[Fashion Gone Rogue]

[Fashion Gone Rogue]

Kiboots are colorful, handmade boots created with vintage kilim rugs. What about this material spoke to you? Is it easy to work with?
The hunting and collecting for the most beautiful rugs is very rewarding and brings us to the most beautiful places around the world. The varieties of sun dyed colors, patterns and structures are never ending, and it’s incredible to work with such a diverse product. The kilims we use are vintage, handmade and tell thousands of stories about their makers and tribes.

Working with kilim is a different story and a challenge every time. The rugs we find create our collections, not the other way around. They comes in thousands of different weave structures too, so cutting them can cause problems from time to time. Some of the kilims are extremely damaged which makes it hard to cut identical pieces for the left and right feet.

Photos via Nitrolicious

If you have questions about Zara +Connect, visit Zara.com.

“Our customers are very digitally savvy,” Linda Chang, Forever 21 senior marketing manager said. “We love that, because it challenges us to meet them head on with a fashion experience that’s innovative, fun and progressive.”

What do you think, are hologram fashion shows the next big thing? Tell us in the comments.

1. Invest in a tent: Not to camp in silly, to wear! Tent dresses are the best fat day cures in the whole entire world. Just make sure it fits you well through the chest and arms to avoid looking like you’re wearing an actual tent; that’s when this look becomes unflattering. Above: MinkPink Table Manners Dress $88, shopnastygal.com

2. Wear pants at your actual waist: Here’s the thing, low rise pants are not flattering if you carry extra weight in your stomach. Try a pair of high-waisted pants that sit at your natural waist, the smallest part of your stomach. Adding a wide leg is even better – it’s like distributing that weight downward to even-out your figure and make you look taller. Above: Milly Woolen High Waisted Trousers $328, julesb.co.uk

3. Opt for an empire waist: When the waist of a dress sits above your natural waist and flows into an A-line skirt, it draws attention up and away from your problem area. Choose a dress with a structured, well-fitting top in a fabric that isn’t clingy. Above: Marchesa Empire Silk Chiffon Gown $5,821, boutique1.com

4. Go vintage shopping: They don’t make ‘em like they used to, that’s for sure. In an age of fast fashion and mass produced everything, garments are not made of the same high quality they once were. Dresses from the 50s and 60s were tailored to actually fit a woman’s body correctly and give her a waist. Try on some different options and find what looks best on you, but dresses from the 50s, 60s and 80s are good places to start. Above: Vintagephilosophy 1950s NEW LOOK Cocktail Dress $159, etsy.com

5. Buy a bra that fits: And no excuses! As an intimate apparel industry veteran, I can’t tell you how many women I’ve heard say “this new bra changed my life.” A proper fitting bra lifts and separates to give you the shapely figure you deserve. It also improves posture and, I guarantee, confidence that will be noticed by everyone. Stop by a department store with a good intimate apparel department, and someone can measure and help you find the perfect fit. Above: Betsey Johnson Stocking Stripe Lightly Lined Demi Bra $48, betseyjohnson.com

6. Cute shapewear won’t kill you: Shapewear – UGH what a gross word, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Shaping and smoothing garments have come a long way since girdles, as many of them can pass for regular clothing. Smoothing and shaping tanks with a touch of lace look like normal slips or camis, so you don’t need to worry about being frumpy when removing your clothes. Above: Shapeez Tankee Long $ 85, unbelievabra.com

What are your tips for hiding a tummy under light spring clothing?

“It’s not just about organic cotton any more, the possibilities for creating a complete fashion statement with eco smarter materials are huge now,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M Head of design. “By designing recurring Conscious Collections, we have the opportunity to show in a variety of ways what’s possible using more sustainable fabrics. Shades of white are the season’s biggest fashion trend and it feels right for this collection.”

To help kick off April as Earth Month, Hearst’s green lifestyle website TheDailyGreen.com has announced its 2011 Heart of Green Awards, honoring the people, places, products and companies that take being green to “heart” and help further the cause of “green going mainstream.” H&M’s launch of the Conscious Collection this Spring earned them the award for Best New Sustainable Fashion Line.

The line will only cost $10 – $60, so make sure to help the environment by looking fabulous this month.

It’s about as fast as fast fashion can get, but Topman still manages to churn out respectable looking pieces from time to time (though respectable quality is a different matter entirely).  The brand’s latest lookbook shows off some nice knits, jackets, trousers, and coats, all of it very reminiscent of what’s been on the big boy runways the past few seasons.  Jump for more pics.

Say what you will about Topman, Uniqlo, H&M, Urban, etc., but for those without thousands to drop on a Band of Outsiders parka, they’re sort of a godsend.

LINK LOVE: Hypebeast

He tells Style.com of his fast-fashion-line offers:

I have considered it.

The offers have come in, and every time we get an offer, I mull it over. I’d like more people to have access to my clothes, but the timing hasn’t been right, or the project hasn’t been right, or some combination of both those things. The first time I was approached, I wasn’t even producing the garments I was showing on the runway. I didn’t have a factory. Everything I was making, I was making by hand. Doing a fast-fashion collection seemed a little premature.

In other words, those companies that asked before, they should keep asking?

Sure, keep asking. And I’ll keep thinking.

Racked via NY Mag

According to today’s Times “Styles” section, men have discovered that thing called “fast fashion.” You know, just like women did forever ago. And just like women, they love it. Rather than spend hundreds on a Dolce & Gabbana scarf, they’ve realized they can enjoy the knockoff that looks the same and costs a fraction of the price from stores like Urban Outfitters or H&M.

If, however, you remain a label whore and the knockoffs just don’t cut it for you (which we totally understand — that kind of label validation really is a mood booster), but feel you really should tighten your belt a bit, remember the biggest difference between the real and knocked-off items is the price.

Source: NYMag