Paris Museum Exhibit of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs

As committed museum members, The Fashion Grid is thrilled about last week's opening of the “Louis Vuitton-Marc Jacobs” show at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Fashion often goes unrecognized as an art form, and the role of museums is significant in reinforcing the artistic value in the fashion itself. After the amazing success of the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, TFG hopes for more exhibits supporting the work of fashion designers and allowing eager visitors like us to indulge in all the beauty. Check out these pictures from the exhibit.

TFG Exclusive: Profile

We here at TFG love the effortless street style of Miranda Kerr. We can't help but take notice of how well she puts together the most casual pieces into the chicest ensembles. Here are a few of our favorite looks. 

CFDA Incubator and NYU Stern's Consulting Support Emerging Designers

Two years ago, the Council of Fashion Designers of America launched the CFDA Fashion Incubator Program to provide emerging designers with support, mentorship, and meaningful educational opportunities with the industry's leading experts. Last year, the program renewed its partnership with NYU's Stern Consulting Corp., where designers were given the opportunity to work with selected NYU Sterm M.B.A. students who helped them develop their respective business strategies.  The Stern students showed the program's tenants how to develop full financial statements, acquire investors, create a proper cash flow plan, keep up with production, enter into collaborations and licensing deals, and learn how to merchandize their collections.

As creativity has the tendency to be exploited because of poor business and legal strategies, TFG is proud of the Incubator's efforts and its partnership with NYU Stern in launching the careers of so many emerging designers. The program has additional collaborations to foster the business development of its tenants. They're clearly doing something right, as Prabal Gurung has gained rapid success since his debut at NYFW in February 2009 and has just this week already become a member of the CFDA.

To learn more about the CFDA Fashion Incubator Program, click here. 

TFG Exclusive: Off the Grid

February NYFW is long gone, and all the attention is now on the latest the Paris runways have to offer. So here is a brief recap of all that NYFW had to offer as The Fashion Grid made it's way from one event to the next. Check out the pictures below!

Law of the Fashion Show 
 

What would NYFW be without a stop at Fordham Fashion Law Institute, which was holding a conference on the Law of the Fashion Show. TFG had a chance to reconnect with Susan Scafidi and fellow fashion lawyers while listening to the following panel speakers discuss the legal issues that arise in conducting fashion shows:

• Steve Gordon of Steve Gordon Law
• Ali Grace, Associate Director of Business and Legal Affairs at Wilhelmina International, Ltd. 
• Emmett McCarthy, Designer for EMc2
• Amanda Sachs, Deputy General Counsel of Tory Burch, LLC
• Daniel Schulman, Finance Director of Milk Studios
• Doreen Small, Counsel at Golenbook Eisman Assor Bell and Peskoe LLP\

Steve Gordon, an entertainment lawyer, discussed the performance and sychronization licensing requirements designers need to obtain for the music played during the fashion show. For our non-lawyer readers, the performance license allows music to be played in a public venue, while a synchronization license is needed for the video footage containing the music. Ali Grace focused on the employment law issues that models and modeling agencies face during fashion season, while Amanda Sachs and Doreen Small spoke, respectively, to the need for fashion lawyers in accepting how the fashion world works and streamlining the legal process of conducting a fashion show. Emmett McCarthy and Daniel Shulman brought a designer's perspective to the panel, emphasizing the importance of acquiring the best legal advice at the outset of launching your own label. 

HELMUT LANG FALL 2012

Next stop was the Helmut Lang fashion show, where TFG got up front and close with the line's fall collection. Beautiful knits, lace and leather, with classic Helmut Lang asymmetry crossed the runway at Milk Studios. 

Color and texture were infused throughout the line, as splashes of red appear and fur trims appeared alongside the more sleek and tailored pieces.

Helmut Lang does lace, but still manages to keep it edgy.

The best part about Helmut Lang was TFG's vist to their amazing new offices the following day, where we got up close and personal with the clothes before market. 

Custo Barcelona Fall 2012

Custo Barcelona was true to form with vibrant colors and mix of prints and textures.

Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2012

Unfortunatley, the picture does not do justice to the vibrant jewel tones and shades of mustard that graced the Diane Von Furstenberg show.  The classic wide trousers and silk blouses further prove the timelessness of DVF's pieces.

Steve Kolb President of CFDA

Up close and personal with the President of the CFDA, Steve Kolb discusses the Fashion Incubator's work in helping emerging designers launch their lines.

Amanda Brooks, Fashion Director at Barneys New York 

Amanda Brooks discussing her favorite fall collections and trends.

Bloggers Take Over Fashion Week

It's no secret that the fashion bloggers have more influence on the fashion trends these days than major fashion magazines. Inside the tents is an entire section of board tables where bloggers like us at TFG type away and edit footage, bringing fashion to its readers as soon as it hits the runway.

Street Style Photographers Outside Lincoln Center

Street style photographers bare the cold while outside the Lincoln Center ready to take pictures of all the fashion show goers in their designer duds and inspirational ensembles.

 TFG looks forward to next season's shows at NYFW.

Fashion Geek Alert: Stylyst Latest Fashion Tech Startup

The latest out of Silicon Valley's fashion tech scene is a site that merges social shopping with fashion design. Stylyst is a web platform that allows users to place a brand's design on a "silhouette" and change the colors or swap out the fabric choice with a drag and drop tool and tweak the overall look, effectively turning the user into a fashion designer.  

Other users can vote on the various silhouettes, allowing brands to use these votes to either manufacture the most popular colors and fabrics or adjust production according to the popularity of the original design. Stylyst also allows its users to purchase the designs, directing sales for the brand. In merging commerce, social media, and fashion, the potential to monetize the site has already allowed the founders, Wharton graduates Jenny Wu and Nina Cherny, and to receive a $25,000 investment.  Stylyst is looking to raise a seed round soon and will launch in April 2012.  The site will join a long roster of startups that have cropped up in the last five years, revolutionizing the fashion scene and making it clear that the future of the industry is online.  The Fashion Grid is only too excited to cover all the innovations and geek chic that Silicon Valley has to offer.