Love it or Hate it... It's Caftan Season! #Caftan

A caftan (or kaftan)  have been worn by several cultures around the world for thousands of years. It has served as a symbol of royalty in some cultures and as a symbol of marriage in others during some parts of history. It first appeared in Persia at about 600 B.C. and has transcended time. Christian Dior introduced an open fronted version of the kaftan in the 1950's. Yves St. Laurent, who was born in Algeria, created kaftan style designs in the 1960's. The style became popular as hostess gowns, worn for both formal and casual parties given at home. Diana Vreeland once pegged the caftan as "fashionable for the beautiful people."

Text Maria DaSilva

The Row Pre-fall 2016

Chanel Resort 2015

Halston heritage Resort 2016

Ashi Studio

Katya Kovtunovich 2015

Ashley Olsen

Margherita Missoni

Ashley Olsen

Kate Moss

Rachel Zoe

Elisabeth Taylor

100 years evolution of fashion in 90 seconds! Incredible

Soft and Confident for Camilla and Marc Resort 2016

Siblings Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman made their label debut at Australian Fashion Week in 2003 with their label Camilla and Marc. Since then, the pair is  known for their luxe fabrics, colorful prints and feminine details. Camilla manages design and PR while Marc looks after the business side of the label.Camilla Freeman Topper Resort 2016 collection focuses on the woman she designs for — “she’s confident, yet there is a sense of softness”.

ELLERY’s fast tracking from the one to watch to the one everybody wants!

Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Ellery was born into a creative household. She grew up surrounded by the Art of her Mother; a New Zealander who worked in Textiles, Print Making and Ceramics.

After completing a certificate of Fashion Design in Perth, Ellery made her way over to London to attend highly acclaimed fashion school, Central St. Martins. It was here that she completed summer school studying Fashion Illustration and Sketchbook Building, developing the invaluable design skills she now possesses.

Both gorgeous and talented girl created clothing label which earned an international recognition. ELLERY is on demand by the stylist of Madonna, Harper Bazaar and Vogue. Her designs had been seen on Top Models.
ELLERY’s fast tracking from the one to watch to the one everybody wants.

ELLERY.com

Text Miles Socho                                                                                                  Images Elleryland.com

Betsey Johnson: The Original Rebel

Recently designer Betsey Johnson was awarded the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award by the CFDA. Looking back, Betsey Johnson has accomplished many achievements. Her career has gone through an evolution. She has been in the industry for over forty years. In the 1970’s, she had a whimsical, hippie-inspired style. The clothes had bright colors, outlandish patterns, and sexy fit. This style continued for sometime, but towards the end of the era, she added a punk rock feeling. She brought this trend to a wider audience. In 2012, disaster struck for her fans and teenagers (including myself). Her company was forced to shut down, but she has managed to stay relevant and to reinvent her company.

Betsey Johnson maintained to keep her own identity while adapting to the new trends in each era. She is the self-described wild child and rebel. Her designs differed than those of other companies popular at the time. When I met her not long ago, I could see how her designs reflect her personality. I wore a cut skull skirt which she absolutely loved and she talked about her process. While she is charismatic and energized, she is also fun, funky, and unique just like her clothes. Her love for fashion and clothes shines through her personality. She loves to look at her designs on her fans.

The Evolution of Betsey Johnson

1960s: A Group of Crazies

Betsey Johnson wanted clothes that differed from older generation. She wanted scandalous skirts, sliver, and Warhol flowers.

Twiggy modeling Betsey Johnson

Edie Sedgwick in Betsey Johnson

1970’s: Doris Day sleeping with Todd Rundgren

During this era, Betsey Johnson’s style represented years growing up at home. It was "cozy by the fireplace". 
Later her her designs represent the uprising of punk rock culture. She has said, “I was happy to get out of the flower garden and into the gutter.” The clothes had a new spirit. It was her preferred designs, but now it had safety pins.

1980’s:  The Age of Neon Colors

Betsey Johnson collection started to change during this time. It took more feminine approach with floral fabric designs.

1990’s: Grunge and Urban Era

The 90’s fashion differentiated from the previous era. While 80’s fashion focused on neon colors and a sense of creativity, the 90’s had creativity with a different meaning. Betsey embraced the grunge look with baby doll dresses. She infused urban fashion into her collection. While the designs differed, she managed to stay with her style using her usual patterns of floral and polka dots.

Isabella Rossellini Models for Betsey Johnson, 1995

2000’s/2010’s:  Back to the Original Form

With 90’s fashion has become fad, there is room for innovation. Betsey Johnson goes back to the style/designs she loves. In 2000 the style of the 80’s becomes popular again. She goes back to the 1980’s designs and revampes it to fit in for a younger audience. Teenagers know Betsey Johnson for her cute, funky, and unique prom dresses.

Text by Suzanna Lee

Tom Ford Fall 2015 Will Have You Itching to Go Back to the Turn of the Century

Most of us never thought the “all denim everything” trend would ever come back to haunt the fashion runways again, that is until  Tom Ford’s Fall 2015 RTW collection and, much to my astonishment, I didn’t mind it one bit. I suppose it’s inevitable that if anyone could take the… let’s say funky fads of the early 2000’s and turn them into a modern and tasteful collection it of course would be Mr. Ford. In defense of the now 15 year old trends they were certainly fun. What Ford has done seems to extract the fun, youthful nature of the psychedelic colors and the patchwork designs of the early 2000’s and molded them into graceful pieces that not only flatter, but also attract attention in all the right ways.

Text Mackenzie Stone                                                                        Images via Vogue.com

Summer: Iconic Decade continued

  Though to most it seems like a minor, purely aesthetic thing, fashion has always been indicative of the world around it. In the 70’s, the introduction of the women’s casual pantsuit (thank you, Yves Saint Laurent) coincided with one of the most successful times in the women’s rights movement. Believe it or not, up until that point, it was actually considered taboo for women to be wearing pants outside of their own homes. So with the Spring/Summer runways boasting all sorts of far out favorites from this iconic decade, one has to wonder if we are about to see yet another incredibly progressive time for women’s rights. Between the influx of feminists resulting from the speech Emma Watson made to the UN about women’s rights  and Hilary Clinton being the current favorite for President in the 2016 election, it’s looking like we women are in for yet another powerful period in female history.

Saint Laurent Spring 2015  A nod to YSL’s original Safari jacket.

Saint Laurent Spring 2015 The iconic scooter skirt and the mixed neutral color palate

Max Mara Spring 2015 - A nod to YSL’s original Safari pantsuit.

Max Mara Spring 2015- More mixed neutrals with the classic burnt orange.

Etro Spring 2015- Plunging necklines and paisley-esque patterns.

Etro Spring 2015 - Peasant blouse and crochet accessories

Text Mackenzie Stone                Images via Vogue.com

Marco de Vincenzo Fall 2015

"The codes of my language are all there," designer Marco de Vincenzo says of his Fall 2015 pre-collection presented at one of Milan's showrooms recently. As an architect of his creations he talks about the fondness for structure and for materials with both body and flexibility. Working hard an aiming for perfection comes naturally for this designer after working all those years for Fendi. His clients include singer Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Anna Dello Russo.
 

“Marco de Vincenzo’s woman sees the world through a rainbow lens—literally. His exciting, fast-paced show moved as swiftly as his imagination, his girls first appearing marching briskly down a glass-fronted corridor, their multiple reflections courtesy of the artist Patrizio Travagli, who created the set. Those reflections suggested the idea of kinetic dimensionality that de Vincenzo translated into the clothes through complex layerings and texture play.”

— Hamish Bowles

“Marco did beautiful heels with thick silk velvet braids in a rainbow of colors. The plaits look like cushions on your feet - and the shoes are so comfortable, it’s like walking on pillows”

— Giovanna Battaglia

Text Maria DeSilva                                                       Images via Style.com

CHLOE Fall 2015

That 70's Look

Tibi

Founder / Creative Director SHOPGIRLSF, Juliet Belkin in Tibi

Amy Smilovic began Tibi in Hong Kong in 1997 and quickly gained attention in US. 
Smilovic said "I thought to myself it's time to radically change Tibi's aesthetic to deliver an authentic when Zaras and Topshos of the world were going to always be doing that contemporary world cheaper, faster, better." They narrowed the focus, downsized, raised their prices. Today Tibi  defines itself as clean, cool, relaxed and feminine. Team SHOPGIRLSF was fortunate to be the guest of the show during Spring/Summer 15 show. It was filled with famous bloggers and celebrities, including Fashion favorite, Olivia Palermo. We loved the collection and are looking forward to what is next from Tibi. Meanwhile, check out some of our favorites. Click on images to SHOP!

CLICK PHOTO TO SHOP TIBI

CLICK PHOTO TO SHOP TIBI

CLICK PHOTO TO SHOP TIBI

CLICK PHOTO TO SHOP TIBI

CLICK PHOTO TO SHOP TIBI

Peter Lindbergh

Some of the greatest shoots in history done by Peter Lindbergh. Images created in his factory are truly eternal.

Poland born German photographer and filmmaker, Peter Lindbergh began his career when he moved to Paris in 1978 and starter working internationally for Vogue, first the Italian, then the English, French, German and American Vogue. It was Anna Wintour who signed Lindbergh for the magazine. He shot Miss Wintour's first, then revolutionary Amercian Vogue, November 1988 cover. One of the unique approaches to Lindbergh's photography is the use of black and white with industrial guts in the background, giving it a deconstructed kind of beauty.  Lindbergh loves women and his eye is the eye responsible for defining the era of a supermodel. Let's dive in some of his greatest work done.

Text by: Miles Socho

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO: Equilibrium

Salvatore Ferragamo was infatuated with the art of movement throughout his life. Surrounded by ballet dancers he dedicated his career as a designer to understand the mechanics of walking.  His discovery which he shared in his autobiography, Shoemaker of Dreams, was that 'the weight of our bodies when we are standing drops straight down on the arch of the foot". With that in mind, Salvatore Ferragamo created his shoes like timeless "Varina" ballet flats. A new book by Rizzoli is set to be released on the 21st of this month. Entitled Equilibrium, the book explores Ferragamo’s unique obsession with the relationship between the foot, the mind, and the evolution of walking.