Mohammad's Blog

RRJ (5) - Lebanese Fashion Shines

2009-12-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Reference

Anderson, B. (2009 December 11th). “Lebanese Fashion Shines” The Wall Street Journal, Retrieved on December 11th, 2009, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126046515873785879.html

Summary

This article is talking about Lebanese fashion designers who started to shine in the fashion industry a couple of years ago, but they didn’t get the chance to improve and publish themselves globally. Now they have became very famous in the fashion industry. A lot of celebrities and Oscar winners wear their clothes, admiring their fashion sense and style. Then the article mentioned Lebanon’s history, traditions and culture, and how it can affect the designers and inspire them to design something fabulous no one has ever seen. In the end of the article, they mentioned that Lebanon now is encouraging the young Lebanese fashion designers, to help them more ahead in the fashion world in order to become successful and have a bright future to honor their country.

Reaction

In the Middle East, Lebanon is known as the center of the fashion world. It is The best place in the Middle East to find the magnificent current fashion and mode. Lebanese fashion designers worked very hard to improve themselves over the years, to honor their country which supported them since the beginning. Lebanese fashion designers like; Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad and George Chakra have became very famous globally, not only in the Middle East but in the whole world. And now a lot of young Lebanese fashion designers have joined the fashion industry with open wide doors. They have became known as a very talented designers who have the best sense of style and fashion.

It’s not an easy thing to start your own dream in a small neighborhood and a troubled country, but those powerful designers showed us that they can prove themselves and become something in the future, and they did. At this time of the year Lebanese fashion designers are preparing to launch their couture collections for Paris fashion week in January, according to what George Chakra said, who designed for the amazing Elen Mirren’s dress when she won the 2007 Oscar for the best actress. And it’s usually from these moments that the designer becomes very famous; for example, when the incredible Halle Berry won the Oscar for best actress in 2002, Elie Saab became the first Lebanese to dress an Oscar winner, and it was a very great opportunity for him. From that moment he became known worldwide as the talented famous Lebanese designer “Elie Saab“.

Beirut is the recent modern fashion city. From my own personal experience, I went to Beirut a couple of times and it was amazing. You can see all the downtown boutiques and all the couture shops.

Lebanese wardrobe varies in style, and the reason for that is they find their own inspiration from their own culture and heritage. “When you see an Arab on the red carpet you know it,” says Amine Jreissati. And that’s true; you’ll notice them because of their different fashion sense. Their culture is the dress, in every single detail, the colors, layers and shapes; all these details are inspired by their Arabian heritage. When you walk through the streets of Beirut watching all the shops and the night cafes you’ll see how the Lebanese fashion sense is inspired, by their country’s French connection and their own tradition and culture.

The article mentioned how Mr. Saab was raised during the pre-war and the Lebanese golden era of the 1960’s and 70’s; this environment inspired him to become a fashion designer, and build his fashion sense and style to become what he is now. “I grew up surrounded by beautiful women, Lebanese woman are always elegant and they’re an example for the rest of the Arab world,” says Mr. Saab. Also the article mentioned the relative newcomer, whose gowns have appeared on Miley Cyrus, among other celebrities, and it’s a very good opportunity for young designers to take an advantage of this situation. Because from the moment they take that chance they no longer are normal designers. They become very famous in the whole world, but we won’t forget that it also depends on their abilities to improve themselves during that time.

At the end of the article he mentioned other examples of fashion designers who worked very hard over the years and they finally got their chance to realize their own dreams. And he also mentioned that Lebanon now is encouraging a new generation of fashion designers to start their own journey in the fashion industry in order to launch their careers in their home country and increase the atmosphere of creativity in Lebanon.

RRJ (4) - From Couture to Conversation

2009-12-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

Reference

Michault, J. (2009 November 17th ). “From Couture to Conversation” The New York Times, Retrieved on December 2nd, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/fashion/17iht-rsocial.html

Summary

This article is actually talking about fashion media publicity nowadays. Today the biggest buzz in fashion is not the clothes or anything of that, it’s all about the social media , and how they represent their fashion by their own networks! Fashion designers spread their trends and accessories everywhere, from Youtube to Facebook. The article mentions a lot of examples about famous designers in the world, and how they manage to deal with the social media for their own agenda! And also how can they attract people by these networks to enter their fashion world of publicity.

Reaction

It’s all about image. Nowadays the biggest interest in the fashion industry is not about the trends for the next season or the fabulous celebrities styles, but what are they wearing? And whose fashion designs are they talking about? It’s all about publicity, and when I say publicity I mean the media, the social networks that represent fashion nowadays.

The social networks have a humongous effect on the fashion industry. In the past ten years they have represented their fashion sense and style by shows, Fashion Weeks and models, but now it’s very different. The internet and social networks have a really major affect on them; from Youtube to Facebook, we almost have the whole world on them, so it’s very easy to spread anything there. According to Mr. Gabbana: “Blogs are very important for us,”. Fashion designers and big fashion companies are using the social networks and blogs for their own publicity, and it’s working pretty well.

The article mentioned that the designers, Demonecia Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, moved some buyers out of their usual front row seats to give the spots to four fashion bloggers and installed laptops so the writers could blog and tweet during the show, and when you think about it you‘ll say, are they crazy? But if you think about it clearly and carefully, you’ll figure out that those bloggers are more important than the buyers. The bloggers are bringing the whole world to his show, live! And Mr. Dolce admits that: “The Web, for luxury brand, is not the future, but the present,” and that’s true people would like to see the latest collections of famous designers on web, but what is more exciting than seeing the upcoming collections live streaming on famous websites?

Youtube is a worldwide video center. Giant designers like Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen are using Youtube for their own good image. Facebook also has a very big effect on people and it’s doing a very amazing job since it was founded 5 years ago, and it’s doing a very big favor for fashion designers, to sell their own work. Then there is Twitter the biggest network since 2007; according to the article, Louis Vuitton who streamed his fashion show live using his Twitter feeds.

Then, we have what Gucci did for his own publicity; he published his latest collections on his site and let the visitors upload their own photographs to see the pictures as a reflection of his styles and collections. In my opinion I think that people are becoming a little bit obsessed with these things; I agree with the article that “People are getting really excited about social media without really asking themselves if there is any reason to really get excited”, and that’s true, we know it’s fascinating and it’s a very beautiful thing to share and to look at, but it’s getting a little wild nowadays: for example, what Mr. Gonsorcik’s agency found about the Louis Vuitton Facebook page, that 760,120,000 fans are registered.

In the end of the article he mentioned other examples by other designers and authors, but it’s the same situation. I think that it’s true, the social networks are growing very fast, and it’s like everyone has his own Blogger or Facebook or even a Twitter or a Youtube account, and some how it terrifies me how the world has become very fast like this depending on these social networks and blogs; maybe it’s good, but there are always side affects for everything, so I think that it’s time that we need to slow down, and just take a break from all these things.

RRJ (3) - Family, food and fashion

2009-11-30T17:46:00.000-08:00

Reference

Altman, A. (2009, November 18TH). "Family, food and fashion" Idsnews.com, Retrieved on November 18TH, 2009, from http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=72108

Summary

This article talks about family, food and fashion, which means how can our fashion's sense and style reflect ourselves on these occasions? How can we deal with this situation? What should we wear and what should we avoid, in order to look as good and appropriate as we can for the family gathering? It also gave us a lot of examples of what could happen if we didn’t dress appropriately, and how to avoid it, some great fashion tips to get a great look, and in the end some advice to keep everything in balance between colors, shades and many other things.

Reaction

Family, food and fashion, if we mix these three words, it will be the end of the world! Actually, I’m exaggerating; but if we want to combine among these three words, it will be a very hard situation to manage and to deal with.

As we can see Thanksgiving is on the doors, and all the family members are getting together on this thankful holiday. It is a very important occasion to express our togetherness, tradition and culture, but also it could be the worst occasion for fashionista people; why? As we know, fashionasta people like to express themselves all the time; they like to wear what makes them feel comfortable and be able to express their fashion sense and style; well, not all the time, because the holidays are very important, and family members can be very judgmental and harsh.

The article mentions an example in a humorous way, but it is sort of a true situation that could happen. It said "Any occasion where like-blooded people are thrust into a room together is a potential recipe for disaster; mix in stiletto thigh-high boots and a sequin mini-skirt that your aunts won’t stop glaring at and you might as well plan for a total meltdown", and I agreed with that; it’s true. He gave us the example of the annoying aunts that might judge your sense of style and clothes, and it’s very hard, especially on a holiday in front of all the family members and friends. So it’s very important to be careful what to wear and what to avoid in order to dress appropriately for this occasion.

The article also mentioned something very useful, "the job interview look and the sweaters"; some people may think that the job look will be appropriate for the family occasion, but it’s not, the article gave us the example of the potential employer seeing you, and that could be very embarrassing for someone in this position. Sweaters are always the best choice for everything, you can wear them with skinny jeans, printed blouses and many other good choices, and you’ll still look good and fabulous, so in my opinion I think it’s the best way to escape from this horrible disaster.

Keeping everything balanced is a very important point here, for example, choosing the right colors, combining between the bright and dark ones and picking the right jewelry and shoes; this is because we don’t want to look like monsters or runway models, we want to look as beautiful and appropriate as we can be. Some people may underestimate this article or this topic, but believe me, its very hard for those who have the same problems dealing with their family’s aggressive and outrageous judgments.

At the end of the article, it mentioned some great tips for women, like the black skinny slacks, flats and pastel eye shadow, which will be a great option to get a very nice and great look for this holiday.

In my opinion I think that this article tried as much as it could have to give great tips and to warn us from fashion disasters, but in the end, from my own personal perspective, I think family members and people always judge you, no matter how appropriate you dress, so for me, I don’t care about what people think, because in the end, I know who I am and what I like, and I wont change myself even for a one day just to please people.

RRJ (2) - New York Fashion Week: Transitory Temperament

2009-11-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

Reference

Campbell, J. (2009, September 16th). "New York Fashion Week: Transitory Temperament" Justluxe.com, Retrieved on November 4th, 2009, from http://www.justluxe.com/fine-living/fashion/article-246334.php

Summary

This article talks about New York Fashion Week. How does it reflect designers and consumers? And how can fashion designers handle this difficult situation and the struggling to find the best feature to attract people? This article mentioned the inspiration of other cultures, traditions and styles, which is one of the best ways to find a creative idea. It also discusses last season’s "Fashion Week" and the upcoming one. How can real events affect and attract people to buy and shop in a very different sorts of ways?

Reaction

Transitory Temperament! What does it mean? It means a non lasting quality of mind. "Fashion Week" we hear this word all the time, but do we know what it means? What it really leads to? Fashion Week is the hardest time that every designer could face; also it might be the best time, because it is the chance to improve himself and begin to rise from the ground. Everyone who is interested in the fashion industry or fashion in general cares about the Fashion Week because that’s the time when all the designers show their newest collections and compare with each other, every one with his own style and sense of fashion. Some people may think that these people are stupid and they are wasting their time, but if you really have an interest in fashion, you can’t resist.

In the beginning of the article it said that Fashion Week is the scariest time for fashion designers, which is true, because designers must find the best mood, idea or even an inspiration so they can produce and design the best. Also the funds are a very big issue here, because they are restricted with the budget which is very hard because for example if a designer has a very intelligent idea but he can’t afford it, then they won’t help him because he must stick to the budget they gave him.

Also I noticed that September 1st mood was much lighting and pushing forward; the colors were very bright and shining which my opinion matches what the article said on September’s Fashion Week.

Let’s talk about the best way to attract consumers. For example, if I were a designer and I had a very great collection that I wanted to show to people, first I must do a commercial or an announcement on my official website; second I should prepare my store for a big magnificent event that will attract people even if they were not interested in fashion. That is because, in my opinion, the image is everything; you can find a lot of talented designers but you can’t seem to find their image; what’s their style? That’s the problem that many designers might face or won’t understand.

People want to see different ideas, new ideas that have never been before in the Stores. They want to buy something special, something that can make them feel incredible and spectacular. This depends on the colors, shapes and styles and the most important factor is the inspiration. For example, if you listen to any designer who talks about his collection, you will hear him say that his collection was inspired by something like the Egyptian desert or influenced by the sunsets of North Africa, which is similar to what the article mentioned. People become more interested in your work if you show them what inspires you.

The fashion industry is very hard and overwhelming. Being a fashion designer is much harder, being an expert In fashion means you must rule the fashion industry and also be a fashion designer, and that means that you must be twice as good as a fashion designer and a fashion manager. No matter how hard you work, how late you stay or how great your ideas are, in the end it depends on your abilities and qualities. If you are really passionate about this major, you will succeed, no matter how many times you lose you’ll still be a fashion designer.

RRJ (1) - Fashion Designing-Not an easy job!

2009-11-08T22:44:00.000-08:00

Reference

Yamsanwar, A. (2008, October 10). Fashion Designing-Not an easy job! Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/6458414/article-on-fashion-designers

Summary

This article talks about Fashion Designers. Who are they really? What can they do? And what does it take to be one of them? It also shows us how important the knowledge and the effort that Fashion Designers put in their job are and how magnificent their qualities are. Being a Fashion Designer is not an easy job. Actually they are a lot more than that because they play multiple parts in life such as artists and salesmen for example.

Reaction

Fashion is not just how to dress, or how to wear accessories, or even what type of clothes matches the other and how the colors combine with each other. Fashion is an art, it’s a language that people can communicate with and share their feelings and feel fabulous and proud of themselves, be comfortable with who they are and what they want to be. People wear all sorts of different kind of clothes. We see them every day, for example uniforms like policemen, doctors, students, and a lot of different kinds of majors.

It was actually very interesting to read this article because I almost agreed with everything in it, with each word that was written in this article.

I’m very interested in the fashion industry; some people may think that it’s not an important major or a stupid one, but I don’t think so, because they never experienced it in the right way.It’s not an easy job to be a fashion designer; actually it’s a very hard one .. You must have the experience the professional thinking, the quality and the sensitivity to be a great fashion designer.

There are many great designers who work hard and want to be something in the future, but they don’t get the chance to have all of that, and I think that this is the hardest part. For example if we say I graduated from a fashion institute.… Where I will go? Who will hire me? Well that depends on your luck and how you can shine yourself in the middle of the dark.… that’s why most of the people think that this is not a prophetic job or not a good one to start your life with. Actually this very difficult because you might get a regular job and put your dream aside….and in my opinion I don’t think that this the best way to success, because if you want to succeed in your major and become a famous person you should work very hard; not everything will come to you easily at the first but eventually you will regain the price of your hard work.

The designer’ knowledge about textiles, fabric, colors and different kinds of things is a very important factor to become a successful one.

I really loved the part when the article said that "working with different people of top level" because that’s exactly what happens; beginner designers learn from the top ones and get all the experience they need from them, the sense, the knowledge, the guidance and creativity, all these features can help them to be on the top of the list in the future.

The article says that fashion professionals are one treated nothing less than any celebrity, movie stars, athletes or politician .. Well!! I don’t agree with that, because they should be treated as more than them. Celebrities would be nothing without their fashion designers; this is also true for movie stars or any job or a person whose field requires a fashion designer.

Living the life of glamour and fame is all about fashion and how do designers create something that can affect people that much which makes them the real stars in that major.

Fashion is a very popular career option; you'll live the golden age when you open that door. But some people think that they can be fashion designers just so they can earn some money and be rich?! Well that’s not going to happen, because the secret to being successful and rich is "not caring about the money" and of course we won’t forget loving your job and being able to create something that can affect your major and make it better.

Mind, speed, create, I always say these three words to myself when I want to realize something and be able to do my best on it. First I must think in my mind; "what's the best way to achieve my goal?" then,"how long it will take me to achieve it?" which refers to the speed, and in the end I will create what I want in a very successful easy way. That’s what fashion designers do, they think, they go quickly and after that they create something very marvelous and beautiful which in the end makes a person feels proud and comfortable with himself.

I really enjoyed reading this article, commenting on it and sharing all my thoughts and opinions, and I always say that fashion is not a way to dress, it’s a way to live.