We love...MUGGIA

Accessories brand Muggia started by producing shoes, bags and accessories for cool Brazilian brands like New Order, Isabela Capeto and Maria Bonita Extra, but quickly realized they had enough pieces to do their own collections. Designers Ana Beatriz and Juliana Suassuna - also Osklen's creative directors - decided to add key womenswear pieces to complement their accessories. Their collections are inspired by childhood memories with themes as simple as "horses," which was the main inspiration for their autumn/winter 2011/12 collection.

Spring/Summer 2012 Color Trend: Lilac

I'm covering the LA Textile Show at the California Market Center and I'm seeing lilac as a strong color trend for next spring. One can't help but think of Mila Kunis' stunning lilac Elie Saab dress at the Oscars as a catalyst for spring's soft purple hues.

Seen in various fabrics from cotton wovens, silk emebellished ruffles and striped jersey knits, this versatile color translates from evening to casual and is perfectly soft and pretty.

For the full LA Textile trade show analysis, check back on http://www.wgsn.com/ next week.

Robertson Boulevard Goes Nordic

In May of 2009, Moods of Norway made their American debut on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles. Nearly two years later, the fashion line that makes "happy clothes for happy people" is hosting a 2-year "Anniversary Extravaganza" on May 17th (National Norwegian Day) from 7-9 p.m.

For some, the Norwegian celebration has already begun.

One Piece, the Norwegian brand known for soft fleece one-pieces in bright colors and patterns has debuted in Kitson, exclusively showcasing their newest collection. This jazzy jumpsuit brand has a loyal celebrity clientele including Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Paris Hilton and the rest of the celebutante gang, making Kitson the perfect retail match.

If fashion forward Snuggies and bright plaid suits don't hit the spot, head on over to Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen, where from now until May 17th lefse, lutefisk and Smorbrod is on sale. Hurra!

WGSN at the LA Textile Show

The LA Textile Show starts today and we have a host of events planned in association with the CMC.

Check out the Trend Gallery (pictured left) in the CMC lobby, where we're showcasing our macro trends for Spring/Summer 2012, with appropriate fabrics alongside each one.

This afternoon we are having a cocktail reception in the LA Textile Show lounge, from 4-6pm. Everyone welcome.

And tomorrow morning at 10.30am I will be presenting a seminar, focusing on textile trends for Spring/Summer 2012, with a sneak peak at Fall/Winter 12/13 and an introduction to Denimhead. This will take place in the seminar room of the trade show (13th floor of the CMC).

And feel free to drop by our booth - space 808.

Buyers return to glamour

For Fall, buyers are picking up glamorous separates with a ladylike aesthetic. “There is a whole segment of the young population who’ve never dressed up before," said Stephanie Solomon, Operating Vice President of Fashion Direction, Bloomingdale's, US. Fully accessorized, complete looks with hats, fur stoles, gloves and pendants, like Gucci above, were key.

Bold colour was also a strong trend, especially a red palette. “Its what I’m calling wine and roses,” said Neiman Marcus’s Ken Downing. “The entire red family - be it deep, dark bordeaux, claret, raspberry and magenta, often mixed with pale pinks and then working into the purple family.” There was also a cooler message with mixed navy, sapphire, jade and teal, seen on boxy fur jackets at Diane von Furstenberg, pictured above.

70s silhouettes carried over from last season. As usual, Chloé, top right, offered wearable sportswear and separates that continue to be a buyer favourite with Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew and Bergdorf Goodman.

Brazilian creators go global

The Creators Project is a global network that showcases the creative use of technology by artists. Resulting from a partnership between Vice and Intel, the project debuted last year with more than 90 artists from 7 countries and held events in New York, London, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Beijing. This year, The Creators Project is no longer just a platform to showcase artists, but actually produces art through The Studio.



The new features for 2011 were announced at the Vice offices in Sao Paulo this week, and the creators, including renowned Brazilian rapper Emicida and multimedia artist Muti Randolph were in attendance. The project is taking the two artists to Coachella this April.



As the first creative partnership in the history of the festival, Muti will design Coachella's Dance Tent, which will be the size of a football field and act as an amplified version of his installations at dance club D-Edge. The Creators Project is also developing a range of other installations at the festival, including the main stage and contributions for the bands Animal Collective and Interpol.



Emicida will play his first international concert at Coachella. The artist, who became famous for producing his albums using his desktop computer and selling 10,000 copies of his homemade CDs on the streets, announced a partnership with The Creators Project to produce and distribute his next work through The Studio, a new branch of the project that function as a global production and distribution studio.



For the first time, the work of a Brazilian rapper will become known worldwide. Like Emicida, any artist will have the chance to register online to participate in The Studio. The idea is to create a large global network of artists, who will retain all intellectual property rights to their work, and use the platform disseminate their art to millions of people worldwide. The project already featured other Brazilian creators such as designer Alexandre Herchcovich, duo Amapo, Ricardo Carioba and indie band CSS.

All about Orange

In shades of rich mango, persimmon and ripe pumpkin, bold orange is one of spring's sweetest color trends. The hue was seen on the spring 2011 runways from New York to Milan, at Vena Cava, Prada, MaxMara, Rag & Bone, Carlos Miele and Carolina Herrera.

At retail, its obvious that orange is a key color for retailers. Photographed above at ZARA, Banana Republic, Bloomingdales and Mango, the trend was seen on dresses, blouses, accessories and even in cosmetics. The shade perfectly complements the overly feminine 70s inspiration both designers and retailers have been showcasing for spring.

Coral Reigns Supreme at LA Fashion Week

Perhaps inspired by Marc Jacobs S/S 11/12 runway beauty looks, designers took note and implemented the diverse shade into A/W 11/12 collections. Fall colors of malachite, onyx and camel were heavy on display but buyers and editors were surprised by the abundance of coral taking center stage.

Gypsy 05 and Lavuk featured coral as a signature color in ombre dresses and polished shirts, while Ai for Ai featured the shade as a dynamic accent color. Menswear also showcased the hue in casual knits and accessories.

WGSN has established that coral can succeed as both a primary garment color and accent color but also loves the whimsical, youthful appearance it adds to heavy winter silhouettes.

Photos By Sina Argahi

New launch: Noisey.com

During the latest edition of SxSW, Vice magazine launched their latest product - noisey.com. Noisey will serve as a platfrom for the most talented independant and emerging music bands to showcase their work.


Noisey debuted with 40 eposiodes, each episode includes five segments: a short documentary and four segments of uninterupted music performances. So far, 10 coutnries have been represented and the tendency is for that number to grow, creating a truly unprecedneted global platform for music. Make sure to check out the latest additons to the playlist: www.noisey.com

Junior girls rate Forever 21 as top store

Fast fashion retailer Forever 21 was the most popular store among junior girls questioned by WGSN scouts in New York and Los Angeles recently. The store hit the top spot on both the West and East Coast, due in part to it's success at offering fashion-forward items at an affordable price.

Girls love the diverse mix available at the store. "I shop at Forever 21 mostly because it's eclectic, affordable and you can mix everything effortlessly," Elia Lonestar, 19, told WGSN.

Eighteen-year-old Jessica Jun added: "Forever 21 is a great store. They have stylish clothes that are affordable. And they have so many different styles to choose from."

Check WGSN for our deep dive into the shopping habits of the junior girl, with our new monthly consumer insight feature for this market, this month covering girls' attitudes to fashion, including their favorite retailers, their fashion icons, the words they use to describe their style, how much they spend and how often they shop.

Austin’s Food Trucks Keep it Eclectic

In the live music capital of the world, Austin is as eclectic in its taste of food as it is with its music. In Austin, the burgeoning food truck scene is shaping the city’s downtown neighbourhoods by bringing world class fast food and a lively social scene together. Food truck parks are dotted along streets or congregated in empty parking lots all day long, and the quality food is drawing as much attention as the wacky converted mobile units it is served out of. The Old School BBQ & Grill serves out of a yellow school bus, while old airstream trailers and double decker buses also double as “food trucks.”

I love the local spin on tacos. Lucky J’s Waffle Tacos truck serves up the waffle as the taco shell and the fillings might include fried chicken or bacon with cheese, honey and hot sauce. There are many other trucks like Lucky J’s, which fuse American favorites and add a creative, unexpected twist in flavor.

The food truck scene here is competitive (but friendly) and it has remained grounded with its local flavor, yet embraces global influences. That, in my opinion, is what keeps Austin eclectic.

The Debut of Style Fashion Week LA

Every season, LA Fashion Week seems to welcome a new runway and event production company. Some companies including CONCEPT and The Gallery at Sunset Gower have survived the test of time (and fickle Angelenos) to prove themselves “veterans” at fashion week, earning kudos from specialized buyers and media. WGSN feels the Style Fashion Week’s Los Angeles debut will place the company in the same esteem.

Based out of Miami, Karim Atash and Veronica Welsh, Partners of Style Fashion Week, are no strangers to high impact runway production; some of their previous clients include Chanel, Badgley Mishcka, French Connection and Sergio Rossi. After much success in Miami and NY, Welsh, originally from Los Angeles, decided to conquer her hometown. “For the past few years, we haven’t had a strong presence for fashion week in Los Angeles which makes absolutely no sense. We have so many talented designers, we have Hollywood and we have a huge love for fashion,” said Welsh.

Their inaugural event kicked off on Tuesday, March 15th at Vibiana with Stop Staring! (picured to the left) and was well received by industry leaders. “The dates for Style Fashion Week were made during market week so that more buyers would be in town. So far, we’ve had a great turnout from both buyers and editors and everyone has been supportive. I think the whole industry really wants LA fashion week to be more of a success,” acknowledged Welsh.

With key designers being showcased (from Gypsy05 boho-chic creations to Future Heretics modern urban collections) the Style Fashion Week team wanted to reflect a different fashion experience nightly. “We focused on LA based designers that are all amazing and have completely different fashion vibes. We felt it was necessary to create a different experience to offer a little something for each retail market.”

Thus far, the plan has worked. Celebrities, LA’s fashion elite, retail buyers and editors seem to be less skeptical and more accepting of the Style Fashion Week team. “Los Angeles fashion week will never equate to New York or Paris but this company [Style Fashion Week] has really grasped what LA needs – great production, solid organization, and above all, talented designers. I hope they come back from S/S 12,” says Kelly Jontrot, a retail buyer from San Francisco.

Based on the initial success and future plans for expansion, WGSN thinks Style Fashion Week is here to stay.

Photo by Sina Araghi

LA Market Week

LA Market Week is in session right now, with brands showing their collections for Fall/winter 11/12. WGSN attended the Select show this morning, a contemporary show now in its second season at the California Market Center.

Brands there included Ai for Ai (pictured left), Azaara, Beagle House NY, Boutique 9, Casting, Daniblack, Gillian Julius, Greenbees, Gorjana, Joan and David, Linea Pelle, Magaschoni Apparel, Minnie Rose, Momo’s March, Rough Justice, Sam Edelman, Sophie Monet Jewelry, Twinkle by Wenlan, Whitley Kros, VOOM and Zoa. Key trends included wooden accessories and prim apparel with contrast piping.

The Select show continues tomorrow. LA Market Week ends on Thursday and LA Fashion Week is ongoing till March 20. Check back over the next few days for more details about LA Fashion Week and Fashion Market. Full coverage of the trade shows and runway collections will be available on WGSN in the coming weeks.

Stella for C&A in Brazil

Since last year we've seen many collaborations between Brazilian fast fashion and high end brands, such as Isabela Capeto, Reinaldo Lourenço and many others. This year, C&A invited Stella McCartney to develop a 27 piece collection for its Brazilian stores. This is the first time an international designer is doing a collaboration with fast fashion in Brazil, and we are loving what we see.

Keeping with McCartney's enviromental concerns, the collection uses only ecological fabrics approved by legal suppliers. The idea of the capsule collection is to bring the designer's essence to C&A without following any trends or seasons.

The Stella McCartney collection for C&A will be available in 38 selected stores on March 23rd. Prices range from R$ 69,90 to R$ 499,00

SxSW: Stlye X

"New York has Fashion Week, Austin has Style By."

If you are in Austin, TX this week make sure to check out Style X 2011. Style X (reads Style By) will debut this week during the 2011 edition of SxSW. The event is meant to preview emerging fashion designers' work from all around the world – from Houston to Hong Kong.
As SxSW events focus on music, film and technology, it was a question of time before the organizers of the forward-thinking festival incorporated fashion into the line-up.



Friday, March 18th, 2011 – Saturday, March 19th, 2011
Austin Convention Center

Must shop: Improvd

New to the Meatpacking District, Improvd is a reasonably priced, avant-garde-inspired women’s basics line and the brainchild of former Diesel visual merchandiser Valentino Vettori and Atrium founder Sam Ben-Avraham. The duo set up their edgy brick wall-lined shop with high-quality leather and silk garments merchandised on simple metal racks. We were pleasantly surprised to find reinvented t-shirts priced under $100, and leather jackets starting at $430.

Improvd
819 Washington Street (between Gansevoort and Little W 12th Street)
Meatpacking District
Tel: +1 212 242 4020
www.improvd.com

Cheap & Delish: Mexico City's L'Encanto de Lola

Young Mexico City-dwellers are embracing casual fare and no fuss atmosphere when it comes to dining. L'Encanto de Lola, an adorable restaurant in the city's upscale San Angel neighborhood is the perfect example of this quaint, al fresco way of dining. The colorful, purple-tiled restaurant has a outdoor patio and lawn filled with flowers, birdhouses and picnic tables. The small menu offers gourmet updates to Mexican sandwiches including cochinita pibil, barbeque with red cabbage and fish and chips. We also love the roasted corn with mayonaisse aioli. On the weekend, L'Encanto de Lola bustles with young people enjoying a leisurely lunch, having a beer, catching up with friends and checking out the local artists who sell their work on the nearby square.

L'Encanto de Lola

Amargura 14

Col. San Angel

+52 55 5550 8429

Twitter: @encantodelola