If one wanted to follow current trends in fashion, they might look no further than the music world for inspiration. Some of the highlights this past year were Pharrel William’s Buffalo/Mountain hat that he wore to the Grammys, Kim Kardashian’s $500,000 backless wedding dress when she married Kanye West, and Rihanna's see-through gown she wore to accept the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Style Icon Award for 2014. There’s a strong link between fashion and music with today’s performers using fashion to brand themselves through collaborations with designers, stylists and clothing manufacturers to perfect their image.
When people ask me what’s "in" in fashion, I am sure my clueless expression is a dead giveaway that at any given moment no one truly knows what is current or passé. Fashion is ever changing and can be reflective not only of performing stars, but society, the economy, media hype or the interpretation of a designer. Not that long ago, we had to wait for the monthly arrival of Vogue to hit the stands or the mailbox to get the scoop on trends for the upcoming season. Now, with the benefit of fashion blogs and social media, fashion is at everyone's fingertips with the tap of a tablet or keyboard. For 2015, I did some tapping and here are some of the looks of the moment: trouser suits with cropped pants, Bridget Bardot-styled gingham, sequins, soft pallets of color, white any time of the year, fringe, denim, 1970's nostalgia, and white Keds tennis shoes.
Famed fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent is quoted as saying "Fashion fades, style is eternal." Through my lifetime, I have known stylish women and men who don't follow the latest trend, but always seem to look pulled together and current. Developing personal style comes with confidence, function and taste. It can be as simple as adding the right accessory, choosing a flattering color that makes the skin glow or the splash of a signature fragrance.
I always thought that my interest and abilities in fashion were genetic, as my mother worked in the industry, and so did her mother. My 18 year-old niece, Jennifer, has also shown promise in becoming a fashion designer. She began sketching and drawing clothing on models at the age of 4, and later won design competitions using unconventional materials like paper to create evening wear.
Through the years, I have written about my Mom and her style. She not only influenced my career choice, but also inspired me with her nonchalant approach to fashion and her ability to put things together. I can remember some of her best looks that included a pearl grey pantsuit, a khaki maxi dress with white collar and cuffs, the brown velvet matching long skirt and jacket that she wore when I got married, and the full-skirted shantung silk cocktail dress that made her look like Marilyn Monroe. After she retired from Neiman Marcus in Florida, her wardrobe consisted of white tailored shirts layered over cropped pants, completed with white Keds. She rarely went anywhere without a stylish hat and her Chanel No. 5. Mom passed away in late November at the age of 91. I have not only lost my Mom, but my best friend and inspiration. To me, she will always be a style icon who understood the magic of fashion, and knew not to take it all too seriously.
