Cassie Fashion

Armani might favor the color white, but just about every other fashion designer in attendance at Milan Fashion Week this year presented boldly colored collections. Fashion label Missoni offered a bevy of designs in various colors, patterns and textures. Orange and green were amongst the most popular colors used by Missoni, which in a way was paying homage to the Fall. Of course, Armani used white on white to present clothing that looked more like under garments than outerwear. A few other designers such as Marni and Dolce & Gabbana made use of color in exciting new ways. Alberta Ferretti’s collection was a mixture of bohemian chic and ethereal prints. Long skirts made of flowing fabrics moved down the catwalk in a deliberate succession. The John Richmond 2011 Spring/Summer Collection featured edgy high heels and fitted cigarette pants matched with crop jackets and bra tops. All of his dresses were form fitting and absent of color, but they still made a huge impact. Beautiful, cream colored satin high waisted pants were paired with a black satin v-neck blouse. Not to be outdone, Sportmax showed that the mod style is still high fashion. One model wore a pair of mustard yellow Bermuda shorts with a sheer short sleeved shirt covered in embroidered butterflies. Prada, which is a staple at Milan Fashion Week, showcased a blend of colorful frocks that can only be described as a fashionable rainbow. No two pieces used the same fabrics or accessories, but somehow, it all cam...

Fashion designers have been worrying that sales will continue to decline as the state of the economy has not improved much in the last three years. So much so that labels are actually skipping NY Fashion Week in favor of events where buyers will be in attendance. Just days after John Galliano was found guilty of attacking an interracial couple in Paris with racial slurs, many designers let out a sigh of relief. Although Galliano’s actions are in no way representative of the fashion community as a whole, his sentence was completely fitting. Now that event organizers are able to focus on ushering guests to their seats, the real question is if this year’s New York Fashion Week will be a success. Usually, the first day of NY Fashion Week is busy. However, only a handful of designers showed their collections as scheduled. The fact of the matter is that consumers are not buying high fashion labels like they have in the past. With fewer shoppers available, boutiques and departments stores are becoming more selective about the labels that they carry. Richard Chai offered a contemporary mix of ethnic prints and stylish accessories in his spring/summer collection. Betsey Johnson dressed her models up like candy colored 1950s pin-up girls, complete with red lipstick and coifed hair. Excitement is still in the air, but the overall outlook is poor. Fashion designers can present the most beautiful collections, but if there are no buyers, no one will be able to wear them. The goo...

South Korea may not be considered to be a fashion mecca by many, however, Andre Kim had a vision. Fashion played a major role in Kim’s life, starting in his childhood. After graduating from a fashion school based in Seoul, Korea, Kim opened his very first boutique. Combining traditional Korean clothing with Western influences, Kim began to catch the eye of fashion moguls. He was asked to present his clothing at Paris Fashion Week, which was one of his lifelong goals. Kim was flamboyant, maybe even more so than Karl Lagerfeld. Wearing all white outfits with a face painted in makeup, he was jovial, funny and humble at the same time. Many of the most well known pop stars, actresses and celebrities in South Korea have modeled his clothing. In a society where thinking outside of the box is not always rewarded, Kim found a way to be himself while still attaining success. Besides fashion, Kim also dabbled in ceramics and accessories. He is considered to be the most well known male fashion designer in all of South Korea, and he helped to pave the way for future generations. His designs may not have been subtle, but they always felt natural. In addition to bringing prestige to the South Korea...

Actor Keifer Sutherland has had quite a few run ins with the law, but he had never faced off with a fashion designer before. He isn’t exactly a Hollywood bad boy, but the characters that he portrays are often dark and complicated. While attending a party for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Annual Costume Institute gala with actress Brooke Shields, Sutherland decided to pay McCollough back for what he thought was a case of bad manner. Witnesses say that Jack McCollough bumped shoulders with Shields, and to the dismay of Sutherland, he did not offer an apology. Sutherland, who is currently on probation for drunk driving charges, allegedly head-butted McCollough. McCollough completely denies running into Brooke Shields, but there are not any independent witnesses coming forward at this time. Sutherland and his publicist have not made comment. In 2004, Sutherland was arrested for drunk driving for the first time. After completing court ordered community service, he was subsequently arrested again. Now that Sutherland is on probation, he will probably be charged with assault by the NYPD. Jack McCollough is one of the founders of the Proenza Schouler f...

Every time America’s Top Model hosts an audition, thousands of model hopefuls make their ways to the set. This year’s try outs in New York proved to be more prolific than ever. Since successful models are nearly always tall and statuesque, ATM producers previously banned women under 5’7 from trying out. However, Tyra Banks urged them to start considering shorter contestants in an effort to make all women feel accepted. The result was a huge turn out, with some contestants resorting to sleeping in line overnight. Before the drama unfolded, lots of mini wars broke out. Two male contestants resorted to fisticuffs after slowly going stir crazy. Unfortunately, that was not the end of it. One of the male contestants came back with a pistol after swearing to make the other sorry. NYPD responded quickly, helping to defuse a potentially deadly situation. After that, a black car slowly crept up to the Park Central Hotel, where the auditions were being held. Several women panicked, thinking that the smoking car was carrying a bomb. Many of the contestants that had been patiently waiting in line for over a dozen hours suddenly became frantic. A mob of models began running and stampeding over one another. In the end, more than five contestants became injured. Several witnesses recounted their stories to reporters while others swore that they were staying to try out. Hopefuls from all over the tri-state area came to NYC in order to receive the chance of a lifetime, but sad...