Fashion show proceeds to aid refugee program

The fourth annual Passion for Fashion Charity Show on Thursday will feature an evening of fashion, strolling hors d'oeuvres, desserts, live entertainment, a silent auction and special guests.

Festivities will kick off at 9 p.m. at the Shenandoah Country Club, 5600 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield Township.

Attire for patrons age 21 and older is sexy chic.

Advance tickets are $40 at www.groupon.com/deals/4th-annual-passion-for-fashion, $60 at the door.

Proceeds from the silent auction and $10 of each ticket purchased will be donated to Adopt-a-Refugee Family Program, which provides immediate help to refugees persecuted because of religious beliefs.

Future fashion

The latest trends change so fast that what’s in tomorrow is already in the news today.

FASHION Week ends today in New York, even as we speak. You already have an idea of what to expect for Spring/Summer 2012.

But aren’t we just starting the Autumn/Winter 2011 fashion season? Well, you’ve just got to love fashion, if not for anything, for the speed in which it moves.

Who cares about Autumn/Winter? The style set is already taking notes on what to wear next season, and with social media and live streaming, you don’t have to physically be at any Fashion Week. Even better, most brands would have selected clothes to be pre-ordered soon for those who can’t wait until they hit the stores or want a jump start on the latest looks.

Given this current climate, there’s no such thing as waiting anymore. If you want to get ahead of everyone else, you would have observed, dissected and noted what to buy and wear.

As I’m writing this, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) isn’t over yet, so I can’t give a rundown. Besides, there’s still London, Paris and Milan coming up. But, there were some collections shown that had some beautiful and interesting looks.

My favourite is The Row by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The duo have an uncanny knack for knowing what women want to wear. Actually, it’s the things they want to wear or have in their wardrobe, and being spot-on in most of their fashion choices, which others seem to go for as well. Their multimillion dollar sales speak for itself, and the label which started in 2007, is known for its luxurious but classic edgy look.

For their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, it’s all about gorgeous, wearable pieces in a predominantly white palette. Easy looks of loose pants, chiffon and tulle overlays, satin pajamas, tunic tops, long and cropped jackets dominated the show. There were also specific detailing here and there just to give things an interesting variation. The best look, to me, was the caftan with detailing on the bodice. Simplicity in elegance was the keyword for this collection.

One of Sarah Jessica Parker’s favourite designers, Prabal Gurung, pushed the buttons in his SS2012 collection with engineered prints and transparent dresses. My favourite dress was a transparent black and white one with what looked like a criss-cross bodice of black leather strings at the waist. I also liked a print dress that had a handkerchief hemline but am not too sure of some of the plastic-looking latex materials used for a coat and some of the other outfits.

Alexander Wang’s collection was all sporty and athletic with plenty of mesh thrown in. Am not a fan of this collection, but am sure those who like hard-wired, sporty looks will go for this. Perfect for hanging out at a “Fast and Furious” type of gathering.

Altuzarra also went for sporty, with lots of fabulous fitted sleek dresses and plenty of prints. Leather and mesh were also thrown in the mix, so you had a combination of a print T-shirt with leather sleeves, or a half-leather skirt, and print and leather dresses.

I’m looking forward to seeing Marc Jacobs, of course. I love that his collections have more polished, grown-up looks and he’s always been a personal favourite. I have been lucky enough to actually attend his shows at NYFW before, and that’s always been a thrill. The other collection I’m looking out for is Victoria Beckham’s. Now, she is a celebrity turned fashion designer success story (like the Olsens) and her clothes always look right whether she’s wearing it or designing it. The thing with Beckham is that it’s always about the fit, so her clothes always fall perfectly. And really, when it comes to clothes, it is always, always about the fit.

So what are some of the trends from what’s been shown so far? A little too early to tell, but I think there’s plenty of colour; it is Spring/Summer after all. And sporty, athletic looks and prints, be it engineered or graphic. Let’s see what crops up for the rest of NYFW and the following Fashion Weeks in London, Paris and Milan.

I’ll be taking a short break, or rather this column will, just to refresh and rejuvenate. Like fashion, sometimes you need to redefine your look (or rather, oneself), and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. As the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer said: “Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal.”

Dzireena Mahadzir is looking for the meaning of life beyond the status quo. She’s planning on taking a break, and her Sense of Style column will return after two months.

Fashion leader honoured

The director of fashion label NOM*d, Margarita Robertson, was recognised for her role in invigorating Dunedin's fashion scene with an honorary degree from Otago Polytechnic yesterday.

Ms Robertson received an honorary bachelor of design (fashion) at the polytechnic's graduation ceremony yesterday.

She said it was ''pretty special'' being awarded the degree, despite feeling a little odd about not having put in years of study as other graduates had.

''We have always been a big part of the Dunedin fashion scene, and NOM*d is a proud supporter of local fashion and the development of emerging fashion designers,'' she said.

Otago Polytechnic fashion academic leader Margot Barton said the names NOM*d and Margarita Robertson were ''synonymous with Dunedin fashion''.

''Margi has been instrumental in the continued growth of Dunedin's vibrant fashion sector since 1986, when she and her husband, Chris, boldly launched NOM*d, despite an economic slump in the Dunedin fashion industry,'' Dr Barton said.

From these early beginnings, NOM*d quickly established itself as one of the country's premier fashion labels. In 1999, NOM*d was chosen to represent New Zealand at London Fashion Week, alongside Karen Walker, World and Zambesi. These were the first New Zealand labels to show at an international fashion week.

Dr Barton said Ms Robertson had also been notable for the mentoring role she played with budding fashion designers.

''Margi has personally been visible, accessible and supportive to Otago Polytechnic students.''

Ms Robertson said the current crop of young fashion lovers benefited hugely from being able to take courses like the one offered at Otago Polytechnic.

It was a ''different world'' when she first entered the fashion industry, she said.

Her message to her fellow graduates was to ''make sure that they love what they do every day''.

Fashion retailer H&M offers to take your old clothes

Swedish global fashion firm Hennes & Mauritz plans to start collecting old clothes from next year to hand over for recycling, it said on Thursday.

H&M, the world's second biggest fashion chain after Spanish group Inditex, said in a statement it will become the first fashion company to launch a clothing collection initiative worldwide.

"From February 2013, customers will be able to hand in used garments in H&M stores in all 48 markets," it said. Any items of clothing from any brand and in any condition would be accepted and customers would receive a voucher for each bag.

The collected clothes would then be handled by I:Collect, a global recycling company, which would transport them to a sorting plant in Germany, it said. The material could then either be re-used as clothes or for other products like cleaning rags or insulation material in the car industry.

H&M said tonnes of textiles were thrown out every year, when as much as 95 percent of the clothes could be used again.

Mixing Prints 101: Fashion Tips to Wear Mismatched Prints Like a Star

Mixing prints is one of fashion's riskiest trends, but if you get it right, it can have a big payoff, says Lori Bergamotto contributing style editor of Lucky magazine.

Bergamotto visited " Good Morning America" today to show us how to pull off this tricky trend. First, the basics:

When you're mixing prints, you need one of the pieces to act as a neutral so it doesn't come off as clash.
Keep texture in mind as well as print. Knits can help break up the pattern and balance the look.
Here are three foolproof combinations that Bergamotto says always work nicely together.

1. Stripes and Florals. Stripes act as a neutral and can help ground the "floatiness" of a floral. Look for a unifying color and pair with a solid shoe.

2. Animal Prints and Animal Prints. (Yes, you read that right.) Choose pairs that are complimentary, but not too matchy. The key to pulling off this look is scale. Look for one print that has a smaller pattern and another that is more graphic. Keep the jewelry and accessories simple.

3. Polka Dots and….just about anything! They're one of the easiest prints to pair thanks in part to their ability to look super casual and ultra-feminine all at once. When rendered in neutral shades (black dots on a white shirt), they can be the anchor to an otherwise bold look. Worn with stripes, tweeds, global, chevron, houndstooth, florals, and more, the polka dot is the print that keeps on giving!

On "GMA," Bergamotto started with a floral-printed pant from H&M with shades of dark purple and green, a pop of red, some blue and gray as the foundation for all three looks. The flattering silhouette and the varied color palette makes it a little easier to pair with things probably in your closet already, she says.

Trendy Look: Put the floral pant with a black-and-white polka-dotted shirt and wide-striped sweater for a fashion-forward look. The polka-dot blouse peeks out to anchor the look and adds some lightness. The wide-striped, knit sweater leaves room for the print to breathe and doesn't overwhelm the outfit as a whole.

Seen on model: Pants- H&M, $ 34.94; Shoes - Modcloth, $32.00; Blouse - Tommy Hilfiger, $69.50; Sweater - Forever21, $22.80

Middle Look: This look is almost right, but misses the mark. While the fabrics and slate blue colors play nicely together, too much of the same can be your downfall when it comes to prints.The chambray polka-dot shirt hits the same slate blue color note and instead of looking like a well-orchestrated outfit, it comes off as a clash. To fix it, opt for a neutral piece like a white or a beige top instead. This will help break up the monotony.

Seen on model: Pants- H&M, $ 34.94; Shirt - Old Navy, $24.94; Over Shirt - Joe Fresh, $49; Shoes - Aerosols, $59

Tragic Look : In the fashion world, you often hear people say "stick within the same color family," Bergamotto says, but when you're mixing prints, you need one of the pieces to act as somewhat of a neutral. Here, it should be the striped shirt, but because the stripes are so thin and in black and white, they come across as too severe. You want something that is going to help mute your other prints, not turn up the volume on them. While the plaid blazer picks up on the green tone in the pants, it doesn't compliment the painterly print of the floral. Bottom line: There's just way too much going on here.

Simon Announces Comprehensive Transformation of Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California

Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG), the world's leading retail real estate company, is pleased to announce a comprehensive transformational redevelopment of Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California, the iconic 2.3 million square foot super-regional shopping center serving the upscale South Bay market of greater Los Angeles.

In conjunction with the announcement of Simon's redevelopment plans, Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN) today also announced its intention to relocate its full-line store at South Bay Galleria to Del Amo Fashion Center. The new Nordstrom store will be 138,000 square-feet on two levels, and is expected to open in 2015.

Del Amo Fashion Center is owned by Simon Property Group, Inc. and institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.  The announcement of Nordstrom's arrival at Del Amo Fashion Center marks one of many significant upgrades Simon will undertake over two years to one of the most recognized and successful enclosed shopping malls in America.

The redevelopment will commence in spring 2013 by replacing the existing food court with a transformed garden-inspired dining area and renovating the interior of a portion of the north mall, which will be completed by holiday 2013.

Starting in early 2014, the redevelopment will include the demolition of the remaining portion of the original north mall, replacing it with a new state of the art two-level mall to connect the existing Macy's women's store with the new Nordstrom store (to be located near the intersection of Hawthorne Boulevard and Fashion Way).

The redevelopment will also include enhancements to the ambience of the outdoor lifestyle village, the addition of a 1,800 car parking garage, planting of lush landscaping, upgraded parking throughout the entire mall property, new identity and informational signage, and improvements to facilitate customer circulation in and around the property.  Completion of this work will be timed with the grand opening of Nordstrom in 2015.

"Today's announcement by Nordstrom that they will be relocating to Del Amo Fashion Center as a part of our redevelopment is consistent with our objective to create dynamic retail environments for our retailers and customers," said David Contis, President of Simon's Mall Platform.  "We expect to expand the trade area of Del Amo Fashion Center and solidify its reputation as one of the nation's most successful malls."

W for fashionista wedding party

The fashion crowd came south of the border to support W magazine fashion market and accessories director Karla Martinez, who recently married longtime boyfriend Francisco Solas in Mexico. Guests included W Editor-in-Chief Stefano Tonchi, Vogue’s Hamish Bowles and Valerie Boster, Glamour fashion director Anne Christensen, and beauty writer Sarah Howard, along a slew of fashion writers and publicists from various brands. Martinez cut a stunning swath down the aisle in a custom-made Carolina Herrera gown, and later changed into a Nina Ricci frock for the reception.