Designer Decoding: Katie Gallagher

Hey Everyone!!!

Following my post on the dearly deceased and established designer Alexander McQueen, I once again decided to concentrate on an up and coming designer. Today, I wish to give a spotlight to the hypnotically beautiful and talented Katie Gallagher. Her aesthetic is dark, mysterious and inspired by nature. She concentrates on both ready to wear looks and haute couture pieces. Here we go:

Promotion Photo

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Background Information

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Born on August, 15 1986 in Western Pennsylvania, Ms. Gallagher did not come from a fashion capital. As a child, Gallagher has claimed that she “never wore shoes” and “hated wearing clothes”. She later attended the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design for apparel design. She was incredibly successful in school, participating in internships with Anna Sui during her sophomore year and threeASFOUR during her junior year. Her senior year collection was a symbol of her gothic aesthetic, being completely comprised on black. Her first fashion show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week would be only three months following her graduation during September 2009 at the Tribeca Grand. 

Runway Looks

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These looks all appeared in one of Gallagher’s first collections, named “Shroud”. This collection once again concentrated on Gallagher’s use of black, but it also demonstrates

her talent for draping. Now, drapery has become a lost talent for new designers–too many concentrate purely on creativity and construction. While some may find it quite strange, I also love her use of mask on the model, as it exaggerates the mysterious nature of her clothing. 

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In my opinion, Gallagher’s Spring and Summer 2013 collection (seen above) is not only my favorite collection to come from her, but also demonstrate her versatility. While the cutouts and body con fit allow for the looks to continue to be edgy, the light cream colored fabric and gold accessories give a slight touch of glamour to the look. Once I so this collection, I realized that Ms. Gallagher is not just any run of the mill designer–she is a legacy in the making. 

This is a photo of R & B star Keyshia Cole in a Rebecca Minkoff pant, Giuseppe Zanotti black booties and a Katie Gallagher coat. This is one of the best examples of constructions that I have ever seen, and the jacket fits perfectly on Ms. Cole’s frame. I am also in awe of the color, which is the most beautiful shade of yellow that I have ever feasted my eyes on. 

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My second celebrity that Ms. Gallagher has dressed is….herself! I think that wearing your own clothing is the best type of advertisement. Ms. Gallagher wore this dress to Wildfox Swim Cruise 2014, and for this reason the sheer material is appropriate for the event. I just love how she keeps her aesthetic at an unrelated event-it shows her dedication to her style. I really do believe that Ms. Gallagher will continue to grow, and I hope that I have the ability to see her show in this upcoming Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

<3 Naa

Fragrance Frenzy: Mademoiselle by Coco Chanel

Hey Everyone!!!

Welcome to a new addition of Fragrance Frenzy!!! Now, my last review was on Fancy by Jessica Simpson, which is what I like to describe as a light, floral scent that is more appropriate for an everyday scent for work and school. Now, Mademoiselle is a much more sophisticated scent that is appropriate for important evening events such as dinners and dances. Mademoiselle is the only perfume that I own that is neither delicate or sensuous, which makes it unique to all other scents. Here we go with the review:

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Mademoiselle by Coco Chanel retails for $85.00 in Sephora. This is by far the most expensive fragrance that I use–as it is not owned by me, but my mother . The photo above is one of the most recent promotional campaigns using the beautiful and talent Keira Knightley following her incredibly successful run of films such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement”. Once again, this promo photo perfectly describes the scent of the product, which is classy with a smidgen of sex appeal. I would give the scent of this product a 4.5/5.

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Now, as you can see from the photograph, the perfume of Mademoiselle is very practical, and does not include the intricate detail that was found on the Jessica Simpson fragrance. While I am not very impressed with either the box or the bottle’s design, there is 3.4 Fl. OZ. of product in the bottle, which is much larger then most fragrance I own. For this reason alone, the packaging gets a 4/5. 

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Overall, I would definitely suggest this fragrance to my girls who are in desperate need for a youthful yet sophisticated scent that they can use on special occasion. However, if you are someone who cannot stand low budget packaging, I would take a second look on this fragrance. I give this fragrance a 4.25 out of 5 stars rating.

<3 Naa

School Style: Autumn Addition!!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

Today, I decided to do a more personal post. As you may know as my followers, I consistently use images that have been professionally taken by reputable photographers and bloggers. I then rate this photographs in different fashion styles and beauty trends. However, today my school had a casual dress down day, and I realized how great the fashion style at my campus actually is. So, I now present with you on how to dress for a cool Autumn day, with models of my high school. Here you go:

Beautiful Day

FASHION:

Scarves: 

This budding fashionista matched a sequin teal sweater with a colorful classic scarf. She then accesorised the look with large, hooped earring and a care-free ponytail. I absolutely love the use of a bold earring and the mix of rainbow and sequin. This is such a school appropriate look for school, and is just an elegant combination of childish wonder and modern fashion. Definitely an A+. 

Now, this brilliant little cheerleader wore a classic mix of taupe and gray. However, her scarf included a beautiful print that added a bold touch to her rather understated personality. As a fellow classmate of this gorgeous young lady, I can honestly say that her style correctly symbolize her personality: gracious, understated and soft. Just look at that smile!

Now, this girl loves to rock her prints! She breaks all of the rules through mixing an aztec print black and white sweater with a bright pink scarf. Now, while mixing different prints can go very wrong, this young style guru goes for a safer choice of mixing two neutral colors (black and white) with a bold shade (bright pink). Her outfit is arguably one of my favorite of the day. 

Jackets:

The 90′s are coming back with jean jackets! While I am not a large fan of jean jackets (I only like darker denim), however, I can appreciate when the style is done well. In this photo, this little cheerleading musician matched her darker shades of gray and black with the lighthearted jean jacket to balance the level of tough and soft. In this case, the jean jacket is an essential piece of outerwear. 

Now, if you couldn’t tell by the perfectly manicured nails, the blended eyeliner and the beautifully styled hair, this young lady is definitely one of the schools top fashion inspirations. Now, even though I do not usually gravitate towards cardigans, I am a huge fan of fishnet stockings. The cardigan that this fashion maven wears adds an edgy, mysterious and slightly sensual touch to a traditionally preppy staple. I also love how she keeps the color palette of black and white consistent throughout the entire look. 

Now, this peppy young lady had my second favorite female look of the day, and I think that the light brown leather jacket is the icing on the cake. With her all black ensemble and gray colored crochet scarf, a black leather jacket would most likely have made the look slightly too gothic. Being a close personal friend of the girl in the photo, she is the furthest thing away from edgy–she is actually one of the most incredible and sweetest people you can ever meet. I think that the choice of a brighter jacket was perfect. 

This foreign beauty (German, to be exact) had one of the most girly and adorable outfits of the day. I first have to say I love the print on the skirt, as the pop of pink definitely calms down the intensity of the black on her fair skin. The pink top and gray scarf once again stay to her intended color palette, and the zip up jacket is such a casual addition to the outfit. I think that these types of jacket are need to down play the look from a night out on the town to a day at school. 

Sweaters:

Animal-printed sweaters have been a huge trend during this year’s New York and Tokyo fashion weeks, and are both comfortable and cute. Now, the butterfly stitch on this photo is almost as adorable as the girl wearing it, and perfectly symbolizes a silly personality. Once again, these types of sweaters are absolutely perfect to bring to school, especially on some of the chillier days. 

I love the color of this sweater, especially the stitching on the front of the top. The cross stitching on the front of the sweater makes it appear as a cardigan, and the illusionary types of clothing are some of my favorite types of fashion (think Dmitri from Project Runway final jacket)! Even though this may be unrelated, I love the color match between her top and the backpack–its so cute!

This neutral colored taupe sweater is the perfect staple for a cool day at the academy. Its just so practical–especially when your studying hard like the girl in this photo. This is sort of an inside joke, as if you knew this young fireball in life, it would worry you to see her in such a serious pose I also can’t help but marvel at the beautiful assortment of rings on her fingers. 

I love the interesting wool crochet pattern of this salt and pepper inspired sweater. I have never thought of matching a camo green colored pant with a black and white top, however, I might just go for it considering this look made it seem so fresh and cool. I also have to say that I love the shape of this young lady’s eyebrows and her smile, as it beams as much as her personality. 

As you can see with the large assortment of sweaters, they are all the rage with high school autumn fashion! This is most likely my personal aesthetic when it comes to fashion, as gold and black is my favorite color combination. The zig-zag design of the wool sweater adds a bold accent to the look, and completes the look. 

This petite princess is the queen of the sweater dresses, and takes a completely new spin on the traditional top. I love the use of a light blue gray dress and a navy trench coat, as it allows for the use of the same color palette. Some of the best outfits come from the use of different shades of the same color. The printed scarf is ah-mazing, especially the leopard print design. Finally, the belt clinches the waist perfectly, emphasizing this Italian’s beauty perfect figure. 

BEAUTY:

Natural Makeup Look:

These are a few pictures of the ladies at the school who love to keep it au natural. As a girl who wears makeup about 50% of the week and goes bared-face the other half, I have no personal preference to if a person chooses to wear makeup or not. However, I feel that every person in this world is gorgeous, with or without makeup, and I think that every singe girl in these photos look incredible. 

Glamorous Makeup Look

This is for all of my girls who love to use a little makeup to emphasize what they have got. Once again, I have no personal preference to whether a young women wears makeup or not, but I think that a little makeup to highlight your good features can always do good. I think that every young lady in every photo looks incredible!!!

Boys

Now, I couldn’t forget about my fellas! I think that too many school style post forget about the boys that need a little style help. In my school, a lot of the boys opted for zip up jackets, button up tops and sports jerseys. However, there were a few boys who when slightly more formal with a fitted blazer or leather jacket. I personally think that men should be confident in portraying there style, as I can admit that I know a plethora men with better style than I. 

Now, the biggest rule in surviving school in the fall is to just HAVE FUN:

Now, as a weekly style report, I will give a personal style award to a student I feel exuded a certain amount of creativity to their look. Todays winner is:

This is actually an outfit I could see made in Berlin Fashion Week, as it has that incredible grungy look while being completely wearable. You go, girl!

Designer Decoding: Alexander McQueen

Hey Everyone!!!

In today’s edition of Designer Decoding, I will be concentrating on a very well-known designer. Alexander McQueen is known for his evening wear and semi-formal dresses. However, unlike Oscar De La Renta, McQueen had a much more avant-garde aesthetic towards his collections, and participated in a large array of Haute Couture fashion shows. Alexander McQueen was a revolutionary in the art of inducting avant-garde fashions into semi-formal and formal events. The tragedy of his premature death will always have a personal effect on both the fashion community and those who loved him dearly.

Promotion Photo

Background Photo

Lee Alexander McQueen on March, 17 1969 in Lewisham, London of the United Kingdom. He was born to a taxi-driver father named Ronald and a social science teacher named Joyce. McQueen would later drop out of college at age 16 in order to work an apprenticeship at Anderson & Shepherd. Eventually McQueen applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where he gained his masters degree in fashion design and sold his entire senior collection to Isabella Blow, who is said to have coined the name “Alexander McQueen”. McQueen Had his first professional collection in 1993, and would continue these collections even after his death in 2010. The current creative director of the Alexander McQueen label is Sarah Burton. 

Runway Looks

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McQueen had an innate talent for prints and the use of fluid materials, such as chiffon and silk. In the looks above, McQueen mix these two talents in order to make these whimsical and fluid works of art. All three looks include a gradient effect, however, while the first and last look have a single color degrade into different shades, the second look is an entire rainbow effect. I am especially appreciative of the belts that are used on each model in order to add an understated accessory along with clinch the waist. 

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McQueen’s talent for construction was unmatched with any designer of his time, especially in his use of ruffles. Ruffles have always served as a symbol of higher class and portray the appearance of class and wealth. However, this was not nearly enough for Alexander, who used exaggerated amounts of tulle in order to make incredible volume in some of his more creative looks. I am astounded with his talent. 

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These three dresses, which either appeared during the last years of his life or post-mortem, are just a few examples of some of McQueen’s more avant-garde work. The first look is absolutely spectacular in every shade and form, especially with the incredible construction required to create the bodice and the skirt. The second look show’s McQueen’s use of print along with the interesting shoulder padding. Finally, the final look is an incredible take on a rainbow bird-like aesthetic, which once again shows Alexanders talent with prints. The final look is one of my favorite McQueen designs, with the incredible use of feathers and the silhouette–perfection!

Celebrity Photos

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As the highest paid model of all history, Gisele Bundchen has an endless amount of gateways into wearing clothes from the top designers in the world. With her body, she can pull off any type of dress imaginable, which only makes Fall 2005 McQueen gown look even more incredible. Once again, a long red gown is a status symbol for Hollywood glamour, and this dress made Gisele the talk of the town during the 2011 Met Gala. 

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Mrs. Sarah Jessica Parker, most known for her iconic portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, has had some hits and misses when not filming her fashionista character. However, this printed Alexander McQueen gown was a total home run, as it not only fit her body perfectly but the color was complimentary to her golden toned skin. I definitely prefer this dress on SJP more then on the model, as I feel that the dress is wearing the model while SJP is owning the gown. 

Now, this is another example of a printed Alexander McQueen gown, however, it has a more casual and chic feel to it in comparison to many of his other designs. The A-List it girl Mila Kunis rocked this gown 2011 Resort Collection Alexander McQueen during the 2011 SAG awards, and while it was a quite safe choice, it allowed Mila’s indescribable beauty to shine through without much distraction. 

Accessories

Another thing that made McQueen different from other designers was his design of absolutely incredible accessories for his shows and on the market. McQueens use of large earrings and circlets, which originate in South West Asia, brought more of that culture into the western world. McQueen used inspiration from the spiritual world and nature in order to created encrusted handbags, and was inspired by Greek and Roman mythology to create the decorated shoes that you see above. All in all, Alexander McQueen may have succumbed to his disease of depression, however, his affect on the fashion shall never be forgotten. 

R.I.P Lee Alexander McQueen, 1969-2010

<3 Naa