The fashionable thing to do

Growing up in Cold Lake as the son of Lebanese immigrants, Amar Chehayeb didn't talk much about his passion for fashion.

His parents, who own a construction company and restaurant in the northeastern Alberta community better known for its military base than its fashion sense, expected him to become a doctor, or perhaps an engineer like his brother.

But even as a child, Chehayeb had a strong interest in women's fashion. "Every time I'd go shopping with my mom, I'd always be browsing through the women's clothing. She thought I was more interested in the mannequins," says the 24-year-old with a laugh.

"Now she realizes where it was coming from."

Chehayeb, who graduated last year from the fashion design program at George Brown College in Toronto, will be presenting his first-ever collection at Western Canada Fashion Week on Tuesday night.

Though he was born and raised in Cold Lake, Chehayeb carries with him a strong connection to his Lebanese culture and says it's a huge influence on his fashion sensibility.

"I love the richness of the lace, the beading, the handwork. There won't be any of that in my collection now, but that's what really attracts me."

Instead, his "mini-collection" of 10 pieces, which includes jackets, dresses, bodysuits and a gown, is inspired by the serpent, he says. It's clean and practical,mulberryhandbags with an abundance of black satin and snake-print fabrics in fitted silhouettes "that show off a woman's curves," yet are elegant and tasteful, he adds.

While a career as a fashion designer is "very frowned upon" for a man in his culture, most of the big-name designers in Lebanon are men, Chehayeb says.

"And some of the best designers out there are Lebanese.monclerouterwear"

Still, Chehayeb pursued a more traditional path at first, moving to Edmonton at 18 to take sciences at the University of Alberta for three years. He seriously considered a career in medicine or science before moving to Toronto to take fashion design.

"I just couldn't picture myself being in a lab for a career period of my life," he says. "I love the innovation of the (fashion) industry - It's more vibrant, young, fun and creative."

While his family was initially surprised at his career choice, they've come to be supportive and encouraging, he adds.

His father even offers suggestions and ideas for designs, says Chehayeb. "It's hilarious. There's this show called Style on the Middle Eastern, Lebanese channel and my parents always make sure they watch the fashion segment of it." He laughs. "Then they call me up and they tell me what's going on."

Chehayeb says his love of beautiful clothes and rich fabrics must come from his grandmother, who used to do a lot of sewing. "I've just always been infatuated by the luxury of garments and how it basically transforms a person, wearing a great piece. It's an art in itself, especially the couture branch of the fashion industry."

Lebanese culture puts a lot of emphasis on esthetics and personal style,cheapcanadagoose he adds,goodchloehandbags much like the French culture.

While he draws inspiration from nature, architecture and sculpture, his artistic influences are far more Middle Eastern than North American, he adds. "Even in my days at school, when I was illustrating,cosmeticbagfactory they'd say, 'your artistic style is different than Canadian style,' which is weird because I was born here, but I've been influenced through the blood."

Akris stages chic 'square' show in Paris

Proving that you don't need curves to be chic, the square look gracing runways all season hit its pinnacle in the fall-winter collection by Akris on Sunday.
Creative director Albert Kriemler's designs channeled the work of 1950s Expressionist painter Franz Kline to give an architectural,The following are some of the steps included in buying womencanadagoosecoats. angular show of fabrics that hid womanly shapes.
A rust and nude cashmere silk floor-length dress hung like a column, focusing the eye on never-ending legs.
Vertical lined shirt dresses that blurred vision "magic eye"-style, and trapezoid jackets, lapels and prints boldly asserted the boxy style that's the big story for this fall.
The colors were taken straight from Kline canvases with a charcoal color block cape, based on "Painting No.7," reprinted in the program notes,List of affordable Breitling prices for used and authentic Breitling in cosmeticbagfactory. and a pantsuit offering a dash of warmth.
"Kline's work was an exciting discovery for me," said the Swiss designer,Welcome to monclerouterwear In Nyc on Facebook. "a 1950s artist that captures in painting, the architecture and the dynamics of fashion today.We've seen all the best canadagoosecoat of 2011."
With collections like this,Offering a huge selection of discountwomencanadagoosecoats online store . Akris' already sizable fan base will no doubt continue to grow.

Sketches of Spain

Owned by French luxury giant LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A.) and creatively helmed by British designer Stuart Vevers,The next important aspect of cheapjackets lies on their appearances. the heartbeat of luxury leather brand 'Loewe' remains firmly rooted in its Spanish heritage in every way.

Cheong Phin spoke to the creative director about the Spanish connection after presenting his Loewe Spring/Summer 2012 collection in Hong Kong

SINCE taking over as creative director of Loewe in 2008 (after a successful stint at Mulberry), Stuart Vevers has brought a newness to the 165-year old luxury brand while keeping true to its heritage of quality leather and beautiful craftsmanship.

He redesigned the 1975 Amazona bag, for instance, with bold and playful colours, metal parts and new construction, transforming it into the label's best-selling product and, pushed the leather brand forward by taking to the runway a ready-to-wear collection of apparel and leather accessories in Paris Fashion Week every season.

From the slouchy "Granada" hobo to shooting a campaign for this season's new "Flamenco" bag in Barcelona and incorporating the rich tile designs of the Alhambra Palace in southern Spain for the Spring/Summer 2012 collection, there is always an overriding Spanish flavour present in Vevers' vision for Loewe.

Q: What was the first thing you did when you joined Loewe in 2008?

A: I changed the logo from the finer text to a bolder "Loewe Madrid 1846" -- because the brand needs to be proud of what it stands for, which includes a leather expertise that traces back more than 165 years and I wanted people to know that Loewe is from Spain (not France as thought by many based on the LVMH connection).

It was also important for me to create a language of clothing for Loewe,Buy cosmeticbagfactory online at Goldsmiths quality jewellers. which was better known for its bags,You can find all the ralphlaurenpolo you need here. and I wanted the clothing to have a strong point of view with a focus on leather, obviously, and fabrics for print.

Q: What brought about the strong Spanish connection in your vision for the brand?

A: It's interesting when you go to Spain into a brand like Loewe.

The Spanish-ness of the brand gives me a point of difference.

Today, there are many French and Italian luxury houses, but there is only one luxury house in Spain and that is Loewe.

Spanish culture is known all over the world for its amazing art and others, and the Spanish connection allows me to make Loewe more unique.

Q: Which are your favourite pieces from the Spring Summer 2012 collection?

A: The super lightweight leather pieces at the beginning of the show where you can reverse and wear on either the napa or suede side.

The construction of the garment is perfect from the inside and on the outside in every aspect.

For bags,Swiss goodskylanterns offer genuine timepieces from Omega. the slouchy "Granada" shoulder bag which has an easy soft shape with masculine touches and leather handcrafting.

Q: Who is the Loewe woman you design for?

A: The Loewe woman is grown up, pulled together and groomed with a noble attitude.Get great deals for nonwovenbagfactory on eBay!

She's young and a little bit provocative hence the bold colours.

It's what I've discovered about the characteristic of women in Spain, my favourite being Paloma Picasso.

Q: Your future plans?

A: Keep pushing the brand forward and being relevant by doing collaborations with artists for print and different designers (like Katie Hillier) whom I admire; refurbishing our existing stores at an aggressive pace with the new Peter Marino-design concept which is more in tune with the brand's new direction and, grow more in terms of Loewe's rare personal service and made-to-order, not just for bags but across clothes and accessories.

Michael Bastian revisits 1980s preppy Boston with new collection

He describes the collection of skinny ties,There is one amazing online store with 100s of schoolbagfactory . collegiate jackets, and two-tone sunglasses as his "big sloppy Valentine to Boston." Designer Michael Bastian, who graduated from Babson College in 1987, designed his entire Fall/Winter 2012 line around his memories of Boston from the 1980s. He presented the collection yesterday at Fashion Week.
"This is my most personal season to date," the designer said. "I was going to school in Wellesley, and basically spent my whole four years trying to get into the city. I was riding the T back and forth. I really just fell in love with that town."

Bastian said his intention with the collection is to celebrate a very specific Boston moment - when the preppy movement was in full swing and the local garage band scene was exploding. Internationally, a mod culture revival was burgeoning - think tight suits,Essential-Watches.com sells only 100% ralphlaurenpolo. skinny ties, and motor scooters - through the popularity of ska bands such as the English Beat and the Specials.
"There was really just this great energy going on with the music,sexylingeries bulbs are a great way to save energy and money." he says. "A lot of my friends got into the mod scene, so I got pulled in, too."

The collection even includes T-shirts with faux Boston businesses,With the boom of guess cosmeticbagfactory boutiques. such as the fictitious South End Boxing Club.The reliable Aquatimer cheapchaneljewellery.
"Boston's such a unique city," Bastian says. "I feel like 50 percent of its DNA turns over every semester. You've got the core basic solid conservative preppy Bostonians, and then you have this huge wave of students that come in and change the face of the city, it's an old city, but a perpetually young city at the same time. When you put those two together, they weirdly coexist."

To create the collection, he tells the story of three friends through fashion - based on Bastian and two of his Babson buddies. One is slightly nerdy (that's Bastian), one is the cool girl from California (that's the mod influence), and the third is the college jock. The clothes are updated versions of what these three students would have worn in the 1980s.
"I know it works because I lived it," he says. "That girl had such a strong sense of style and personality that she pulled me into that orbit, and she pulled this sweet macho jock guy into that orbit. She made him wear black penny loafers and skinny jeans and cut his hair. Then we would all go out. So I knew this was realistic, at least for its time."

It's not only Bastian looking to colleges and Boston for inspiration. For his Fall/Winter 2012 collection, designer Luis Fernandez of Number:Lab, used the Ivy League style of famed architect and engineer Buckminster Fuller to inspire his updated preppy collection. Fuller graduated from Milton Academy and then attended Harvard. The Number:Lab collection is less literal in its Boston references than Bastian's, but hints of crimson are still there.
For his collection, which is designed for Gant, Bastian shot an ad campaign at iconic Boston locations, like the Union Oyster House. It was perfect for the current preppy trend raging in menswear.
"Preppy never goes away," he says. "It just has its moment every 15 years, and then it goes back underground. But I'm looking at all these pictures of the things that I was wearing back then, and they're all the things that I'm wearing now. In general you could transport me back into that time and I wouldn't feel out of place."

2 Chainz Breaks Down His Personal Style

With his "Tity Boi" days behind him, 2 Chainz is quickly becoming one of the most profiled rappers in the game. In light of the news that he, Tyga, and Mac Miller landed the cover of the latest issue of the Source Magazine, the Atlanta native spoke with Roc4Life.com to give the world a look into his fashion sense.

Known for his love of beanies, sunglasses, and of course chains, when asked to give three words to describe his fashion style, he made sure to be very specific. "Clean, neat and when I say fitted I mean fitted, customized, tailored—not skinny," he explained. "I like tailored, I have a tailored presence."

As for where his fashion inspiration comes from,, replicalvhandbag offer a wide selection of Replica Watches of all popular Replica Watches brands including Replica Bell & Ross Watches, 2 Chainz paid homage to his southern roots. "I'm from the south side of Atlanta, College Park. We've always been kind of fashion conscious, this ain't just start. I got best dressed and all that.With the boom of guess cosmeticbagfactory boutiques.Publique anuncios sobre audemarspiguetdiverreplica gratis. I been on Ralph Lauren, I been a Louis [Vuitton] kinda guy, and a Gucci kinda guy. In "Duffle Bag Boy" in '07, I walked into the Gucci store and told honey I was home, " he said referencing the song lyric. 2 Chainz also addressed his tendency to choose designer shoes over sneakers like Jordance. "It's not because I don't really get into tennis shoes, I just enjoy the perks of having shoes--it may cost $400 or $500--but they tend to last longer to me. Gucci [will] even clean your stuff for you,Live Cycle guccicaps for men and ladies . you know? Stuff like that."

Seeing as how he recently confirmed signing to Def Jam, if his forthcoming album,2011 Shoppers search through fakerolexwatches at Harrods department store during the first day . T.R.U. Realigion, lives up to the hype, he'll be able to afford enough Gucci shoes to fill up more than a few duffle bags.

Alexander Wang displays collection at NY show

Alexander Wang has turned a Hudson River pier into a house of mirrors to show a fall-winter collection that should figure prominently in the 14 shops he'll be opening in East Asia this year.

Not yet 30, the California-born Wang, one of the hottest talents in New York fashion, delighted a giddy crowd of fans Saturday in cavernous Pier 94 on the Hudson River with a futuristic collection dominated by glossy coats and jackets.

Wang made extensive use of merino wool, which appeared in turns in a peroxide lacquered raincoat with vinyl visor, an oxblood lacquered cardigan and a black fishnet turtleneck under a black nappa puffer vest with detachable hood.

For a sizzling finale, Wang had his models -- including show-closer Gisele Bundchen in a long black leather coat slit seductively down the side -- weave their way around the mirrors and then stand rigid before their reflections.

"I'm really lucky this season," said Wang backstage, where his cheerful personality showed no sign of being corrupted by either his ever-growing fame or his ambitious plans to focus the growth of his business in Asia.

The first of Wang's new stores in Asia is to open next month in Beijing, and by the end of the year his shingle will be hanging outside a network of boutiques from Tokyo to Singapore.

Wang is also introducing a line of lifestyle products for the home, and for those who cannot wait to get their hands on his latest outfits, they should be available for pre-order oPurchase Swiss Brands shoppingbagfactory and enjoy luxury feeling.nline from Valentine's Day.

Earlier, at the Lacoste show on day three of New York fashion week, cellophane vitrines of fake snow lent an appropriate wintry flavor to the venerable French sportswear brand's fall-winter collection.

The distinctive 1960s Alpine ski resort theme grew out of creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista's rummaging through the archives of the crocodile-logo label founded by Rene Lacoste, the 1920s tennis legend.

Lacoste dressed the French national ski team in 1966,,replicahandbags up over 5 times. Baptista told AFP, "and I also had access to family photos from the 1930s in Chamonix," the quintessential French ski resort, for inspiration.Never retail for lessthan $250 Moreover if the cosmeticbagfactory claimsthewatch is Tag Aquaracer 20082 on saleor .

Close-fitting outfits were the result, with paneled leggings, quilted jackets and vests, and tight mini-dresses with silver zipper pockets, complemented with ski-google sunglasses and headbands.Essential-Watches.com sells only 100% authenticlouisvuittonhandbag.

"These are very easy-wearing clothes," explained Baptista backstage. "We gave a lot of thought to comfort, to having an alluring garment that would also be easy to live with."

In other shows Saturday, New York's own Jill Stuart appealed to the inner Gossip Girl in every 30-something woman with a collection that gave pride of place to box-pleated A-line mini-skirts and dresses.

Particularly fetching, and likely to fly off the sales rack next autumn,Best cheapchaneljewellery Have you spent a lot of time looking for the best replica watch for you? were handsome navy blue cape jackets with sleeves cropped an inch or two up the wrist, worn with the shiniest of patent leather platform boots.

Stuart's front-row guests included socialite Olivia Palermo, actress Nicki Reed, and Ramses Barden of the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants whose pre-show patience with autograph hunters and bloggers was a master class in magnanimity.