Category Archive: Fashion

Band of Outsiders: This is Not High Fashion

Band of Outsiders is a preppy clothing line. But hold your horses, shouldn't their brand be named something like ‘band of insiders,’ due to the fact that top designers tend to be elitist and make their clothing for the in crowd? After all, fashion is all about setting the standard for what everyone should be wearing.

However, this is not the case for Scott Sternberg’s brand. His company seeks to be something other than fashion. By paying homage to the classic American preppy style, Band of Outsiders doesn’t overtly hit you over the head with flamboyant colors, plunging necklines and big shoulders. Rather, they casually understate their uniqueness through ironic pop culture references that are consciously veiled within their marketing materials and the design of the clothing. Sternberg is the whispering rebel behind this preppy movement and his focus is on a careful hand in the production of his garments. His sardonic vibes have gathered quite a following, including celebrity fans Kirsten Dunst, Aziz Ansari and Karlie Kloss, while obtaining a new idea of preppy.

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Carhartt: Honest Value for an Honest Dollar

Composed of outerwear for women, men and kids the Carhartt brand has been dominating the retail industry for almost 130 years.  They carry something for everyone, including accessories like wallets, gloves, safety glasses, caps and knit hats with many colors to choose from.  They even carry dog beds. With very affordable options, there’s no way a shopper wouldn’t be able to find something they like.

Established in 1889 Carhartt has been able to make a name for themselves.  In 1910, Carhartt was able to expand to multiple cities in the United States as well as Canada and Europe.  Because Carhartt supported the war during international conflict, several facilities were able to create uniforms for the U.S. military during World War I.  Coveralls for soldiers and support personnel were produced along with jungle suits for Marines in the Pacific and workwear for women on the home front entering factories, during World War II.

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Michael Costello: Draping to Perfection

How can anyone forget that stunning dress Beyoncé wore at the 2014 Grammy Awards? She looked absolutely gorgeous in her white lace mermaid styled dress. Her dress had a simple flower design that simultaneously added a layer of sexy to her look by exposing her back and elegantly showing off her beautiful complexion and curvaceous shape. It wasn’t a look that most of us could pull off and it wasn’t a gown that just any designer could put together. This one-of-a-kind look is the work of designer and child prodigy, Michael Costello.

Costello was a contestant on season 8 of the popular design competition show, Project Runway. He was also a finalist on Project Runway’s All-Star Season. Unlike most contestants of competition shows, Costello’s fame has exceeded past 15 minutes. Costello is making his mark in the fashion industry and within the next 10 years it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is ranked with fashion kings such as Donatella Versace, Michael Kors and Giorgio Armani.

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The Vampire’s Wife: Fashion Inspired by Music

If you’re a woman looking for clothes designed to accentuate the female form, Mrs. Susie Cave is someone you should pay attention to. Cave’s collection, The Vampire’s Wife, features many long "flowy" dresses and skirts that emphasize femininity and delicacy. The collection’s name derives from an unfinished novel by Cave’s husband, Nick Cave, front man of the band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The novel details the relationship between a muse and the creative process, Mrs. Cave is a muse for her husband’s writing.

“Nick wrote a book called Vampire’s Wife that, in the end, he decided not to publish. He said: ‘Well, why don’t you use that as the name?’ The book that Nick was writing, it was sort of about me – not exactly me, but about his idea of me. I don’t know if it’s really who I am exactly, but it kind of works,” Susie Cave said in an interview with fashion blog/shopping website Matchesfashion.com.

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Yang Li: Fashion Simile

“Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

-Coco Chanel

Fashion is reflective of life. Fashion Designer Yang Li used his experience skateboarding and playing basketball to create an avenue for his passion. Li is originally from Beijing, but he was raised in Perth, Australia. He credits growing up in the skateboard world as a way to stand out. He used his experience with sports to design a spring 2012 fashion collection.

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