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.

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.

Back to School Fashion returns to 1980

Brace yourself moms, the 1980s are back in school fashion. Go grab your AquaNet hairspray and your Bananarama cassettes and get ready to go “Back to the Future.”

Leggings, skinny jeans, and stirrup pants are back. Bright neon accents and shiny colors have returned, and ankle boots and wide belts have resurfaced.

“We’re seeing a return of the early ’80s influence that you wish we had forgotten,” says Jacqueline Burris, assistant professor of Fashion and Product Design at the University of Cincinnati, “but it’s back with a 2009 twist.”

The Converse high tops and sneakers, a hot commodity during the ’80s, continue to be popular for boys and girls. They are now in eye-catching patterns and designs.

Burris says not to lace them all the way up to get that “just running out the door” look. Or change the color of the laces. Burris also says it’s okay to mismatch polka dots with plaids and other bright colors for fun.

Fashion isn’t just about decades ago. It also reflects the current social and economic times. This season, Burris says it’s all about utility and ease, and getting that extra bang for your buck. For example, all jackets, knits and shirts should have few buttons and be “easy on and easy off” for kids.

Layering is a great way to stretch your children’s summer wardrobe into fall while keeping your kids comfortable with the changing weather, Burris said.

For boys, Burris suggests layering graphic T-shirts over long sleeve shirts and adding even another short sleeve shirt on top to get an updated and modern look. Another way is to layer two different colored polo shirts, one on top of another with the sleeves turned up, to pop the colors and patterns, such as horizontal stripes.

“For button down shirts, we’re seeing some light embroidery detailing and the retro cowboy shirts in plaid. The T-shirts have lots of graffiti-inspired patterns such as skull and bones and griffins (think Harry Potter). Wear them with faded, ripped jeans,” Burris says.

For girls, there are shirt and sweater-dresses with exposed zippers and buckles.

“We’re seeing lots of bold colored plaids, quilted looks and bright mustard yellow colors for accessories,” she says.

When it comes to neck scarves, Burris says not be afraid to mix and match colors and patterns and advises against having one be too “matchy-matchy” with an outfit. In addition to the light and dark wash skinny jeans, a Crayola assortment of colors such as grape purple and hot pink are popular.

With jewelry, Burris looks for oversized clustered necklaces or those with lots of trinkets and charms. Shoes include highly decorated Mary Janes, open-toe boots and ankle boots.

So if parents are feeling a big nostalgic for the ’80s, they should get out “Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink,” and watch them again, this time with their kids. Mom may warm up to leggings and stirrup pants again.


Source: http://www.oxfordpress.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.