Fashion which never passes, Coco could create a lifelong trend

Coco Chanel once said "I'm against the fashion that quickly passes, because I treat the issue as a male. I can’t see how people throw away the clothes just because the spring has come". Gabrielle Chanel in 1954 at the age of seventy came back to Paris from the Swiss emigration and introduced her first collection after fifteen years of silence. Many designers tried to sin against the purity of classical style, but it was only Chanel who succeeded. She always commented about her success in a very simple way by saying that the elegance in clothes should create freedom in movements.

Thus, at the age 70, Coco Chanel started a new life. Again, this woman changed the fashion, making her style a dominant one. Coco Chanel was the idol for fashionistas of the time. The fashion of having a tan skin appeared just because of her. It happened by accident, in 1923, Coco Chanel got tanned during the cruise, and came to the Cannes Film Festival with darker skin, the fashionistas of the time started to follow her example. One of her novelties was perfume with a complex smell. Famous perfume "Chanel № 5" appeared in 1921, its author was a Russian perfumer Ernest Beaux. As an innovation Coco offered to the women the first synthesized perfume that did not repeat the smell of any flower.

The most famous novelty by Coco Chanel was the little black dress introduction to the fashion. You can wear it throughout the day, changing the look by adding various accessories.

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Surprisingly Kivera Naynomis is an Armenian brand

To my surprise during my travel to Caucasus I found out amazing collection of Arevik Simonyan, famous in Russian designer with Armenian origin who presents Kivera Naynomis brand. Her style is something unique the synthesis of modern styles with national ornaments, I can proudly say that I was quite surprised with the quality of the seam. I liked her collection of evening dresses a lot. Arevik graduated the fashion design faculty of Moscow technological collage “ORT” in 2003, and since then has developed 5 individual collections, has participated in many international fashion contests, exhibitions and festivals.

Her first Armenian collection was presented on a stage covered with national handmade carpets and under the sound of folk drums music. In contrary to the national style interior, the collection had the sense of European complexity and elegance.In a very feminine collection of evening dresses she presents the ideal image of her heroine - capricious, mysterious, and at the same time powerful, but very delicate and feminine.

It seems that she is fond of satin and silk; she used these materials for making pale pearly floating skirts and frilled blouses. Her T-shirts look like pieces of arts with Armenian ethno- jewelry they make a special accent and show the whole Armenian nature with its color palettes.

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Tom Ford’s career from film director to a famous brand designer

Tom Ford was born in 1961 in Texas (Austin), but spent his childhood in Santa Fe (New Mexico). His unconventional look at the fashion industry has earned great respect from his colleagues; he was nominated as the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1996. In 1997, when he was 35 years old he was named the designer of the year. He received so many awards that can make from them a wonderful collection.

People magazine named him as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. He is called the unflappable king. He is building his own empire; he is one of the most famous designers in the world. But he was famous before it he got his fame as the creative director of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

Ford's role at Gucci quickly increased; he was designing menswear and shoes. But his career starts growing when Richard Lambertson left the position of design director in 1992 and Ford took over the vacancy, leading the brand's production, fragrances, advertising and the store design. In 2001, he again confirmed his status after becoming the best designer of women's clothing (CFDA Award). When he launched menswear in 2006 it set off a new dress code for elegance and polish. Recently, Ford is focusing more closely on sportswear.

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YSL-A hero who saved Dior and then created his own brand

Finally I watched the movie «Yves Saint Laurent» produced in 2014; it shows the whole life of the famous designer, his love story and the beginning of his career in 1958. Yves Saint Laurent is one of the greatest icons of fashion industry, this Algerian French designer made a revolution in fashion, first he became known as person who presented the tuxedo suit for women and non-European ornaments. Yves Saint Laurent was the first designer who gave the preference to non-white models.

He was born and raised in colonial Algeria; his career started since he was accepted by Dior for assistant position. Then Yves started studying in Paris as a teenager. After Dior's death he became treated as the person who saved the company, his world collapsed when he was sent to serve in the French army and lost his job. Already at that time he was in love with Pierre Berge, who later on helped him to set up his own couture house. In 1960-1970s this couple became fabulously wealthy. He was a prominent designer who changed the way women dress with a series of novelties which are now regarded as classics.

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King of Rings: Sevan Bıçakçi creates glorious jewelry

It has already been 3-4 years that I pay attention to the creations of Sevan Bıçakçi, his jewelry pieces are very famous among Hollywood stars. If you are a fan of Julia Roberts or Lady Gaga you have definitely noticed their amazing accessories created by Sevan. Julia Roberts was wearing a handmade angel necklace by the designer on the cover of ELLE, which is one of six covers that were shot, styled, and printed in conjunction with the release of Roberts' new movie, Eat, Pray, Love. This year his masterpiece was worn on the Oscar ceremony by Whoopi Goldberg, this octopus ring interested many people involved in the fashion industry.

Sevan Bıçakçıis a famous Turkish jeweler of Armenian Descent. He is one the rare masters who is famous all over the world. He is known as the King of Rings. At the age of 12, his father, who was a theater actor, sent Sevan Hovsep Catakto learn a jewelry craftsmanship in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. After serving 4 years of apprenticeship, his master died. However, he had learned a lot about jewelry design and craftsmanship. Then he started to work as a freelance-jewel designer. He worked on his first collection for a year before introducing to the global market in 2002. He mostly use in his designs the Byzantine and Ottoman style ornaments. With each creation Bıçakçı has higher expectations and standards for his work. Each piece needs countless hours of carving.

Today the artist has an international list of customers who collect his work and wait for the latest creations.

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Louis Vuitton: Luxury brand for elite travelers

The history of the famous brand Louis Vuitton started with the journey story of his founder Luis Vuitton. In 1835 14th years old guy went on foot from a small French village Anshe to Paris. There he became a students of a headmaster who prepared travel bags, and at the age of 16, the youngster decided that he should change not only his life but the life of his grandsons. Already in 1954 Vuitton had already enough customers to start his own businesses.Since 1896, all products of the brand began to have the decoration such as an emblem with the initials LV, which is now known all over the world.

This symbol was invented by the son of Louis Vuitton. Georges decided to create something which will help them to look different from others and which will protect them and their products from counterfeiting. However, the problem of combating piracy is serious for the company until today. Louis Vuitton worked until his death (1892) at the age of 70, later his son Georges Vuitton was controlling the family business.

Now the company owns 380 stores in fifty-three countries around the world, this brand produces lines of watches and shoes, as well as a line of jewelry and cosmetics. Louis Vuitton combines luxury with proficient craftsmanship for delivering the eventual in stylish luggage.

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Manolo Blahnik: wearing this shoes is passion

That’s right Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her character from the movie «Sex and the City» introduced us to Manolo Blahnik, and what it’s like to have the sickness known as «shoe addiction». Every woman needs to have a Classic Shoe. We all love the frills: ruffles, bows and foot bling. We change our shoes very often for work and play, an evening out or for the red carpet. If you’re a Fashionista, if you don’t have a pair of Manolo Blahnik's shoes, get a pair!

Spanish-born designer Manolo Blahnik founded his footwear empire in 1970 and immediately received a decisive stamp of approval from fashion icon Diana Vreeland. Over 40 years later, he continues to design his fashionable shoes with a critical eye for every element and stylish silhouettes for every woman. One of Blahnik's greatest inspirations was his mother. She studied fashion magazines and interpreted the latest fashion trend on her clothing.

Blahnik and his family often traveled to Paris and Madrid for buying clothes. His mother was always dissatisfied of the shoes from their hometown, so she made her own. When Blahnik was going to university, he lived with his aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, his aunt deeply influenced his fashion sense. He refined his tastes and learned to appreciate the beauty of luxury, art, and joy. Blahnik has never studied in making shoes in school. He learned the skills of shoe making by visiting shoe factories and talking to pattern cutters, technicians and machine operators. At first, he was designing men’s footwear, but he soon understood that men’s shoes design is limited and his imagination can create more.

Like any great couturier, Manolo Blahnik’s shoe styles are kept to small exclusive production numbers and his style signature is easily recognizable.

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From Economics to Fashion: Gauri & Nainika Karan

Gauri & Nainika Karan, two girls at the age of 25 and 24, were born and brought up in New Delhi. They studied economics but were always fascinated with fashion. Their inspiration was old movie star glamour - actresses from the 50s and 60s such as such as Hedy Lamarr, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, they considered all these stars as prime examples of high style. After studying at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, they soon created their own label, Magnetic Rag. The name was suddenly derived from a piano piece composed in 1914 by Scott Joplin, the famous composer of ragtime. Launched in December 2001, in New Delhi, Magnetic Rag is a label of day-into-evening wear created for young women.

In 2004 they launched the new label "Gauri & Nainika" which has a slogan "dress up & be beautiful!". Its design aesthetic incorporates a feeling of romance and glamour combined with sleek elegance to create classic styles that never date. They paid a huge attention not only to the identity of a person for whom they are creating their art of piece but also to the space where the dress should be worn. They think that the space you inhabit is an extension of yourself. That is why Gauri and Nainika have extended their fashion line to home decor as well. “Just like our fashion, our furniture line is also very Western, classic and timeless,” says Nainika. The pieces have been curated from across the world and have been inspired by their travels to Europe. “We love the history of fashion and architecture. So we have taken classical designs such as porter chairs, Chesterfields and trestle tables and created our take on them with leathers and velvets,” says Nainika.

This year the evening dresses by Gauri and Nainika were shining on the Grammy red carpets on Monday evening, on 15th of February. British presenter Carly Steel picked a white applique ankle-length dress and paired it with emerald and diamond jewelry and a pair of black pumps.

Singer Tori Kelly walked the red carpet wearing an emerald green gown and wore with it pink accessories.

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Forgotten secret of Victoria's Secret

One day in kind 1970s, a man called Roy Raymond came to the department store to buy his wife lingerie for Valentine day. The experience of vising the female-oriented department was not pleasant at all; he could neither find any beautiful staff there which would be fit his taste nor get a good service, as the saleswoman treated him in a bad manner.

Later on while chatting with friends he realized that almost all of them had this unpleasant experience. The talks bought them to the point that there's no place in the city where man could buy lingerie without being treated as abnormal. This inspired Roy Raymond to create the most famous brand called Victoria's Secret. His idea was to open the store where men can easily buy beautiful underwear for their lovely ones, and not be ashamed on same time. In 1977 Roy Raymond founded Victoria's Secret brand and changed the entire fashion trend of lingerie, they became sexier and more sensual. For his baby-brand his choose a very special name Victoria for evoking the respectability towards the sensual underwear worn during Queen Victoria's era.

The idea had a huge success, and Roy Raymond made half a million dollars in the first year of his brand. Soon he opened three more stores in California, which gave him 4 million dollars per year, but yet it was nearing bankruptcy, as they pay a huge amount of money for quality materials and ornaments. But everything changed when one day Leslie Wexner walked into Victoria's Secret store for the first time and decided to buy the business. He understood that this business could not only attract men but it could also be interesting for women.

Wexner saw Victoria's Secret potential and bought it from Raymon for 1 million dollars in 1982. Wexner redesigned the catalogues and started to charm the female audience too. Nowadays Victoria's Secret is one of the most successful brands, so buying Raymond's idea was the cleverest decision, made by Wexner. What happened to Raymond after all, unfortunately while Wexner and Victoria Secret's success grew, Ray Raymond found his life falling down. After selling the company he opened a new brand in the honor of his son, called My Child's Destiny, but very soon in 1986 he got bankrupt. After all this failures Ray and his wife got divorced and in 1993 Roy Raymond made a suicide by jumping from Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

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One brand story: Jimmy Choo

This is my first post and I am so much excited that decided to devote it to SHOES. Strange? No, as shoes are my favorite accessories. I think that shoes can describe a person: character, charisma, sense of taste, ability to notice manor details in every beauty thing.
This topic I immediately want to classify as something with "special importance" - and I think there is a lot of soul mates and counterparts, who with great pleasure will support me in this. There are even women who never wear all the shoes they have, but they are still buying new ones. Shoes may announce a strict sentence your image and sense of beauty depends on them to a greater extent. For me, they are more important than dress, because any outfit you are decorating yourself, but your walk, so how you present yourself, depends entirely on the shoes.

You have probably watched the movie «The Devil wears Prada» even there the shoes are described as something very important. Just remember the quote:

You sold your soul to the devil when you put on your first pair of Jimmy Choo's, I saw it.

©The devil wears Prada

And today I would like to share with you a story of one brand, my favorite brand Jimmy Choo. Shoes by Jimmy Choo are famous and rich; moreover, they are favorite shoes of «Red Carpet». Jimmy Choo shoes perfectly emphasize your individuality. In them you will always feel yourself on top. And If tonight you’re going to dress to kill, then let Jimmy Choo's high heels company you throughout the night.

His cinderella shoes are the most desirable present for every woman. Each bride would dream to wear them for the most important day of her life.

Jimmy Choo is known as the famous shoe designer from Malaysia, the island of Penang, and his parents - immigrants from China, and if not an error during registration, shoe genius would wear the surname of Chow. Jimmy inherited a passion towards shoes from his parents, who owned a small shoe repair shop. His first pair of shoes was created at the age of 11.

He couldn't find scholarship for higher education and for paying the tuition fee; Jimmy was forced to look for jobs as a janitor at the restaurant and a shoe factory.

But at the age of 22, he graduated from the Technical College in London (now - London College of Fashion), and a few years later he rented and refurbished the old shoe factory building in the east London. After a couple of years, shoes by Jimmy Choo lit up the pages of British Vogue. And, perhaps, the most famous of his first clients was the Princess Diana, who immediately ordered a six pairs of shoes.

In 1990, Tamara Mellon, the daughter of a British businessman, made ​​an offer to Jimmy such kind of offer that, he could not only refuse , but gladly accepted: it is a good opportunity to create a luxury brand . In 1996, the «simple shoemaker » and the « business woman» registered joint shoe company. In the same year they released the first collection of women's shoes and open single-brand boutique in London. Two years later, Jimmy Choo boutique appeared in New York and in Los Angeles in 1999. In 2000, Jimmy Choo was awarded as the best designer of accessories, and on 18th of June in 2003 Queen Elizabeth II personally awarded him with the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to the development of the shoe industry.

Shoes-a matter of life and death.

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