Hammer Fashion

Archive for October, 2010

Did you know that all men’s sleeveless shirts derived from women’s swimsuits with wide shoulder-straps? Fashion changed at times and the upper part of the swim suit has become an independent item of our wardrobe. The first vests were made of cotton, but nowadays it can be made of a wide range of fabrics like silk or jersey. Nowadays it is very popular to decorate vests with print and pictures.  It’s impossible to imagine that all those vests sold at our website have such a rich history.

A lot of people think that vests have become so common to us because of their popularization by famous rock superstars, who wore them during the concerts and shows. Rock star fans were the first ones to wear vests and tank tops in order to imitate their idols. Nevertheless, vests were often shown on our TV screens, mostly on men, beneficially accentuating their strong arms and chest and creating an impression of strength, braveness, courage and masculinity of the movie character.

Whatever the real origins of the vest it is very interesting to know, that except for the basic vests, like those you see at our online store at Empirestyle, there are also a lot of different names and different types of vests, which are especially popular among American and European fashionmongers. The first type is sleeveless shirt, the one that doesn’t have shoulder-straps and looks more like a mini-version of a T-shirt. Another kind of vest in the tank top, it’s a shirt with wide shoulder straps. It looks a bit aggressive but there’s no doubt that women wearing tank tops are brimming with sexuality and attract men.

Third type of vest is called a singlet, used more like underwear. It is usually a rather short vest with thin shoulder-straps. There are also spaghetti-strapped tank tops. The next type of vest is called a halter top, which is the same sleeveless shirt, but its strap goes around the neck and therefore the upper part of the back is left uncovered. A tube top is a vest without shoulder-straps and sleeves which practically looks like a tube that wraps the upper part of the body.

So many words are made up just to call different modifications of a simple sleeveless top. By the way, 99 per cent of people, whatever their style, age, sex and occupation wear vests be it underwear or not.

Women, especially those who live in the warm climate love wearing tank tops at home, at work or in their free time. Although according to the purpose the way it looks differs a bit. For example, if you spend time at home, you can usually wear a white or gray tank top, if you work in the office you would usually choose something pastel to go underneath your jacket. But if you love going to the parties your wardrobe must be full of bright and shimmering vests of different constructions. If they are not so all-in-your-face as you wish they were, and look a bit boring, Active Technologies 1895 stylists will recommend you a couple of ways how to make your tank top look better.

If you go to a party, try to wear two different color tank tops together, whatever their cut. Remember that the first layer top is always the one that’s bigger. If you want to seduce a young man, all you need to do is to put on a bright-colored push-up bra underneath a simple black, gray or white top. And don’t hide the straps; they will add more sexuality to your evening look. You can also accessorize your simple tank top by wearing a bright necklace or lots of colorful bangles on your hands.

Thanks to modern technologies you also have an opportunity to make your own prints on your ops or embroider any picture or inscription. If you don’t have time to think of the ways to improve your tank tops, visit Active Technologies 1895 online store where you can find all kinds of trendy tops for all kinds of occasions.

You know you’re destined to be a fashion designer if you: a) spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends; b) read fashion magazines instead of your school books; c) ran a boutique out of your basement at age 10. In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.

However, there are many aspects of the profession. Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name. Although the former career may not seem as glamorous as the latter, it certainly will make your life less stressful. To create your own label takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. Not to mention living just above the poverty line for several years.

Choosing a strategy

There are as many different ways to embark upon a fashion career as there are styles of design. Ralph Lauren’s Polo empire was founded on a small tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdales. Helmut Lang decided to open his own clothing store when he couldn’t find a t-shirt that he liked. Michael Kors built up a network of customers by selling clothes in a trendy NYC boutique. However, most people find that the best foundation for a design career is to get a fine arts degree in fashion at a prestigious school. Besides teaching you the craft, a good school will also add credibility to your resumé. “We live in a brandname society, and having the name of a good school behind you really does help,” says Carol Mongo, Director of the Fashion Department at Parsons School of Design in Paris.

Applying to a school

There are a lot of colleges that have fashion programs, but only a handful has the kind of reputation that can really push your career. It’s hard to enter these schools as competition is high, and they tend to be very selective. You apply by sending a portfolio of drawings of your designs. “We can’t teach you how to be creative – you have to bring your creativity to us and let us lead you on your way,” says Carol Mongo. She recommends students to get some sewing experience before they apply. Drawing is also an important skill for a designer – it is the way you communicate your ideas. In order to build an impressive portfolio it’s a good idea to have some experience in sketching; taking art classes will help you understand form and proportion. But you don’t have to be an expert drawer to get accepted to a school. “The most important quality that we look for in our students is that they are truly passionate and exuberant about fashion,” says Mongo. “If you have wonderful ideas but can’t draw, there are always ways to get around it. You could for example put your designs on a mannequin and take pictures of it.”

What school will do for you

Most fashion programs are three to four years long. During that time you will take fine arts classes and study drawing, color composition and form. You will also learn pattern making, draping and cutting techniques. One of the most important advantages of design schools is that they work really closely with the industry. Parsons, for example, have “designer critic projects” where successful designers like Donna Karan and Michael Kors work directly with the graduating students. Ambitious students also have the chance to win prestigious awards and grants, which bring them a lot of attention as well as financial support. One very important event is the fashion show at the end of the last semester, when graduating students show their collections. A lot of important people from the fashion industry attend these shows to scout new talent. It’s also an opportunity to be really outrageous and get noticed by the media. Hussein Chalayan, for example, became instantly infamous when he showed rotting clothes that he had buried in his backyard for his graduation show at Saint Martins.

Alternative routes

“Let’s be realistic,” says Carol Mongo at Parsons, “School’s not for everyone. If you’re just looking to get a job in the fashion industry – not a career as a designer – you probably don’t need to go school.” If you want to work as a seamstress or a patternmaker, the best thing is probably to apply for an internship at a fashion house and work your way up. However, there are many examples of famous designers who started out as interns with no formal training. For example, Dior’s brightest new star, men’s wear designer Hedi Slimane, had a degree in journalism when he started working with men’s wear designer José Levy. Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière is another example of a brilliantly successful designer who learned the jobs hands-on, as an assistant at Jean-Paul Gaultier. Usually, you apply for an internship by sending a portfolio to a fashion house you’re interested in. But it’s a good idea to call them up beforehand to see exactly what they need. It’s also important to note that competition is fierce, and unless you have personal connections, it’s very difficult to get an internship without an education.

There are also designers, like Luella Bartley, who started their own business after working as stylists for several years, thus building an industry network as well as a good marketing sense.

Understanding the business

Unfortunately, it’s not enough for a designer to be creative; you also have to have some business sense. As fashion gets more and more corporate driven, it’s important to be aware of the business climate and understanding the mechanics behind it. By religiously reading trade papers like “Women’s Wear Daily” you will get a lot of valuable information. If you want to run your own company, you need to be extremely organized and learn at least the basics of economics. A lot of fashion schools are currently increasing business classes in their curriculum. “Our students have to be smart enough to know how to negotiate a contract, or to pick a business partner,” says Carol Mongo. It’s perhaps telling that many of the designers that are really successful today, like Calvin Klein or Tom Ford, are involved in every aspect of the business – from licensing strategies to ad campaigns to actually designing the clothes.

About the author:

Fashion Designer Omar Ejaz,The owner of The Heer boutique, has previously exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, New Delhi, Singapore, HongKong, London, Glasgow and USA,where his creationswas highly appreciated. Omer work with a variety of fabrics, and what truly sets them apart is the innovative way he combine two or more textures in a single garment.

TheHeer Carries Women’s Designer Clothing, Shalwar Kameez, Indian / Pakistani Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses, Casual Wear, Formal Wear, Evening and party wear.They design and sell Indian and Pakistani fashion dresses. Pakistani clothing store. They have custom made Pakistani/Indian fashion dresses like shalwar kameez, sherwani dress, embroidered khussa shoes, Men’s shalwar Kameez, lehnga and ghagra.

website:http://www.TheHeer.com

TheHeer@gmail.com

A thoroughly prepared client brief is half the success of a rebranding or design project. Attaining all the necessary and relevant information from the client and a comprehensive insight into the client’s brand provides you with a great foundation for the right brand identity and design solution.

As a designer or brand consultant, a properly prepared client brief gives multiple sources of ideas to work with. Unless you have a clear understanding of what the client wants and needs you waste your time trying to design something out of nothing and the client ends up spending more money than budgeted for as a result of the required modifications…which naturally makes both parties very happy….

Depending on the particular project you will need a specific design brief. That means if you are developing a website or creating a business card, the client design brief will be different. However, there is some general information about your company and what you want to achieve, which should give a good idea in any design situation. Here are some general questions that will help me and fellow designers and consultants:

1. Title 2. What is the nature of your business? What does your business do? 3. What is your target market? a. Age b. Sex c. Income d. Occupation e. Location 4. What is unique about your business or product? 5. Who is your competition? 6. What is your aim? What are your goals? 7. How do you want your clients to feel about the brand? What is the message you want to communicate? 8. What is your budget? Range? a. Providing a rough guide enables the consultant/designer with an idea of the type of marketing and design solution that can be provided to you. 9. What is your deadline? 10. Provide the designer with current and past design and marketing materials.

 

 

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