The fashion industry employs about 180,000 people in New York City, and the semi-annual fashion weeks in New York are responsible for an $887 million economic impact. In an effort to continue to support and stimulate this industry, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to increase the city's investment from $5 million to $15 million and to expand the reach of Made in NY. Currently a six year old organization, Made in NY provides space, production, and other resources to 35 NY-based designers, allowing them to showcase their collections during the industry's biggest time of year--New York Fashion Week--at no cost. With some of the programs already underway, the initiative will focus on the education of fashion and design, as well as the support of emerging designers and manufacturers. Check out the video for Made in NY below.
fashion
InHerRoughStyle: Cruelty Free Fashion /
Winter is a season where it can be hard to stand out. It’s tough not getting lost in a sea of neutral toned pea coats, infinity scarves, and hats. However, today’s InHerRoughStyle post will show you how to bring some life to your winter wardrobe, and how to change up your typical outerwear.
Faux fur coats and vests have become a major trend this season. I personally am a huge fan because not only are they extremely comfortable, but they can also spice up any outfit in a matter of seconds. In addition, faux fur is cruelty free, so you can still get that glamorous look without harming any animals.
Today’s outfit consists of a light pink faux fur coat. While the color pink isn’t usually associated with winter, the muted tone gives the outfit a pop while still being appropriate for the season. I then paired the coat with a a graphic crew neck, a pair of ripped boyfriend jeans, and black chelsea boots.
Since we'll all be enduring six more weeks of winter, don’t be afraid to rock the faux fur trend in the meantime. Try ditching your North Face and try something that’ll make you feel classy and fabulous. Whether it’s a coat or a vest, anyone can pull it off without having to spend a fortune.
Get some more inspiration here on different ways to wear faux fur!
See you next week!
Lanie
Kanye West Speaks on the Importance of Design /
InTheRough comments on art that is everywhere in our society, be it music, fashion, entertainment, what have you. Our commentary often focuses on the aesthetic, the surface level beauty, the hype, and the culture behind the product highlighted. While we find these aspects interesting and necessary to speak on, time may be better spent examining why the art and why the designs we examine and appreciate are important. At the Daily Front Row's first annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards Kanye West expands upon this thought as he presented Mazdack Rassi with "Fashion Innovator of the Year". Kanye states, "I believe that the world can be changed; the world can be saved through design. Through design, through unselfish design, through unselfish creation." Design has power, power to evoke emotion and conversation that goes a very long way. We see it in sneaker culture today as Nike, Jordan Brand, adidas, New Balance, and Asiscs, just to name a few, at a personal level reach the experiences and lifestyles of people across the globe. Design is a form of self-expression, ask Stéphane Ashpool, who translates his love of basketball played on the blacktops of France into streetwear with Pigalle. Design presents a certain relatability that births narratives and shares stories that cause action. This is so eloquently summarized by Kanye as he says, "Design is the closest to truth, problem solving. Truth is the closest to love. Love is the closest thing to God, and God is love." While colorways, silhouettes, and the pop culture behind art are cool, current, and trendy, they mean nothing without design's holistic authenticity. Watch Kanye's speech at the Daily Front Row's Fashion Los Angeles Awards below.
Chance The Rapper for GQ /
Chance The Rapper begins 2015 prepared to release his debut album, Surf. This means we will be seeing a lot of Chance from now until the project's release date which is still undisclosed. For February GQ has called upon the Chicago Rapper to highlight the function, versatility, and aesthetic of the suede boot saying, "One day soon, winter will end. It always does, remember? And on that day, you will want to throw your snow boots into the back of the closet and switch into these: lightweight springtime suede boots." In the editorial we see Chance looking cooler and dapper than usual, after all it is GQ, sporting boots such as wingtips, desert boots, Chelseas, and work boots emphasizing the many creative options each variation provides. Check out the visuals above and go to GQ's site to see more boot silhouettes from the likes of Timberland, Calvin Klein, and ASOS, as well as read on about the goals for Social Experiment and album talk.
Nike Sportswear White Label Spring 2015 Collection /
Over the weekend Nike released the lookbook for its Spring 2015 Nike Air collection. To catch your eye the lookbook features NBA stars Anthony Davis, Rudy Gay, and James Harden dressed in comfortable tees, hoodies, sweat shorts, tech jackets and more. In the same light, the Swoosh also released its Nike Sportswear White Label Spring collection, which is much more to our liking. While the Nike Air collection is graphic and print heavy, the White Label's delivery takes on a simplistic and functional approach. Provided are only the essential elements, such as t-shirts, crewnecks, Nike's GORE-TEX jacket, and tech pants all to the tune of a black or grey color scheme. The entire Nike Sportswear White Label Spring 2015 collection is available for purchase now at HAVEN.