Designer Spotlight: Mandana Mani

By Paige McKirahan

 

 

In the wake of our discussion regarding the top influencers of 2018, we were left wondering if there are any designers that use their platform to operate their own store (similar to our model!) After some research, we came across the fabulous Mandana Mani; this Iranian fashion designer born on January 12th, 1978 (Happy Birthday Mandana!), hails from Tehran and is the owner and creator of her namesake clothing brand, Mandana Mani. Mani posts her contemporary, classic designs on her Instagram account to over 300,000 followers almost daily and invites them to contact her where they can purchase the clothing directly as her pieces are exclusively sold online.

 

 

Her Instagram is vibrant and appealing as her stories feature great style inspiration that go hand in hand with her personal designs! Working as her own model, she commonly posts product photos of her wearing her pieces as part of a full outfit, giving the viewer a great idea of how the piece is tailored. She also is active on Telegram, where she frequently posts photos and videos of her clothing to supplement her Instagram feed. Her designs are mostly revolve around outerwear and she makes stylish coats for every season and gender.

 

 

Though she is very private about most aspects of her life, we do know that she is a lover of fashion and Jennifer Lopez. She also commonly pairs her beautiful outfits with a variety of colorful headscarves, making her a woman after our own hearts. This elusive fashion mogul was the obvious choice for our spotlight this week because as fellow online business owners and lovers of all things fashion, we could relate to her boss lady ethic! To see more of Mandana and her designs, check her out on Instagram at @mandanamani!

 

Sources:

Editors. (2018, December 5). Who is Mandana Mani? Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mandana-mani-43076.php

The Benefits of Consigning Your Jewelry and Vintage Accessories

By Paige McKirahan 

 

Looking to get rid of any pieces collecting dust in your closet? Look no further! Here at TalkingFashion, we are always looking for fun, fresh inventory to join our collection. We accept high quality women’s and men’s vintage or antique jewelry, as well as bijoux accessories. If you don’t see the designer of your piece on our A-Z Designers List, not to worry; if you have an unmarked or unknown piece that is unique or valuable, we would be happy to take a look at it! Wondering how you can consign? You can take your pick of our three easy methods below:

1. Schedule a free in-home pick up with a team member. (Columbus, Ohio residents only!)
2. Ship your items to our office directly
3. Come into our office for a free valuation and drop-off.

Once we receive your piece, one of team members will carefully evaluate your item to ensure it is properly identified, authenticated, photographed, and priced. We will then market and ship your piece once it is sold, and you can be paid by online cash transfer, direct deposit, or site credit (which earns you an extra 20%!). Our commission rates vary by item price, and you can view our commission structure here.

Consigning in general has great benefits as it is a sustainable practice that extends the life of pieces, putting their beauty back on the map. When you consign with us, the list of benefits only seems to grow; our high commission rates makes us the obvious choice for all your vintage and bijoux consignment needs! Have more questions? Email use at consign@talkingfashion.net and we would be happy to help!

Fashion & Style Photography Spotlight: Richard Avedon

By Paige McKirahan

 

To get off ground the launch of our new photography-focused column, we have elected to spotlight Richard Avedon to kick off the new year! As an American fashion and portrait photographer who was best known for flawlessly capturing his subject’s personalities, he shot over 148 Vogue covers throughout his prestigious career. With humble beginnings as a photographer for the Marines during World War II, he then moved on to become a quintessential photographer at Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and The New Yorker. Born in 1923, this New York City native’s meticulous eye for detail and great ability to convey emotions through photography landed him the position as one of legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland’s staff photographers. Her wild visions and eccentric fashion stories were given a new life under Avedon, and his position in the fashion world was secured with her approval. Though most of his work was created before the our current century, his piece's iconic compositions and notable subjects have allowed them to survive the tests of time. Wondering where you have seen his work? He produced a Calvin Klein campaign with 15-year-old Brooke Shields, Revlon’s ‘The Most Unforgettable Women’ campaign, and an advertisement series for Gianni Versace beginning with the spring/summer campaign 1980.

Sources:

Hardy, U. (2016, April 04). 10 Iconic Fashion Photographers. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/10-iconic-fashion-photographers/

New Year Style Resolution

By Paige McKirahan 

 

As 2019 is now underway and everyone is adamantly compiling their list of resolutions for the new year, we invite you to create a style resolution list that will be sure to refresh your closet and reset your fashion outlook from January all the way until December! Our resolution list features something dear to us at talkingfashion, and we hope that you are inspired to add it to your list, too; buying and wearing more accessories and pieces that are sustainable, handmade, and vintage is one of our favorite practices and is an easy way to bring new life into your already fabulous collection! Not only does shopping sustainable and vintage have great benefits to you, the environment, and the designers, it also has a rich history that you can read about here on our blog! 

 

This resolution is one that you can truly commit to and even incorporate into the other goals on your list! Shopping for sustainable fashion items can be done right here on our site as our vintage and bijoux items allow you to be sustainable, unique and chic in one swoop. Whether you want to wear more heels, incorporate varying colors into your wardrobe, or experiment with new accessories, don’t be fearful of change or outsider opinions. Always remember: wear what you love, everyday!

 

Have a fantastic 2019 peeps!

A Fashion Year in Review

By Paige McKirahan

 

As 2018 is coming to a close and everyone is making big plans for 2019, we here at TalkingFashion thought it would be remiss to not shed light on some of the industry’s favorite books, blogs, and moguls from this year. Whether you’re looking for those last minute gifts for late holiday parties or trying to find the perfect obsession to carry over into the new year, we’ve got you covered!

When it comes to fashion in literature, there is no shortage of publications covering everything from history to technical design. Read on to see our top books of 2018 that are sure to be a coffee table hit!

 

For the history buff:

Francesca Liberatore is a biographical novel discussing the life of Italian designer who worked for some of the most infamous fashion houses in couture history, including one belonging to none other than Jean-Paul Gaultier. Even though this title is not yet published (release date February 2^nd, 2019), it is highly anticipated by fashion readers all over the globe.

Ferris Bueller: Catharsis is a photographic novel showing the fashionable archives found in one’s childhood bedroom located in Queens, New York. The room, which belonged to marketing consultant Rodney Bailey, shows us how styles survive the test of time and how some don’t share a similar fate.

 

 

Stephanie Pfriender Stylander: The Untamed Eye dissects how photographer Stephanie Stylander navigated the wild climate of the fashion industry in the 1990s. She was, at the very least, one of the most cinematic photographers of her time and she worked with all of the greats not only in fashion, but in the entertainment industry as well.

Tudors to Windsors shows 500 years of British royalty depicted in photographs and other artworks, exploring dynasties by year and fashion. These images embrace how the royals they display would have been interpreted based upon the popular culture and contemporary styles of the time, offering great insight into portraiture and trends. 

 

For the model and subject obsessed:

Overworked Body #2: An Anthology of 2000s Dress features a complication of photos that have been recreated based upon iconic interpretations of fashion from the past two decades. These reimaginations are so popular that the book has been out of stock consistently since its release.

 

 

Posturing aims to discuss aesthetics in fashion shoots and how models and photographers work with the body to create visually stimulating image. It tells readers how these positions work to tell stories and discusses how what the body means is ever evolving. 

Schoeller: Close bounds 120 portraits featuring some of the world’s most famous people across all mediums ranging from fashion and politics to entertainment, and sports. These up close and personal shots are all have identical compositions, but also have different moods because of the subjects’ different looks.

 

For the design lovers:

 

 

Hermes Pop-Up is the quintessential pop up for fashion lovers; its annual release illustrates the luxury brand’s upcoming creative direction for the year in the most stimulating way. The book expands on their iconic scarf designs and has now become a beloved tradition that began in 1987 for the brand’s 150^th anniversary. This year’s theme? Lets Play!

Jewellery: Art Nouveau to 3D Printing aims to present a comprehensive collection of jewelry and its respective designers starting at the beginning of the 20^th century and spanning to the present. It examines pieces from all around the globe that are made from a multitude of materials and explores the influence of art movements on the design of these jewels.

Italian Tailoring discusses the longstanding traditions and technical practices in Italian garment making. The longstanding legacy of elegant, good styling and appreciation is widely associated with Italian pieces and this insider view profiles 28 iconic tailoring shops in Italy and the designers that created them.

 

Moving on to our favorite blogs (other ours, of course), it seems that 2018 was truly the year that this genre of writing became overtly popular. From moms to fashion moguls, everyone wants to share their thoughts on a wide range of topics. Continue on to find your newest favorite blogger to add to your reading list!

 

Modest Mira

This Manchester based stylist and influencer draws in readers with her fun language and captions, showing that you don’t have to comprise style when dressing modestly.

Slip Into Style

Ellie, a Parisian influencer, has an cool-girl aesthetic to die for. From her blog to her Instagram, her urban luxe look stuns readers and she fearlessly mixes materials and trends to create stunning ensembles.

Caro Daur

Caroline Daur, fashion blogger and Instagram superstar, is having quite the year as she has just hit 1.2 million followers in addition to being handpicked by Stefano himself to walk in Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan Fashion Week Show. Her ever changing style keeps readers hooked and her affinity for fun fashion makes it easy to see why she's a blog favorite.

Work Work Work

Katherine Ormerod is the genius behind the fashion, life, and career blog that gives readers great insight into cool-girl niche brands everyone crazes over before they become mainstream. Her chic, everyday style makes you want to hit the mall and her fashion savvy attitude is one that captures the public with ease.  

Margaret Zhang

This Chinese-Australian blogger does it all; Zhang is photographer, director, stylist, and writer (a woman of all trades!) based out of New York and is taking the fashion world by storm. Breaking the mold of the typical fashion girl, this law graduate can do it all while strutting in Saint Laurent boots. 

Look De Pernille

When Pernille Teisback launched her namesake blog in 2012, her sleek Scandinavian looks captivated thousands of readers across the world. This Copenhagen native provides your one stop shop for all upcoming street style trends, and her Instagram proves that she can put her tips into action.

Helena Bordon

As one of the industry’s most influential writers and fashionistas, this São Paulo native is the daughter of Vogue Brazil's style director. Her fashionable roots shine through as she is now a blogger and co-founder of popular high fashion streetwear brand, 284. 

SheWearsFashion

Kavita Donkersley, a fashion icon who hails from London, coverts around the globe with a high fashion wardrobe that every fashion lover dreams of. She has been a staple blogger now for several years and readers have loved watching her style evolve over time. 

 

WeWoreWhat

 

 

Danielle Bernstein is a New York based fashion blogger who is the source of our favorite fashion inspo. With her handy tagged items and cool, clean aesthetic, it's not hard to understand why she has such a cult following. 

NotJessFashion

Another great source of enthralling outfit inspiration, this Big Apple blogger stuns with her advice covering everything from style tips to guides for upcoming bloggers. Her unique photos and empowering voice inspires her followers to be confident in their fashion choices and they love her for it!

 

Lastly, as the year of the influencer comes to a end, I am sure we all follow a few Instagram stars with fabulous wardrobes and style. Let these fashionistas profiles do the talking and check out this years biggest industry influencers below!

 

Alexa Chung

 

 

Julia Engel

 

Chiara Ferragni

 

Gabi Gregg

 

Jenn Im

 

Gala Gonzalez

 

Olivia Palermo

 

Leandra Medine

 

Garance Doré

 

Jeanne Damas

 

 

There you have it, fashion lovers! We hope you have found a new interest from seeing all of these amazing fashionable creatives, because we sure did! This year of fashion will be hard to top, but we are more excited than ever to see what 2019 has in store for us! 

 

Sources: