Schlagwort-Archive: insearchoffashion

Allgemein, Daring fashion, Fashion, Fashion history, Social Commentary

Daring to be YOU

“What it means to wear whatever you want and everyone’s reaction to it.”

All my life I have been on the quest to be authentically and unapologetically myself and not care if I am completely mainstream or so far off of sanity island that a straight jacket is waiting for me.

But actually, not caring is hard y’all!

It’s a long road of self doubt and even self hatred at times. Every little thing I was insecure about, especially with my clothing, was on full display when I threw caution to the wind.

So why did I put myself through that? Why have a neon sign over my head that said “COME JUDGE ME!”?

Because once all of the insecurities lifted, I felt invincible. Even side glances and snarky remarks rolled off of me. My own reassurance was enough to make me happy and confident. When people started to notice my changed attitude the compliments came tumbling in. As if all of the doubt was a test to see if I could stand my ground and having now earned the compliment they were withholding for so long.

I’m going to be honest, the road to not giving a F**k is going to be long and rough, but it is worth every second of suffering. At the end of that sometimes seemingly endless tunnel is a beautiful view of yourself, unfiltered by the hate of the own body.

Loving yourself means being your very own drill sergeant, pushing and pulling to make you better and booty camp ain’t glamorous. It is necessary for the road of self discovery and advancing within ourselves.

Dare to be yourself, not a copy of another image. The You who is bold, the You who is shy, the You who is scared, and the You who is taking the world by storm.

And you never know maybe that You will inspire someone else to become their own version.

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Allgemein, Fashion, Fashion history

Raffia Fibers in Fashion

This is an article I wrote for work a couple of months ago about a product we used in the new Collection and how to inform the other stylists about the history and origin.

Raffia Town – where is the inspiration drawn

During the British Era of 1903 in Nigeria Raffia City was a popular post for its location near the coast. Later on during its independence it formed itself into the capitol for its political and cultural progress.

How does that tie into our collection?

The towns cultural nature has a high market for its Raffia Fiber which is won from the Raffia Palm Trees of its region. The fibers are largely used around the world since it is durable and strong, yet still holds a soft ad pliable nature and is easy to dye as well as being biodegradable making it an excellent material for weaving (hats, baskets, as well as textile) the fibers of the leaf of raffia palms are wove by archaic technique of vertical or oblique loom. These types of production looms are indicative to the Asian market since its inception.

When covered with a fine layer of polyethelene it is water and stain resistant enough to be used daily. Many designers have turned to the fibers in the trends in the past several years as basketweave handbags and hats have come back into style. As an example stands out Helen Kaminski’s designs in New York who was a front line pusher for the trend in 2016/17, while using natural Raffia fibers to give it an authentic and durable feel. Quickly adding on others who have joined the trend in 2017 with no price range left out of the trend. Christian Siriano used in his Spring/Summer Collection floral French knots over Chiffon Dresses that were inspired by theRaffia Trend and Dolce and Gabbana and Yves Saint Laurent used Raffia in their Collections Basket Handbags, as an homage to the small town feel of its origin. As well as Scotch&Soda who has had straw hats for the past several Spring/Summer collections including the clutch in the authentic holiday summer look in 2018 (style # 143909) which was woven in the Coil Pattern Weave with a braided surface to give it its signature look.

The rustic and holiday feel is of course not a nw concept, yet the importance here lies in the fibers and the production. As already stated the plant is mostly at home in Africa and Madagascar, as well as Central and South America. Tropical climates are the best condition for the Raffia Palm to thrive and so it is no surprise that it would soon be used as a natural product not just for everyday use but luxury items as well. Through its natural properties it is able to hold onto dye very well and is therefore a favorite of high end brands.

How to broach the Topic with Customers

The topic of inspiration for our products and collections is something that we as a Brand praise ourselves for, so use it when romancing a particular product in our Raffia Town collection. Explain the inspiration of a cultural style and feel, the traveled look of the Uniform pieces we try to bring into the homeland and the excitement of new discoveries.

When asked about the name think of the Where, Why and How to convey what Raffia Town means and explore within a group in Store how to best bring forth this new information to paint a bigger picture for the customer as well as the Team.

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