Edition No. 1 2012
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Petite Couturière Alexander McQueen:
Fashion History:
How Did Our Ancestors Dress?
Expressing Psychology Through Clothes
Summer Jewelry:
Sparkling Colours
Best Dressed May 2012: Who Made It Under The Top 10 This Month?
By PaulaMoser
Table of Contents p. 4-5: Best Dressed May 2012
p.6-9: Alexander McQueen- loss of a genius
p.10: Colour- and featherful jewellry
P.11-12: Fashion History- What did our ancestors wear? 2 3
Best Dressed May 2012 Reese Witherspoon in a Monique Lhullier gown from the Spring/Summer Collection 2012 at the White House party. Reese proves that even a pregnant woman can look beautiful in a chic, black robe. The cut-out “hole”, and the unusual-draped straps turn this dress into something special.
Tali Lennox at the Gucci cocktail party for Derek Blasberg. This casual dress is a perfect substitute for a daily jeans & t-shirt outfit. Not to chic, not too casual.
Olivia Wilde in Dolce& Gabbana at the Woman for Woman International Gala in London. W-O-W! What a wonderful dress. The golden belt which secretly adds some curves perfectly harmonizes with Olivia’s red-bronze hair. The black clutch and shoes give the outfit the finish touch.
Ginnifer Goodwin in a dress from the H&M red carpet conscious collection at the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner in Washington. Who would have thought H&M’s designers could design such a breath-taking dress! Ginnifer looks like a weightless elf in this dress, and the red lips add the needed glamour. Thumbs up!
Fearne Cotton in London, wearing a DL1961 black jeans. This woman has a sense for fashion- The red scarf is absolutely brilliant . It brings this dull, black-grey outfit to life.
Elizabeth Banks at the White House party in a strapless Antonio Berardi gown. This is another dress with WOW effect. Elizabeth’s perfect silhouette is gently enwrapped with a beautiful, tomato-red dress. We are jealous!
Karlie Kloss in a Balmain outfit at the Balmain Dinner in New York. Even though the outfit might be a bit too casual for a cocktail-party, Karlie adds enough elegance with her attitude. 4
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A Genius Is Lost...
McQueen Today The road to such great success was not an easy one for McQueen, but he managed to pull through and land on top. Today, McQueen’s collection is sold in over 39 countries, with stores in Milan, Vegas, Los Angeles, London and New York City. The McQueen brand is also a favorite among Hollywood icons, with fans including Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, and Beyonce.
Reign of McQueen Lee Alexander McQueen was born in London on March 17, 1969. Early on, he was not highly intrigued by the idea of school and dropped out at the age of 16 to pursue his first internship with Saville Row tailors Anderson & Shepppard. There, he worked for clients such as Mikhail Gorbachev as well as Charles, Prince of Wales.
In a tragic end to an incredible life, Alexander McQueen was found dead in his home from apparant suicide. The fashion world was in complete shock to hear about the loss of such a legend.
Turning Point In the years after his first internship, Alexander worked as an assistant for Romero Gigli in Milan, who was also impressed with his raw talent. After returning to London in 1994 to be a pattern cutting tutor, he attended Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design where he later obtained a Master’s degree. Although his lack of prior education almost hindered him from attending the prestigious school, his designs are what eventually sealed the deal. The iconic Isabella Blow was a mentor and friend to the designer, and is said to have purchased every single piece of his first collection. From that point on, McQueen’s career skyrocketed: his creative designing abilities and impressive background caught the eye of the media who praised him as a promising young fashion designer. His collections were known for their shock appeal and avant-garde nature, earning McQueen nicknames like “l’enfant terrible” (“the terrible kid”) and “the hooligan of English fashion.” In 1996, McQueen replaced John Galliano at Givenchy. Unfortunately, however, Alexander was not welcomed by the press; they did not believe he was experienced enough to take on a Galliano’s position and doubted his ability to handle Givenchy’s clientele. Although McQueen “toned down his act at Givenchy”, he “continued to indulge his rebellious streak, causing controversy in Autumn 1998 with a show which included car-robots spraying paint over white cotton dresses, and double amputee model Aimee Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs.” In 2000, he made the decision to sell a little over half of his Alexander McQueen line to Gucci, where until the time of his death, he was the Creative Director.
McQueen’s Achievements The following awards have recognized Alexander McQueen’s achievement in fashion: • British Designer of the year 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003 • International Designer of the Year by The Council of Fashion Designer’s of America (CFDA) in 2003 • A Most Excellent Commander of The British Empire’ (CBE) by her Majesty the Queen in 2003 • Fashion and Grooming Awards – Fashion Director’s Award 2007 for McQueen
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Andrew Bolton is curator of The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art released the following statement: “Alexander McQueen challenged and expanded our understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. He was a provocateur and a raconteur who told stories through his clothes – stories that might draw from the past or other cultures, but were relevant to the here and now. He had the mind of a poet and the heart of an artist. He was a true romantic, in the Byronic sense of the word, who channeled the sublime.”
12th February 2010 by Amber- Old Dominion. Published on www.collegefashion.net (http://www.collegefashion.net/ fashion-news/designer-spotlight-alexander-mcqueen/)
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Upper left: Alexander McQueen Wedding Dress Middle right: Collection 2012 Middle middle: Spring/Summer Middle left: Spring 2011 Bottom: Spring/Summer 2010
Colour- & Featherful Jewelry
River I mixe sland pin d bra k celet electric s £10
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Bijou Brigitte peach tree blossom €5.95
at ne fe o t d l go sland I r e v Ri
River Island co ral feather drop
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earrings £7
H&M hair clip €2.95
River Is and fe land multi c ather bracel oloured bea et £6 d
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Fashion History: What did our ancestors wear? Skirts only big in the back
Hoop skirts with lower waists; Tight bodies
No lowneckline gowns
Thin gowns with high waists Bodies and skirts made of different fabrics
Cotton, linen, wool and silk are popular
Silk becomes fabric of the rich!
Shortage of fabric due to civil war
Huge puffy long sleeves , narrow skirts
Tight bodies with jacket like appear-
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Off the shoulder, V-necked tops
Drapery& accessories are main part of fashion 11