Tokyo Fashion Week | Fashion Week Online®

Meet Roberta Whitney, of RAW Talent

New York

Chris Collie

September 1, 2015

by Chris Collie, NY Senior Editorial Director

When modeling agencies are searching for the next “it” girl or guy, they sometimes refer to the process as “searching for raw talent.” Well a 20-year veteran in the modeling, fashion and beauty industry has taken the phrase “raw talent” a step further.

Roberta Whitney, after an extremely successful career as model — in which she has graced the pages of such publication heavyweights as ELLE and Cosmopolitan — founded RAW Talent, a premium beauty, fashion and etiquette coaching boutique. With its location in Central London within the private membership club The Library, the boutique offers a bespoke program to suit a woman or man’s needs in regard to, as they refer to it, “The Art of Social Grace.”

This unique coaching curriculum involves three primary focuses: beauty; personal fashion/character; and social decorum. Each specific area of the coaching within the boutique has a significant purpose behind it.

The Beauty Regime

Proven methods used by professional beauticians from global publications, franchise beauty photographers and celebrity make-up artists, who along with Roberta have developed an in-depth knowledge of using different shades and hues to best suit different skin tones and personalities.

Personal Fashion/Character Development

Each participant within the boutique goes through a personal character assessment matched with fashion trend extrapolation methods to ensure each candidate, no matter what their personal style, will attain a chic look to complement their fashion taste and body type. Roberta — having worn countless designer clothes in her work as a model — has developed a trademarked methodology for success in this area for her participants.

Social Decorum

Revolutionary methods focus on the development of the participant’s character and social skills. Not your average everyday “etiquette” classes, methods have been updated to work in the social media-driven we live in. Roberta is also careful to ensure the participants’ character growth outside of technology and social media, for the purposes of face-to-face conversation, networking and securing career positions for those who want a polished individual for their brand.

I was lucky enough to speak with Roberta Whitney, owner of RAW Talent.

Q: What inspired you to create RAW Talent?

I was inspired to create RAW after being asked over and over to help or advise people — or their children — on the modeling industry. RAW talent was born from the belief that everybody has raw talent, and helping unlock that talent and assisting people in the positive projection of self, whether in social or business environments, is my passion.

RAW talent was born from the belief that everybody has raw talent.

Q: Do you see beauty, fashion, and etiquette coaching as a necessity for today’s growing tweens, teenagers and young adults, as a way to instill confidence in them?

Yes I do. I’m inspired to create a place where positive values can be reintroduced, and confidence inspired. My aim is to enhance people’s ability to be positive and effective in their lives. Self-belief is crucial to instill in young people.

My aim is to enhance people’s ability to be positive and effective in their lives.

Q: With the increased use of technology in our society, is this boutique a way to bring back the art of social ease and face-to-face interpersonal skills, as well as conversation?

Technology is evolving at an alarming rate, and we can’t slow that process down. RAW Talent will create a platform where individuals can connect, meet industry professionals, and network in a safe space. In 2016 we plan to host networking events regularly, as we believe personal interaction is key, so that people can use some of the skills they’ve acquired through RAW Talent.

RAW Talent will create a platform where individuals can network in a safe space.

Q: With your background in modeling, are you going to teach your students the pitfalls and traps of not being balanced?

Yes, absolutely. My experience as a model has led me to create this agency. I can give people the inside scoop in the industry. Advising and supporting students on their journey — and how they can lead a positive professional life, as well as a balanced personal life — is key.

Q: What’s the selection process for the students of the boutique?

I believe we are all beautiful in our own unique way. RAW Talent is not focused on physical beauty alone, so anyone is welcome to train with me. Students who may not have conventional model potential will be advised on other modeling options, e.g.: commercial, hair, hand, or foot modeling, etc. We’re also committed to offering a limited number of scholarship,s to ensure that a range of people with varying economic circumstances get the opportunity to work with us.

Q: What do you feel the “art of social grace” is, in your opinion?

In my opinion there is an art to social grace. This translates across how you carry yourself, your energy, body language, and eye contact.

Q: How did you develop the curriculum for the boutique?

The curriculum has been developed by months of research and years of experience in the industry, and our commitment to helping people lead healthier and happier lives by living out their dreams is what we do well — and what we love.

Q: What is the ultimate goal of the RAW Talent boutique?

The ultimate goal of RAW Talent is to become synonymous with quality fashion and beauty training, and success. Giorgio Armani said, “The difference between style and fashion is quality.” I really believe it’s important to make a positive first impression … but it’s even more important to make a positive, lasting impression. And that’s RAW Talent’s goal.

It’s even more important to make a positive, lasting impression.

I want to thank Roberta Whitney for taking the time to speak with me while in London. For more information regarding the RAW Talent Boutique, email: info@rawtalentuk.com.

Roslyn Griner: Bringing Plus-Size Glam to New York Fashion Week

Interviews

Chris Collie

August 31, 2015

Roslyn Griner: Bringing Plus-Size Glam to New York Fashion Week

Roslyn Griner:
Fashion Ticket

Plus One

FWO Influencers Presents: Roslyn Griner, vice president of marketing & visual display at Addition Elle

By Chris Collie

There’s a revolution going on in the plus-size market, whether you’ve been following it or not. The question is simple: Why can’t curvy-lined girls get the same clothes their straighter-lined counterparts can? One of the leaders of this new “fashion democracy” has been Addition Elle, with campaigns spearheaded by their VP, Roslyn Griner.

Their New York Fashion Week show, AG Lingerie “Black Orchid” Collection, will be held September 15 at 11 AM. Look for a new collection at Lord and Taylor Fifth Avenue, debuting September 16.

Q: What was the actual turning point that inspired your venture into fashion marketing and product development in the plus-size market?

To be honest, it was kind of an accident. I mean I’ve spent most of my career in beauty. I was actually working in New York just before I started this venture into retail. A headhunter called me and said, “Hey, would you be interested in interviewing for this position?” I’d never considered retail, to be quite honest, and plus retail wasn’t anything that really came to mind. But I remember going to the stores and being really depressed by just how awful it was in terms of the shopping environment for plus sized.

I was really depressed by the plus-size department.

And I thought, “If it was me, and I was plus-sized, would I tolerate it?”

I always love a challenge. I think when you put yourself in the position of the end consumer you’re trying to service, you end up really going in the right direction. And I think it’s because I wanted a challenge, and it was something completely different, and it was a bit disenfranchised from cosmetics. So I thought, “Hey I can try this.” And I love it. I love the feedback I get from our customers in our stores. We’re having a real impact and changing the dialogue.

Q: I can completely agree. I have some plus-size friends who have that complaint all the time. They say, “It seems like they’re just giving us clothes to put on, not clothes to actually feel good in. Just clothes to cover our bodies.”

Absolutely.

Q: Now the plus-size market is exploding. What has been one of the biggest challenges your team has had to overcome?

It’s been really simple. Customers are frustrated, saying: “Why is there no fashion democracy? Why can’t I get the same clothes that I see my non-curvy friends buying at H & M?”

They want to know, “Why can’t I get the same clothes that I see at H & M?”

Why can’t I get clothes that look like that in my size?

So our vision statement for Addition Elle became, “We want to deliver fashion democracy, where style isn’t limited by size.”

And that was the insight that really drove the reinvention of our chain. It changed the way the merchants thought about the products. The other insight is that the fashion world has neglected plus size, and plus-sized people don’t see themselves being represented in Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar, or any magazine for that matter.

We want to deliver fashion democracy, where style isn’t limited by size.

So we wanted to create a very editorial style of photography, and portray our customer in a very inspirational way, as much as if it belonged in Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. And those two insights started to change the destiny of our company.

We started to think about creating brands. For example, what if we want to create a brand like Top Shop? What would that look like? And that’s what the “Love & Legend Collection” is.

The fashion world has neglected plus size.

Q: I’m glad you touched on that. The landing page of Addition Elle looks editorial; like you pulled the photos straight from a magazine, and that is very, very new in the plus-size market. It shows you can be whatever size, and still have that glamour and elegance. What do you feel has been the most comprehensive campaign roll-out you’ve worked on? And which campaign you do you feel pushed the envelope the most?

I think the most challenging thing has been to start rolling out into new markets. We’re going to be launching at Lord and Taylor on Fifth Avenue on September 16th.

Q: I’m sitting right across the street from Lord and Taylor right now.

What I really admire about Lord and Taylor is they really want to reinvent the shopping experience for plus, and they feel like none of the department stores are addressing it in a really beautiful, fashionable way. When you go to Bloomingdale’s what do you think of as the most contemporary floor? It’s the second floor, right? They have a cool, contemporary department, and you find all of the cool, contemporary brands there.

Lord and Taylor really wants to reinvent the shopping experience for plus.

But when you go to plus, everything is very misty, it’s very old fashioned. It feels like it’s basically directed at a woman who’s seventy-five years old.

The plus-size market is lacking a contemporary floor in department stores with that same energy. And no department store has been providing that energy.

So Lord and Taylor approached us and said, “We want to carry your brand, and we want to create a new contemporary floor in the process, especially with the departure of Jones of New York.” They said, “We want to fill that gap for the customer that they’re only finding online, because they can’t find it in stores anymore.” And it’s really the truth. And that’s the reason why so many younger plus-sized consumers have turned to the Internet to do their shopping, because they don’t find themselves represented in a brick and mortar store.

So many younger plus-sized consumers have turned to the Internet, away from brick and mortar./blockquote>

We feel like this is a great opportunity. But in terms of campaigns, I’m going to say it was a turning point when we signed Ashley Graham.

We said, “We’re going to do Victoria’s Secret even sexier than Victoria’s Secret.” And if you look at our video campaigns, it’s way sexier than even Victoria’s Secret.

We said, “We’re going to do Victoria Secret even sexier than Victoria’s Secret.”

I think the thing that turned it was the movie Fifty Shades of Grey. Last February, when I saw that Fifty Shades of Grey was going to launch, I had this idea. I said, “We’re going to merge reality and retail into this concept.” So I basically created a cinema campaign that was integrated into the pre-roll of the actual movie, and it ran just before the movie started.

We created a cinema campaign that was integrated into the pre-roll of Fifty Shades of Grey.

We created a video that mirrored the story line: like “girl meets guy,” fantasy sequel ensues, and then hot sex and magic. It was actually so hot that Google didn’t even want to run it. When we were going to advertise on YouTube, we had to have to have a Parental Guidance notice.

It was actually so hot, Google didn’t want to run it.

It was cool. And actually made me like it even better, because I said I’m not editing my content. And that last campaign I just did for YouTube, again was disallowed because there’s a part of the campaign where Ashley is topless, and she dropped her bra, and again we’re pushing the envelope of what is considered to be acceptable.

We’re pushing the envelope of what is considered to be acceptable. And the girls love it.

We want to push it because we see that they love it. The girls are just loving these campaigns; they’re loving that they’re being portrayed. It’s interesting that Lane Bryant ran the campaign “I’m no angel.” But yes you are, you are an angel! You’re hot, you’re sexy, and we’re going to represent you. And that’s when we came up with the mantra, and the hashtag, “#IAmSizeSexy.”

That’s when we came up with the hashtag, “#IAmSizeSexy.”

And it’s also inclusive, because you could be size 2 and be size sexy, and be size 22 and be size sexy. So it doesn’t feel like it singles anyone out. I think really the whole point of plus-size marketing is to be inclusive not exclusive.

Q: I thought the “I Am Size Sexy” campaign was really brilliant, because it covers all shapes and sizes.

Every size is beautiful. No size is more beautiful than another. And again, if your mission statement as a brand is to be about fashion democracy, you can’t say you’re better than anybody else.

Q: Walk me through the thought process behind “I Am Size Sexy.”

We were in a photo studio shooting Ashley for a denim campaign, and I said, “Ashley, take your top off” — as I usually say in photography — “I think you are just so sexy.” And she says, “I am size sexy.”

And so we sort of created the hashtag and plastered it all over the photo when we posted it on Instagram, and it went viral.

#IAmSizeSexy just went viral.

And then we said, “You know what, this is a great hashtag.” It’s not just limited to lingerie. We use it for clothing as well. We actually challenge girls to post their pics and tag it, “#IAmSizeSexy.”

And it also helps that Ashley uses the hashtag, we have other girls using it, and we even sell a t-shirt right now that says “I Am Size Sexy,” and we’re seeing girls posting pics on our Instagram account.

So we’re constantly using it. But I think what has really rallied people around our Instagram account is we love that everybody posts. We love our “Fans Fridays,” where we post customer pics. We have fans around the world for our brands that probably never would have heard about Additional Elle if it wasn’t for our Instagram account.

Q: It’s all very relatable to the everyday person. They get to see behind the illusion of the world being perfect. They get to see the day-to-day. And it lets them fall in love with the brand more.

I definitely think our strongest asset right now is that the engagement of our customers with our brand is so strong. If you look at our social media director Jennifer Patterson, she’s a plus herself, and she posts pics of what she wears to work every day. And she’s become a personality that our customers and our our fans relate to. She interacts with them. We were one of the first brands really to portray a fashion image on Instagram in plus. We’re also on Snapchat. We’re also doing Periscope during the runway show.

We’re also doing Periscope during the runway show.

So we’re a very social brand. I think if you want to really connect with your customer, you have to be. That’s the dialogue you have every single day with your customer, asking her, “What do you like?” I post a lot of pictures when we’re shooting our campaigns, far in advance of when I’m going to actually release them. Because I want to get input from our customers: “What do you think of this dress that’s for holiday? Do you love to hate it?” And sometimes when I see there are a lot of “likes,” I actually go back to the merchants and say, “You’d better increase quantities, because they love this dress.”

Sometimes when I see a lot of “likes,” I actually go back to the merchants and say, “You’d better increase quantities.”

Q: For the future, what do you see in the next five years in terms of the growth of the brand?

I want to be a global brand, and I actually think that one of the big opportunities to counter Victoria’s Secret, which doesn’t want to venture into plus size, is department stores have to break the rules.

Department stores have to break the rules.

You know how department stores are bringing in retail brands outside of their own brand? If you go to Bloomingdale’s you’ll see an All-Saints installation, or TopShop in Nordstrom. I really believe that that’s the future of retail in department stores.

I really believe that that’s the future of retail in department stores.

We’re very selective about our partners. Because we want to have partners that are going to have the same vision of where we want to take plus size. Eventually I’d love to global stores of Addition Elle — standalone brick and mortar stores — everywhere in the world.

I feel like our concept is just so relatable, and it’s so transportable, because really deep down, all women feel the same. They all love fashion. All girls love fashion. It’s in our D.N.A. So I think what we’re delivering is a concept that every girl can relate to, and I think we need to bring that really great in-store experience to department stores.

Really deep down, all women feel the same. They all love fashion.

We’re doing that with the Lord and Taylor for clothing. We launched Ashley Graham Lingerie with Nordstrom. We’re opening two stores as a test in October. I know we’re going to do amazingly online. It’s been performing even better than expected. So our partners are very excited by the performance of it. So it bodes very well.

As for the runway show, it was really important for me not show at Plus Size Fashion Week, but to be in real fashion week. This is really going to break the boundaries.

The runway show Sept. 15 is really going to break the boundaries.

Q: I’m looking forward to it!

##

Addition Elle Presents Fall/Holiday 2015 RTW and AG Lingerie “Black Orchid” Collection> on September 15 at 11:00 am.

AdditionElle.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

With love,

FWO

See the rest of Chris Collie’s series, FWO Influencers, at FashionWeekOnline.com/INFLUENCERS.

How Did David Manning Turn KIA Style360 into One of NYFW’s Hottest Tickets?

Interviews
New York

Chris Collie

August 27, 2015

How Did David Manning Turn KIA Style360 into One of NYFW’s Hottest Tickets?

David Manning:
Creating NYFW’s

A-List

FWO Influencers Presents: David Manning, owner of KIA STYLE360

By Chris Collie

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 18: David Manning visits the WireImage portrait studio at the Tribeca Film Festival Films "About Alex," "Gabriel," & "Match" Tribeca Press Day At The Carlton Hotel Hosted With Fiji Water And Dobel Tequilaon April 18, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Concordia/WireImage) — NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 18: David Manning visits the WireImage portrait studio at the Tribeca Film Festival Films “About Alex,” “Gabriel,” & “Match” Tribeca Press Day At The Carlton Hotel Hosted With Fiji Water And Dobel Tequilaon April 18, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Concordia/WireImage)

How did David Manning transform a PR company into one of NYFW’s most high-profile showcases? One thing’s certain: As a platform for some of today’s top designers — and now thanks to a new sponsorship with KIA — Style360 is driving New York Fashion Week like never before.
[portfolio_slideshow id=6762 align=center width=599 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]

As the latest installment in Chris Collie’s FWO Influencers, Chris speaks with KIA STYLE360’s creator, David Manning (also president of A-List Communications).
Q: I always like to go back to the beginning. You attended the University of Vermont as an economics major. What was the inspiration to get into sports and entertainment, and then create a branding agency?

I grew up in Boston, which is more of a financial town. I always had that upbringing too, so I thought I was going to become this business, e-con type person. That’s what I studied in school. Then when I get out of school and got my first job, I realized I hated it.

When I got my first e-com job, I realized I hated it.

I play guitar, so I’ve always had a passion for music. And I’d always taken the advice to heart, “Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” So I pursued that, and got a job in the music industry, and kind of got exposed to the marketing and sponsorship side of the business. It was a great fit for my business acumen and love for entertainment and music, so I just followed that career path., through several companies. The first company was the company that actually produces the New Orleans Jazz Fest and Newport Jazz Festival and things like that. I ended up being the vice president of marketing for Clear Channel Entertainment, which is now Live Nation, the concert company.

Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

And then I decided to take a chance and start an agency with a few folks, then I sold out of that and started A-List Communications. So when the music industry did kind of a little downturn, I got exposed to some marketing opportunities with some other brands, particularly Premiere Magazine, which at the time was the #1 consumer film magazine, and that opened us up to a lot of opportunities with film.

We started working with Hollywood studios and doing film premieres and parties; Sundance and Toronto film festival activations. We started building a lot of brand marketing and event opportunities with that magazine. They were owned by Hachette Filipacchi, and they loved the programs so much that they introduced us to Elle magazine.

They loved the programs so much that they introduced us to Elle magazine.

They said, “Hey, can you build something for Elle in a similar fashion?” And we did. We built a program called “Style Lounge,” which is kind of what we have now, only on a smaller level. And then we changed the name around 4 years later when all these “gifting lounges” started to appear.

We didn’t want to be perceived as a gifting lounge, so we changed it to “Style360” because our premise is that we’re sort of 360 degrees of promotion marketing during fashion week.

Our premise is that we’re 360 degrees of promotion marketing during fashion week.

So we changed the name and evolved from there.

Q: In terms of fashion, how did you conceptualize Style360? How did it go from a marketing company to actually introducing new collections? Was that always the intent, or did that come about more organically? Because a lot of big names are now showing at Style360.

I think we just kind of saw an opportunity in the marketplace. When we came out, it was all about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the tents. There weren’t a lot of other opportunities [for designers] unless you were producing your own show. And as you know, even if you’re an established designer, or a newer designer producing your own show, between the lighting and casting agents and everything you have to do, it’s easily a 6-figure proposition.

When we came out, it was all about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. There weren’t a lot of other opportunities [for designers] unless you were producing your own show.

And the offerings at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week were great in the industry, but they weren’t that discounted. You were paying anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 just for a venue, then you still had to bring in your hair and makeup, and other things like that. So it was still a pretty expensive proposition.

Producing a fashion show was easily a 6-figure proposition.

So we just saw an opportunity in the marketplace and said, “Let’s create an opportunity where a lot of the production is already absorbed: the hair, makeup and lighting. We’ll bring in partners and sponsors that are organic to the initiative, from photography and camera companies and automobiles, to online and media companies.”

We were partnered with Elle at the time. And everyone was able to contribute to the mission of co-promotion, to make the events as big as they could be, at the same time subsidizing the cost of entry for the designers. We thought, “Let’s do this and see what happens.”

We thought, “Let’s create an opportunity where a lot of the production is already absorbed, and see what happens.”

And we found there was a great opportunity for us to come in, and we did. And we found there were a lot of celebrities coming out with their own lines, with a very busy schedule. And they really needed an offering where someone could handhold them through the process, take on a lot of the production work, so they could come in really focused on the collection.

We found there were a lot of celebrities coming out with their own lines.

Q: Well there’s proof that it works. What is this, your 11th year? How has A-List Communications grown with the evolution of Style360, now KIA Style360?

Yep, 11 years! The program gives us some credibility when speaking about fashion. We get the opportunity to come to the table to speak with great brands like HSN, for example, which is how the Serena Williams Collection came about. And that leads to other opportunities. We also have culinary offerings, thanks to our partnership with Wolfgang Puck, and other areas. And that allows us to grow into other areas.

The KIA partnership, for example, involved creating a program for them sponsoring at Sundance Film Festival. And the big success there allowed us to involve them in Style360.

Q: So as it’s grown into a mainstay of New York Fashion Week culture, have you become more hands-on, or stepped back to be involved exclusively in the creative side, leaving the day-to-day to others? And what do you plan to do to make it even bigger, if that’s your goal?

Actually, the bigger it gets, the more day-to-day I am, because fashion is a very specific conversation to have with brands, with designers. It’s all about brand image, so that’s a very difficult thing to pass off.

It’s all about brand image.

So I’m very involved, though obviously it takes a big team to pull it off. I have a lot of great people under me making it happen. But my job remains pretty much the same, and maybe more so, in terms of picking the designers, curating the show, developing the sponsorship relations, designing the new KIA Style360 logo, which is something that I worked on with my designers … so yes, very involved with all those specific nuances. And of course growing the team, choosing the team members underneath me.

Fashion’s a great space, but it’s a busy space, too. It’s a lot of work, but the great thing about fashion is that everyone’s so passionate about it. It’s about a vision that everybody has. So it’s a nice thing to be part of.

It’s a lot of work, but the great thing about fashion is that everyone’s so passionate about it.

Q: How do you choose the designers for Style360? Can people submit, or do you target certain designers? What’s the process?

It’s a little bit of both. But for us to keep it manageable and on budget, we have a specific process. We usually have a couple of celebrity designer brands, plus some established or growing fashion designers, like Raul Penaranda, for example. And a couple of mainstream designers showing within that as well.

We try to use that formula so it’s a good mix every season. A little bit of something for the fashion community, something from the pop culture side; from celebrity to emerging designers with a strong buzz. We want people who have a good following and who can generate some excitement and buzz themselves.

With the opportunities we’re seeing with New York Fashion Week, our next evolution will be to expand.

To your question about how we’re evolving, we’ve had this formula of 6-8 shows, but with the opportunities and the shift that we’re seeing, and the opportunities opening up in general with New York Fashion Week, I think our next evolution will be expanding the days, so we can accept and host more designers, which will make the process of people submitting to us more amenable.

Q: That would be huge. Because I know there are so many designers out there, especially emerging designers, and producers, who would love to have a shot at working with Style360. What kind of advice would you have for emerging producers, who’d like to to show they can help you produce a show. Is there any specific formula or thing you look for when looking for producers to help you with the shows? Are there any emerging producers you have your eye on? Or do you mainly promote in-house?

Producers usually come with the designers, but [when looking] I would say success and track record. You don’t have to have produced 100 shows, but if you’ve done a couple shows that have proven successful, that’s definitely something we have an eye on, and can kind of bring you on the team.

We also want to make it the designer’s show, too, so they definitely have a lot of latitude to produce their own show within the space, and work with the people they usually work with. They’re not necessarily utilizing my team every time. We’re there if they need us.

The designer has a lot of latitude to produce their own show within the space.

Q: From the time you started A-List Communications and Style360 until now, would you say you’ve achieved all you set out to do, or are there still things you want to achieve?

It’s been a long, great road, and there’s a lot more to come. I don’t think we’ve even come close to where I would like to be. I think the fashion community is a very tight-knit community. My goal, at the end of the day, is to be fully embraced by all parties, and seen as one of the hubs of New York Fashion Week.

And the next step will be extending the days, so we have more opportunities for more designers.

What celebrities and designers will be at year’s event? Visit KIA STYLE360 at Style360NYFW.com.

Follow @nyfwstyle360
Twitter | Instagram
With love,

FWO

Where Are People Talking Most This Fashion Week?

FWO

August 14, 2015

Where Are People Talking Most This Fashion Week?

Where’s the buzz greatest around fashion week? (And which fashion weeks are most popular where?)

Find out, with this handy-dandy 7-day hashtag map, updating in real time!

Just point at different parts of the world to see where — and what — the buzz is!

(Powered by Wayin.)

Shopping: DVF Secret Agent and Karlie Kloss Forever

Lifestyle

FWO

August 14, 2015

Shopping: DVF Secret Agent and Karlie Kloss Forever

What could be better than good-vibe, fashion week stars like DVF and Karlie Kloss?

Answer: Both of them together, in one playful project. Enjoy this new shopping collection, featuring items from the new “DVF: Secret Agent” collection, plus some jeans from the “Karlie Kloss Forever” collection from Frame Denim.

With love,

FWO

Karlie Kloss Stars in DVF: Secret Agent

Lifestyle

FWO

August 12, 2015

Karlie Kloss and
Diane von Fürstenberg:
“Double O”
Stylish.

DVF and Karlie Kloss Release DVF: Secret Agent

by Chris Collie, New York Editor

Consider this a love letter of sorts. A warm breeze on a summer day. The smell of cookies baking. Good times with friends and family. These are the feelings that Karlie Kloss and Diane von Furstenberg summon up.

They’re special in that way. There’s a warmth and a love that radiates from them; a down-to-earthness that makes the fashion business a little brighter and better for their presence.

The smell of cookies baking.

Ego has no place in their combined universe — their energy is spent on an effusion of good vibes directed toward others — and that makes their world a very special place to live.

So, needless to say, we were very excited to hear about the new Fall 2015 Collection campaign, featuring a short film by Polish-born photographer Peter Lindbergh, called DVF: Secret Agent.

Needless to say, we were pretty excited to hear about DVF: Secret Agent.

The focus of the campaign is the uber-customizable DVF Secret Agent handbag.

According to Diane von Fürstenberg: “The DVF Secret Agent bag, and the character Karlie plays, are really metaphors for the DVF woman. She is a businesswoman, a mother, a lover, a friend. She is always on-the-go. Now we have created the ultimate accomplice for every facet of the life she lives fully.”

She is a businesswoman, a mother, a lover, a friend.

The multi-dimensional quality of the bag is aptly reflected in the choice of Karlie Kloss as model, who’s known for bringing sizzle, sexuality and Swan Lake-intensity to her runway and editorial appearances, even as she’s known for creating baked goods for charity and supporting young women in learning to code.

The multi-dimensional quality of the bag is aptly reflected in the choice of Karlie Kloss as model.

Back in 1972, the young Austrian Princess von Furstenberg poses in a traditional dirndl at Hubertushof in Austria.

And it goes without saying that Diane von Furstenberg, herself, has led an über-multi-faceted life, which has included life as an Austrian princess, Studio 54 attendee, friend to Andy Warhol, creator of the wrap dress — most importantly, as she’s known to say — wife and mother.

But beyond the shape-shifting and role-playing, the video exhibits another hallmark of both the DVF and Karlie Kloss “brands.” It’s playful, fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The film was created with New York based creative agency Laird + Partners and styled by Edward Enninful.

“Effortless, sexy and on-the-go, [the DVF woman, as portrayed by Karlie Kloss] transitions seamlessly from day to night with the help of a handsome accomplice, her multi-faceted DVF Secret Agent bag, and a series of standout looks from the Fall 2015 Seduction collection.”

See the collection here. Enjoy!

FWO

Ensar Oud: The Man Who Brought Oud to the West

Interviews
Lifestyle

Pablo Starr

August 5, 2015

Interview with Ensar Oud: The Man Who Brought Oud to the West

Possibly all geniuses are obsessives. “Obsessive. Opinionated. Poetic.” These are just a few words that would fall short of describing the breathtaking devotion of Ensar Oud to his craft.

(Please note: We’re reprinting this interview from 2011 as a complement to our interview with one of our favorite master perfumers, Kilian Hennessy. And for yet another obsessive artisan — of a very different variety — see our interview with the irascible Brent Black.)

"Oud Royale" - $6,999 (3 ml.) No longer available. — “Oud Royale” – $6,999 (3 ml.) No longer available.

In the beautiful case of Ensar, the obsession is oud oil, a substance distilled from agarwood. Agarwood is a dark aromatic resin that forms on evergreen trees in Southeast Asia. It’s also endangered, one of the complex scents on earth, and — not surprisingly, as a result — one of the most expensive materials in the world.

Oud is one of the complex scents on earth.

Oud’s cultural and religious significance stretches back time immemorial: it appears in the Vedas, the works of Wa Zhen of the Eastern Wu Dynasty, and the Sahih Muslim.

A number of modern fragrances attempt to synthesize some of the notes of oud; and some of these, I confess, I like. But nothing prepares you for the complexities of the real thing, which can contain notes of everything from peanut butter to mint, to animal, all in the same whiff.

In the end, your nose will educate you profoundly. In the end, it really depends on the purity of your own understanding and heart. — Ensar Oud

Among purveyors of Agarwood, Ensar Oud stands at the forefront, with one of the most storied histories, hands-on productions and the most expensive collection for sale (with 29-year-old “Oud Royale” at the pinnacle for $6,999).*

His surprisingly personal and honest blog details his journeys: India, Burma, Borneo, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia and beyond. The funny thing is how much it really reads like a spiritual quest.

Q: How long have you been in the oud “business” (or maybe it’s more of a calling)? How did you get started in scent in general, and oud in particular? How has it been catching on in the West?

I contracted my oud craving back when I started attending the mystical gatherings of the Sufis. They’d always have these little stalls at the “bazaar” section, where all sorts of Sufi goods would be on offer, among them little greasy vials of oil called “oud.” Most of them nameless oils obtained from nameless sources. But the scent had its appeal.

I contracted my oud craving back when I started attending the mystical gatherings of the Sufis

Being somewhat of a snob by nature who could never be pleased with anything but the finest quality in all things, I started looking for higher and higher quality oils. The quest, needless to say, was extremely difficult.

Believe it or not, as recently as 2004 there was almost no awareness of oud in the West. Far from the fad it has now become, most folks did not even know oud existed. I packed my bags and started looking around the Gulf, initially, for the “perfume of the sultans and rulers of the Eastern lands”.

Believe it or not, as recently as 2004 there was almost no awareness of oud in the West.

This led nowhere, and all I ended up with was a collection of DOP-laced oils similar to the offerings of the major oud companies from the Gulf: Arabian Oud, Abdul Samad al Qurashi, Al Haramain, etc. These companies openly mix their oils. I’ve visited their factories in the UAE, met the staff, the chemists, and the “artisans” as some rookie internet entrepreneurs like to call them. There was nothing artisanal about it is all I can say, and I was grossly disappointed.

Heading to Amman to live by my Sheikh in early 2005, the Sheikh ordered me to travel to the Far East in quest of oud. “I want you to bring me back the finest oud oils in the world,” the Sheikh ordered me. The story is re-told in my blog.

in early 2005, the Sheikh ordered me to travel to the Far East in quest of oud. “I want you to bring me back the finest oud oils in the world.”

With his blessing, and by the grace of God, we were able to fool certain Quixotic souls into the profitless venture of distilling artisanal oud oil for us. Not caring about the costs, the potential major losses if the distillations went bad, we soon ended up with oils that are to this date referred to as Oud Legends by fellow distillers, collectors, entrepreneurs, what have you: Kyara LTD, Borneo 3000, Royal Kinam, Borneo 4000. And the list went on.

How has it been catching on in the West? That is a funny question. And I crack up as I say this, because now everyone, including previous customers of Ensar Oud, have launched their own website, with their own “Beginner’s Guide,” “Starter’s Guide,” “Oud Guide,” Oud Regions, Origins, what have you; and everything else as we had it arranged on our old site.

Everyone now distills oils worthy of the title Oud Royale [an extremely famous Ensar Oud Legend]; and recently someone even juiced an “LTD” oil. No doubt, everyone is now a purveyor of “the highest quality oud oils in the world” in his own right.

I recall a poem by W.B. Yeats titled “To A Poet, Who Would Have Me Praise Certain Bad Poets, Imitators Of His And Mine.” It goes something like this:

You say, as I have often given tongue
In praise of what another’s said or sung,
‘Twere politic to do the like by these;
But was there ever dog that praised his fleas?

So in short, oud’s been catching on, that’s for sure. Needless to say, what money-driven exploits do is water down the meaning of the word “oud” in the West as it was watered down long ago in the East, where it no longer stands for the pure essential oil of the Aquilaria tree but for a mere scent family. “Oud” scented tissue papers are readily available in the supermarkets of Amman.

“Oud” scented tissue papers are readily available in the supermarkets of Amman.

Ever smelled “musk” hand lotion at your local pharmacy? How much genuine deer musk would you guess is in there? Well … that’s how much oud is in most “oud” fragrances being mass-marketed at present.

Q: You’ve been all over the world in search of oud. What drives you? What has been your most memorable experience?

This oil has a soul. It has the power to transcend the senses and put you in touch with a higher reality most people seldom get to experience, entrapped as they are in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Some meditate. Others do yoga. Others do drugs. Others dance. Yet others wear Oud Nuh. The spiritual pull is something very palpable and unmistakable in our oils.

This oil has a soul. It has the power to transcend the senses and put you in touch with a higher reality.

I’ve always wanted to go to Laos, and produce the foulest, most fecal specimens of oud the world has ever smelled. For some reason, I’ve never made it. While the appeal of “oud” has caught on in the West, the appeal of the “fecal” varieties of Assam and other types of Indo-Chinese oils has yet to develop.

Q: The search of oud seems like a developed intuition. What kind of climate is ideal? How do you know when you’re on the right track?

The extremely moist, tropical climates of Assam, Indochina and Indonesia are ideal for producing oud. While almost all over Indochina wild oud has been harvested to extinction, there are certain areas of Assam, Borneo and Papua that still produce wild agarwood. I have absolutely no interest in the cultivated varieties of agarwood. I’ve always meant to write an article to explain the differences, just never got to it.

Q: Very generally speaking, how do ouds differ from region to region?

The same way teas differ from climate to climate, so do ouds.

Each climate is unique, each soil has a different mineral content, the water used to treat the wood differs in each jungle; these are all factors that contribute to the different aromas of oud oils. Most importantly though, different species of oud trees grow in different jungles. This is the most significant factor that dictates the differences between each region’s juice.

Different species of oud trees grow in different jungles.

Q: You work hands-on with numerous distillers, and you have a reputation for being stringent and exacting. What sorts of things do you require from your distillers that are usually neglected?

For one, I demand that incense quality oud be used in the distillation of the oils. This will automatically disqualify most distillers. Many have even thought I was playing a practical joke when I presented this demand to them.

Secondly, I don’t want the oil to be “pasteurized and homogenized” as it is for distribution to the Gulf market and other Internet retailers. I want each batch to be labelled individually so I can study the different factors that went into the distillation and see the impact they carry on the resulting oil. Another distiller got into a mix-up with his brother when he tried to implement this for my sake. Now, thankfully, we have our own still in each distillery, and our oils are distilled separately from other suppliers’.

Q: It’s been said that one way to get in touch with the spiritual is through the senses. Although the senses are usually thought of as a “lower” faculty, in a way they can be said to be closer to the holy or spiritual because they are untainted by the vagaries of our mind, and a direct connection to the world as created by the Creator. Perhaps, as a sincere appreciation of the world as it is, they can be said to be an expression of gratitude, and thus a kind of prayer. Do you believe this? Or perhaps, what do you see as the connection between the olfactory and the spiritual?

With heart and soul, yes, that is exactly what I believe! You have summarized the spiritual journey most eloquently in your question, my friend. In our spiritual tradition, fragrance is perhaps the only material thing that carries a significance so great wearing it is considered an act of worship.

In our spiritual tradition, fragrance is perhaps the only material thing that carries a significance so great wearing it is considered an act of worship.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say, “Beloved to me from your world are women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer.” If you study that statement closely, you’ll quickly realize the only material “thing” he really loved from the world was perfume. Women are people, one’s spiritual as well as physical partners and companions. And the prayer is an action, not a material “thing.” So perfume was the only worldly possession that the most spiritual of men was fond of. That says a lot.

Perfume was the only worldly possession that the most spiritual of men was fond of.

Fragrant greetings to you Pablo. Please do keep in touch.

(*Note: Most products from the original interview are no longer available. And the state of oud, as predicted by Ensar, has changed considerably as well. For current products and information updates, please visit EnsarOud.com.)

With love,

FWO

Wayin: Giving Social Media a Makeover

FWO

August 3, 2015

Wayin: A Cutting-Edge Accessory for Fashion-Forward Brands

These days, social media touches every aspect of our online experience. But as user-friendly as the front-end of sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook has become (or tried to), the analytical side has traditionally left much to be desired. Until now.

Wayin has helped clients from Nike to Teen Vogue to track and create real-time experiences for their social media followings. “Visualizations” allow companies to track real-time trends in social media in ways that are user-friendly, even fun, for statistical analysis and interaction with core customers.

Wayin helps clients track real-time trends in social media in ways that are user-friendly, even fun

We like it so much, we’ve been using it this fashion week to give our readers a taste of what’s happening, from street style to notifications about real-time runway live streams.

It’s almost eerily simple to use.

For example, a short code snippet produces this “Collage” visualization:

(The above is an interactive, real-time example.)

And if you want to see how other fashion outlets are using it, take a look at this recent contest created for Teen Vogue:

But the metrics go further than accumulations of pictures from Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The interface allows you to find out where buzz is being generated, and display it as a “Heat Map” visualization to team-members, or your readers, for a fun overview.

Your readers can point at different parts of the world to see where — and what — the buzz is happening. In the real-time example below, we’re curious to know which fashion week is most popular where, based on hashtag usage.

The colors of the map below will actually change as we pass through each fashion week, with different concentrations as different times.

The colors of the map below will actually change as we pass through each fashion week.

(The above is an interactive, real-time example.)

What about polls and contests? Are people more excited about Paris and New York fashion week, for example? Why not have them vote, with a “Tilt” visualization?

They can vote, with a “Tilt” visualization.

(This is an interactive, real-time example.)

Why not create a contest centered around your visitors’ (or customers’) social media interaction with you? The possibilities are vast, and you explore even more visualization here.

But what is Wayin, and how did it come about?

scott-mcnealy-wayin-sun Co-founded by Scott McNealy, the former Sun Microsystems CEO and co-founder, Wayin is led by key Sun Microsystems alumni, as well as top digital and media industry veterans.

“It’s thrilling to see how Fashion Week is using the power of social display to maximize exposure of this week’s shows,” said Jordan Slabaugh, VP of Marketing, Wayin. “What was once an exclusive event for fashion’s most elite is now an engaging experience that fashion lovers everywhere can take part in. With a real-time look at the hottest trends and designers, a whole new circle of consumers can get a front row seat and instantly share in the excitement.”

It’s thrilling to see how Fashion Week is using the power of social display to maximize exposure of this week’s shows.

Wayin is based in Denver with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Japan, Brazil and Hong Kong.

For more information, to go wayin.com, and follow them @wayin.

Lyz Olko Exclusive Collaboration with Curve New York

New York

Chris Collie

July 24, 2015

Lyz Olko Exclusive Collaboration with Curve New York

Lyz Olko and Curve: New York State of Mind

Story by Chris Collie, New York Editor

Nestled between Noho/Soho is a beautifully decorated boutique that mixes modern luxury with contemporary chic.

Curve boutique encompasses a true melting pot of glam, statement piece, casual chic and RTW designed for the modern woman who loves to diversify her style while remaining ever true to fashionable self expression.

Already a mainstay in Los Angeles, Malibu, New York, San Francisco and Miami, Curve boutique introduces their new exclusive collaboration with designer Lyz Olko, known for her Obesity + Speed collection.

Curve boutique introduces their new exclusive collaboration with designer Lyz Olko, known for her Obesity + Speed collection.

Entering the posh boutique filled with mirrors, metal and chic architecture, my eyes are drawn to three well-merchandised mannequins showcasing the new Lyz Olko collection. First, a rustic denim-on-denim ensemble with a graphic tee to finish off the look. Next, a cotton candy, pink-colored graphic tee paired with a velvet flower-print, front-zipper skirt. And finally, a beautiful blazer in the same flower print, outlined with deep black lapels paired with a rich black graphic tee and deep-blue distressed jeans.

[portfolio_slideshow id=63606 align=center width=575 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]

While perusing the collection, I had a chance to speak with the owner of Curve boutique, Nevena Borissova regarding the collaboration with Lyz, and the feel of the collection.

I had a chance to speak with the owner of Curve boutique, Nevena Borissova.

Nevena took me through the collection and explained how it involved redone distressed denim, an infusion of army-green button-down shirts and jackets, and the use of tattoo-like pins placed strategically on pieces. Other parts of the collection included sweatshirts showcasing distressed sleeves and powerful quotes centered as the eye-catcher.

The collection is aptly titled “Back to the Land.” Nevena went on to discuss how Lyz Olko’s collection would be merchandised with the other high-profile collections such as Balmain, Nina Ricci and Alexander McQueen.

The collection is aptly titled “Back to the Land.”

Shop the new Lyz Olko collection exclusively at Curve boutique, located in the heart of Noho/Soho in Manhattan, New York.

But we recommend hurrying. From the looks of the launch — and the eager crowd that filled the store — the Lyz Olko collection may not be in stock for long.

FWO

New York Fashion Week: Men’s – Recap

New York

Chris Collie

July 18, 2015

New York Fashion Week: Men’s Recap

Story by Chris Collie, New York Editor

July 13, 2016 9:00 am, Monday morning — the first day of New York Fashion Week Men’s — and I’m ready to embark on my first ever “men’s fashion week.”

Having covered and attended many New York Fashion Week: Women’s shows in the past (the shows referred to as “MB Fashion Week New York” until very recently), it was only right that my first experience of any “men’s fashion week” would begin here in New York. (Such menswear shows already existing in London, Milan and Paris.)

However, on Day 1, the feeling I have isn’t the same. I feel uncertainty — the nervousness of being a newbie within this sector of fashion. But I’m still excited to start my “freshman year” of covering and observing New York Fashion Week: Men’s.

The feeling I usually experience on Day 1 isn’t the same.

Day 1

First Stop:

Industria Studios for NYMD presented by Cadillac

As I approach the entrance of Industria Studios — and the crowd of attendees gathering in front — excitement quickly overtakes my nervousness.

It’s the anticipation of viewing new collections before they enter the stores and are available for public consumption. This first day is all “presentations,” which I sometimes prefer. Presentations differ from runway shows in a few aspects: no seats; no runways; no models using their best walk to show how the garments move while being worn.

It’s the anticipation of viewing new collections before they enter the stores.

But the benefits of a presentation include the ability to be up close and personal with the fabric and garments for observation, feeling the quality of the craftsmanship and rich colors used in bold statements of style. They also allow for great pictures of the pieces, having time to set your shot and capture the angle you want.

Presentations differ from runway shows in a few aspects.

The morning presentations were as follows:

CADET

Cadet definitely paid tribute to the U.S. Army

by debuting their S/S16 collection with an assortment of paratrooper looks in tank tops, trench jackets (short), vests and shorts, making use of natural color tones such as rustic blue, olive green, concrete gray and tan.

I loved watching Steven Kolb, president of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) go through each selection and really observe the work. It showed he still cared about the new collections being presented, and his eye is not yet jaded by viewing tons of collections prior to New York Fashion Week: Men’s.

I loved watching Steven Kolb go through each selection.

BOYSWEAR

Boyswear’s spring/summer 2016 collection was titled “The Manson Family Singers”

and “colorful” would be an understatement. Though I did like the play on colors and some great prints overall, it took on a very California vibe, which I am sure will resonate internationally. However, I can see taking pieces from other collections in your ensemble and adding a great splash of color with the Boyswear SS16 collection.

I can see adding a great splash of color with the Boyswear SS16 collection.

CWST

CWST’s presentation included blue, black, and gray tones.

Linen blazers, tank tops, loosely woven shirts and a variety of tops were featured. However, the hit of the presentation for me was what the two designers described as “future seersucker”: a new way for a suit to be worn for the casual chic in all of us

The hit of the presentation was “future seersucker.”

GARCIAVELEZ

GarciaVelez, having worked at such famed design houses as Alexander McQueen,
brought us the “Lucent Stasis” collection, which included inspiration from exploring the ideas of reflecting, concealing, diffusing and capturing the qualities of light. “I wanted to experiment with how to suspend the temporal quality of light within the garment,” said designer Carlos Garciavelez. “The challenge for me was to capture a finite quality of an incandescent source, and how that relates to the human body.” The collection utilized the fluorescent blue lights within the background, giving way to beautiful, sophisticated casual chic wear.

I wanted to experiment with how to suspend the temporal quality of light within the garment

David Hart

This collection literally needed to be viewed in person to truly appreciate the geometric prints
and pastel colors inspired by the Bauhaus textiles of Annie Albers and Gunta Stolz. Styled to perfection and perfectly constructed, this was last on the tour of five presentations but definitely not least.

… geometric prints and pastel colors inspired by Bauhaus textiles …

Day 2

Public School

Public School NYC have been on fire racking up awards

for their men’s and women’s collections. After taking over as creative directors of Donna Karan International, it was solidified that Maxwell and Dao are the true “it” guys in fashion. Their collection for the NYFW Men’s SS16 was criminally creative, minimalist, with a swagger attached that only Max and Dao can deliver. Always a pleasure to view the growth of a future household name in fashion.

… criminally creative, minimalist, with a swagger …

Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein Collection’s Menswear Spring/Summer show

truly lived up to the name the name of a “spring / summer” show. From the tonal shirts and matching suits — representations of summer waves and palm trees — on laminated jerseys and sheer sweaters, this was summer in motion, expressed through a collection. Some of my close colleagues have accused me of favoring Calvin Klein due to us growing up in close neighborhoods. However, for this show no favoritism was needed. Truly a work of art.

Some of my close colleagues have accused me of favoring Calvin Klein …

Day 3

Michael Kors

Who better to motivate the fashion community collectively to rise early for Day 3 than Michael Kors.

The collection was described as “island life,” which included seersucker suits (prepare for a major comeback next spring / summer), double-breasted two-piece suits and casual knits. And to complete the look, each model wore athletic-style sandals.

Prepare for a seersucker comeback next spring / summer.

(Editorial Note: At the risk of this coverage turning into a 16 chapter book, I will highlight some of our favorite moments of the next day and a half. Feel free to explore the collections further if you happen to see an outfit we have highlighted that may fit your style.)

Michael Bastian

Asaf Ganot

Alexandre Plokhov

Perry Ellis

Parke and Ronen

Hickey Freeman

FWO

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The Beauty Regime

Personal Fashion/Character Development

Social Decorum

FWO Influencers Presents: Roslyn Griner, vice president of marketing & visual display at Addition Elle

FWO Influencers Presents: David Manning, owner of KIA STYLE360

DVF and Karlie Kloss Release DVF: Secret Agent

Interview with Ensar Oud: The Man Who Brought Oud to the West

Wayin: A Cutting-Edge Accessory for Fashion-Forward Brands

Lyz Olko and Curve: New York State of Mind

New York Fashion Week: Men’s Recap

Day 1

Industria Studios for NYMD presented by Cadillac

CADET

BOYSWEAR

CWST

GARCIAVELEZ

David Hart

Day 2

Public School

Calvin Klein

Day 3

Michael Kors

Michael Bastian

Asaf Ganot

Alexandre Plokhov

Perry Ellis

Parke and Ronen

Hickey Freeman

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