Fashion's Gods and Monsters

Imran Amed, Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion. Known for his business savvy and highly economical approach to reporting on the fashion world.

There are the good, the bad and the ugly within every industry, and all have some influence on the progression of that industry. Popular fashion business journal, The Business of Fashion, has released a list of the fashion industry's 500 power players of the game. The list features well-known figures such as Karl Lagerfeld (Creative Director of Chanel and Fendi), Grace Coddington (Creative Director of American Vogue), Alexander Wang (Creative Director of Balenciaga and Alexander Wang) and Anna Dello Russo (Editor at Large of Vogue Japan). 

Grace Coddington, Creative Director of American Vogue. Known for her opulent and highly produced fashion photo shoots which glorify the artistic vision of fashion designers worldwide.

The list comprises categories including models and muses, retailers, executives, designers, and media. Whether these figures have been in the industry for 60, 20 or just 5 years, they have and are the driving fashion force of the world. Obviously, fashion journalists, bloggers and writers have influenced me, and I have listed some of my favourites from the list and why they have done so...

Bill Cunningham

Bill Cunningham brought about the concept of "street style" photography, with his candid yet expertly composed photographs showcasing the multitude of fashionable personalities throughout New York. This modest man lives under the means most fashion industry professionals are given, which makes him more of an inspirational figure to look up to. His dedication to his work is rare to come by, and more so his humble personality. 

Angelo Flaccavento

Angelo Flaccavento is a successful Italian fashion journalist, whose artful writing skills are just as known as his effortlessly rugged yet suave look. His articles focus on fashion as a reflection of the changes within society, in all of its aspects. This unique approach to fashion reporting has made him the go-to guy for a deeper and well-rounded understanding of designers' collections.

Tim Blanks

Mr. Blanks is the Editor of Style.com, one of the world's most reliable fashion resources. This fashion veteran's ability to decipher collections and shows and its underlying meanings are applaudable, indicative of the man's intellectual skills, which granted him entry to university at the age of 15. 

Diane Pernet

Diane Pernet is a figure whose work has unfortunately gone unnoticed outside the world of fashion. Her signature all-black look brings such an aura of mystery around her, most likely a reflection of her modesty about the extraordinary work she does. This self-assured and confident woman was and is the first fashion blogger (for A Shaded View on Fashion) - her work starting the technological wave of journalism in the fashion industry. Not only that, but Diane curates and runs a highly anticipated yearly fashion film festival.

Franca Sozzani

Franca Sozzani is a petite woman with a big opinion. As Editor-in-Chief, Ms. Sozzani brought a renewed political and non-prejudicial perspective of many social classes throughout the pages of Vogue (Vogue Italia). Significant works of hers include "The Black Issue" - an issue of Vogue focused completely on the glorification of black women and their beauty and "Makeover" - an issue of Vogue that stagnates the poisonous trend of plastic surgery. 

Susanna Lau

Susanna Lau, commonly known as Susie Bubble, is an eccentric fashion enthusiast who gained fame with her blog, Style Bubble. Her fashion choices and distinguishable style are reflective of the blog - one of the few that focus on the more outrageous and avant-garde streams of fashion. Some within the industry believe she is the modern, tech-savvy version of style icon, Iris Apfel. 

Jefferson Hack

Mr. Hack is the founder of one of my favourite fashion magazines, Dazed & Confused, which is known for its non-conventional approach to reporting about not only fashion, but all creative industries. Despite the man's highly dapper style, his journalistic work shows a more artistic and cult vision of the world of fashion, which has most likely influenced the modern-day hipster, unbeknownst to members of this subculture. With the addition of Another and Another Man magazines, his expansion into luxury fashion journalism has seen him pour more rebelliousness to the higher ranks of fashion.

Katie Grand

What a coincidence that this incredible woman's surname is Grand, for it truly describes her styling and journalistic work, and not in the sense of luxury but more so imaginativeness. Katie Grand is the Editor-in-Chief of LOVE Magazine, a mecca for avant-garde fashion lovers. The magazine is a wild and free journal documenting the creativeness of designers, artists and the like that borders on the limitless.

TO VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST, HEAD TO WWW.BUSINESSOFFASHION.COM

Images courtesy of Searching for Style, Fresh Wall Street, The Sartorialist, Show Studio, Girl Meets Whirl, Ego Design, Grazia Italy, Purple, Oyster and Blog Diner 

Style on the Streets

Nick Wooster, Creative Director of Menswear for JC Penny

Every September, the world’s fashion elite flock to the fashion capitals of London, New York, Milan and Paris to celebrate their communal passion for fashion curb their eagerness to peruse what designers have conjured up for the new season. Let’s take a look at the best street style shots from this year’s fashion month....

Miroslava Duma, Fashion Writer

Anna Dello Russo, Editor-in-Large of Vogue Japan

Giovanna Battaglia, Editor of L'Uomo Vogue and W Magazine

Hanne Gaby, Model

Candice Lake, Fashion Photographer

Saskia De Brauw, Model

Susie Lau, Blogger for Style Bubble

Images courtesy of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, GQ, StreetFSN

Fashion Month GIFs

Prada

Fashion month brings about many changes within the fashion industry, and most of the time, collections that reflect the ever-changing and evolving design aesthetic of designers and labels. Whatever the month of September brings, the heart of it all is fashion. The non-conventional UK magazine, Dazed & Confused, have uploaded a series of GIFs on their website appropriating a few of the best looks throughout the collections presented throughout the month...

Givenchy 

Chanel

Alexander Wang

Fendi

J.W. Anderson

Proenza Schouler

Confused? I was too. Don't worry, head to Dazed Digital to find out what the hidden meanings behind each are!

Images courtesy of Dazed Digital

Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014

The Dior Greenhouse, the set of the label's Spring/Summer 2014 show

It's time to say goodbye to another busy fashion month, and what a way to do so, with the shocking news that Marc Jacobs will be leaving his position as Creative Director for Louis Vuitton after a 16 year reign of the historical label. Of course, the discreetly artistic show by Chanel, the plastic hat parasols of Chalayan, the surprising turn of aesthetic for Gareth Pugh and Givenchy and the revolutionary, non-conformist sorority style show of Rick Owens topped it off. 

The "runway warriors" at the Rick Owens show

Marc Jacobs at the finale of his last show for Louis Vuitton

Despite the abundance of well-known names and labels showing, there seemed to be an unwelcome bleak streak, which may have been cancelled out by the sudden changes within the fashion industry. Three designers stood out to me, simply because of their abilities to show diversity and renewed skills in design...

Gareth Pugh

I still believe Gareth Pugh's Spring/Summer 2013 collection and show is one of the best I have ever seen produced by a designer - it was a collection born from the scorn and ravages one can experience in life... but this time around it seems the darkness has been averted to a welcome change in aesthetic. A softer silhouette is seen throughout the collection, drawing inspiration from both traditional Asian and Mediterranean attire. The usual harsh colour palette of black, grey and red has now been replaced by one with metallic shades of blue, bright hues of green and even luminous gold. Will Mr. Pugh keep with this new found change in his coming collections? I certainly hope so.

Christian Dior

Raf SImons has well and truly earned his place as the Creative Director of Dior, and there was a feeling that he has decided to show a darker side to the Dior woman. Raf has managed to keep the undoubtedly sophisticated look of Dior, but has tweaked elements to represent his struggle to enmesh into the label - especially the deceivingly friendly florals. The reflective detail is present in every necklace, bangle, pattern or appliqué, being and/or featuring poisonous flora - poison ivy, wisteria or the romantically dangerous rose. The vividness of the collection is undoubtable, but this discreetly dark addition to the garments is what stands out beyond the silhouette, colours and flawless styling.

Givenchy

The ever-rebellious Riccardo Tisci has decided to take a turn of aesthetic for Givenchy. Riccardo Tisci has made himself known via his outlandish injection of youth culture into the historical label, his selection of prints including rottweilers, dobermans, birds of paradise and the cartoon character Bambi, just to name a few, being his signature. But now, he has gone back to the roots of the label and shown his ability to embody and appropriate the distinct aesthetic that gave Givenchy its fame. Of course, he has not done this without twisting the feminine silhouettes with worldly approaches to draping and overlaying in the dresses, a visual story continued from his menswear collection. 

Karl Lagerfeld at the finale of the Chanel Spring/Summer 2014 show

TO VIEW THE COMPLETE COLLECTIONS, HEAD TO FASHIONISING AND NOWFASHION

Images courtesy of Dior, Vancouver Sun, The Business of Fashion and Fashionising

Tales of the Cold

The bitter cold may be a thing of the past here down under, but as the Spring/Summer 2014 collections are being showcased, simultaneously, gear for the long Winter is filling the shelves of stores in the Northern hemisphere. Fendi's new fashion film, named "Neverwinter Tale", is an injection of calm before the cold hits. The slow-motion cinematography of the film manages to emphasize the cuts, details and materials of the individual pieces of the illustrious label's Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear collection. The colour palette of the collection go hand in hand with the visuals of the film, perfectly reflecting the sallow blues of the colder months. Allow the soothing film fill your mind below...

Images courtesy of HipHopPotHead and Selectism

Video courtesy of Highsnobiety