Fashion Lensography of a Giant Squid

The kimono as you may know it has become uber-trendy in its influence on Western style clothing. The most popular is the kimono dress with a wrap-style and roomy kimono sleeves. A recognizable designer today who's gotten a lot of buzz...

Kukuxumusu, pronounced koo-koo-shoe-moo-sue, is such a cool whimsical name for this company Pamplonas, Spain. This trendy design company specializes in clothing and product design.  It was founded at the Pamplonas San Fermin festival of the runn...

Hearts are a particular favorite of mine. Have you ever noticed how many designer items you can find with hearts and heart imprints? There are also many trendy heart-shaped items. Hearts, hearts, hearts are everywhere. Hearts and heart-shapes can be...

If you're not yet familiar with Takada Kenzo aka Kenzo Takada, you'll surely be hearing more about this talented Japanese fashion designer.  His singularly name brand of Kenzo has been gaining in popularity over the past few years.  I've be...

Have you seen all the kimono jewelry that has been the rage? Kimono jewelry can be seen as acrylic or laminated, natural fabric over metal, or as anodized aluminum. There's quite a nice selection of all of these.   One of my favorites is an...

Have you seen all those cool rings which give new meaning to three-dimensional wearable art for your fingers? This one is a perfect example! As you undoubtedly know, a sculpture is a type of art that is three-dimensional.  I'd like to show...

True Venetian Glass Jewelry is handcrafted on the island of Murano, Italy.  It's also referred to as Murano Glass Jewelry and sometimes Italian Glass Jewelry.  If you want the real item, you want to be sure it's marked as "made in Ital...

Ananda Khalsa has the most exquisite jewelry. I am a fan of her beautiful designs and hope that I can introduce you to her work! Her jewelry is inspired by nature, blended with original Asian art acrylic paintings. Very unique; very original!

If you've not heard about Jackie Brazil jewelry, you may not know what you are missing!  It's a visually-stunning collection of jewelry, handcrafted of Brazilian resin by the designer Sobral.  The pieces are modern with a hint of the retro,...

Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, among a host of other popular celebrities, have made the corset and corset dress very fashionable and vogue these days. Searching on eBay you can find a few thousand corset dresses. Today, the corset dress...

I simply adore the "corset" in fashions and jewelry and also in footwear!  It's that extra embellishment that gives footwear a step-up, edgy style ... think of corset footwear as something fun and trendy to complete your look.  Yo...

Do you know that the corset costume has continued to be an extremely popular Halloween costume. Not only are they trendy, but they are so cool to wear in that they actually make your figure look better ... I love them! Keira Knightley certainly popu...

Corset jewelry has that lace-up, crisscross styling of a corset. I personally love the look of corset jewelry with its crisscross styling.  This cuff is one of my favorites examples of corset jewelry.  It's the Zoppini Stainless Steel Leath...

Have you heard of the wonderful luxury designer handbag brand of Lamarthe?  Until recently the popular French line Lamarthe could only be found in the chic department stores of Paris.  Today Lamarthe's Exception bag is named as one of Elle...

I'm a self-described "bag-a-holic" as I own a few hundred bags, have bought and sold bags online for a number of years, and search for bags everyday. To us ladies, the bag is an essential component of our wardrobe!  We've...

Hello to La Tour Eiffel -- The Eiffel Tower that you will find in Paris -- the fabulous iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. It is the 'tallest structure in Paris' and among the most recognized symbol...

Vincent Van Gogh, the artist is known today to so many of us. His art speaks volumes -- what other artist sacrified an ear for his work? I am an art enthusiast and count Vincent Van Gogh as one of my favorites. Did you know that there is also a line...

What exactly is a Bag Lady you might be asking?  Today, it literally refers to someone who sells designer handbags.  At one time, not all that long ago, this used to refer to someone who was homeless and down on their luck.  Onc...

Do you realize just how popular the designer brand Coach is when you try to find it on eBay, for example?  I found over 34,000 auction listings for Coach designer items and more than 18,000 such items in eBay Stores.  Coach is a popular des...

I have been interested in my eastern European ancestry and have been fascinated with the many items that are made in Eastern European countries -- particularly in the Czech Republic. Our last European vacation was to Prague and the Czech Republic cou...

It is amazing the calibre of designers who have their goods produced in Bulgaria. You may have already heard about Lalo Orna artisan jewelry, but did you realize that such designers as Karl Lagerfeld and Perry Ellis would have their designs made in B...

When I was growing up in Northeastern Ohio, I remember all the "made in Japan" or "made in Taiwan" items that were prevalent in our house.  I really don't remember so much of "made in China" like you see today, nor...

Yes, there are many well-known designer labels that are "made in Romania."  I was actually "blown away" when I started to assemble my list of designer brands bearing the label of "made in Romania" or "made in R...

As you may have guessed from the title, this lens is about anything that is "made in Hungary."  I personally wasn't "made in Hungary" or born there, but my grandfather was.  In May 2004, I had the once-in-a-lifetime...

Alice Temperley's timeless designs are defined with unique details, bold prints and pops of color.  Alice Temperley recently launched her exclusive collection of women's fashion and accessories as part of the GO initiative at Target.&n...

When I think of Givenchy, I think of Audrey Hepburn!  I feel passionate about the Givenchy designer brand as it is my favorite designer line and I am a collector of Givenchy signature logo accessories.  Naturally, I was compelled...

When you think of Giorgio Armani, it's undoubtedly his Italian designer suits that first come to mind.  Who hasn't heard of an Armani suit or the fact that Richard Gere made a fashion-statement in Armani when he starred in American Gigolo? ...

Rene Lezard has been described as Russian bohemian meets Emma Peel -- very trendy and very now fashion that's a bit of East meets West! The German Fashion Company of Rene Lezard was founded in 1978 in Schwarzach, Wurzburg by Thomas Schaefer.&nb...

Her trademark style of pleating, folding and draping can be likened to that of the Japanese origami--it's rather origami fashion at its finest.  Sophia Kokosalaki's collection is wearable, yet edgy, incorporating a cool London look along with he...

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, who has dressed some of the world's most glamorous women, has finally retired. The 75-year-old has said he would step down in January 2008. He celebrated his 45th anniversary in the fashion industry d...

If someone asked you to name your Favorite Designers, could you?  Could you give a Top Ten list of your favorite designers?  Or, would you only name one or two or just a few?  Do you have different favorite designers for clothing, acc...

Take a hard look at concrete jewelry and you will love it! Well over one year ago, I became acquainted with concrete jewelry for the first time.  I was browsing The Artful Home and came across the jewelry of Frances Smersh.  I was honestly...

I am blown away at all the beautiful hand-felted jewelry I've seen on the internet.  There are so many talented indie designers today who are crafting hand-felted jewelry. In this lens you'll find a nice a cross-section of some of the best handc...

I am truly amazed at all the fantastic felt beaded jewelry that I've seen on the internet! Who would think you could make such beautiful jewelry from wool felt? Allow me to introduce you to some beautiful felt beaded jewelry and the talented indie de...

The little wrap dress by Diane Von Furstenberg revolutionized the designer industry in the 1970s.  We've seen the wrap dress return with a new twist by Project Runway designer Kara Janx.  Now, the wrap hits jewelry with a wrap bracelet/neck...

It truly boggles the mind just how many gorgeous designer items there are that are resin-based.  Probably my first introduction to resin jewelry was about three years ago when I started selling Lalo Orna, Made in Bulgaria resin jewelry and acces...

The latest fashion trend is big, strong shoulders accomplished through the use of fashionable shoulder pads! Yes, this vintage and retro trend of big shoulders has hit the runways and is appearing in ready-to-wear apparel. You've probably got big sho...

Color Block -- It's definitely hip to be square and to be colorful ! Whether it's big blocks of black and white or bold and vivid blocks of color, color block in fashion is a hot trend.  Black and white has been a trendy color pairing for a few...

This lens is a spot-light on polka dots! ;-)  Hopefully, you'll spot something you like!  Polka dots have been a hot trend that is continuing into the next season.  They're not something that's new, but have also been a HOT trend for t...

Geometric patterns in designer apparel, jewelry, home decor, and furniture have been the rage!  There are flat shapes and solid shapes in geometry. Squares, circles and triangles are some of the simplest shapes in flat geometry. Cubes, cylinders...

Jewel tones are hot and heavy, showing that they are a sustainable fashion trend, and are boldly apparent in Summer 2008 fashions. Jewel tones show a person's conviction to color as they're bold, vivid, colorful and deeply saturated in color! ...

The proper definition of a Bohemian is a native of the Czech province of Bohemia.  However, in today's language, the term "bohemian" is used to describe a style of fashion which was originally attributed to artists, writers, and d...

Crochet designs are fashionable and trendy today. Crochet designs can be seen in clothing, accessories, and jewelry as beautiful handcrafted, wearable art. It's also trendy in home decor, home furnishings and furniture.

Lace designs, much like crochet, are widely used today in clothing, fashion accessories, jewelry, home decor, home furnishings, furniture, and other designs.  If you've seen my other lens on crochet, you'll have a bit of an idea about the uses o...

Have you seen all the patent leather out there and noticed that it's not just the color black that's popular?  Today patent leather is hot again! What technically is patent leather anyway?  It's a leather that has been given a high glo...

Pom-poms are the furry little balls that can be found on clothing, hats, fashion accessories, home decor, and an assortment of other designer items! Pom-poms have been popular for a while as they bring a bit of whimsy and frivolity to that designer i...

Calling all you style-conscious mavens! It's the perfect season for The Little Red Dress!  A red dress is a staple for your wardrobe -- it has come into its own.  The ultimate in red dresses are designed by Valentino as shown here. I person...

I've been a fan of the Little Black Dress aka LBD for far too many years to count. To me, a Little White Dress aka LWD is another trendy item to include in your wardrobe. What's that you ask, "White, how can that be?" Yes, you see that the LWD has qu...

There's nothing like pretty pink dresses to capture that feminine quality. Inspired by the movie, Pretty in Pink, allow me to present the prettiest of the pretty pink dresses. Pink is such a hot color and available in so many shades from the dusty pa...

The little black dress has been a fashion staple of mine LONG before it became a fashion trend. Do you know who is responsible for popularizing the little black dress? Today, the little black dress has come into its own, and is referred to as simply...

You can dress to the hilt like a celebrity with these gorgeous designer fashions. I've been a big fan of Project Runway and Full Frontal Fashion for quite a while. It's thanks to these two programs in particular that "runway fashion" has be...

If you are a style fashionista like me, you've got to have the right shoes or boots to complement that designer outfit!  Project Runway and Full Frontal Fashion are two programs credited with bringing "runway fashion" and &qu...

You too can own one of these fantastic runway designer handbags and perhaps feel like a celebrity!  Isn't it amazing just how many sweet designer bags there are?  Maybe that explains why a typical fashion-conscious woman has so many bags in...

The trench coat has evolved into a shorter, often times cropped, model to become the fashionable and uber-chic Amazing Trench Jacket! Today there are so many fashionable brands of the updated trench jacket, as well as the trench coat.  The trenc...

Yes, the trench coat has come into its own!  I wouldn't expect to see MY grandmother in the trench coat.  She's not been with us for a number of years, so I don't know, maybe I'd see her in the trench coat.  Now, I'll have to ask my mo...

The High Spirits Collection is simply to die for! It's from the brand new range of women's fashion shoes, YOU by Crocs. I personally BECAME a fan of Crocs when I discovered the Prima ballerina flat! Well, since I've ordered so many shoes directly fr...

Ladies can we talk?  Don't you just adore all the gorgeous sandals, shoes, and boots there are for us to pick from?  While I tend to want comfort, I'm also a slave for fashion and strappy footwear. What makes footwear strappy you ask? ...

I discovered the designer brand of Paruolo while searching on eBay for a pair of shoes.  As I loved the European styling of these handcrafted shoes, I was compelled to write this lens.  Researching the brand further, I discovered that Paruo...

To fully appreciate these beautiful shoes you must love at least one of these: asian-inspired, vintage, floral, bright colors, custom-made, wearable art! I will readily admit that when I first came across Hetty Rose's shoes, I was immediately ho...

No wonder I LOVE Beverly Feldman Fashion Footwear, Handbags & Accessories ... her designer items are essentially wearable art because of the often extraordinary and whimsical ornamentation!  I simply adore shoes and handb...