What It Seams To Me: A Fashion Blog

Michelle would be stunning in Badgley Mischka. Photo from wwd.com

President-elect Barack Obama’s upcoming inauguration is causing quite a frenzy among the public eye. American residents compete for the 240,000 tickets available to witness the historical day in person and a good percentage of them face an extra challenge finding accommodation (apparently all hotels have no vacancy) for the upcoming nights spent in the nation’s capital.

Although snagging one of the tickets is almost as hard – if not, harder – as striking it rich during a trip to Vegas, another inauguration-related competition was unearthed immediately after November 4, 2008 when this question arose: which lucky designer(s) will dress the president and the first lady for the inauguration ceremony and the inauguration ball?

Many top designers hastily sketched drafts upon drafts of possible outfits to grace the bodies of these historical figures, hoping to make history as well. But it’s not only the historical trophy at the end of the road that’s alluring the designers, it’s also the youthfulness and lovable personality of the couple that can only be found in the perfect client; designers WANT to dress them.

Ideas first arose in the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar, where Michelle Obama’s possible outfits, modeled by retired supermodel Tyra Banks, ranged from a $5,900 Oscar de la Renta dress to a much affordable, more modest dress from Banana Republic. Which designer is more likely to get the first lady’s attention? Judging from her [online] shopping trips to J. Crew and the “effortless simplicity” label that is often attached to her ‘fashion resume’, perhaps a magnificently tailored gown where construction, or perhaps some jewel embellishments, makes the true statement. Personally, I think Michelle as a person IS a fashion statement.

Not too sure about this Betsey Johnson ensemble. Photo from wwd.com

WWD.com posted some sketches created by designers like Caroline Herrera, Badgley Mischka and Karl Lagerfeld. Both inauguration ceremony and ball were considered. If I was the stylist working with Michelle Obama, I would pick either Badgley Mischka or Monique Lhuillier’s (can’t decide!) design for the ball because red flatters Obama’s skin so well. For the ceremony, I would have to go with Zac Posen’s design. (The runner-up for this is Diane Von Furstenburg’s, but I went against it because the yellow/red clash reminds me of a fast-food restaurant.) Christian Lacroix and Betsey Johnson had some interesting designs that I thought might be too dramatic and perhaps too youthful for the first lady.

Oh but let’s not forget Mr. Obama. Obviously he won’t be giving a speech naked (a bummer, right?), so someone’s got to dress him. Fashion observers, like myself, remain iffy on the outfit choices chosen by him in the past – odd fits are usually the mistakes, and whether he likes it or not, a designer must be sent in to fix that! My choice would be Tom Ford because he always knows how to make a man ooze sex appeal while remaining professional.

Recently I’ve been rather amused by headlines surfacing the fashion world about its well known figures and how the tides have turned for many designers to survive in the long run. Not only are they exclusively appealing the the most affluent, the wants of the middle-class income is becoming of equal interest as well, probably because they make up the majority of the population. When majority rules in this democratic society, they have a major say in the fate of those affected, especially when members are increasing as the days go by due to the falling economy. Why do you think Claudia Schiffer, one of supermodels that reigned the 90s, is the new face of Yves Saint-Laurent instead of some random model? Because she’s, like Naomi Campbell, more recognizable, therefore many more can connect to the brand and will more likely invest.

So suddenly a $1,800 Balenciaga bag is not as appealing as it used to be, even to those with the most disposable income.

The hunk of a designer escorting Kate Mara to the Costume Institute Gala at the Met.

If you think about it, however, times like this bring magical moments where wishes really do come true, like 70% off that dress you’ve been eyeing on since it hit the racks of a nearby department store, and a lovely fairy by the name of Zac Posen dropped by and blessed us with another opportunity to afford his gorgeous designs. (He did a line for the Australian Target earlier this year, which sold like hotcakes.) A more affordable line is in the talking phase right now for the designer and his empire, but further information is yet to be released. If this hunky designer created something similar to what he made for the Met’s superheroes gala back in spring, I would jump on that even if it was the most expensive piece in this line.

When money (or lack thereof) talks, so does our taste in clothes. Mine has become more particular; nowadays, I pay attention to style and justify whether it’s worth even paying in the double digits. My rule of thumb: If I can get it at a Target or Gabriel Brothers, then I’ll pass – I’ll only pay if it’ll last me a lifetime.

If that’s our attitude towards clothing, I wonder what will happen to “status pieces,” especially luxury bags. This topic was brought to the table thanks to the Cut blog on nymag.com: a wonderful entry about “it bags” and how they have become an embarrassment to own. Take the big three who, whether they planned to or not, have unfortunately latched onto this stigma: Chanel, Louis Vuitton and the mastermind of the status pieces, Coach. Early in high school, I yearned to trot around the Chanel quilted lambskin bag with the giant logo branded off-center, but after living some years and experiencing college first-hand, I wouldn’t dare to be caught in public with one. In retrospective, the bag is not really that attractive.

The downside with the signature bags is the fact that they have heavily cheapened the “luxery” and “fashionable” aspects of the company. As far as fashion, these bags have somehow distorted the minds of many by embedding the idea that even though your clothing taste is unoriginal and smells like dung, at least you got your Coach purse. (I do know some people that are both snazzy dressers and own a Coach bag… but it’s not the signature logo bags.) And because many want to don their own to show off to everyone on campus, the company reacts by mass producing these bags and at such a high rate, that the quality isn’t worth the amount you’re paying for it.

Plus, it’s hard for status bags to gracefully survive through time. If you truly want your money’s worth and you don’t mind splurging your savings account, then you’re best to stick to the true professionals, or perhaps a bag that is not as often made by the designer’s house. In fashion, modesty is forever. Wear the brand in the bag’s interior, not disgustingly purged onto the exterior; make the most versatile bag your true investment and stick to neutral shades.

In the year 2009, high-end designers, especially newcomers (and many of them), will tackle the market Issac Mzrahi style, and the embarrassing “it-bags” will be rid of once and for all.

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In other news, rumors are circulating that “The Devil Wears Prada” moment might become reality when considerations of Anna Wintour being replaced by current French Vogue’s editor Carine Roitfeld. Though Condé Nast has been letting go of a lot of its titles, many created by current Vogue editor, it is not likely that they will lay off Anna due to her relativeness to the middle-class readers who make up most of the subscribers. However, she should do something about how tabloid-like the magazine has gotten, especially with the cheap text that has, particularly for December, intoxicated the covers.

Update: It is not likely. Anna Wintour has recently commented on the latest Cut entry that “she’ll retire when she gets too angry.”

It wasn't really a "Jingle All the Way" shopping experience, but it sure was for some others.

Although I was nail-biting eager to shop til’ the last penny drops, my wallet begged to differ for all of Saturday as I stepped outside into the debris of dented toy boxes, $300 laptops and pieces of flesh left from ‘Black Friday’ to hopefully stumble upon the remainder of the holiday deals.

Naturally I go straight to the mall; Saturday, however, I didn’t even go 500 feet near one. One reason was because nothing angers me more than going to a high-end mall with an attenuating budget, and the other was because I felt like stretching out what I do have as far and as reasonable as possible.

Which stores did I end up visiting? Target and the last-season goldmines of Marshalls and TJMaxx. Target has rapidly become the fashion stable for the budget fashion fiend, but it has recently started to attract even some of the most exquisite eyes (see Vogue’s December article “Hip and humble holidays: chain-store charms”) because as many of us have already realized: who knew spending so little can look this good!

For those who suffer the brand-affiliation syndrome, designers creating lines for Target like Thakoon (current collection), Jonathan Saunders, Richard Chai, Proenza Schouler, Issac Mzrahi, and Target’s upcoming GO International designer, Alexander McQueen, provides a detour to shopping high-end.

When I stepped foot into the Target located within the Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, I was perhaps one of the 300+ people in the store, as it was packed like canned sardines. My first stop was the dollar section of Target, as it blows the dollar sections of every other retailers out of the water. Here I scored an interchangeable Hello Kitty pens and mechanical pencil combination and some stickers; for myself, respectively. I then hurried to the women’s section and browsed through the sales section where, with an exception to outerwear, I settled for items worth $15 or less. My thrifty fingers aggressively worked against the shoppers adjacent to me, especially in times when our eyes and hands meet on the same article of clothing of the same size and style. But it was a fight with etiquettes, as to declare defeat was simply moving on to the next few items on the rack.

After a session in the fitting room, I finalized my inventory to two items that tickled my fancy: the Jonathan Saunders for Target Ombre top and the color block top with red belt from the same collection, together under $30. There was a gorgeous jacket of my size that made my eyes glisten, but I was given the finger of disapproval from my bank account; I plan to make another visit in hopes of finding it available.

The second stop was TJMaxx, but I ended up not walking out with a shopping bag in my hand due to the shop’s overwhelming outcome of attendees and the lack of items that appealed to me. But within the madness laid a gorgeous Emile Pucci gown marked down to $150 from it’s original $1,500 price, which I obviously didn’t buy, but wanted in my hands badly.

My last stop was Marshalls, which had a great amount of salon hair products marked off from their retail prices and ready to sell (Chi, Tigi, Fekkai). I found a myriad of perfect gifts for the holidays, and even more items to self-invest. Out of this trip, which not only included a creepy, situation-straight-from-Resident -Evil trip to the bathroom, I ended up buying a double-breasted light Ninety jacket, which has a baggy yet chic silhouette.

When I arrived home I bought two more things, from Target.com. Even more sales lies online, which if you want to take the risk of not trying before buying, is a much better alternative than braving the retail battleground.

So dark yet so divine. Source: hotbeautyhealth.com

The result of this weekend has donned on me the aftermath that would deem success upon many retailers: the buyer realizes the shopping does not stop here. I have kept tabs on the sales and the collection of new items that many retailers have announced to stock; suddenly I have a need and want to buy, buy, buy. Thakoon’s line for Target is set to launch December 28, and following that line is the much anticipated Alexander McQueen collection for Target. For MAC Cosmetics, Sanrio has collaborated with them to launch a limited edition Hello Kitty collection, including a small array of blushes, eyeshadow, lipgloss, and many more, set to release online on Feburary 10 and in stores two days afterwards. After the overly successful launch of Commes Des Garcons for H&M, Matthew Williamson will be debuting a collection for the popular store set to arrive spring 2009.

Given recent reports, it looks like my small contribution did not alleviate smugness from the suffering economy as many others have invested $41 billion into the Black Friday deals – more than what was spent last year, according to cnnmoney.com. (Also a good reason for retailers to show a little hint of happiness.) In return, however, these businesses had to drastically cut down prices and expect less profit in order to attract the reasonably stingy population of the United States.

Here’s to the Happy Holidays and an even happier time spent shopping!