How to Become a Successful Fashion Designer

f you are like me you live and breathe fashion. You are constantly inspired with so many new designs racing through your mind, so many you can't seem to get them all down quick enough at the pace they arrive. You constantly dream of the day your fashions will be on the fashion runway with the lights beaming brightly overhead, the cameras flashing everywhere and the audience being completely mesmerized by your incredible designs. You can't stop thinking of the day you will open a magazine or watch the Oscars and see a famous celebrity in one of your breathtaking designs. Your book shelf is stocked with fashion books and magazines, and you absolutely can't resist visiting textile stores to view all the latest fabrics, decorative beads, rhinestones and trims.

It's this ever present dream of being a successful fashion designer that has you work day and night on your designs in most cases for many years without pay and working a job to pay the pills which is brutal torture, when all you can think about is living and working in fashion.

Famous fashion designers come from all walks of life there is no one system to follow that will have you become the next famous fashion designer. Some have graduated from elite fashion schools and some have never attended fashion school. Some have undertaken a fashion internship with a fashion house and others have made their own designs in their basement. The only elements all these fashion designers have in common is they had an intense passion for fashion, were able to design fashions highly sought after and connected with someone who gave them the opportunity to break into the fashion industry. It is essential in becoming a successful fashion designer you get you and your designs out there as much as possible, as how will anyone know about your fashions if they can't see them?

In getting your fashions out there here are a few things you can do:

1. We are not usually good at everything some of us are great at designing clothes but lack the sewing and pattern making skills. It is here you can partner with someone who shares your passion for fashion and has the skills you lack. It is in the bringing together of different skills you can create a real product that can be showcased.
2. In having a fashion line of 14 outfits you can apply to your local fashion week. In the USA: New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco all have fashion weeks. These fashion weeks attract many editors, journalists and local socialites who will see your fashions and potentially give you the exposure you need to get known.
3. Many city night clubs hold fashion shows, find out what night clubs hold fashion shows and contact them as to how you can be apart of an up and coming show.
4. Locate fashion boutiques that cater to the fashions you design, first make a trip to the stores to look around, if you can see your clothes fitting in well with the store, find out who the owner is and ask if they would be willing to have some of your fashions offered for sale in their store. You will be amazed at how many store owners are willing to work with you. I walked around San Francisco in the Nob Hill district and had my fashions placed after visiting and discussing my product with four boutiques. In having your fashions displayed you will receive valuable insights as to whether or not your designs are in demand and if you need to change your designs to increase sales. It will also give you free exposure to the public. When your fashions do sell you can present this to investors who are more than willing to invest in your line, when you prove the existence of a strong demand for your fashions.

If you are struggling to create your fashions due to the lack of capital, connections or all the skills required, you can visit: http://www.cluehut.comwhere it's free to create a profile stating what you need and who you are hoping to connect with in achieving your fashion dream. You can also browse and connect with others who like you have created a profile offering opportunities where together you can become a great success in the fashion business.

Here's to your success of becoming a great fashion success!Clue Hut allows you to sign-up for free, create a profile, search profiles and network with others who share the same goal. By bringing together people who share the same passion but can offer a different set of skills, Clue Hut empowers people to achieve their life-long goals at a much faster pace with more certainty. http://www.cluehut.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Genyfer_Spark

Article Written by :Genyfer Spark.

Kate Middleton wedding dress 'will be future of high-street fashion`

  It is one of the biggest secrets in the country, and one with potentially huge ramifications for the British high street: who has designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress?

Increasingly loud rumours that the royal wedding dress could be the work of lesser-known designer Sophie Cranston – founder of the label Libelula – forced the company to issue a denial last week, at which point the speculative spotlight shone upon Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, Bruce Oldfield, Phillipa Lepley and Alice Temperley.

The bride-to-be's choice is expected to have huge repercussions as high street stores prepare to satisfy a generation of mini-Kates seeking to replicate the future queen.

Cranston started Libelula – which means dragonfly in Spanish – in 2002. Middleton is already a fan of her designs, most recently wearing a black velvet dress coat to a friend's wedding in January. Her vintage-inspired aesthetic, which often focuses on 1920s and 1930s styles, has slim, bias-cut silhouettes that flatter narrow frames, and seems in keeping with Middleton's style.

But with so much riding on it, many fashion insiders are hoping that Kate has chosen the boldest design house in the running, Alexander McQueen. McQueen's successor, Sarah Burton, who has dressed the likes of Lady Gaga and Cate Blanchett, would make a daring choice for the conservative bride-to-be.

"There is obviously a huge amount of speculation and gossip, but personally I think it would be amazing if she wore McQueen," says Sarah Clark, senior fashion editor at Glamour magazine. "It would definitely be a bold choice for Kate. The fashion house is known for being dramatic and contemporary, so it would make a real statement.

"Of course, any designer Kate chooses to wear will immediately become a household name – the coverage will be unbelievable. It will catapult that designer into the mainstream. It's hard to overestimate the impact."

The Kate Middleton brand is already worth millions. After her shopping trip in Chelsea last week, sales of short-sleeved black dresses rocketed by 90%, according to price comparison website StyleCompare. Sales of brown bags saw a similar 60% upturn at retailers such as Radley and Paul's Boutique.

Similarly, the blue silk Issa dress she wore to announce her engagement last November catapulted Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel to global fame. In a further bout of Middleton fever, Whistles and Reiss had to reissue the dress and cream silk blouse Kate wore in her engagement photos. Sales of her familiar black knee-high boots have soared, and Debenhams has announced its £6 replica of her engagement ring is set to become its fastest-selling piece of jewellery.

Julia Rebaudo, style expert at StyleCompare, said that if Middleton chose the softer, more feminine designer Alice Temperley, we would be likely to see scalloped edges, beading and hand embroidery replicated on the high street.

"If Kate goes with Alexander McQueen then we can expect a structured statement piece, but infused with

 Burton's touch of femininity. But if she goes with Alice Temperley we could be looking at something slightly more deconstructed, romantic and bohemian – a style that would easily translate to the high street and would definitely be picked up on."

The other designers said to be in the running produce more classical dresses. Jasper Conran and Bruce Oldfield were among Princess Diana's favourites, but their designs are more traditional and understated. Fashion experts say Middleton will try to distance herself from the Diana legacy and that could make her even more popular.

"Kate is synonymous with the British high street, in a way that Princess Diana never was, which definitely adds to her appeal as a modern princess. Her style is accessible," says Clark. "She shops in high street stores such as Whistles and Warehouse and she used to work at Jigsaw. She always looks chic and polished, but admits she's not obsessed with current trends."

Middleton's more conservative style may be more fitting in the current economic climate, said Clare Coulson, of Harper's Bazaar magazine. "Princess Diana's wedding dress was very much a design of the moment; blowsy big sleeves and romantic Laura Ashley-style dresses spread everywhere on the high street. Of course in our recession it's harder to have an impact – Kate can't look excessive, but in the abbey you still need to make a bold statement."

One thing's for certain, Middleton will have to choose a British designer, so up-and-coming homegrown talents are looking to her choice with interest. Independent designer 26-year-old Rosa Hirsch-Holland, who runs her own cult label, Rosa Bloom, says she is intrigued by what choice Kate will make. "If she goes for something a little off-the-wall, then it could certainly inspire customers who would normally play it safe to seek out something with a bit more edge," said Hirsch-Holland.

Kate Middleton to design her OWN wedding dress ???

watch it all here !!

Singapore listed in top-10 destinations for luxury and fashion brands !!

 Singapore is ranked in the top-10 list destinations for luxury and business fashion brands globally,attracting 69% of over 300 of the world's top business fashion brans and global luxury retailers. 

This was according 
to a yearly survey by real estate firm CB Richard Ellis(CBRE).

In the meantime, Hong Kong has maintained its position as the #1 popular destination for luxury retailers globally, attracting 84% of the luxury brands covered.

CBRE said Beijing and Tokyo also feature in the top-10, confirming that Asia continues to be a key target for luxury labels.





Director of Retail Services at CBRE Singapore,Ms Letty Lee,said the Singapore growth story continues to be a big deciding factor for luxury and fashion retailers, lured by the prospect of a continuous stream of
 spenders both local and beyond.

Experts at CBRE said that the Integrated Resorts and the surrounding Marina Bay Shoppes which opened last year played a big part in boosting Singapore's reputation as a luxury and business fashion destination.

Christophe Decarnin left Balmain Fashion House !!

 66-year-old French fashion house that recently engineered a comeback with skimpy dresses and spray-on jeans that were shockingly priced, announced last Wednesday that its famous designer, Christophe Decarnin, had left the company. His leave is the latest in a string of shake-ups that suggest, after the John Galliano debacle at Dior, that luxury fashion houses are becoming less concerned in promoting lively personalities than in protecting their own brands.

In the weeks since Mr. Galliano was fired from Dior on 1st March after an anti-Semitic outburst that embarrassed the company, at least four other European labels, including celebrated brands like Cacharel and Azzaro, have dropped their designers, some with little explanation. The sudden moves had shocked retailers and editors, in one case prompting a licensee of Cacharel clothing to publicly rebuke the decision by the label’s owner to remove its designer, Cédric Charlier, whose collections were bolstering sales.

Mr. Decarnin’s departure from Balmain had been expected since early March, when he did not attend its runway show during Paris Fashion Week amid reports that he was no longer communicating with the company’s management. While the company has not yet determined its plans, executives there said that a successor would most likely come from the recent design team, possibly Melanie Ward, who quietly planned on the fall collection in Mr. Decarnin’s absence. But it is unlikely they will consider another designer of Mr. Decarnin’s prominence.

Since joining the company in 2005, Mr. Decarnin introduced Balmain to a younger prospects that included many French celebrities and influential editors, drawn to his rocker-chic vision of what was once considered a stuffy couture house. But his designs were also criticized for their high prices, including $2,000 for holey T-shirts and $6,000 for some styles of jeans, contributing to tension between the designer and management over strategy.

His ouster was viewed by luxury executives as further evidence that such labels were becoming less tolerant of creative demands, even as the high-end market was beginning to pick up.

“I honestly believe the star designer will become less and less of a force, especially for brands that have to answer to shareholders why the business is dropping off,” said Betsy Pearce, a consultant and legal adviser who has represented several top designers and executives.

In 1990s, hiring a prominent designer became a popular strategy for older labels looking to reinvent themselves, but some recent pairings have been shaky at best, often involving designers with small business experience. Some brands have fallen badly in their  to seem fresh, as when Ungaro hired Lindsay Lohan as an artistic adviser in 2009.

“We are now seeing the fallout of companies not thinking ahead,” Ms. Pearce said.

Mr. Decarnin’s exit from Balmain illustrates the challenge facing companies that have relied on star designers, which is what happens when they resign from their company. The label’s revival was based more on his designs than anything its founder, Pierre Balmain, would have shown, so a successor will have to either follow Mr. Decarnin’s formula or start from ground-zero. So much of their potential for success depends on the chemistry between the designer and the house that fewer of them seem willing to take a chance.

“That’s the double-edged sword,” said Jeffry M. Aronsson, a consultant who was formerly the chief executive of Oscar de la Renta and Donna Karan. “To really make the brand solidify requires an ego on the part of the designer to push his point of view. It just needs to be the right point of view.

”

Here is the latest runway of Christophe Decardin`s former fashion house last year.Watch it all here !!

Lady Gaga to write fashion column !!

Lady Gaga has announced her plans to become a fashion columnist for V Magazine.

The pop star, who is famous for pushing boundaries with her style choices, took to her Twitter.com account to announce the news to fans and followers.

There she writes , "I begin next month as a Fashion+Art Columnist for @VMagazine."

She has also asked her fans to submit illustrations of the fashionista for the column - the best one will be selected to be used as Gaga's signature headshot for the publication.

The Born This Way hitmaker's first column will appear in the magazine's summer issue released this May.

Personally i think she got this idea from her song "Fashion" don`t you think? ;-) Well here`s the music video,enjoy :)

Spring2fall:Toronto`s LG Fashion Week starts off with all-Canadian display!

Toronto's LG Appearance Anniversary spanned the bounded boundaries of appearance Monday night blame off anniversary with an all-embracing affectation of designs from assorted talents authoritative after-effects on both abandon of the bound and beyond.

There was a collaborative spirit to the launch of the 24th season of the biannual fashion showcase billed as the second biggest in North America. The launch of fall-winter 2011-2012 collections on the grounds of Exhibition Place led off with a creative collective of Canadian designers and labels to be followed by a pair of individual presentations from two separate creative style duos.


"Nothing warms my affection added than seeing the absurd aptitude Canada has to offer," said "Fashion Television" host Jeanne Beker in blame of the event. Beker again alien Appearance Design Council of Canada admiral Robin Kay, who batten of Canadians and the accent of accepting a faculty of pride in the country's appearance industry.


For the second consecutive season, luxury retailer Holt Renfrew opened the week-long style extravaganza with its capsule exhibition of hot homegrown talents in its designer collective dubbed "You Just Can't Live Without ... Canadian Fashion," which includes Lida Baday and Todd Lynn.


There were the requisite flashes of blink and shine, with aflame paillette skirts and undergarment steeped in ablaze gold and silverhues. Subtle flashes of added matte brownish hues popped up with gold account bottomward bottomward covering fronts, draped chains on coats and capes.

Alongside normal black, rabbit, fox and coyote coats, capes, sha

wls and stoles were combined with rich jewel tones like garnet, sapphire, ruby and espresso.

Still to come Monday was a runway showcased from siblings duo Jamil and Alia Juma and their eponymous JUMA brand.

Fashion Week runs until Friday. :-)

See it all in this video below!! :D