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Jewelry, Craft, and Fashion in the NewsFashion's Top 10 stories Montreal Gazette, Canada When the "it'' bag of the moment is an $18 canvas tote touting "I'm not a plastic bag," you might think the tide of fashion has turned decidedly green. And it has, to a point. The rise of eco-friendly fashion is surely the top trend of the year. But fashion fans also mobbed H&M for cheap, made-in-China togs from Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, king of glitz and glam. And luxury giants like LVMH were racking up double-digit growth, largely through the sale of the fragments of dreams that are handbags and perfume. Scarlett Johansson and Catherine Deneuve flog the ubiquitous LV monogram bags in glossy ads, and people buy them, real or knockoff. Marc Jacobs, the grunge creator credited with Louis Vuitton's soaring fortunes, was the bad boy of fashion this year, trumping trend headlines by starting his namesake show in New York two hours late - again. A non-plastic tote by British designer Anya Hindmarch, sold like hotcakes. In London, 10,000 bags were snapped up in 90 minutes; at Holt Renfrew in Montreal, it took two minutes for all 250 bags to sell. A non-plastic tote by British designer Anya Hindmarch, sold like hotcakes. In London, 10,000 bags were snapped up in 90 minutes; at Holt Renfrew in Montreal, it took two minutes for all 250 bags to sell. Bad girls with questionable clothes were neither few nor far between, although good Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson wore a bad outfit to the Oscars. And then there were the fashion standouts like Cate Blanchett - again. Here, then, are the top 10 fashion stories of the year: ... Year in fashion: Worst trends Columbus Alive, OH The greatest fashion success of 2007 might be the elimination of waist-skimming shirts. Across the board, hemlines fell to the hips to cover thongs and boxers alike, which should've happened about six years ago. But for all of the successes (second place probably goes to comfortable ballet flats), there were just as many fashion failures. You know you've seen them. Perhaps you've worn them, because many can be found on the sidewalks and in the stores of Central Ohio, not just on risk-taking runways. As the December days wind down, it's truly time for "out with the old and in with the new" in closets across the city. ... Clog maker hot-foots to new home BBC News, UK A clog producer says a growing interest in traditional Welsh folk dancing, particularly among men, has prompted him to move his business to Gwynedd. Trefor Owen, who makes hand-crafted clogs, has set up home in Criccieth in order to benefit from the trend. According to Mr Owen, who has moved from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and has been making clogs for 30 years, clog stepping in Wales is seen as macho. He turns out a new pair of clogs from his workshop every day. There are only about a dozen or so manufacturers of clogs still in business in the UK. Mr Owen, whose father was originally from Anglesey, still makes every pair of clogs traditionally by hand. ... Pricked: Extreme Embroidery New York Times, United States ÒPricked: Extreme Embroidery,Ó an exhibition of 60 contemporary artworks, many using text and images, made from fabrics, yarns, threads, lace, crystals and such unusual materials as found gloves and a $5 bill, will continue through March 9. The objects on display include works by Nava Lubelski consisting of embroidered designs sewn into found pieces of stained linen; portraits by Maria E. Pi–eres of celebrities, like Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr., who have been arrested; text and images selected from daily newspapers and television programs by Tilleke Schwarz, a Dutch artist; and a video of a digital embroidery machine stitching a map of the United States, Mexico and the planned border barrier in red thread, by Ana de la Cueva. ... Make Handmade Soap For The Holidays Jamestown Post Journal, NY Hoping to make gifts by hand, but stuck with two left thumbs? Here's an easy craft from Leah Kramer, founder of Craftster.org and author of "The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty and Kitschy Crafts." Make a clear soap bar with an embedded figure. Items needed: petroleum jelly, a large block of transparent or opaque melt-and-pour unscented soap (available at most craft stores), soap molds or chocolate molds (also available at craft stores) in whatever shapes you want, a microwave, glass measuring cup, disposable chopstick and a knife, fragrances, colorings or decorations, ... Flowers inspire artist's 'Nature Calls' urinals Philadelphia Inquirer, PA Sorensen's "Nature Calls" series is a line of one-of-a-kind, handmade, porcelain fixtures in the shape of gigantic flowers - art that can actually be plumbed and used in a bathroom. The urinals, fully functional, are inspired, he says, by the works of American painter Georgia O'Keeffe. ... The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewelry-Making.com and/or its partners. |
