Zapotec textiles...

The Zapotec people are located in the heartland of the State of Oaxaca, in Southern Mexico. The Zapotecs are the largest indigenous group in the State of Oaxaca. Their traditional textile production has a combination of the indigenous motifs and color with the Spanish (European) influence.

They not only produce all kinds of crafts like, black pottery, wood carvings, but also, the very famous wool rugs of Teotitlan del Valle (one of the many villages in this region).

Missoni missed its "Target"

On September 13, Target launched its late edition of Missoni products and apparel...



It was an inmediate success; although, this success had great and bad news at the same time: when the doors opened at the different Target locations, it looked like a "Black Friday". Merchandise disapeared from the shelves and racks...a great success; but, at Target.com the site crash due to the overwhelming demand.



Another problem that Target.com has, is that they have not been able to fullfil all the orders placed. Many customers have compleined that Target has charged their credit cards and not received their merchandise; others, asked for refunds that have not been credited to them.


This event shows clearly how successfully Target has marketed the Missoni brand; and even thought they had problems, the overall feeling is of success.

10,000 years ago...the first fashion designer?

Although the oldest pair of surviving shoes are 10,000 years old (in the photos), anthropologist and researchers have come out with the conclusion that humans have worn shoes for over 40,000 years...how did they came to this conclusion? Well, they studied the bone structure of early humans, comparing the size and thickness of the leg bones and toe bones. They discovered that when early humans walked without shoes their bone structure was thicker and stronger...but a change occurred, and these humans started having thinner bones, thus it is assumed that part of this change had to do with the fact that humans were wearing some sort of protection on their feet.

An interesting fact, is that as soon as the human population grew, some could spend more time in the production of shoes and garments. This population explosion, lead to ornamental activities in clothing and shoe wear; and some sort of division of labor was established: a sector of the population was engaged in producing this kind of "fashion"...our first fashion designers?

Some thoughts on color blocking...

As a fine artist, everyday I have to deal with color theory and understand the use of color in a effective way...it has been a very useful tool when it comes to my fashion design. And since, this season is full of color blocking, let me share some thoughts about color.

We all know our primary colors: red, blue and yellow; and our secondary colors: green, purple and orange. When color blocking, I usually pair a primary color with its subsequent secondary color, for example: blue and orange...I might include a neutral color such as black or white (remember these two are know in the artistic field as neutrals, thus grey is a neutral too). Sometimes, I use analoguos colors (colors that are next to each other in the color wheel), for example: red, orange and yellow... Another way to group colors, is by temparature and saturation, so you can choose groups of cool colors, muted colors, hot colors (hues), and so on.

In any event, a color wheel (as shown here) is a great tool to apply color correctly and easely... you can buy one at any art supply store...or download one from the internet...so there you go!, that is my approach to color...!

Toton Comella for TCN brand

Toton Comella is a Spanish designer born in Barcelona. In 1984 she was the first designer that started using cotton-lycra for her swimwear; this innovation lead her to great success, and as a result, she created the label TCN.



TCN brand is know for its comfort and avant garde design; moreover, by 1992 Comella launched another swimwear line named Choff to target the junior market. From there, she introduced lingerie, underwear and outwear. Comella has collaborated with designers and brands like Armand Basi, Victorio & Lucchino, Pepe Jeans and Prenatal.

Oscar Wilde Fashionista...

The Irish writer Oscar Wilde, whom I admire greatly, subscribed to the Aesthetic movement of the 19th century; this movement is known for the emphasis on the value of beauty in Art, Philosophy and Nature. The Aesthetic movement in the history of Fashion saw anything that was machine made (remember the Industrial Revolution was in full gear at this time) as ugly and undesirable; therefore, any garment produced in this manner and that was over-embellished was shunned. Also, corsets were avoided and a more "natural" look was look after. The aesthetic dress was cut looser and was worn in a comfortable way, having a bohemian look.

And, Oscar Wilde, loved to wear velvet jackets with loose pants; he was much critizided...check the movie "Wilde" is a fantastic movie with Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde...and enjoy!

And the last three Chanel ateliers are....

Maison Michel:

Milliner Auguste Michel creates in 1936 Maison Michel, clients include: Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Chanel, Laroche, Lanvin, and Lacroix. Besides the Haute Couture Hats, they work with production customers.




Maison Desrues:

Founded in 1929 by Georges Desrues, they produce custom made jewelry and accessories. They have worked with Lanvin, Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.




The House of Massaro:


Hand made shoes, the house of Massaro, is being around for over a century. Chanel took over in 2002 and Philippe Atienza, (who was picked by Raymond Massaro to succeed him) master shoemaker, directs the house at this point in time. These couture shoes had been favorite of celebrities and royals like: King Hassan II of Morocco, Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton among others.