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Vivienne Westwood’s Iconic Moments

Dear Design Land readers,

Vivienne Westwood passed away on December 2022 and as a designer who greatly impacted both fashion and pop culture during her 60 year long career, here’s our post in honor of her ever lasting legacy.

The SEX Boutique

Vivienne Westwood, Jordan, Chrissie Hynde, writer Alan Jones, unknown, and Sex Pistol Steve Jones.
Photo: David Dagley/Rex

In 1974, Westwood opened her boutique with her partner Malcolm McLaren at 430 King’s Road in Chelsea, London. Designs included biker jackets, distressed clothing items with edgy detailing of leathers, zippers and other hardware.

Portrait Corsets

Photo: John van Hasselt/Sygma via Getty Images

In 1987, Westwood redesigned the corset, from an underwear piece to a singular wearable statement garment. The new corset appeared in her 1988 Time Machine Collection, as well as her 1990s Portrait collection. Her most famous piece featured the printed painting “Shpeherd watching a Sleeping Shepherdess” otherwise known as Daphnis and Chloe by François Boucher.

Anglomania

Photos: Vogue

During Vivienne Westwood’s Fall/Winter 1993 “Anglomania” collection, supermodels Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell both wore “sky-high” heels. Evangelista walked the runway in Westwood’s iconic tartan, an unforgettable look in fashion history. This was also the same show when Naomi Campbell famously fell in her high Westwood heels.

Kate Moss Topless Moment

Photo: ARNAL/GARCIA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Photos: Vogue

Kate Moss walked the runway in 1994 for the Westwood Spring/Summer collection wearing nothing but a hat, a mini skirt, pink bubblegum pumps, eating a magnum ice cream.

Sex and the City: Carrie Bradshaw’s Wedding Dress

Mario Cantone, Sarah Jessica Parker, Willie Garson on the set of "Sex and The City: The Movie," 2008

One of the most recognizable Vivienne Westwood designs featured in film is Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic wedding dress in Sex and the City film in 2008. The gown featured 2-tier draped wedding skirt, with a pointed bust and corseted bustier.

Pearl Orb Necklaces

Photos: Dua Lipa wearing pearl orb necklace - British Vogue

Janelle Monae at Paris fashion week 2020 wearing the pearl orb necklace - The New York Times

Photos: British Vogue

A now TikTok sensation, the Vivienne Westwood pearl orb necklaces and chokers with Swarovski crystal orb charm have become popular with both celebrities and social media fashion influencers. In 1987, the same necklace was originally designed as a single strand of pearls, only to transform into three strands in 1990 for Westwoods Portrait Collection.

Activism

Known for her slogan tee-shirts and climate change activism, Vivienne Westwood has always taken a stand for social and environmental causes, whether that be on the runway or public events. In 2014, Westwood shaved her head for climate change in a protest in South London.

“Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to climate change. And secondly, as she wanted to cut the red out for a while and have it white- to show she’s proud of her age,” her publicist explained.

During her Spring/Summer 2006 collection, Westwood designed tees with “I am not a terrorist, please don’t arrest me” slogan, demanding fair trials for Guantanamo Bay prisoners in Fall/Winter 2008 and asking for a Climate Revolution in Spring/Summer 2013,

An outspoken, energetic and brilliantly creative figure, Vivienne Westwood will be remembered always for her unmistakeable mark in fashion.

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New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023 Highlights

Hello Design Land readers,

New York Fashion Week has just ended, and we have compiled a list of our favorite moments straight from the catwalk. Here’s our highlights!

Thom Browne

This season, Thom Browne plays around with volume, inverted triangle silhouettes and strong shoulders. Deconstructed meets tailored suits is the running theme, layered suiting and shirting, stripes on stripes and textured materials dominate the collection.

Christian Siriano

This season’s Christian Soriano features old Hollywood glamour, with gloriously feminine styles that play on volume placement, with textured, sheer, gathered and layered folds of fabric, as well as 3D and sequined embroideries on sheer slips.

Jason Wu

Jason Wu Fall/Winter 2023 showed a series of dresses in various materials, soft and elegant sheer slips, some with embroidered sequins, others in full length fringe, layered sheer, light ruffles and soft draped folds that fall on the body.

Rodarte

In a captivating lineup of heavily Victorian inspired styles, Rodarte tells a fantasy story of knights, royalty, witches and elves. Featuring black velvet and satin bias-cut dresses, corseted looks, beaded fringe dresses, oversized sleeves that sweep the floor and body covering mesh veils, this collection is truly magical.

House of Aama

House of Aama brings a collection inspired by African and Caribbean folklore, picking up influences from important fashion moments of the decades of ‘20s and ‘90s. From printed demi-sheer slips with gradient and color-block details, to ruffled, bustier dresses in bright colors, this lineup offers a great variety of styles.

Sergio Hudson

An ode to the ‘90s! Sergio Hudson pulls out inspiration directly from the ‘90s, featuring layered mini slip dresses, plaid jackets with emphasis on shoulders, shorts on sheer tights, and lots of neon and bright colors.

Carolina Herrera

Carolina Herrera showed a colorful lineup of styles that varied from floral printed and embroidered ensembles, layered tulle dresses, to color blocked sets and free-flowing, jacquard dresses.

Altuzarra

“Supernatural and human, magical and real, the Fall Winter 2023 Collection takes us on an odyssey through a mythological landscape and represents the final chapter in a four-part series focused on ritual and myth"

-Joseph Altuzarra

Wiederhoeft

Fall/Winter Wiederhoeft show titled Eurydice exhibited hyper feminine styles from crystal beaded dresses, corseting and lacing, sheer and silk printed beaded slips, embroidered shirts and bridal, Demi-couture looks.

Tory Burch

Fall/Winter 2023 Tory Burch demonstrated “the tension of opposing materials: uber luxurious vs. tech-y, sumptuous vs. sheer, glossy vs. matte,”. A lot of the looks played with the idea of imperfection, by presenting seemingly broken accessories along impeccable looks.

That was it for our New York Fashion week highlights. Which one was your favorite show?

XOXO, Lori | Design Land

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Spring 2023 Trends

Hello Design Land readers,

We are back with a compilation of trends we will be seeing everywhere in Spring. From sheer fabrics, to feathers and fringe here are the 10 main trends emerging in the next Spring season.

Maxi Hemlines

Hemlines are dropping to the floor next Spring with Maxi (or better yet, floor length) dresses taking the spotlight. Spring 2023 catwalks showered us with a great variety of maxi dresses, from printed satins and chiffons, to jerseys and knits, there really is no limitation when it comes to color, with silhouettes remaining straight and body-hugging.

From left to right: Givenchy, Zimmermann, Schiaparelli, Balmain

Low Waisted bottoms

Both low waisted and dropped waists are having a major comeback next Spring, both generously featured on S/S2023 Ready to Wear shows, but fear not! Low waisted bottoms aren’t becoming a wardrobe staple just yet, as we see more early 2000s trends return and make a fleeting appearance on the catwalk. We predict a certain variation of this style to be of central focus next year, adapted for our 2020s.

From left to right: Thom Browne, Valentino, Valentino

Corseted Looks

The corset isn’t going anywhere yet. While 2022 has seen a great variety of corseted tops and boned looks, it seems that the cinched waist is here to stay. With a modified silhouette, from the addition to a peplum, to exaggerated shoulder volume, we see an attempt to recreate a simultaneously structured and romantic feminine hourglass shape.

From left to right: Dior, Balmain, Thom Browne

Cowl or the Draped Hood

The hood becomes a seamless element of the ensemble. Ready to Wear Spring 2023 shows have finally embraced the cowl-draped hood that becomes the perfect addition to an elongating chic silhouette. Along with the 80s silhouettes that are making a significant comeback this upcoming Spring, the hood comes in a stylized attachment, yet becomes the garment’s own draped extension. We are especially loving this trend!

From left to right: Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Saint Laurent, Saint Laurent

Sheer Fabrics

All over sheer dresses and catsuits occupied so much of the Spring 2023 runway, that it’s not easy to avoid seeing this as perhaps the biggest trend this upcoming season. Whether in combination with other fabrics, or layers of varying opacity, we will be seeing sheer garments in a spectrum of applications. This Spring, you can choose to show little to more skin, from a voluminous sheer top, to a layered all-over sheer dress.

From left to right: Acne Studios, Bottega Veneta, Burberry

From left to right: Loewe, Balmain, Rick Owens

From left to right: Off White, Alexander McQueen, Valentino

Feathers and Fringe

Fringe, feathers, or fringe designed to look like feathers, all are wonderful choices! We are seeing fringe at hemlines, full skirts and even all over fringe items. Fringe and feathers are more than just an embellishment this season around, they serve to modify silhouette, add volume and transform shape.

From left to right: Bottega Veneta, Bottega Veneta, Bottega Veneta, Givenchy

From left to right: Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens

Bows

Bows as embellishments is one of the more unique trends that walked down the runway. Whether all over, a major focus of the outfit, or an element to tie the look together, bows were silently (or loudly so) everywhere this season’s Spring 2023 shows.

From left to right: Loewe, Acne Studios, Elie Saab

Spots

We are seeing spots. There really aren’t any rules for spots, in Spring 2023 you can choose to wear them any way you like. From oversized spots, polka dots, or localized spotted prints, to all over spotted jumpsuits, there is no way to go wrong.

From left to right: Raf Simons, Thom Browne, Saint Laurent

Mesh

Right along with the sheer catsuits and sheer floor length dresses, the all over mesh moment is likely the most unexpected trend of them all. On the Spring 2023 catwalk we saw a variety of mesh sizes and applications, giving catsuits and maxi dresses a softer, body-hugging quality. If the sheer trend is what you are excited for this season, look out for all over mesh items, especially ones with novelty oversized mesh!

From left to right: Acne Studios, Burberry, Givenchy, Raf Simons

Bling & Shine

Sequins, rhinestones, beaded mesh and other shiny applications will be present this upcoming Spring. If you have an all over sequin dress you’ve been dying to wear, now is your time to shine!

From left to right: Valentino, Hermes, Valentino, Rick Owens

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Britney Spears and Sam Asghari's Wedding details

On June 9th Britney Spears and Sam Asghari exchanged their wedding vows in an intimate ceremony in the couple's home in Thousand Oaks, California. A lot has happened for Britney since her 13 year-long conservatorship ended in 2021. Here is what we know about this iconic pop culture moment!

Photo: Kevin Ostajewski, Illustration: Versace

After 5 years together, Britney and Sam got engaged in September 2021 with Sam sealing the proposal with a 4-carat brilliant cut diamond solitaire by Roman Malayev, with the nickname “Lioness” engraved on the inside of the band. Fast forward less than a year later, the couple tied the knot with their choice of wedding bands matching the engagement ring for Britney and platinum bands for Sam.

The wedding was planned with the help and assistance of the celebrity event producer Jeffrey Best of Best Events. The color palette for the event included shades of blush, white, cream gold, all feminine, elegant with soft floral arrangements from Marks Garden. The wedding followed through its intended fairytale theme. The guest list included celebrity names like Selena Gomez, Madonna, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, Carter Reum, Kathy Hilton and Donatella Versace.

The bride wore an off the shoulder, custom Versace dress with a corseted bodice, side slit, pearl buttons on the back, with an almost 10 foot train and a classic white veil with satin-edged finish. The bridal look was complemented by fingerless tulle gloves and white satin pumps. Britney’s 62 carat jewelry, all from Stephanie Gottlieb included drop earrings with brown pear shaped stones, a diamond tennis bracelet and a heart shaped tennis necklace. Charlotte and Sofia Tilbury co-created Britney’s bridal makeup look, a natural glam that focused on emphasizing the bride’s brown eyes. Throughout the event Britney changed into three other reception looks including a black blazer mini dress, a red fringed dress and a two-toned outfit. Sam also wore a custom black tux by Versace and a navy one for the reception, perfectly complementing the bride.

We are so happy for Britney and Sam and wishing the couple a wonderful new adventure together!

XOXO Lori

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7 Brands supporting LGBTQIA+ Organizations this Pride Month

Happy Pride Month, dear Design Land readers! 🏳️‍🌈

We all know June as the “Rainbow Month”, so it’s no surprise to see fashion brands emerging from left and right in an eager endeavor to showcase their Pride collections. As we admire the marketing strategies behind PRIDE products, campaigns, and events, we want to share some brands that are giving back to organizations in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Here are the Pride collections we have our eyes on. (Psst- they’re dropping this month!)

LEVI’S

Image from Levi’s Off The Cuff: **CORINNE SMITH**

This year, Levi’s shows their support for Pride month through a gender neutral, size inclusive collection, including a denim jackets, jeans, a corset, graphic shirts and tops, with some items including inspirational messages like "Live your truth" and "Love transforms", all featuring rainbow Levi's® tab. In addition to this collection, the brand will donate $100,000 to OutRight Action International, an organization providing LGBTIQ human rights research and documentation to activists, work on LGBTQIA+ advocacy and research, and share news, cultural media and advocacy of partners, activists and experts through the lens of LGBTQIA+ people. The collection was also photographed on social justice advocates from the LGBTQIA+ community. Check out Levi’s blog spotlighting activists: Off The Cuff

2. PUMA

Image Via PUMA: Pride Together Forever 2022 campaign. Photo: LaQuaan Dawson

Together Forever is PUMA’s Pride 2022 collection created with Cara Delevigne, featuring a collaboration with Carra Sykes, a queer artist that designed several original graphics and prints. The collection includes t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, leggings and bralettes, all silhouettes showing off the colorful graphics “meant to be worn with pride”. Aside from Cara Delevingne, the PUMA Pride 2022 campaign also includes Brinda Iyer, Matt Bernstein, Jalen Dominique, Torraine Futurum, and Yassa Almokhamad.

3. COS

“Love for All, A celebration of love without boundaries.” is Cos’ tagline for this Pride’s month collection and campaign. The collection is comprised of a limited edition T-shirt capsule of three styles, designed in collaboration with creators from within the LGBTQIA+ community; namely performance poet, model and trans-visibility campaigner Kai-Isaiah Jamal, artist and creative director Zipeng Zhu and musician and award-winning actor SOKO. 100% of the profits will be donated to The Trevor Project. with a minimum commitment of $50,000. Check out Cos Love for All campaign here!

4. CASETIFY

Casetify’s Pride collection features artists from the LGBTQIA+ community, original prints and a limited edition rainbow camera ring. For every purchase of a Pride Case, Casetify is donating $5 to The Christopher Street West Association, the official nonprofit of LA Pride.

5. UGG

“Feel Heard” is UGG’s 2022 Pride campaign, in collaboration with UGG ambassador network: Alok, Chloé Véro, Sarina Morales, Isa’ah, and couple Orren & Robert. UGG aims to create a safe space to discuss mental health and promote the many resources The Trevor Project offers to the LGBTQIA+ community. The collection is comprised of multicolored Pride slides and Fluff slides, as well as printed apparel and socks in Pride colors. Learn more about UGG’s campaign through their website here.

6. Adidas

Image Via Adidas: ADIDAS X KRIS ANDREW SMALL

This Pride month Adidas is collaborating with queer Australian artist, Kris Andrew Small, whose work aims to empower and support members of the LGBTQIA+ community and serve to bring visibility and recognition to the issues faced by the community. Through the 70s’s and 80’s inspired prints and graphics, Kris Andrew Small uplifts and educates, bringing awareness and acceptance to voices of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Adidas is continuing their partnerships with Athlete Ally and Stonewall UK. Athlete Ally aims to end homophobia and transphobia in sport, while Stonewall UK is committed to help create transformative change in the lives of LGBTQIA+ people across communities in the UK.

Find out more about this collaboration and Kris Andrew Small’s colorful work on Adidas’ website here, a full picture of this collection’s mission and emphasis on identity and celebration of queerness.

7. CHER X VERSACE

Cher X Versace for Pride 2022 is a limited capsule collection Versace is promoting this month in collaboration with Cher, hence Chersace! The collection includes a rainbow embellished Medusa t-shirt signed by Cher and Donatella Versace, a rainbow Medusa t-shirt, socks and a baseball hat, all featuring the rainbow recolored Versace logo. A portion of proceeds will go to Gender Spectrum, an organization that focuses on the health and well-being of gender- diverse children and teens.

If you are looking to donate this Pride month consider the organizations mentioned in this blog including: Trevor Project. PFLAG, True Colors United, OutRight International, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, It Gets Better Project.

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Met Gala 2021 Best Dressed: Our Picks

Hello Design Land Readers,

This season’s highlight remains to be one of the most extravagant fashion events of the year and dare we say, one that we anticipated highly: The Met Gala. Although the Met Gala takes place every year on the first Monday of May, it was postponed earlier this year due to the urgent state of the pandemic, and finally took place on September 13th. This event is always one to create conversations that last for weeks in the fashion world, attention that is much deserved.

How could we ever claim to love and worship fashion, if we did not make sure to cover our favorite styles from the Met Gala Red Carpet walk. As per tradition, Met Gala 2021 has selected a theme with the aim of provoking creative sparks. This year’s theme is in association to the Costume Institute’s new exhibition: "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion". In a nutshell, the task for the 2021 Gala’s guests consisted of dressing up in what represents an aspect of the American sartorial history using their own unique interpretations. Co-chairs of this Met gala included Billie Eilish, Timothée Chalamet, Amanda Gorman, Naomi Osaka and a long exclusive list of celebrities. From recreations of old Hollywood Glamour, cultural representation, embodiment of revolutionary moments in American history, to delivering succinct significant messages, this year’s Met Gala was truly a fascinating one.

Here is our list for the Met Gala 2021 Best Dressed:

Allyson Felix in Fendi Couture

Yara Shahidi in Dior

Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Brother Vellies

Adut Akech in Michael Kors Collection

Cara Delevingne in Dior

Gigi Hadid in Prada

Emily Blunt in Miu Miu

Kendall Jenner in Givenchy

Precious Lee in Area

Grimes in Iris van Herpen

Lorde in Bode

Billie Eilish in Oscar de la Renta

Lil Nas X in Versace

Dan Levy in Loewe

Amanda Gorman in Vera Wang

Michaela Coel in Balenciaga

Lupita Nyong'o in Versace

Regina King in Michael Kors

Erykah Badu in Thom Browne

Paloma-Elsesser in Zac Posen

Rihanna in Balenciaga and ASAP Rocky in ELT

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VMAs Best Dressed 2021 - Design Land Picks

The VMAs are the one Music Awards event to follow if you are looking to find over-the-top red carpet looks. Like the previous VMAs red carpet events, last Sunday’s event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center served numerous excessive and overelaborated fashion moments. Here are our top picks for the Best-Dressed Artists of VMAs 2021:

Olivia Rodrigo in Atelier Versace 2.jpeg

Olivia Rodrigo in a wrapped tulle Atelier Versace gown selected from Versace’s Spring 2001 Couture collection.

Doja Cat in Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood

Halle Bailey in Mônot: A statement risqué floor-length white gown.

Normani in Patrycja Pagas and Djula jewelry: A two piece deconstructed outfit with an exaggerated oversized belt.

Kacey Musgraves in Valentino: A purple mini dress completed with a matching feather hat and red leather gloves.

Lil Nas X in Atelier Versace: A shimmering lavender two piece equipped with a long train.

Iann Dior in a Signature ombre purple suit.

Troye Sivan in Fendi: A two piece set with a cropped blazer from Fendi’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection.

Megan Fox in Mugler and Machine Gun Kelly .jpeg

Megan Fox in Mugler and Machine Gun Kelly in a sparkling red suit: Megan brings back the iconic naked dress on the red carpet, embellished with crystals, while MGK complements the couple’s moment with a bright red shimmering suit.

Avril Lavigne in Area, Christalea & Stuart Weitzman and Mod Sun: A two piece suit with heart cutout blazer in the spirit of Avril’s original punk style.

Screen Shot 2021-09-14 at 5.03.51 PM.png

Kourtney Kardashian in Balmain and Travis Barker in Thom Browne: Kourtney’s look consisted of an all black leather corset halter neckline dress, while Travis opted for a studded black suit in coordination.

These are our top 13 VMAs Red Carpet looks. Do you agree with our choices and which one is your favorite?

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

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Fall 2021 Couture Highlights

Hello Design Land readers,

Fall 2021 Couture Week is here and we cannot wait to show you our favorite looks. This Couture Season, like every previous one, tends to push the limits in creativity, demonstrate raw ideas come to life in conceptual designs and experiments with specific showcasing techniques.

Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli Maison has experienced a rebirth since Daniel Roseberry took the position as artistic director two years ago, constructing a clear vision that forever pays homage to Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy and conceptual artistry. The House’s Fall 2021 Couture collection includes surrealist recreations of golden flowers, a handcrafted jewelry bustier, embroidered vintage denim jeans, golden dove and ear pieces, padlock-shaped earrings, trompe l’œil lungs adorned with rhinestones and golden crafted facial features incorporated in solid jewelry. Schiaparelli Maison is synonymous with Couture, and each season Roseberry comes forward with another stunning collection that pushes limits of refined creativity.

Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen Fall Couture collection “Earthrise” is an ode to freedom. The concept of this season’s lineup is inspired by the launch of Apollo 8, the first spacecraft to witness the Earthrise from Moon’s horizon.

Three of the collection’s looks are a collaboration with the artist Rogan Brown, whose inspiration takes roots in the tradition of scientific illustration. Among the intricate dresses, Magnetosphere, Eclipse, Empyrean, Sphaera are only some of our favorites. Magnetosphere is created with Parley Ocean Plastic®️, sourced from upcycled marine debris in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans Parley.tv. The Eclipse dress and Sphaera dress are made out of hand-cut white spheres, varying in texture and lined up in color gradient, creating a layered illusion. The Empyrean gown is made of layers of relief sculptures that mimic the fabrics’ transition into plant, designed utilizing Parley Ocean Plastic®️ fabric.

Van Herpen collaborated with Domitille Kiger, the French female world-champion skydiver to showcase a new meaning of earthly freedom. For the first time, the experimental and intricate nature of Haute couture meets the extreme sport of skydiving, a push to test strengths in craftsmanship.

EMPYREAN, MAGNETOSPHERE, ECLIPSE, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

EARTHGAZE, BLUE MARBLE AND SPHAERA MUNDI DRESSES, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

AEROLOGY JUMPSUIT AND DRESS, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

MYTHOSPHERE, SPHAERA DRESSES, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

Armani Privé

“Shine” is the title of this season’s Couture collection, a direct reference to the much needed brightness.

As Giorgio Armani states:

“We have lived through very dark times, and now it seems like we can see some light. My collection is light, yet touching, because its inception comes from a feeling of rebirth.”

The collection’s most striking features are the brilliance of fabrics that appear mercurial and liquid, the multi-layered silk organza, satins and silks interwoven with ultra fine metallic thread. It is overall an energizing lineup, with a multitude of positive colors and embracing a joyful reality.

Ronald van der Kemp

The Mind Vaccine is RVDK Fall 2021 Couture collection. The lineup includes a handwoven backless metal chain vest, a mega bell bottom from upcycled denim leftovers, a gold umbrella covered with silk mesh and vintage lace snake detailing, an umbrella peplum jacket with mini-maxi skirt, a hand-painted silk velvet art gown with raised shoulder, and many more. Since last season’s molded eco felt corset, RDVK is constantly looking for creative ways to find circular solutions and upcycle fashion discards.

Balenciaga

For the first time in the 53 years since Cristóbal Balenciaga closed his Couture House, Demna Gvasalia presented his first Balenciaga Couture collection. In this lineup, Gvasalia honored Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy, adding his streetwear influence and attitude to a well-tailored collection.

In Demna Gvasalia’s words regarding the revival of the couture house:

“Fifty-three years have passed since Cristóbal Balenciaga closed the doors of his house, largely due to the birth of ready-to-wear, which questioned the raison d'être for the concept of haute couture.
Over half a century later I see it as my creative obligation to the unique heritage of m. Balenciaga to bring the couture back to his house. It is the very foundation of this century-old maison.
Couture is the highest level of garment construction, that is not only relevant in today’s mass-productive industry, but even absolutely necessary for the survival and further evolution of modern fashion.
I invite you to discover and enoy this tribute to the legecay of Cristobal Balenciaga and my very personal vision of the essence of fashion”.

Azzaro

“Olivier Theyskens evokes the dream in an ode to the evening and incants the real to sublimate it further.”

In a sparkling collection of encrusted gowns, fluid lines, and structured looks, Azzaro creates a balance of opposites, brings both shadow and light, fluidity and structure, the excessive and moderation.

Fendi

“A poetic transfiguration of the past within the present day”

Marking Kim Jones’ second couture show, Fendi Fall 2021 Couture collection brings numerous aspects of Rome together, starting with the architectural influence, to the cobblestoned pavements, marble ornaments and multicolored mosaics. Each outfit is an intricate labor with a singular focus, all finalized with mother-of-pearl embellishment, fur mosaic work and sculptural statement accessories.

As stated by Fendi’s official IG page, this collection is “celebrating the eternal beauty of Rome. A contemporary connection between eras, cultures and aesthetics.”

Chanel

This Season’s Chanel Couture show took place in the Palais Galliera, City of Paris Fashion Museum and was inspired by movements of French Painting. The lineup included tailored blazers, waiscoats and tweed jackets, a round-shouldered skirt suit in black tweed, a blouse with trompe-l’oeil ribbon motif embellishment, a draped satin dress with black bows, a multi-coloured Lesage tweed jacket and trapeze skirt framed with embroidery, and a V-waist ball skirt in silk Mikado. Many of the looks take direct inspiration from Impressionist paintings and the method of Pointillism.

Giambattista Valli

“An evasive nocturnal walk, with a slight taste for danger in search of the pleasure of reliving these emotions. A sense of unknown pervades one’s walk in the Ville Lumière.
Pieces of present, past and future memories emerge. Its glares, its glamour made up of nights filled with lights reflected on wet asphalt, its promiscuity, its eclectic and voyeuristic aesthetic à la Ryan Murphy.”

Giambattista Valli Fall 2021 Couture Show focuses on a sense of joie de vivre, making for a joyful occasion with signature tulle cloud dresses, chiffon gowns, sequined column dresses and tailored trouser suits. The collection manifests a certain freedom of movement and living in the moment.

Which Fall 2021 Couture collection is your favorite? We love each and every one of them for their expressiveness and overindulgence.

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

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Oscars 2021 Best Dressed

Hello Design Land readers,

We hope your weekend was peaceful and relaxing.

Last Sunday night on April 25, we witnessed the 93rd Oscars award ceremony take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Despite the ongoing pandemic, this year’s award ceremony was held in person and the stars served several stunning glamorous looks on the red carpet. Gowns styled and worn for this event brought each their individual magic, varying from golden yellow shimmering fabrics, beaded and encrusted silver tones, to vibrant red and empowering feminine silhouettes. We are here to deliver our Best Dressed highlights!

Youn Yuh-jung in Marmar Halim and Han Ye-ri in Louis Vuitton

Riz Ahmed in Prada and Fatima Farheen Mirza in Valentino

Chloé Zhao: winner of the best-director Oscar for Nomadland

Aside from observing and appreciating all the looks for this year’s Oscars, we also love to see women make history! Chloé Zhao is the winner of best-director Oscar for Nomadland, making Zhao the first woman of color and only the second woman in history to win this award.

Did you watch the Oscar award ceremony this year? At Design Land NYC, our favorite part consists of following all of the Stars’ red carpet looks, but we now have an ever growing list of films to watch. Tell us in your comments below what did you think of this year’s Oscars award.

Sending lots of joy,

Design Land NYC / Lori

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Our Picks for Best Looks - Grammys 2021

The Grammys are always a display of creative extravaganza when it comes to the Red Carpet and artists’ performance, and our expectations for the artists’ looks are excessively high. Grammys 2021 took place last Sunday and we are impressed with the quality of character that each artist showcased through their red carpet outfit choices! From Harry Styles and his Gucci leather suit and feather boa, to Dua Lipa’s Versace sparkly encrusted dress, to Cynthia Erivo’s radiant Nicolas Ghesquière column gown, here are our picks for Best Looks Grammys 2021!

Dua Lipa in Versace and BVLGARI jewelry

Dua Lipa in Versace

Jhene Aiko in Monsoori and Sydney Evan jewelry

Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta and Christian Louboutin shoes

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Mickey Guyton in Valentino

Chloe Bailey in Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. jewelry

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Halle Bailey in Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. jewelry

Billie Eilish in Gucci

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Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. jewelry

Bad Bunny in Burberry

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Harry Styles in Gucci

Beyoncé in Schiaparelli

What did you think of our top picks for Best Grammys looks? We especially loved following the artist’s live performance and award ceremony! This year’s event marked a new record: Beyoncé is officially the woman with most Grammy wins of all time after having won her 28th Grammy this year. Judging from the looks on the red carpet, we can safely say that this year, designers, stylists and artists are back in sync together.

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

Our Picks For Best Looks

Guest User 3/16/21 Guest User 3/16/21

14 Ways to grow your Instagram Engagement + Impact

Hello Design Land NYC readers,

Are you thinking of building an online presence for your new business? Are you experiencing a plateau on your Instagram reach? Are you contemplating whether to create a professional account for your brand? We are here to help! In this post we will reveal our top most effective tips and tricks to grow your Instagram following organically.

Before you start building an online presence on Instagram, it is important that you set your long term goals, recognize your target audience and define your overall digital marketing strategy. Analyze why you are creating an Instagram account and what do you want to gain from this, whether that would be traffic to your website, increased sales, introduce your new brand to a targeted local audience, etc. Understand who you are speaking to, and what demographic and pychographics will relate to your content. Once you have clear end goals, you can create a structured plan for utilizing social media as a tool to leverage your business.

High Quality content | content is king, it’s the medium you use to tell your story and sell your business.

Creating and posting high quality content is the most important aspect! After all, that is the reason you are being followed. Create a cohesive organic aesthetic with the images you post, and post consistently. Every post should be strategically crafted to encourage engagement, resharing and appear aspirational. It is important to share content that moves people to comment, save, share, and like to appear on the top your follower’s feeds, instead of only appearing to a small percentage of your followers. If you generate engagement through your posts, Instagram’s algorithm will begin suggesting your page to users that are not following you yet, but are following similar accounts to yours. With a very high rate of engagement, you may be featured on the explore page, which gives your account great exposure to potential followers! Do not forget to test out different posting times, consider when your audience is most active on Instagram and use this time window to generate the most engagement and reactions.

Optimize your profile description | Clarify + simplify

Keep your social media handles consistent throughout different platforms, so that users can easily find you. When detailing your Instagram profile description, utilize keywords that best represent your brand or business. You can add a specific word to your industry in the name slot. When users search for this specific keyword, your profile will appear in the results, making it effortless to find your account. Other elements to include in your bio is your website link, 150 character description to create a clear picture of your brand’s identity and what your followers can expect from your future posts.

Hashtags | Max 30 on IG | Max 15 on FB

Use Hashtags in all of your posts! Conduct proper research and test out different hashtags that best reach your brand’s target audience, and create brand-specific hashtags that are easily searchable. You can use up to 30 hashtags in your captions box and make sure to use the ones that generate consistent reach, engagement, and help build a community around your brand. Searchable hashtags are necessary to guide people to your account!

Always add location | It helps the algorithm

Do not forget to add your location on posts! Similar to searchable hashtags, users can search through location, and they will discover your account’s content. Be as specific, or general as you like, keeping in mind the local audience you want to reach out to and the potential followers that make up this demographic.

Pin the most important comments | IG new feature

When you are getting a great amount of engagement on your posts, and see the need to sort through numerous comments you are receiving, you can choose to pin comments that generate a lot of engagement from other users, or are simply offering useful information for other followers to see. If your caption is too long on a given post, you can extend the description to the first few comments and pin them, keeping the caption extension always on top. If there is a frequently asked question among the comments, and you have already answered, you can pin that comment to help limit confusion among your followers.

Meaningful captions that provoke action | A La Mode

Write a story in your captions. We are all familiar with the concept that people love stories, and are much more likely to engage with a post that narrates a story, compared to one that is solely descriptive of the presented visual. If you are posting about your work, reflect on how the concept evolved to turn into the resulted product, what thinking went behind it and how it relates to your on a personal level. Captions are great for revealing the human element of your brand and connecting through your thoughts with your audience. Perhaps you want to evoke a pleasant memory, a moment of the past, a taste for the future. Whatever it is that goes behind your image, the caption box is a great place to write about it. When you capture your follower’s attention through you long captions, they tend to spend more time on your post and signal Instagram that they are reacting to your content. This helps your account, as Instagram’s algorithm will show your content more often and to a wider audience.

If you do not have a story for every post, you can also utilize statements that provoke action, such as asking curious questions, or inquiring for certain recommendations. People love engaging with meaningful posts, so attempt to share more than only visuals.

Promote your brand throughout different platforms | Have a full social media presence

The purpose of having an online presence is to make it easy for people to find you. Maintaining a visual representation of your brand on Instagram should be simultaneous with your brand’s other social media outlets. Share your Instagram posts on your Facebook page, Pinterest profile. Create a Twitter and Youtube account to expand your creative mediums and be consistent in the type of posting theme you follow and always include links to redirect to your official website.

If you are also managing your brand’s blog, you can choose to embed your Instagram posts. This way, they are clickable images that direct users to your profile driving traffic to your Instagram account.

Foster Collaborations | explore & promote with others

Do not be intimidated to reach out to brands and other similar accounts to find out about collaboration opportunities. Connect with influencers and brands in your industry to create ways to work together. By connecting with other professionals online you can organize Instagram Live sessions, you can arrange Q&A videos featuring your followers and share each other’s content. This way you are exposed to a whole new range of users, and will receive more active engagement.

Use stories consistently | Show your personality & daily things that you do!

Stay active on your stories and your profile will be better favored by Instagram’s algorithm and reach a higher number of active users. By being active on your stories daily, you will be placed higher up on your follower’s feed. You can share your recent posts, generate engagement, use interactive filters, organize polls, ask questions and create conversations to keep your followers interested and have them spend more time glancing at your content. The more time users spend watching your stories, the more frequently your stories will be featured in the first visible slots of stories that appear on top of your user’s feed. Make sure to add hashtags, provide specific locations and tag people involved in your posts. All these elements will be useful in driving traffic to your stories and consequently profile.

Organize your highlights | for a quick preview

Story Highlights are a great way to provide useful information on your brand, your work, and offer a peek on specific processes, as well as feature frequently asked questions. Organize your highlights and use a consistent color theme on your cover image.

Make use of Instagram Reels | It can go viral and it’s exposed to many people

This moderately new feature on Instagram, has enabled users to reach a much wider audience than what they reach through instagram stories and feed posts. Reels have a higher chance of being featured on the Explore page and receive a great deal of engagement. Reels are short format videos, which make it easy to capture potential follower’s attention, and create quick entertaining videos.

Share your process | People want to learn + get inspired from you so share how you think and do things

Document your work, every step of the way, keeping track of your process and collecting your thoughts. Take pictures, shoot videos, keep notes and note every element that goes into your work. This way, at the end of the day you can pick material to show on your account that best reflects your day and brand, and contains useful educational information for your audience. Sharing steps in your process, certain techniques and other elements that are unique to your brand, can help build a community of people who share these same interests and will connect with your brand immediately.

Organize giveaways and challenges | Create a buzz and with that buzz will come Engagement

After you have been sharing content consistently, and reached certain milestones it will be time to organize giveaways and challenges for your followers. These are great ways to increase brand awareness, grow your influence and reach. During giveaways, you can encourage your followers to share your content, tag you in theirs, and spread the word about your brand; it is easily the most efficient way to gain new followers. Join in challenges that are going viral in your industry. Look out for new trends of posts and content, and add your own twist.

Go Live | Invite other users to join in your Live sessions

It can be daunting to utilize the Live feature on Instagram at first, but it is very useful in expanding your audience! You can go live for a number of occasions, namely to show your work process, launch a new product or service, interact with your followers, and collaborate with another Instagram user. When you invite another user to go Live with you, you can organize a collaboration opportunity, and expose your profile to each-other’s followers. It is a great way to interact with fellow Instagram users in your industry, and share your expertise with your followers.

These were our 14 tactics to grow your Instagram following and build a successful brand social media presence. We hope you will be using some of these tips and let us know how well they work for you by tagging us @designlandnyc!

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

Guest User 2/26/21 Guest User 2/26/21

London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2021 Highlights

Hi everyone,

How has February been treating you? We hope you are keeping yourself warm, working toward your goals and enjoying life as it comes. As London fashion week came to an end, we are happy to offer you a brief distraction from your daily life and a glimpse into the highlights of Fall/Winter 2021 collections.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is a play between the soft and edgy, a coexistence of the feminine and masculine. Black leather biker jackets over frilly skirts, jackets and dresses with tactile satin roses, Edwardian balloon sleeves, tailored black leather jackets to emphasize waistline, ivory flowers cascading over pink tulle ballet skirts, are all elements fabricating this fantasy of a rebellious ballerina character. This season’s collection retains the soft femininity that characterizes Rocha’s work, with an additional dose of resiliency and sense of experimentation, all ornated with faux natural pearls, porcelain earrings and hand-painted roses.

"Embroidered tulles, Hand-painted flowers on pearls. Porcelain cameos, encased in gold. The Three Graces. Satin, leather, tulle."

Erdem

Erdem’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is constructed to represent several stages of a dancer’s wardrobe, from rehearsal to performance. The conception of this idea originates from Erdem Moralioglu’s memorable experience of designing costumes in 2018 at the Royal Opera House, translating the excitement of observing ballerinas practicing in their transitional outfits from rehearsals to performance. Illustrating the ballerina’s everyday practice clothing and interlacing it with their embellished stage costumes, the lineup served a variety of feminine skirts, opera gowns, tailored jackets thrown over embellished, feathered skirts. Tops encrusted with jewels and ribbed knitwear, ballet slippers transforming into stilted platforms, and Swan Lake headpieces, made for an interesting fusion of in-between stages of undressing.

Art School

Eden Loweth’s Fall/ Winter collection carries a strong message of resistance, hope and strength to London’s queer communities. Through his work, Loweth aims to give a voice to marginalized communities, offer a safe space for LGBTQ+ identities to be seen, free of prejudice. This season’s collection was unique and completely focused on inclusivity, presenting garments easy to wear for all bodies and genders. The show featured two nonbinary contestants from Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race UK : Bimini Bon-Boulash and A'Whora, Loweth’s close friends, and members of London Trans + Pride. The prevailing theme in this collection stands that of Inclusion and Unity, all reflected in the coats and leather pieces, linen smock dresses and bias cut pieces, designed for different body types.

Matty Bovan

Matty Bovan’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is an explosion of color, paint, exaggerated shapes, volume, interpreted through psychedelic effects of intentional blurring and smearing. With every outfit encrusted in crystals, splashes of color and light, to say that this collection is experimenting with the nontraditional of ready to wear would be an understatement. This season, Bovan labelled this collection Odyssey, referencing the theme and source of inspiration. All this, revealed in the backdrop of this presentation and the sound effects throughout the video, unfolds in the visuals and sounds of struggle through heavy waves out in the sea, shipwreck and survival.

Bovan confesses that this is a personal theme: “I’ve always been afraid of the sea. I suppose it’s that fear of isolation”

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2021 line-up was mostly made of recycled, previously used materials as a statement to reduce the impact fabric waste does to the environment. Fabrics used encompass a variety of wool, tartans, forest positive viscose, organic silk, along with a newly sourced recycled denim.

The collection featured a print of Daphnis and Chloe, a 1743 painting by by French Rococo painter François Boucher, becoming the main print for this season. The collection brought a pastoral mood, in a combination of clashing colors, herringbones, stripes, ginghams and King of Wales Check throughout various items of denim, suits, shirts, corsets and dresses. As always, the lineup carried over Westwood’s signature style of unruled draping and balanced chaos.

The focus of this season stays in the constantly improving efforts to become sustainable, as stated on Westwood’s social media posts on this collection:

We continually challenge ourselves to make our collections with greater care and contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry. We are proud to announce that for Autumn-Winter 2021/22 over 90% of our main-line collection is made from materials that have a reduced impact on our environment.⁠

Molly Goddard

Goddard’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection brings back tulle skirts and voluminous shapes, in a clash of textures, bright colors, metallics and patterns. Strategically large layered skirts reveal a sense of movement. While much of the designs are overly playful, many garments remain wearable and casual, including Fair Isle sweaters for men and women, tartan coats, tailored suits and taffeta dresses layered with casual denim. A joyful color palette of warm red, pink and bright orange, is balanced by charcoal grey, mint, and uplifting blue.

Duro Olowu

Duro Olowu’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is comprised of various exhilarating prints and evokes an inspired outlook of a happier time. Garments manifest a union and blend of reinvented colorful florals, geometrical patterns, python prints in green, fuchsia, orange, turquoise. As stated on Olowu’s Instagram posts of these spectacularly cheerful silk chiffon dresses and swing coats:

Inspired by the work of the African American painter Barkley L. Hendricks and the French painter Édouard Vuillard. The collection is a homage to the wonderful palettes and pattern laden compositions in the paintings of these two amazing artists from different eras and continents.
It is also an ode to the power of style as an inspiring and uplifting weapon of optimism in these uncertain times.

Emilia Wickstead

Emilia Wickstead’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection, represents the idea of looking into a woman’s life. The concept was inspired by three films: Teorema (1968) by Pier Paolo Pasolini, I Am Love (2009) by Luca Guadagnino, and Rear Window (1954) by Alfred Hitchcock. Walking further away from casual ready to wear, and into a reinvention of Eveningwear, this collection featured tailored suiting in wool gabardine, pencil skirted dress, off-the shoulder charcoal wool dress, soft tailored flanella, and draped fabrics that serve as outerwear to offer comfort and a soft edge against the structured garments underneath.

What do you think of our Highlighted moments from London’s Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2021? At Design Land NYC, we are loving the rush of creativity, the progress made towards sustainability in fashion, the bright uplifting colors and prints in place and all the amazing work that designer’s are doing in response to the challenges encountered in the past year. We are following the next fashion shows closely and cannot wait to report the next recap!

Sending joy,

Lori / Design Land NYC

Guest User 2/12/21 Guest User 2/12/21

Clubhouse: Everything we know

Hello friends, have you seen the buzz surrounding another social media platform, Clubhouse? Have you been wondering what the hype is about? At Design Land NYC, we have raised similar questions, and have eventually enjoyed using Clubhouse. We are here to reveal everything we know about this app!

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Image via Gary Vee - Gary Vaynerchuk approved!

What is Clubhouse?

Clubhouse is an audio-based social media app, where users can listen into other users’ (moderators) phone conversations. Users can jump from one room to another, choose conversations by topic, and can even ask to participate in the moderator’s audio chat. The app allows people everywhere to talk about ideas, meet different people from around the world and listen into interesting conversations, and each room has a current limit of 5,000 users per Clubhouse room. In many ways, Clubhouse resembles an audio forum, as opposed to a podcast. You can listen into conversations, participate, follow other users and topics and receive suggestions for rooms that may suit your preferences. Once the conversations end, you cannot access them at a later time as the app does not keep record of the content.

Clubhouse was first launched in March 2020, created by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. Only two months after its launch, the app was valued at $100 million while having only 1,500 users. In 2020, the app was comprised of a small circle of users, yet reached 2 million users in January 2021 to exponentially increase into the current high number of 6 million users. The app is now worth $1 billion. Clubhouse is currently only available to iOS users, with an Android version on its way and a website that links to the iOS app.

How can you get a Clubhouse Invitation?

To sign up for the app and begin checking out Clubhouse rooms, you will need to receive an invitation from an existing Clubhouse user. As a new user you will get two invites to send as you like, and you will earn more as you use the app. The only way to join the app so far is through an invitation! When you receive an invitation you can choose to sign up with your name and phone number, create a username, or through Twitter to transfer over your profile. The reason for this invite-only system is that Clubhouse is building a reputation and desirability based on exclusivity and limited access. However, the app does plan to extend to the general public with no current update as to when that will happen.

Who is on Clubhouse?

Many celebrities and influencers such as Kevin Hart, Oprah, Chris Rock, Drake, and Tiffany Haddish are known to have been periodically using the app, among whom, Tiffany Haddish was the first user to reach 1 million followers on Clubhouse. It seems that people are really interested in what celebrities and influencers have to say and enjoy being a temporary wallflower on these seemingly exclusive conversations.

The most recent celebrity that brought Clubhouse at the forefront of public attention and broke the Clubhouse 5,000 user limit, was the Tesla and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk. In January 31, Musk created a room and utilized the platform to talk about space travel, colonies on Mars, crypto, artificial intelligence and Covd-19 vaccines to his audience. Later in the conversation, Musk was joined by Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood and they analyzed the recent events on the Wall Street bets.

While the app does not record or store any of the audio content, users listening into the conversation are free to do whatever they like with the audio. Elon Musk’s conversation on Clubhouse was recorded and streamed online soon enough, which makes us think that while the app intends to keep these conversations exclusive and semi-private, there will always be the chance of users storing the audio somewhere else on the internet.

If you have ever wanted to listen into people’s conversations, and conduct this in an ethical and acceptable way, then Clubhouse may be just the right app for you! Otherwise, tell us why you would use this app and what are your thoughts on Clubhouse? Will this platform be the next big social media phenomena?

As for Design Land NYC, we are finding topics such as Shopify integration, ecommerce and social media marketing to be of high interest and we are loving the access to founders that have built billion dollar brands and ecommerce and we are very inspired to hear them speak directly on the chat rooms at Clubhouse!

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

Guest User 1/30/21 Guest User 1/30/21

Everything you need to know about Spring 2021 Haute Couture Week

Let’s talk Couture! In case you have missed the latest Virtual Fashion Shows for Spring 2021 Haute Couture, we are here to bring you the Highlights and keep you updated on the latest runway looks! Couture week has just come to an end, and despite having to present virtually to no physical audience, Couture Houses have delivered some stunning looks this year that have brought attention back to the Fashion World.

Schiaparelli

Starting with a stunning and rather surprising Spring 2021 Couture Presentation from Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry has managed to execute an ideal comeback for the House of Schiaparelli. Only recently, last week during the Presidential Inauguration we saw the brand dress Lady Gaga in an unforgettable black fitted jacked, a red silk ball skirt and a striking golden dove brooch to sing the National Anthem. Designer and Creative Director Daniel Roseberry, has been playing out of the box to pull the brand out of its past stagnancy and surely, he does not disappoint. Vogue reports that Roseberry feels a shift of mentality, a focus and confidence that comes from his relationship to his process and the atelier.

“It isn’t about being too perfect for me, but it is about shutting the moment down.”

We certainly see this shift in its most glorious form in the latest Couture collection, which contains elements of homage to Elsa Schiaparelli and presents the opposite of the extra feminine nature of expected Couture garments. Through structured muscular bustiers, accentuated abs and biceps, a dress knitted with more than 200,000 Swarovski crystals, folded voluminous sleeves and the dazzling golden bijoux, this Spring Couture collection brings back the powerful female heroine.

Christian Dior

Ah, Christian Dior! The House never disappoints in delivering artistry through their Couture shows. This year, Dior presented the collection through a carefully curated film and accompanying series of photographs. The inspiration of Maria Grazia Chiuri comes as a consequence of the chaotic year of 2020, and lies in the hope that arises from negotiating with fate. Tarot cards come to life in this film, such a theme stemming from several stories. Christian Dior himself believed in the power of Tarot and their ability to see into the future and first sought out the help of signs when his sister disappeared.

This is Chiuri’s interpretation:

“We decided to film a story about this girl who goes inside a castle. It’s a labyrinth which represents an interior trip. When she meets each of the tarot figures, she has to reach a decision about her life. And on the other hand, she meets aspects of her own personality and learns not to be scared of the future.”

The collection includes period Renaissance inspired pieces, including high waisted corsets, brocade fabrics and a balance of feminine and masculine energy. The merge of the mystique, magic and spirituality are incarnated in the embroidered fabrics, golden details and mysterious allure that prevails throughout the collection.

Giambattista Valli

Volume and more volume! There is no better term to describe the signature style of Giambattista Valli.

“Sometimes I look at other couture houses and I see a lot of decoration. Couture is not about decoration. Couture is about volumes,” he asserted. “When you sketch ready-to-wear, you have to be a designer. When you create haute couture, you have to be a sculptor. It’s the difference between building a space and decorating it.”

Spring Couture 2021 brings another series of extravagantly voluminous gowns, catered to clients that seek drama and flair! The presentation took place in Seville, a place where the Spanish and Islamic cultures melt together and create a new third culture, as a symbolism about the world coming together into a global culture.

Iris van Herpen

For this Couture collection, Iris van Herpen collaborated with Parley for the Ocens to utilize Ocean Plastic® fabric made from upcycled marine debris. The Dutch designer claims that the quality of manmade, natural and sustainable materials has reached an even point, and the selection of sustainable materials, above all, remains a change of mindset. The inspiration for this year’s gowns and fabric selections comes from a book by Merlin Sheldrake titled “Entangled Life” which focuses on the way fungi maintain their life systems on Earth. We can see this inspiration reflected in silhouettes and details, with gill-like pleating and mycelium lace, some of which was produced on a collaboration with an artist that grew lace patterns from wood.

This past year for Iris van Herpen has been about maintaining communication in a time of isolation and separation. The system that fungi create to communicate in a “wood wide web” has been particularly fascinating, providing a context for this couture collection to fit right into our timeline.

Viktor & Rolf

Viktor and Rolf Spring 2021 Couture collection comes as something fun and lighthearted! The designer duo decided that after a grim year they should offer some escapism for their audience and clientele, something carrying a lot of energy and power! For this reason, the collection appears more youthful, and carries on a theme of upcycling and DIY, which is unusual for a couture show, but also what sets this collection apart from others! A clash of colors and textures pulls together two piece outfits, each of which releases exhilarating energy!

Chanel

Chanel Spring 2021 Couture show has transformed the Grand Palais into a country wedding in the South of France, decorated with floral arches and a bright atmosphere of celebration. As always, Chanel presents outfits that include the brand’s iconic boucle fabrics into cardigan jackets and vests, now more encrusted and embroidered than ever. Other garments are hand-painted and made from custom lace, hems finished with re-embroidered blossoms.

Creative director Virginie Viard describes this year’s couture collection as a “bohemian style wedding, a family celebration in a village including the mother, the aunt, and the 15-year-old girl dressing up for the first time”. The silhouettes bring both feminine and masculine energies, by including layers of petticoats for the most voluminous gowns and skirts, paired with button-ups and more traditional menswear.

Armani Privé

Armani Privé Spring 2021 Couture show was set for the first time at Palazzo Orsini in Milano in front of no audience. The collection showcased a variety of feminine gowns, elaborately embroidered sheer fabrics, encrusted florals, translucent layers of tulle and sequined details, in a fresh color palette of cool mint, soft taupe, and navy.

In Armani’s words:

“Couture is rooted in fashion history. It represents the pinnacle of creativity and sartorial skill, but is a world available only to very few. Today, through the democracy of the Internet, we are able to offer a front row seat to everyone.”

Valentino

Yet another Couture show with no audience, this Valentino Spring 2021 collection served to honor the intricate and irreplaceable nature of couture as a process and valuable legacy of the brand. Couture celebrates the human, the mind that conceives and the hand that creates and gives value, were the words of the Designer. He called the looks Temporal, as they will survive time and outlive trends to come.

"Through a work process that sits above time, they produce timeless objects moulded on the individual."

This year’s Valentino looks were uplifting in their color palette and simply illuminating. The collection is inspired and constructed only with the surface and garment quality in mind, as opposed to a more intangible concept. When compared to past collections, this lineup has flipped the ratio of evening-wear to day-wear, making the pieces much more wearable and versatile.

Fendi

Fendi Spring 2021 Couture, also marked Kim Jones’ debut collection, turning this into an important event! The show attracted a lot of attention when they recruited some of the most well-known models in the industry; Naomi Campell, Kate Moss, Cara Delevigne, Bella Hadid Demi Moore, and Adwoa Aboah.

The collection was visibly inspired by Virginia Woolf’s time-traveling, gender-blurring novel Orlando and the visual language of Bernini’s Marbles. The lineup also served as a celebration of the legacy for Fend;, incorporating pieces of significant elements of the brand, and family; emphasizing the idea of unity and collective energy.

In his notes for the show, Kim Jones pointed out as follows:

"Fendi represents artisanal quality of the highest order, and it is all about family. It is in its third generation with a Fendi at its helm, and I am guest starring while bringing in the fourth. Here, I am surrounded by strong, powerful women who I love and respect, and want to bring their energy into what I do."

This concludes our Report for Spring 2021 Couture Week, and we are inspired by the artistry and craftsmanship showcased this past week! Which show was your favorite this Couture Season?

Sending joy and creative stimuli your way,

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

Guest User 1/29/21 Guest User 1/29/21

Artist Inspo: Yayoi Kusama

In today’s Artist Inspo we will talk about Yayoi Kusama, one of our favorite contemporary artists! Her art installations make for some of the most magical and captivating experiences and her other multi-media visual art is otherworldly.

Kusama Yayoi - Louis Vuitton Window Display - Image Via Louis Vuitton

Yayoi Kusama is a contemporary Japanese artist whose work encompasses a wide range of mediums namely; sculpture, painting, film and installation. Kusama is especially well-recognized for her creative use of dots as the basis of all her artwork, and there is a story behind that.

Yayoi Kusama in Yellow Tree furniture room at Aich triennale, Nagoya, Japan, 2010. - Image via Whitney Museum — Yayoi Kusama in *Yellow Tree* furniture room at Aich triennale, Nagoya, Japan, 2010. - Image via Whitney Museum

How did Kusama start?

Born in Matsumoto City in Japan, Kusama showed early signs of creative talent, specifically in visual arts. She studied painting in Kyoto and in 1958 moved to New York City, aiming to become a part of the contemporary art movement in the city. Kusama curated many exhibitions, where she showed to be a unique character in the midst of other talented contemporary artists like Andy Warhol, Joseph Cornell and Claes Oldenburg. Her artwork soon became distinguished within the artistic circles, and her installations of “Infinity Rooms” very popular with the crowds, making her a significant artist in the Pop-art and Minimalist movements and marking her as one of the first artists to engage in performance art.

Starting from Right - Yayoi Kusama Self Portrait, 1972, Installation view of Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field, 1965, Phosphoresce in the Daytime, c. 1950 — Starting from Right - Yayoi Kusama *Self Portrait,* 1972, Installation view of *Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field*, 1965, *Phosphoresce in the Daytime*, c. 1950

Performances and Happenings

Kusama’s performances often took the shape of “Happenings”, which were unplanned, impromptu events that required audience participation. Many of the Happenings in the 1960s were meant to protest the Vietnam War, and involved naked participants (including the artist), during which Kusama would paint colorful dots on the performers.

One of the most memorable performances of Yayoi Kusama, was the unauthorized 1969 Happening, Grand Orgy to Awaken the Dead at MoMA. Naked performers were to embrace each other and engage with the statues around them, who were figures made by deceased artists. By staging this performance, Kusama communicated the point of “dead” art in need of more living artists’ animation.

Narcissus Garden was another memorable performance, installed for the 1966 Venice Biennale and included a “kinetic carpet” of mirrored spheres placed outdoors. During the performance, Kusama wore a golden kimono and sold each sphere to the public. Narcissus Garden served as a critique to the mechanization of the art market, as well as promotional opportunity for the artist.

Having made such an impact in the art world, Kusama returned to Japan in the 1970s to take care of her mental health and only made a comeback in 1993, when she represented her country in the Venice Biennale.

Why Dots?

Yayoi Kusama in Tokyo, 2016. Photo by Tomoaki Makino.

Yayoi Kusama talks about her reason behind dots as her main design element, stemming from a semi-traumatic experience when she was a little girl. During a bizarre moment of hallucination, Kusama found herself in a field of flowers with these flowers coming to life and in an Alice-in-Wonderland-like moment began speaking to her. The blossoms appeared in the shape of dots, and laid out into the horizon. While the dots extended in front of her, she felt herself merge with the hallucination into what she calls “self-obliterating” into the field of dots. Keeping this memory in mind, Kusama continues to “self-obliterate” and merge into the infinity of dots in all of her artwork and installations.

Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room - Image Via The Weekend Edition — *Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room* - Image Via The Weekend Edition

‘Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment’.

Infinity Mirrored Room - Image Via Artnews

Infinity Rooms

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room - Image Via CNN

Kusama’s most impressive and creative installations remain her “Infinity Rooms”. These installations are always unique in character, often incorporating mirrors, circular objects, dots and a multitude of lights to replicate the idea of an infinite space. Very often, these installations are created by placing hundreds of flashing colorful LED lights into dark mirrored rooms, and fabricate a conceptual environment of a galaxy-like infinity. The inspiration continues to stem from Kusama’s childhood experience and moment of hallucination, something that she is always seeking to mimic into her artwork.

Where to Find Her Artwork

Some of her most well-established exhibitions include “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” at the Hirshhorn Museum, and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., “Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of Rainbow” at the National Gallery Singapore, and the exhibitions “Yayoi Kusama: Festival of Life” and “Yayoi Kusama Infinity Nets” at David Zwirner in New York. Some of Kusama’s artwork can now be observed at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, as well as her own museum in Tokyo which was first inaugurated in 2017.

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room - Image Via Tate Modern

At Design Land we see the artwork of Yayoi Kusama as a major source of inspiration to make our designs as dynamic and experiential! We especially love the art installations that offer a phenomenal experience. We recommend that if you travel to any of the mentioned locations do not miss out on a visit to these astonishing Infinity Rooms! They make for great pictures and enchanting memories!

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

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Bottega Veneta Deletes All Social Media Platforms

Hi everyone and happy Second Week of 2021!

Our latest discussion at Design Land NYC has been about Bottega Veneta

Only last week, Bottega Veneta decided to close down its Instagram, Facebook and Twitter account unexpectedly, offering no announcement for future plans to follow.

What could have caused such an abrupt change?

According to GQ Magazine, some speculation reveals that this may fit into a larger scheme of the brand’s marketing strategy, before the release of Bottega Veneta’s 2021 Spring-Summer Collection. In the recent weeks before the sudden Social Media “cleanse”, Bottega already debuted the brand’s Spring 2021 collection to a private socially distanced audience in London, the creative director’s Daniel Lee home base. According to Vogue, Daniel Lee does not believe in fashion shows, something that only makes sense for the brand and became the reason why he opted for a salon performance instead. The most exclusive luxury brands show very little online, creating a veil of mystique around their products and offer unique experiences through their stores. As Alber Elbaz has best said: “When you see too much of a designer, it means that it’s not too much of a good piece and they need to do too much publicity to push it forward.”

Why would this sudden shift in Bottega’s social media presence make a difference in the brand’s overall performance?

Now, more than ever brands have become more reliant on social media to promote their products, marketing campaigns, offer new channels of distribution and connection to their customers. Most luxury brands, if not all, have some social media presence in various scales, and have been increasing their digital activities throughout different platforms. 2019 and 2020 marked a significant shift of consumer attention to TikTok, a popular social media platform among the teenagers. As a result, many brands actively expanded on the new trending platform as a measure of staying on trend and being seen. As the 2020 pandemic precautions prevented social gatherings, many luxury houses have shown their collections creatively through online streaming mediums, completely changing the way how a fashion show can be organized, presented and consumed.

Eliminating these social media outlets also means minimizing reach, specifically towards the younger consumer, when other luxury brands are actively trying to grab attention throughout trending platforms to create everlasting relationships with potential customers.

Stealth Luxury Marketing Approach

However, Bottega Veneta is known as a stealth luxury brand, one to use anti-marketing marketing strategies of staying away from overexposed logos and design trends. We all know the previously used tagline “When your own initials are enough”, demonstrating a sense of discreteness, and amplifying the quality and craftsmanship character of the brand. Perhaps the decision to stay off social media for a while can be an extended tactic on their overall discreet marketing strategy, turning away from the overexposed heavily consumed mediums, and relying on word-of-mouth recognition. Bottega Veneta is a brand that few forget, and is often tagged or mentioned in celebrity wardrobe tours and handbag collections. While Bottega will not have their own hub on any social media platform, others will continue to talk about it out of sheer preference, and construct more genuine unintentional promotions.

How long before we see Bottega on Social Media again?

We wonder how long Bottega will be off these platforms before debuting their next collection and returning to digital advertising. We all have that friend that swears to give up social media as their New Year resolution, in hope for spending more quality time, yet end up activating their account just days later. On a side note, we hear from Vogue that only over a month ago, the brand posted a listing for a global social media manager, so the real answer may be that the brand is preparing for a complete strategic transformation, and only time will tell when we will see it unfold online.

While we were initially shocked at Design Land NYC to learn about Bottega Veneta’s social media cleanse, we now understand how that fits in the picture of stealth luxury marketing, and it is not radically new or unexpected for Bottega after all. If you are interested to read more on this story, check out these articles we read!

As always, we hope you are safe and healthy!

Sending joy,

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

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Burberry Launches Lunar New Year Collection

Hi everyone! We hope you are enjoying the first days of January!

With the Year of the Ox soon approaching, Burberry has launched their Lunar New Year exclusive capsule collection, in honor of the Chinese New Year.

Burberry Chinese New Year collection 2021

About the Capsule Collection:

The collection is presented in a series of tasteful images, celebrating the majesty of the natural world and features the classic Burberry plaid with the addition of Ox animal motifs. The Ox is a sign associated with the earth, thus qualities of its nature; powerful and calm are reflected in the chosen color palette, styling and designs.

The Lunar Year Collection Campaign was shot by Photographer Feng Li and features models Liu Wen and Wang Xiangguo and styled by Fashion Stylist Audrey Hu.

Garments:

We are mesmerized by the lineup inception, starting with a series of plaid coats, including an updated version of Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry logo with ox horns. This graphic motif is seen throughout the collection, with ox adorned knits and scarves. Parts of the collection carry a neutral black and white theme, while others are finalized with red and yellow accent colors in garments and accessories.

Burberry Lunar New Year Capsule Collection.jpg

Accessories:

Ox horn elements rise in accessories, most prominently in the horn-adorned baseball caps and subtle ox illustrations. The Pocket bag gets transformed with shades of yellow, black, red and white. Cat-eye Sunglasses appear in red, ornated with the updated gold monogram. Striped wool jacquard as well as cashmere plaid scarves, carry the lucky motif and colored monogram. Other accessories contain a graphic touch, featuring the word “LOVE” in fun expressive fonts. Interesting novelty additions to the collection are the Cotton Plaid Mask and the AirPods Pro Case.

BURBERRY sunglasses 2021 Chinese New Year

Footwear:

Footwear launched with this exclusive capsule collection include point-toe mules, suede, cotton and leather Arthur sneakers, T-bar shoes, cotton pumps, lambskin ankle and knee-high boots.

You can check out the Burberry Lunar New Year capsule collection clicking the link here.

We are loving the new exclusive lineup in honor of the Lunar New Year and the colorful additions that complement Burberry’s classic aesthetic. This capsule collection truly delivers a celebratory message!

How are you enjoying Burberry’s Ox Year fresh novelty aesthetics, when compared to last year’s capsule collection?

Sending joy, peace and luck your way,

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

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Goodbye 2020

2020 has been a challenging year, yet we have managed to thrive and evolve. We are thankful for the trust and support we receive daily and the constant dose of inspiration. This year has transformed us into a resilient structure and we are ready to face anything that comes our way in 2021!

Hello everyone,

We hope you are doing wonderfully this end of year, and that you are reflecting upon your own accomplishments over this past year. At Design Land NYC, we are counting our blessings and reviewing our most beloved projects of 2020.

What we are most proud of:

Among juggling through many design projects and marketing accounts, we founded our line of graphic printed Hoodies, in a variety of colors. We released a line of kids hoodies that come in the same color ways, with the choice of Lady Liberty print, or a print of your choice that fits our guidelines. This is our proudest achievement of 2020, marking the beginning of our exclusive Design Land Store and assigning 2020 as one of our most remarkable years yet. We will continue adding products to our line and we are thrilled to see where our creativity takes us in Design Land NYC shop 2021.

What our biggest challenge was:

Adapting our work and business during a global pandemic was without doubt the biggest challenge for Design Land NYC. In the midst of combating the quarantine blues, a temporary shutdown of the fashion industry and redefining ways to collaborate while following health guidelines were all part of the new normal on which we now productively and efficiently function. It took time and effort to change, yet we evolved and grew stronger despite circumstances. This year was a lot about adaption and flexibility, and we overcame obstacles by morphing our ways around the situation. Like Eleanor Roosevelt has once said "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts", we prepare to move on, refreshed and ready to approach any new challenges!

Our most important lesson:

“Life is Short and unexpected.” More than ever we have faced the fleeting character of life and have learned that we should truly follow our dreams now, as tomorrow is never guaranteed. We have learned to live, not only by executing solely work we believe in and are passionate about, but also in taking care of ourselves and each other. We want to be present and enjoy our lives moments, by taking action and putting our best effort into the products and services we provide. This year has helped us realized how impactful our work can be for the people involved, the receiving consumers and society as a whole. Along with the sudden and obvious realization of our momentary existence, with the potential of setting an influential footprint in the sand of time, we discovered our resilience, whether individual or communal. 2020 could not be represented better than by definition of resilience. The label is perfectly justified to say the least, and has become an increasing quality in our lifestyle and work system. Through our newfound resilience in these times of uncertainty we have managed to break through and thrive professionally, maintaining a healthy state of mind.

**Word of the Year: Resilience**

Tell us about your 2020 reflection! We want to hear all about your highlights and upcoming resolutions! When looking at this past year, what was your biggest achievement, challenge and lesson?

Our Thank you message:

A big thank you goes to our clients, customers, and everyone that has supported us throughout our progress this year. We cannot wait to experience yet another year together and share with you our new exciting projects! We feel lucky to have amazing people that inspire us each step of the way, and that accompany our development in our creative processes. We are unbelievably thankful for the trust we receive daily, the constant dose of inspiration that comes from our team and clientele, and for the undivided love and dedication of our families to exhibit their moral support! All in all, we are humbled by your love and cheer and continue to resonate those same positive feelings back at you! We couldn’t have done it without you!

“This New Year’s Eve, drink up and have fun! Life is a beautiful thing worth celebrating! ”

Sending joy your way,

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

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The Gift of hope for 2021

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! We are excited to have made it to the end of December, and even more excited to join the festivities with you!

In many ways than one, 2020 has been a historic year.

We underwent a global pandemic, experienced a universal shutdown and complete modification of our lifestyle habits, and we had a universal awakening of social justice. Although much of our personal lives has been put on pause, our group initiatives and sentiment towards social and environmental causes have had time to jump-start and prepare to fight for a better tomorrow. What’s more, the vaccine for Covid-19 has already been distributed and many individuals at risk such as the elderly and the ones with preexisting conditions, as well as members of the medical staff have already been vaccinated. To us, these and so much more, are cause for a great 2021!

It turns out, there really is light at the end of the tunnel. Noticing patterns throughout our past history, humans have never made more progress on any disease in a year than during this case, given that many vaccine developments take as much as 10 years to be officially completed. That information alone sheds light into a much wanted resolution for progress in the medical field, at a time when this particular virus has affected the global population entirely.

Among the two reasons to be hopeful for the future are the usage of masks and social distancing, and the new vaccine.

The vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, and Moderna are the ones that currently received emergency approval in the US and UK. Following the two companies examples, there are many more conducting clinical trials and exploring new ways to help immune our bodies. However, before deciding to get the vaccine, we suggest that you research how the vaccine is preparing you against the virus, as they do function differently and approach the problem on various ways. The existing approved vaccines are both mRNA based, meaning that they do not contain the Covid-19 virus, and cannot infect you. They work by using mRNA messenger to code for a spike protein that is then detected by your immune system, helping it familiarize and prepare to fight Covid-19.

We are making progress by staying united

The real hope here stands in the united progress that we are making in working together with governments, scientists and well-funded companies to help make these big steps into a safer future. Countries are adapting and sending aid where needed to pull through this global health emergency together. We see a world that is collaborating globally to ensure bringing back a certain normalcy and sense of security in the next year, and that helps us cope with a new beginning, as well as a farewell to 2020.

Good News in Climate Change and Clean Energy Innovations

In other good news for the near future, we see a reintegration of the US in working on issues of climate change and will join other countries in their meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, for the first major United Nations summit on climate change next year. We are hopeful that the US will begin establishing the clean-energy innovations to eliminate greenhouse gases. In other trends, whether design or marketing we expect a significant rise in eco conscious choices and varied available options for educated consumers. Because of our involuntary reset in life, consumers have become more sensitive to pressing issues like climate change and social justice. Knowing how demand controls the market, 2021 will become a year of change and beneficial progress. We expect 2021 to bring noticeable change and we are ready to experience it.

Hopeful for 2021

2021 will be a significant improvement from 2020, simply for the fact that the world is working on solving current problems that have disrupted life as we know it, and having provided multiple solutions to tackle a global pandemic and reduce its death rate, we are very much hopeful and looking forward to a brighter year!

We hope you are feeling more joyful this Christmas holiday, knowing that the world will be set in a better place only moments from now and that we are all working together to stay safe and healthy. That being said, please wear your masks and continue social distancing! The fight is not over yet, and we should show our sense of solidarity to all the people around us. Christmas is a holiday for sharing, and what better to share than secure proper health for your loved ones! At Design Land NYC, we are happy and healthy, and excited for the New Year to begin!

Stay healthy and safe and we wish you a most hopeful Winter season!

Sending joy and love:

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

The Gift Of Hope For 2021

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Artist Inspo: Thandiwe Muriu

Hi everyone,

We hope your week has been amazing so far! We were so lucky to have been introduced to this AMAZING African based artist and photographer via Adobe Creative Suite! #adobecreativecloud #designlandnyc #thandiwemuriu

It is such a sunny day in NYC today and we feel like it matches the vibrant colors and patterns of Thandiwe Muriu’s photographic creations! This post will be a focus on Muriu’s work, experience and motifs of inspirations. Thandiwe Muriu is a leading Nairobi-based photographer and her style is characterized by bright, fun colors and African fabrics in their glorious & joyful design combinations.

How did Thandiwe Muriu start

Photography has always been a part of her life.

Having started developing curiosity about her father’s camera fairly young, Muriu began by mimicking fashion photography and posting her work on Facebook, where she was picked up and contacted by many. Still undecided in her career choice, she went on to study Marketing in College and continued to improve her craft while still taking small photography jobs on the side. She describes this period as a time when she was realizing her path, and soon enough decided to whole-heartedly pursue professional photography, defying all the social stigma that comes with it, and overcoming financial difficulties. Muriu feels lucky to have done this change in her life along with other young emerging Kenyan photographers, as communicating with others shattered many barriers that kept young professionals from executing their visions and making a living.

About Inspiration

Muriu’s inspirations come from many places, all rooted in the love for African fabrics and cultures.

“My DNA is… I love Color!” – that is her main statement that best describes her innermost personality translated in visuals.

Muriu plays around with color, patterns, lines and other simple design elements that together form this intricate tapestry of visual exploration. The accessories that complement her fashion photography are often made of the most useful household objects. In an interview with UNESCO, Muriu mentions that this repurposing of African objects resonates to the idea that every household object had over 20 uses in Kenya, and defies class of social group. This way, styling is planned and performed in ways that never appear in western cultures, as they carry Kenyan significance.

African Beauty

Another important aspect of Muriu’s photography is representing real African beauty.

Growing up, Muriu felt that dark-skinned beauty had little to no representation, with light-skin being deemed as more beautiful. Through her art, she wants to emphasize real African beauty and have little girls see themselves in her work and learn to love their skin and natural features. Muriu aims to shift the damaging beauty standards that previous generations were taught to believe and her photography best translates this major part of her artistic vision.

thandiwe_muriu_childs_play_kenyan_photographer_fashion_cnn_african_voices_4.jpg

The Vision in Progress

Muriu is part of a bigger movement that changed the shape of photography and its landscape in Nairobi.

As an artist, she feels a significant difference in the way photography is no longer perceived as simply photo-journalism, but is now understood as an artform. She sees a shift in local appreciation, focusing on developing internally, as opposed to looking at the global perspective, and has great faith in the future generations and their power to tell the stories and visions of Kenya. This is why she offers classes for new beginning photographers , as her way to encourage the youth of Nairobi to continue expressing their vision and fight social stigma that tells them otherwise.

Looking at Muriu’s work, we feel inspired and filled with stimulated creativity. We understand the importance of her work and celebrate these beautiful graphics.

Xoxo Lori / Design Land NYC

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