Fresh Face: Lindsey Wixson

Getting a Prada exclusive and opening the show at 15 isn't a big deal right? Just kidding. For Lindsey Wixson, this was her big break. Born in Wichita, Kansas this teenager is far from normal. After signing with Vision Models LA in 2009 she headed to New York where she was rejected by IMG, but Marilyn Agency swooped her up and her career shot off. She apparently has an upcoming shoot with the God of fashion photographers, Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue and has already been featured in Teen Vogue, Lula, Dazed and Confused Japan, Blend, and ID Magazine. On top of that, she now is in a campaign for Genetic Denim.

This newcomer has a big career ahead of her. In New York, she walked for the likes of Brian Reyes, Peter Som, and Philosophy di Alberta Feretti, which she opened; just to name a few. In Paris, she closed Miu Miu. I can't wait to see where she goes in the future. With her big doey eyes and signature pout, Lindsey won't be out of site anytime soon.

Photo Credits- New York Magazine, the Marilyn Agency, and The Fashion Spot

Interns Canada

Want to be a fashion intern? Well, if you live in Canada the chances seem pretty small unless you are willing to travel out of the country. Small chances that is, until Melissa Ariganello from Montreal decided to change all that. She created the website Interns Canada in order to gather all the internship opportunities in Canada onto one succinct webpage. When asked about why she started the page she states "I was always hoping to find Internship opportunities for myself in Canada but I only stumbled upon American websites and ended up disappointed. Since I know a good deal about web design, I had the idea of making the ideal website myself, instead of wishing there was one." InternsCan.com is dedicated to helping Canadian Students land internships and includes a variety of areas such as fashion, pr, web, marketing, and editorial. To visit the Interns Canada webpage simply click here.

photo credit  - teenvogue.com

Fashion Confidential Magazine

Fashion Confidential, a website which has been growing steadily over the past three years, has brought the idea of an online fashion magazine and taken it to the next level, truly engaging with all that the internet has to offer. Unlike most magazines, where the end product is two dimensional, Fashion Confidential adds a third dimension, allowing you to go strait from the magazine to organizing the fashion look for yourself. With a click of a button one can go from seeing their look on the magazine spread to wearing the pieces of designer clothing soon after.

 The magazine presents the designers in all aspects of life including inspiration, celebrity influences, and then the final end products of the runway. With interviews and spread boards, Fashion Confidential really attempts to demonstrate all aspects of the fashion world. With this magazine one gets to go backstage and fully experience the designers perspective and viewpoint. One is able to grasp the creator's vision upon which they can make informed decisions about what they want to wear.

Yet the fun continues. This website is more than just a magazine and offers many other services. With designer and boutique directories, style reports, and designer Q &A, this website incorporates every possible facet of the fashion industry. The most interesting section being the "fashion insider" in which insiders get questioned on all the ins and outs of the industry. Overall Fashion Confidential is clear and informative while providing ease to your fashion ventures. To see more of the site, click here.

Gabor Szilasi - The Eloquence of the Everyday

Gabor Szilasi, who immigrated from Budapest, Hungary to Canada in 1957, has a distinct photography style. During medical school he photographed the Hungarian Revolution and had to flee Hungary after being blacklisted under the communist regime of the time. Upon his arrival in Canada he worked under the Office du film du Quebec and received national acclaim in 1970. His black and white photos are beautiful for their realization in the wonder of the everyday. Szilasi has the ability to make common life beautiful and it is for this reason that his photographs are famous throughout the country and world wide. His exhibit "The Eloquence of the Everyday" is at the National Gallery of Canada Until January 17th. To Find out more about this exhibit and this amazing photographer please click here.

Charmaine Oliva

Charmaine was born and raised in Encinitas, California and currently resides in San Francisco. Unbelievably she first started drawing with soy sauce on napkins!

Charmaine creates things from business cards, to graphic t-shirts and anything in between. Her artwork is quite unknown to people living outside of the area of San Francisco. She creates modern pieces of art with a inhuman twist. She is an amazing photographer also, with her crisp clean pictures that capture the beauty of the California area. Charmaine has a crazy, wild humor to her and can be known as a hippie child, who parties and paints. You can view her artwork here.

charmaineolivia.com

written by Rania

3.1 Philip Lim

Philip Lim, who in 2007 was granted The Council of Fashion Designers of America award for Emerging Talent in Womenswear, has made a very geometric shift this season. He has reinvented the idea of spring and has separated from the beige and flowery drab of most of this season's collections.  Instead of going garden for the springtime he has used shiny fabric and space age shapes to present the return of light and warmth. 

The feminine high waist has remained but now has an edgier feel with layers of sharp edges and line. Tailored tops are put with swinging metallic skirts and oversized jackets can now be put to use as dresses. There is a slight retro sixties feel to the collection but Lim did not make the mistake of going overboard. He puts with these pieces metallic jewlery and necklines which remind one of the Louis Vuitton necklaces from Fall 2009. Yet Lim is incredibly original and this collection has come at a perfect time where the tinsel looking outfits can be used for inspiration during the Holiday season. 

photo credit : style.com

Daul Kim

Daul Kim was found dead in her Paris apartment yesterday.

She was unlike any other model around. She had the ethereal beauty and careless style it takes to be a success in the fashion blog scene, but she was much more than just that. Daul was smart, but not in the "I know everyone" sense. She was unique and original, writing about her feelings on her blog - such a faux-pas. My fascination with her personality began only recently so when I heard about this, i was shocked in a really unusual way. I felt like I had known her forever. RIP, miss you.

Model Spotlight - Dree Hemingway

Dree, the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, has taken the fashion world by storm in the past year. The 22-year-old, formally a ballet dancer before turning to modeling and acting, has been featured in campaigns for Calvin Klein, DKNY,  and has recently appeared in V magazine. Born and raised in California, she is now signed with Elite Model Management in New York, Independent Models, and Ford Models Europe in Paris.

The infamous Tommy Ton has raved about this new starlet which he calls the Next Big Thing. With blonde hair, fine ballerina features, and a family legend, she has become the new American star. Hopefully we shall be seeing more of Dree in the future.

photo credit: Jak and Jil

Chantal of Cocorosa

Chantal, a Finnish trend caster living in NYC, has loads of style. Previously a designer she states that "the job as a Trend Forecaster kind of just happened. I still love to design and I think I will always keep designing but I'm not sure if it will be a full time job anytime soon." Yet a do-it-yourself she posted of embellished tights made its way to VOGUE. When asked about her response to this form of media attention she states "I come from a very small town in the Netherlands so all these wild designer dreams I had while being in art school studying Fashion rose up again and to dream like that is great, it really is." From the designs we have seen so far, hopefully her dreams come true.

But back to business. When asked to explain the role of her vocation in the fashion industry she replied that "trend forecasters analyze and report on upcoming trends seasons ahead, sometimes up to 18 month ahead of time, most of the reports are done by analyzing and reporting on the runway shows but some, like me give a 18 months ahead forecasting by analyzing tendencies toward art, photography, lifestyle and by intuition, giving direction in global trends, colors and fabric."  Her career certainly influences her up-to-date style choices and she predicts that in the future we will see more "fantasy/ dreamy, decadency, dark/underworld inspired trends".

Yet she is still ambivalent about fashion. "Honestly, to me fashion is not that important (when we talk about clothing), actually fashion to me is not all about clothing, Fashion to me is the tendency people have towards certain styles in clothing, photography, art, lifestyle, behavior, beauty ideals, maybe towards certain trends? and why? Fashion reflects society and in that way Fashion is important to me." Ultimately fashion is important for the ways in which it influences, and is influenced by, life. A fresh face on the fashion scene, click here to view more.

Shi of Buffalo Parade

Shi, a first year design student from down under, makes fanciful art and does so with some funky style. When asked to describe the character of her works overall she states "Honestly, I'm quite oblivious to my work having a 'style' because I view it everyday. But from what I've heard, it reminds people of childhood, inside jokes, mockery, drug induced experiences and the wild." Shi uses a variety of mediums for her creations " from conventional to unconventional" including pencils, inks, crayons, digital, foods, coffee, crushed petals, and dirt. She's certainly resourceful.

When asked about her favourite paintings she picked the two above. The first one (left) "reflects the harshness of modern living and how it is capable of draining your soul energy." This painting has an edgier tone compared to her second favourite (right) which is inspired by the famous Wizard of Oz . This one was her favourite because of the use of expression, which is something she creates throughout her life. Her website is not only known for her art but also for her sense of style. Though she claims to have a "Does she have a home?" look, Shi is creative and fearless in her fashion sense. Her website shows pictures of her in almost anything from tie dye pantyhose to glitter galore. In her future she sees herself as a grand illustrator with "a beautiful garden, a pet pig and love." Overall her website is full of inspiring photos and art pieces. To find out more simply click here.

Aurel Schmidt

"In a direct manner a piece of art cannot save a life, or change a political policy; but through it's subtleties it does have the power to effect individuals. It has the ability to inspire thought, and therefore has the potential to promote awareness and ultimately influence change."
check out more by clicking here.

Book Review - The TeenVOGUE Handbook : An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion

Since I was 13 I have wanted to work for teenVOGUE. After the first issue with Ashanti on the cover I've been drawn in, and they haven't let me down since. This books is one of the most informative books I've found on the market about the fashion industry and gives tips which are unexpected yet useful. For a sneak peak I've collected some of the best quotes:

"Start a scrapbook. Collect anything that interests your eye, like images from magazines, color swatches, and even fonts. You can refer to it like you would an encyclopedia and bring it to interviews" - Aoife Wasser

"Sometimes in your career, you just have to jump it. You'll learn to swim!" - Natalie Massenet

"Make a magazine with your friends. And learn both sides of the business - financial and creative. The create side was easy for me, the business side was trial and error." - Claudia Wu

"Be as free as possible, experiment as much as you can, and surprise yourself. Don't conform. You need to have integrity to be yourself" - Frederike Helwig

Full of interviews, tips, and inspiration, this book is one guide I felt had both style and substance. It steered clear of the usual trap of vagueness  and showed people in all areas, from the interns at the bottom to the editors, designers, and photographers at the top. Not only was the book amazing but it also included a year subscription to teenVOGUE. One of the best fashion books of this year so far, you can purchase it by clicking here.

***** five stars