Lana Del Rey and her collaboration with H&M

Originally Hennes & Mauritz Swedish fashion brand, H&M, simplified for better public perception, has become the number one name in the fast - fashion. The worldwide awareness about the H&M brand was quite rapidly obtained through opening large retail stores placed everywhere on the planet. Today, H&M has something for anybody, women, men, teenagers, children or babies. Essentially, all sections of society can find their soul matched piece of clothing in H&M. The philosophy behind the H&M collections seems to be an innovation and surprise, which added to the impressive sense of speculating the right moment for market domination of the managers, transformed H&M into a fashion giant. The managers from H&M Have been knitting an interesting brand development policy-collaboration or featuring with well known and highly respected names in fashion and style industry. Names like Karl Largefeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Madonna, Roberto Cavalli, Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Lavin, Marni and avant-garde label Maison Martin Margiela are tied with H&M. The inter-brand policy certainly works wonders for H&M.

Lana del Rey for H&M Autumn / Winter  2012

The fall/winter 2012-2013 women's collection has as a front face Lana Del Rey. The collection breathes out retro air through the 60’s inspired models. But who is Lana Del Rey? And why is she a valuable asset for H&M image? In the past, celebrities associated with H&M were worldwide known. But for this collection image selection, H&M shows its capacity of innovation and trend setting icon figure. While her stage name sounds so Spanish high aristocracy, Lana Del Rey is in fact Lizzie Grant, a 26 year old American singer. She searched for her singing talent for quite some time, fighting with drugs and alcohol addiction from early ages.

H&M advertising with Lana del Rey

I have to admit that I never heard of her, until I didn’t see a giant billboard advertising the pink cashmere sweater from the latest H&M winter collection. It stated: ”Lana Del Rey wears pink cashmere sweater by H&M”. So I Googled her and listened some of songs from her latest album, which lead me to think about the “bad girls” with whiskey on their lips and diamantes on their hands. Her languorous style of singing and the 60’s look made me understand why she of all the new young expressive faces, for the H&M collection. She breaks the icon image of traditional fashion model-tall, skinny, XS measures and often blonde. Lana Del Rey was chosen for H&M’s image collection thanks to her mysterious 60’s look. She reminds us of the times when women were divas and never heard of the androgen style.

For this H&M campaign, the hair-style and the make up are essentially specific for Lana Del Rey, but the rest represents an important change of style for her. Aside from some hair accessories, we could say that her outfits are without any color; mainly white and black combinations. The surprise is even bigger since the collection seemed to have been created for Lana exclusively. The pink cashmere, the small cute bows and other retro jewelry are made for her. The look in hips hugging tight leather skinny with pointed toe short boots matched with puffed jacket doesn’t seem like her. I guess H&M was going for contrasting ideologies and styles to reveal the utterly contemporary spirit of this collection. The clothes are great. The design is exquisite. But did Lana Del Rey was the right choice for H&M image? I think they were right on the money with her and she made the difference to accomplish a huge success.     

Famous designers for clothing retailers like Zara, H&M, Mango

For a couple of years street fashion retailers like Zara, H&M and Mango fought for market supremacy with American brands like Gap, Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karen. Two of best selling street fashion retailers are Spanish with similar managing team, but their marketing strategies are much resembling with those from H&M. It is true that the selling numbers were astronomic just by featuring fast fashion campaigns and opening large clothing retail store all over the world, but the rumors of cheap and not so stylish clothing determined the street fashion brand managers to come up with a bold strategy in order to bring the glamour and the style from the haute couture fashion boutiques. They teamed up with famous designers like Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld or Roberto Cavalli. It is easy to understand what the interest was for the street fashion retailers but what about the other party? The famous designers target through their collection mainly the exclusive high fashion slice, so with featuring collection with H&M, Zara or Mango they are given the opportunity to tackle the street fashion section. This way H&M, Zara and Mango collection feature cut price styles seen only in high fashion catwalk with breathtaking speed.

Lanvin for H&M

The Swedish retailer, H&M, seems to have been the one who open the path of famous designers featuring in street fashion collections, in 2004 with world famous Channel designer Karl Lagerfeld. At the time with three minute commercials and giant billboard, the H&M Karl Lagerfeld collection sold out within a day in fashion headquarters like London, Madrid, Milan, Munich and even Channel’s home town Paris. This master market hit showed that a bound between exclusive labeled high fashion and main street style is possible and meat a democratization of street fashion retails. After Karl, next collections from H&M were almost always signed by a famous designer, like Stella McCartney, Lavin, Jimmy Choo for shoes and bags, Marni, Roberto Cavalli, Versace and Madonna. For the last collections, H&M tackles into an avant-garde version for high street fashion style through collaborations with Viktor&Rolf and now Maison Martin Margiela for latest fall 2012 collection. What’s next? Unexpectedly, H&M will go with Anna Delo Russo, the fashion director of Vogue in Japan and will lunch a bohemian chic fashion collection filled with maxi vintage jewelry.

Roberto Cavalli for H&M

Competing closely with H&M, there on the top of best selling clothing retailer, is Spanish brand Zara. From the start, Zara’s collections were very close of the high street fashion idea. Their campaigns are rather discreet and take their bets with controversial figures to advertise their collections. Zara’s has a well established range of basic designers that carried out their collections year after year. Their brand marketing is through almost zero advertising, which has an unusual effect of increased curiosity from the public. At one time Loius Vuitton said that Zara is “possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world”. It is said that it takes Zara only two weeks to lunch a new product, which might be the reason why Zara is the best selling brand in high street fashion.

Karl Lagerfeld for H&M

The other important Spanish street fashion brand is Mango. It could be said that the Spanish version of street fashion retailers Start Wars is given between Zara and Mango. Their designs are much in the same section with similar inspirational motifs. Still, the master hit from Mango came with choosing famous models like the Cruz sisters and now Kate Moss to put their signatures on the exclusive collections. Since 2003 Celestino Garcia is the head designer for Mango and earned the admiration and support of Carolina Herrera and Jean Paul Gaultier.  

Famous stars and their collaborations with brands

The street fashion producers targeting the mass public are brands like H&M, Zara, and Mango. The street fashion style is one for the masses; nobody would wear a Versace gown going to work, which could be the reason why street fashion gained so much popularity. For a couple of years the street fashion was composed of basic casual wear, but for the last campaigns street fashion brands have gained significant sophistication, through famous figures for their advertisement campaigns.

Milla Jovovich for Mango

After they benefited greatly from the declared passion for their clothing of Kate and Pippa Middleton, Zara has taken things to another level. While truly on the ascension among the high street fashion industry, Zara goes with subtle figures for their campaigns, figures that are famous within specific circles. These faces are not so much commercial, but have something unique in their appearance and attitude. Take for example the 2011 winter collection for women, featuring Stella Tenant. Zara promoted that luxurious collection with no fuss, discreetly; no quotes, no comments-and what a sales record it was. For 2012 Zara goes with rather eccentric figures like Cara Delevigne and Dutch model Freja Beha Erichsen. What’s so special about them? Well, Cara has that Woodstock fascinating figure that was used by Viviene Westwood and Channel. So who could street partying wearing TRF Zara collection better than her? On the other hand Freja has just the look for chic boho air of the 2012 winter collection from Zara. Along with her esoteric expression, her dashing body structure, she explains her choices in life through her Zara clothes in bad English with weird French-German accent. It is clearly that Zara aimed successfully for the young precociously matured generation. This channel is followed up by the 2013 spring collection, featuring another Dutch model, the 32-year old Saskia de Brauw. Her rather boyish aspect contrasts with the breezy materials, beautiful light pastel colors and silky silhouettes brought by the Spring-Summer Collection. 

Scarlett Johanson

Miranda Kerr for Mango

Since its beginnings, Mango has made its custom to feature famous models for its campaign images. Models like Milla Jovovich, Lizzy Jagger, Karolina Kurkova, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Inés Sastre, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington , Diane Kruger, Isabelli Fontana and Scarlett Johansson were the images of Mango brand..

Penelope and Monica Cruz campaign for Mango in 2008-2009 seemed to have been the start up for this brand’s ascension. The Spanish sisters look so much alike, even if they are not twins and they broke the European barriers for Mango fashion style promotion. After them Mango’s next great move was choosing Kate Moss as brand ambassador and what a smart move that was. Who could look more dashing in the white tuxedo suit with pants featured in latest 2012 winter collection? But will she remain the brand ambassador and main image figure? For next spring-summer campaign younger model Miranda Kerr will be featured. She’s been a Victoria Secret Angel for some while now with enormous success. It looks like Mango will be taking a turn from the Brit solid style to a naughtier angelic one with Miranda as brand image.

Celebrities and their influence on fashion trends

The contemporary society lies much on the fashion trends flow coming from the celebrities’ direction. Examples like small dogs in big shopper bags, like Paris Hilton first came out, the thick black eye liner make up style like Amy Winehouse and fashion & lifestyle reality show like the Kardashians are just a few that make the point. The power of influence that celebrities have on fashion trends is given by the fashion and style magazines and TV shows. Anything from a public appearance on a festival or award giving event, to coming out from a gym or walking the pet dog is a great opportunity to release fashion style outfits trends. The way that Tom Cruise ex-wife Katie Holmes worn the oversized jeans and large white shirts gave way to the boyfriend style outfit trend.

TV series have great impact on fashion trends and a great example is the delicious Carrie Bradshaw’s story, Sex and the City. Her passion for Jimmy Choo shoes certainly boosted Choo’s selling numbers. Later on, it surfaced that even the actress that embodied Carrie Bradshaw character, Sarah Jessica Parker is herself a declared fanatic over the Jimmy Choo shoes. It’s true that Jimmy Choo’s creations are spectacular, but it wasn’t the actual products that the TV series promoted on, although it was self implied, but the addictive behavior to buy expensive shoes at the time when you can’t afford the energy bill or the rent, as shopping therapy to cure stress. This fashion and lifestyle behavior was and will be the craze of many generations of fashion addicted women. 

Sex and the City with brands like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik

It is only about the clothes and accessories that celebrities wear or promote, but more where they go wearing a particular outfit. So if Blake Lively is spotted wearing stiletto shoes matched with sport suit and vintage hat, it is instantly adopted as going to gym outfit. Another good example would be when Victoria Beckham was seen walking her kids to a playground wearing extremely high heel shoes with Birkin bag and pencil fitted short dress. A little over dresses for such a casual occasion we might say, but these excessive behaviors are in fact those that become fashion trend setters. 

Eva Longoria spottet with a Hermes Birkin bag

Addictions or passions for fashion products, like clothes, shoes or accessories are greatly speculated by the fashion producers. For example, the above mentioned Birkin bag, it is actually an extremely exclusive and expensive line of bag accessories, but gained much popularity even among the middle-classed fashion addicted women. On the same note the Luis Vuiton traveling sets, which are also an expensive traveling carpet bag set lines, were advertised through celebrities spotted, presumed unexpectedly, in airports checking in their luggage. This type of spontaneous advertisement is very dangerously intended to be manipulated by the fashion brands’ managers. Some brands are paying celebrities in the spot light at one given time to wear their products in order to promote them. For example, if Justin Bieber would wear some new unrevealed model of sneakers at a concert, instantly millions of teenagers will go to all means to own such a pair themselves. On the other side, the producer will have pre-launch lists of orders, which actually means guaranteed success of that product. Is this strategy within loyal-competition spirit? Not so much, I would say. It would be fair that celebrities to put their mark on fashion trends through new original take on fashion style.

Vintage Clothing

The fashion style is changing constantly which makes it quite difficult to invent new trends by the minute. Fashion trends come and go, mix and match in surprising ways for the delight of the fashion lovers. Without being too philosophically about the fast changing fashion world, fashion designers seek inspiration in past eras of fashion styles, based on rather practical reasons. The past styles are brought to present with a contemporary mark.

The vintage look in fashion style has been an already established source of inspiration for many designers. Taking a closer look into the etymology of the vintage word, “vint”-20 and “age”, we can easily understand what vintage means-the fashion style trend concordantly with the 1920’s era. Fashion style trending specialists go further and state that vintage style is referring to the period 1920-1960; anything after 1960’s period is considered more like retro. Let’s stop for a minute a clear the vintage vs retro dilemma. Retro stands for anything from past eras-actual items or upgraded styles. So we could conclude for the moment that retro includes vintage, in terms of the fashion trend inspirational era.

Vintage clothing and items are clothing and items for the actual 1920-1960 era, which leads to another clarification that needs to be well understood: commonly we refer to vintage clothing and fashion style with the implied meaning of vintage inspired style. There are not so many people that still wear clothing or other items dating from 1920’s. This principle would go for vintage jewelry and other accessories.

The modern understanding and promotion of vintage look is actually obtained through an assembly of key motifs. My personal number one choice of vintage motif is the lace. The lace material was widely used in the 1920-1960 era for tailoring all types of women's garments: dresses, blouse, skirt, hair and hand accessories, and bags, even insertions for coats, hats and shoes. The fashion designers of the era in-between, or after 1960 until contemporary years, considered lace a sign of opulence, which lead to almost discard it. The lace material owns a unique quality of exposing and covering at the same time. The sensuality of feminine forms is merely implied or suggested, just like in the 1920’s. The lace pieces that are considered vintage are those with baroque imprints, mainly roses, not so much the polka dots printed, as an example of an exception. The romantic and fragile lace seems to never get out of fashion. Some trends are tested repeatedly and re-invented each season to result in a more original, unique and embellished fashion style.

The hottest combination with lace is given by the velvet material. The velvet offers an aristocratic precious look for any type of outfit. The men inspired suits for women with long pants and blazers, if tailored of velvet and combined with transparent tops with lace are bound to remove the rough masculine impression and replace it with one of utterly feminine sensuality.

The vintage look stands not only in clothing with lace and/or velvet motifs, but goes further to the accessories, hair style, make up and even attitude. Vintage lace accessories, like brooches, clutches, small purses or hair bents or the summer gloves with lace and hats are coming back as a strong vintage motif to be matched even with office pieces or smart casual.

Coat trends for winter 2012/13

Winter coats for women have always been a challenge for the designers. The winter is a time when you need to keep warm, but, as a fashionable lady, you won’t make any sacrifice in looking stylish also. So designers seek to create fashionable models of winter coats, keeping in mind the practical use of this clothing item as well. Passing on the cold season brings up a total reorganization of outfits and the coat has an important place in the winter wardrobe, mainly because it will be likely to be worn almost every day.

The fashion winter season of 2012-2013 brings out some new inspiration sources expressions for the top designers. The lines are straighter, the lengths are longer and the volumes are larger. The key word to describe women's coats trends for winter 2012-2013 is volumes. The sleeves are wider, the emphasis on the waist is lower and the length goes maxi long. The inspiration source comes from men trench-coats’ line, the architectural elements for the stand-up collar and wide sleeves and the military motifs like double breasted fastening and the epaulets.

The masculine style

The trench-coats and coats with masculine inspired design is the most highlighted trends in winter 2012-2013 fashion style. The masculine influences are expressed through the lines cut and the nuances of colors used. For some models for winter women's coats there have been preferred prints, or bright colors and pastels (see the Hermes collection of winter women's coats). Still, the majority of masculine inspired coats for women come in neutral colors like black, brown, gray or dark blue. The masculine coat for women owns some important features like big buttons fastening, wide lapels, and flaps over slit pockets and lack of waist belt. This type of coat can be worn over matched outfits or contrasting, extremely feminine, as well.

Masculine-Style Coat

Rounded shoulders coat

The winter fashion season of 2012-2013 has brought up an unexpected taste for exaggerating volumes and motifs. For the women's coats, this trend translates in rounded shoulders, even with a accentuate aspect (see Jil Sanders and Lanvin collections of winter women's coats). The rounded shoulder trend is more versatile and can be implemented regardless of the design cut, the color palette or the details. For some models, the designers find it edgier to accentuate the rounded shoulders motif through geometric prints and overlaying color.

Round Neckline Cream Coat

The no-button coat

One of the edgiest trends for winter coats in fashion season of 2012-2013 is the no-button coat. While in cold season, one could need a buttoned coat. Still, the fashion designers offered the non-buttoned coats as an opportunity to show the outfit underneath, at least as long as the temperature permits it. At the time when the cold weather enforces to close the coat, a stylish belt came in handy (see the Lanvin collection of winter women's coats). The no-buttons models of this winter fashion season come in a wide variety of colors, from pink rose to black.

balenciaga

The oversized coats, along with the retro designs and the neon colored models, which last year were at high rank, are not much in the spotlight this year. But here is a hint on how to reinvent your last season coat: wear a fashionable belt.