As spring (hopefully*) approaches, it is also time to see the new trends bloom from the minds of designers. These are just a few trends, and my thoughts.
Credit: PopSugar
Gingham: Not the best, not the worst. Gingham was never my favorite pattern. I am Team Houndstooth! Rating: 4/10
Credit: Glamour
Black and White: I am in LOVE with the black/white trend, so I am more than happily going to be wearing this.
Rating: 9/10
Credit: Glamour
All White: Why?! This could not be WORN for 1-2 weeks of every month and girls, you know why... and WHITE IS NOT SLIMMING. Rating: 3/10
Credit: Glamour
FLATS/SANDALS!: Flats are not worthy of my opinion. They are amazing. #werenotworthy Rating: 1,000/10
One of the highlights from Fashion week this year was Kanye West for Adidas, or repetition of clothes I can either find in stores already, or at some porn/sex shop. The neutral jackets, bras, and full-body nylons took over the show
A Highlight of the show.
The show starts out with the picture you see above, people in jackets and nylon bodysuits. The concept is simple, the first line of models walk up, stand there, and walk away. But the show was so repetitive: sweatshirts, jackets, sweatshirt bras, and full body nylons.
Sweatshirt-like bra over a mylon
Some of the many bodysuits from Kanye's collection
Some of the shoes from the collection
Long story short, I didn't like the colleciton. Kanye should not be near fashion. When I saw this, I thought of two men that said a wise quote; "Kanye, Sit Down." Click the link to watch the show.
Yet again, I have another title image contest! These are all of the ones that I made, there are eight. Comment what numbers you like, and if you don't like any, feel free to make an image and email it to me at justateenagefashionista@outlook.com.
I apologize for double-posting, but I've had something on my mind. We are reading the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou for our honors English class and we got into the discussion of "why do women have to cover up to control the thoughts of men?" and the entire #likeagirl campaign by Always.
This is a valid thought... Why do we have to cover up? We are practically the same as men, except we have a different chest and different private parts. Guys can practically where whatever they want and not get yelled at, but as soon as a woman SHOWS A SHOULDER:
ALL hell breaks loose
shit hits the fan
We should be able to wear what we please without fear of hyper-sexualizing or God forbid, rape. Just remember, your mother, aunt, grandmother, and if you have one, sister are the same gender. It's sickening how some women in third world, or the Middle East can't even show their faces or leave the house without a man with them or else THEY'LL DIE. That's right... they'll DIE. I want to live to see the day that women everywhere can be treated like a normal person and not a hormonal, catty prop. I want to live to see the day that catcalling is banished, the shoulders can be free, and the legs can be out without fear of attack.
The #likeagirl campaign is a simple concept. Teenagers get asked to do a simple task "like a girl" (i.e. throw a ball, run) and they would do so as they see fit. Then KIDS were asked to do the same tasks "like a girl."
The teenagers did their tasks lazily and daintily. The kids gave it their all.
Why has this become a stereotype? Girls can be strong, independent elements of society. If a guy says you do something "like a girl," DON'T TAKE THAT! You literally are a girl and can't control that. Guys can control their comments, girls can't control their sexuality.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that girls are pinned down and restricted from everything and a guy can do whatever he pleases with no punishment.
I just needed to get my thoughts out, if you agree, comment, if not, I have no idea.
Over the past year, there have been
many successful trends, and unfortunately, some unsuccessful trends. These are
some of the bad trends, and how to make them right again.
1)Leggings as Pants
a)LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS! People try
to wear leggings as pants and it drives me up the wall because
i)Wedgies
ii)They show off ANY flaws, especially
if they’re light colored
iii)SOMETIMES they’re see through.
b)This handy picture will show you
what looks good when wearing leggings
2)Whale Tail
a)The dreaded whale tail occurs when your
jeans don’t fit well. This is the 1,2 punch of horrible because you get a
buttcrack AND a whale calf surfacing. Whales are cute, just not this kind of
whale…
b)There are a few solutions
i)Don’t wear thongs
(1)Other kinds of underwear are still
available!
(2)VS has no show panties.
ii)Don’t wear low rise jeans
(1)HIGH or at least mid rise jeans are
still stunning if you’re looking for that 50’s vibe.
They can even be modern!
iii)Get your pants fitted properly
iv)Get a longer shirt
3)Visible Boxers (Guys)
a)All I have to say is
i)Get your pants tailored (it’s worth
it)
ii)Buy a belt
iii)Buy smaller pants if you purposely buy large sizes unnecessarily.
b)And you will look so much more put
together!
4)Crop Top and Micromini Skirt
a)This nightmare is incredibly
offensive and trashy. If I can almost see up your top if you lift your arms, it’s
time to get a longer top. Shirts and skirts should not be in competition to see
who can be the shortest.
b)This can go a couple of ways
i)Longer Crop Top
(1)Getting a longer top can still make
you look stunning. Taylor Swift is one person who can tastefully do a longer
crop with a short (NOT MICRO) skirt because she has the legs to back up the
look.
ii)Longer Skirt
(1)Some of us on the other hand don’t
have long legs, which means that we may have to rely on longer skirts. A pencil
skirt would look excellent with a crop top, as well as a maxi for more… fancy… events. Crop Top wedding gowns
are in this season!
5)Bold Leggings
a)Yet again, these should not be worn
as pants! Leggings as pants are okay if they’re a dark color, thick, and
covered properly.
b)A bold print top is the best
solution. After all, what do you see first, the top half of a person or the
bottom half?
6)Big Bows
a)The oversized bows have to go…
sorry!
b)If you want something casual to
wear, put your hair up in a bandana. If it’s somewhere REALLY FANCY you’re
going, maybe a SMALL fascinator would be better.
*And one
actually decent trend*
1.Peplum
a.People need to learn how to wear
peplum properly. As a plus sized
girl, I look to peplum to cover my stomach. Peplum shouldn’t be a 1 inch band,
let it be a helper
These are both bad peplums... sorry! The one on the left would look 50 million times better if the band was just 1/2-1 inch wider. The one on the right is 50 shades of no.
Hi Elena! can you start by telling me a bit about yourself?
I'm goofy and love to laugh, I can be a hot head sometimes, I love animals and the environment and do everything I can in my professional life to be as environmentally conscious as possible. I love avant garde fashion and love creating unique things for clients and the entertainment industry. When did you figure out that you were into fashion design?
As long as I remember. My mom and all the women in my family knitted and always made things for themselves and me and my sister, and that is who I picked it up from at an early age. Since then I had a real interest in it, exploring different paths in fashion as I got older.
Did you design for anyone before PR, if so, who?
I had many celebrity clients before PR and established my own brand. I never worked for another designer after school and just dove in to creating my own brand because I knew exactly what I wanted to do and no other fashion house matched that, so I felt like I would be wasting my time.
What/Who inspires you?
I get a lot of my inspiration from the arts, dancers, opera's and theatre, and also from different cultures. I've always been inspired by scify film and NASA research, and anything that is extraordinary, like deep sea creatures and so on. I like weird and unordinary things, that are not necessarily considered ideal or beautiful, but I find a lot of beauty in them. Who is your favorite designer?
Gareth Pugh, Iris Van Herpen, and Yoshi Yamamoto What is your favorite fabric to work with?
Like we all know well, I love Neoprene, but I also love working with wools and different kinds of athletic fabrics.
Do you have a trademark thing you do with your clothes that makes them say “I AM ELENA!!”?
I think I do, my trademark is my construction, I love unique shapes and style line and I think they are pretty recognizable.
How was your time on Project Runway?
I loved participating on the All-Star season because I felt like the judges were more knowledgeable and respected all of us more than the original season judges.
What was your favorite garment you designed on Project Runway?
I think favorite was the avant-garde look from the All-stars season inspired by insects and the cocktail dress inspired by cocktails.
Do you think you have changed from when you were on Project Runway, if so, how?
I have, but it wasn't due to the show, its because I'm getting older and wiser.
How was it working with Viktoria Modesta?
Viktoria is an amazingly talented lady and very inspirational. When she approached me about using some of my pieces for the video, she showed me the spike prosthetic that they created and I immediately said "I'm in!!!" It was extraordinary and I knew right away this would get a huge response.
Space Opera is coming out soon, do you have a favorite piece from that collection?
I think that this collection every piece is special just because of the time it took to produce. I put my heart and soul in to all the pieces and they were treated like my babies, with some of them taking a week or two to produce. I'm very excited to launch it and I'm working with an amazing production company called Genius Orbit for a fashion film that in my opinion will be ground breaking.
Will the collection be sold to the public, if so, for how much?
No none of the pieces from this collection will be available to the public, only to the film and entertainment industry and possibly some private clients. My pieces usually run from $1k and up depending on the complexity of the garments.
Is there anything going on after Space Opera?
I'm currently working on my new exciting project with a Cirque DuSoleil type production that is on going, and that will be my main focus after the launch. I also hope to score some more opportunities in the film industry, after my major debut in the Hunger Games Mocking Jay film. That was a lot of fun and very challenging, and could not have been more fulfilling than to see your work on the silver screen, so I want to keep moving in to that direction.
Do you have any advice for new designers?
Yes, practice your craft everyday to become a better designer, learn as much as you can, be patient and don't give up, don't take criticism to the heart and believe in yourself and keep going! What is one quote you live by?
Yes! I have a lot of people that always criticize what I do, so my favorite thing to tell them is,
"A tiger doesn't loose sleep over the opinion of sheep"
