There are two schools of thought on the qualities needed to become a fashion designer. One school of thought believes that an eye for fashion is inborn and God gifted and cannot be acquired through practice and perseverance. The other school of thought on the other hand believes that it is hard work and perseverance that can make a fashion designer out of a kid.

However, a look at the successful fashion designers of the world would confirm that it is a blend of talent and hard work that can make a successful fashion designer out of a kid.

So what are the qualities that make a successful fashion designer? Let us take a look at the principles and qualities:

First, a natural flair for design is a must, be it a design for men or design for women fashion. An aspiring fashion designer must have the basic acumen for men’s fashion or women fashion. The fashion designer must be able to, on the top of the head, decide a design for any category whatsoever.

Second, an aspiring fashion designer needs to have a formal training. A diploma or a degree in a fashion institute of repute will just do fine. The fashion designer will be adequately trained on the various aspects of the business of fashion designing which are so critical. This will go on to make a complete fashion designer.

Third, an aspiring fashion designer must have an ideal blend of knowledge with the theoretical aspects of fashion design as well as the practical aspects of fashion design. Hence, the fashion designer will design fashion with a blend of theoretical knowledge and its ideal practical application. Such a combination goes on to make for a good fashion designer.

Fourth, an aspiring fashion designer must be good at making basic sketches. A basic sketch gives a good idea of how the design will finally like. Hence, a good fashion designer must be able to visualize in mind how the design will look like in the end and draw a sketch accordingly.

Fifth, good visualization skills for a fashion designer are a must. A good fashion designer must also have an eye for details. While designing the most intricate of the designs, an eye for detail is a critical quality that a fashion designer must possess. A good visualization serves as an inspiration and sets the objective for the final design.

Hence, a fashion designer must be equally good at men’s fashion and women fashion. This profession is however, not a bed of roses, with high competition and a high failure and rejection rates, it is always a steep climb.

Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/kids_and_teens/article_525.shtml

Well it’s official, the eighties are back with a vengeance! Love it or hate it, we guarantee you’ll succumb to at least one eighties trend by the end of the year!

Sure you can pick up some eighties inspired fashion from a high street chain or designer label, but why not go all out authentic (and save a packet) but buying original vintage?

With a whole array of vintage to choose from, from the sublime to the ridiculous and everything in-between, how can you be sure you get it just right? In this guide we explore the eighties trends you should be following and how to wear them at their best…

Acid Wash Denim

Very Agness Deyn, acid wash denim is back and as punchy as ever. We’ve seen some glorious mini dresses, skirts, shorts and ripped jeans, all of which can be found in there original vintage form. And if you’re handy with a Singer, find some vintage acid wash jeans and make your own hot pants or mini for the summer. Don’t forget jackets too, keep them cropped and fitted or blazer shape for a look that’s bang on trend.

Batwings

Available in both long and short sleeves, the batwing has made a few appearances in recent years, so if you’re lucky you might already own one. This time it’s all about the colour, pattern and detail. Stripes, polka dots, nudes and sparkles are most definitely in. Material can be thick and knitted or fine and silky. The ever flattering batwing can also be used in the multi layer look, perfectly versitile.

Bold Colour

Neons are fab and oh so hot, but as long as it’s bright, block and in no way understated, then you’re right where you need to be. This trends are bound to build momentum as the summer months approach, so get buying now. Clashing is encouraged so get creative. We’re talking orange dress, cerise heels and lime accessories – but if you’re brave enough to carry this off then don’t forget the St.Tropez!

Sequins

We’ve all had enough of the doom and gloom, so glitz and glamour has been reignited to make us all feel extra special! Sequins make an appearance on many other looks - jumpsuits, blazers and one shoulder dresses. You can find lots of sequinned eighties vintage gems, or buy something plain and get customising!

Zips

Not for the faint hearted, zips are mega eighties and mega trashy! Best in black, look for tops, dresses, jackets and skirts with oversize or contrast colour zip detail. This is one trend that must be kept in isolation, don’t mix multiple zipped separates if you want to keep your chic factor.

Polka Dots

Think Grease, Fame and Barbie. Polka dots are a cute and easy to find print that can be mixed, matched and worn in any colour combo. Best kept to dresses and skirts, but found on some snappy little blouses, polka is even more tongue in cheek than the first time round. For extra punch, try oversize dots and for sleek summer tailoring go for tiny ditsy print.

One Shoulder

A one shoulder dress will blast you into the outer fashion stratosphere and beyond. Seen all over the latest red carpets, this look has just the right balance of sex appeal, glamour and class. For fun holiday wear try a micro mini one shoulder dress or a printed one shoulder play suit. For the pinnacle of evening wear chic, go for an all out floor length gown in simple shimmering fabric.

Jumpsuits

Never to be confused with the (very naff) catsuit, your jumpsuit should be big and blousey. Shoulder pads or overworked shoulders are good, buttons are great and drawstrings and sequins add glamour and grace. Make sure your jumpsuit can be pulled in at the waist and keep trousers wide, not tapered. For the summer months, go for a sweet and sexy short playsuit (loads of pretty prints available) This wearable trend could take you right through to 2010 so invest wisely. Or just buy enough to feed your fix all year! No decent vintage boutique or website will be without these all-in-one gems so get searching… NOW!

Blazers

If you don’t own one already then you need to get shopping! The perfect item to give your outfit that tailored or boyfriend edge. A masculine shape is preferable, tartans and checks are edgier and big buttons are a must! Dark colours will be more versatile but don’t be afraid to try bright whites, electric blues or ruby reds!

So there we have it, our distinct guide to wearing eighties trends the right way. These rebirths can go horribly wrong but with a little guidance you can make them work in your favour. And remember, the best thing about buying vintage is the reassurance that you’ll be the only girl wearing that outfit. And we all know how great that feels….

Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/hobbies/article_1323.shtml

By: Emma Brown

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against the little black dress. But once summer starts and stores stop adhering by their senseless post-Labor Day bans on white clothing, it’s all about the little white dress. There is nothing better to show off your tan and catch the glare of the summer sun than a breezy, cotton white sundress.

Below are some cute dresses for this season. Shop away and think of us when you’re sipping sangria on a patio near the ocean!

White Haute Dress

From ModCloth.com, $54.99

Floral Lace Stripe Dress

From Forever21, $22.80

Trapeze Eyelet Dress

From Venus, $39

Zanzibar Dress

From Ezekiel, $46

Alayna Shirt Dress

From Delia’s, $35.50

Romy Dress

From Rip Curl, $42

Honalula Dress

From O’Neil, $46

Crochet Floral Mesh Dress

From Forever21, $24.80

Street Chic Dress

From Roxy, $54.50

Chelsea Flea Dress

From ModCloth, $79.99

You know you’re popular when you’re own website needs no search engine marketing to appear higher than your wikipedia bio. According the biography on his website, “Oprah Winfrey calls his designs ‘works of art.’ Tim Gunn calls him ‘a prodigy’ and ‘the next great American fashion designer.’ Only 24 years old, Christian Siriano was born to design.”  Project Runway’s youngest winner has already designed his way into our fashion hearts.

Christian Siriano has delivered again with another innovative and high-fashion line for Payless. He kept many of the same silhouettes as last time around, but has updated the patterns and embellishments for Spring. I would suggest grabbing these as soon as possible because they sold out quickly last time. Here are a few of my favorites: Continue Reading

Jean Paul Gautier, the French fashion designer best known for his sexy haute couture designs, released a line for Target this week. Gautier has dressed the likes of Madonna, Marilyn Manson and Kylie Minogue so I was pretty excited to see how he could add to my wardrobe.

Overall the collection was a huge letdown. The fabrics were cheap and the proportions would only be flattering on someone 5’6 or taller. The richness he exudes in his regular collection did not translate into this Target line. I know that in order to transform a $1,000 couture dress into a $59.99 Target dress there will be some serious sacrifices in quality, but Anna Sui and Michael Kors are perfect examples of designers that upheld their reputation of excellence in their bargain lines. Here are some key pieces in the collection: Continue Reading

On January 25th, 2010 Billabong released photos of its new, first-ever runway swimsuit collection, aptly titled “Runway.” Featuring sexy shapes and darker colors, proceeds from this 4-piece limited edition collection also benefit “charity:water.”

The Daily Contributor took some time to look at the four styles in the Runway line, because, you know, there’s nothing that makes more sense than reviewing swimwear in January. Continue Reading

I don’t know what it is about the jean skirt that takes me back to a place of passing time and passing notes, but every time I see a female over the age of 17 wearing one I automatically write them off as having terrible fashion taste. Sure there are probably ways to make the jean skirt more sophisticated – maybe if it had a pencil cut and was paired with something other than a tank top, but I am not entirely convinced.

For example, I was out in the Lower East Side in NYC this weekend and saw a girl wearing one of those Abercrombie and Fitch micro-mini-skirts with a frayed hem-line and light wash paired with what I could only classify as a “skank tank.” Something about a young professional in a summer-meets-it’s-below-20-degrees look did not work for me. Continue Reading

Christian Siriano is best known for his season four win on Project Runway and his over use of the word “fierce.”  His designs represent young luxury and often have an avant-garde influence.

Following his win, his collections have been universally beautiful and a clear example of the relationship between artwork and fashion.  His recent launch of a footwear and bag collection for the discount outlet Payless ShoeSource offers the same design aesthetic for deeply discounted prices.  Here are some of my favorites from his shoe collection. Continue Reading

Every woman needs appropriate rainy weather footwear regardless of if they live in Phoenix or Seattle. Wellies, Goulashes, Rainboots – whatever you want to call them – are an absolute necessity to shelter your feet from rain and snow. Below are some of my top finds for this season: Continue Reading

Let’s face it. If you’re like most of us you either forget about buying a costume or can’t decide what you want to be until the last minute, resulting in the scariest Halloween ritual of all: braving the costume shop on Halloween afternoon.

Let TheDailyContributor.com help you avoid this truly terrifying predicament by giving you costume suggestions to carry you well through Halloween and into the following morning, or “Annual Most Obvious Walk of Shame” Day - because nothing screams “dirty whore” like creeping back to your apartment on November 1st in a Braveheart costume. Now that we’ve tackled the 80’s , let’s cover: The 90s! Continue Reading

Most women in their 20s have had the chance to go through their mom’s closets and relive her glory days by sifting through her flower-power inspired clothing and accessories to find some one-of-a-kind “vintage” pieces.

However, what most women don’t realize is that there is a lot to be found in our dad’s closets!  With a few alterations and proper accessorizing there is great potential to add unexpected style to any wardrobe. Continue Reading

Now that we are officially in October it is time to start transitioning your warm weather clothes into storage and breaking out your fall wardrobe.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use some of your spring and summer items to create fall trends.  Here are a couple of ways to showcase your favorite warm weather pieces well into the holidays: Continue Reading

Let’s face it. If you’re like most of us you either forget about buying a costume or can’t decide what you want to be until the last minute, resulting in the scariest Halloween ritual of all: braving the costume shop on Halloween afternoon.

Let TheDailyContributor.com help you avoid this truly terrifying predicament by giving you costume suggestions to carry you well through Halloween and into the following morning, or “Annual Most Obvious Walk of Shame” Day – because nothing screams “dirty whore” like creeping back to your apartment on November 1st in a Chewbacca costume. Check back regularly for upcoming installments. For now, let’s tackle: The 80s! Continue Reading

Anna Sui

The latest trend of high end designers producing bargain lines is usually anti-climactic. The designs tend to be watered-down, lower quality pieces that vaguely represent the aesthetic of the designer. It just seems too good to be true that such fashion legends could really create clothing that the average American can afford.

To be fair, there have been some major hits like Lela Rose for Payless ShoeSource and Norma Kamali for Walmart, but there have also been some serious misses like Vera Wang for Kohls and Sarah Jessica Parker for Steve and Barry. Continue Reading