Fashion Impact: June 2012

Stud Muffin

As we all know, studs are ultra-edgy. But you don’t have to be part of a motorcycle gang to wear them! Here at NL Collective Group, we LOVE the stud trend. (And trust us, motorcycles are one thing we don’t do.) Studs are badass and cool, but can be chic and feminine at the same time. When studs are splattered all over a garment, it undoubtedly makes a huge statement. But when placed on a piece of jewelry, like a cuff, studs add a bold touch to any outfit. The stud trend is rearing its spiky head all over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores everywhere. Luxury designers and fashion powerhouses Balmain and Betsey Johnson are embracing the trend with edgy studs and gothic motifs in some of their latest pieces. Even if your style isn’t audacious, bold, or flashy, studs are as chic as they are edgy. They can truly be branded and marketed to every kind of fashionista. Luxury jewelry collection Young&ng has a wide plethora of jaw-dropping and innovatively daring cuffs. But their studded cuffs are definitely a fan favorite, and why wouldn’t they be? They’re chic, enchanting, and exquisite. But most of all, they have an edge. Whether they’re speckled all over a blouse or doused on a statement cuff, studs are cool and elegant. So go ahead and embrace your inner biker babe. Throw on some studs!

Balmain

Betsey Johnson

Young&ng

Jumping for Joy

It’s probably safe to say that most women share a love for rompers. They’re playful, fun, and easy. Fashion sales would agree. Rompers are an outfit all in one, no fuss! But what about the romper’s forgotten relative, the jumpsuit? Many women feel that jumpsuits are hard to pull off, but here at NL Collective Group, we think everyone can work the look with a perfect, tailored version! Jumpsuits are all over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores everywhere. They’re elegant, sexy, and versatile; perfect for a sassy night on the town or a chic day at the office. Either way, a great jumpsuit will turn heads. Luxury designers and rulers of the fashion industry Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schouler, and Thakoon, all have their alluring and sophisticated version of the classic jumpsuit. The right jumpsuit is relevant and flattering on every body type, and thus, can be marketed and branded to every kind of woman. A jumpsuit is also classically stylish. Whether you’re a daring and audacious fashionista or a play-it-safer, there’s a jumpsuit branded just for you. Luxury brand Blake Andrews’s Empire jumpsuit in gray is charming, chic, and fresh. It’s an all-in-one ensemble and an impeccable fashion choice for anyone. So go ahead ladies, throw on a jumpsuit and jump for joy!

Ralph Lauren

Proenza Schouler

Thakoon

Blake Andrews

All Over Gene

Luxury fashion house GENE has been getting a lot of much-deserved attention lately. And here at NL Collective Group, we’re happy about it! Gene’s newest summer collection features beautiful draping, modern silhouettes, and exquisite details. Laura Gene, head fashion designer of the Russian line, spoke with JobTigerTV about what inspires her. “In our DNA it’s as encoded as the shape of our hearts and our sense of the world—it’s what we like and where we are…I am so in love with what I do, it’s beyond my own human choice.” It’s utterly refreshing as well as inspiring to hear from a designer who’s so passionate about what she does. Unlike most fashion powerhouses in the fashion business, as the head designer, Gene designs every single item in her collections. GENE is growing and flourishing by the minute, and is already all over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores everywhere. GENE’s clothes are relevant, chic, and flattering—thus, the line has been successfully marketed and branded to every kind of woman. It’s a fashion sales success story. GENE is surely on a role with this mass media attention, and we don’t see the buzz quieting down any time soon.

Gene

Bows are Back

Most of us graduated from bows when we graduated from the fourth grade. And here at NL Collective Group, some of us were really sad about it! But we have good news. Bows are back, and with a bang. Bows have been popping up all over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores everywhere, and we feel like giddy little schoolgirls all over again. Nothing says femininity and youth quite like a bow, either in your hair, on your dress, or on a piece of statement jewelry. Fashion industry pro Proenza Shouler embraced the trend on a chic collared blouse, while luxury designer Diane von Furstenberg threw it on a headpiece. Classic. Although this trend may seem a tad intimidating to wear, any girl can pull it off AND make it look elegant simply with a bit of confidence. If we forget the negative stigma of bows and realize how chic and effeminate they can truly be, bows can be successfully marketed and branded to every age range. And isn’t that something special? Bows are ultra-feminine, chic, and most of all, fun. Luxury brand Xuan-Thu Nguyen impeccably places bows on dresses and uses them in statement-making jewelry, such as necklaces. Gothic jewelry designer Julia deVille uses bows plentifully in her jewelry for an edgy, bold, yet girly look branded for any woman. So remember, you don’t have to be a squealing tween with Justin Bieber posters covering your room to accessorize with bows—you’re a grownup now, and so is The Bow.

Proenza Shouler

Diane von Furstenberg

Xuan-Thu Nguyen

Julia deVille

Xuan-Thu Nguyen in Marie Claire

Xuan-Thu Nguyen

The Sundress: The Quintessence of Summer

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, says summer like a short little sundress. No matter what kind of girl you are, there’s a big chance that you get excited to throw on a sundress once the temperature rises. Here at NL Collective Group, we believe sundresses are the perfect way to dress up for work while also keeping cool in the blistering New York City heat (unless you HAVE to wear a suit, a sundress is totally the way to go.) They’re fun, fresh, flirty, feminine, and light as a feather. What could be better for helping you beat the summer heat? Once the Spring and Summer collections and fashion shows begin every year, sundresses in various colors, shapes, and sizes pop up all over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores everywhere. Sundresses are chic in an effortless way, literally, and that’s why they never seem to disappear. They’re also fit for every kind of woman, perfect for fashion sales, and can be branded and marketed to everyone. Fashion industry powerhouses and luxury designers Oscar de la Renta, BCBG, and Christian Dior all have their own versions of the wardrobe staple. Selahdor, a luxury brand, has a multitude of gorgeous, light, and breezy sundresses in its Spring/Summer 2012 collection. So just throw on a sundress (literally throw it on—it’s that easy!) and look cool while keeping cool.

Oscar de la Renta

BCBG

Christian Dior

Selahdor

Wide-Legged Pants are What’s Happenin’

You may have not been alive during the 70’s (here at NL Collective Group, most of us weren’t!) but you probably know what trend rocked that decade above all else: bell-bottoms. And now, that trend is back, but with a flare. Wide-legged pants are a slightly wider version of the 70’s trend, and they’re taking over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores (and have been making the bottom halves of women look fabulous) everywhere. Skinny pants are classic and will never go out of style, but unlike skinny pants, wide-legged pants look fabulous on every body type, and can be branded and marketed in fashion sales to every woman. They’re chic, clean, and classic. The dynamic fashion industry is ever-changing and fluctuating, but some trends come full circle. Wide-legged pants are no longer limited to just the disco and boogie nights, but are now perfect for date nights and even the workplace. Luxury designers Tommy Hilfiger, Dries van Noten, Jason Wu, Christian Dior, and Marc Jacobs all have their take on the resurrected trend. From patterns, to plain, to bold colors, the pants come in lots of different forms. Luxury brand Gene has their own branded versions of the wide-legged pants as well. Wide-legged pants are everything you could ever want in a wardrobe staple—versatile, flattering, chic, relevant, and for all you 70’s buffs out there… groovy.

Tommy Hilfiger

Dries van Noten

Jason Wu

Christian Dior

Marc Jacobs

Gene

Making it Big in the Fashion Industry

Here at NL Collective Group, we know the struggles that emerging designers go through trying to make it big in the fashion industry. It can be difficult, brutal, and especially laborious. As a young aspiring fashion designer, rejection is an ongoing reality. (Karl Lagerfeld lost a design competition to Yves Saint Laurent in 1955!) But it’s all about perseverance. Designers must put their blood, sweat, (amazing fabrics), and tears into their designs and brand. Many of the luxury fashion designers that currently rule the fashion industry today began as “nobody’s,” trying to break through in the thriving metropolises where fashion reigns, such as here in New York City. Through hard work, brilliant designs, and impeccable marketing and branding, they now serve as fashion powerhouses. As time goes on, and more and more exceptionally talented fashion designers are coming out of the woodwork, it’s becoming exponentially more difficult to break through into the fashion industry. In their designs, designers must possess luxury, originality, wearability, beauty, and a multitude of other aspects in order to stand out among the flurry. They also must be wildly successful behind the scenes, with a strong team backing the business side of things. Some of our very own designers are on the brink of superstardom. Through perseverance and an excellent team behind them, brands like Divka and Selahdor have made huge strides into the fashion industry. (Divka was just apart of the Mango Fashion Awards!) And there’s no sign of them slowing down anytime soon. Although it may be tiresome, exasperating and arduous, with a lot of hard work, it’ll all be worth it for the aspiring designers out there. We know the results will be fabulous.

Karl Lagerfeld

Divka

Selahdor

Divka Shades of Grey

Grey has a bad reputation. When people think of the color grey, they tend to associate it with blandness, humdrum, and drabness. But here at NL Collective Group, we see grey for what it really is—chic, modern, and aristocratic. The little black dress has and always will be a classic, but the little grey dress is making a name for itself too. Grey is a wardrobe staple and appears in fashion showrooms, runway shows, and marketed in retail stores everywhere, every season. Luxury designers and powerhouses in the fashion business Michael Kors and BCBG Max Azria have stunning and wearable versions of the little grey dress. Just like the classic LBD, there’s an LGD for every woman, no matter who she is. Little Grey Dresses can be marketed and branded to everyone, and everyone should have one in her wardrobe! Grey is so not black and white—there are a million versatile shades of it, and anyone can wear it to be perfect and fresh for daytime or sexy for nighttime. And unlike most colors, grey looks good on every skin tone. And since it’s a fairly neutral color, you can also spice it up with bold accessories. Sounds perfect, right? Luxury brand Divka’s LGD’s are simply gorgeous, flattering, and practical, impeccable branding for every woman. So throw on a grey dress, and you will be anything but boring.

Michael Kors

BCBG Max Azria

Divka

A Trend to Die For

Nowadays, morbid fashion doesn’t have to feel so…. Dead. The gothic look has been around for decades. We’ve seen darkness, we’ve seen skulls, we’ve seen bones, we’ve seen death, on runways, in fashion showrooms, and in retail stores. But here at NL Collective Group, we think it’s time to pump some life into the timeless motif that doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon. Luxury designers such as Betsey Johnson and Libertine have amped up the ‘dead’ look by adding diamonds and splashes of color and patterns to their garments splayed with skulls. It’s a perfect look for fashion marketing to every woman—dark enough for the Goths out there, but feminine and bright enough for sales to the girly girls. Perfect branding. Luxury jewelry designer Julia deVille is famed for her use of skulls and taxidermy in the fashion business, but she adds a feminine touch with diamonds and bows. Her pieces are exquisite in detail and surely make a statement. They’re gothic, chic, and effeminate all in one. This look is to die for.

Betsey Johnson

Libertine

Julia deVille

Be Warm and Cool in a Cropped Jacket

One thing we can all learn from summer is that sometimes, the weather can be unpredictable. Especially here in New York City! It may be blisteringly hot one moment, and then as soon as the sun sets, a cool breeze makes you shiver. So why not find the perfect item in fashion sales for the bipolar summer weather? Here at NL Collective Group, we believe there’s nothing more ideal (and much-needed) for summer than a light, cropped jacket. When thrown over a dress, tank top, romper, or anything at all, it adds a chic touch to any outfit, and is perfectly practical for the summer weather. You know those days when you look out the window and you can’t tell if it’s muggy or breezy out? Just throw on a great cropped jacket, or bring it with you for when the weather decides to change its mind. Cropped jackets are all over runways, fashion showrooms, and retail stores. Luxury designers (and powerhouses of the fashion business) Chanel, Milly, Jil Sander, and Carolina Herrera all have their own versions of the clean and ever-elegant cropped jacket. And these jackets look good on every woman, no matter who she is or what her body type may be, and thus, can be marketed and branded to everyone. Every woman needs one in her wardrobe. Luxury brand Blake Andrews has the perfect version of this trend. They’re relevant, dapper, and chic. In a cropped jacket, you’ll be warm of course, but more importantly… you’ll look good.

Chanel

Milly

Jil Sander

Carolina Herrera

Blake Andrews