When fashion is discussed, the major cities that come to mind are New York, Paris, Milan and London. This is where the big designers and haute couture houses are located. Twice a year, the fashion gang descends upon these cities on a whirlwind tour to show the ready to wear collections.
Over the years though, other countries are creating their own fashion weeks. One of the best fashion weeks outside of the Fab Four cities happens in the bustling metropolis of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Home to almost 11 million people, it is the New York of South America. So it is only fitting that a city of that magnitude should have its own fashion week, Sao Paulo Fashion Week, SPFW.
SPFW showcases some of the most amazing designers and new talents in the fashion business. Fashion didn't come to mind when talking about Brazil, but that is changing. With the invasion of the Brazilian glamazons (Gisele, Ana Beatriz Barros, Adriana LIma, Alessandra Ambrosio, Cintia Decker et al)to the international catwalks mixed together with what I call *"The Brasilian Saudade Syndrome", designers in Brazil were able to get top international Brazilian models to walk their runway. This brought international press and the likes of Micheal Roberts and Robert Forrest to Brazil.
Some of the great talents coming out of Brazil are:
Alexandre Herscovitch
Amir Slama for Rosa Cha
Carlos Miele (M. Officer)
Tufi Duek for Forum
Cris Barros LOVE!!!!!
Carmen Steffens
Both Rosa Cha and Carlos Miele are available at Holt Renfrew.
* Brazilians that live overseas always find ways of going home for a visit because they suffer from saudade- yearning and missing the homeland.
Wednesday, May 25
Friday, May 13
Uniforms at School. Why They Are A Good Idea
I think that children in the public and Catholic school systems in Calgary should wear uniforms.
I am a mother of two boys. Luckily in the fashion department, they haven’t succumbed to the
‘Label’ madness of their peers. Apparently the cool labels these days are Hollister, H&M, American Eagle and Lacoste. The teenagers these days look eerily like we did back in the 80’s. You are either ‘preppy’, or “Goth’(which includes the sub group known as Emos). It was preps and punks at my high school. Don’t get me started on the low riding jeans and the short baby t shirts that kids wear these days.
I digress. The point of this post is to promote the idea of school uniforms. This would offset the costs of school fees. My kids went to private school when we lived in Brazil and the cost of their uniforms for the whole year cost me less than $250…for the two of them! Granted, things are a bit cheaper in Brazil, but their uniforms consisted of a shirt, shorts, hoodie and trousers. Made my life so much easier! No fashion dramas in the morning, laundry was MUCH less and in the end of the day, their clothing budget was slashed by almost 60%. One set was being worn, one set washed, one set ready to go! How about that for a green initiative? And the clothes can be passed on to a younger sibling!
When I bring up this topic to other parents, their first reaction is, “It will be so expensive!!”. Actually it’s a lot cheaper than buying clothes that kids want (labels and designers). I also get the reaction of “ It will quash their individuality and creativity.”. If anyone has seen how private school uniforms are somehow transformed by the kids wearing them, creativity is NOT being quashed. Do we not have a dress code at work? Are there not some jobs that require uniforms? Well then, we are just preparing our kids for the future.
Wearing a uniform evens the playing field. The kids whose parents can’t afford designer clothes will be able to afford the uniforms and the ostracizing on the playground because Madison’s parents can’t afford to buy Lululemon will cease!
It’s a win win situation for everyone. Anyone else on board with this idea?
I am a mother of two boys. Luckily in the fashion department, they haven’t succumbed to the
‘Label’ madness of their peers. Apparently the cool labels these days are Hollister, H&M, American Eagle and Lacoste. The teenagers these days look eerily like we did back in the 80’s. You are either ‘preppy’, or “Goth’(which includes the sub group known as Emos). It was preps and punks at my high school. Don’t get me started on the low riding jeans and the short baby t shirts that kids wear these days.
I digress. The point of this post is to promote the idea of school uniforms. This would offset the costs of school fees. My kids went to private school when we lived in Brazil and the cost of their uniforms for the whole year cost me less than $250…for the two of them! Granted, things are a bit cheaper in Brazil, but their uniforms consisted of a shirt, shorts, hoodie and trousers. Made my life so much easier! No fashion dramas in the morning, laundry was MUCH less and in the end of the day, their clothing budget was slashed by almost 60%. One set was being worn, one set washed, one set ready to go! How about that for a green initiative? And the clothes can be passed on to a younger sibling!
When I bring up this topic to other parents, their first reaction is, “It will be so expensive!!”. Actually it’s a lot cheaper than buying clothes that kids want (labels and designers). I also get the reaction of “ It will quash their individuality and creativity.”. If anyone has seen how private school uniforms are somehow transformed by the kids wearing them, creativity is NOT being quashed. Do we not have a dress code at work? Are there not some jobs that require uniforms? Well then, we are just preparing our kids for the future.
Wearing a uniform evens the playing field. The kids whose parents can’t afford designer clothes will be able to afford the uniforms and the ostracizing on the playground because Madison’s parents can’t afford to buy Lululemon will cease!
It’s a win win situation for everyone. Anyone else on board with this idea?
Friday, May 6
Calgary Needs Wayne Scot Lukas
Over the past few weeks, I have been working in the downtown core of Calgary. It has been a lot of fun and I have been able to get my dose of people watching. Lunchtime is the best and now that the weather is getting better, it is even more interesting to see what people are dragging out of their closets.
These are my top picks and peeve's for the fashionable set in Calgary.
1. Flip flops. Great when on a holiday, at the beach or at the gym while taking a shower. Not great when you are working at an office downtown. I don't care how awesome your $40 pedicure looks, flip flops at work are a major flop.
2. Men's pants that are too short. The chances of a flood happening in Calgary are quite slim, so gentlemen, please get your pants properly hemmed! Mens pants should be hemmed so that the front of the pant 'breaks' on the instep of the foot. The back of the trouser should not fall below the line of the shoe where the sole begins.
3. Bad hair. Calgary is a dry city, so trying to get your hair curly without resorting to a perm is next to impossible. Embrace the elements and blow out your hair. No bumps a la Snooki, though. A smidge of back combing at the roots to give a slight lift is ok, but please, no bumps!
4. Super white French manicures. Women here love to get their nails done, but they tend to look really fake because A. they go to cheap nails salons that use cheap products and therefore the nails look cheap. B. They use ultra white on the tips of their nails and they cover half of the nail bed. Tack tacky tacky.
5. Poorly fitted clothing. Blame the vanity sizing. If you were an 8 in the 80's, if you are the same weight now (highly unlikely if you have had kids)you would be a 2 or a 4 now. I hate this vanity sizing. bring back the old school sizing. Wear clothes that fit and don't look like tents. If you are hiding your figure, you are not doing yourself any favours.We all come in different shapes and sizes. The guru of styling for everyone is Wayne Scot Lukas. Check out what he does here.
These are my top picks and peeve's for the fashionable set in Calgary.
1. Flip flops. Great when on a holiday, at the beach or at the gym while taking a shower. Not great when you are working at an office downtown. I don't care how awesome your $40 pedicure looks, flip flops at work are a major flop.
2. Men's pants that are too short. The chances of a flood happening in Calgary are quite slim, so gentlemen, please get your pants properly hemmed! Mens pants should be hemmed so that the front of the pant 'breaks' on the instep of the foot. The back of the trouser should not fall below the line of the shoe where the sole begins.
3. Bad hair. Calgary is a dry city, so trying to get your hair curly without resorting to a perm is next to impossible. Embrace the elements and blow out your hair. No bumps a la Snooki, though. A smidge of back combing at the roots to give a slight lift is ok, but please, no bumps!
4. Super white French manicures. Women here love to get their nails done, but they tend to look really fake because A. they go to cheap nails salons that use cheap products and therefore the nails look cheap. B. They use ultra white on the tips of their nails and they cover half of the nail bed. Tack tacky tacky.
5. Poorly fitted clothing. Blame the vanity sizing. If you were an 8 in the 80's, if you are the same weight now (highly unlikely if you have had kids)you would be a 2 or a 4 now. I hate this vanity sizing. bring back the old school sizing. Wear clothes that fit and don't look like tents. If you are hiding your figure, you are not doing yourself any favours.We all come in different shapes and sizes. The guru of styling for everyone is Wayne Scot Lukas. Check out what he does here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)