Princess Politics #5

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth, born on April 21, 1926, was the eldest child of King George IV, the Duke of York and his wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Her highness spent her early years in 145 Piccadily, the London house and at White Lodge in Richmond Park. In 1942, Princess Elizabeth was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, and on her sixteenth birthday she carried out her first public engagement, when she inspected the regiment. On 6 February 1952, whilst visiting Kenya, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne. Her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. Her highness was still a princess when she got married to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in November 1947 and are happily married till date. The Queen’s personal relationships with a host of world leaders have been particularly warm and informal, developing friendships with Nelson Mandela, Mary Robinson, and George W. Bush. Despite a number of controversies surrounding the rest of the royal family, particularly throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Queen Elizabeth remains a remarkably uncontroversial and widely respected figure. Her Highness is the second longest serving British monarch and has presided over half a century of continual change both within the Royal Family, Britain and the Commonwealth. Even with her schedule, the Queen never forgets to look like a gem. With a care for co-ordination, she loves to match her outfits from head to gloves. From powdery shades of pink to vibrant shades of blue, Her Highness isn’t afraid to experiment with colours. She also adds spice to her coloured ensemble with quirky hats, bling brooches and fur details. Although round necks and fuchsia pink seem to be the Queen’s favourites, she has branched out to polka-dots, paisley prints and monochrome which she pulls off with grace. Let’s not forget her grand entrance in a head-to-toe sparkle gown at the Royal Albert Hall, London, which obviously shows that the Queen isn’t afraid of going all out.

Princess Politics #4

 Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales, formerly Lady Diana Frances Spencer, was born on 1 July 1961 at Park House near Sandringham, Norfolk. Lady Diana was educated first at a preparatory school, Riddlesworth Hall at Diss, Norfolk, and then in 1974 went as a boarder to West Heath, near Sevenoaks, Kent. At school she showed a particular talent for music, dancing and domestic science and won the school's award for the girl giving maximum help to the school and her schoolfellows. She was born in an aristocrat family and later received the title of “Her Royal Highness Princess Diana of Wales” upon her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981. She is survived by Prince Charles, and her two sons Prince William and Prince Harry. During her life she was often said to be the most photographed person, appearing on the cover of People magazine more than anyone else. She symbolized feminine beauty and glamour. At the same time, she was admired for her ground-breaking charity work; in particular her work with AIDS patients and supporting the campaign for banning landmines. Princess Diana had a penchant for carrying anything quite naturally. From her 25 foot-long trail wedding gown to jeans and sweatshirt at the Guards Polo Club, no matter what Diana wore, she looked like a million bucks.

Princess Politics #3

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was born on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York to father John, a wealthy New York stock broker and mother Janet Bouvier, an accomplished equestrienne of Irish Catholic heritage. Eldest of two, Jackie has a younger sister Caroline Lee Bouvier. Jacqueline enjoyed a privileged childhood of ballet lessons and French lessons from the age of 12. At a dinner party in 1952, Jackie met the dashing young congressman and senator-elect John F Kennedy from Massachusettes who asked her out on a date and they got married a year later on September 12, 1953. In January 1960, during Kennedy’s candidacy for U.S presidency, Jackie worked tirelessly from home due to her pregnancy at the time which prevented her from joining her husband on the campaign trail. In this period she answered letter, gave interviews, taped commercials and wrote a weekly column called “Campaign Wife”. Her mission as the First Lady was to transform the White House into a museum of American history and culture that would inspire patriotism in public service those who visited. The public became enchanted with her simple approach to clothing and beauty and eventually this helped women get out of tight waists and crinolines and into sleek shifts, pillbox hats and a natural approach to makeup that focused on the eyes. Jackie Kennedy brought shift dresses, three-quarter sleeves, jeweled sandals, silk scarves with big sunglasses to the masses that endures strongly up to this day. She showed us that if you’re going to wear white, make it as blinding as possible having the effect of a spotlight on you all the time. Jackie’s buttoned-down sleeveless shirt is such a good alternative to tank tops which we still follow and she made a grand gesture that pink is more powerful than red with diamonds ofcourse. A scarf was an iconic alternative to a ponytail for Jackie. Ever seen an elastic around her wrist? We think not!

Princess Politics #2

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama was born as Michelle LaVaughn Robinson on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in a one bedroom apartment by her father, Fraser Robinson, a city pump operator and a Democratic precinct captain and mother, Marian, a Spiegel’s secretary. She was often mistaken to be her brother Craig as they were 21 months apart in age. Michelle learnt J.D from Harvard Law School in 1988 after which she worked as an associate in a law firm called Sidly Austin in the area for marketing and intellectual property. In 1989, she was assigned as an advisor to Barack Obama who was a summer intern and soon their relationship began. Two years post-dating, the couple got married at Trinity United Church of Christ on October 3, 1992. Michelle Obama first caught the public’s attention while at her husband’s side when he delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 on being elected as U.S Senate from Illinois. In 2007, Michelle helped attend family and campaign obligations and look after their daughters, Malia and Sasha, during Barack Obama’s presidential nomination. It was at the first session of Democratic National Convention in NYC, when Michelle’s fashion was exposed to the national audience when she entered in a pretty pink and gold toile Tracy Reese dress. Following that, she kept surprising us with bold prints and structured silhouettes wearing green-blue Barbara Tfank at a Kids’ “States Dinner” and an embellished J. Mendel jacket on a white pleated dress on her 2nd visit to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Michelle kept the bar up high by wearing floral and color-blocked dresses with pastel cardigans for campaign events, fundraisers and interviews that had us go GUAU!! But when the First Lady wears a Michael Korrs black one-shoulder with a gold Dior belt, an elegant blue Jason Wu dress or a bottle-green Marchesa gown for major formal events, she pulls off to be a hero and a diva, at the same time.

Princess Politics #1

Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, known as Kate, was born on January 9, 1982, in Reading, Berkshire, England. Her parents Michael and Carole Middleton were a pilot and flight attendant respectively. She was the eldest of her siblings which included younger sister Philippa “Pippa” and younger brother James. Kate’s family came from a working-class stock of coal-miners and builders but later found a successful business in a mail-order party goods company eventually making the Middleton family multi-millionaires. During her college time in St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, she was placed in the same dormitory as Prince Williams and they bonded over classes and breakfast together which led to their everlasting relationship.
On April 29, 2011, the couple married at Westminster Abbey in London. Although she caught Prince William’s eye in a see-through dress, her style has evolved for a chic ambassador for British fashion. Late Alexander McQueen seems to be her go-to designer with the lace details and geometric cuts that defines elegance to the ‘e’. For instance, during her pregnancy she managed to look as gorgeous as ever with hues of pink and blue that got our thoughts on the gender of the baby mixed up and let’s not forget the time she rocked an animal print ensemble with her baby bump…très très chic! The arrival of baby Prince George hasn’t altered the Duchess’ style when she is seen in a simple striped tee with jeans at a Polo game on Father’s Day.
Although her highness doesn’t experiment with prints as much as we’d like to see, she goes all out on silhouettes and bold colors with textures which gives brilliant results. When some women only dread to wear, Kate only dares to repeat an outfit twice.

Student Success Stories-Italy

Guau has some news on the latest doings of students from Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design, Florence. Let's see what they are!

This past Sunday, the Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design and Marketing in Florence, Italy held a fashion show. The show included nineteen collections by both Polimoda students and international students from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

The creative, innovative, and well-crafted collections made for a captivating performance, but the show itself was quite original. Rather than being a typical “runway show” with a catwalk, each collection was shown at the same time.

Viewers were invited to walk through seven different rooms, in no particular order. In each room, a group of models would work together to pose and display a collection. Anywhere between one and five collections were shown in each room. Some of the collections had the models posed in a particular order, others had choreographed movement routines, and some collections had models interact with the viewers. The designers all stood nearby their works; some even chose to pose in photographs with their models.

At the end of the show, the viewers were asked to go leave the building and watch as the models for each collection went out onto the veranda and showed the clothing for about thirty seconds each. While each collection was unique, they were all outstanding and inspiring. Some works were quite playful. A menswear collection by Alice Etim featured a 1980s-esque motif of bright lines and patterns on layers of black. Models wore coats, jackets, vests, pants, and shorts. A collection by Andrea Velasco embodied a childlike enthusiasm with its bright colors and harsh pleats. At one point in the show, the models held hands and danced in a circle, as if they were playing a game.

Other collections were more severe. A womenswear collection by Chiara Colzi used a simple black, white and silver palette with sharp edges and straight lines. A collection by Elisa Macri was shown on models posed still as statues on a staircase with strong, solemn facial expressions. The collection was made up of a neutral palette, mostly grays and browns. Many pieces featured large collars and wide skirts. Most of the designers had sturdy sources of inspiration. Chiara Pozzi’s collection was shown in

an important order with the models set in a semi-circle in the back of a room. The first model wore all white. The second wore all white, but the shirt had black lines, as if it was a sheet of drawing paper. The third model’s outfit contained squares of different colors, and each model after had more and more color. Each of the colored pieces was made up of the same motif of colored squares. The squares appeared to be hand-colored as if done with a thin-tipped pen.

Chiara explained that she found inspiration for her collection, titled Color Implant, from her brother. She described her difficulties with coming to terms with her brother’s Downs Syndrome and how the progression of color in the collection mimics the progression of their relationship. The white in the beginning symbolizes the lack of a relationship and each piece with more and more color illustrates how she gained an understanding of her brother and learned how to love him. Chiara explained that the colored squares in her pieces are based off of how her brother draws.

The students of Polimoda and FIT showed a lot of talent and creativity in their collections. Hopefully they will continue to find success so their work can be seen again in the future.

Source (http://www.chaos-mag.com/polimoda-student-fashion-show-florence/)

Christian Pellizari for Giorgio Armani

At the next edition of Milano Moda Uomo (the menswear fashion shows that will take place from June 21 to 24 at Milan Fashion Week), Giorgio Armani will host in the spaces of the Armani/Teatro the runway show of Christian Pellizzari, Polimoda former student and finalist of Who is on Next? Uomo 2013.


“Offering a concrete opportunity for visibility to younger designers is an operation I am really passionate about. I like to discover individual visions and see again that energy which is the motivation for success. The designer I chose for this season is Christian Pellizzari, to whom I wish a brilliant future.” - G.A.

Born in Treviso, Pellizzari is an alumn of the Vionnet team and launched his eponymous menswear line in 2011, adding a women’s range for Spring ’14. He studied in Florence and Paris and mixes tailoring and sportswear, daywear and eveningwear, elegant and laid-back style proposing a formula based on cross-contamination.

As himself states: “I am proud and flattered for having been chosen by an undisputed icon of international fashion like Giorgio Armani. Throughout my career I have always been fascinated by his talent, by his consistency and timeless style. I hope I will be up to the task when I take on the runway at his iconic theater because it will be an important step in my creative and professional path”.

Big congrats to Christian: now his trademark will be added to the ranks of brand sponsored by Armani as part of a larger project that has actually seen on the catwalk like Andrea Pompilio, Stella Jean, Julian Zigerli and Au jour le jour.

Source : (http://www.polimodatalent.com/2014/06/11/christian-pellizzari-for-giorgio-armani/)

Timeless Trendsetter #5

Blake Lively

Blake Lively was born in Los Angeles on august 25, 1987 to talented parents, her father being an actor and director and her mother a talent scout. Besides getting good grades on her coursework in school she was a cheerleader, class president and member of school’s show choir. At a young age of 17, shortly after a couple of auditions, she landed a major role in 2005 blockbuster chick flick “The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants”. In 2007, Blake landed her most famous role as Serena van der Woodson, in tee-drama hit The Gossip Girl which helped her stardom rise to no limit. Lively’s bad-girl-gone-good character in such a fashion-forward show had enormous influence over style trends. Serena is the master of mixing classic pieces with eclectic shapes and textures. Although each character managed to add their own twist to the prep school dress code, Blake took things to another level with her plaid skirts with slouchy cardigans was effortless and fabulous. Remember the white party? In a breathtaking gorgeous Grecian-inspired white maxi-dress with gold cuffs and shoes, Blake looked like a living goddess that had us reaching for ice-water. Later on in the show, Blake transforms to a closet full of classic, bold statement pieces and proved to be a statuesque stunner in her summer in Paris outfit where she wore electric blue pants with a beautiful Pucci jacket and a slouchy white tee (ofcourse). She entered the Met Gala 2014 in a stunning champagne coloured Gucci dressed with sequined embellishments that turned heads with its long trail that fell from the shoulders to the carpet that guided her and husband Ryan into the venue. Blake Lively stole all the attention at the Cannes Festival 2014 in a matching monochrome Gucci outfits with Ryan (1^st day), sexy blood red silk-chiffon Gucci Premiere dress with a geometric neckline (2^nd day) and in an outstanding plunging dress cinched at the waist with a corset-like back from Chanel Spring 2014 Collection (3^rd day). She is L’Oreal Paris’ best beauty ambassador ever! 

Timeless Trendsetters #4

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was born in 1883 in the workhouse in the Loire Valley. Chanel learnt the art of sewing at the orphanage in Aubazine, where she was sent at a young age. It was during her job as a singer in cafes and concert halls that Gabrielle adopted the name Coco by the soldiers who went to watch her. During the 1920s, Coco Chanel became the first designer to create loose women's jerseys, traditionally used for men's underwear which soon became very popular with clients because it created a style for women apart from the stiff corset at the time. Chanel, a style icon herself with her striking bob haircut and tan created a whole new look for women to wear comfortable clothing and a Chanel suit of 1923 is still seen worn by women of younger ages. The carefully chosen perfume, Chanel No. 5, manufactured by her business partner and lover Pierre Wertheimers, has been a popular fragrance around the world ever since. This was followed by Chanel’s signature cardigan jacket and the timeless ‘little black dress’ which is what all women turn to till date. Coco Chanel worked till her death in 1971 and after her death Karl Lagerfeld took charge of her fashion house and has continuously reflected Chanel’s style and attitude in his collection since then. His ability to refer to the Chanel archive for inspiration testifies the importance of Chanel’s contribution to the world of fashion and his loyalty to the designer. 

Timeless Trendsetters #3

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Adams was born on April 17, 1974 in Hertfordshire, England and raised along with her younger sister Louise and brother Christian. Her father, Anthony William Adams was an electronic engineer and mother, Jaqueline Doreen Adams, a former insurance clerk and hairdresser who later developed an electronics wholesale business, which helped Victoria and her siblings with a comfortable upbringing. Victoria’s dream was to be a dancer and singer and she worked towards it at Jason Theatre School and in 1991, she entered Laine Theatre Arts to study dance and modelling. She joined the famous girl band Spice Girls in 1994 who’s first single “Wannabe” became a hit in more than 30 countries. She met David Beckham at a charity football match in 1997 and hit it off instantly which led to their marriage in 1999 at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland. After splitting from the band, Beckham explored her love for fashion and created her line of denims called VB Rocks for the Rock & Republic, which was followed by a launch of sunglasses called dVB Eyewear. She expanded her clothing line to spring dresses and collection of fragrances in 2008 as she wanted to force all her focus on fashion. She has emerged as one of the most unexpected fashion contenders by being the face of Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani underwear line, Marc Jacobs and walking for Roberto Cavalli. She is also the founder of famous lingerie wear Victoria’s Secret and models like Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr are some of the staple models who represent the brand. Victoria Beckham, mother of five, has also become of the biggest fashion icons with her oversized sunglasses and dressed to kill ensembles. She pulls off bandage dresses, A-line silhouettes, structured jackets and slouchy shirts and manages to look gorgeous even while she walks with her kids! And with David, by her side at an event just adds the guau factor, which nobody seems to shake off.

Timeless Trendsetters #2

Audrey Hepburn

Born on 4^th May 1929 to Audrey Kathleen Ruston and John Victor Hepburn-Ruston in Brussels, Belgium, she was the only child. Audrey was and iconic Academy Award-winning actress, fashion model and humanitarian who had trained in ballet since childhood but had to quit due to malnutrition. That was not the end but just the beginning of Audrey Hepburn’s life as she took up acting and rose to her stardom in the film industry. Her bat-wing brows, bright doe eyes, and brightening broad grin, made her a vivacious girl that all men fell for. Her chic cap of dark hair and bangs inspires women even now to line up everywhere for a pixie-cut. Having become Hollywood’s most popular attraction, Audrey co-starred with Fred Astaire in Funny Face, after which Hepburn insisted that the Parisian couturier Hubert de Givenchy design all her film costumes. “His are the only clothes in which I am myself,” she quoted. Later on, fans eagerly looked to Hepburn’s latest films for inspiration, and thumbed magazines for glimpses of her clothes. From black cigarette pants worn with schoolboy pullovers to headscarves worn with oversize sunglasses, the fads she sparked are just too many. But the most famous example of the Audrey Hepburn look is the narrow black satin Givenchy column worn by Holly Golightly, her character in the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s in oversize tortoiseshell sunglasses, a sparkly tiara atop her chignon, black opera gloves and a long cigarette holder complete an ensemble that has become an lasting template for sophistication.

Timeless Trendsetters

#1 Marilyn Monroe

A brunette Norma Jeane Mortenson was born in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926 and spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages. A reader and lover of the classics, she took literature courses at UCLA. When her merchant marine husband, whom she married at 16, was sent to the South Pacific, she worked in a munitions factory in Southern California. A photographer, David Conover, working on a story for Yank magazine on women helping the war effort, photographed the curly-haired brunette assembling an airplane. He referred her to Bill Carroll, who was seeking a "good looking plain jane" for his portfolio. Post that, her modelling career was launched. She then signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox and divorced her husband and Marilyn Monroe, the blonde haired bombshell was born. Monroe had the ability to combine an intense sensuality with a genuine innocence. An image from the movie, The Seven Year Itch, wherein the Hollywood sex symbol is seen in her iconic white halter dress standing over a New York subway grate and sporting the striking bright red pout has been imitated by young girls in Halloween or Theme parties even today and for years to come. Her siren red lips have been the beauty trend of all time and we all have if not many but one signature red lipstick in our case.

White

June: Article Of The Month

The color white might be a snowy hue but it is our go-to color in the summer. Designers like Donna Karen, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana and Hermès are in love with the minimalistic color this season and sent their models in shirt-dresses, button-down shirts, trousers etc. We have always turned to black as our go-to color for any event and that is about to change. White is here to stay and be your companion for as long as you shall live! This trend isn’t restricted to just apparel, the beauty industry is going all out with white liner and nails because, let’s face it, no outfit is perfect without them!

You can wear a pretty blouse with, for an example, an A-line skirt to give a dress like illusion and throw in some gold cuffs to spice it up. For every day wear, stick to basic white tees/shirts with denim shorts paired with sneakers or dresses with flats to help complete your errands in style. If trousers are more your style then go ahead with a floral top and a tan bag to give it that edge.

Yes, white is risky because of the transparency and maintenance, but what is fashion without risks. This ‘less is more’ trend is so easy to assemble and is a hall pass for wearing white on white. Try experimenting with different textures and hues, you’d be surprised how gorgeous it looks. There are minimal chances of going wrong with white as the color complements all body types therefore it is a classic choice for everyone. If you think white is not for you, think again!