coutorture --

If You Must: Sweats

coutorture — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:10:50 -0700

After the Capsule parties that kicked off the work week, we're thinking we might dedicate ourselves to loungewear this weekend. There's nothing better than taking a night off and wearing some 100% cotton incarnation, making tea, and reading or watching movies. Our network partner, Style Bubble, posted a little while back on a grey Rebecca Turbow sweater that had us thinking we might give our bedtime clothing a makeover. Yes, we think our Bum Equipment t-shirt is going to have to remain a staple, but surely a new pair of sweatpants couldn't hurt. Now, we don't endorse track suits or anything like that. The only person who should see your sweats, for that matter, is your local barista and even then you should be careful. No one should have to put on makeup and skin tight jeans to go grab their morning coffee, but a little effort needs to be made. Below, we've picked out some of our e-commerce options. No, this is not our ideal fashion topic but something needs to be said. A gal should feel good about what she's wearing even when she's not supposed to.

JETS By Jessica Allen Designer Interview

coutorture — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:05:57 -0700

The thing about swimwear is that, no matter the print, it must fit well. Sure, we can wear harem trousers, oversized vintage frocks, or our boyfriend's t-shirts and the fit doesn't really matter much--the fact that it kind of looks bad, well, kind of makes it look good. The same does not hold true for swimwear. What makes this even more difficult is that it's as close to being naked in public as Westerners ever come (with the exception of gals who strut the MePa catwalks) and so our vulnerability makes the whole process that much more sensitive. We fell in love with JETS with that idea in mind. Her fit, above everything else, is really outstanding. It's the kind of swimwear that gives you generous coverage in the back (when the suit calls for it) and hugs your midsection so that you feel held in and rather flawlessly curvaceous. Our model, being that she was (we will be honest) a mere fourteen years old, definitely benefited from the JETS fit. In mere minutes she was transformed into a proper women and though we sometimes have mixed feelings about making young girls look like old girls, we do think the point is that a good swimsuit is one that has enough power to make us feel extra-woman. No matter our age or body type or nervousness about being so uncovered. We had a quick chance to catch up with a rep for JETS by Jessica Allen who gave us the rundown on the line.

The swimsuits are very flattering and appropriate for women of all ages. How does the Jets by Jessika Allen design process differ to that of a normal swimwear line?
Jets by Jessika Allen understands that every woman is unique. Our approach is to create smooth lines around the body, thereby creating a seamless look. We source luxurious fabrics from all around the world that twist and drape around the body to create the most flattering, sleek shapes. It’s the hidden secrets inside the garments, the ones not visible to the eye. The behind-the-scenes structural detail provides the self assurance of a perfectly cut swimsuit, sitting on the body like a second skin. The Jets by Jessika Allen philosophy is ”To enhance every women’s natural curves to create the most flattering silhouette; each piece becomes a unique creation, which looks as if it has been designed especially for you”

What other Jets by Jessika Allen pieces, aside from swimwear, are available? Are these places for you to grow the brand?
This season’s new range of outerwear is masterfully designed in co coordinating print and plains. Kaftan styles are romantic in floaty silk georgette, silk cotton, must have fluid viscose and lustre cocktail dresses, are luxurious to wear and will ensure the perfect, ultimately stylish outfit from poolside to party. Looking at the appropriate areas for Jets by Jessika Allen™ to expand the brand is something we are always doing.

Can you tell us a little bit about the atmosphere during Miami Swim?
Each year Jets attends the Miami Swim Show. Throughout the four day event we present our collection to department stores and boutiques from all around the world. Even though we work long hour’s everyday, which at times is tiring and a little stressful, we love and look forward to our trip to Miami every year.

One piece or two? What's the JETS pick for the beach?
The one piece is one of Jets signature designs, so it is always an integral part of the collection. The one piece swimming costume is about style & sophistication. Bikinis may be more revealing, but sometimes what you don’t show is far more alluring.

Rebecca Minkoff And That Eponymous Bag

coutorture — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:05:31 -0700

In our Island Life photo shoot we pulled none other than the eponymous Morning-After Bag. There are IT bags and then there are New York Bags (count the City Tote in that list). The New York bag is really a subcategory of the IT bag, that is, they've a geographical concentration you can pinpoint but they're no less recognizable nor coveted. That said, when we went to one of the few rooftop pools in Manhattan for a swimsuit shoot (there's really nothing more New York than that) we thought we needed such a bag for one of the shots. We pulled Rebecca Minkoff's Morning-After bag in persimmon and, with a straw hat and brown swimsuit, it was vibrant and really made he outfit work. Last month we interviewed Minkoff about her thriving business and newest look book and, for today's post, asked Minkoff to put together her idea of a beach-ready look. You can tell a gal is a real New Yorker when such a look includes a leather jacket a skin-tight skinnies. Yeah, we don't get out much. Below, her picks and our shoot.

Fashion In 50 Seconds 7/23/08

coutorture — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:04:45 -0700

Buyers are taking their christmas shopping very seriously. We were expecting this article, and more like it, on the impact of the economy on the holiday season. Today we learn that department stores are mitigating the risk by looking closely at each item they purchase for the season. Sweaters are big as are accessories and gift-able home wares. Holiday ready to wear clothing might move slowly as buyers anticipate that this is where consumers will cut back most.

Hayden Harnett, the handbag and clothing line poised to start makin' shoes any time now has also, it has been announced, teamed up with Target for a new capsule collection in the accessories department. When renegade Brooklyn lines make it to Target and Michel Gondry moves to Bushwick, well, you can officially say 'there goes the neighborhood' (but in a good way).

Carlos Souza former creative director for Valentino, is being brought in to direct Brazil's up and coming swim week. Fashion people are being flown in, top models are being booked, and Miami, it seems, will fade out as a result. Rio is hotter than Miami anyway, right? We'll find out in October.

Bazaar is launching a runway report magazine that will sit on the newstands for a few months just in case your Macbook and iPhone die and you forget that you can get all the shows (and more) online. But hey, some people need hardcopies. We're actually not as hostile about it as it may sound. The Report is being sold for a mere seven dollars and boasts a couple hundred pages of fashion shows. Now that we think about it, that's actually pretty darn awesome. Our computers can get heavy sometimes.

Coutorture Community's Morning Must Reads 7/23

coutorture — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:27 -0700

When you are given restrictions, sometimes the best outcome comes from having to work within constraints. Hone your creative skills by checking out today's Must Read posts from:

Worn Through takes a look at Liberty of London, after the announcement of their first stand alone London store.

Nessasary Makeup has prepared a video tutorial on how she cleans her brushes.

Air travel is so frustrating these days, but So Loverly helps us understand how to make the liquid restrictions work in our favor.

Boutique Flair discovers a likeable eyeshadow trio from Borghese.

J'adore Couture gives us a closer look at San Francisco's new Prada store.