Avant-WHAT?

By Emily Oberman

Metropolitan Fashion Week came to a close last week with the Avant-garde fashion show put on by some talented designers and artists at the beautiful Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Included in the show were designers Jason Ryan, showing his collection titled "Resentment. Run. Evil."

Following those warrior-esque looks was Los Angeles Masks designer Swig Miller, featuring intricate body art by artist Inoe Vargas, with the titled collection, "Rise Like a Phoenix." And finally, my favorite collection of the afternoon, "Frida, Naturaleza Viva," by costume designer Ricardo Soltero and artist Manuel Acosta. 

Keurig, one of the show's main sponsors, donated raw materials that were incorporated into the "Frida" looks. Leave it to recycled materials to elevate a show! 

"Frida, Naturaleza Viva," by costume designer Ricardo Soltero and artist Manuel Acosta

Jason Ryan

Swig Miller

For the Tote Worthy Traveller

By Emily Oberman

On a constant quest to uncover and share the beauties of local fashion worldwide, we here at Fashion Backwards can only get excited when coming across a gem of a local brand. Especially one from a seemingly far away land, that not only captures the essence of the locale, but literally has it's name and landmarks printed on it. Let me explain. Upon perusing the many newsletters that come my way, I stumbled across what I like to call, a fashionable traveling sensation: A tote bag with a story. Many tote bags in fact. Totes in varied colors and sizes. And even non totes, like clothing, housewares and even stationary. The name is Maptote, and I am enthralled. I absolutely love their story and concept - it's a fresh take on novel idea. And it's lovable. 

("When a stylist and a cartographer fall in love and get married, what do they make (besides babies)? [...] a line of products decorated with maps of locales both domestic and exotic.") ...reads their demure yet punchy "about" section, on their chock full of stuff website. 

The concept itself of course is not unheard of. We've all traveled on vacation, only to realize on the layover back home that the mundane but annoyingly necessary journey of finding the perfect souvenir for your aunt's second cousin's twice removed new baby, somehow escaped you. Between all of the sun, surf and food comas, I can't imagine how that might have happened. But it did. And here you are scavenging in the most coveted souvenir shop of all souvenir shops, as you await Delta. So naturally, you go for that cityscape of [insert town] tee shirt/bag/keychain and/or mug. No brainer, duh. But what if, just WHAT IF, you had a custom made tote bag with an accurate yet really fun depiction of said visited city, made by say, I don't know, a professional map maker? On trend, yet classic and extremely useful. 

The triple threat of souvenirs.  

A Sea of Pearly Fashion

By Emily Oberman

I caught up with Ms. Geneveive Cruz, designer and master mind behind LA based brand Sea of Pearls, while she was on break from the brands’ most recent photo shoot. Gearing up for the Day to Night Fashion Show at the W Hollywood last Thursday, she was eager to tell me all about the brand. 

A little back story: Geneveive graduated from FIDM in ’96, at the ripe ol’ age of 17, and has since been working in the industry for almost 2 decades. She hails from a family who’s been in the industry (fashion industry that is) forever, so she was pretty much born into it, so to speak. Her mom owned factories and did production work, and Geneveive’s own experience ranges from sales to retail entrepreneurship. Having logged time at Ed Hardy (back in the day), and made appearances at 7 for All Mankind, you could say she definitely knows what she’s talking about. 

After realizing her true passion lay in design, Geneveive created Sea of Pearls, a very “LA brand” as the designer herself puts it. Sea of Pearls keeps it very California casual; high-quality pieces that are very light, and can be dressed up or down. The essence of the brand is really just to have fun. Everything is done locally in LA, and the main focus of the brand is to give back by working with charities. Every month they partner with a new charity to help support a new cause. Amazing.

Having only been around for 11 months, Sea of Pearls is making a lot of traction on the local LA fashion scene, and Geneveive’s creative process for the brand definitely comes through. With different themes a prevalent force in the brands’ aesthetic, the materials they use lean towards the eco friendly side of the spectrum as well.

Thursday nights show captured the evolution of “the Tee”, which is the true mainstay of Sea of Pearls. For more info about the show, check out Parker Whitaker Productions…For our favorite looks, check out the photos we captured at the show below, walking the runway with ANTM alums Naima Mora and Shei Phan. To shop Sea of Pearls, visit their website. Coming soon, they will have a list available on their site with all of the boutiques that carry their merchandise worldwide!

Why Sea of Pearls? 

“To me, women ARE pearls. Every woman is a pearl and it's a sea of pearls [out there]. We are all different, but we are all beautiful.” - Genevive Cruz, founder and designer of Sea of Pearls

Revamp Tramp

Fashion Backwards is revamping its website. 

Awesome things, coming soon! 

Fashion and the Environment: Part 1

Every year the WEAR group (World Ethical Apparel Roundtable) gets together to discuss sustainability and best practices regarding the fashion industry. It is a group that "brings together apparel brands and retailers, sustainability experts, NGOs and academia to share best practices, build relationships and tackle the social and environmental challenges facing the industry today" (wear2014.com). 

They discuss different themes which include profitability, social issues, environmental issues, and traceability. They invite people from the fashion world, but also people from academia, marketing executives, and sustainability managers.  

Some of their partners include: greenliving, canopy planet, and fashion loved by forest. The event will take place in Canada this fall. 

Their are plenty of sustainable brands out there with fashionable clothing. Check out a few of our favorites. 

Blu Democracy

Study NY

Feral Childe

"You're what the French call, 'Les Imcompetents.'"

By Emily Oberman

Home Alone

My first adult international travel experience came in my early 20's, when a couple of girlfriends and I traveled to Spain. From the moment that flight was booked, the notion of dressing like a local became my main concern when traveling abroad. "I can't bring those flip flops! I'll stick out like a sore American thumb," I would say. 

Fast forward to today, and I find myself traveling to nearby regions once again. This time, ooh la la France. So, as my departure date approaches, I am starting to compile mental post it notes of what to bring. What does one who generally likes to stand out, wear to help them blend in? 

Turns out, casual chic is all the rage. Ms. Coco Chanel was on point when she said to always take off one piece of jewelry before leaving the house. Lucky for me, I am not much of a jewelry lover. Shoes however? I would wear three pairs simultaneously if I could. 

So the French fashion lesson here is:

-dress comfortably, but not sloppily.

-dress minimally, but not mindlessly. 

-dress effortlessly, and, well effortlessly. 

Say no to:

Sweatpants

Yoga pants

Gym shoes

Denim shorts

Flip flops 

Say oui to:

Lipstick and mascara. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Stripes 

Neutrals with pops of color

Chic sneakers

Flat sandals 

And leave room in your suitcase...the best way to really immerse yourself in the fashion culture, is to shop the local gems of course! 

Polyvore

Polyvore

Shopbop

An Ode to Fashion Films

                     

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