“Well, I’m very much a literary person. And my fashion always tells a story somehow. I never look at fashion magazines. I find them incredibly boring. To me, reading a fashion magazine is the last thing I need to do. I’ve got books I need to read. More people should read books. It’s the most concentrated experience you can have. You know, all those incredible geniuses concentrated their lifetimes’ experiences in books. It’s much better than chattering away to somebody who’s never read anything and knows nothing at all.”

Her massively creative fashion and unique, confident perspective makes London’s “First Lady of Punk” one of the greatest style icons of our age. One quote from the photo set really embodies how Vivienne’s fashion and attitude blend into the perfect disposition: ”I think clothes kind of enhance your experience of life.” Well said, Lady Vivienne.

This month, in Moulins, France, a new exhibition will open to celebrate the intricate costume work of couturier, Christian Lacroix. From June 16th to December 31^st 2012, the exhibit entitled, “Christian Lacroix, La Source et le Ballet de L’Opéra de Paris” will be held in the National Costume Museum, or the CNCS (Centre national du costume de scène et de la scénographie) displaying and celebrating the Lacroix’s costume design work on his latest production. Lacroix recently designed costumes for the Ballet of the Opera of Paris’ production of “La Source.”

The nineteenth century ballet includes decadent fashion themes of ethnic costume influence such as Turkish and Cossack, as well as jeweled diadems, embroidery, beading, and exotic trims. The Opera’s main characters Djemil and Nouredda are a focus to the exhibition in their centrality to the narrative of the show as well as their being the center of attention in the ballet. The exhibition will feature the original costumes from the “La Source” production as well as the intensive design and construction process behind the costumes. Ballet costume design differs greatly from basic garment design as a wide range of motion, wearability, and durability must be greatly considered during the process of creation. Lacroix experimented with materials such as Japanese organza, vintage Indian fabric, and Swarovski beading to achieve the desired look.

Also included in the exhibition are crucial elements of the design process like Lacroix sketches for the entire production’s costumes as well as inspiration material for the garments. Mood photos, historical reference, ethnic silhouette inspiration, and important documents coalesce to produce the final body of work for the ballet. Lacroix is a designer with a varied career and history. This exhibition represents a necessary observance of such extraordinary talent.

By: Sarah Humphries

Photos:  culturbox; Other photos are property of Swarovski. Photography: Anne Deniau / Opéra national de Paris

Isaiah Garza is definitely a fashion personality not to be ignored. Editor in Chief of fashion news and lifestyle website, FashionMunster.com, Isaiah is a confident presence in the fashion community and represents a man who is courageous and exciting with his fashion. He is definitely on the up and up, illustrating his multidimensional talents in not only his fashion journalism, but also with his edgy jewelry designs as well as a shoe line to be released in the fall of 2012. A caption on a fashion week photo of Garza on FashionMunster reads “Every week is Fashion Week.” It is this fun, playful attitude with fashion as well as a fierce business savvy and self-assured motivation that is taking Isaiah Garza far. The epitome of urban chic and polished off with west coast cool, Mr. Garza is definitely paving the way for an exciting fashion future.  Isaiah talks exclusively with MyFDB about blogging, the industry, and the number one worst trend in fashion:

MyFDB: Hey Isaiah! Thanks for talking with us. Where are you from? What brought you to L.A.?

Isaiah: I’m from Yakima, Washington…basically the most unfashionable city in the United States! I moved to LA to escape that life, I’ve always wanted to move to where my name can actually make a difference. 

MyFDB: How did you get your start in blogging, fashion, and jewelry design? How did FashionMunster come about? How did you come up with the name FashionMunster?

Isaiah: I wanted to build a stronger connection with my audience. I wanted people to love my work as a designer, but I felt like if you were spending all this money on my work that you should at least know who it comes from. So I created FashionMunster.com, an online magazine that features news, fashion munster poses and a storyline of my current life. I just wanted to connect with people more and them to see the other side of me. It’s like investing into a business, you like the idea, but you need to do your homework before investing, right? So that’s basically what I did. I wanted to create a business model for how everything worked. After a year of running the site I turned it into a profitable business by creating Munster PR. I picked the name FashionMunster because I thought it sounded perfect for my personality. There wasn’t honestly anything special about picking the name. I just thought it sounded good and funny!

MyFDB:What is your educational background? Did you study fashion in college or attend art school?

Isaiah: I went to FIDM (Fashion Institute of design and merchandising) and studied Marketing. Got a associates degree in fashion marketing. I was never really into school, I didn’t think I needed much of it with what I wanted to do. 

MyFDB: Did you know from an early age that a creative/fashion/design career was in your future? If so, when? If not, how did you discover yourself as fashionisto?

Isaiah: Well I knew I was always passionate in fashion and business, but it wasn’t until certain life changing moments made me actually aspire to become that as a career route. I think I was 12 years old when I knew I was going to do something great in fashion. 

MyFDB: Has there been a moment in your life that you consider “a big break” or a “defining moment” for you and your career?

Isaiah: I think when I won the Cotton Incorporated national design competition for $10,000. I was a fashion marketing student who has never taken a fashion design course in my life and I beat some of the top design students on the West Coast. I was the only Non-Fashion design student competition in the competition. It was a 4 month long intense program and at the end I was named the victor. It was then I knew I could really do anything as long as I believed in myself. At the end of the day winning something like that from where I come from is so farfetched that it’s still crazy to know I’ve come this far. 

MyFDB: What is your favorite thing about L.A.? Is the West Coast really the best coast?

Isaiah: I like LA, it’s a great environment to work. I think it doesn’t matter what coast your on, if your good then you will be noticed no matter what! 

MyFDB: What’s been the biggest challenge for you in your pursuit of a career in fashion?

Isaiah: My biggest challenge is not knowing when to stop. The only thing that challenges me at this point is not being able to quit. 

Isaiah: Well I always felt like people can relate most to passion and emotions. So I really just design off how I feel in the moment. I never sketch, do story boards or anything like that. I just browse different trims, chains, ect and go from there. I just like to freestyle my work. I feel like it’s never good to over think your design aesthetic too much. Eventually you think too much about what others want you to do rather than what you think you should be doing. 

MyFDB: Who inspires you?

Isaiah: I really don’t have anyone who inspires me right now. I just try to challenge myself as much as possible and and “compete” with how far I think I can take this. I guess it never ends….I guess that’s kind of inspiring in itself. 

MyFDB: We’ve heard about your new shoe line and can’t wait for it! Can you tell us more about this exciting venture and how it began?

Isaiah: Well I’m always constantly thinking about my future or new ventures. Most people don’t know this, but I use to work with shoe designer Jerome Rousseau. So the idea of designing my own shoes has been in the back of my head for the past 2 years. I was approached by a company 2 months ago on me creating a line of shoes inspired my current jewelry collection. The shoes won’t actually be out till probably late October. They were supposed to be out at the end of Summer, but I pushed it back to make sure they were marketed the right way. Just know that these shoes will be nothing less than impeccable taste. 

MyFDB: In a perfect world, what would you be doing in ten years?

Isaiah: That’s honestly such a hard question. At the end of the day I hope that what I’m doing in 10 years serves as a greater purpose than just fashion. I love fashion and everything about it, but my true goal is to go beyond fashion. I want to change the world in a positive way and leave an impact/business model that inspires the uninspired. I think I can use fashion as the creative route to make that happen.

MyFDB: Where is your absolute favorite place in the world- to travel, unwind, shop, or explore?

Isaiah: Well I’m going to Paris for the Haute Couture Fashion Week next month (I’m sure that will be my next fave place to be) But I actually really just love getting an iced coffee and walking through fashion districts in LA/NY searching for new fabrics, trims and inspiration. I’m actually pretty lame! 

MyFDB: Do you have any advice for aspiring artists and creative types or fashion addicts who enjoy your work?

Isaiah: Trust your instincts, listen to your heart, stay focused, fear nothing and believe in yourself. 

MyFDB: What’s in store for the future? Do you have any other exciting current projects that you can share with us?

Isaiah: Well I have a small jewelry line I’m creating that I worked with Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl on that should be available by mid/late June and a few other projects that will be announced more towards mid Summer! Right now I have a lot on my plate with my line, Munster PR, fashionmunster.com and other projects! 

MyFDB: What do you want the world to know about you?

Isaiah: That I’m dedicated to making it better and I’m constantly thinking what I could do to make/be a difference. 

MyFDB: Anything else you would like to add?

Isaiah: I was once asked what I think the worst trend in fashion is. I replied “People not believing in themselves.” 

By: Sarah Humphries

Listen to the Johnny Mathis song “Wild is the Wind,” and you can gather some of the magic and beauty that inspired the brand, Creatures of the Wind. The brains behind creative fledgling label is the intriguing designer duo Shane Gabier and Chris Peters. The pair met while at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where Peters was studying and Gabier was a teaching. After Peters graduated, they started to collaborate on small projects. Their first collection garnered the attention of WWD and after it marvelously appeared on the cover, as Chris told Fashionista in an interview, “Things started going a lot faster after that.”

They then hit another big break by producing a Spring 2011 line for New York Fashion Week, which they considered their first “real” collection in the big leagues. The Chicago based pair discussed how their roots in Chicago has affected their drive to produce stunning garments in NYC saying “Well, there was some prejudice, some adversity. You’d like to imagine that people are open minded enough not hold that prejudice. But it was actually really good for us because I think in turn we overcompensated by doing really beautiful production and using really beautiful fabric. It’s like, ‘Fuck that! We’ll show you how good we can be.’ “

Their tailoring prowess, attention to detail, and unique perspective has gained them and Creatures of the Wind attention and notoriety. They won a CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up award, further solidifying their capacity for the industry. Working with mentors from Rag and Bone, Shane and Chris are developing an understanding for juggling life and a label- in addition to continuing to teach at the the SAIC. They are letting the brand grow organically and assert playfully that “we’re our own interns.”

Appealing to women of all ages who adore fashion, Shane and Chris do not focus heavily on an ideal customer: “We have customers that are like sixteen and we have customers who are in their nineties. We have a very wide range.” It is obvious in their most recent Fall 2012 collection that this is unabashedly true. The F/W collection represented wearable and imaginative designs with exquisite pattern mixing and brilliant styling. There is a blend of tailored pieces with the unique takes on shirts, skirts, or pants that also contained the addition of intriguing fabric- like brocade, or other unexpected design details like appliqué. The outstanding fabric choice is an important element to the success of the collection. Some pieces mix geometric prints with plaid prints, others mix plaids with strips, and still others use mixing of unconventional fabric textures as well as prints in looks. To top it all off the collection has several dramatic dresses that finish the well-rounded collection nicely. It would seem a difficult task to find something not to like about this Creatures of the Wind Fall 2012 collection. It is abundantly clear that Creatures of the Wind signifies a different and eclectic aesthetic that is truly inspired. We will all watch eagerly to see the bright future of this remarkable brand, built on the shoulders of pure talent.

By: Sarah Humphries

The recent box office smash, The Hunger Games is not only a thrilling roller coaster ride for the senses but also a veritable feast of fashion. Costume designer for the film, Judianna Makovsky, had the extraordinarily daunting task of competing with the imaginations of millions of readers as well as Suzanne Collin’s brilliant sartorial descriptions in displaying exactly how our favorite characters would be dressed. Makovsky was up to the challenge of outfitting the fictitious world of Panem,  after all she has worked  on the wardrobe for films such as Pleasantville, X-Men: The Last Stand, and received an Oscar nomination for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

The Hunger Games is very much about dualities and this idea is reflected in the wardrobe. On the one side, there is the dank and pallid landscape of District 12. Here life is lived day to day and the future is always uncertain, therefore the costume choices were dark, grimy, and dismal. In an interview with Vogue, Makovsky explained that she looked to historical inspirations when finding ideas for the look of District 12: “We looked at a lot of photographs of coal mining districts from the turn of the century to the 1950s, because we wanted it to have a very American feel. We wanted to make a very serious impact, and color was very important—to keep it mostly gray or blue . . . very cold because coal leaves a black dust everywhere. But we didn’t want it so overly stylized that it wasn’t a real place—it is a real place—it could be Appalachia, you know, a hundred or fifty years ago.”

The heroine of the film, Katniss Everdeen, has a strength about her in her practical, earthy fashion. In the beginning of the film, she appears most strong and comfortable in her hunting clothes, which are characterized by a leather jacket, boots, and equestrian-esque trousers. Later in the scene of the reaping, where everyone donned what seemed to be their Sunday best for the sorrowful occasion, her look is quite changed in a plain blue shirtdress. The colors of the clothing in this scene are heavily muted and pale reflecting the lack of emotion of the people of District 12.

By: Sarah Humphries

Who says people in fashion don’t eat? Because we do…sometimes. Well, instead of eating food, Karl Lagerfeld opted to hold a fashion show among an elegant dinner setting for the debut of Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2012 collection. The garments encompassed the fine craftsmanship we love about Chanel coupled with the creativity we love about Lagerfeld. For the season’s looks Lagerfeld drew inspiration from India. Many of the models donned traditional style Indian head pieces, which were blinged out to the max- the collection is named, Métiers d’Art.

Style.com dubbed it, “all the Raj” and went on to report, “The theme “Paris-Bombay” was a reminder that Europe’s fashion industry has increasingly turned to India to produce extravagantly handworked pieces as it has become prohibitively expensive to make them at home. Lagerfeld’s fiendish plan was to flip the equation, so that everything that looked intricately Indian was actually made by Chanel’s ateliers in Paris.” But what’s even more interesting is that Lagerfeld has actually never visited India. ”It’s much more inspiring not to go to places than to go,” he told Style.com. Uhmm…really? Because, we’d like to physically visit a destination to be inspired by it more.

Anyways, on to the show! The collection was obviously a hit with the jeweled accents along with the use of silks and tweed. On the catwalk Lagerfeld walked out alongside mature modeling maven Stella Tennant (above). Mother daughter duo Yasmin Le Bon (42) and Amber Le Bon (22) both walked in the show for a unique bonding experience. Front row, Bollywood starlet Freida Pinto showed her support. A-list models Kasia Struss, Arizona Muse, Crystal Renn, Anja Rubik, and even muse Baptiste Giabiconi got in the fun with a turban on the elegant catwalk.

(via Style, Telegraph, Wireimage)

Los Angeles-based designer Louis Verdad has experienced some major ups and downs with his eponymous line. However, the newest collection to come from this creative mind literally wow’d us, and the rest of the audience. The designer opted for the casual setting of a West Hollywood art gallery to debut his spring/summer 2012 collection. He had quite the stylish turnout, because in all honesty it’s a smart a idea to host a fashion event well after the madness of fashion month has passed. Full of springtime hues, jeweled details, and colorblocked to perfection, his line boasted everything from red carpet gowns to everyday ready-to-wear.

In the past his pieces were slipped on by major celebrities including Madonna, Cate Blanchett, and Christina Aguilera and now Verdad is reviving his brand with help from his Latin roots to appeal to the luxury market. You don’t have to be A-list to wear his dresses either, as his garments are frequently spotted in department stores and high end boutiques across the country. Verdad says it best himself, “Fashion is emotional… it creates a cultural statement of status and taste, where style plays the leading role…”

Well… more than a few pieces from his show were leading role ready! A few of the standout looks included a gold leafed skirt, colorblocked brights, and a stunning gown with a pleated colorful surprise under a sheer floral print. Sorry fall knits, spring needs to come soon so we can add these looks to our closets.

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To sum up the looks, there’s a shirt with an abstract illustration of Rihanna’s face, two pair of jeans (one dark, one light), a rockin’ motorcycle jacket, and of course, a logo tee. Oh and let’s not forget the sexy little lace number, a navy blue bra and panty set that I’m sure ladies would like to have in their Christmas stocking. The pieces, which were made public today, will be in stores in time for holiday shoppers.

The question is, given Emporior Armani’s high price points, will Rihanna fans and customers shell out big bucks for the capsule collection? Or perhaps, they’ll be smart and wait until after Christmas to purchase the goods, which will most likely end up on sale? Would you purchase any of the items below?

Congratulations to designer Joseph Altuzarra for winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Monday night in New York at the Skylight Soho. He was a candidate last year as well, but proved that second time’s a charm. From the fund Altuzarra will receive $300,000 to help grow his flourishing business. He wasn’t the only one to take home a prize either runners-up Shane Gabier & Chris Peters of Creatures of the Wind and Pamela Love of Pamela Love Jewelry were awarded $100,000. The winner and runners-up will all receive specialized business counseling meet regularly with a mentor based on their needs and resources. The CFDA and Fashion Fund are all about helping talented designers reach their full potential creatively and professionally. We look forward to seeing more of Altuzarra’s collections.

Of course with all CFDA events the entrances were just as anticipated at the awards. Our favorites include Doutzen Kroes, Anna Wintour, Joe Jonas (why was he there?), and actress Olivia Wilde.

The full nominee list includes:

A.A. – Antonio Azzuolo
ALTUZARRA – Joseph Altuzarra
CARLOS CAMPOS – Carlos Campos
CREATURES OF THE WIND – Shane Gabier & Chris Peters
CUSHNIE ET OCHS – Michelle Ochs & Carly Cushnie
FINN JEWELRY – Soraya Silchenstedt
FENTON / FALLON – Dana Lorenz
OHNE TITEL – Alexa Adams & Flora Gill
PAMELA LOVE JEWELRY – Pamela Love
SUNO – Max Osterweis & Erin Beatty

[via CFDA]

If you needed anymore proof that designer collaborations are getting out of hand, then just take a look at Japanese clothing brand Bossini’s new Toy Story pop-up collection. The clothes, which would be fantastic for Halloween, are even weirder than the concept. Apparently, the Buzz Lightyear aliens are the biggest draw with an purple pocket dress and an oversized shirt dedicated to the out of this world creatures. On kids the pieces are adorable, but on adults they just have an awkward feel, or maybe I’m too uptight and need to walk around with an alien on my shirt to loosen up! Although, if you want to walk around with a giant Woody on your shirt, then go for it!

I guess this proves that Japanese style is literally more animated than it is out west.

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For more visit Bossini’s official website.