The Top 5 of 2016

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fashionado blog

From canines to couture, 2016 was filled with lots of fabulous moments worth re-telling! In addition to the fashion (and fashion icons) 2016 was delicious, as you'll see with Gunshow and the year also kept us moving with the very best of EDM... Click on the titles below to see full stories!

Doggies on the Catwalk

Meeting Fern Mallis at the Art Institute of Atlanta

Alex R. Page, Fern Mallis & E. Vincent Martinez

Fashionable Mentions

Click on photo(s) & "Read More" for link to story!

Hope that everyone has a happy and safe new years'! Thank you for the support, always :) xo

fashionado

Recap: A Conversation with Fern Mallis

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On Wednesday, August 3rd, the most fashionable destination in the city was without a doubt, the Art Institute of Atlanta. With programs of study such as fashion design, interior design and culinary arts, the Art Institute is a pretty stylish place on a daily basis, but when they hosted fashion icon, Fern Mallis this week, their style meter shot through the roof. 

Fern Mallis spoke to a standing room only audience about [her] early years at the CFDA and how [she] created New York Fashion Week. Before the "conversation" however, Fern graciously spent over an hour greeting guests, giving hugs and taking photos. 

In the lecture hall, Fern shared details about herself and career to a very captive audience. As she offered advice to students, it was clear that Fern Mallis is authentic, humbly recognizes her accomplishments and believes in giving back. She is so engaging and lights up when telling stories and talking (and humanizing) her famous designer friends such as Calvin Klein. One of my favorites stories - I've heard twice now! - is about a Michael Kors runway show pre-NYFW. The boom and bass from the massive DJ speakers shook the old building so badly that chunks of the ceiling fell onto the runway during the show. Supermodels, Naomi, Linda, Christy sashayed through the rubble, never missing a beat, after all, they were super-models. A large piece of plaster landed on the lap of fashion editor Suzy Menkes! Priceless, but also unsafe. This was the catalyst for creating a centralized fashion week location... the rest... is fashion history. 

Fern spoke passionately and proudly about her book Fashion Lives - a large, hardcover coffee table about the lives of some of the greatest American fashion designers - all who started from nothing, many who now have empires.

I'm not only a fashion blogger but a proud educator at the Art Institute of Atlanta. "A Conversation with Fern Mallis" was a huge fashion moment for us, our students and the Atlanta fashion community.

fashionado

A Conversation with Fern Mallis

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fern mallis nyfw fashion lives

Hump day just upped its style-game - well, at least on August 3rd when the "fashion icon" herself, Fern Mallis, spends the afternoon with you at the Art Institute of Atlanta.

I had the pleasure of meeting Fern at Charleston Fashion Week. I also had the privilege of hearing her speak and she is quite captivating. As you can imagine, as the creator of New York Fashion Week and as the former executive director of the CFDA, Fern Mallis has plenty of fun and interesting stories.

RSVP at aiatlantarsvp@gmail.com *Seating is limited so rsvp for yourself +1, only.

Fern Mallis will be signing copies of her book so make sure to get yours and bring on Aug. 3rd!

fashionado

Video Recap: Charleston Fashion Week 2016

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e vincent martinez roche bobois

Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, Charleston Fashion Week has proven to be an impressive fashion force featuring talented emerging designers, CFDA anointed featured designers and a fashion icon of the most fabulous kind. My colleague and friend, Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds and I attended and we were so blown away that we simply had to talk about it! From the non-stop parade of street-style to meeting Fern Mallis, we cover it all in this video recap. *Thank you to Two83 Media for the video production, Brandi Mallory for make-up and Annysa at Roche Bobois for the chic set. [Subscribe to fashionadoTV]

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Featured Designers: Charleston Fashion Week 2016

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Charleston Fashion Week got a heavy dose of New York runway chic through designers Cadet, Creatures of the Wind, and Tracy Reese. The three "featured designers" rocked the fashion week tents with modern, elegant and sophisticated collections.

Tracy Reese brought "A Detroit Love Song" to Charleston. This collection was an homage to her hometown of Detroit. Lively colors and prints provided a fluidity that was balanced off with structured coats and the casual chic of slacks and dresses. There was a slight nostalgic quality to the collection which was no accident. 

Creatures of the Wind blew the crowd away, no pun intended! A series of jaw-dropping A-line top coats came down the runway leaving everyone mesmerized. Creatures of the Wind are all about textiles and it was evident. Furs, wools, silks, chiffons - all so rich and beautiful. The collection left me wanting more. Everything moved so well. It was feminine and powerful at the same time.

Cadet presented an impressive collection of menswear and womenswear looks. Cadet epitomizes what I consider to be a modern-chic approach to fashion and style. This is how I want to dress. Crisp. Sharp. And even though Cadet looks to the past, they offer a fresh perspective and sensibility to design. They have achieved a near seamless aesthetic (and balance) to menswear and womenswear.

Cadet designers, Raul Arevalo and Brad Schmidt, who I met a couple of times while at Charleston Fashion Week - they travelled with their precious doggie, so you know they're good guys - are currently on a TV show. Cadet is a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and right now, you can catch them on The Fashion Fund airing on Amazon.

Charleston Fashion Week celebrated their 10th anniversary. It was my first but certainly not my last. It was a truly spectacular week. I looked over from my runway seat and sitting across from me every night were Ayoka Lucas- CFW founder, Fern Mallis!!, Tracy Reese and Cadet... not too shabby - at all. Rock on Charleston Fashion Week!

fashionado