All Aboard Fashion Show by Fashion Business Inc at Union Station

Fashion shows and events were happening throughput the week all around Los Angeles with some shows featuring established designers while others focused on up and coming artists. Fashion Business Incorporated a non-profit that helps start up fashion companies and apparel industry workers held their fifth annual all aboard fashion platform featuring amazing collections from some of their up and coming designers. The exclusive event was held at union station in downtown LA a popular forum for many fashion week events in LA. Attendees included reality TV stars such as the real housewives of Orange County and industry leaders including magazine editors and fashion executives. Everyone had a good time mingling at the cocktail party before the show and watching the celebrity guests arrive on the red carpet. Designers and VIP guests were interviewed on the red carpet where we got to hear about their upcoming plans. Celebrity stylist Marisa Kenson was interviewed about her new business venture the MK which allows customers to open their own e boutique and sell their favorite Marisa Kenson designs to their friends. "Stylists" as their called include celebrities such as daytime Emmy award winner Kimberlin Brown and Vicki Guvlinson real housewives of Orange County star. The collab feature is now open to anyone who is interested in applying. The MK Collab is the newest incarnation of the idea that fashion is becoming more and more about the consumer which has been slowly gaining traction within the industry. Although this trend has been around for awhile the MK Collab takes a refreshing approach and is definitely a rising star in the LA fashion industry.

After the cocktail party everyone headed in to take their seats for the show to begin at 7. The event was standing room only as it has been in recent years. The producers of the show and FBI executives Trish Concannon and Frances Harder gave the opening remarks in a flurry of disorganized speeches according to some audience members but finally they presented the Fashion Business Inc. designer of the year award to the opening brand eis Los Angeles. Designer, Ayumi came on stage to accept the award and everyone cheered. After everyone had taken their seats David Ono and Erica Ash, the hosts for the night, came onstage and presented a video about Fashion Business Inc.
The opening show of the night eis Los Angeles was definitely a crowd favorite. The beautiful flowing designs were perfectly cut and evoked a sense of wanderlust and ethereal California vibes with the western style influences and summer colors. eis is definitely a brand to watch as they make their mark on the Los Angeles apparel industry.
The next designer was the slightly more established Marisa Kenson brand. they presented a video showcasing their newest venture the MK Collab. the show featured the Marisa Kenson collection which is available for purchase online now. The clothes were aimed at the modern and urban woman with a sense of chic style. The collection covered many aspects of lifestyle from professional office wear to cocktail dresses. the show also included a runway walk from each of the MK Collab style ambassadors who were wearing their favorite pieces from the collection which can be found on their individual e stores. The Marisa Kenson collection is perfect for anyone who loves style the young up and coming city dweller to the established professional.

The next designer was Soverra a young new designer that caught the eye of many attendees. the collection was modern and original with tailored silhouettes and pastel colors.

Following Soverra was Odina surf wear a local surf wear brand based right out of Redondo Beach, CA. the collection was effervescent of classic California surf style with neon colors and fun patterns but the swimwear was excellently tailored with many modern styles making it novel and original.

Going from the beach to the ballroom the next show was by designer Sylvene Tsai of Vene Ai studios a boutique studio specializing in custom made wedding dresses. I spoke with the designer who has been working on opening her studio since 2011. She started out as a business major in college but quickly realized that she could not live without her art and pursued her love of fashion at design school. This was her premier collection entitled misty yard to reflect the fresh feelings and colors found on a misty morning in nature. The designs were beautifully crafted with many designs featuring the popular formal wear trend of high waisted crop top gowns. However many of the other designs strayed from the current trends seen in wedding design at the moment and instead focused on narrating the story behind the collection which resulted in a refreshingly cohesive collection. Vene Ai studios is known for it's attention to detail with each gown averaging about 100 hours worth of work. I definitely noticed the fruits of the team's labor specifically on my favorite piece shown below.

Then we took a trip around the world to Nepal with the Plush Cashmere collection by Nepalese designers. The collection was shown to help raise awareness and funds for the Nepalese who are still recovering from the devastating earthquake. All of the beautiful Pashmina's were individually hand crafted by locals using natural materials. The collection was excellently styled and even included kids wear!

Finally to close the show was Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award or MAFI for short winner AS by DF designs. This new and fun collection was also a crowd favorite and a great end to the night. 

Araksi Balyan: Snow Queen of LAFW

I interviewed the young designer behind the stunning all white collection that Araksi Balyan designs presented at the first official LAFW in downtown LA and found the inspiration behind the "snow queens" that graced the runway. This was one of my favorite collections from the Sunday shows. I don't think I can do it justice so I'll let Balyan tell you herself.

Where did you go to school?

I am originally from Armenia. I have been living in the United States for only 5 years. I graduated from Woodbury University in May of this year and was offered to be in LAFW shortly after.

What was your inspiration for the collection?

My collection is sophisticated yet edgy, detailed yet subtle, monochromatic yet intricate. My inspiration came from Armenian winters, which I miss the most. I created a collection that is based on one of a kind treatments, textures and details. I have knitted fabric and created laser cut patterns on leather, I have hand stitched tiny fur pieces and created fun earmuffs. Even though my silhouettes were quite sophisticated, I made my Snow Queens look fun on the runway.

Do you feel like LAFW was a success for your brand?

LAFW was quite a success. It was an incredible and eventful start for my career and I hope to make LAFW showing a tradition every season.

What are your plans for the future of your brand?

I have already started working on a new collection that is quite the opposite of what I showed this season. I will not reveal all the details just yet, but I will say that it will a combination of art and darkness. Looking forward to reveal what I have for you next!

Recap and interview with Executive Producer of LAFW Arthur Chipman

International was definitely the theme from this LA Fashion week. Designers from Los Angeles and around the world showed up at events throughout the week.  The newest event on the scene called LAFW was held in the historic Union Station and showcased international designers from Belgium to Fiji. After the opening night gala on Wednesday night the weekend shows started on Saturday at 5pm. The new LAFW event was a much anticipated show with only a few brief mentions of the event in the news leaving the LA fashion community guessing about the newcomers. There was some controversy leading up to the event regarding the trademarking of LAFW and some of the existing fashion week events in LA but it seems to have worked out. Events not associated with LAFW are now using FWLA. In any case they definitely set a standard for themselves with their red carpet event showcasing innovative designers and entertainment.
The opening designer for Saturday night was Sanchez Kane you can check out my ec;lusive interview with the designer here. Highlights form the shows included iimuahii's futuristic collection with glowing accessories and futuristic forms with excellent construction. iimuahii is a local LA brand who has previously designed for music industry stars. Keeping with the futuristic theme was Flora Miranda a Belgian designer with an interesting collection focused on deconstruction. LA designer Reese showcased a high end swimwear collection with California surf vibes. The last designer of the night was much anticipated by the crowd. The show was a little disorganized since the staff had everyone move from their seats and a crowd of new guests was brought in leaving many guests standing in the back of the hot room for almost an hour while the show was set up. Luckily I was still able to get a seat and the show was worth the wait. Ashton Michael a celebrity in the LA fashion world showcased his new all pink and cargo collection. Ashton Michael has designed for many celebrities in LA including Nicki Minage. The designs had excellent craftsmanship something the designer is known for.
The shows continued on Sunday afternoon with more amazing designers. My two favorites were LA locals Araksi Balyan and Polina Zeyrina. You can check out my exclusive interview with Araksi Balyan here. The Polina Zeyrina collection had a classic LA style making it a crowd favorite. The clothes had beautiful and unique painted prints and each excellently styled outfit was accessorized with a unique pair of sunglasses giving each look a personality. The closing show was a showcase of Fijian fashion designers from Fiji fashion week giving off Isalnd vibes for the Sunday afternoon.
The event certainly made a spalsh and has everyone wondering what we'll see next form LAFW. 
I asked the Fashion Director Kim Krempien and Executive Producer Arthur Chipman just that and more in my interview. 

CdM: Do you think this event was a success?

       Chipman and Krempien: Yes. 

CdM: What are the plans for the future of LAFW?

       Chipman and Krempien: We are already hard at work preparing for the upcoming season of LA Fashion Week in March 2016.  

CdM: Will you continue to focus on international designers or more LA based designers? Why

       Chipman and Krempien: It's important to showcase a range and diversity in our designer lineup. There are certain elements of local and international designer's collections that play into what works in Los Angeles, and we will continue to be on the lookout for what those things are and how we can develop them. 

CdM: Are you more focused on up and coming designers or do you hope to attract more established designers to your event?

      Chipman and Krempien: We are interested in designers that are pushing the envelope and working in new and dynamic ways. That could be someone in their first years of business or an industry heavyweight. 

I am definitely looking forward to seeing what these two have in store for us this Spring!

Opening Gala of LAFW the newest fashion event in Los Angeles

On Wednesday night I headed over to Union Station to the Opening gala for Los Angeles Fashion Week official. Los Angeles most fashionable showed up on the red carpet to check out the newest event on the Los Angeles fashion scene. Everyone from music producers to fashion bloggers (including yours truly) showed up on the red carpet at the event.

 As I walked into Union Station I immediately saw the LAFW letters made out of daisys displayed in front of the entrance to the event. Green leafy backdrops surrounded the room and the runway ran down the middle. The historic Union Station served as a beautiful backdrop. The gold and white modern decor and seating creating a sophisticated feel. The room was styled by reworked interiors and the roses and flowers scattered throughout the room made it feel like a true fashion party. lighted letters spelling LA were placed throughput giving true Los Angeles downtown loft vibes. The Gala was catered by Sprinkles Cupcakes and there was delicious ice cream as well as gourmet cupcakes.

The event that started at 6 was filled with people by 7. The DJ had an excellent mix creating a fun atmosphere for guests to mingle. Another fun activity was the photo booth in the corner where guests could take 3 pictures ans have them turned into a GIF and sent to their smartphone. Soon everyone was taking their seats and I made my way to my front row seat with a great view of the runway. I also enjoyed my gift bag filled with goodies from Cinema Secrets the make up sponsor for the event. They announced the first designer of the night Yohei Oh No from Japan who is mentioned as one of the 6 designers to watch in Nylon Magazine. The designs echoed geometric shapes with circle and square shaped pockets emphasized by neon colors scattered the clothes. The collection came close to a vintage feel with 60's influences such as the shiny material but held a more futuristic and urban vibe.

In between shows there was a range of excellent performances to keep the crowd entertained. There was everything from ballet to Opera to a string quartet. The Anaheim ballet performed a beautiful dance with ballerinas in white tutus and their partners in black twirling up and down the runway. That was followed by a great performance of music by a string quartet. A crowd favorite was Viva la Vida by Coldplay performed on the violin. Next was Betty Tran a designer from Australia. The modern and perfectly tailored designs reflected this seasons trend of neutral colors and added a bold flare with a few bright red pieces scattered throughout. the black sequin detailing intricately designed on each piece tied the whole collection together nicely. It was a great kick off to the next 4 days of shows with designers from LA and around the world.

The night ended with a great performance form a Latin singer. Check out my next article for more on the rest of LAFW!

CdM City Guide: San Francisco in a day

San Francisco is a great city and I have always heard about how fun it is to go there. So that's why while I was up in San Jose for a conference and I found out I had an extra day I decided to drive up to San Fran and spend the day in the city. It was one crazy day but I definitely feel like I got the full San Fran experience. Here is how I did it.
The first thing I did when I got to the city was go to the Ghiradelli chocolate factory. I could see the giant sign from the road and when I approached they handed me a chocolate square as I walked through the doorway. I wandered around the cute little shop for awhile looking at all the different confections and read about the founding of the factory. On my way out the door I got another chocolate square. Yumm.

Then I walked down to the fisherman's wharf and looked at the maritime museum and the colorful shops on the wharf. I knew I waned to go on a trolley ride and so I stated walking towards the line to ask where to buy ticket but when I got there someone asked me if I needed a ticket because they had an extra that they weren't using. I thanked them for it and got in the line fro the trolley. It actually saved me a lot of time from waiting in the ticket line and I got a free ticket! I hopped on the little red trolley and rode through the hilly streets while looking at the colorful houses as we drove around the city. After finishing my ride I headed over to the Golden Gate bridge. It was a beautiful day in San Francisco and I had great views of the bay.
Afterwards I headed back into town and stopped at the Boudin Sourdough bread company where I bought a loaf of warm homemade sourdough bread. Easily the best sourdough I've ever had. The factory was really cool to see with a conveyor belt on the ceiling with bread baskets attached to it transporting the loaves from the kitchen to the store. They had all kinds of shaped bread loaves too. everything from hearts to alligators. I stopped at a little souvenir shop before I left to buy a miniature trolley car.
On my way out of the city I decided to take a detour and drive down Lonmbard street. the famous steep windy road that I had seen in all the tourist pictures. It was quite a crazy drive but I made it.
So that's how I did all of San Francisco in one day. If you have any good San Fran stories share them in the comments below!

CdM Fashion Careers: Amy Roiland Fashion Blogger

Amy Roiland, Successful LA fashion blogger
www.FashionTap.com

@FashionTapApp
@Afashionnerd

www.afashionnerd.com

(Amy and I at the Melange tradeshow last week!)

Where did you go to school and what did you study? Did you always know you wanted to be a fashion blogger?   
- I went to CSUN and studied fashion merchandising and marketing. I started several blogs back in 2008  and finally started my current blog A Fashion Nerd over 2 years ago. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a fashion blogger I just kind of fell into it.

Why did you start blogging?
 I started blogging to help express myself and show others how to style different outfits. My style is very quirky so it can be hard for some to relate to me but fun to watch.

What blogger platform do you use?  Blogger.com

When you first started blogging, how did you grow your followers and contacts? Did you use any paid services for managing/marketing your blog? 
I started my blog A Fashion Nerd over 2 years ago and I now have over 37k followers on Instagram and over 7 million vine views. I grew all of my followers organically. I worked with some bigger brands who started posting me on their social media outlets, this is how I grew fast. I also have some youtube celebrity friends and when they took a photo with me and posted it to their large audience I would gain a lot of attention and followers. I also did some big collaborations with some really big brands and when they would repost me I would blow up. I worked VERY hard to get my followers. Don’t ever pay for them because people will find out!

How often did you post starting out? And now? 
 I posted blog posts every single day sometimes 2 times a day. I have over 730 blog posts to this day. I worked so hard and even posted blogs when I didn’t feel so well. I always shot my own photos, I use a tri pod and a clicker to take my own shots. I would travel around alone taking my own photos and getting them up the same day. I would post them on every social media outlet as well. I was consistent and nothing could get in my way. I now post once a day on Instagram and 3 times a day on FashionTap. I post a blog maybe twice a week. I am so busy lately with my app FashionTap I don’t have much time.

How many people do you have on your team now?  Just me.

What was the biggest challenge you faced starting out as a blogger and how did you overcome it?  Growing my audience was difficult. I just kept going and going and going and I wasn’t going to stop until I was big. It’s even harder now to grow your audience on an over saturated platform like Instagram. When you #fashionblogger you see food, dogs, spam… FashionTap will allow bloggers to be found by designers and other people in our database. Not only that FashionTap will allow you bloggers to be paid way easier than anywhere else. You can easily monetize your outfits on your photos on FashionTap.

Was there a turning point when you reached success and how did you know what the catalyst was? I didn’t know the exact catalyst for my blogging success. I really feel happy lately because I am working with brands like Jeffrey Campbell, Manoush, and Free People. This is huge for me. I never thought I would get to work with such big brands. I  think staying consistent and being persistent is key.

What are you doing now? Tell us about FashionTap app? 
Right now I am focusing my main attention on my app FashionTap. FashionTap is a fashion social network where users can directly tag their beauty products and clothes onto their images and when people click on what they’ve tagged they make money up to 50% of the sale. FashionTap is also a fashion database where everyone in fashion can finally be found by location and by category. If you search Austin TX you will see bloggers, brands, designers, stylists, boutiques, pr firms, models, hair, makeup, photographers, retailers, and fashion enthusiasts.

What do you see yourself doing in the future? 
Designing my own clothing line and shoe line and working as the CEO of FashionTap as well. I also want to be a motivational speaker one day and really help everyone realize their potential! You can do whatever you want always, you just have to focus on what you want.

Fashionable Friday: Melange tradeshow in downtown LA

I have been at the Mélange tradeshow for the past two days where I was invited to speak as an expert on a panel about social media and the connected generation of consumers.  While I was there I got to meet many interesting people in fashion and technology and I will have some exciting interviews on the blog soon! I also got to listen to many panelists talk about the upcoming trends in the fashion and technology marketplace and where they think the direction of wearable tech is going. We heard from many industry experts and innovators. Check out the categories below for all the latest updates from each area.
Apps
Melange held a "Best of the Beach" contest (Silicone Beach) for new apps and these were the three finalists.
Livit
Founded by Adam Blazer this app is all about sharing and connecting  travel and lifestyle stories from real people.
Donde
Donde is my personal favorite from this list. Donde is a fashion app where anyone can search for their next outfit with just a few taps. Donde uses new image recognition software to find images from thousands of brands on the web that fit your search criteria. You can make purchases or mark items so that the app will notify you when they go on sale so you never have to leave the app! I am so excited to see how this app will change the way people shop online. I think there are so many practical applications for Donde. You can download it now on the app store!
Fashiontapapp
The fashiontapapp was founded by Amy Roiland of A Fashion Nerd. A fashion tap is for fashion bloggers and other users to tag their outfits and beauty items so everyone can see who they are wearing. It includes a buy button so that users can easily purchase the items they like straight from the app.
Social Media
We heard from many social media experts at Melange this week including, the director of social media for Toms shoes, the SVP of Shoedazzle, fashion bloggers, the VP of BCBG Max Azria, and myself.
Sarah Tabbush the director of Social Media for Toms shoes shared that she felt that some of their bigger social media channels were straying away from the brand image that they wanted to represent and so they decided to open a Snapchat account in order to stay young and fresh as well as connect with their fans. She said that she believed that content should be organic and that followers are not interested in seeing very posed and perfect images for marketing. Ann Lawrence co founder of the site Pink51.com shared that she also believes it is a important to create a community feeling through social media. We also heard from Alon Caidor the CEO of TV page and Eric from Invodo that video will be the next big thing in internet advertising. They believe that video will increase the attention span of the online consumer which is about 8.5 seconds right now to up to 30 seconds. We saw a transformation of the web from 1999 to 2015 with pictures and videos increasing dramatically on all the websites. We also heard from several omnichannel marketing experts on how to use social media to engage your followers. They recommended that brands focus on using social media to gain awareness and create a brand image but not for sales. Several marketing experts at the show, including a representative form Li & Fung Associates Business Intelligence, cited studies showing that brick and mortar was still the most successful sales rate. Using social media to entice customers to come into the store can be more beneficial to a brand then trying to sell on social networking sites. We heard from Amy Roiland and Jordynn Schafer that many people are moving away from Instagram and going towards live video feed social networking sites such as Periscope. I've also included a video of my panel covering how millennials and centennials use social media as consumers. There were many interesting marketing trends explored at Mélange this year.
Wearable tech
Misfit
We heard from two experts in the wearable tech industry at Melange. First we heard from Tommy Chang VP of ecommerce at misfit. You may have heard of misfit the wearable tech health accessory. It can track your daily activity and sleep patterns. Tommy Chang talked to us about the direction of misfit and their new developments. He believes the new direction for wearable tech is to focus on things that are fashionable and functional. They are developing new items that will be made form durable materials such as metal. They are also focusing on technology that won't need charging. They want to develop accessories that will have durable batteries that can be taken anywhere and changed out around every 3 months. They are also working on a really exciting project with their partner Swarovski. It will be a wearable fitness accessory made out of a Swarovski crystal that has solar charging capabilities. It is still in the developmental stages but they believe it will only need a few minutes of sun exposure to stay charged all day. I am very excited to see the new things misfit has in store!
The next speaker we had was Kristine Upseleja a professor of Textile science at FIDM. She is considered an expert in the field of innovative textiles. Her presentation included companies that were working on things like growing textiles form bacteria, creating textiles connected to the internet, hearables, and 3D printed clothes. She believes that the future of wearable tech is actually going towards hearables such as the German brand Bragi. Basically earbuds that don't need to be connected to a phone or ipod. Bragi is mainly focused on fitness and health right now. They can tell you calories burned, pace, etc and they are even waterproof so you can play music while swimming! She also showed photos of a designer who printed her entire collection on a 3D printer in her own home. The 3D printer is definitely in the future for wearable tech. She also showed a presentation of a company who is working on textiles that can be connected to the internet such as the Twitter dress that Katy Perry wore in the iTunes music festival. Check it out here. The new innovations in this field are very exciting!
Experiential marketing
Another important trend in the fashion marketing and advertising world is experiential marketing. Many industry experts believe this is the way of the future for fashion marketing. There are many new companies popping up in this industry with different ideas on how to approach experiential marketing and engage the consumer.
Blippar
Blippar is a software for smartphones that allows users to "blip" things by waving the smartphone over an item. The item then appears in 3D on the smartphone and customers can even try on the item. So far they have worked with brands like L'Oreal and Vogue. Check out the video to see how it works here.
Holograms
We heard from Ashley Crowder CEO and founder of Vntana a holographic systems company that provides interactive holograms for brands in stores. I loved the Vntana idea and I think it will definitely bring customers back into stores. Another holographic system was Zugara. They are a system of holographic mirrors that can be installed in stores to allow you to try on clothing in different colors that might not be available in the store. Seeing yourself in the mirror is really fun. You can check them out in person at the Rebecca Minkoff store on Melrose Avenue right here in LA.
Beacon Marketing
Beacon marketing is a new idea of location based marketing where users can download different apps that will let them know about sales and other things happening at the stores around them. Marie Driscoll of Li & Fung believes that this will become a big trend for 2016.