Miguel Androver and hessnatur a natural fit

Miguel Androver, one of the hottest designers to emerge in the last decade, views fashion as a medium for social messages. “My collections,” he once said, “attempt to open up the eyes of the people of our society.”

Now he’s designing for a brand with the same eye-opening, awareness-raising philosophy.

Hessnatur produces natural, earth-friendly clothing that is more attractive and luxurious than traditional bland, burlap-sacky natural apparel. The company uses 100% organic cotton and is working toward all materials being purely organic natural fibers.

Respectful of the environment and those involved in making the company’s clothing, hessnatur has received a Public Eye Award, which is presented annually at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Hessnatur was lauded for its leading social and environmental practices.

Androver came on board last year as creative director for the fall-winter 2009 collection. His first spring offering for the label will be available starting in March. Spanish-born Androver, winner of the CFDA Award for best new designer nearly a decade ago, infuses garments with the same unusual materials and unexpected volume that helped make him a standout from the beginning of his career.

Hessnatur CEO Wolf Luedge used Androver’s own words to explain what made the 44-year-old, self-taught talent attractive to the brand. “It is what he believes - ‘I can’t think about doing only fashion if it’s not related to something relevant’ - that makes him the perfect creative director for hessnatur, said Luedge. “He is, literally, a natural fit. He was the only decision we pursued for this new role, because his philosophy mirrors that of our company.”

Based in Germany but with international markets, hessnatur makes clothing for men, women, children, and babies. It was founded in 1976 by naturalist Heinz Hess when he couldn’t find organic clothing for his newborn son. As demand for his products grew, he initiated organic cotton-growing projects, first in Sekem, Egypt and then in Peru, Senegal, Turkey, and Burkina Faso.

Hess died in 2006, a year after hessnatur became the first German company to be certified by FairWear, a foundation that promotes fair labor conditions in the textile-production industry worldwide.

Christmas stockings that sock it to you

It’s not hard to find an interesting Christmas stocking, from predictable stores such as Michael’s to off-price retail giants like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s.

But it’s hard to find a stocking that makes you do a double-take and wonder where it came from. That’s what happens when you see one of Jeannette Chamberlin’s uncommon and eye-catching designs.

Interestingly, Ms. Chamberlin’s Sassy Classy Christmas Stockings look like footwear. They are as roomy as a deluxe-size Christmas stockings, but they look like something you’d want to shove your foot in and start walking.

“A few years ago I made a high-heeled Christmas stocking for a friend,” said Ms. Chamberlin. ”It was such a hit, the next year I made two.” The following year, in 2000, the Pittsburgher she made a few more and took them to Patricia Boutique — a tony women’s shop in the eastern Pittsburgh suburb of Aspinwall — where they “sold out in a few days!” (I wrote a story about them for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)

Now there are about 20 styles, including cowgirl, bride, and multiple “diva” designs. There are also cowboy and bridegroom styles for the fellows. “I have nothing against Santa and snowmen,” she says, “but why not have a Christmas stocking that reflects your personality or your alter-ego?”

Ms. Chamberlin also paints and designs jewelry. She has taught both, instructing jewelry-making classes at the Society for Contemporary Art in Pittsburgh and teaching art classes and counseling for a while at The Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The artist began making the stockings as gifts in 1998. On average, they take about three hours to complete from sewing and piecing together to embellishment and hand-painting. Sometimes the painting, particularly on the cowboy styles, can take more than two hours alone to look multi-dimensional.

She loves hearing stories from people who buy the stockings, which are hand=painted or hand-embellished and usually made of silky-soft fabrics. “People tell me how they have given them as gifts. ‘My mother used to love her high heels, but hasn’t been able to wear them for years. When I gave her the high-heeled stocking with the feather cuff, she was so excited. I laugh every time I think of it.’ Or people will say, ‘Oh, this is SO my sister!’ I think people also love having a fun choice of stockings for men.”

In the development stages now to launch for Christmas 2010 are sports-inspired stockings that resemble a golf shoe, a hockey skate and a motorcycle boot. Aside from Patricia Boutique in Aspinwall, Pa., the stockings are sold at Sweetheart Gallery in New York City, Co Co Milano’s in Mesa, Az., and at American Craft Gallery in Cleveland.

Former fashion editor’s new book shares decades of style, celebs, and a life well lived

There aren’t many women like Barbara Cloud. The retired journalist spent most of her 55-year career covering the fashion industry, yet remained genuinely warm and gracious in a world where being plastic and rude increasingly became the order of the day.

To read by-line, the new book by Ms, Cloud, is to hear from someone who has something to say that is worth hearing. The 251-page paperback, published by Word Association Publishers, is a collection of 80 columns from her illustrious 55-year career at daily newspapers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The tome is creatively divided into five chapters based on the fundamental questions newspaper reporters are trained to ask and answer: who, what, where, when, and why.

Although Ms. Cloud’s life ambition was to be a professional actress, her first job out of Westminster College was as a newspaper reporter in 1952. That job turned into a lifelong career - she never took a journalism course - during which she met and wrote about many interesting people both in and outside fashion. Her relationships and connections read like a Who’s Who of the rich and famous: Phyllis Diller, Nancy Reagan, Telly Savalas, Rosalind Russell, Diahann Carroll, Charlton Heston, Judy Garland, Vidal Sassoon, Julie Newmar, Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, Ralph Lauren, Galanos, Adolfo, Verte, to name just a few.

But to her credit, there’s no name-dropping or ego-tripping. Just honest, insightful, engaging analysis of people, places, and events she encountered along her professional journey. Ms. Cloud’s gift for wonderfully weaving a story was one reason she won numerous journalism awards, from local and regional honors to such national accolades as the 1971 Men’s Fashion Association Aldo fashion writer’s award and, 20 years later, that organization’s Lifetime Achievement Golden Aldo.

The book includes copies of photos and letters from over the years. They’re interesting to look at, a visual walk down memory lane. But even if they were not included, the stories this writer shares are well worth the modest investment of time and money.

A short Q&A with Barbara Cloud

How do you define style?

I’m not sure I can define style, but I think I know it when I see it. It’s not about having money, that I know. Or piling on every trend, every season. I think of style as flair, which means a certain perception of a look. Some people have a “flair” for style. It doesn’t mean everyone has the same style, but they have a good eye, especially for their own look. Style is defined as “fashion” but I’m not sure there really is a single word to define it.

What decade was your favorite for fashion?

I don’t have a favorite decade for fashion, although I admit when I covered the industry from 1960 to 1990 approximately, I felt it was most alive and exhilarating when names like Bill Blass, Halston, Geoffrey Beene, Norman Norell, Anne Klein, Pauline Trigere were simply making women look beautiful. Of course, now they are all gone. But they set the mood for me, and spoiled me in many ways for what passes today as fashion. I feel very fortunate to have been around during those decades.

What would you consider the worst fashion trend of the last 30 years and why?

I suppose as a general rule it would be “no rules.” It would be “anything goes.” Most of us need guidelines, not set in stone but a direction. As a result, decorum is passé, as is respect in what we choose to wear. I think exposing body parts is out of control. I’m not sure when exposure became a trend, but it leaves nothing to the imagination. I feel that is a great loss to the beauty and intricate art of designing. And almost an insult to women themselves. If I could pick a single trend which astounds me, it would be the piercing of tongues, ears, noses etc., and the tattoo overkill - all in the name of fashion. Also, prices for a “name.” I find it insulting a designer of a handbag or a pair of shoes can ask $500, let alone thousands, for such an accessory, a staple in our wardrobes. That women will pay it is even more amazing. But remember, I am from another generation. My spending habits are quite different, and my needs come before my desires for fluff as I have never had money I didn’t know what to do with. So I marvel at such expenses.

Who is your all-time favorite womenswear designer or label?

I have had many in all the years I have been around, and for dreaming I would say I would have loved wearing or owning a Norell or a Valentino or Armani, even Donna Karan or Blass. I once owned a Donald Brooks dress, a Bonnie Cashin coat, a Pucci blouse and a drop-dead red wool Estevez dress years ago, and a B.H. Wragge dress. But my everyday working wardrobe consisted of many Liz Claiborne separates. I didn’t look for that label when I shopped, but when I saw something I liked it was more than likely Liz, when she was at the helm. I had a few Calvin Kleins and at one time Kimberly Knitwear was the most prominent label in my closet, in the 70s, especially when pantsuits arrived. I always loved Adrienne Vittadini sweaters. If I had to pick the label I had the most of, however, as a working woman, it would be the original Liz Claiborne, bought off the rack, followed by Jones New York sportswear and similar lines such as Ellen Tracy (before it got pricey). I buy many extras at Kmart and Sears, with no apologies.

Favorite menswear designer/label?

No favorite menswear designer, although I admire ads for designers like Hugo Boss, Cardin, etc. Names like Sal Cesarani, Alexander Julian brought color and flair to menswear when I was covering that market 25 years ago and they made it exciting. It was no longer just white shirts in the office. Menswear needed some excitement, and the time arrived when men were given permission to care about color. Yes, even wearing jewelry, although that can be tricky. Ralph Lauren has been major, of course, in creating the look of a certain lifestyle, and many others have followed that lead. I don’t know who designed the late Cary Grant’s wardrobe, but I’d vote for him any day as my favorite! Wow.

What are 3 staples every woman should have in her winter wardrobe?

A great bulky sweater, probably turtleneck; a coat with a hood; a warm and cuddly bathrobe. Boots, gloves, wrap scarf, naturally are givens.

What’s one winter must-have for men?

Judging from just seeing men in New York City during chill, a great muffler worn casually says a lot.

Name 3 style icons and why.

Never thought about it much. Nobody I copied, but several I admire. I was a movie fan as a teenager, and the more I watch old movies the more I realize I liked the look of Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and, of course, for most of the world, Jacqueline Kennedy. Of course, they all had the money to look great, but they also knew how to carry it off - usually quite simply, but with that style factor which is hard to describe. And they gave us something to aim for, and something for designers to copy for an average woman’s wardrobe and budget. Jackie’s basic simplicity, Hepburn’s softening of menswear looks, Kelly and her pearls, white gloves, cleanliness and femininity. I admired Lauren Bacall, too, especially in Norman Norell. And especially her hair!

What advice would you offer someone who wants to become a fashion designer?

I would hope he or she would try to bring back true beauty and clothes which are sensible without being boring. Even though lifestyles have changed, even casual can be attractive, not just bizarre or baring the body. I know newness is the seasonal by-word - it can’t remain the same as the season before. And my idea of beauty is not the same as a 20-year-old. Still, I wish they would leave something to the imagination. I just saw “September Issue” and am reminded the fashion world depends on change, and exaggeration, whether we like it or not. It’s complicated.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise means a new day, a new beginning. Sunset means the day is done. Prefer the sunrise - seldom awake to see it - but am grateful for the sunset, which I have photographed many times.

Coffee or tea?

What, no milk? I drink coffee, out of habit, in the morning, using my single cup French press, reading the morning paper. Just one cup, usually. I started to drink coffee after I was in a play, “I Remember Mama”, in college. Our director made sure we had fresh coffee in the prop pot on the stove every performance. Stage “business” included several scenes of having coffee, and I learned to like it black. Up until then I had always turned up my nose when I would take morning coffee to my mother, wondering why she liked it and swearing I never would.

Diamonds or pearls?

I have never been drawn to diamonds because it wasn’t realistic to desire them. But I can ooh and aah when I see a beauty, like the engagement ring my son gave to his wife. The sparkle of a diamond can cause me to stare or admire, but never to crave or envy. Pearls, on the other hand, aren’t intimidating and I feel comfortable wearing them. Maybe that’s because as a young girl, a first strand of pearls was a special gift. I have no idea if mine were real or imitation, but I would guess the latter. It didn’t matter. I wore my single strand of pearls almost every day, with a sweater to school or a gown to the prom. I felt elegant. Diamonds are more or less wasted on me - not that I would ever turn one down if presented to me!

One essential quality of a good writer?

Honesty. A good eye and a good ear.

What was the most challenging part of writing the book?

Deciding what to include with only a certain number of pages. To appeal to those who wanted fashion, those who wanted personal, those who wanted celebs. I saved many clippings, thank goodness, but choosing what would actually be interesting to a reader who would plunk down $16.95, that was hard. Wondering if anybody really cared was also a question I wrestled with. I didn’t want it to be an ego trip. I wanted people to like my choices. I wanted to take them on my journey.

What did you learn about yourself in the process?

I learned this about myself, looking back: I do tend to ramble as I share stories. But I couldn’t do it any other way. I write the way I talk. A good editor always helped me, but I wanted my voice to be heard. I also learned my past is a major part of who I am today. My memories are my strength as well as my weakness in some ways, but most of all, I appreciate even more what my years prior to now taught me and the love I shared. Even as I recognize looking forward is healthy, even at 80, I don’t mind being called a “queen of nostalgia” and remembering things past. I think I also learned I have been so privileged to have had the career I had. I didn’t always appreciate it until I put the book together.

By-line by Barbara Cloud is $16.95 at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Marjie Allon, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Penguin Book Store in Sewickley, Pa., Mystery Lovers Book Store in Oakmont and at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s online store.

Farah Angsana fuses fantasy and reality in breathtaking bridalwear and couture designs

Vera Wang, Reem Acra, Kenneth Pool, Anne Barge, Romona Keveza, Oscar de la Renta - names that loom large in bridalwear.

But some of today’s most elegant bridal frocks are being crafted by the talented hands of Farah Angsana, an unassuming yet immensely interesting fashion designer who entered the genre only a year ago.

Her aesthetic is informed by her many travels and places of residence, from her native land of Indonesia to years spent growing up in Singapore, London and Los Angeles.

Although as a girl she was unable to sketch concepts or drape fabric, she was inspired by fashion magazines to design clothes for her mother and sister. Then she would take her ideas to a local dressmaker and guide the professional through sketching, fabric selection and creation of garments with a strong emphasis on appearance, texture, drape and movement.

Thus began her desire to create apparel that combined fantasy and reality to make women look elegant and beautiful. Rich colors and luxurious embroideries are hallmarks or her eveningwear and special-occasion looks.

Angsana gained popularity first with cocktail eveningwear for women. She launched her readytowear in 1998, debuted in London in 1999 and moved to Paris the following year, adding daring, debonair menswear to her design repertoire.

In 1990, she began studying fashion design and haute couture technique at the Central School of Fashion in London, finishing in 1992. There she learned about the techniques of such legendary designers as Madame Gres, Valentino and his mentor, Jean Desses.

Angsana devotes her talent and energy to couture and high-end eveningwear and bridalwear, having abandoned sportswear and menswear lines that advisors lured her into for several years. She was the first Indonesian-born designer to show a collection in Paris, taking the Ritz hotel by storm at Paris Fashion Week and winning critical acclaim.

She showed at New York Fashion Week in September 2008. While she divides her time among homes and ateliers in Paris, Zurich, and Como, Italy, some of today’s hottest celebrities are slipping into her lovely frocks. Among those recently photographed wearing her red carpet-ready designs - or modeling them in magazine editorial fashion spreads - are Alicia Silverstone, Marlee Matlin, Olivia Wilde, Teri Hatcher, Sanaa Lathan, Anna Getty, Carrie Underwood, Mary J. Blige and Taraji Henson.

Learn more about Farah Angsana and view more of her designs at www.farahangsana.com.

Timberlake’s William Rast label gaining momentum

It used to be a novelty when a pop star expanded his or her brand with a venture into a clothing line, accessories, fragrances, hair pieces ,even dolls. Now, it’s almost a rite of passage for singers and actors to extend their 15 minutes of fame with some such vanity project.

While they often end up as a creative or financial failures, some demonstrate impressive lasting power. Consider JLo’s collection of big-selling perfumes, Diddy’s Sean John urban streetwear powerhouse, and ladies shoes so lucrative for Jessica Simpson that she’s just announced a line of swimwear.

One celeb who shouldn’t be overlooked is singer Justin Timberlake, whose William Rast label was launched in 2005 and has slowly picked up steam since. Along with business partner and long-time best friend Trace Ayala, the former ‘N Sync member and Memphis native introduced the premium denim brand in November 2005 in Los Angeles.

A London debut at Harvey Nichols followed in July 2007. 2009 has been a banner year, with Timberlake being named to GQ magazine’s annual list of 10 most stylish men, the William Rast fall ‘09 collection previewing at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February, and Timberlake appearing on Oprah in March to promote the brand.

Vogue editor and king-maker Anna Wintour - whose mere presence at a show confers instant credibility on a designer - attended the fashion week showing. And everybody knows what just a mention on Oprah’s hugely popular TV show can mean.

Like many fashion lines, the William Rast name pays homage to loved ones. William was the first name of Timberlake’s grandfather and Rast was the surname of Ayala’s grandfather.

But there’s nothing grandfatherly about the brand’s sportswear for men and women, which is basically designed by Johan and Marcella Lindeberg. The men’s shirts, vests, pants, jackets, tees and caps in neutral colors look exactly like what you’d see Timberlake, 28, wearing on any given occasion. And the ladies’ styles are the perfect complement for hip, streetwise young women.

You can check out the current designs and buy at William Rast.

Henry N. Jackson, International Couture Designer

More American fashion designers are realizing that it’s good business sense to make clothes for women whose sizes are in the mid-teens and higher - the so-called “plus” category. However, few of these designers serve up edgy looks that reflect expertise in dressing larger, curvier women.

They could take some lessons from Henry N. Jackson, a New York-based international couturier who once designed for Valentino and Oscar de la Renta. In April, he unveiled “Real Woman Bodies,” a line of 24 looks for women whose genetic sizes range from 12 to 20. (They’re also creatively sub-categorized according to body shape.) The fall-winter 2009-10 dresses and other pieces aren’t garments created on a size 2 fit model and then expanded in scale for the big girls, the strategy of some designers.

“This statement-making collection will make you re-think what fashion means for curvy women,” says Jackson, whose label is Henry Jackson Couture. “Our mission will be to maintain a consistently high standard of workmanship and to apply a modern fashion sensibility, expressing the diversity of our customers and accentuating the beauty of their bodies’ curves. Think Sophia Loren instead of Kate Moss and you will understand it.”

Jackson employed techniques such as intricate cutting and goddess draping to enhance rather than hide the larger woman’s figure. Signature colors are shades of gray and tropical brights in imported silks, Italian stretch wools and other fabrics. “Sub themes are 1930’s looks updated for modern function and fit,” he adds.

The idea for the collection began with a seed planted in childhood “when I sketched fashion designs at age 12 and showed them to my mother, who was a size 12 on top and a 14 on the bottom,” he recalled. “She commented that she loved the designs, but she said, ‘What about me and my friends? Why don’t you design some things for us?’ I dropped the ball until 2007 in Paris, and it hit me like an epiphany after seeing the revolt in Spain against ultra-thin models on the runway.”

The Boston native, who began sketching at 5 and sewing at 13, has won several design awards, including the “Rising Star” award from the International Press Association. Just after finishing high school in the latter 1970s, he twice won the “America’s Next Great Designer Award” from the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. In 1980, People magazine referred to him as “Seventh Avenue’s latest wunderkind.”

After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1979 - he also studied in Harvard’s pre-law and business schools - he began designing for de la Renta. But it wasn’t long before he was hired away to Rome to design for the couture clients of another global fashion luminary, Valentino. Henry had just turned 18.

At the age of 21, the rising star decided to leave Valentino. “I knew that if I stayed there,” he said later, “I would be designing in a couture vacuum, not for most women.” He returned to New York to work for himself, armed with those two high-end design stints and apprenticeships with Perry Ellis, Charles Suppon and Chester Weinberg. He also had the ear of his mentor, Bill Blass.

Jackson later designed for or managed design teams for Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Bally of Switzerland menswear and womenswear. He also consulted internationally with fashion houses on matters ranging from design to business operations and spent time as an executive in young men’s sportswear design for Converse, Legends and Heroes and Boston-based Stall and Dean.

Since 1980, he’s designed independently. That same year, Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley brought Johnson Publishing heiress Linda Johnson Rice to Jackson’s showroom as she procured clothing for the company’s annual Ebony Fashion Fair. Since then, his designs have been part of the traveling fashion show and charity event.

Jackson’s bold and elegant designs have been sold in specialty and high-end department stores in America, the United Kingdom, France and Japan. He has designed personally for such women as Oprah Winfrey, Tovah Feldshuh, Whoopi Goldberg, Julie Taymore, Cicely Tyson, Eunice Johnson, Halle Berry and Janet Jackson. His designs are available in Paris, at select U.S. retailers and directly from his atelier. Prices range from skirts and pants starting at $120 and ranging up to $850 to bridal looks in the $4,000-$10,000 range.

Many would agree with Jackson’s assessment of the current state of American fashion as “pretty dismal and cookie-cutter. I can’t really say there are new geniuses coming from the American fashion industry, since the influence is not on talent but on hype alone,” he said. “And it is further diluted by the constant influx of celebrity-based lines who do not have any sense of style or background designing fashion, but are in it to make more money as the incentive alone.”

You can learn more about the designer and view some of his looks at www.henrynjackson.com.

Tia Cibani, Creative Director for Ports 1961

There’s a new bohemianism in fashion, a more elegant, exotic and pulled-together look exemplified by Ports 1961. The brand’s creative director, Tia Cibani, is behind a chic new mod-to-modern style that is gaining wide appeal among confident independent women who prefer to define their own personal style rather than mimic mall mannequins.

Cibani’s life and experiences have influenced her design aesthetic and inspired her latest collections. They reflect the passions of her life: an international perspective through world travel; a whimsy inspired by love of children; an ethnic flavor spiced up by a love of food; the “discreet surprises” found in modern art and contemporary architecture.

“My muse,” she says, “would be all the women in my life. I find it amazing when I can be inspired by my friend who is a stay-home mother and the president of Ports 1961, Jacqui Wenzel, or my sister who is a mother of three and a strong career woman who can juggle it all. They all indicate the times in which we live. So my muse is the courageous woman of this era who manages it all seamlessly!”

Born in North Africa and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cibani is one of the most authentic influences on the Africa-inspired trend in women’s fashions this spring and summer. For fall, the line pays homage to boy-meets-girl, India-inspired colors, textures and silhouettes that harken back to the Mughal Dynasty.

With Cibani at the helm. Ports 1961 has rapidly risen as an American luxury brand and become a favorite in China.

Cibani, 36, became interested in fashion as a child, watching her father’s retail business and developing an appreciation for fine fabrics, shapes and details. She later attended Parsons School of Design and apprenticed at Ports International in 1992 under the now-famous D Squared design team Dean and Dan Caten. Cibani soon moved to China and further developed the brand with her sister, Fiona.

After Cibani’s return to New York City in 2004, Ports 1961 began to soar. The Chelsea-based womenswear label became a regular presenter at New York Fashion Week in 2006, and a showroom opened in Milan in 2007. In 2008, the brand showed at Paris Fashion Week and opened a store on Melrose in Los Angeles. This year, a sleek showroom designed by architect Michael Gabellini opened in New York’s historic Meatpacking Distric.

Along the way, Ports 1961 has dressed celebs such as Sandra Bullock, Anjelina Jolie and Ali Larter. The brand has grown beyond apparel to accessories, including organic-inspired jewelry and architectural hats and wooden handbags. In every design, there’s a mature femininity that manages to stop short of taking itself too seriously.

Ivanka Trump designs elegant fine jewelry

Like a work of fine art, a piece of fine jewelry is a luxury accessory that never loses its value. Even better when the item has an au courant feel, when it is timeless yet of-the-moment. That’s what Ivanka Trump has created and offers at her chic Manhattan boutique at 685 Madison Ave.

We checked out the haute digs at an intimate breakfast during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February. Ms. Trump was gracious and charming, as were her creative and sales staffs.

Her sixth and latest line is the Pagoda Collection, an elegant, Asian-inspired grouping of diamond, white gold and rock crystal earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, pendants and charms ranging from $1,200 to $58,000. They’re available at the store and at ivankatrumpjewelry.com.

Alluding to a broad international clientele, she said she’s looking to expand overseas sales in the near future.