Styles by Claudia Blog

Archive for July, 2009

                                                    That quote from Hamlet says it best. In other words, we are often judged by our appearance.Whatever colors we choose to wear, in some way reflects our mood and personality. And whether we like it or not, color and clothing speaks volumes (and I mean War and Peace here!) about your individuality. If you are in any way part of or just enjoy the fashion industry you need to know about the philosophy behind colors.

And please if your some self righteous “clothes don’t make me” hippie, I’ll be more than happy to hear your wining. If you like I have a special reply button. Please drag your cursor arrow to the far top right and click on the small red X. There you can tell me all about it. Those individuals are the same ones that would freak out if their doctor came to work in jeans and tee-shirt or their divorce lawyer came to court wearing shorts and a baseball cap! Like it or not we ALL judge others by their appearance. It’s just the mature individuals who, even after misjudging someone will be humble enough to look past what you think to be unacceptable.

I think Elizabeth Stuart Phelps said it best – “The conscience of clean linen, in and of itself, a source of moral strength, second only to that of a clean conscience. A well ironed collar or fresh glove has carried many a man through an emergency in which a wrinkle or a rip would have defeated him.”

So that aside, here are some very basic generalities about colors that will show how, the color that drapes your flesh much of the time, determines your soul.

Red is symbolic of dominance, passion and sensuality. It is a color for the bold and those who love to lead. If you want to make a statement, red is it.

Peach and pinks are more for the cool and mature. You’ll appear fresh and vibrant.

Black, an all time favorite represents power. It is forever a symbol of elegance and grace. This color is synonymous with style. (Ex: black tie event)

White is for those focused on looking neat and clean. It indicates purity, simplicity and is perfect for summer.

Blue is indicative of warmth and trust.

Yellow is the color of energy and beauty. It can convey anxiety and alertness of mind.

Burgundy is indicative of spirituality and its deep, rich color can decide the level of your passion.

Green is the color of nature with its beautiful vegetation. It represents freshness, relaxation and calm.

Brown is classical yet informal styling. It conveys reliability, grounded and trustworthy.

Gray shows you are a neutral, balanced person in life. It looks elegant and is considered to be brainy.

We could make it simple and do as Einstein who had several of the same black suits, this way removing the responsibility. But personally, I want the challenge; of deciding every morning, yes choosing who I want to be for the day. Life is like a play and I want my costume!

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For anyone who thinks that fashion has nothing to do with them, this quote from The Devil Wears Prada is for them.

“This… stuff? Oh… ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean. You’re also blindly unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St. Laurent, wasn’t it, who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff.”

Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep)

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What day makes your heartbeat pound, your blood race and makes you scream like Meg Ryan from “When Harry met Sally”? Your birthday? No. Your wedding? No. The birth of your first born? No. The opening day of Fashion Week!
I think every one of us would sell our soul to have front row tickets to the runways. And why not? The lights, the red carpet, the glamor and Oh god, the shoes!!! Yes! Yes! Yes! (Pause for cigarette)

For all the fashionistas, here are some fun facts you may not know about this most glorious time of the year.

The fashion world becomes unsettled when the Germans begin occupation of France in 1940, buyers, editors, and designers were unable to travel to Paris to see the remaining shows and so NY began its own. Fashion Week (originally called “Press Week”) started 1943 by fashion publicist Elenor Lamber. Elenor wanted to give American designers a chance to showcase their designs and draw attention away from the ever fashion forward Parisian designers. One needs to understand that Fashion Weeks are about dictating trends as much as they are about showcasing the latest goods. There are about 40 fashion weeks are held in different cities around the world every year.

The tour leader is always New York. In 1993, what had previously taken place all over the city was then consolidated into the Bryant Park location called “Seventh on Sixth”. Today its called “Fashion Week” to better describe the scale of the citywide event.
After the start in New York, Fashion Week is then followed by London, Milan and finally Paris even though London is the newest of the four. These four are the largest and most prestigious of all the Fashion Weeks. Each of the main four is known for championing different styles – New York for sportswear; London for edgy, avant-garde design; Milan for its over-the-top, stylish looks; and glorious Paris for haute couture. Each of the “Big Four” holds two shows a year – the fall/winter collections from February and the spring/summer collections from September. The shows are timed ahead of the buying season so that store buyers can place their orders and have them arrive at stores in time for the consumer season. This also gives fashion writers time to rave about the arrival of the seasons must-have items.
Each festival has more than 100 events, including runway shows, charity events, gala dinners and accessory showcases. Bigger names will show during the main week, while smaller and mass labels will show before or after that.

Looking at the fact that the main attraction (the runway) last only 15-20 minutes, it’s amazing that what started as a trade-only event has become one of the most glamorous entertainment and media events, attracting celebrities and socialites from countries across the globe!

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She’s as American as apple pie and international as the air we breathe. She’s started as a blonde but like any fashionista she’s has been every color we could think of. And although she’s adored by young ladies the world over she’s a survivor of our worst nemesis – the aggressive, oversexed teenage testosterone infected homo-sapien. She’s survived GI-JO attacks, disrobing, dismemberment and god knows what else behind bathroom doors but she never gave in! Or should I say we never gave in, since she became small sized inspirations of our imaginations for so many years.

I’m referring to Barbie, the immortal 12 inch time machine. Now here we are again; Fashion Week. But this time something is very different. It’s not just the big name designers and the up-and-coming but our pretty, pleasing polymer friend will have her day on runways across the US. Yes, Barbie turned 50, and she doesn’t look a day over nineteen and even though there’s not enough Botox in Malibu for us to look like that, we’re not jealous. Dior, Versace and Galliano may have to take a back seat to Mattel this year because even though we love fashion who wouldn’t rather be young again?

I feel so fortunate that my daughter and I could be part of this. We had the chance to turn back the dial and travel though 50 years of Americas beautiful Barbie at the Victor Hotel in Miami. Even though I’ve created looks for some great designers this was unique. The show was also a charity benefit for the Celebration Of The Sea Foundation. We all got to hold baby sea turtles and watch beautiful jelly fish change colors under lights. This was unlike any show I’ve worked before.

This past several days in Miami was Swimwear Fashion Week and I was asked to style for the Betty Bangs show. My daughter Monica was also booked for the runway as a model. My friends at of the event coordinators Pearl&Comp were heading the Barbie runway show.

Because of her catlike eyes Monica was asked to be Asian Barbie, so dressed in a stunning red kimono and wide brim straw hat she daintily walked across the red carpet, removed her hat and gracefully bowed. It was perfect as the crowd cheered. Monica told some of the media that when everyone was getting ready they laughed and laughed as they got to see all the different Barbie looks. I think she felt relaxed since there wasn’t the pressure of a big name designer watching over everyone, it was just fun. For me I just kept thinking, how many moms get to be part of something like this with their daughters?

It was a perfect night!

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November 13, Versace history will be made as will present its Spring/Summer 2009 collections at Beijing’s Legation Center, a newly developed luxury corner of the city. This is the venerable design house’s first show in China. The event will benefit the Jet Lie One Foundation, which in coordination with the Red Cross focuses on earthquake relief efforts for children in the Sichuan province. Donatella, Chief Designer & legendary Gianni’s muse, will be on hand to celebrate the event.

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Although a few women look good in any color, most don’t. We all know that special someone that needs a serious “color intervention.” The principles mentioned below are not unique to this blog they are just plain common sense. Unfortunately you just have to walk out side and see that common sense isn’t so common. So here are some questions to ask you’re self.

Blonde
When you were a child, did you have blonde hair? If so then you’ll most likely look great as a blonde now. If you’re light skinned, burn easy and blue or green eyes, I’m sure you’ll look good with blonde hair but you may want to avoid the strawberry shades. Do you have sallow like skin and yellow undertones? Then shy away from deep gold’s.

Brown
Are you the pale skinned? I don’t mean “need a tan pale”; I mean the movie “Powder” kind of pale. If so then stay far away from dark browns! You’ll look sickly, and much older.

Red
What shade of red? Generally any woman can pull off some kind of red; it just depends on the shade. With the new technology, reds that were previously high maintenance now stay bright and beautiful for much longer and don’t wash out like they did before.

Like I said these are simple principles. They are long time tried & true but you don’t have to follow them. Then again don’t be surprised when people snicker as you leave the room. Its not that people are necessarily trying to be cruel it’s just that you’re bucking the laws of color. For example I used to attend chamber luncheons and functions where one young girl, who honestly was very pretty but used to where bright makeup, grandma high arched eyebrows and bleach blonde hair! It was ridiculous. Everyone was nice to her face because she was a sweet person but when she walked out the room you could hear everyone giggle and comment about how she looked. Basically she was described as the “clown.” I tried to help and tactfully suggested she come see me for a free quick makeover, since I felt bad for her. Did she accept? No, she didn’t. You could tell that she loved the way she looked.

Hey, to each their own but sometimes I really wish we could have a type of Betty Ford Clinic for those with CCC disorder, better know as the Colored & Chemically Challenged.

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Ok, you just finished at the salon. You got the perfect cut for your new jeans. After paying the front desk, you’re twitting your friends about where to meet you for lunch. As you walk outside and check out the new do…AHHHHHhhhhhhh! One side is longer than the other and there’s patches missing! It’s nothing like you what you saw in the salon. So you run back in and as you do, you check the cut as the front desk is running to grab the stylist but wait. It’s perfect! You run back outside and yep it’s terrible. Back inside, yep it’s great. What the $#@* is going on?

Although that’s a ridiculous story it basically describes the frustration many colorists and clients have had for years. A client would love the color inside the salon but outside it looked different. The reason is the lighting. For years colorists would have to take the client outside or to a window. But, then there are the rainy days, the cloudy days and what if you’re client has trouble walking or elderly and it’s not easy for them to move much?

Now, that’s all changed. One name leading the way in salon lighting is Minardi Color Perfect Lighting. Beth and Carmine Minardi are two of the biggest names in the beauty industry and have been for many years. Their salon in Manhattan, celebrity clientele, books, DVDs and TV appearances have put them at the top of their game. Beth and Carmine teamed up with ECO-Light to create a lighting system that’s specifically for the salon environment. We installed the lights at Generations Salon to see if it’s all they claim. The results are everything they say and more. The light operates at around 3500 Kelvin (unit of light measurement) this perfect amount is what photographer’s desire. Your eyes, skin and hair look their best at 3500 Kelvin.

Now most color jobs can be perfect the first time without having to move an inch from the chair. Also the light produces much less heat, doesn’t need to be changed for almost 12,000 hrs and all of this benefits our delicate environment.

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