Chanel creates Paris street in star-filled show

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld (center) acknowledges the public along with models faking a demonstation as they present creations for Chanel during the 2015 spring-summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show on Tuesday at the Grand Palais in Paris. (AFP-Yonhap)PARIS (AP) ― They were styles literally made to be worn on the street. But not just any street: this was Chanel’s boulevard. Karl Lagerfeld did it again Tuesday, producing the most outlandish and expensive ready-to-wear show of the seaso

Oct. 1, 2014

Paris fashion says non to ‘Normcore’

PARIS (AFP) ― Self-aware blandness, aka “Normcore,” may be the latest high street buzzword, but for the world of high fashion ― currently gathered in Paris ― the trend is something to be resisted.U.S. retailer Gap’s latest advertising campaign ― with the slogan “Dress Normal” ― has been seen by some as an example of the Normcore trend.Coined by the K-Hole trend forecasting group, the term is a combination of the words “normal” and “hardcore.”Wikipedia defines Normcore as a “unisex fashion trend

Sept. 30, 2014

Fashion made in China: Fine for everyone but the Chinese

MILAN (AFP) ― It has been called fashion’s dirty little secret but according to Miuccia Prada, soon everybody will be doing it.Made-in-China’s just fine with Prada’s supremo and a host of other influential industry figures.But for Chinese companies and designers seeking to become global style players, producing high-end clothing on home soil is complicated.Trade barriers, brand perception issues and the sourcing of certain fabrics combine to form an obstacle to them competing internationally wit

Sept. 29, 2014

Revisiting old Seoul

The simple rectangular building in Gwanghwamun, which looks identical to the U.S. Embassy building in Seoul, was a symbol of a power shift in the modern history of Korea. Initially built using an aid fund in the 1960s, the building was a center of political power, functioning as the headquarters of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, a military committee led by President Park Chung-hee, who had taken over the South Korean government in a coup d’etat. Governing legislative, administr

Sept. 28, 2014

Nearly cooked models start Paris Fashion Week

PARIS (AP) ― Ninety-three shows, nine days, one fashion-crazed city. The world’s traveling circus of fashion editors, buyers and celebrities waved goodbye to the cobbled streets of Milan and cried “Bonjour Paris” on Tuesday, bracing itself for the last, most colorful furlong of spring-summer 2015 ready-to-wear shows. Tuesday’s a day for the up-and-coming fashion designers and stars of tomorrow. And it can pack some surprises. Anthony Vaccarello, who has dressed Gwyneth Paltrow, gave himself an e

Sept. 24, 2014

How to transition your summer style into fall

Fall holds so many joys. The brutal heat of summer has let up, and the brilliant hues of the season are starting to show up on trees, bushes ― and in clothing. But for the working woman, the return of autumn can lead to questions.Is it time to pack away all the lightweight skirts and tank tops? If it’s 10 degrees at 8 a.m. and 27 degrees at 3 p.m., what to wear?Fashion expert and style guru Sharon Haver has the answers. Visit her site, focusonstyle.com, for specific picks and information, but in

Sept. 24, 2014

Designers go with the flow in Milan

MILAN (AP) ― Milan designers are making a nonbinding treaty with women. The collections being previewed during Milan fashion week, in its fourth day Saturday, are easy to wear and roomy, not binding, meant for every day and not rarified occasions. Here are some highlights from Saturday’s shows: Giorgio ArmaniOscar-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film opened Giorgio Armani’s womenswear collection for next summer, teaming up two of Italy’s top cultural ambassadors. The art short, title

Sept. 21, 2014

At 86, legendary personal shopper still has style and customers

The original personal shopper, Betty Halbreich, continues to help customers of all shapes, sizes and bank accounts with their wardrobes. Working at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City since 1976, she is appreciated by many and feared by some for her candor; she is incapable of selling for the sake of the sale. The 86-year-old has attracted the attention of “Girls” creator and star Lena Dunham, who is working to put together a show for HBO based on her life. She has followed her first book, “Secret

Sept. 17, 2014

Berlin passion for ’40s fashion untempered by WWII hue

BERLIN (AFP) ― With her blotted red lipstick, perky coiffed curls and fitted 1940s skirt suit, Constanze Pelzer looks like she’s stepped off a World War II film set.From head to toe, the 49-year-old German is the picture of 1940s elegance ― from the little glasses and striking jewelry to her red sling-backs, her entire outfit is authentic.But it isn’t a costume.Despite bringing to mind a painful chapter of German history, Pelzer admires 1940s fashion so much that she wears originals from the era

Sept. 17, 2014

Gaultier to wind up ready-to-wear fashion

PARIS (AFP) ― Jean Paul Gaultier, showman of Paris fashion, is to bow out of ready-to-wear later this month after nearly 40 years of over-the-top, sometimes provocative collections.The 62-year-old former “enfant terrible” of fashion, who famously designed Madonna’s cone bras, will devote himself to couture, the brand’s perfume business and other projects, the fashion house said in a statement.Gaultier’s last ready-to-wear collection will be shown on September 27 during the spring/summer 2015 fas

Sept. 16, 2014

Inspiration behind Chanel’s iconic designs

The double C logo, the signature little black dress with a white collar, and cuffs and fine jewelry collections. The list goes on for Chanel’s iconic styles that make women’s hearts flutter. Ever wondered where the inspirations came from? The “Culture Chanel, The Sense of Places” exhibition, currently on display at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, offers answers to this question. The exhibition reveals the inspirations that Chanel’s pioneering designs were based on throughout the 88 years of Gabrielle C

Sept. 15, 2014

Style goes digital at London Fashion Week

LONDON (AP) ― What to wear to London Fashion Week? The hottest designer heels, the latest fall jacket ― or perhaps a tech accessory like Google Glass. Hundreds of models, stylists and fashion insiders descended on the British capital Friday as the five-day whirlwind of catwalk shows kicked off, bringing the usual heady mix of glamor, parties and beautiful people. This season, however, organizers are also focusing on pairing technology with fashion, launching a series of talks and projects with G

Sept. 14, 2014

N.Y. Fashion Week blends celebrity, sophistication

NEW YORK (AP) ― New York Fashion Week was equal parts celebrity and sophistication Tuesday, with runway shows that included a collection by red carpet favorite Naeem Khan and a new line by Serena Williams.Naomi Campbell made an appearance at Badgley Mischka’s show, which also marked its silver anniversary, while a trio caused a stir with a no-clothes fashion moment. U.S. Open 2014 tennis champion Serena Williams (center) with Vogue editor Anna Wintour (left)during New York Fashion Week. (AP-Yonh

Sept. 10, 2014

Japan architects sell a lifestyle on global stage

TOKYO (AP) ― A new generation of Japanese architects is scoring success by reinterpreting the past. Unlike their predecessors, who modernized Japan with Western-style edifices, they talk of fluidly defining space with screens, innovatively blending with nature, taking advantage of earthy materials and incorporating natural light, all trademarks of Japanese design. And their sensibility that speaks to a human-oriented yet innovative everyday life is proving a hit abroad, said Erez Golani Solomon,

Aug. 12, 2014

Stroke by stroke, Hangeul grows popular in design

With his untamed shoulder-length hair, dark-rimmed glasses and loose-fitting black outfit, calligrapher Kang Byung-in has the quintessential look of an artist. The name of his company, Sooltong, might suggest that he likes his drinks: Sooltong can be translated as “barrel of alcohol.”Indeed, he does like drinking, Kang admits during an interview with The Korea Herald last month at his cramped studio in the artists’ enclave of Hongdae area. As Kang explains it, Sooltong is a double entendre in Ko

Aug. 1, 2014

Listen to what your bag has to say

Bags are more than simple carriers. In an exhibition underway at the Simone Handbag Museum, bags are the source of inspiration for artists, who presented works exploring the meaning of bags in relation to sound. Odd as it may sound to associate bags with sound, the exhibition seeks to explore bags as representations of the personalities of the holders using sound as a theme. As part of a series of exhibitions before the launch of the handbag brand 0941 by Simone, the exhibition “Bag is Rhythm” s

July 30, 2014

Fashion campaign with artistic touch

Luxury fashion houses have recently begun inviting renowned artists to add artistic sophistication to their style. Louis Vuitton launched an advertisement campaign under its new creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere, who took over from Marc Jacobs last yearThree respected photographers, Annie Leibovitz, Juergen Teller and Bruce Weber, participated in the campaign “Series 1,” which features Ghesquiere’s muse Charlotte Gainsbourg and two other models. Photo shoots under the new three-part campaign

July 30, 2014

Fashion KODE kicks off Wednesday

Fashion KODE, an annual trade show for Korean fashion designers, kicks off Wednesday at the AT Convention Center in Seoul. It is one of the largest fashion fairs in Korea with more than 400 local and foreign buyers and 120 Korean fashion brands attending.The fair has invited buyers from major fashion stores in Hong Kong, Japan, France, Italy and the United States. Among them are Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Free’s Shop in Japan, L’Eclaireur Paris and Tomorrow Ltd in Italy. A large number of top fas

July 15, 2014

Cork: It’s not just for wine and bulletin boards

NEW YORK (AP) ― Cork. It’s not just for wine stoppers and bulletin boards anymore. Embraced by some progressive furniture makers decades ago and a staple in housewares, cork has found a larger place among shoes, handbags, jewelry and other fashion accessories. Designer Elaine Turner is a proponent of cork, which is renewable, feather light and water-resistant. So is Ingrid Heinkel, who imports cork accessories ranging from men’s wallets to a woman’s backpack in a tiger stripe design.  Tiger Beng

July 10, 2014