Archive for March, 2005

Bag Bliss the bag blog
Date Added: March 27, 2005

Chanel | Mademoiselle Handbag
The soft leather and intricate new pattern designed for this collection is just astonishing. The new pattern appears to resemble that of a classic vintage car seat. What I really like about this collection is that there are no over-the-top extravagant charms or signature patterns that clutter the design of this line. On the totes and purses the chain straps are entwined with black or white fabric. The framed clutches are decorated with the same simple but elegant pattern.

March 21, 2005

Michael Kors
Michael Kors was born in Long Island, New York in 1959. He is half Scandinavian, half Jewish. He studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

He had two aims as a child, to be a movie star or a fashion designer. He describes himself not as an only child, but as a companion to his mother, a former Revlon model and shopaholic, who brought him up alone. At 4 years old, he modeled in cereal commercials and by the time he was a teenager, he was taking the train to Manhattan to study acting. His grandparents would show him beautiful fabrics and show him the difference between quality and not. As a child he studied the fashion sketches in the New York Times newspaper.

He learned his fashion trade by working at Lothar’s boutique.on 57th Street, New York. Celebrities like Cher, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand came there to buy casual clothes. This gave him an insight into customer preferences and before long he decided he could design better clothes than they had in stock.

He established his own sportwear label in 1981 and put together a small collection of separates for buyers at Bergdorf Goodman. These sold on the spot. His clinging scaled-down jumpsuits called attention to the body which he then layered with jackets. Forking frequently with natural fabrics and neutral colours, Kors creates garments that are noted for the minimalist approach, yet the cut is curvaceous and designed to flatter.

His separates are often practical – the body-hugging dress is worn with a more tailored jacket, other jackets double as shirts. Many of his designs are inspired by the great American sportswear designer Claire McCardell. He is a deeply cool, directional designer who makes sexy, sleek, sharp modern clothes.

He included his menswear line in 1990 but in 1993 faced severe financial problems. He managed to bounce back.

In 1998 he became designer at the deluxe French house of Celine. He was chosen when Bernard Arnault (chairman of LVMH who own Dior and Givenchy) felt he was the man to breathe new life into the deluxe French house.

In 1999, he was named Womenswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Today, his clothes, the epitome of sporty luxury in ultra-chic, ultra-wearable fabrics like cashmere, silk and leather, have never been so enthusiastically received.

He has designed for several films, the most recent being for Rene Russo in the Thomas Crown Affair. He has also opened a boutique in the London store Harvey Nichols. He totals 108 boutiques across America, Europe and Japan.
source: www.designerhistory.com

Date Added: March 19, 2005

Furla | Fall Collection
Furla is acknowledged for their feminine and functional designs at an affordable price. This new fall seasons collection exchanges the bright vibrant shades for a more foliage autumn colors. The material used that stands out in these collections are suede, cowhide, vachetta, tweed, stamped ostrich, nappa leather, and crocodile.

The new lines from Furla are called Coat, Inga, Urban Fusion, Phoenix, Vera, Bristol, Baby Doll, Working Girl, Katerina, Lutetia, Greta Soft, Greta, Brera, Arina, Cactus, Beatrisa, Wanda, Nora, Emma, Cinecitta, Zoya, Olga, New Divide It, and Saint Tropez

Bag Bliss the bag blog
Date Added: March 14, 2005

Juicy Couture | Metallic Handbag
Juicy Couture just came out with a few funky metallic handbags. My favorite of the bunch was the Metallic Hobo. The frame of the bag is a vintage shape and to top it off these bag are decorated with tarnished silver metal hardware. This retro-image bag comes in either dirty metallic gold or dirty metallic blue.

Get it at eLUXURY.com

Bag Bliss the bag blog
Date Added: March 12, 2005

Versace | Monogram Pleated Handbag
Versace Monogram, a classic collection that everyone has grown to adore. Like always Versace combines superior design and unparalleled quality to design the new autumn collection. Highlights of this are the unmistakable monogram background, croc-leather trim, golden medal accents and the large Medusa plaque.
eLUXURY.com

Bag Bliss the bag blog
Date Added: March 1, 2005

Louis Vuitton | Monogram Vienna
A stunning addition to the Louis Vuitton Monogram collections. This Sac Fermoir line is leather decorated with an embossed diamond quilting and with the LV logo. Comes in black or chocolate with alligator skin trim. The word Sac translates into bag / pouch and fermoir means clasp closure, which I adore on this collection.

At eLUXURY.com

March 1, 2005

Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs was born in New York City on April 9, 1963. After graduating from the High School of Art and Design in 1981, he entered Parson’s School of Design.

As a design student at Parson’s, Jacobs was the recipient of some of the school’s highest honors. He was awarded the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award, the Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award and the Design Student of the Year Award all in 1984. While still at Parson’s, Jacobs also designed and sold his first collection of hand-knit sweaters. The collection was designed for Ruben Thomas, Inc. under the “sketchbook” label. 1984 also brought the beginning of a partnership with Robert Duffy, called Jacobs Duffy Designs Inc., which is still intact today.

In 1986, backed by Kashiyama USA, Inc., Jacobs designed his first collection bearing the Marc Jacobs label. The following year, Jacobs received the distinct honor of being the youngest designer ever to be awarded the fashion industry’s highest tribute: The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.

In 1989, Jacobs and Duffy joined Perry Ellis. Duffy was named President and Jacobs was named Vice President of Women’s Design. While at Perry Ellis, Jacobs oversaw the design of various women’s licensees as well as creating the designer collection. In 1992, the CFDA once again bestowed Jacobs with a distinct honor: the Women’s Designer of the Year Award.

In the fall of 1993, Jacobs Duffy Designs Inc. launched their own licensing and design company: Marc Jacobs International Company, L.P. In 1994, the company signed its first licensing agreement with Renown Look and Mitsubishi for distribution of the Marc Jacobs Designer Collection in Japan. Soon after, Iris S.R.L. signed on as the licensee for the men’s and women’s shoe collections. The factory, located in Venice Italy, continues to produce all Marc Jacobs Shoes.

1997 proved to be a big year for the company. In January, Jacobs and Duffy joined Louis Vuitton, Jacobs as Artistic Director and Duffy as Studio Director. In this position, Jacobs works on many of the French luxury house’s lines including men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, small leather goods and scarves. Later that year, the first Marc Jacobs store opened at 163 Mercer Street in New York’s Soho district and Jacobs was recognized by the CFDA a third time, winning Women’s Designer of the Year. At the VH1 Fashion Awards in the fall of 1998, Jacobs received the Women’s Designer of the Year Award and in 1999 he was named Accessory Designer of the Year by the CFDA.

Marc Jacobs International launched its first handbag collection in the spring of 2000. The line is available at all Marc Jacobs stores as well as fine department stores and specialty boutiques. Later that year, Juergen Teller shot the company’s first ad campaign. A second Marc Jacobs store was opened on San Francisco’s historic Maiden Lane in August 2000. The store features the women’s and men’s collections as well as shoes and handbags. In September, the first freestanding men’s store opened its doors at 403 Bleecker Street in Manhattan’s West Village.

December 2000 brought the signing of a third licensee. This time the company paired with Isa Seta, an Italian company based outside Milan, to produce men’s and women’s scarves. Jacobs introduced the secondary line, Marc by Marc Jacobs, for spring 2001. The clothing and accessories in this line are sold at fine department stores and specialty stores nationwide.

In September 2001, the company launched its first perfume in conjunction with Parfums Givenchy under the name Marc Jacobs.
source: www.wikipedia.com

March 1, 2005

Juicy Couture
“Juicy Couture” was co-founded in 1994 by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, wife of John Taylor from Duran Duran. It was originally “Travis Jeans”, a line of maternity jeans named after Gela’s son, Travis. In 2003 Juicy Couture was purchased by Liz Claiborne Inc., when Liz Claiborne purchased Travis Jeans Inc, who owned all of Juicy assets. Pam and Gela remained co-presidents of the company, and remain the creative minds behind Juicy Couture.

Juicy Couture is a stylish contemporary line of casual apparel based in Pacoima, California. It was originally popular on the West Coast of the United States, but its popularity has since spread. Its markets now include the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Their fashion lines originally focused on womens’ sweat suits and sportswear. Juicy Couture added collections for men and children in 2002, and in 2004 bathing suits and accessories for women, including shoes, handbags and jewelery were added to Juicy’s line. Juicy is very well-known for their sweatpants, and velour tracksuits, which were made famous by the many celebrities who had been seen sporting them. Fun slogans often adorn Juicy apparel, such as “Choose Juicy” and “Dude, Where’s my Couture?”. The signature Juicy Crest, as well as the phrases “Love, P&G” are stitched on the inside tag of each item of Juicy apparel. Juicy Couture is sold in upscale department stores, specialty stores, and at the Juicy Couture store.
source: www.wikipedia.com