Cailin Briste's Blog, page 19
April 9, 2017
“Our Lady of the Sleeve” – Fashion Maven A to Z
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If you read the Fashion Maven regularly, you need no reminder of my latest lament about the lack of attention to the sleeve. My mind was dazzled by the lovely intricate sleeves of 18th and 19th centuries, or I would never have written such a slight to “Our Lady of the Sleeve.” Dubbed such back in 1981, Carolina Herrera has never failed to create clothing that exudes elegance and all with a focus on the shoulders and sleeves that is incomparable. This picture from her first show says it all.
April 7, 2017
Unmentionables on Display – Fashion Maven A to Z
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Choosing the designers for each letter of the alphabet has been difficult as I’ve said before, my fashion forward friends. 10 Have you guessed? D & G. The G is for Stefano Gabbana. And his partner of many years is D for Domenico Dolce. Dolce & Gabbana.
The duos imaginative designs are the result of their love of sparkle and fun. With each collection they choose a theme from art, literature, the movies, whatever strikes their fancy. From the American gangster comes their pinstriped suit.
D &...
April 6, 2017
It all started with a dream…
The inspiration for the stories I write comes in many ways. Shane: Marshal of Tallav, my first romance novel, was born of an ongoing waking dream I’d start playing in my head any time insomnia struck. The second and third books in that series came from a desire to tell the love stories of characters in Shane. Maon had already found the love of his life. He was the opposite of Shane, a typical house husband from the matriarchal planet of Tallav. On the surface. Underneath, there was much more...
Sexy Sophistication – Fashion Maven A to Z
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We hear about this designer all the time in the news. And not just for his fashion sense. He’s involved in so many things beyond fashion design. Add director, producer, and screenwriter to his many accomplishments. And yes, there have been swirls of controversy around him. Female nudity in his ads denounced as the objectification of women. His response? He’d be happy to treat the male population the same way if he could get away with it.
But as with all designers who are part of the current...
Men’s American Sportswear – Fashion Maven A to Z
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When you gather the words men’s, American, sportswear, fresh, timeless, and fun, who do you think of. This designer has had a lasting influence on sportswear design despite a career that spanned only ten years. Who is this marvel?
Perry Ellis.
Let me show you.
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[image error]For those who do not know who the Fashion Maven speaks of when she mentions the revered name of Selina Shirley. She is the latest bright star at the House of Shirley established long ago, far in the future on the Federation planet, Ta...
April 4, 2017
I’ve been sucked into the world of haute couture
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It’s the fir[image error]st Wednesday of April, and that means it’s time for an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. Follow the link to find more IW’s posts.
The question for this month is an easy one for me to answer.
Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results?
I haven’t participated in the A to Z Challenge before, but I am this year. And yes, as the question suggests it can be used to assist in marketing yo...
The Humble Sleeve Deserves a New Look – Fashion Maven
[image error]You were perhaps worried that I, your Fashion Maven of the Future, would neglect my Wednesday column with all I’m doing for the A to Z Challenge. Never fear. Fashion is my heart, my soul, and sharing with you all I know of the inspirations that lead to that greatest of fashion geniuses, Selina Shirley, is my gift to you dear readers.
This week I was overcome by one aspect found on most dresses, shirts, and jackets. Though not all.
The sleeve. Cannot we not hope that more will be done with the...
Femininity Reawakened – Fashion Maven A to Z
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Oh my dears. You can only imagine the boxiness of women’s clothing when fabric is rationed. But when World War II ended, Christian Dior threw open the doors to a reawakening of femininity. Curves were everything. Fashion may take a hiatus from curves for a time, but women were never meant to be stick pin thin. A shapely silhouette is something to be admired.
Ten years later, Dior is still challenging the world of fashion with his exquisite understanding of a woman’s shape.
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April 3, 2017
A Plethora of Cs – Fashion Maven A to Z
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What to do! What to do! Today is letter C, and I cannot decide who to choose. So many possibilities. So many influences on the future of fashion and Selina Shirley. Should I choose Coco Chanel with her iconic suit and the little black dress?
But what of Pierre Cardin and his space age imagination?
And one simply mustn’t forget Oleg Cassini and the look he created for Jackie Kennedy.
Fashion is of course for all people, not just the elite. Career women rejoiced when Liz Claiborne produc...
April 2, 2017
Reverence Required – Fashion Maven A to Z
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Alas, my dears, I am much too young to have had the opportunity to attend one of his shows, but I have been told one approached and sat where told with silent respect, speaking only in hushed murmurs if at all. Can you imagine! The clothes were all. Today, so much hoopla.
You are wondering, who could this be. Coco Chanel said of him, “a couturier in the truest sense of the word.” He had a sublime gift for the art of tailoring.
Have you guessed? Cristóbal Balenciaga
Wearing a Balenciaga wasn’...
