The last day of Moda Lisboa was a continuity of a spectacular fashion show, Daniel Diniz, a Portuguese designer, started off with a different kind of show. Male models came down the catwalk in bathing trunks and started to dress up in front of the public. The summer collection of Diniz is based on white, gray, and ecru colors but includes Portuguese inspiration through tons of blue, connected to the traditional and famous decor of cities around Portugal. The clothes combined comfort and lightness for men the next summer.

The next collection, creations by Marques’Almeida, presented a relaxed and young look for women based on street style. The blue tones and white contrast were predominant in the oversized clothes with distinct silhouette mainly in denin, cotton and silk.

Following the schedule, Katty Xiomara brought a feminine collection inspired by butterflies to women, displayed through the movements and flow in dresses and skirts, colors, mainly orange, yellow, white, black, gray and nude tons, and marked belt. She offered an amazing show full of elegance and class for the next spring/summer season.

Glamour is without doubt the best word for the runway of Miguel Vieira. Men and women in preparation of an elegant trip were the inspiration of the designer. White was combined with gold details or in the case of the men’s wear, a colorful touch.

Aleksandar Protic brought black, marfin and red colors to women’s dress, playing with transparence and strong cuts. Sensual clothes with personality were presented this time and the audience was really impressed with this great collection.

The night continued and one of the most famous and anticipated designers, Nuno Gama, started off. His menswear collection showed high quality work and it could not be any different as his inspiration comes from ‘pleasures in life’. In an interview, he told to Toonari Post:

My inspiration is from my life, my friends, my family, my Portugal, my travels, my experience. (..) The secret is just to stay in love and then I have the joy and pleasure to work and bring this to the clothes.

Nuno Gama collection left the public breathless and was strongly applauded by everybody.

Ricardo Dourado presented a sport deluxe collection for both men and women. It was a street style in black, gray and white with interesting cuts. For men, once more the fake skirts were aired for the next summer. Cotton gave the touch of comfort and free movement to his collection.

Closing this 2011 edition of Moda Lisboa, the last designer Dino Alves came with an overload of lace and embroidery combined with strong colors. His idea is new romantic and new chic. He is famous for inspiring new trends and we believe he did it again.

The Moda Lisboa Fashion Week 2011 is over but the gorgeous trends for the next spring/summer was graciously shown in this great event by the remarkable designers.

The article Moda Lisboa Fashion Week – Live Last Day appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Practice makes perfection as they say and, the third day of Moda Lisboa Fashion Week proved the point. It was superb: great designer, stunning runways, an explosion of emotions inside clothes.

The tight schedule of showing so many ideas and creative expressions took its beginning with Say My Name, trying to emulate Sophia Loren in the 50s as a tech blogger. The audience was divided on the outcome of this experiment but beyond this, everyone seemed satisfied with the combination of colors and lines.

Afterwards for the widely expecting menswear, Ricardo Andrez brought his collection of black, grey and pastel tones with good shapes and designs. You can easily identify his work due to the strategical placements of nude skin which facilitate better movement in the garment while at the same time, offering a cool and alternative style to men.

The following show was explained in the passionate words of its creator — Filipe Faísca told Toonari Post the reason why he choose to create emotion instead of just clothes:

My inspiration for this collection first is the movie of Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life — full of images about cosmos, explosions, grace and movement where I wanted put the woman’s body and transport it to the feminine universe. Following, [it is] also based in my desire to bring color and life to Portugal, [inspired by] such amazing beaches and [the] long summer and mainly having in mind my biggest goal: to see the pleasure of a woman dressed my clothes. (…) Each model was made one by one in my atelier for I [want to] be sure about how special [it] will be in the end.

The audience was stunned by the high level of creativity, movement and femininity oozing from Filipe’s collection. It was one of the highlights of the night for sure.

Lidija Kolovrat also offered a colorful show, dressing the women in transparent and light materials that gave the audience the feeling of lightness and joyful ease while simultaneously conveying elegance. It was possible to take in her presentation in two stages; the first moment of serenity through her black and pastel tones and afterwards, a colorful burst filled with animal-, shape- and line-print fabrics.

It had been a long day of breathtaking runway, but it didn’t fase Dawid Tomaszewski who had prepared a sophisticated collection with pink in different shades, combined with classic nude. His inspiration is based on flowers and the transitory cycle of life, where the end is the beginning and with this he went from light pink to strong pink and also included shimmery materials. Elegancy would be the best adjective to describe his wonderful pieces.

Changing the structure of the day a bit, Adidas hit the runway with great energy and power. The sportswear company showed a clean and casual line followed by an American-influenced, urban jungle style. The Performance Collection was dedicated to runners and other training needs as well as sports like football and tennis. Men and women were walking with confidence, showing the power and versatility of the collection.

White Tent brought back the classic and delicate energy to Moda Lisboa, presenting their designs inspired by architecture and minimalist details. The predominance of nude tones paired with silhouettes was marked by different proportions and was a tasteful pleasure to the appreciation of the audience. There were a few dashes of royal blue, green, orange and metallic silver coming up in the collection but they helped uphold a harmony in the final product. It is definitely worth checking our piece by piece.

The last designer of the night, Nuno Baltazar, dressed his models in his collection called MA DAME — a cosmopolitan and dynamic style of dress. The pieces were both urban and feminine, clean and elaborated, with special details such as geometric lines, accessories and formal elements. The final collection of the day received a standing ovation and deserved it.

Now, it is just a nights wait for the last day of this long weekend of exquisite catwalk which has brought great life to the warm Lisbon and at the same time delivered good taste and wonderful designs to the world.

The article Moda Lisboa Fashion Week – Live Day Three appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Starting the second day at Moda Lisboa, FASHION should be the most used word in Portugal and the young Portuguese designer Vitor matched it by offering a collection full of energy, inspired by gipsy culture and style.

He talked about his secret with Toonari Post:

“It’s a really personal project, comes from my wardrobe, comes from the clothes that I use to wear (…) and I worked on top of that and I gave a very new understanding for the bio. (…) In my case is biographical, so, is everything part of me.”

There’s no doubt about his great energy in his collection. And to the ones curious to know more about him, Vitor will soon launch a book about himself, a novel matching truth and lies.

After Vitor, another great designer brought color to the catwalk: Ricardo Preto, with a stunning harmony between clothes and women. The models were almost flying on the runway. Pink, black, blue, floral, transparence and lightness made Ricardo Preto’s collection beautifully feminine. The next summer is gonna be really well designed.

The collections far had increased the audience’s expectations, but the next Portuguese designer Luis Buchinho was definitely ready to bring on surprises. With his take on the colors for the next summer, Luis Buchinho combined the tropical tones of sun and palms with an elegant antique touch. The texture of the pieces on his models reminded us of warriors with the metallic protection under the armor, but this collection comes with decorative colors and ropes, infusing the clothes with a playful spirit.

The night’s international touch came from Brazil with Cia Maritima — their line of beachwear foresees a chic-cool summer where it is possible to realize the combination between comfort and fancy details. The presenters said that the goal is to reproduce the beauty of the summer nature in elegant beachwear, and this was surely reached.

Finishing the day with a golden key, Ana Salazar — famous designer and one of the most anticipated of the event — presented a stunning collection. Differing from the evening’s previous colorful shows, she played with geometric shapes and volumes using a color palette composed of black, white, and nude skin tones. It was the positive breakdown of the night.

Once again, we’re looking forward to tomorrow. Until then, check out the Moda Lisboa pictures and the trends of next summer from the designers and also the super creative audience who is making this fashion week one big event in Lisbon.

The article Moda Lisboa Fashion Week – Live Day Two appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Yesterday, the sunny Lisbon welcomed the 20th Fashion Week Edition and the Portuguese Designers will have until October 9^th to show their creativity and perspective for next summer.

The event started with “Os Burgueses” bringing forward a pale lavender pink, grey and white with lightness and movement. The goal was to offer a casual style but with a touch of classical twist. “Os Burgueses” has increased the expectations and the curiosity about what will come during the next days.

Afterwards it was time for Alexandra Moura to present her collection full of lines, different materials, light colors combined with strong green and black. She offered different cuts for women and men, and for last she played with half-skirts, to the great surprise and attention of everybody.

Pedro Pedro, the next designer of the night, played with colors and embroidery by combining inspiration of classic sportswear from the 50’s with medieval style. It’s possible to find a lot of colors but mainly neutral tones and special details on the back stood out.

On the schedule for ModaLisboa’s first night, Maria Gambina showed a delightful collection of women dressed in white, Chantilly, camel, green and black plus special shapes, making it possible cover skin without touching it. She strategically left spots uncovered, giving the collection a sensual touch without being vulgar — it showed in her carefully crafted collection of t-shirts and dresses. Speaking of her men’s design, it was clean and light, offering an exclusive selection of short shorts.

To finalize the first day of runway, Alves/Gonçalves showed an amazing collection that wooed a lot of people with stunning dresses sure to deliver glamour to its wearer. They played with a strong pink and different shapes and volumes, while at the same time allowing tight fit. Their collection was glamorous and offered something unique to a broad range of tastes.

Besides the main attraction, the public also managed to deliver a beautiful sight. What you could see was an explosion of style and creativity, proving that people were up to the task of being their own professional designer. Hair, clothes, accessories and attitude were walking around the area and gave such a special touch to the event. The first day of Moda Lisboa had people looking excited and thrilled to see what would come up next this weekend.

Paulo Meixedo and Filipe Fangueiro, directors of the men’s fashion magazine DSECTION, distributed around Europe, New York and Brazil, spoke with Toonari Post about their perspective of Moda Lisboa:

“I think Lisbon Fashion Week is still small, but starts growing day after day (..) I am waiting for the next days. I guess if we give our market a chance to grow, of course people start to do more creative things. We are not so big as Paris or London, but it is already 20 years and in the right path (..) We are waiting to see a men catwalk, and then think about the Spring/Summer Edition to use international and Portuguese designers in our magazine.”

On the second day, designers Vitor, Ricardo Preto, Luís Buchinho, Ana Salazar and the Cia. Maritima will take the stage. For more details, please return for next update.

The article Moda Lisboa Fashion Week – Spring/Summer 2012: Live Day One appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

When buying a cotton t-shirt, consumers may think they are paying for natural and eco-friendly design, making a responsible choice. However, what they probably do not think about is what dangers brings buying clothes made of contaminated with pesticides cotton.

Pesticides are chemicals manufactured with the aim of killing, repelling or inhibiting the growth of pests by impairing biological processes essential for life. The problem is that the pesticides are hazardous not only for the pest species but also people, especially children.

The most common pesticides that are used in cotton destined for the clothing industry are: aldicarb, parathion and methamidopho. These pesticides belong to group of insecticides are currently three of the most dangerous to human health and determined by the World Health Organization as highly hazardous.

What is more, insecticides make up 60 percent of all agrochemicals applied to cotton worldwide and cotton uses 16 percent of the world’s insecticides, which is more than any other crop in the world.

Moreover the problems with clothing production are not finished in the field. During the conversion of cotton yarn into clothing, plenty of toxic chemicals are added at different stages. Chemicals are used to dye and bleach fabric and then to soften it and create finishing effects.

Numerous substances like silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia and formaldehyde are used. These chemicals affect the environment where they are used as well as the health and safety of the people working with them; they also a have effect on customers.

Every T-shirt contains ¼ pound of harmful chemicals that can cause allergies, cancer, breathing problems and many other disorders, which are especially dangerous for children.

An alternative for the fashion industry is to reduce the toxic pesticides and chemicals used to make clothes. Producers can achieve it through sourcing to organic standards and banning or phasing out the use of certain chemicals in their production processes.

Another common solution that is more and more popular is organic cotton. Organic yarn is produced without the use of harsh chemical bleaches or dyes. Natural fertilizers, compost and soil amendments and advances in natural pest control are used. Cotton produced through these processes is allergy-free but costs about 60 percent more than the standard product.

To be sure that cotton is truly organic, companies should check standards and certificates that define production requirements of organic crops. These standards assurances are provided by worldwide regulations like Global Organic Textile Standard, the Council Directive on Organic Farming Regulation or National Organic Program.

By participating in the certification process, importers and traders become aware of the documentation required to verify the authenticity of their products. As the customers we can check if the company signs their products with any of these logos.

Today’s numbers of high fashion brands as Frida Giannini, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta and Yves Saint Laurent use organic cotton. Major clothing retailers like Wal-Mart, Harrods, Marks and Spencer, H&M, C&A, Zara, Coop Switzerland and many others offer organic clothing lines.

Recently there are a lot of new brands, which offers clothes made only from organic cotton like Blue Canoe or Seasalt.

The article Cotton in Fashion Industry: Eco-Friendly Fabric or Biological Ticking Bomb. appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

“Designers all have a world, but Azzedine Alaia has a universe,” said Donatella Versace.  (www.fashionologie.com)

After eight years of abstaining from the runway, Azzedine Alaia closed out the Fall 2011 couture season on Thursday. Alaia is not connected on facebook, twitter or in advertisements but he still seems to bring the world to him. His clothes just speak for themselves.

In his most recent fashion show in Paris he showcased elegant and feminine styles and designs on the runway. The models wore a variety of neutral beige colors and he also incorporated darker colors such as  black and red for the fall season. Among the designs were several dresses that reached above the knee with feathers, hooded couture dresses, reptile skinned pencil skirts and blazers, long trench coats and fur coats. All articles of clothing displayed were  meant to flaunt a woman’s  natural shape and beauty.

Among the most uplifting designs was a loose-fitting halter dress in a black punched fabric with an attached metallic slip. The collection of this couture season also included the designer’s signature sculpting techniques which made their way into his famed skater skirt featured on coats and cocktail dresses, some of which came finished with Mongolian fur at the hem. Fur also made its way onto select shoulders for a lush finish.

Alaia is a Tunisiam born couturier and shoe designer. He has been known to refer to himself not as a fashion designer but as a “batisseur”; a builder or a couture architect. His designs emphasize structure and purity of form. The fabrics, rigorous tailoring and sewing are exquisitely constructed to engulf the body comfortably. He is a born perfectionist who hand finishes each garment in his collections.

Today, he demands a formidable presence on the fashion scene, but for thirty years he was virtually unknown. Alaia studied sculpture at the Beaux-Arts in Tunis before coming to Paris in the 1950′s and taking on fashion design. He lived in a tiny apartment on the Left Bank, paying rent by babysitting and designing clothes for the Comtesse de Blegiers. An apprenticeship at Christian Dior lasted a mere five days, followed by two full seasons with Guy Laroche; a French Fashion designer.

The well known Alaia style started to emerge in the early 1980′s. It consisted of models walking on the runway wearing riveted leather, zipped dresses and a prevalence of knit fabrics in addition to  experimental mixes of lace and leather.

Throughout the years, he has had his designs worn by celebrities of all styles and taste. Ranging from the young starlets to the older icons including Miley Cyrus, Megan Fox, Rhianna, Michelle Obama, Katie Holmes, Jennifer Anistonand, Victoria Beckham and the list is endless.

Alaia is like an artist, skillfully creating his artwork. Artwork that may not be showcased on a canvas or painted with a brush like Picasso but art that is worn on the body to inspire and create draw dropping masterpieces that can enthuse a generation.

The finale featured a floor-skimming belted dress in a gold-on-black fleur-like brocade pattern that fell down to the ankles. Leaving everyone to wonder what Alaia will have in store for next season.

The article Azzedine Alaia Sends Perfection Down the Runway appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

D&G models walked the Fall 2011 Milan Fashion Week runway in sporty sneaker heels, a trend that several designers and companies have attempted to establish in the past.  The D&G sneaker heels matched the brightly colored outfits that the models donned.  The shoes had a similar design to that of Converse’s popular high-top sneakers (plus a 5-inch stiletto heel).  Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana established D&G as an eclectic and contemporary fashion line which aims to set trends instead of following them.  The idea of transforming sneakers into high heels, however, is nothing new.

Several years ago, Nike came out with an Air Force One sneaker heel.  Today, Nike has an entire collection of Nike Jordan high heels.  These heels sport the Nike swoop logo and various bright colors and designs.  Why anyone would ever buy these sneaker heels is beyond me.  These are among the ugliest sneaker heels I have ever laid eyes on.

You know a fashion trend has reached an all time low when Mariah Carey is emulating it.  Mrs. Nick Cannon herself developed a sneaker heel and is selling it on the Home Shopping Network.  She claims her shoe is where athletic wear meets chic and sexy.  Unfortunately, MC’s sneaker heel is known to be very painful to wear (and look at).  What is the point of merging sneakers and heels if you are not going to get the comfort benefit of a sneaker?  It certainly is not for the “unique” style.

In 2009, Italian fashion designer Sergio Rossi teamed up with Puma to create their version of a sneaker heel.  This heel premiered during the Fall/Winter 2009 collection.  The leather shoe sits on a 3.5 inch heel and is called the “High Heel 1st Round Sneaker.”  The shoe originally cost $760 and currently sells on Sergio Rossi’s website for $454.  Rossi, known for his impeccable fashion sense, and Puma, known for its sneaker innovation and style, created the least ugly of the sneaker heel I’ve seen yet.

Christian Louboutin, a French designer of five inch or higher red soled stilettos, and my personal favorite shoe designer (given my 5’2″ frame), created a sneaker heel for his Fall/Winter 2010 collection.  Louboutin classified his design as an ankle boot, with admitted, but obvious, inspiration from the Studio 54 disco era.  The ankle boot is made from python and leopard print with shiny metal.  The 5.5-inches of heel is accompanied by a 1-inch concealed platform.  Louboutin calling his shoe an ankle boot does not make it any less of a sneaker heel, it is still tied up with black sneaker laces.

Now, for the Fall 2011 Milan Fashion Week, D&G donned every model in high heeled sneakers.  D&G usually sets trends, but I am not so sure about this one.  I hope it doesn’t stick.  There is a place on the shoe rack for both sneakers and stilettos, there is no need to compact them into one shoe.  I think this is definitely a trend failure.  It would almost be understandable if the sneaker aspect of the design offered the feet in a sort of comfort-heaven, but this is not the case.  The 4+ inch heels still leaves feet in blistering pain.

The article Sneaker Heels on the Rise: Fashion or Failure? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.