Stunning Fashions on the Red Carpet

Last week the Academy Awards took place showcasing a variety of couture clothing. Giorgio Armani was worn by Alicia Keys and Anne Hathaway. Angelina Jolie and Marisa Tomei was seen in Versace. Gowns that were worn this year were considered to be more glamorous than previous years. The white creamy color was the trend for several apparel choices. The styles worn by the celebrities were considered to be less noticeable concerning brand. Many of them accessorized with personal jewelry. The Academy Awards is an exciting event for fashion lovers and editors to observe the different gowns. They always keep us anticipating on what they will wear for the big night!

African Fashion on the Runway

Fashion Week 2009 in Bryant Park included an African Fashion Collection. The Saharan Africa area has recently been focused in Vogue magazine. Nduka Obaigbena, a Nigerian media mogul sponsored the African Fashion Show. The style that was showed included images of young people in Africa with the late 20th century style of clothing. There was a lot of urban styles displayed. The fashion show received great feedback. The usual five predicted leopard prints were not in the show. People were interested in seeing the latest fashions that represented the Saharan area.

I think that it was a great idea to showcase African fashions. Many people are intrigued by the variations of styles. The Fashion Show introduced the versatility that is displayed in the culture. This is the beginning of more creative styles from different parts of the world that will be appearing to more runways.

Fashion Week Cuts Back

Bryant Park is where the action takes place for the annal fashion week in New York. Since the economic difficulty there are some major designers that will not be appearing during this time. Some designers that have decided not to participate this year is Betsey Johnson, Vera Wang, and Carmen Marc Valvo. The designers that are going to be there have chosen smaller venues compared to last years.

Those participating in Fashion Week have decided to cut back on the cost. The owner of alice+olivia have decided to use a slide presentation to show their fashions instead of models. A lot of the designers are showcasing the designs on mannequins to cut the cost of paying for models. Several designers such as Nicole Miller, Marc Jacobs, and Calvin Klein will not have their annual post dinner events.

Although the Fashion Week will experience some cut backs I hope that it will still be successful. During this this difficult economic time there are still those who look forward to seeing the upcoming fashions. Many of the designers that participate have loyal clients and they shall continue to do well. There have been many ways that designers have cut back on cost and hopefully it will still allow for this annual event to be great. Those coming will still be introduced to that latest designs but in a different way than previous years.

WalMart Still Stands Strong

January has been difficult for retailers with a decline of 1.8% in sells for the industry. Many retailers have offered a lot discounts to attract customers. Department stores and luxury stores have suffered the most with a decline in sells. Consumers are seeking elsewhere to purchase merchandise at an affordable price. Low-priced retailers are experiencing growth. WalMart still stands strong during the difficult time. They experienced a 2.1& increase last month. Vice chairman of Walmart stores said that the increase was a result of the high volume of customers that come and purchase merchandise. I think that consumers are more cautious of their spending habits. They are going to retailers that are affordable for their income. WalMart has succeeded with sells in spite of the decline of growth with other retailers.