Celebrity Life

Designer Joseph Altuzarra will be the first to admit that he’s an avid Etsy user. The online marketplace is a hub for independent artists who wish to sell their creations to people seeking one-of-a-kind pieces. And while Altuzarra is stocked in almost every high end department store (e-commerce and in store), he’s now teaming up with Etsy to launch his very first interior line, Altuzarra x Etsy Home Collection.

[dual-images right-image-url="https://d2eohwa6gpdg50.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/27203224/altuzarra-tie-dye-pillow.jpg" left-image-url="https://d2eohwa6gpdg50.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/27201212/altuzarra-etsy-vase.jpg" right-caption="Altuzarra x Etsy Silk Tie Dye Pillow Covers " left-caption="Altuzarra x Etsy Stoneware Vases"]

Triggered by the vintage and ceramics he’s come across on Etsy, Altuzarra takes a stab at home décor with designing and marketing his very own collection. Venturing into the world of homeware, the designer partners up with eight Etsy crafters from around the world to produce objects that celebrate individual style. His partners include a California-based ceramicist who was involved in black, white and earth tone vases (of which Altuzarra personally inspected every single rock to ensure a standardised quality); woven placements from New Jersey; and wicker baskets from Israel.

[dual-images right-image-url="https://d2eohwa6gpdg50.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/27202811/altuzarra-etsy-dog-bed.jpg" left-image-url="https://d2eohwa6gpdg50.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/27202802/altuzarra-etsy-dining-table.jpg" right-caption="Altuzarra x Etsy Dog Bed" left-caption="Altuzarra x Etsy Dinner Table"]

The stylish and functional collection, that includes even dog beds and stationery, have been designed with a sustainable element attached to it. The silk tie dye pillow-covers and notebooks are also popular within the collection, using leftover fabric from the Altuzarra's spring summer fashion show in 2016. With that, also a message to other creatives out there who are just starting up and building their own business. As a designer who worked out of his parents’ home before he made it big on the fashion scene, he can relate to budding artists. By way of his collaboration with Etsy creatives, he hopes that this can help pave the way for fashion and design enthusiasts to encourage their work as well as discover new finds.

Prices range from HK$480 to HK$11,280.

The post Altuzarra and Etsy Join to Release Limited Edition Interior Line appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

An opera star in true form, Radmily Lolly’s vocals are evocative, so too are her fashion designs. This Russian-born singer and fashion designer live her motto that life is too short to be ordinary. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF – YOUR FORMATIVE YEARS, SCHOOLING, ETC. Growing up, I took a lot of lessons for […]

The post Radmila Lolly, Life is too short to be Ordinary appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

Known for his loud prints and bold colours, the hugely influential Japanese-born designer is still going strong in his 80s.

The post Kenzo Takada: his legacy and influences appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Known for his loud prints and bold colours, the hugely influential Japanese-born designer is still going strong in his 80s.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been known to start trends that spread like wildfire. The “Meghan effect” or the “Markle Sparkle” can double a brand’s turnover, which only the Kardashians and Beckhams have had the power to do until now. For example, her royal wedding spiked online searches for Stella McCartney’s 300% and 65% for Givenchy; she's also brought small-scale brands into the fashion limelight.

Now, Meghan Markle has just announced that she'll be launching her own capsule collection later this year to benefit a charity of her royal patronage, Smart Works. The project is designed to support disadvantaged and unemployed women who are trying to enter the workforce. For each item purchased, one will be donated to help a woman in need. “Not only does this allow us to be a part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together” says the Duchess of Sussex.

 

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Spotlight on: Smart Works We are proud to be supporting a very special initiative this autumn for @SmartWorksCharity! After quiet visits to Smartworks over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non profit organisation that helps women into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and clothes they need to feel job-ready. Throughout her visits she noticed that while the donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview. As a result, launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace. This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 💯 as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market. The brands have come together to work towards this united force for good, “[reframing] the idea of charity as community,” as The Duchess writes in a piece for this month’s British Vogue. They will follow the 1:1 model where an item from the collection purchased is an item shared with a woman of Smart Works because “not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story; it reminds us we are in it together.” For more information on how you can be part of another woman’s success story visit @smartworkscharity. Special thanks to: @JohnLewisandPartners, @MarksandSpencer, @MishaNonoo, @InsideJigsaw for supporting this very special organisation. And to find out more, read the September issue of @BritishVogue and stay tuned for more exciting updates this autumn. Photo©️SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 31, 2019 at 9:03am PDT

[inline-quote author="Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex"]"It’s not just donating your clothes and seeing where they land, it’s really being a part of each other’s success stories as women."[/inline-quote]

The Duchess of Sussex is partnering with Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Jigsaw and her close friend and fashion designer Misha Nonoo -- famous for designing the oversized blouse Meghan wore in her first public appearance with Prince Harry -- for the collection. The workwear collection is designed to empower women with confidence and give them something that is “suited” for the jobs that they're applying for.

[caption id="attachment_157070" align="alignnone" width="768"] Getty Images[/caption]

The actress-turned-royal can now add philanthropist to her list of accomplishments, as we wait on the edge of our seats in anticipation for the capsule collection. Though details of the pieces themselves are still hush-hush, what we do know, given Meghan’s influential style, is that every item is going to sell out -- very quickly.

The post Meghan Markle’s Upcoming Capsule Collection Will Benefit a Women’s Charity appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

By Melissa Sorge The entrancing relationship between artist and muse has fascinated humans for centuries. Designer sisters Isabella Pennefather and Elizabeth Abegg pay homage to this special relationship in their latest collection, Maisie & The Muse, for their modern bohemian fashion brand Spell & The Gypsy Collective. In the story behind this collection, two friends […]

The post Maisie & The Muse by Spell & The Gypsy Collective appeared first on VUE magazine.

Walking through Shiatzy Chen’s Whisper in Threads in Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park, it’s evident that the Taiwanese brand places craft at the centre of its identity.
Pieces that comprise the autumn/winter 2019 collection, inspired by Miao tribeswomen, greet guests in a section of the exhibition devoted to the colours red, black and silver, while others inspired by plum blossoms fill the pre-autumn section. Near the end is a seamstress, mesmerisingly pushing and pulling string through silk as the form of a phoenix emerges. The final alcove is home to a wall of sketches replete with a digital interface tracing the autumn/winter collection from inspiration to garment.
The project has been on the mind of founder and design director Tsai-hsia Chen (otherwise known as Madame Wang) since the brand’s 40th anniversary. And never one to do things by halves (after all, the brand remains the only Chinese import to have a permanent spot on the official Paris Fashion Week schedule), every detail has been carefully considered. She talked to Prestige at the exhibition.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the exhibition, especially regarding the brand and its commitment to traditional Chinese craftsmanship?

Every collection tries to tell a story from elements of Chinese culture. This autumn/winter I was inspired by the straps that mothers use to secure their babies to them in the Miao tribe. Han Chinese use a cloth, but the Miao straps are meticulously embroidered. It brings to mind the relation- ship between a mother and her child, how a mother raises her child and once the child grows up he or she takes care of the mother in turn.
The exhibition also shows the seamstresses’ skills and how their deft hands turn sketches into works of art on a garment. I hope it gives
people a better understanding of the entire design process, and the skill and art of embroidery.

Embroidery has alway been at the heart of Shiatzy Chen. Is this one of the reasons why a live seamstress at work is part of the exhibition?

Yes, I’ve always considered that supporting this art form is very important. There are many skilled seamstresses in China – in Guizhou and especially Suzhou. We look for our seamstresses in these two places, where they number in the thousands. They work on garment and tapestry embroideries for months and, given the number of ethnic-minority groups in China, each with their own distinctive crafts, I think it’s crucial to preserve and protect these industries to keep them from disappearing.  

What do you think keeps your clients loyal to the brand?

The qipao is a unique piece of clothing and Eastern styles bring out a certain air in Chinese women that can’t be replicated. Those who come back to us generally attend different events and are told they look fantastic. They get compliments abroad and it makes them feel special. I really think that when Chinese women wear a qipao, the garment brings out an aura of Eastern grace, sophistication and beauty that’s very different from Western-style dress, so we must preserve this garment.

As China's now known for counterfeiting, will it be hard to push luxury?

If you go back to the Song and Ming dynasties, our silk and paper were the most coveted in the world. Only after the fall of the Qing dynasty did the country become poor and things were made in a slipshod and rough manner, because there was simply no money. The Chinese then never spent time recovering these ancient arts. The thing is, though, critics of the Chinese the world over should probably realise that many of their crafts were originally taken from the Chinese before they modified the technique to make it their own.
I think we should look to our own histories and traditions, and not only revive dying crafts but also improve and evolve the industries. But that depends on the people of China, which is out of my control. I can only keep going at my own brand, creating luxury products that we’ve innovated to raise the level of the brand. That’s important, because if you don’t keep improving your product, your brand won’t go anywhere.

Would you encourage younger Chinese designers to make use of their heritage in design?

Absolutely. But it depends on the way they use it. It must be modern and appeal to buyers and clients alike each season. There’s no risk in replication, because these elements are conceptual and if taken literally, all designs would be the same and the stories would be the same every season. But it’s like when we buy cloth in Paris. Everybody in the world goes there to buy their cloth, but what they come out with is different, and even those who buy the same bolts come out with clothes that are totally distinct.

How do you keep up the momentum having designed for Shiatzy Chen for so many years?

I don’t count the years. I’ve always had a goal inside – to make Shiatzy Chen a respected international brand. So this goal serves as my motivation and gives me that energy. I think everyone needs to have a goal or an aim – that’s the best way to keep moving forward.

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The post Shiatzy Chen’s 41st Anniversary Exhibition in Taiwan appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Sotheby's is now offering the private collection of Yukio Takahashi, which comprises 1300 pieces of Supreme accessories.

The post Sotheby’s is holding a major auction of Supreme accessories appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Sotheby's is now offering the private collection of Yukio Takahashi, which comprises 1300 pieces of Supreme accessories.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Known as "Fashion's Biggest Night", the annual Met Gala was themed 'Camp: Fashion on Notes' and here's how celebrities expressed their interpretation on the red carpet this year

The post Met Gala 2019: All The Hits-And-Misses of “Camp: Notes on Fashion” appeared first on LUXUO.