Oscar De La Renta has dropped his latest campaign for the Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. The campaign features Candice Swanepoel and Katryn Kruger and was shot by Craig McDean. Stylist Alex White created the chic, high fashion look; staying true to the heritage of the brand.
American womenswear brand, Free People, is making that all important hop, skip, and jump across the pond from the US to the UK this Autumn/Fall! The fashion brand drops a new collection each and every month, offering an eclectic mix of spirited and confident styles to suit every lifestyle.
The UK e-commerce website will launch in October 2012 along with distribution in leading department stores and fashion boutiques. For those that want to get ahead of the game prior to the UK launch, Free People is currently offering significantly lower shipping costs to the UK from the .com website – was $35 now $7.95!
High profile models, Karlie Kloss and Aline Weber, showcase the most recent collection and are just some of the loyal celebrity followers synonymous with the brand.
Soft, playful and feminine does not always mean fragile, as seen here in this editorial. Photographer Jennifer Avello along with stylist Michelle Jeremias used pretty pastels and cotton candy for inspiration which was juxtaposed by a strong female presence in order to liberate women!
Photography: Jennifer Avello
Model: Marta Traskevych with Factor Women Model MGMT
Make up and Hair: Andrea C Samuels with The Rock Agency
Styling: Michelle Jeremias
See more from Jennifer Avello:
Put away your credit card and stand back from the cash machine – are you ready for the latest free fashion craze? It’s time to start swishing!
Started by Lucy Shea, “swishing” is the must-do eco fashion trend that’s going global. And the reason it’s so popular is because it brings together two of our favourite words: free; and fashion.
Put simply, swishing is all about exchanging clothes and all manner of fashion accessories from shoes to hats to belts and bags. Not exactly a new concept, but the idea has been given a twenty-first century makeover thanks to Lucy and her business, the Sustainability Communication Agency, Futerra. The London-based business set about building and banding the concept of Swishing in 2007, creating a website and organising events around the UK. At its heart, swishing is about giving women the chance to indulge their love of shopping with an environmental love. And since its launch, thousands of British women have taken part, exchanging their clothes for new ones, new in a swishing sense. In fact, Lucy estimates that in the UK, around seven thousand women swap some 25, 000 items each year and Futerra’s Swishing website each month receives around 10,000 visitors from around the world.
Swishing events and parties are taking part all over Britain, with local swishing groups being set up. But this isn’t just a British phenomenon, because Swishing is going global. Futerra boss Lucy reports that she’s receiving party pack requests from around the world including Sydney and Mexico City. There’s even a Global Swishing week, which, in 2012, ran between 15th and 21st February. So how does it work? Well, swishing etiquette, as it’s been dubbed, means that you’re allowed to take away the same number of items that you bring to a part. Another rule is you should bring clothes you’d be proud to give to someone.
But is it even possible to live in a world where swishing replaces shopping; or is it all a bit idealistic? Who knows, but consider this: each year in Britain, we buy around two million tonnes of clothes, and we throw away between one and two million tonnes of shoes and clothes. That’s almost four per cent of the total waste sent to landfill sites each year in Britain. Now, times it by every other country, perhaps not exactly, but this gives some indication of the amount of clothing waste our way of life, and specifically our love of shopping, is creating. And then consider the health implications for those working in the clothing manufacturing industry? For example, some 20,000 farmers reportedly due each year as a result of pesticide poisoning, many of whom are cotton farmers, producing the material used in the manufacturing of cheap clothing.
Considering how we’ve managed to retrain and re-educate some of our other shopping habits, eco fashion and swapping has potential. Not convinced? Just remember our love of plastic bags and how things have changed since then.
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This article was written on behalf of The Splash, an eco-friendly online magazine with a passion for ethical fashion!
PHOTO CREDIT: THESWAPTEAM
Stepping into the River Island Christmas in July press day was such a breath of fresh air; it’s going to be a black Christmas people!!! Well black and gold to be exact, this was the palette that dominated the Baroque trend for the fashion forward high st store. Intricate embellishment, jacquards, and whimsical prints are used to cement this look and are found on tailored trouser suits, full skirted prom dresses and flamboyant accessories. Brocade bomber jackets, decorative body jewellery and matt gold sequin hot pants were added to make the look more modern.
Stand out pieces: gold foil faux fur coat, black textured coat, bouclĂ© jacket with neon and crystal trimming, black studded belt, sequin skirt, metallic biker style waistcoat…the list goes on and on and Ariston! Sparkly meringues and black and gold macaroons were the sweet treats of choice, while we were given Christmas inspired elixir’s to drink! Look out for Christmas pieces dropping from October.
