Designer Turns Leftovers into Clothing Props

Boiled rice, vegetable and pasta soup are some of the elements that Hoyan used in his latest collection, called ' Bio-Trimmings ' (Bio-Embellishments) which Hong Kong-Transforms leftovers into clothing details is the best of the new collection of fashion designer Hoyan Ip already exposed this year in Europe.

Buttons, buckles, handbags or collars for shirts are part of the collection of English Designer, who works with food scraps that she asks for her family and friends for weeks before starting their production process. The foods undergo a process of dehydration, then covered with a kind of resin and are placed into mounds with the desired shapes, and then return to be dehydrated.

Hoyan proposals is to not only innovative, but aims to boost positive change, in this case, the way we think about food and our eating habits" – she emphasized.
"Food waste generates an economic and environmental problem which we should all blame us.  My intention-continues-is to establish a connection between the food and the fashion industry” - says the young woman.

Always questioning what the future holds for this industry, in which nothing is new, since trends are copied season after season, more and more emerging designers and more pieces on the market. With the idea of turning the fashion world in a more sustainable and ethical business, Hoyan began experimenting with food in 2010 while studying a master's degree in London.

At the time, the creator wanted to establish whether the use of food waste would devalue their products or would add an ethical value in awareness about waste and food shortages.

Last year, after spending several months in her kitchen to desiccate, stitching and blending foods that debris had collapsed and arrived at the secret recipe to transform these wastes in durable materials to use for the fashion industry. From this was born, the collection ' Bio-' Ornaments, which last year was released in London fashion week. Oh I wish I was there…

Now, their sketches crossed borders and was exposed in a Hong Kong shopping mall until last February 24 2013 celebrating the Chinese New Year. After testing dozens of foods, Hoyan came to the conclusion that those rich in carbohydrates and the Chinese food work best.
But in English collections are also used seeds, vegetables and sauces that once submitted her ' secret recipes ', retained their natural color.

Despite admitting that her kitchen-which has turned into a factory of food waste during the nine months that tried to reach the strong odors exuded-technique, the end result is odorless products that, in addition, have the added value of being biodegradable. “The quality and texture of the food is what make the details such as buttons, resemble”, explains the designer.

Now, the next step for Hoyan is to achieve a waterproof coating to protect them from moisture.
"I hope to be able to further develop this technique, that part of the idea of replacing the standard metal and plastic adornments which are not only expensive to produce, but also generate environmental impact", concludes.

Well, I personally believe that this is a very risky business development but extremely interesting! I will definitely bring more news on this topic, stay tuned… After all we all would be interested in how to transform our left over food into fashion, W-O-W!!!

H&M Doing 2013 Summer Beyoncé Style

The Queen Bee of hip-hop, Beyoncé, was recently ringing in the impending summer while glamming it up on the beaches of the Bahamas; however, this shoot wasn’t for a music video but rather for her new fashion collaboration with H&M. “Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter in H&M” will be the brands new face for Summer 2013, as the print and outdoor ads will read. Although making the commercial sure didn’t feel like so, even Beyoncé says herself, “It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial."

Not only will Beyoncé be the new face for H&M but she also had a great influence on the clothing designs.  The line will embody a lot of her strong spirit, in that it will “explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements – fire, water, earth and wind,” she says. Some of the items, a sun dress, body-con dress, fringe bikini, are very flirtatious yet empowering in their sex appeal.

Photographers, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, shot the ad campaign at the beautiful locals of Nassau, Bahamas. The commercial, which was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, also features Beyoncé’s new song “Standing on the Sun.”

The only available photo there is so far of the ad campaign is Beyoncé lounging in what looks like a beige silk sleeveless body suit with patterned high wasted shorts, red flower adorned sandals and an arm full of gold bangles. The rest of the line seems to consist of dresses, swimwear, and other breezy and sensual summer attire. 

 “I’ve always liked H&M’s focus on fun and affordable fashion,” says Beyoncé.  I agree, the retailer always has great affordable fashion, so I can’t wait to check out the new line when it is released this May.

Givenchy 2013

A bit of Fashion History - “Givenchy”

One of my favorite designers of all times: Hubert de Givenchy, Aquarius born on February 21, 1927 in Beauvais, France. A fashion designer and aristocrat, he opened his fashion house in 1952. His work was famously worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Jacqueline Kennedy and Grace Kelly were also on his client list. Givenchy retired in 1995.

The designer's statuesque height - he was 6' 6" - made an immediate impression on Paris, where he soon made a name for himself as a talent to watch. -  “His is the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality," Hubert de Givenchy's muse Audrey Hepburn said of the designer.

Givenchy first met his iconic muse, Audrey Hepburn, in 1953, in a romantic twist of fate that rivals any of her films. He had in fact been expecting Katharine as the Mademoiselle Hepburn he was to dress for the forthcoming picture Sabrina. Audrey is said to have arrived in a tied-up T-shirt, tight trousers, sandals and a gondolier's hat on the day that sparked the beginning of a 40-year friendship.

In the words of Hepburn, Givenchy to her was more than a couturier, and indeed she to him far more than a muse. Theirs was a relationship not only of professional advantages, as they propelled one another into the royalty of their respective worlds, but one of deep and long-lasting affection, that would continue for more than forty years.

Givenchy's name and legacy have been synonymous with Parisian chic for more than 50 years. Givenchy sold his label in 1988, and retired seven years later, only to watch his former business go from strength to strength under some of the industry's most exciting designers; from John Galliano, to Alexander McQueen, to Riccardo Tisci. Loved by some of the most iconic stars of the 20th Century - from Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and Wallis Simpson, to his most famous muse Audrey Hepburn

In 1952, he established his couture house, la Maison Givenchy, launching his debut separates collection of light floor-length skirts and stunning blouses including the feted Bettina Blouse, named after model of the day Bettina Graziani. Two years later in 1954, Givenchy became the first couturier to present a luxury ready-to-wear line.

He inherited his design philosophy of simplicity from his friend, idol and mentor, Cristóbal Balenciaga. "Balenciaga was my religion," he told WWD in 2007. "There's Balenciaga, and the good Lord."

Givenchy went on to design the actress' personal ensembles, as well as those made famous by her in timeless films such as Funny Face, Sabrina, and of course Breakfast at Tiffany's."The little black dress is the hardest thing to realize," he told the Independent in an interview in 2010, "because you must keep it simple

1957 saw the launch of one of Givenchy's most influential designs, the "sack" silhouette. Revolutionary for its time, the sack dress abandoned form and waistline, and in its place offered mystery surrounding the female body beneath. Givenchy also encouraged women to show more of their legs during the day with raised hemlines, and in this movement he became a predecessor of the one of the most influential decades in fashion, the Sixties.

Now in his Eighties, Givenchy - who lives in a country estate Le Jonchet just outside of Paris - has all but removed himself from the fashion world, emerging only occasionally for brief interviews or rare public talks. He does occasionally comment on key fashion moments, and earlier this year described Kate Middleton's choice of  former Givenchy designer Alexander McQueen's label for her wedding dress as "a lovely thought, a nice tribute" following McQueen's untimely death in February 2010.

We miss you Givenchy and all of your amazing creations and epic taste!!!

Grandma’s Cable Knit

Knit-wear. We all have it...
It’s that lumpy, multicolored crocheted sweater hanging in the far reaches of your closet. It’s the one we rarely wear. But why? Is it because of the underwhelming weight of knitted sweaters? Or is it perhaps that they’re deemed repulsive by the general public? Knit-wear has popped up all over the runway for spring collections. It is making a stance as both chic, effortless, and comfortable. This is not the first time knit-wear has sprung into spring collections, though. Throughout the 1990’s, knit-wear was common in couture, and this time is no different. Designers are highlighting the various uses of stitches, as well as cheerful spring colors. Some examples of the most popular stitches would be wale, purl, cables, and right and left plaited stitches. Ordinarily, wale stitches are knitted in the same order in every row, and the wales of the fabric run both parallel and vertically along the fabric. However, this need not be so.

The order in which stitches are knitted may also be permuted so that wales cross over one another, forming a singular cable pattern. Cables patterns tend to draw the fabric together, making it denser and less elastic, and this is why your cable knit sweater isn’t worn often; it’s heavy. Yet, cable knit continues to be the favored knit of choice by designers. They choose cable knit both for its simplicity, but also for the durability.

Lets talk spring color. While we expected to see bright hues, and luxurious patterns for the collections of spring 2013, we didn’t expect the use of technicolor. Bright tones were thrown together with mixed patterns that created something very bold. What also stood out to me, was the use of soft, luxurious navy blues. Navy you say? Yes, NAVY. I readily wondered how could this be? Navy is often used in winter collections, but the saturation is dummed down. For spring 2013, this was not the case. Navy blues were bright, extravagant, and worked flawlessly on blazers. They also functioned beautifully as a casual chino, or a simple spring skirt. I am in love with these bright navy blues for spring 2013!

 Here’s what I recommend: Go out, and find that heavy, complex knit sweater, and throw it on top of a pair of jeans, or spring shorts. Once that is accomplished, seek out a navy that talks to you. I believe that navy is an up and coming spring color that has turned out way better that I anticipated. But, there are numerous spring colors to choose from. Trending 2013 colors are bold and bright. Another color that jumps out at me is bright yellow, almost neon like. This color works under a navy blazer to work, or perhaps on a blouse out to a club. Though we have been rather lucky with the sunshine this winter, spring is right around the corner. Get ready!