Festival Style: Coachella Essentials

By Paige McKirahan

 

As temperatures heat up and summer music begins to flood our all of our Spotify feeds, many have the season’s upcoming festivals on the mind. From Governor’s Ball to Lollapalooza, the warm weather also brings festival style that is wild, bohemian, and full of fashion forward aesthetics. In honor of Coachella, one of the most iconic annual festivals that the United States has to offer, we wanted to check out some of the best festival accessories that the industry has to offer! This musical event’s two weekends of fun make for many Instagrammable moments, so read on to see how we here at TalkingFashion would accessorize our festival fits to stand out in a sea of flower crowns!

Cool Sunglasses 

Stylish sunnies top our list as one of the most necessary festival accessories for reasons we feel are quite obvious. Protecting your eyes from the sun and accessorizing your festival fit to perfection can be done in one foul swoop using a great pair of cool girl frames. Never miss a moment of the fun blinded by the sun! 

Hands-Free Bags

Keeping track of all of your items in a large crowd of people may seem like a daunting task, but with the help of a hands-free bag, all of your stuff will be safe and secure! Carrying around a cross body bag is another great alternative, but with a fanny pack secured tightly around you waist, you’ll never have to worry about losing the bag itself along with all of its contents!

Western Motifs 

Western-inspired looks are extremely common at summer festival events, so why not participate in one of the season’s hottest trends and add a little western flair of your own into your festival fashion fits? Large belt buckles, cowboy hats, fringe, and turquoise are all easy ways to incorporate this cowboy aesthetic into any outfit without looking like you came right from an episode of West World!

Scarves, Scarves, and More Scarves

We have seen a huge headscarf revival this spring season, and we think that scarves are a great way to take any outfit to the next level in one easy step! Whether you choose to tie one around your neck or use one a way to keep your hair from flying in the Valley winds, a scarf is sure to be one of the “it” festival accessories for summer 2019.

Long Necklaces

When it comes to what jewelry compliments bohemian festival style the most, I always look for long, stackable necklaces to bring the heat! This style can make you look as if you an accessories aficionado without much effort and can offer a pop of color to a light, flowy fit.

What is your favorite festival accessory? If you love any of the ones above, click on the photo to buy just in time for festival season to go into full swing! Happy fest fun, TalkingFashion readers! Remember to wear what you love, everyday (and wear you best to Coachella Valley this weekend!)

Festival Fashionistas: Who to Follow 

By Paige McKirahan

 

If you are like the thousands of other music lovers gearing up for a summer full of festival fun, you may be left in a panic wondering how you are going to come up with enough fashion-forward festival fits to last the whole season! Fear not, fashionistas; we here at TalkingFashion are here to tell you whos who in festival fashion offering great aesthetic inspiration. From Vanessa Hudgens to Gigi Hadid, many Coachella Valley patrons cut no corners when it comes to creating the perfect bohemian look fit for the runway, so read on to see who else is using the festival grounds as their own personal Insta-set to showcase their best Coachella-approved looks!

 

Elle Ferguson

As a festival regular, this fashionista knows the whos and whats of creating the season's most Instagrammable looks! We love her western inspired bag and her bangles create the perfect pop of color in her otherwise minimalist outfit!

Tezza

This NYC based best selling authors trades her pen for cowboy boots to saddle up for festival season. We are OBSESSED with this kitschy dress and love her use of layered necklaces to complement the look!

Camila Coelho

This member of Forbes 30 under 30 list spares no expense when it comes to creating the perfect festival fit. She is right on trend with her use of the uber popular hair accessory and love the pop of pink with her cool sunglasses that immediately caught our eyes!

Aggie Lal

As the human embodiment of cool girl style, Aggie Lal lets her LA roots shine through with her festival style. Look to her Instagram if you have an affinity for California chic aesthetics with a hint of grunge and good vibes!

Emma Rose

This West-coast girl's effortless style climbs to new heights during festival season, with her squad of chicly dress pals being one of her most stylish accessories. Whether she's sporting a cow print bikini with leather chaps or a bohemian mini dress, she knows how to work the weather and use Coachella Valley as her own personal runway!

If these Instagram fashionistas have you inspired and ready for some festival fun, check out our latest blog post detailing how we can help you gear up for all of your favorite music events this summer! If you haven't followed any of these fabulous fashionistas already, head to Instagram now for even more of their amazing looks! For more festival fashionista's check out this article from Husskie!

Sources:

The 50 best blogger fashion looks from Coachella. (2018, April 17). Retrieved from https://www.husskie.com/the-50-best-influencer-and-blogger-fashion-looks-from-coachella/

The Irish Fashion Round Up

By Paige McKirahan

 

Are you feeling lucky this week, Talkingfashion travelers? We know we are as we are heading fast toward Ireland just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day this week on March 17^th. If this holiday has you feeling ready for some fresh spring fashion inspiration, these influencers are like the pot of gold at the end of your colorful couture rainbow. Though Ireland is not the home of any fun fashion week activities, it still boasts a bustling industry scene with a plethora of emerging talent coming out in high-profile cities like Dublin. Irish fashionistas understand that visibility is important in leveling up their country’s industry scene, so read on to see some our favorite influencers on the scene right now who are the perfect illustration of the country’s Irish charm!

 

 Pippa O’Connor

 

 

 

This model is one of the most popular influencers in Ireland’s online blogging landscape, with thousands visiting her website for fashion advice daily. Her popularity has only elevated her stance in the industry and has allowed her create her own online denim shop, POCO!

 

 Nuala Gorham

 

 

 

As a Vogue favorite, this blogger’s honest take on fashion, fitness, beauty, and travel has made her an Irish influencer aficionado. Her adventurous lifestyle and willingness to tag all of her best outfits on LiketoKnowit truly have made her brand into a must-follow!

 

Suzanne Jackson-O'Connor

 

 

 

This blogger-turned-businesswoman is the founder of multiple award winning brands, including her chic lifestyle blog, Sosueme. Suzanne has used her blogger platform to turn her brand into a business, andcreated the highly regarded Irish beauty brand, SOSUbySJ.

 

Joanne Larby

 

 

 

With her affinity for beauty and a great sense of style, this blogger and brand owner is making big waves in the Irish fashion landscape. Her lifestyle brand, The Makeup Fairy, is an industry favorite that stemmed from a small blog and has now grown into an online magazine with an accompanying YouTube profile with aesthetics to die for. 

 

Louise Cooney

 

 

 

This award-winning jetsetter is dominating the fashion industry with her chic takes on life, travel, fashion, and industry inspiration. She has been nominated as the Most Stylish Online Influencer and Best Influencer in the Gossies, which shows that fashionistas all over the globe can’t get enough of her “it” girl aesthetic!

If these influencers are already under your Instagram “Following” list, check out this list of 60 Irish bloggers that are sure to vamp up your timeline!

As you can see, many of Ireland's most prominent fashion brands are managed by high-profile bloggers; check out our favorite Irish jewelry finds and see if they were created by anyone you know!

 

Isle Jewellery

 

 

 

If you’re looking for a jewelry brand that makes you feel as well traveled as the bloggers above, look no further than Isle. This Irish-meets- Japanese aesthetic was created by two sisters on opposite sides of the world, taking motifs from both of their cities and combining them to create beautiful, minimalist jewelry pieces.

 

Rachel Swan

 

 

 

This Dublin-based brand boasts a multitude of simple, modern designs taking cues from the Art Deco movement. Rachel Swan, the name behind these fabulous jewels, puts an architectural finish on every piece, giving them a modern twist perfect for a chic night out.

 

Maria Dorai Raj

 

 

 

The designer behind brand her namesake brand creates contemporary designs with hints of Irish-Indian glam. The piece’s impeccable craftsmanship and modern aesthetics have made Raj’s designs some of the most sought after in the country.

 

Cosmic Boulevard

 

 

 

This dainty, festive jewelry brand was created by one of Ireland’s most eccentric makeup artists. After working in cosmetics for over ten years, Sinhead Murphy decided to take her talents to the jewelry industry; we love all of her out-of-this-world designs and her fresh take on cosmic motifs!

Since our favorite month of fashion has finally concluded, we are now looking for a new celebration! Check out these Irish fashion finds to gear up for Saint Patrick’s Day fun, and freshen up your timeline for spring by retracing our steps on our fashion journey around the globe!

 

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Alexander McQueen: A Couturier's Timeline

By Paige McKirahan

 

 

It is very seldom that a designer steps into the fashion industry and stuns icons with such grace as Alexander McQueen. In celebration of his life, we have elected to spotlight this amazing fashion contributor as his day of birth is fast approaching. The couturier and fashion icon was born on the 17^th of March, 1969 in London as the youngest of six siblings. After leaving school at the young age of 16 to pursue apprenticeships with a variety of high-profile tailors like Gieves and Hawkes that were masters of technical clothing construction. This experience was followed by time with Angels and Bermans, where he mastered a variety of pattern cutting techniques, including the razor-sharp style that has become synonymous with the McQueen brand. After this transformative stint, he became employed by tailor and designer Koji Tatsuno for close to a year before he traveled to Milan to be Romeo Gigli’s design assistant. During these apprenticeships, he also attended the Rosetta Art Centre, where he received a recommendation from Yvonne Humble that sent him on to the MA fashion course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. The skills that he learned during his time in these positions quickly earned him a high-class reputation in the industry as a designer with an affinity for flawlessly tailored designs.

This reputation was carried with him to St. Martins, where he was encouraged by the head of his course there to enroll as a student and receive a master's degree in fashion. He went on to do just that, and his 1992 graduate collection was so emblematic that the iconic stylist Isabella Blow famously purchased it in its entirety. Blow became a sort of mentor to McQueen, using her contacts and industry expertise to help launch his career. It was even rumored that she influenced his choice to go after his middle name, Alexander, when he finally had his big break.

 

McQueen and Blow (source)

During this time, McQueen grew as an artist with other designers in Hoxton, where he designed his second collection that led him to his "right hand woman", Katy England. England was appointed the creative director of Mcqueen's third collection and continued working with him from then on, being his "second opinion" on all of his major works. Following these collections, he then moved on to create the wardrobe for David Bowie's 1996-1997, which opened the door to a plethora of high-profile celebrity collaborations with icons like Bjork, Robert Lepage, Sylvie Guillem, and Russell Maliphant.

 

McQueen for David Bowie (source)

Through the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s, McQueen built a reputation around his shocking runway displays; his lavish and unconventional style was like nothing the industry had ever seen, incorporating things like holograms and shipwreck scenes into his shows. He became one of the runway frontrunners, being credited with adding tur extravagance and drama to fashion. One of the most dramatic shows in of his career was for Spring/ Summer 2001 displaying a collection dubbed "VOSS". The centerpiece of the show was a class box based upon Sanitarium by Joel Peter Witkin; the box was unlit, making the reflections on the walls seem like large mirrors reflecting the audience's images back to them for over an hour. When the show finally began, the box became lit to reveal a gaggle of moths and a naked Michelle Olley relaxed on a chaise lounge wearing only a gas mask.

 

A photo from the VOSS show, 2001 (source)

In 1996, Mcqueen was appointed to chief designer at Givenchy, where he worked until 2001. Prior to this departure, he formed a partnership with the Gucci Group and they acquired 51% of his company in 2000. He remained as the creative director until his death, and this new ownership allowed his label to globally expand. He created men and women's ready-to-wear collections, accessories, eyewear, and a variety of fragrances that were available in boutiques all over the world at the conclusion of 2007. He remained at the top of the industry until his untimely passing in 2010, two days prior to the start of London Fashion Week. He still holds his title as one of the most iconic courtiers of all time and has received high honors including "British Designer of the Year" (1996 & 2003) and "International Designer of the Year" (2003). His brand continues to produce stunning collections and the McQueen legacy will live on longer than the industry itself.

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International Women of Fashion Day

By Paige McKirahan

 

In an industry that seems male-dominated at a first passing glance (think names like Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent), the world of high fashion is more than just the male names gracing the labels of your favorite designer bags. With all these brands at the forefront of fashion, sometimes we are left to wonder: how does a women centric-industry seem to so overtaken by the opposite gender? Here at Talkingfashion, we commend all fashion-forward trailblazers that have made groundbreaking innovations to get the industry where it is today. And in celebration of International Women’s Day, we have decided to take a look at some of the most powerful women in the industry whether it be designers, writers, editors, and everything in between. We want to celebrate the women who ran in their heels so all after them could strut confidently, so read on to learn a little more about ten of our favorite fashion moguls!

 

Anna Wintour

 

Born in 1949 in the UK, Anna Wintour is regarded as one of the major pillars in the fashion industry. As editor-in-chief of the iconic fashion bible, Vogue, she is the basis of all major fashion choices made by designers and celebrities alike. If you were wondering what it is truly like to work with Ms. Wintour, check out "The Devil Wear Prada" as Meryl Streep's character was based on her work with Vogue!

 

Vivienne Westwood

As one of our favorite designers of all time, Vivienne Westwood has been a pioneer in the fashion industry as her contributions to the world of design and business have scarcely been replicated. She has been at the helm of couture for over 40 years and burst onto the scene when she designing clothes for The Sex Pistols!

 

Cathy Horyn

 

One of the "original" fashion bloggers, Cathy Horyn reimagined what it was to be a fashion critic. Her emblematic 16 years run with The New York Times signified her status as the true voice of haute couture. Her honest, sometimes abrasive critiques spare no label regardless of how large or small, which is why many industry greats like Giorgio Armani fear her legendary wrath.

 

Miuccia Prada

When Miuccia created her Prada label in 1978, she made huge waves in a sea of male designers. Time and time again she stuns the industry with her beautiful collections, skyrocketing her to global fame; she is now one of the most respected designers in the industry and a trailblazer when it came to defining modern femininity and female power.

 

Rei Kawakubo

This Japanese designer with an affinity for all things avant-garde; her 40-year-long reinvention of the fashion game has not gone unnoticed as the theme for the 2017 MET Gala was based upon her career. After founding Comme des Garçons, she truly established herself as a longtime industry great and broke the internet when she created a MET look for Rihanna that shook the world.

 

Natalie Massenet

After founding the most globally recognized shopping site Net-a-Porter, Massenet proved that she was unmatched when it came to the entrepreneurial spirit. Her contributions have made leaps and bounds when it comes to accessibility to fashion, and because of this has consistently topped the lists of the most powerful women by Forbes and Times.

 

Donna Karan

A huge name in the fashion industry for decades, Donna Karan is known best for her creation of DKNY and Donna Karan New York. Though her brand has seen ups and downs over the past 20 years, it is undoubtedly true that she completely reinvented the idea of the luxury store layout.

 

Iman

From being one of the most world-renowned models to the founder of an award-winning cosmetics company, Iman truly has dominated the industry. She has been at the forefront of fashion since the mid-1970s and her wide scope of influence paired with her dedication to philanthropy has garnered her high industry accolades.

 

Rose Marie Bravo

Though her time as the CEO of Burberry has come to a close, the industry is still feeling the effects of her energetic reign as she is a true embodiment of a "girl boss". This New York-bred fashionista revived the Burberry brand and went on to become one of the most highly regarded fashion entrepreneurs of our time.

 

Diane von Furstenberg

 

Last, but definitely not least, looks to the creator of the wrap dress. In addition to running her namesake brand, she has also been the president Council of Fashion Designer or America since 2006. She created such a stir when she entered the fashion world that she was dubbed "the most marketable woman since Coco Chanel"!

We hope you spend the day celebrating all of the amazing women in your life and remember to wear what you love, every day! The future is female, and we thank the amazing women above for breaking barriers for those all over the world!

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