Blog 9: Iron Boots

For my last blog, I decided that it should focus on my most precious items that I have in my closet, my combat boots.

 There they are in all their glory, the pair of gripfasts that have followed me for almost 4 years. Sadly, they are not as bright and shiny as the picture. I have put them through the test, they have followed me through many mosh pits and crowds and many first days of school. There is a hole in the leather on the right toe and the leather seems to have smile wrinkles.

It wasn't until last year that I noticed that suddenly, I wasn't one of the few and proud to wear combat boots. The trend had taken off and combat boots were the must have accessory. Something that was once a staple item of the anti-society had become mainstream. By anti-society, I of course talk about punks, metal heads, goths, all those kids to who choosing combat boots as their choice of shoes was common sense.

It became, by way of trickle up theory, that now the punks and goths were not the only ones wearing the combat boots but Nicky Hilton and J. Crew models. No I'm not kidding.

It amazed me how something that was shunned by those of high fashion was suddenly, and very lovingly, embraced. I know that nothing in fashion ever stays the same but this was a big jump for me. For once instead of people making fun of my boots, they were asking me where to get them. Nice.

The trend still remains strong, the military trend is a hot topic for Spring 2011 and with military always comes combat boots. Technically, they are the reason why they exist. My favorite was Jean Paul Gaultier for this season who channeled one of my icons, Joan Jett and used combat boots.





I believe that everyone should have one of these in their closet, so here a few choices:

Gripfast Boots $185, not available due to the company ceasing to exist but there are a few left here. (Best pair ever.)

Marc by Marc Jacobs, $395 at Bloomingdales

L.E.I Boots, $25 at Walmart

Blog 7: Digitial Video Recording

At first I was stumped when I thought of a new fashion format. What can possibly be left when almost everything has been tried by the fashion world? It then dawned on me that it could be something really simple, like a DVD.

Fashion DVDs are not something that are tried by many designers and companies. At first it began as a way of showing previous shows to customers in stores but the problems began to rise. There was no way a woman in a shop was going to stop and  watch a video when she was already in the store. Then companies began to get a bit more resourceful. The dvds where shipped to restaurants, airports, food courts, places where people are waiting and have leisure time to look at a video. The fashion show was then moved from the runway into the dining room. It's a form of advertising like no other, there is no forced attempts at making you watch it, but yet you do.

Then, it became personal. Fashion shows can actually be bought on dvd form. Maybe this does not help show new lines but it can help advertise and get through word of mouth and references of friends a name for the designer. My friends are more partial to like a designer if I show them their show on a DVD than a paid showing on a restaurant. Take for example this Japanese Lolita fashion show that was taped and sold to those that could not make it to the show in California:




Although it might not be the best fashion show out there, what amazed me is how many people actually have it. Fans of the style and Japanese culture have posted on the clothing site and the youtube video through comments claiming to have bought it to see it for the first time, show their friends, and have the ability to relive the moment. Others have said they actually bought the clothing later allowing for a profit to be made.

I wonder if this could be taken to the next level. Could fashion shows be taken to the silver screen?

At the moment, many music concerts and operas are being advertised through movie theaters. You have the opportunity to see concerts and plays that are happening all over the world in your local movie theater. What if there was the opportunity to see a fashion show in the big screen?

Personally I would not mind paying $11 to see a McQueen show. Could this be our near future?

Blog #8: Bewitched

Having free reign over a topic can be a dangerous thing, as dangerous as magic. The magic I'm speaking about gets only as dangerous as Harry Potter actress, Emma Watson. Known to many as the adorable and geeky girl companion of Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, in the Harry Potter movie series, she is less known for the fashion icon she is.

A favorite among my many fashion icons, I chose to highlight Emma in celebration of the upcoming release of the next installation of the Harry Potter movies (November 19) and her recent shoot for Vogue UK.

It seems as if Emma had left her Harry Potter days behind, as well as her hair. Yet, she can do no wrong looking older, sophisticated, and having a faint reminder of Twiggy. This is actually her second time in Vogue, the first time being a beautiful Fantasy themed spread where Emma began to first be seen as a future fashion face.

These shoots not only grabbed the attention of the whole world, including her intense Harry Potter fans, but of Burberry who then made her the face of their Spring/Summer 2010 campaign. It slowly but surely became my favorite.

In my opinion, Emma was the only actress from the Harry Potter franchise that was able to walk away without being limited to just being Hermoine Granger. She has built a reputation among the British and American girls of being fashion forward and someone you actually want to look up to; she is a student at Brown University majoring in English literature, a successful actress, and now an iconic fashion figure for many girls, both young and old.

What could be missing? Maybe your ticket to see the next Harry Potter movie.