Tags archives: Neiman Marcus
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8 years ago
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On September 24, the National African American Museum opened its doors to public. And while the museum's timed passes are sold out for the rest of the year, it's still a great time to learn about what's currently on exhibit.
And if you are wondering if there's a showcase at the museum that relates to the world of fashion, you're in luck. The museum will be showcasing a selection of Ann Lowe's dresses, and they are a must-see!
Ann Lowe — a highly sought after designer in her day — is the first world-renowned black designer who created dresses for socialites and brides. She created looks for families including the Auchinclosses, DuPonts, Kennedys, Posts, Rockefellers, and Roosevelts. She is also the first black designer to own a boutique on Madison Avenue. And her stunning creations were also sold at Henri Bendel, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.
Pink satin and organza ball gown, designed by Ann Lowe, 1959, once owned by Patricia Penrose Schieffer, wife of CBS News' Bob Schieffer. Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane. Photo courtesy of NMAAHC
Famously, Lowe designed Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding gown in 1953. Lowe crafted a dress made up of fifty yards of ivory silk taffeta for the Bouvier-Kennedy nuptials, and cost approximately $700 — roughly $13,000 factoring today's inflation, according to Racked's Danielle Kwateng-Clark .
And as Kwateng-Clark deftly sums up, Lowe "did the impossible in the Jim Crow-era by making a name fo[...]
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8 years ago
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Véronique Hyland of New York Magazine reported on Council of Fashion Designers of America's (CFDA) efforts to "revolutionize Fashion Week."
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for NYFW
A major possible change to the twice-yearly showcase includes transforming Fashion Week into a consumer-driven event, instead of an industry one. And the redesigned series would "show in-season merchandise to the public."
This is a huge move because designers typically showcase collections for following seasons, amid rabid fanfare and exclusive pageantry. And, in turn, these fashion showcases would influence fast-fashion looks, clandestinely sold at stores like H&M and Zara, that surface sometime later in the future.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
However, this method is thought to be a great way to spur "buy now, wear now" opportunities for the public. The re-formmated showcases would require designers to host "smaller showroom presentations and appointments with retailers and press," presenting designs six months out for possible purchasing purposes. Then, designers would produce large-scale runway shows for a consumer audience, WWD reports.
CFDA Chairman Diane von Furstenberg tells WWD “ I have a feeling people will be showing what’s available closer to what’s in store. I don’t have all the answers." However, the general goal is to boost "full-price selling" of clothing.
This week, designer Rebecca Minkoff announced a big step—a Spring 2016 col[...]
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