A Different Kind of Grammy's

Fashion students not only tuned in to the 54th Grammy Awards this year to see the numerous performances, but also to see who stole the spotlight on the red carpet. Not We not only watched Nicki Minaj being accompanied by a man dressed as the Pope, we also witnessed how celebrities reacted to the sudden passing of a superstar, Whitney Houston. Whitney was never the “fashion icon” you would look upon for fashion sense, but she was the epidamy of a superstar in every way, especially for the Grammy’s. Even with the death of the superstar, many fashion guru’s like ourselves were also watching for the fashion scene stealers and best dressed celebrities of the evening. Here are the top two best dressed and worst dressed celebrities I felt helped bring “positive buzz” to an already sad evening.

BEST DRESSED

Adele: Dressed in a custom Armani Prive floor-length gown with De Beers accessories, the singer “stole the night” in a gown that showed off her figure perfectly, winning six shinny Grammy’s including Record of the Year. To the haters who comment on her figure, as Adele has said “I write music for the ears, not eyes".

Rihanna: Giorgio Armani got all the press Sunday night, since Rihanna wowed in a custom gown by the legendary designer, including Christian Louboutin shoes and Neil Lane jewelry. Though some critics will say her “friends” are hanging out, who else could pull off a dress with slits everywhere, she took a simple black dress and made it "va va voom"

WORST DRESSED

Anne V: Don’t get me wrong, I think Adam Levine is a stud off and on the music charts, but his girlfriend Anne V. looked like she was trying to pull of a sexy slit dress that ended up looking like she was wearing half of a bathing suit bottom. Just because you you have a great body, doesn't mean you have to show your um, thigh?

Nicki Minaj: Personal opinion here, but I did not understand her choice of a head-to-toe Red Riding Hood-esque cape, with a crystallized Versace logo she wore with a Pope at her side. As the stylist.com perfectly stated, “Madonna pissed off the Vatican 25 years ago”. Not sure if she was trying to grab the attention, but a little unnecessary for the circumstances of the night.

What do you all think? Another celebrity that should be on a pedestal or the chopping block?

Ciao,

Julia Mickus

Walking Tall

By: Erika Shantz

Summer days are being replaced with colder nights, snowfall and slippery sidewalks. Just because the green grasses of summer are being replaced with the slick sidewalks of winter doesn’t mean that women don’t want to wear fashionable shoes. One of hottest trends for F/W 2011/12 shoes incorporate the ultra-high heel of spring with the wider, chunkier, more practical heel of fall.

The chunky heel provides comfort and confidence while still providing that sexy wow factor! This winter, shoes will appear in everything from the conservative 2.5-inch heel to the ultra sexy 4-inch chunky heel. F/W 2011/12 brings us the wider heel ranging from classy pumps to cool rocker boots in a variety of materials to meet all your needs.

Another hot trend for 2011 / 12 is Socks in Shoes! Yes you heard me right! Rihanna was photographed wearing high heels with socks and the craze has taken off. Put on that pair of socks, slough them down to your ankles add your favorite heels and you are ready to go.

Whatever your style preference, have fun and don’t let the winter keep you in your flats! Go an experiment and enjoy those high-heels!

From Old-School to New-School

by: Kristie Scott

"Round and Round it goes..." my fashion history teacher says once again, for what seems like the umpteenth time. Marker in hand, he emphasizes his point by scrawling and re-tracing a large set of black circles on the classroom's whiteboard. Sometimes he puts a large "$" sign right beside it.
Not that I'm complaining of boredom, I quite enjoy his discussions, but seriously, if I had a dollar for every time us fashion students heard about how fashion is a cycle, I could probably pay off ALL our student loans.
But--no matter how repetitive the statement, I have to agree it's the most basic and true fact of fashion there is.
These days especially, nothing is new, but just re-done with a new touch.
Here are just a few examples of some "modern" styles and what they were before they went "round" the block...

Who? Tiffani Thiessen vs. American Apparel & Aritzia

When? Early 1990s vs. now

What? Crop top tee and high waisted vintage floral shorts


Who? (Unknown) vs. Chloe

When? Early 1990s vs. Spring/Summer 2010

What? Allover denim


Who? the Butterick pattern company vs. Rihanna in Dolce & Gabbana

When? 1894 vs. 2009

What? Ginormously puffed-shoulder suits

Who? Designers Gilbert Adrian vs. Elie Saab

When? 1940s vs. Fall/Winter 2011

What? Angular shoulders, long sleeves, asymmetrical draping, cinched waist

Africa meets west

Africa meets West

By Ibum Obu

We have seen them on the runway by labels such as LAMB, marc by marc Jacobs etc, and on celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna, Fergie and kelis. African fashion design is gradually gaining popularity in the western world as more African prints such as Ankara and tie and dye are being used in a modern twist to capture the attention of fashionistas around the world. African print has taken a huge leap from the streets of West Africa to the hottest red carpets, videos and runway events around the world. A good example will be singer turned designer Gwen Stefani who last year for her spring/summer 2011 collection presented a collection that featured mainly Ankara fabric. Also that same year, African print was the theme on most of the runways. It was called "Tribal Print".

African fashion design is stunning, unique and colorful. It has proven to be a leading contender in the world of fashion today.

What is the main catch? Well, if you’re a lover of unique bold designs, love loads of color and want to stand out, this is definitely something you need to catch on to as well.