting more and more realistic. A few years ago distinguishing a fake from a real bag was fairly straightforward. However, with our technology constantly increasing, so is the authenticity of these fakes. There has been an explosion of what some are calling “super fakes,” “Triple-A fakes” or “line-for-lines” over the past five or so years. So much so, that the untrained eye, they look like the real thing. 

What is so detrimental about this business is that it diminishes the original product and the brand’s overall worth. It also can potentially drive business away from the real designer which decreases the value of the brand. However, as of 2017, top designers are deciding to fight back against these counterfeit markets. More and more designers are starting to address these issues on the catwalk as well as in the courtroom. 

Alexander Wang referenced counterfeits at his spring/summer 2017 show after-party, where 4x4s were spray-painted with “stop leaking my shit.”

Louis Vuitton filed a legal suit against Beijing’s Haidian District Court regarding the sale of counterfeit goods on TaoBao, Alibaba’s (China’s biggest online commerce company) e-commerce marketplace in January 2016. 

Will these efforts be enough though? Personally, I don’t understand why anyone would want to buy a counterfeit bag. And I’m not saying that because I can afford a bunch of real designer bags because I cant’t. But to me, I would rather not have it at all then have it be fake. 

The word fake sends a shiver down my spine. There really is nothing worse than fake things, fake people, fake news, and fake bags. Let’s put an end to this era of fake(ness). 

-Stephanie 

16th century French women must be rolling in their graves right now…

It’s almost baffling to me what trends make their way back into style, and the corset trend is no exception. The idea of the corset was first introduced during the 16th century when it was referred to as “French Bodies.” The introduction of the corset was very significant in history because it represented a shift in the concept of clothing and was the first time the body began to conform to the fashionable shape of clothing worn. 

While this clothing concept lasted throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as our knowledge of the human body advanced we soon learned that corsets actually displaced human organs and hindered reproduction. Thus causing a temporary end to the corset trend. But as almost all trends do, the corset has come back into style. The question that remains is, why? 

Over the past few years the media has been swarmed with designers and celebrities alike showing off their personal take on the corset trend. At the very root of this craze is designer Miuccia Prada. In her 2016 autumn/winter show she styled corsets around wool coats and jacquard dresses. Following this show, a large spike in corsets being worn over clothes commenced. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner became the queens of this trend and could be regularly seen tying corsets over dresses and t-shirts. 

However, I can’t help but continue to question the reasoning behind this trend. While some fashion magazines and blogs praised the return of this trend, others named it “the greatest fashion sin of all time.” And although there is always controversy in fashion, when it directly affects a person’s health, is it really worth it? 

Besides the initial fact that corsets were invented to be worn under our clothes, the outstanding side effects this trend presents is just down-right impractical. I’m sure we are all familiar with the term “beauty is pain,” and while I’m willing to sacrifice a blister or swollen feet here and there, I’m not sure if I’m willing to sacrifice my long-term health for fashion. 

-Stephanie

A personal insight on the controversial topic of fur in fashion throughout the years, and the introduction of “faux” fur trend. 

Once upon a time fur was all the rage in the fashion world. For decades many major designers, from Gucci and Versace to Maison Margiela, featured fur in their fall/winter collections at fashion week. However, despite the enormous amounts praise these pieces would receive, there was double the amount of hate that followed. The debate on whether fur is acceptable or not has gone on for longer than I have been alive, and will most likely continue on for many years to come. Or will it? 

It is no secret that the fad fur once created has significantly dwindled down over the more recent years. Whether or not fur is “good” or “bad” is entirely dependent on one’s opinion. However, it’s hard to forget reading about red paint getting splattered on pedestrians’ fur coats or PETA’s iconic “I’d rather go naked…” campaigns. 

It makes you wonder, if a product has the power to create such backlash, why do so many brands continue to produce it, and why do so many shoppers continue to buy it? Having grown up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I rarely saw anyone wear fur, even if it was faux. I even remember my mother was embarrassed to wear her vintage mink coat, past down by her mother, out in public because of the negative comments she thought she would receive. As I got older and more interested in fashion and creating my own style, I began to follow many of the well known fashion magazines such as Vogue, W, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar, which still regularly featured fur as a trending piece. Thus furthering my already conflicted and confused mind. Then came my introduction to the world of faux fur…

“Faux” fur has been around since the mid 1990s and its popularity has only increased over the years. For many fashion designers this was the perfect alternative for the fur trend that wouldn’t cause as much controversy. However that was not exactly the case. While wearing faux fur is better than wearing real fur to many animal rights advocates, it still sends a negative message to our society because faux or not these pieces will always be associated with animal cruelty. So now I ask where do we go from here? 

Yes, major fashion designers, such as Stella McCartney, have begun to speak out against their brands no longer producing fur products, however when I’m walking outside or checking my social media I can’t help but see a tremendous amount of people still sporting their trendiest fur jackets. And the next thing I always wonder is if it is faux or not, but does that not even matter anymore? With a topic such as this it is very difficult to find a way to meet in the middle.

Since my big move to Paris and the chilly weather commenced, it was hard to miss the amount of women wearing fur. After more than a few experiences of seeing this trend first hand, I began to dig a little deeper. I found out, through word of mouth and research, that in Europe it is slightly more socially acceptable to wear fur than it is in other countries, such as the United States. But does that make it okay? In many eyes it still doesn’t, so does that mean we should be going around splattering red paint over every fur jacket we see? 

These are the questions that I am so eager to find answers to. However, for now, I must accept the hard fact that there may never be a 100% accepted answer. So for now, should we stick to faux fur or no fur? I am eager to know. 

-Stephanie