Judas Priest's Rob Halford Sets Out to Dress the Metal Gods

While it might seem like a difficult task to reinvent that fashion staple of heavy metal music fans, the t-shirt, if anyone has the right credentials for the task it’s Rob Halford, lead singer of legendary metal band Judas Priest.

Halford just launched Metal God, his signature brand of t-shirts that have all the soft-worn appeal of a vintage concert t-shirt but with all-new original graphics that he’s betting will appeal to die-hard metal fans and aspiring rockers alike.

“The imagery is simply an extension of what I do with my music,” explained Halford at a preview of the collection on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at a New York hotel in the East Village, not far from dive bars where heavy metal music aficionados like DJ Lady Starlight spin Judas Priest classics. “Metal God” refers to the nickname given to Halford by fans.

“Quite simply, Rob Halford invented heavy metal style,” said DJ Lady Starlight, who writes a fashion and music blog chronicling the history of hard rock and airs a heavy metal podcast, “Metal for Muthas,” on American Apparel internet radio. “The biker and leather boy look Halford adopted for promoting 'Hell Bent For Leather' in 1978 became the look every metal band emulated going forward.”

At Wednesday’s preview, Halford was sporting one of his own designs. “If you see something like this thing I’m wearing, with this fantasy mythical creature with a guitar, it says something strong and powerful,” he said. “That’s just been a natural progression over the years in rock and roll, to try and find a way of saying something about yourself with the item of clothing you’re wearing.”

“A metalhead is rarely seen without a t-shirt or at least one patch or badge of their favorite bands,” said DJ Lady Starlight. Other signatures of heavy metal style, she explained, include studs, spandex, lace and most definitively, elements of fantasy literature and art like chainmail, armor and other Medieval and Renaissance influences.

As such, many of the Metal God t-shirt designs feature mythical creatures, like the Cerberus, a ferocious three-headed dog that guards the gates to the underworld in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Fantasy in heavy metal, said Balford, is “a cool association.”

“You can see I’m covered in tattoos of dragons and all this other mythical imagery, and that’s again a part of my background as a lyricist,” he said. “I’ve got a very vivid imagination and a lot of characters I create are made up in a fantasy kind of way. They always carry realistic virtues and attributes. So if I’m writing a song like ‘Painkiller,’ it may be, like, about, this really evil, menacing guy, which is the persona of the creature that you create, but he’s doing good. I always have a lot of fun with that.”

So far, the collection only features t-shirts, for both men and women, retailing between $55 and $65 – but eventually Halford hopes to branch out, albeit dependent on the economy.

“I think that you have to have a little bit of a leash on what you do, otherwise it’s chaos,” he said. “But we always see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t think we can suddenly stop, Don’t make records, don’t make clothes, don’t make movies. I think we have a responsibility to try and keep that creative optimism going, no matter what we do.”

Halford’s confident that his particular take on things – he is the Metal God, after all – will distinguish his brand of rock-related apparel.

“I think that my connection is a little bit more personal than some of the other great things that are going on around me,” said Halford. “This is a direct connection to me. It’s called a ‘Metal God’ t-shirt. I think we’ve all got a bit of Metal God inside of us.”

He’s also hoping to extend the heavy metal spirit beyond just music fans.

“I was talking to someone earlier and they were saying, it’s like everybody wants to be a metalhead, but people are like, ‘Can I really be one? I don’t really know what this is about, but I see it, and I look at what they where and the shows they go to, and I see it on VH1 Classic Metal Mania, and I’m like, wow, it looks so cool,’” said Halford. “But if you’re into that rock and roll, edgy, exciting type of passionate world, then I think that these t-shirts and this initial launch have a way of connecting to you as a person.”

Source: www.fashionwiredaily.com

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.

Balenciaga: Haute Warriors

At the latest women's ready-to-wear collection from Balenciaga, unveiled Thursday, Oct. 1, in Paris, the mood was futuristic, though with clothes that somehow seem pulled out of the earth.

Excellent leather mini skirts in colors that recalled transactional photos of the earth's crust, woolen cocktail dresses in marble hues and leather pants that recalled Amazonian plants gave the collection an organically earthy feel.

This was a highly decorative collection, cut with a stark symmetry, where the contrast between hard colors like blood oranges or painterly reds with soft grays, white woven leather and plastic tops was elegant and very new.

Though strikingly inventive, the collection did reference a lot of the ideas that Balenciaga's creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere first began developing half a decade ago.

"I wanted to go back to the graphic ideas that are part of Balenciaga," said Ghesquiere backstage. "It's true that I was trying something similar three or four years ago, but this time a little softer."

A faint sense of the prehistoric also wafted through the show, from the reptilian teeth shaped baubles used on bracelets to animal skin platform shoes and black eye shadow smeared back to the hairline.

Staged in the gilded opulence of the Crillon Hotel, the show opened with a series of hooded tops, though the leather used did look a bit hot for a summer soiree. But the sheer panache of the tops construction - cut off at the armpit, made with flared hips and finished with arcane straps made them all look great.

The designer also showed snazzy men's dress shirts, largely transparent except for a cotton pique breastplate, a look that will likely be highly influential.

And Ghesquiere sent out a sensational collection of shoes - zigzag patterned high-heels with slim conical heels and earth-crust, laced mini platforms that will be bestsellers.

Source: www.fashionwiredaily.com

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.

Short is hot for summer 2010 at Milan Fashion Week

It looks like it's going to be a short summer in 2010 — at least where hemlines are concerned.

On Thursday, the opening day of Milan fashion week of preview showings for next year's warm weather fashion, short dresses, short skirts and short shorts showed up on almost every runway.

But in this round, the cropped look is more demure than daring. Ruffles and bubble shapes replace the clinging styles that often symbolize Made in Italy label.

Even Dolce&Gabbana, best known for their sexy styles, opted for a pert cowgirl look of short ruffled chiffon skirts paired with corset tops and boots with leather fringe for their second line D&G label, which is aimed at the younger set.

Already hinted at on the winter runway, summer marks the return of the jacket, complete with its 1980's powersuit shoulder padding.

Footwear looks like it's stepping down from the platform heights of recent seasons, with a sensible heel at Prada and flat sandals at Armani.

Perhaps in an effort to combat the current grim economic mood, designers brighten up their palette, replacing staple black-and-white with colorful pink, yellow, blue and green.

Over the next five days, top Italian designers including Fendi, Ferre, Missoni, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Versace will present their ideas for the upcoming summer. Thursday's shows included Armani, Moschino Cheap and Chic, D&G and Prada.

ARMANI

Giorgio Armani presented a bright and upbeat spring/summer 2010 collection, an apt response to speculation over succession at his Milan fashion house after the 75 year old designer's recent bout with hepatitis.

The normally urban Armani went for a bright summer look with cheerful houndstooth prints and youthful short styles.

The collection featured lots of loose-fitting and comfortable pieces paired with more structured looks — a bubble skirt and cropped jacket, or loose blousey tops and short pleated skirts.

Everything was short, even evening wear, which included loose shorts, or sparkly shorts under slightly shorter dresses.

Deep open V backs were ideal for showing off well-tanned backs, sometimes crisscrossed by strips of fabric.

Janet Jackson, spending the week in Milan ahead of a charity dinner she is chairing next week, made an appearance at the second show.

A well-tanned Armani, dressed completely in black, waved to the crowd after the show before disappearing backstage.

"No purchases, no sales," the designer told reporters after the show, answering speculation about succession at the fashion house after his illness.

PRADA

Models with ruby red lips and pigtails wearing chiffon veils paired with silk sport shorts wandering down the corridors of a seaside Belle Epoque hotel re-created on the runway underlined the enigmatic mood of the Prada collection.

"It is quite contemporary, a little bit nostalgic and very mysterious," was how designer Miuccia Prada described her collection to reporters backstage after the much-applauded show.

On hand for one of the most sought after shows in town was tennis star Roger Federer in an impeccable gray suit and tie.

The Prada print this round is a series of photos from a 1960's beach scene complete with deck chairs, umbrellas and people in bikinis, reproduced in miniature on delicate techno fabrics. The designer uses these prints for coats cocktail sheaths, blouson tops and a myriad of shorts ranging from bikers to an ultra short version to reveal the panties underneath.

The latest Prada accessories include shoes and bags in see-through plastic. After many a season of models tottering and sometimes toppling on their ultrahigh platform shoes, the latest Prada collection sports a sensible heel.

"Platforms are dead — at least until next season," the designer said.

MOSCHINO CHEAP AND CHIC

It's clear Moschino wants its Cheap and Chic line's spring/summer 2010 women's collection to be seen through the rose-colored lenses of daisy-shaped glasses. A cardboard pair was included in each invitation to its show.

Not to disappoint, the runway was filled with daisies, dainty and bold, prints and sunglasses. Oh, and there were big summer hats with oversized daisy petals forming the brim, among the many whimsical touches in the collection, which included also one necklace featuring a true-to-size gold banana on a chain, and another with oversized chili peppers.

The colors suggested an era when television was a newfangled contraption, idealized for the transition from black-and-white to color broadcasts: bold floral patterns, alternating with that small-screen classic black and white separates, alternating with multicolor panels or stripes in shades of blue, red, orange, yellow and pink, reminiscent of early television's color stripes.

On the delicate end of the scale, a daisy print short pleated skirt was paired with a ruffle shirt accented by a thin yellow belt followed by a black-and-white striped bikini perfect for Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island. Toward the bolder end, there were pink bubble shorts with a black shirt emblazoned with the word "Peace" or a generous pink blouse, long sleeved on one arm, sleeveless on the other, with an oversized bow, worn with black shorts. Purses could be anything, clutches, long-strapped bags, totes.

Source : Associated Press

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.

Fashion Week ends with seasonless look for spring

The styles shown at New York Fashion Week were meant for next spring — not that you'd know it.

The collections that wrapped up eight days of previews on Thursday have been more covered-up than usual. Leather, suede, long sleeves and black have been all over the runways.

There were nods to the season — leather was lightened up to be more luxurious and buttery than the rock-star looks in stores for fall. Proenza Schouler showed a leather mesh style, similar to the material golfers use for their gloves.

Peter Som offered a silver leather bomber, and a mix of hemlines and sleeve lengths. "I wanted to address all aspects of her life and wherever she might be," he said.

The clothes speak to the idea of seasonless dressing, which is all the buzz among retailers since the weather — and the economy — are so unpredictable.

TOMMY HILFIGER

Fashion Week ended on a high note, with Tommy Hilfiger sending out a strong spring collection and filling his front row with celebrities that sent photographers into a frenzy.

Taylor Swift set off the most flashbulbs just days after the flap with Kanye West at the VMAs, but Naomi Watts, Mary Louise Parker and Rosario Dawson also captured a lot of attention.

The clothes on the runway deserved notice too: Hilfiger's theme was the "relaxed glamour" of a Southern California boardwalk, which meant a surprisingly cohesive mix of crisp nautical looks and disco-era slinky styles.

The opening look featured a robelike swing coat in a dusty rose silk with a complementary button-down blouse — that was, indeed, mostly unbuttoned — and his finale was a one-shouldered draped goddess gown in white jersey.

The jacket-and-shorts set that very well might become the hot womenswear suit for fall was done nicely with a champagne-colored silk bomber, khaki pleated shorts and a silk tank with gold trim.

RALPH LAUREN

Basic means something else when you're Ralph Lauren. It means silver-sequined slashed jeans, organza "work-shirt" dresses and even a metallic blue-lame gown with all the trademark details of coveralls.

Lauren, who embodies the classic American sportswear look, said he wanted to craft spring-season clothes that reflected the "resilient spirit" of the nation — and its work ethic.

He seemed keenly aware of how the economy has beaten up on the fashion industry, especially the luxury market where his runway collection operates.

The simplest looks on the catwalk, which was lined with the Lauren clan and Janet Jackson, were the floral dresses that featured sweet, delicate floral prints reminiscent of those farm wives wore in the 1930s. Denim was more dominant than usual with silhouettes ranging from a tailored, suit-style jacket to rolled-ankle work jeans.

CALVIN KLEIN

The easy elegance that has become the hallmark of the spring shows was alive and well on the Calvin Klein runway.

The simple and sophisticated palette that creative director Francisco Costa favors this season was dominated by white, black and a neutral color he called porcelain.

What's new here is the looser shape and an emphasis on textures. In recent history, Costa has focused on architecture, but this was more about needle-punched fabrics, crinkle silk and a bit of mohair. A white dress with all-over crushed pleats was the perfect thing to wear for cocktails after a day at the beach.

Most styles were short, as has been the trend, and the looks that were long mostly had a sheer bottom, adding to the feeling of lightness, even if the sleeves often were long or models were wearing jackets.

ISAAC MIZRAHI

Forget clothes for a minute: Isaac Mizrahi knows how to put on a show.

With a rain spray, wind machine, spotlights and a staircase incorporated into his catwalk, Mizrahi even sent out one model in a golf cart wearing a black-sequin shorts suit — and a white top hat, of course.

The eveningwear is what sparkled: A strapless black cocktail dress with a giant white rose on the bustline, and a fluted gown covered in black lace and tufts of tulle, both captured classic Mizrahi and his theme of a retro country club.

Mizrahi also needs a fix of kookiness, though, and this go around he accomplished that with an iridescent lava lamp-fringe coat.

PROENZA SCHOULER

Feathers or tinsel? Take your pick from the Proenza Schouler runway.

The design duo of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez had plenty to keep the fashion flock — including Leighton Meester and Courtney Love — buzzing. The first set of skirts and dresses had the jacket-tied-around-the-waist look with the silhouettes permanently fixed with zippers and buttons on the backside.

Skirts were often paired with navy tailored jackets with very sculptured shoulders, an evolution of a current trend.

Next up were short shift dresses that alternated feathers and tinsel at the hemline. Then came the lingerie-inspired cocktail dresses, some with bra tops and cutout midriffs — another Fashion Week trend — and tiers of mini ruffles as the skirt.

ANNA SUI

It took some guts to put band majorette hats on the runway, but the faces of a clearly entertained audience must have made it worthwhile for Anna Sui.

The bouncy, youthful dresses in the spring collection Sui presented Wednesday were born from the designer's love of the 1967 movie "Doctor Dolittle." The Victorian circus was the most inspirational part of the film, she said. That came through in bow blouses and cropped-pants and shorts suits, albeit shrunken ones.

Anyone who follows Sui's look knows she is a bit of a '60s junkie — it came through this season in mod-shaped shift dresses and psychedelic colors, especially purples, yellows, greens and turquoise blue. Most of the outfits captured the optimistic vibe that Sui said she thinks the industry — and consumers — are ready for now.

MARCHESA

Marchesa turned out some real showstoppers, dresses tailor-made for the label's red-carpet fans.

The greatest feat was a black-and-white duchesse satin strapless gown folded like a fan in the front and with a fully laser-cut skirt.

Designer Georgina Chapman said the late Anthony Minghella's production of "Madame Butterfly" served as her inspiration: "The music is so beautiful. I listened to it recently and thought about how feminine and fragile it was, and that it was about love."

The Asian aesthetic was carried throughout, including an oyster-colored, hand-painted floral obi coat and an embroidered obi jacket, worn with black evening shorts. Chapman also played with some sheer fabrics, often in a nude color, which ended up a game of strategic peek-a-boo.

PETER SOM

It was time for Peter Som to do happy. And it turns out it suits him.

It's been trying times for the young designer, parting ways with Bill Blass and losing a financial investor, but — at least when it comes to design — it seems he's found his way out of the storm.

Earlier in his career, he sometimes faced criticism that his eye was too mature for the uptown party girl he was courting. But that customer now has a choice of a silver leather bomber over a lemon-yellow, petal-print skirt or a shimmery steel-color leopard coat with an exploding-floral print short.

DOO.RI

It was a gray day Wednesday on the Doo.Ri runway, where the designer presented an ensemble of shorts, dresses and blouses in varying shades of gray.

But while gray is certainly plain, Doo.Ri's spring collection was anything but. Pleats, plisse, tulle and ruffles brought class and sophistication.

Dresses ranged from a gray short sleeve V-neck dress with a drawstring at the waist and a crinkled skirt bottom to a short sheath tulle dress with silver sequins on the sides making it look like a sewn-on, flashy jacket.

Even with a few flashes of dark blues and pinks, the sun never seemed to come out — but that's OK.


Source : Associated Press

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.

BCBG Max Azria: Fashion's Future is Here Now

As the latest fashion week in New York got underway on Thursday, Sept. 10 - over the course of the next week over 200 designers will show their Spring 2010 offerings - the million dollar question facing the fashion industry is, “What will customers buy?”

Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out initiative simultaneously kicked off on Thursday night in cities worldwide in an attempt to tantalize and persuade shoppers to buy full-priced fall fare in a retail climate that has been in decline for the past year.

If the spring collection by BCBG Max Azria is any indication of what’s in store for customers six months from now - their morning runway show was the first official presentation in the Bryant Park tents - customers might still be inclined to continue shopping their closets, as the collection was short on new ideas.

The brand that most often graces the pages of Us Weekly and is sold in over 550 stores worldwide served up a slim collection of 31 looks, which contained a similar refrain throughout of t-shirt dressing, painterly abstract expressionist prints, asymmetry and draped jersey. Bright colors attempted to lighten the mood, but the sack-like silhouette proved to be uninspiring - more beach cover-up than evening attire.

Several looks played with contrasting textures, like a minidress with a smooth puzzle-shaped crepe panel mixed with a delicately ruched printed fabric, while a whisper thin handkerchief hem jersey dress featured a quilted architectural shoulder. Metallic beading adorned a series of black or white gowns, but this type of detail has already made its way to mass market stores for a number of seasons now.

At time BCBG felt like it was taking cues from one of the other brands in the Max Azria stable, Herve Leger. Neon triple mesh ruched dresses looked like a lighter version of the ubiquitous bandage dress.

If it seemed like the collection, meant to present what we’ll be wearing six months into the future, tended to evoke the present and the recent past, it turns out that’s not so far from being the truth - a couple of select dresses from the Spring 2010 collection went up for sale on the company’s Web site immediately following the show. If celebrities are “just like us,” now thanks to BCBG Max Azria we can be “just like them.”

Source: www.fashionwiredaily.com

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.

Rachel Rachel Roy Debuts at Macy's

Just in time for back-to-school shopping - and for fashionistas getting their wardrobes ready for fashion week - Rachel Roy and Jones Apparel Group launched Rachel Rachel Roy, a diffusion collection designed exclusively for Macy’s.

“Rachel Rachel Roy is the younger sister of the Rachel Roy collection,” said Rachel Roy via email “She is worldly, educated, and modern.”

The first round of the Fall 2009 collection - new pieces will be introduced in stores on a monthly basis - is playful, with artistic prints like the sassy brushstroke a-line dress or pixel print silk blouse. A short wrap “24 Hour” dress with draped pockets makes a good case as a new basic, a cool-meets-comfort piece that would works for day or night.

Roy’s jackets, on the other hand, are anything but basic, like a quilted brushstroke swing coat with oversized snaps and the smart, soft cape-like cropped jacket with delicate dangling metal chains. Chains also adorn a white tee to function like built-in jewelry, though the Rachel Rachel Roy jewelry collection also features very affordable stand-alone statement pieces.

“I was inspired by the incredible, strong, forward thinking girls that surround me everyday,” said Roy.

The line will retail from $59 to $299 for sportswear, $79 to $199 for footwear, $40 to $195 for jewelry and $69 to $109 for handbags.

“I have always known I wanted to create an affordable yet fashion forward line, as I believe in good clothing at a good price,” said Roy.

Source: www.fashionwiredaily.com

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.

`Runway' champ campaigns for Kidman to wear dress

Fashion designer Daniel Vosovic has someone very A-list in mind for the winning dress he created for the "Project Runway: All-Star Challenge."

Vosovic dreams of getting none other than Nicole Kidman to wear the elegant black-and-white ensemble that secured his victory on Thursday's special edition of the fashion-competition franchise.

Vosovic says he feels the urge to start a Web site for his case. Because, as he puts it, "I WANT that woman in my dress."

The style-savvy actress helped set up a design contest for Vosovic and seven other top contestants from past "Runway" seasons. In a video message, Kidman asked them to create a red carpet-ready look for the upcoming premiere of her film "Nine," which also stars Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Kate Hudson.

She didn't say who'd wear the chosen dress.

"As excited as we were, we certainly got it," he said. "I mean, she has an international image to uphold. ... I think that she just wanted to have a little bit of a look, so hopefully she's watching the show, she loves what I did and she'll want to wear the dress."

Representatives for Kidman could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

Vosovic, 28, is planning to debut his namesake collection at New York Fashion Week in February. He recently published a book, "Fashion Inside Out."

He was booted from "Project Runway" in 2006 after making it to the final round. Armed with more experience and confidence, Vosovic was happy to return for another shot at the title of top designer and the $100,000 grand prize. He out-sewed the competition on the one-episode challenge with four looks that were notably edgier than his understated designs on season two.

He says Michael Kors, one of the show's judges alongside Heidi Klum and Nina Garcia, once told him he created beautiful clothes that women want to wear but he was still learning how to put on a show.

"As harsh and real and honest as that was, I learned from it," he says. "And I learned, that, you know, sometimes you gotta turn up the volume a little bit."

Source :http://www.ap.org/

Vêtements De Marque Online est une boutique de créateurs de vêtements et d'accessoires de mode en ligne. Offre une grande collection de Polo Ralph Lauren pour les hommes et les femmes. Ralph Lauren Tous leurs produits sont 100% authentiques.