Hey folkes, last week we attended the Katya Leonovich Fall 2012 Presentation at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. In our Fashion Shows chapter you can get some more information about her newest collection in case you missed this post.

We had the chance to get a quick video interview with Katya Leonovich where she is talking about her inspiration of her new Fall/ Winter 2012 collection. Here we go:

The Edwardian Style comes from the olden days and is a certain style to describe a certain fashion periode. But what exactly does it mean?

Must known fashion term #17: Edwardian Style

It is also safe to say that the certain Edwardian style which was wasteful of material and only affordable by the upper class was recognized by its cuffs on jacket sleeves and extra length on the jackets. The very tight corset was modified, and later its everyday wearing was gradually abandoned. If you’d like to learn more useful fashion terms or discover important fashion figures just click yourself through our fashion dictionary.

ps: Have you discovered a fashion term you’d like to introduce to our fellow fashion speakers? Feel free to drop us a line or leave a comment below and we’ll share it here.

Last night we attended the Nomia Fall 2012 presentation which took place at “The Box” at Lincoln Center in New York.

The focus of Nomia’s collection was to show the chic, sophisticated and empowered woman. Yara Flinn, Nomia’s head designer therefore was showing a lot of classy dresses – long sleeved, without sleeves and sometimes with a finishing on the top that looked like a blouse. There were just a few leather jackets, two very sexy, seethrough leggings and even a slouchy, trendy pants in her collection. I would have loved to see more of these egdy designs which in my opinion would have made the collection much more outstanding.
The color palette was actually great – she used a lot of different colors like beige, red, olive green, blue and even pink which coddled up the too classy designs.

Curious to see her Fall 2012 designs?

The flamboyant jewelry designer Heidi Gardner celebrated her first collection Creature Couture in New York City. The whimsical, dark, dangerous and sexy debut collection is inspried by both life and death. The designer believes that jewelry isn’t just an accessory but more an expression of everyone’s own personality. In fact it’s the idea that every human being has an inner creature fighting to cut loose from the standard, boring society.

Let me be completely honest with you – when I first got the invite I didn’t know what to expect but wanted to give it a shot anyway. I have to admit Heidi Gardner’s jewelry event at the Hotel Americano in Manhattan was the most memorable and interesting presentation I’ve ever seen.

It all started with an elevator ride to a hotel room for an intimate tour of the “Chop Shop”. I was literally flabbergasted when I saw the ongoing projection of the jewelry designs styled on organs, such as a heart, liver and tongue. The hotel room looked almost like a murder scene, blood covered walls and spattered floors, masked models who were wearing Heidi’s fearless jewelry designs resting on various organs spilling out of them.

It was amazing and I think you couldn’t have done a better job in transforming her inspiration in that presentation. Really well done Heidi!

For all of you who are interested in seeing more of Heidi’s “dangerous” designs visit Heidi Gardner’s website or stop by at her Facebook fanpage.

And now dive into Heidi Gardner’s bloody jewelry 2012 presentation:

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On the second day of New York’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Katya Leonovich showcased her Fall 2012 collection at Lincoln Center. The Box, where the presentation took place was set up as a stationary display, showcasing the models on pedestals throughout the space with Leonovich’s colorful paintings (she’s also a painter, hence all the splashes of colors in her collections) hanging as their backdrop.

Katya Leonovich’s pieces were all wearable. The combination of leather and python patterns was just perfect to create an edgy and feminine look for the stylish woman. Not only was the designer playing with metallic, colorful prints and patterns but she also focused on a black, violet, olive, copper and white color palette in her current Fall/Winter 2012 collection. Since I’m a huge fan of the shoe designer Michael Antonio, I immediately recognized that Leonovich finished off all of her looks with his shoes.

Great job Katya. Keep it up! And for all of you who couldn’t attend her fall 2012 presentation here are some pictures of her beautiful designs.

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Tibi’s fashion designer Amy Smilovic sent her Fall 2012 collection down the runway last Saturday, February 11th at Lincoln Center in New York. Effortless was her message for this season since minimalism and menswear played a central role – delivered through oversized wool coats, cropped sloutchy pants and structured crew-neck tops. Also, the colors black and cream/beige dominated her Fall collection.

Overall it was a great show, the clothes were absolutly wearable and therefore Tibi’s designer is on the right road. Two thumbs up for her!

Enjoy the Tibi Fall 2012 Runway Show below:

The ultimative fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld becomes KARL, a collection of covetable downtown classics where rock meets chic! Featuring biker jackets, vests and blazers, embellished collars, silver-sprayed jeans and of course Little Black Dresses (LBD) – each fashion item from his new label is imbued with Lagerfeld’s sleek attitude and fashion-forward edge. Now finally available at the online retailer Net-a-Poter.com. Please have a look at some of his stunning pieces in this video below. We just love it!

Stella McCartney’s leggings are a modern way to work fashion’s penchant for sequences. Emphasize it with everyhing from a strapless top, to a fitted blazer. And what’s best is you won’t need to mix-and-match a lot of jewelry to accent this look.

During World War II fashion responded to the restrained mood and economy of the war. Many fashion houses closed during occupation of Paris.

Fashion History from 1940 – 1950

During the World War II (1939 – 1945), all types of cloth were needed for a variety of wartime purposes, and material for clothing was severely rationed and limited for each year and its number decreased steadily as the war progressed. From 1940 onward, no more than thirteen feet (four meters) of cloth was permitted to be used for a coat and a little over 3 feet (1 meter) was all that allowed for a blouse. No belt could be over 1.5 inches (3 centimeters) wide. Despite this, haute couture tried to keep its flag flying. Fashions of the era emphasized shorter skirts than ever before, buttons for any type of clothes were limited to three per item, evening wear was also shortened and women were encouraged to make do with ankle socks and bare legs.

Among young men in the War Years the zoot suit became popular. After the war, the “American Look” became very popular among men in Europe. Certain London manufacturers ushered in a revival of Edwardian elegance in men’s fashion, adopting a tight-fitting retro style that was intended to appeal to traditionalists. This look, originally aimed at the respectable young man about town, was translated into popular fashion as the “Teddy boy” style.

By the late 1940s and early 1950s, designers were tired of the utilitarian, minimalist clothing of the wartime era. Paris fashion, which had fallen from its position as the capital of the fashion world after World War II, made a strong comeback after the war in part due to the international success of couturier Christian Dior’s first women’s collection “Corelle” which went down in fashion history as the “New Look” in February 1947. His new clothing styles which emphasized rounded shoulders, full skirts, and narrow waists was so successful that it went down in fashion history. The “New Look” became revolutionary, strongly popular and influenced fashion and other designers for many years.

Christian Dior’s New Look from 1947:

Fashion History from 1950 – 1960

The 1950s were years of nuclear anxiety, economic expansion, social conservation and the rise of American popular culture. Yet even as bourgeois standards of propriety and “good taste” were expressed in fashion through girdles, hats and gloves, young people were developing fashions of their own.

As the installation of central heating became more widespread the age of minimum-care garments began and lighter textiles and, eventually, synthetics, were introduced. A new youth style emerged in the 1950s and changed the focus of fashion forever. During the same period of the time, in men’s fashion ‘plaid’ was very common, both for shirts and suits, which was often viewed as a symbol of rebellion and banned in schools.

Three of the most prominent of the Parisian couturiers in the 1950s were Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Pierre Balmain. Balenciaga is well known as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own hands to design, cut, and sew the models which symbolized the height of his artistry. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. Followed by the tunic dress which he designed in 1955 and which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957. The French designer Givenchy created a sensation with his separates, which could be mixed and matched at will. His first couture house was opened in 1952. Balmain liked to dress up sophisticated women luxurious elegance, simple tailoring, and a more natural look. His clientele was typified by the tailored glamor of the “New Look”, with its ample bust, narrow waist, and full skirts. Along with his haute couture work, the talented businessman pioneered a ready-to-wear range called Florilege and also launched a number of highly successful perfumes.

In 1954, after closing different boutiques in the war years, Coco Chanel’s strong comeback went in history. She detested the “New Look” to the fashion world and presented a collection which contained a whole range of ideas that would be adopted and copied by women all over the world: her famous little braided suit with gold chains, shiny costume jewelry, silk blouses in colors that matched the suit linings, sleek tweeds, monogrammed buttons, flat black silk bows, boaters, quilted bags on chains, and evening dresses and furs that were marvels of simplicity.

By the end of the decade off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past. It was literally the start-shot for the general public to access the fashionable styles for affordable prices.

See some beautiful designs of the most influental fashion designers of the 1950’s:

John Richmond’s black longsleeve dress flawlessly drapes your figure! Our Fashion Style Tip: team this very chic mini-dress piece with a vivid color-pop clutch and some matching high-heels.