Elle Fanning: style icon

After finally seeing Sofia Coppola's new film Somewhere, I couldn't help but be inspired by Elle Fanning. The 12-year-old little sister of Dakota possesses a grace well beyond her years, both on screen and off. Having acted in films like Phoebe in Wonderland and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Elle is also a budding style icon. Favoring ethereal, vintage-inspired frocks from mature brands like Valentino Couture, Azzaro, Marchesa and Rodarte, she keeps her look age appropriate with cute Mary Janes, minimal make-up and quirky braids or long straight locks. We love her style confidence and can't wait to see how her look will evolve.

Preview WGSN @ SPFW - Macro Trends S/S 2012

For those in São Paulo, don't miss another edition of the presentation WGSN @ SPFW. The event takes place in Shopping Iguatemi on February 1st. Until then, here is the teaser trailer for one of our macrotrend videos.

Trends at Outdoor Retailer

I recently attended the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah and was very impressed by the innovation and new Autumn 2011/Winter 2012 product launches seen at the show. Technical advancements in high performance garments have come a long way, and it was one of the top stories at O.R.

Outdoor brands have always been researching new ways to keep athletes drier, warmer, and bulk-free. A prominent, new product set to revolutionize the outdoor apparel market is the Dry Q Elite by Mountain Hardwear. The essence of Dry Q Elite is to solve the problem of moisture retention and sweat build up when wearing weather proof fabrics such as Gore-Tex. The instantly breathable membrane allows the body to breathe and takes moisture away before it can build up.

Colombia Sportswear unveiled its new omni-heat jacket and gloves. This was one of the coolest inventions out in the market. The jacket and glove allows for “heat on demand” with the push of a button. It’s kind of like an electric blanket in apparel form, but with many more performance features.

Lastly, outdoor brands are taking the leap into a new colorful direction. Street and snowboard color trends are making their way onto winter and ski apparel, adding a heightened fashion element to the outdoor apparel sector.

For the full report on Outdoor Retailer trends and brand highlights, check back on www.wgsn.com next week.

Click this now: thecoveted.com

I am totally addicted to new great fashion website, The Coveted. The site takes viewers inside the closets of fashion tastemakers like Holt Renfrew Creative Director John Gerhardt, Teen Vogue Fashion Market Editor Mary Kate Steinmiller and Elle Editorial Director Keith Pollack. The beautiful photographic imagery creates a mood board for each individual and lets viewers have a glimpse into their personality, inspiration and style. The site also explains where products can be found and includes cute anecdotes from the tastemakers.

http://thecoveted.com

A Farm of colours in Rio

Brazilian women's fashion brand Farm has teamed up with Havaianas for a new store facade at their Ipanema location.

The vertical garden filled with colored flowers immediately captures the attention of shoppers on Rua Visconde de Pirajá, however when they take a closer look, it is revealed that the flowers are actually made of sandals.

Over 500 pairs were used to create the effect and give Farm's window, which is constantly updated, the look and feel of Rio's hot summer.

We love Tili Bags!

I came across the Tili Chic Zip & Seal Bag for the first time yesterday and thought this brand was such a simple yet brilliant idea. Essentially, it’s a Ziplock bag in different colors and graphic prints, but it shows that the power of design can transform a mundane product into something special. I like that there is a real incentive to keep reusing the plastic bag because the prints are so cheerful and one-of-a-kind. As for me, I’ll be using these as cheap-chic gifting bags.

Tili Chic Zip & Seal bags come in a box of 12 in quart and gallon sizes and are priced from $7.49.

Pierre Hardy comes to America!

Pierre Hardy's first American outpost opened quietly over the holidays, and I finally had a chance to check it out over the holiday weekend. The modern, understated space is located in a revamped carriage house on a quiet corner of Jane Street, and has an adorable outdoor sitting space for customers to chat and have a cup of coffee.

The boutique offers the full range of Hardy's quirky footwear, along with signature graphic-print tote bags and Iphone cases. The store also sells Hardy's Skyline Shoe, which was created to celebrate the Manhattan outpost. The women's sandal is made up of high-shine, skyscraper-esque ankles straps and a mirrored heel.

FASHION RIO: BEAUTY TRENDS

WGSN Brazil team rounds up some of the most inspiring beauty trends as seen on the runways for the Brazilian autumn/winter 2011 season.

MAKE-UP
Natural look

Image credits: Redley, Coven, New Order
For autumn/winter 2011, Fashion Rio's catwalks revealed a fresh and natural look. Simplicity in make-up was favored and brands like Redley explored the minimal look for both men and women.

Overused blush

Image credits: Alessa, Cantão, Coca Cola Clothing
Another beauty trend that we noticed was the use of accent color, as in Alessa, Coca Cola Clothing and Cantão who overused blush.

Bright lipstick

Image credits: Auslander, Lucas Nascimento, British Colony
Lips were either neutral or in natural shades. However, some labels placed their bet on a color pop, like red, which prevailed in Teca, Walter Rodrigues and British Colony's shows. Blue was also present in designer Lucas Nascimento's collection, wine color in Ausländer and Alessa, and gold shade was favored by Cantão.

Defined eyebrows

Image credits: Melk Z Da, Patachou, Andrea Marques
For the eyes, the most popular make-up approach was little or no color. Attention was paid to eyebrows in well defined shapes, thicker in the begginings and clearing towards the end, as seen in New Order, Melk Z Da, Andrea Marques and Patachou's collections.

HAIR
Messy and wet

Image credits: Espaço Fashion, Maria Bonita Extra, New Order
During the five days of shows, hair styling was offered in wet, messy, loose finishing or in a simpler take such as pony tails as seen at the shows of Coca Cola Clothing, Cantão and Espaço Fashion.

Elaborate styling

Image credits: Alessa, Filhas de Gaia, Acquastudio
Along the minimalism and simplicity in hair and make-up styling, we also witnessed a more elaborate approach as in Acquastudio, Alessa, Lucas Nascimento and Filhas de Gaia's beauty looks who suited their lush makeups with more labored hair such as rolls and buns.

Fashion Rio: Day 4 highlights

The three strongest collections that I saw at the runways of Fashion Rio today were definitely New Order, Redley and Coca Cola Clothing. Combat ballerinas, deconstructed patterns and Californian desert inspiration were the main concepts driving the collections.

NEW ORDER

The ballerina academy collection done by New Order offered a fresh take on the ever-evolving military trend. Tulle tutus, sating accessories and skin-tight tops added a touch of femininity to the rough, combat aesthetics.

REDLEY

The movement-inspired streetwear collection offered deconstructed, fluid pieces updated with innovative details and unique accessories.

COCA COLA CLOTHING

Coca Cola's clothing collection was inspired by the sun-kissed mood of the Californian desert. Intricate crochet and macrame body-tight pieces, surface embellishments and tons of overall patterns created a fresh, summer-inspired collection.

Fashion Rio: trends

The key trends that I am witnessing on the runways of Fashion Rio include the now well established 70s glamor look, bold and oversized prints, tons of layering, the use of sheer fabrics and lots of surface treatments. The looks that seem the freshest and most inspiring however are the cut-n-paste concept, the extreme use of proportions and the Brazilian take on the ever-evolving marriage of playful sportswear and sophisticated elegance.

CUT-N-PASTE

Image credits: Alessa, Maria Bonita Extra, Melk Z Da, Coven, Têca, Coven
As if cutting and pasting different influences and elements, this look comes alive when designers create playful blends of colors, fabrics and patterns. Oblivious of rules and dogmas, patterns and colors are creating lavish visuals.

EXTREME PROPORTIONS


Image credits: British Colony, Maria Bonita Extra, Têca, Walter Rodrigues, Walter Rodrigues, Totem
Designers are achieving extreme proportions by either layering a variety of lengths and styles or by challenging the expected proportions of the human shape and elongating them by the use of floor-sweeping bottoms or head-to-toe dresses. Walter Rodrigues' hats challenged what we consider comfortable as far as dress and headwear proportions.

SPORTSWEAR AND GLAMOR

Image credits: Coven, Alessa, British Colony, Têca, Totem, Maria Bonita Extra
Sportswear continues to influence high fashion and we are witnessing ever-evolving hybrids that successfully combine elegance with the functionality and comfort that sportswear offers. Fur mixes with tulle and tricot, nylon windbreaker compliments floor-sweeping dress and baseball-inspired tops make for the perfect outerwear for elegant looks.