Fast fashion retailer H&M is testing a new, pricier concept in Western Europe. The mass retailer has opened seven "& Other Stories" stores, specializing in higher end accessories like handbags, shoes, and jewelry. It's a bet that "budget-conscious shoppers will still spring for affordable luxuries like a fancy scarf or a trendy lipstick shade," according to Bloomberg Businessweek about the move that connects H&M with consumers at a higher price point. Market research firm Euromonitor International predicts sales of accessories to grow twice as fast as apparel or 13% through 2017 in Western Europe.

Men's socks are enjoying a moment as more men discover the joys of shopping—and expressing themselves in the details (aka accessories). "Men have a new comfort level with fashion," apparel executive Mitchell Lechner tells Women's Wear Daily. "They now understand and embrace different colors, silhouettes, and fabrics in an array of product categories that in the past were only thought to work in women's wear." The trend is backed with NPD Group figures: sock sales rose 8.8% in the last year to $2.2 billion in sales. Companies like Happy Socks, Nice Laundry, and the online sock shop Soxiety are building the category with bright colors and patterns that make the old black and brown socks look so...boring.

photo credit: Women's Wear Daily

Thousands of music lovers have descended upon the desert for the two-weekend music and arts festival, Coachella, in Indio, California. Known for its creative, boho fashion as much as its amazing lineup of bands (Day 1 featured shows from the Stone Roses, Blur, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Jurassic 5, Band of Horses, Beach House, and many others), Coachella is a place where trends are born.

From tie dye and short shorts to crop tops and prints, there was no shortage of funky fashion on Day 1. One of the biggest trends to emerge was the floral headpiece. There were fresh flowers bands (wilting in the 90-plus degree weather), DIY faux versions, and intricate woven crowns of flora and fauna.

Photos via the L.A. Times. 

Trend forecaster Stylesight documents the ever-growing marriage between fashion and function as luxury sneakers take to the high fashion runway. What started as collaborations between designers and active brands like Keds with Kate Spade, Vans with Kenzo, and Converse with Missoni has now grown into a category for major luxe brands. With Balenciaga, Givenchy, Prada, and Dior doing high-tops and Louboutin a studded red street sneak, who knows how far the trend will go? Stay tuned for more interpretations this spring.

Never Underdressed, a startup fashion magazine out of the UK, is being touted as the first full-on glossy to bypass print and go directly to the web. Starting with a multi-million dollar investment and a staff of 14 including former Elle and Vogue digital editors, what sets this concept apart is the lack of a brand name—and the fact that all of its content will be freshly created for multiple electronic platforms including mobile.

As editor Carrie Tyler, former digital director of Elle UK explains to Fashionista: "Magazine brands save their best content for print, while their websites are given little budget or full time staff to fully develop creative, engaging and unique content."

Creams that combine skin-care and coverup are revving up business in the skin-care category of the beauty industry. It helps to give the product a two-letter name, too. Sales of BB creams (beauty balms) and CC creams (color correction) have reached $36 million in 2012, up from $2 million in their first year. Lauched by mass market brands like L'Oreal and Maybelline, higher ends like Dior and Clinique are also jumping in the pool. Since the products offer benefits to skin while covering up, "It's the promise of all in one. No one has time to open three jars anymore. We are a multi-tasking society," Candace Corlett, president WSL Strategic Retail, explains to Women's Wear Daily.

Los Angeles-based T-shirt maker Velvet by Graham & Spencer is launching a new collection of knitwear in collaboration with Victoria's Secret supermodel Lily Aldridge. The 13-piece collection described as "laid-back luxe" combines contemporary basics with the model's signature mix of boho rock 'n roll glamour. Aldridge, who is married to Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill, has been the face of Velvet since 2004. Plans are also underway for the California brand's first Los Angeles retail location, set to open at the Brentwood Country Mart in May 2013.

"Men's footwear is on fire at retail, thanks to style twists on old classics," reports Footwear News in a Los Angeles Times report. The high-end is leading the pack with Gucci, Prada, and Vuitton upgrading high-tops and women's shoe designers like Louboutin and Jimmy Choo interpreting trends like studs and red soles for men.

"With global designer footwear annual revenue pegged at more than $15 billion for 2012 and men's business growing to 40% of total luxury goods, it's no wonder retailers are so enthralled," explains Vincent Boucher in the Times. Bloomingdale's VP Kevin Harter confirms: "Men used to have a pair of black shoes, a pair of brown shoes, and a pair of sneakers. That's just not the way it is anymore."

Saks Fifth Avenue is increasing its commitment to menswear with the expansion of its private label—Saks Fifth Avenue New York. Spearheaded by Richard Cohen, vice president of business development, the line will feature three sub-brands that focus on international, young and modern, and top-of-the line. Cohen tells Womens Wear Daily, the idea is "to take the Saks customer on his journey, from a twentysomething all the way up till he becomes CEO." Saks private label menswear launched in 2009, and is the high-end retailer's best selling brand for men.

Luxury in China is now about being "in the know" versus 'in the show," according to a report by Bain Capital on the shifting worldwide market for luxury goods. For global brand Louis Vuitton that trend translates to "fewer stores, a focus on more luxurious materials and less visibility for its monogrammed products," according to an analysis by Business of Fashion.

With the Asian market (excluding Japan) representing 28% of sales for LVMH, the conglomerate that owns Vuitton is paying close attention and adjusting designs to reflect the tastes of sophisticated shoppers in cites like Shanghai and Beijing who, as they grow accustomed to wealth, seek "uniqueness, high-quality, and understatement in luxury items," reports Bain. Bye bye LV logos and brown canvas—hello fine leather.

In a further mashup between an editorial brand and retail, Teen Vogue editors were brought on to design a new line for Macy's Mstylelab, the trendy juniors boutiques found in 150 stores and online. As Amy Astley, editor-in-chief Teen Vogue, explains the logic to Women's Wear Daily: "We've had terrific success with our branded mobile game, and with our bedding collection, so apparel was the next logical step." The first collection, delivering to stores for spring, is priced from $20 to 60 and will focus on key trends like neon, sheer, bejeweled, and denim.

In-store Beauty Concierges who offer make-up and skin care advice, exclusive collaborations with upscale brands like Napoleon Perdis and natural products like Yes To Inc. are all part of Target's strategy to elevate its beauty aisles and make the shopping experience more class than mass, according to an in-depth interview in Women's Wear Daily with Jose Barra, senior vice president merchandising, health and beauty at Target.

The big box retailer is successfully reshaping its beauty departments in much the same ways it brought fashion and fun to apparel. "Target has done an amazing job in the last five years to become a true destination for beauty," explains Victoria Gustafson of strategic insights group Symphony IRI. "They do a great job having a department-store feel. It feels like they have something for absolutely everybody. They have proprietary products, branded products avavilable in mass, and higher-end products that are truly not available anywhere else." Read more about Target's innovative merchandising of this growth category.

photo credit Women's Wear Daily

As the line between content and commerce continues to blend, fashion magazine publisher Conde Nast made a commitment to online shopping site Farfetch with a $20 million investment last week. Farfetch connects independent luxury fashion boutiques with high-end shoppers all over the world.

James Bilefield, president of Conde Nast explained to the New York Times: "It is part of the strategy of the Conde Nast group to extend our expertise and our support to the broader industry into the world of e-commerce as we see the world of content and commerce increasingly coming together."

photo credit: H Lorenzo boutique by Farfetch

Lucy Yeomans, new editor-in-chief of Net-a-Porter, the luxury ecommerce site explains why she left her position as top editor at U.K.'s Harper's Bazaar to develop the totally "actionable" fashion magazine of the future—as well as a new print edition—in an interview with Business of Fashion.

"Will every magazine be a retailer in five years?"

"I think so. I think the magazines with pages laden with products absolutely need to be shoppable. One hundred percent. Otherwise you're just not delivering service....But I think there's still a place for inspiration."

Yeomans plans on starting a Net-a-Porter print magazine 4 to 6 times-a-year for the fashion lover who still gains inspiration from a themed edition, longer stories, and the lush feel of color photography on glossy paper.

San Francisco-based retailer the Gap, Inc. is reporting a huge 61% increase in net income for the fourth-quarter, confirming expectations that the global brand is back on the upswing, according to a report in Women's Wear Daily. Glen Murphy, chairman and CEO, points to several reasons for the turnaround: aquisition of contemporary specialty retailer Intermix, expansion of Gap stores in China and Old Navy in Japan, and sales growth at three of its brands: Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic.

"It starts and ends with product," said Murphy, giving credit to the merchant and design teams for creating "product that is absolutley right for what the brands stand for." The CEO hinted at more good news to come as Gap continues its growth spurt: "Some really good ideas will be launched in 2013." Stay tuned.

Reporting on the latest news in the denim industry, style forecaster WGSN picks photoreal prints as a key trend in women's premium denim for Spring/Summer 2013 into Winter 2014. Neon cityscapes, country scenes, reworked floral and leopard hybrids and blown-up floral and feather prints—all exploding in neon colors on low-to-mid-rise skinny jeans are being featured by premium denim makers like Hudson, Frankie B, and 7 For All Mankind.

As fashion followers increasingly share their latest obsessions on social networks like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, fashion brands are exploring new technology for converting friends into consumers.

"Shopping for fashion has always been a social activity. We seek others' approval, we value word of mouth, sometimes we even copy our friends' style. Apply that to social networking as have a new crop of Web sites and apps, as well as a handful of fashion designers, and the potential for product discovery—and sales—becomes vast, at least among digital natives, the young people who have been born into a world of mainstream digital technology," according to a story in the New York Times. Read more.

David Wolfe, Creative Director of The Doneger Group, visited FIDM this week to give a special presentation to the students on the forecasted fashion trends of Spring 2014 and beyond.

He started off his presentation with general trends in technology: ultra-modern architecture such as the Dubai Towers and the Full Moon Tower in China. He went on with a shot of the wind turbins displayed at the Chanel SS '13 runway show at The Grand Palais in Paris. That led to a discussion of other technological advances such as Google Glass, Tech Pets Virtual Pets, an industrial robot called Baxter, humanoids, and people like Justin Jeduca and Valeria Lukyanova who try to achieve the look of a plastic doll.

He said fashion is beginning to imitate all of this; it has finally hit the 21st century. "We are on the brink of looking at fashion as an expression of the future rather than the past. It's going to break fashion loose."

Mr. Wolfe said that the worship of extravagance is becoming "distasteful," which means that luxury brands will have to start moving into a new identity, "which is exactly what is happening at Dior with Raf Simons there." He continued saying their spring collection really doesn't reference anything Christian Dior ever did, "and it shouldn't."

Most of the 21st century is going to be about textiles, especially unnatural looking materials such as plastic, rubber, and vinyl. He explained that that is why there is so much interest in high-gloss materials: glazings and things that are polished. This is reflected in the stylish satin weaves and the new holographic bonding of surfaces to fabric; also, metallics. We've been programmed to think that the future is metallic, which is why metallics are now fashionable year-round, instead of just at the holidays.

Other upcoming trends are bold stripes (clean, graphic, and modernistic), extreme prints, and fabric innovations such as no-sew clothing techniques (molded plastic yarns). Also, look for an expanded color palettes that include nature's color scheme, neutrals, rich dark colors, bright bold tones, whites, and of course black. Sheer fabrics will become more acceptable, and everything that is a print right now will become a print on sheer.

The future is about shape shifting, contour, and fabric manipulation. Fashion is continuing in a body-conscious direction, whether the fabric is close to the body or moving away from it in the form of exaggerated silhouettes.

It's about newness. Mr. Wolfe said, "I love all of these clothes because I can't reference any period in fashion history when I look at them."

PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, a lively, radiant, and lush green is the Color of the Year for 2013. You can expect to see the jewel tone in everything from fashion to interiors to graphics. 

Get some emerald inspiration at Sous Style. 

Costume Designer Jennifer Rogien describes the process of dressing the four main characters of HBO’s Girls, and keeping them real with the New York Times.

“The overall theme of the show is all the mistakes we go through when we’re trying to find our footing,” she said. “We wanted to embrace all those factors — the youth, the first job, the insecurity in relationships, both romantic and friendship — and see if we could reflect that through the clothing.” Read more about how the actresses see their characters, Hannah's "lovingly disheveled" look and a West Village shop owned by the real mother of one of the characters.

Children’s companies Pink Chicken, Tea Collection, Aden+Anais, and Petunia Pickle Bottom are growing their brands by catering to the folks who pay the bills—the parents. In a reversal of the trend of established brands like the Gap and upscale labels like Burberry, who scale down adult trends for their offspring, these upscale brands are catering to parents who fall in love with a baby blanket, diaper bag, or cotton leggings—and then want the adult equivalent for themselves. Maria Bailey explains in a report on the trend in the New York Times that, “millennial mothers, who are in their early 30s and under, generally have positive associations with their own childhood, so they may want to recapture those emotions,” by wrapping themselves in the softest blanket, or dressing up in a relaxed little pinafore.

photo credit: New York Times

With fit the number one reason given for returns, tech firms are in a race to find a formula that can replicate online that magic moment in a real dressing room when the customer looks in the mirror, falls in love, and stays in love.

True Fit technology, being tested by Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Guess, crunches data that the customer supplies about what fits and what doesn’t in her current closet with proprietary information from apparel companies about their patternmaking and fit specs. The program also weighs factors like favorite brands and body type before making recommendations. Once a personal profile is on file, it is shared with member retailers for a monthly fee.

“We’ve got to learn and we’ve got to move fast,” said a Nordstrom spokesperson regarding getting a better online fit the first time around. Returns of items that don’t fit “are the biggest problem we all have with the Internet,” confirmed BCBG spokesman Stephen Budd a Wall Street Journal story.

New York Times’s fashion critic Cathy Horyn takes an in-depth look at luxury retailer Barneys, posing the question, “What’s are stores for today?” in the Sunday magazine’s cover story.

New owner Richard Perry “takes ownership at a critical time for luxury retail, when stores are trying to figure out the relationship between e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar locations, and customers seem to bounce back and forth between wanting to price hunt designer brands online and wanting to have the singular experience that a well-run store can provide.” Read more.

photo credit: New York Times

Vogue has a report on Marc Jacobs' Bookmarc collaboration with author Stephanie LaCava and artist Matthew Nelson. To coincide with the launch of An Extraordinary Theory of Objects: A Memoir of an Outsider in Paris (Harper), the limited edition accessories collection debuted with a delicate charm necklace, army-green t-shirt, and a sleek leather pouch that contains LaCava's book. 

Available at Marc Jacobs online and at Bookmarc stores. 

A “once-in-a-generation change in the basic shape of a man’s suit, from a boxy design meant to conceal the body to a fitted look meant to reveal it,” is boosting menswear sales this season, according to a report in the New York Times. With suit sales projected to be up 10 percent this fall and holiday season, astute retailers like J. Crew are jumping on the trend—tailoring slim, fitted suits with narrow lapels like the signature Ludlow—and outfitting a generation of body-conscious men who workout, follow fashion and like to shop. Steve Pruitt, founder of fashion and retail consulting firm Blacks Retail explains: “There’s a generational thing going on… Young men are buying suits, suit separates, jackets. They’re wearing bow ties and short pants. There’s tons of fashion going on.” To see the new modern male aesthetic, try visiting the brand new J. Crew stand alone men’s shop at the Grove.

Fragrance designer and FIDM Instructor André Barnwell is our guest blogger today. We asked him to weigh in on the allergen ban discussion involving some of the ingredients in Chanel No.5. This is what André had to say:

European Union scientists are considering an allergen ban on any fragrances that use the natural mixtures of oak moss or tree moss. If this ban goes into effect, the original formula of Chanel No.5 and other fragrance lines such as Christian Dior’s Miss Dior, Guerlain’s Shalimar, and Thierry Mugler’s Angel will no longer be available. Potential bans like this revive the ongoing debate in the fragrance industry of natural fragrances vs. synthetic fragrances and their pros and cons.

Natural fragrance have unique scents but have the potential of causing an allergic reaction among humans, and while synthetics can be created with safety in mind they can lose that unique quality that only a natural fragrances can deliver.

As someone who creates fragrances, I’m personally concerned about the ingredients and that they do no harm. As humans, we will have allergic reactions to natural ingredients, but is the solution to ban them? Perhaps we should label them, and note their potential harm—similar to what they do with labeling in the food and beverage business. I tend to lean on the side of caution.

There are additional advantages of using synthetics. For instance, we use synthetic musk instead of extracting the musk from the musk deer—a process that would be considered today as cruelty to animals.

Will a ban like this create unintended consequences such as creating a black market for these original formulas? Do we just create synthetic versions of oak moss and tree moss to reduce or eliminate the allergen effect and accept the difference in the scent and move on? We might only be at the beginning of this debate.

I’m left however thinking not of myself but of the person who does have an allergic reaction to these ingredients in a fragrance, and how would I feel if I could have prevented this by implementing a solution like banning, re-labeling or recreating to prevent the occurrence.

André Barnwell is a fragrance designer and instructor at FIDM who teaches Fundamentals of Fragrance in the Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing Program.

Used to be that if you wanted a career in the fashion industry and you weren’t a designer, you had a few obvious paths—like become a retail buyer, or go into publicity or styling. Now, thanks to new technology, five new types of fashion jobs are recognized as legitimate career paths according to Fashionista. The story was inspired by the announcement that Sally Singer had been named Creative Director Digital at Vogue—a job that didn’t exist at the magazine till last week.

The new jobs? Social Media Strategist, Online Brand Content Creator, Digital PR, Fashion Tech Start-up, and Sustainability Expert. Learn more about these new career paths online at FIDM's Career Center.

photo credit: The Sartorialist

The cosmetics industry is turning to fine artists to fine tune several new packaging and product concepts this season, according to the New York Times. Among the artists boosting prestige for brands are Kenny Scharf for Kiehl’s Crème de Corps, street artist Curtis Kulig for Smashbox’s paint pen eyeliner, and Andy Warhol, whose self-portrait will be recreated in an eye shadow palette for NARS in an extensive collaboration with the Warhol Foundation for this season.

“For makeup companies, the collaborations are a way to make their products stand out on an increasingly crowded bathroom shelf,” says the Times. “For artists, they can be an extra source of income.” Or, as NARS founder Francois Nars explains, “Painters paint on canvas or sculpt, but we paint on millions of faces.”

If painting on faces is your preferred method of expression, explore FIDM’s Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing major.

When the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled on the trademark case that Louboutin brought against YSL, both sides could claim victory. The judge “confirmed that a color can be protectable in the U.S. even in the world of fashion,” says FIDM Advisory Board member Barbara Kolsun. Kolsun, Executive V.P. and General Counsel at shoe company Stuart Weitzman, further explains that the Louboutin signature red sole (as long as it contrasts with the rest of the shoe) now enjoys the same protected status as Tiffany’s robin’s egg blue box, an unusual development in intellectual property law as it applies to fashion. YSL, meanwhile, kept the right to make its towering red pumps with red soles because both the upper and under part are bright, monochromatic red.  

“We hold that the lacquered red outsole, as applied to a shoe with an upper of a different color, has ‘come to identify and distinguish’ the Louboutin brand and is therefore a distinctive symbol that qualifies for trademark protection,” said the court.

If heels make your heart beat faster, check out FIDM’s Footwear Design program.

When the "Made in the U.S.A." label is affixed to a garment or a pair of shoes these days it signifies a return to "oldschool craftsmanship, even luxury," according to a report in the New York Times. Picking up on the thirst for high quality, stylish American goods, three former adverstising men have launched the first flash-sale website for premium American made products, the Made Collection. The retail site markets itself as a movement, complete with graphics for each product that note how many Americans workers are employed making the product. Mainstream brands like J. Crew, Joseph Abboud, and Club Monaco are on board with special "Made in the USA" collections carrying lines like Levi's Vintage, Alden Shoes, and Billykirk leather goods.

photo credit: New York Times

Fashion aficionados are eagerly awaiting the launch this week of former editor of Vogue Paris Carine Roitfeld's latest baby. Her new magazine CR Fashion Book, published by Fashion Media Group, the company behind industry stalwarts Visionaire and V, has 150 pages of advertsing/340 editorial and the creative contributions of Karl Lagerfeld, Amanda Harlech, Tom Ford, Linda Evangelista, Bruce Weber, and actress Anne Hathaway. Roitfeld told the New York Times about launching the twice yearly publication: "I never think I have to prove something. I love fashion. This magazine in a way was my rebirth, too."

FIDM Students have access to premium industry publications like Visionaire through the FIDM library.

With men’s wear the fastest growing category of the adult apparel market, savvy retailers are tailoring their men’s departments to reflect that neglected gender. With a 4 percent increase over the last year (compared to 3 percent for women) as reported by NPD Group’s Consumer Tracking Service, retailers as far apart as Urban Outfitters and Saks Fifth Avenue are courting men with thoughtful sales environments that reflect the differences. Environments include more chairs, a darker color palate, and less aggressive sales help. “Men like to help themselves,” the New York Times reports.

The trend translates to more stand alone shops for men—from luxe brands Hermes and Bottega Veneta to mid-price J. Crew and Coach. Plans are in the works to open two new J. Crew men’s shops this year in Boston and Los Angeles. The New York Times wraps up by saying, “a new generation of male consumers actually embraces fashion.” 

Sales for shoes, hats, handbags, jewelry, and sunglasses are enjoying a surge as demand for stylish new accessories outstrips apparel sales according to a report in the New York Times. An anonymous Michael Kors spokesperson reports in the same story that “accessories and related merchandise accounted for 75% of total revenue in 2012” for the hot fashion brand. The wave catches momentum with the return of specialty magazine Elle Accessories; retailer Henri Bendel’s decision to ditch clothes in favor of accessories only; and J. Crew's latest introduction of Handbag & Shoe shops on the web. Why now? Industry analysts say accessories are an easier purchase than clothes since size and fit are a non-issue, and e-tailers like lightweight accessories for packing and shipping. On the career front, the demand at retail means more jobs for designers of jewelry and shoes, two of FIDM's design majors.

As fashion goes global, Los Angeles is ready for its close-up. Long known for its casual chic style, the city has a growing a reputation for cutting edge designs from labels like Rodarte and Band of Outsiders. According to a report in Fashionista, the moment is right for L.A. for several reasons.

“If you think about all the successful new fashion labels to come out in the past five, seven years–all the companies that were purchased–they were all California companies: Lucky, Seven for All Mankind, Vince, Juicy Couture (co-founded by FIDM Alumna Pamela Skaist Levy),” explains Ilse Metchek, Executive Director of the California Fashion Association. Metchek says that since people no longer buy ensembles, they look for items that they may have seen on off duty celebrities or in movies, blogs, or TV shows. And since most people dress more casual than couture, the California look is hot.

L.A. designers have the added benefit of proximity to local manufacturing facilities and textile houses like Design Knit in downtown L.A. Another plus for creative thinkers is the distance from the more established, older fashion brands in New York or Paris. As Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders told the Wall Street Journal, “If I was in New York (in this mix influenced by the same thing all these people are influenced by) the edge would be gone. This [L.A.] bubble is vital to being able to do something that is not informed by fashion.”

photo credit: New York Times

Just when we thought we couldn't love her any more, Nicole Richie, the brains behind two of our favorite labels, House of Harlow 1960 and Winter Kate, goes and designs a super cute, super affordable, and all-around amazing capsule collection for Macy's Impulse. The designer, who wore one of the pieces at the launch dinner party for the new line, due in Macy's stores and on the website September 12, describes this collection as "fun, eclectic and effortless." The line features 1970s-inspired jackets, dresses, leggings, and skirts ranging in price from $49 to $149. But don't expect this line to be around for long. "It's only a 25-piece collection that's out for six weeks," Richie confirms.  In other words, run, don't walk, to Macy's on September 12.

Here at FIDM Los Angeles we've always loved our city, and now it seems the rest of the fashion world is noting just how fabulous the City of Angels is as well. A recent article on Fashionista.com examined the evidence that suggests Los Angeles is the next fashion capital. Several industry insiders were interviewed for the article, including Elle Creative Director Joe Zee, who had this to say, "I think for so long LA was the land of t-shirts and jeans but designers like Rodarte and Band of Outsiders definitely changed that perception and it’s really upped the momentum of the LA fashion scene." Who What Wear co-founder (and former New Yorker) Hillary Kerr, added, "I think it’s worth pointing out that we already have a tremendous amount of talent here. In addition to Hedi Slimane and John Galliano moving here—which is unquestionably exciting—we already have a number of LA-based design visionaries (like Kate and Laura Mulleavy, George Esquivel, and Tom Binns, to name a few), in addition to some of the world’s most noteworthy photographers, makeup artists, stylists, and hair stylists." We've known all along that Los Angeles is pretty amazing (Just one look at the FIDM Street Style page says it all!) and we couldn't be more proud.

Affluent toddlers can now leave the house with confidence as designers Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, and Marni expand into luxury children's wear, joining the already established Ralph Lauren, Dior, Lanvin, and Burberry brands. Ultra chic brands want a piece of the apparel market that is growing faster than the rest—2012 saw a seven percent rise in sales over the previous year—compared to a four percent rise in the rest of children's wear, according to NPD's most recent data. Businessweek reports that retailers like Nordstrom, Saks, and Bergdorf Goodman are expanding their luxe children's offerings, and a stand alone Gucci boutique is already open in New York. "They're a walking billboard of you," explains N.Y. mom Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director at Us Weekly. "If you are someone highly stylized, then you want to make sure your kids are the best-dressed kids out there."

Related: For this year's FIDM DEBUT Runway Show, then graduating student Wensi Michelle Gao showed her children's collection filled with bright colors and whimsy. Watch a video of her collection on the runway.

If you thought 16-year old Tavi Gevinson was going to stop at blogger-cum-online magazine editor/Fashion Week fixture you were wrong -- the fashion prodigy just signed with Hollywood agency UTA and has already landed a role in writer-director Nicole Holofcener's yet-to-be-titled film. The movie is about an only child (Gevinson) who is basically ignored by her parents and forced to grow up a little faster than her peers. Although her real parents are anything but neglectful (her dad has even accompanied her to fashion shows), we can't help but think Gevinson might be able to relate to growing up faster than other kids her age. She has, after all, launched a webzine, been profiled in The New York Times, and is considered muse to a number of fashion designers.

Beauty brand CoverGirl announced last week that singer Pink is joining the ranks of fellow celebrities Queen Latifah, Taylor Swift, Drew Barrymore, and Sofia Vergara as the new face of their brand.  "Pink is a powerful and provocative role model, who has always been an advocate of individualism and making no apologies for who you are,"  says CoverGirl Vice President and GM Esi Eggleston Bracey on their decision to add the "So What" singer to their roster, adding, "We love the energy and confidence that she radiates, and the fact that inside and out she’s as cool as she looks. She’s an awesome addition to our CoverGirl family." Look for Pink in CoverGirl ads this fall.

Solange Knowles may be the younger sister of megastar Beyonce, but the Brooklyn-based DJ and singer is certainly holding her own when it comes to stardom. Already the face of beauty brands Rimmel London and Carol's Daughter, Knowles has just signed on as the face of contemporary store Madewell, her first major clothing campaign. The 26-year old will be featured in the store's Fall 2012 campaign, called "Mix Well. Madewell," a title that is apropos of the star's DJ skills, as well as the store's new fall pieces, which can be mixed and matched to create custom looks. Of their decision to include Knowles in their fall campaign, the company "Solange’s great style mix-matched perfectly with Madewell’s aesthetic."

When the fashion industry meets in Las Vegas, August 20-23 for MAGIC, the largest apparel trade show in North America, one of this year’s themes will be “Made in the USA.” Over 50 companies, from Brooklyn denim maker Williamsburg Garment Company to Salpy and Cat Footwear, will be exhibiting products that are made in the US. At a summit called  “Sourcing in the Americas” sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce and MAGIC, attendees will learn about the emerging opportunities in the Western Hemisphere for bringing the supply chain closer to home. Apparel, footwear, fabric and yarn mills, trims, and service providers will showcase their capabilities in the Americas.

Trend forecasters at WGSN report a subtle switch in the ways that teen girls are shopping this summer. Rather than head to the mall for a day of shopping with friends, girls are window-shopping at Pinterest, narrowing their choices, and selectively purchasing online with one quick click. They like to do it alone, and many are trying to economize. “I can’t remember the last time I went shopping with friends,” confirms a Los Angeles student who took part in the survey. Savvy retailers like J. Crew, Topshop, and Madewell capitalize on the trend by offering student discounts on online sale merchandise.

Major companies that hire FIDM Students and Graduates are reporting strong increases in retail sales. Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Ross (all three retailers recently attended FIDM's Career Connections event) have had healthy sales this summer. In addition, Limited Brands saw an impressive twelve percent increase, American Eagle Outfitters posted an eleven percent rise, while Gap Inc. enjoyed a ten percent rise last month. The increased sales is great news for the fashion industry and for future job opportunities. (Stats are via Stylesight, an industry fashion trend forecasting and analysis site.)

"D-School" is the new "B-School," reports the Wall Street Journal, among others. With innovation driving the biggest business stories of the last decade, a new kind of MBA is cropping up, and it has a design spin. Design thinking, "considered the hottest trend in business culture today," according to BusinessWeek, has given rise to programs at Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon, that emphasize creative thought and collaboration above data analysis. "The analytical MBA focuses on solving a problem, but the design process focuses on problem-finding," explains Sara Beckman a Berkeley lecturer who leads graduate level classes in innovative product design.

That's in keeping with FIDM's philosophy. All of our 20 majors emphasize the design process and creative thinking. And our Bachelor's Degree in Business Management program is geared towards the creative industries.

As Mad Men ends its fifth season, the madly popular show has picked up seventeen Emmy nominations and a chance to break the record for the most honored TV drama series in history. The show's influence on fashion and interior design continues to ripple across the globe. Popular design companies like Crate & Barrel, DWR, Room & Board and premium brands like Knoll and Bontempi Casa are revising mid-century modern for these times. Sixties style can be seen all over the house: rich black leather and wood desk accessories, streamlined liquor cabinets, deep pile carpets and shag rugs, dome-shaped lighting, Murano glass, and sleek button-back upholstery are some of the looks at this year's trade shows. Get ready for psychedelic patterns and florals in bright colors from designers like Jonathan Adler to look new all over again. And clunky black rotary phones? To die for.

Related Majors: Interior Design, Entertainment Set Design & Decoration, Visual Communications

Lana Del Rey may have more than her (fair?) share of critics, but the "Video Games" singer isn't letting any of them stop her from receiving some major props from the fashion world. First there was the Mulberry handbag that was named after her, and now H&M has named Lana Del Rey the face of their Fall 2012 campaign. The images, which are stunning and have a slight retro feel to them, feature the singer in a soft pink angora sweater and matching pants, with dramatic chandelier earrings and big, '60s hair, and were shot by photography team Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. "We were looking for a style icon and singer to model our fall collection," says H&M Public Relations Manager Chloe Bowers. "Lana Del Rey was the perfect choice."

If you missed out on the Jason Wu for Target collection earlier this year, don't fret, the beloved designer is making his clothes available to the masses at Nordstrom now. The 40-piece Miss Wu collection at Nordstrom will be available starting this November and features Mod dresses and fun prints. Wu says he was inspired by 1960s style icons Marianne Faithfull and Jane Birkin. "Miss Wu is my personality," he told WWD. "It was really fun to explore that facet of who I am—slightly more downtown, and with a more relaxed attitude."

Nike is hoping to revolutionize the running shoe industry this summer with the introduction of their new Flyknit technology at the Olympics. In response to runners' requests for an ever lighter shoe that feels more like a sock, the activewear company's engineers and designers not only got the weight down to 5.6 ounces, they designed a new weaving process that knits the entire upper part of the shoe with synthetcic yarn in a single piece that attaches to the sole. The advantages? "This is a complete game changer," Charlie Denson, president of the brand told Bloomberg Businessweek. Without the need to sew 37 pieces, labor costs and production times may be brought so low that manufacturing could return to the U.S. Flyknit running shoes are slated to be in stores this July.

Fascinated by footwear? Check out the FIDM Footwear Design major.

Sunday marked the end of yet another successful San Diego Comic-Con International, the biggest and most anticipated multigenre expo on the West Coast. FIDM FashionClub.com Graphic Designer Alexis Chong attended as Supergirl in a costume she put together herself.

"Many people had camped overnight during the week to see some of the more anticipated panels, especially Breaking Dawn: Part 2, Sons of Anarchy, Game of Thrones, and The Hobbit. I was way too excited to wait in the panel lines so we navigated through the multi-layers of the exhibition hall: Artist Alley, Video Game Demos, Toy Company Exhibits, and Movie Displays, not to mention the merch tables. Though in true Comic-Con fashion, we did wait in a couple of lines to score some freebies, but only after hunting down Robert Downey, Jr.’s armor for Iron Man 3 at the Marvel display, taking a picture with Mattel’s Hover Board prop replica from Back To The Future and a life-sized Maleficent vinyl toy, and of course, running into a female Cyclops from X-Men!"

Read more about her Comic-Con experience on FIDM's FashionClub.com Daily.

The world will be watching as the Olympic Games take place in London. And while the athletic feats are sure to amaze and inspire, fashion fans will get their first impression of the various teams’ sartorial choices when the Opening Ceremonies begin on July 27th. The fashions and uniforms are likely to be as diverse as the athletes themselves.

Ralph Lauren, longtime designer of the U.S. Olympics team outfits, recently unveiled the Opening Ceremony looks for the 2012 London Olympics (pictured above). Team USA will don a navy, double-breasted jacket featuring the Polo horse and a navy cap. The men will also wear ties and white pants, while ladies will sport a white skirt and red, white, and blue scarf.

Beloved British designer Stella McCartney for Adidas has created stylish high performance uniforms for Great Britain athletes to wear while competing and a more casual collection for the Olympic Village. Meanwhile, Giorgio Armani will outfit the Italian Olympic team in his official EA7 Emporio Armani 50-piece kit and Prada is the sponsor of the Italian national sailing team.

The influence of men on the apparel business is being felt across categories, but affluent men in particular are making luxury brands take notice on the web. WGSN, the style forecasting company, reports that men eighteen and over with houseold income of at least $100,000 are shopping online an average of twice a week. In a total reversal of the stereotype of the man who gets the jitters when he enters a retail establishment, this high income group is comfortable researching, reviewing, liking on Facebook, and completing the purchase on cells, tablets, and PCs. Growth in men's wear luxury lines is at about 14% this year.

The Smoking Nuns have been hard at work fostering collaborations with Los Angeles-based companies. The picture you see above is in support of the "Not Photo Shopped" campaign put on by Feel More Better. We're both rocking the StoryTee that supports the empowerment of women and it's made here in Los Angeles. For each StoryTee that is purchased a book is donated to an underprivledged girl, so please, support this cause and spread the word.

We've also been working with apparel companies located here in our hometown. The following images showcase threads from Sugarlips, 8000 Nerves, and AGAIN, respectively. If you haven't checked out these up and coming companies mosey on over to their websites and take a look. Support the Los Angeles fashion community. :)

Hailed as the first air cleaning paint in the world, Boysen’s KNOxOut paint absorbs energy from light to transform ordinary water vapor into pollution fighting agents that attack nitrous oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxides (Sox).  After this chemical reaction, what remains is water, carbon dioxide, and harmless nitrates.  The best part about this wonder paint is that the chemical reactions are continuous so they constantly help neutralize smog in heavily congested cities.

What has since emerged from the creation of this wonder paint is the Boysen KNOxOut Project: EDSA – A collaboration between the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Boysen Paint.  This urban renewal initiative, which began May 2011, aims to lessen the pollution emissions from 30,000 vehicles daily throughout sections of Metro Manila’s most congested 23 kilometer-long highway.  Eight 1,000 square meter artworks were commissioned to be painted by renowned Filipino and foreign artists.  Johnson Ongking, the vice president of Boysen Paints, says, “This is the first public art project in the world that has an air cleaning dimension. These artists are creating beautiful air filters for everyone to appreciate.” The project is still ongoing with several murals still to be painted.

In reaction to the paint, other urban renewal initiatives are popping up in other countries such as Japan and France.  Although Boysen realizes that their paint isn’t a cure-all to urban pollution problems, and that cleaner vehicles and gas initiatives are needed, it’s good to know that artists are helping put a dent in the pollution crisis, one brush stroke at a time.

Learn more about the Boysen KNOxOut Project.