The New fashion Destination: South Africa

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batic, colors, creative, fabric, fashion blog, fashion illustrations, freelance fashion designer, indie designers, New York fashion week, pattern, tech pack, wax print

 Fashion is probably the last thing that comes to one’s mind when thinking of South Africa. But this pre-conceived notion of South Africa is very deceptive.  In fact, South Africa  is one of the looming industries in the world and every big international label is ready to set foot into this subcontinent mainly due to its increasing global prominence. The unique combination of highly sophisticated infrastructure with its emerging economy, South Africa has given a huge market for strong entrepreneurial and other dynamic investment. 

New Fashion Town- South Africa
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Some accessories brands also establishes its market in SA

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SA’s fashion designers

The Cape Town Fashion Week held on July 2011 gave this town a new glamour and it got raised to one of the prominent fashion centrals of the world. Another eye-striking event that changed the face of South Africa to the world is the Global Language Monitor organized last year. Cape Town and Johannesburg both made it on the list of Top 30 Fashion Capitals of the world at the global language monitor, at 23, 25 respectively, between the fashionable cities of Rome, Buenos Aires and Prague. Also to increase the importance of South Africa as the new fashion central, many multinational brands are setting foot in South Africa. 

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SA Fashion Week

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In SA fashion needs are served by the Countries’ local retailers

Despite choosing the continent’s robust retailers, many of which have been loyally and consistently serving the people of SA for their entire lifestyle, many international brands are cementing their units here and are importing goods from Europe, Asia to nearly 45% duty.

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Fashion Models at Soweto Fashion Week in SA in 2012

Having said that, it doesn’t mean that South Africa is neglecting their indigenous designers. Fab.com launched its South African design Pop-up shop which is mainly a virtual boutique of some of the unique retailers of 25 South African designers. The collection will hosts home accessories, jewelry as well as apparels. It was unveiled at a special occasion in NYC after consolation with South African Consulate General.

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Virtual Design Showroom by Fab.com

What do you think about this new fashion destination? Tell me at the comments section.

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Upcycle Fashion

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apparels, eco fabrics, fabric, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, garments, recycle clothes, reusable, sustainability, trends

Fashion has a new meaning in the fashion industry and that is called upcycle fashion. As they say, investing time, skill and creativity can never go waste, that’s why an unwanted or damaged dress can be transformed into your best item in the wardrobe.  It’s fun and also harmless for the environment as this method reduces the amount of waste and also to save money. So here are some easy ways to do upcycle fashion.

1. Upcycle Denim Sandal:

Summers are the time of fashion and the way to spend this summer’s intelligently is to Upcycle. For this you might need scissors, thread and needle and tons of inspiration.  For e.g. everyone has those extra long, baggy worn-out jeans that are taking the cupboard’s space but you will never wear them. Create these sandals which are opened toed and high ankle. Designed by Danielle, a designer based in Haifa, Israel, these jeans retain the signature features like zipper, buttons, pocket and the leather label.

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Upcycle Sandals

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Beautiful Shoes

2. Rubber Dress:

Weddings are the time for extravagant and profligate spending and who can blame the bride for buying a wedding gown worth a fortune? But when you have the option to look good in an eco way then who would deny it? This dress is created by a British artist Susie Mac Murray and is made from 1,400 inverted rubber gloves, a common household variety for doing the dishes. It will be featured in New York’s Museum of Art and Designs in a new exhibition which is ironically named ‘Second Lives’.

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Intelligent Upcycle Fashion

3. Gown made out of  Recycled Soda Tabs:

Sweet snacks are now converted into new and chic prom dress.  Sixteen year old Maura Pozek   spent 100 hours threading countless yards of pink ribbon to create this. This gown, called Cantastic also shimmers in the sunlight giving quite an entry to the wearer.

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Cantastic

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Spin-Web

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Another creative Venture

What do you think about these innovative and sustainable creations? Sound off in the comments section.

Responsive Clothing

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Anouk Wipprecht, apparels, bio-feedback, creative, Daan Roosegaarde, Dave Forbes, fabric, fashion blog, fashion illustrations, fashion innovation, freelance fashion designer, Intimacy 2.0, responsive clothing, technology, Technosensual, Video Coat, Ying GAO

With so many technical advancements in the radar in the fashion world, it’s hard to say from which direction the next technology is likely to come.  Amidst all these innovations, the talk of the town is responsive clothing. These are like a highly sensitive bio-feedback instruments which give the response to the person who wears them with one exception, these are clothes.

Like Ying GAO, who created an entire fashion collection of interactive clothing which responses to their environment. Her designs were displayed at the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec. The intelligent couture displayed were a frock that puffed in and out when a visitor breathes in a nearby microscope. Two other dresses called Playtime blurred and shimmered respectively in response to the flashy cameras.

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Responsive clothing by Ying GAO

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Intelligent Couture

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Ying Gao’s Collection

Also ‘Technosensual: Where Fashion Meets Technology’, an event which displayed some of very technologically heavy electronics by curator and fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht. One of his dresses uses sensors to change from opaque to transparent to increase the intimacy between the wearer and the persons around him.

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Technosensual

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Awesome Innovations at the Technosensual

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Wow! Designs

Daan Roosegaarde also created a similar dress that he named Intimacy 2.0. This dress is triggered by heart rate sensors and proximity. It transforms from opaque to transparent and vice-versa when the wearer gets hot and bothered.

Another example of mind-blowing innovation is Video Coat. Created by Dave Forbes to wear it during the Burning Man, an annual art event, but it nevertheless rose to fame.  Essentially it’s a giant wearable LED television which works when plugged into an iPod or a DVD payer.  It needs a 12V batter to power and is a marvelous example of creating spectacle on stage.

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Wearable T.V

How do you like these new technical clothes? 

The new fashion destination: Dubai

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Abhaya, apparels, colors, Dubai fashion week, Dubai mall, dubai shopping festival, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, headgear, scarfs, stoles, surface embroideries, tech pack, trends

Dubai has been gaining popularity over the years as the fashion central of the world.  All eyes have turned to see what wonders this Arab country holds under its wings. This means all the shopping addicted people are now directed here. The signature style for Arab fashion was the wise use of scarf, but later trends diversified.

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Title: Scarf’s traditionally

Dubai became a very famous destination in the passing years and it even hosted Dubai Fashion Week for first time in 2005. It was organized by FZ LLC and was co-founded by Marc Robinson, the famous international designer. Other highlights of the Fashion Week are, showcasing designs in the Eco Talent area, showing short films and viewing the ramp in touch screen monitors.

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Dubai fashion Week- in the process

Also it’s not just the Dubai’s fashion week that attracts visitors to this country, the record of visitors in the Dubai Mall firmly stood at 6.25 million making it the most visited mall in the world. From 54 million in 2011, the number rose to 65 million in 2012 and the owner, Emaar Properties recorded a flat growth of 15 per cent. The increasing number of visitors in 2013 is a clear statement of the increasing popularity of its global reputation. The digits surpassed the shoppers at the other leading malls of America (Mall of America) and UK (Bullring Birmingham).

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Dubai’s fashion

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Rising star

To harness more profit from this increasing popularity, another ambitious project is being set up which will prove to be a design district where designer’s can put-up their designs. The aim is to boost fashion activities in Dubai and also to attract foreign designers.

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Sexy in white-Dubai

Also Vogue magazine has plans to launch an event in this October where all the fashionista of the world as well as the fashion writers and readers will attend. It will display designs from as much as 8 designers, mostly handpicked by Vogue. Designers like Simone Rocha from Ireland, Andrea Incontri from Italy and Razan Alazzouni from Saudi Arabia.  It seems like the time is near when Dubai will become a big player in the fashion business and will soon enthrall the world with its new talents.

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Dubai Fashion Week

What do you think about the rising emphasis of Dubai as a fashion central? Tell me in the comments section.

Style Icon : Jackie O

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1950's, 1960's, apparels, fashion blog, fashion history, freelance fashion designer, garments, Hermes scarf, Jackie Kennedy, Jackie O, John F Kennedy, sophisticated sartorial taste., trends

If Jackie O’s dressing sense and majestic attitude was not such a show stealer, then people might have brushed her off as just another first lady of US. Wife of the debonair president John F Kennedy, Jackie’s knack along with her husband’s political career made news everyday and even today she stays a hot topic for discussion. 

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Style Icon- Jackie O

Jackie Kennedy took the fashion of the 1950’s to a new dimension and her fashion sense translates to the present chic flat shoes, a lady handbag and of course, Hermes scarf. She shepherded the women of the 50’s from their tight waist crinolines and overly done hair and make-up.  Her feminine style has made her an inspiration even almost two decades after her death. Here are a few lessons that we can learn from her sophisticated sartorial taste.

1. If you are in a mood to wear white, make sure it’s as milk white as possible to create an appearance. Also white sunglasses will not at all be monotonous with such a white dress. Plus if you are married, and then make sure your husband also compliments your white outfit, for a fabulous photograph.

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Sassy in white

2. Secondly, button down sleeveless tee- shirt looks better than tank tops when worn with shorts.

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Cool way to say its summers

3. Pink is more feminine and eye catching than red. Also remember, diamonds are a women’s best friend.

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The infamous Day!

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Playing tennis with fiance John Fitzgerald Kennedy

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Shine bright like a diamond

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With Indian Prime Minister- J.L Nehru

4. Floral prints always do the magic, be it any generation.

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Title: Floral by the flower

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Real accessory is a pretty family

5. To create an appearance, the fabric has to be glossy and the colors have to be picked up wisely. Plus make sure the dress fits you at the right places. To keep it classy, wear simple hats, not floral hats.

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Glossy Blue

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Jackie in Red

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The Hat

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Majestic yellow

And lastly, whatever you wear, make it look effortless. Use mild make-up and most importantly have a simple smile on your face. That’s all you need to do a “Jackie O”.

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Perfect posture as well

What do you think about our style queen? Tell me in the comments section.

Eco Fabrics made out of Milk,Tea and Coffee Beans!

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Anke Domaske, coffee beans fabric, dairy products, eco fabrics, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, innovation, kombucha fabric, milk fabric, OMilch, Suzanne Lee, Tea fabric, The fashion industry

The fashion industry these days, seems to be cleaning itself by creating various environment friendly alternatives. Fashion designers have started a crusade to change the image of apparel industry which is considered to be one of the dirtiest industry. There are mainly two reasons. Firstly the cotton crops and synthetic fibers inflict the environment and secondly the outdated machinery and manufacturing methods which is used for dyeing of the fabric creates water pollution and other environment hazards. According to the United States Energy transmission, the fashion industry is the fifth largest contributor of CO2 in the atmosphere. The consumers are now gradually becoming aware and are saying no to these hazardous fabrics and other age-old techniques. That’s why the designers are compelled to create fabrics that are eco-friendly as well as harmless to the environment.

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Coffee Beans fabric

This year’s New York Fashion Week displayed the inclination of designers to create fabrics out of food, bear bottles, develop air dye techniques and smart tailoring methods.

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Fabric made out of coffee beans

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EcoFabric

Conventionally in our homes – milk, tea and coffee stay together but this technical era has tried to use it to make the fashion industry more sustainable. So a German microbiology-student-turned-designer Anke Domaske used dairy products to create an “Eco Milk Fiber” called OMilch. Another such technical pioneer slash sport clothing crusader is a company called Virus who has devised a method to use recycled dairy products to create cool apparel. Suzzanne Lee is one such designer striving to make eco fabric out Kombucha which is a type of fermented tea with the help of “symbiotic ‘colony’ of bacteria and yeast”.

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Kombucha: Fermented Black tea also now used as a fabric

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Recycled Fabric

All these innovations have set the stage for new and credible eco-fibers which are changing the social scenario.  Standards are ensured to harvest the raw materials already available with us so that each person who is working in this polluting fashion world can provide best green services.

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Zoom the fabric-Coffee fabric

What is your opinion? Sound off in the comments section.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer, Sourcing and Manufacturing Consultant helping fashion brands to plan, design and develop new collections with small quantity garment manufacturing. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest Instagram

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Future of wearable tech

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2014, 3-D body scanner, Acustom Apparels, apparels, blog, clients, colors, Continuum Fashion, Electrolux Design Lab, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, Google Glass, LED umbrella by Geisha, New York, Supriya Ghurye, TheLaserGirls, Wearable Tech Fashion Show

Fashion industry comprises of the immensely talented designers who try their level best to find new factors that will make scope for variety. Nobody likes to wear the similar dress to work or to a party so it’s for that reason designers and the big labels are trying to find new things that can help the fashion world to shine better. 

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3D printed sunglasses

When one’s wearing Google Glass with health tracking wrist bands then it’s no secret that there is no stopping of the technical intervention in the fashion world. The designers are seeing this fashion trend in the future and so a Wearable Tech Fashion Show took place in New York to give a platform to this gold in disguise trend. This fest brought together many fashion designers, tech experts and hundreds of intrigued guests who in wonder looked at the intelligently sewn dresses with some or the other technical gadgets.

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LED umbrella showed at the Wearable Tech Fashion Show by Geisha

One such wonder tailor is Acustom Apparels who has recently opened up a shop in Manhattan that uses a 3-D body scanner to customize clothes to give a better fit. Its CEO and Co-founder Jamal Motlagh conceived this idea in his Harvard days.

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Acustom’s weekender look

Also this knockout pair of Onyx Kicks blazed the ramp with the unique 3-D printed shoes that works for every occasion. From the creative minds at Continuum Fashion, this Manhattan-based group specializes in creating new and out of the box ideas.

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Onyx Kicks!

Also TheLaserGirls has taken-up the women’s obsession of nail art and converted it towards the world of 3D printing.

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3D new nail art

It’s not just fashion and glamour that the designers are after, Electrolux Design Lab also has air purifying and environmental welfare in their mind. This latest designs of watches, purifies the air by sucking up the polluted air and sending back the recycled fresh air.

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Not just used for show but also for air pollution

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Sensors reading the human emotions by Sensoree

What is your opinion on these rising trends? Do you think they are going to create more headlines or not? Tell me in the comments section.

Formal wear 2014

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apparels, blazers, blog, colors, fabric, fashion designers, formal wear, freelance fashion designer, office wear, pin stripes, shirt, suits, Supriya Ghurye, tech pack, ties, trends, trousers, work wear

Every morning people worry about what they are going to wear for the day. Formals are a set pattern and the popular belief is that not much diversion is available in them except for the colors.  People go to work each day and try to look different from their work associates, but not many are aware of the options available around. Keeping up with the style credentials is not easy with  formal wear. However SS’14 collection displayed a variety of work wear from different designers which can do subtle arrangements in your staple tailored trousers and colored shirts to create a bigger difference.

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Rejuvenated blue in work wear

If you find your gray and black coat and trousers boring or if you want to add color to your work wear then you can pick this classy top-to-toe tailored cobalt blue blazer with these matching trousers by Malene Birger.  Also if you are in the hunt of alternate wears to the regular 9 to 5 formals then Tara Lamont-Djite has the ideal collection for you.

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Up class formal wear for women

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work wear from Mendel Spring/Summer 2014

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Elegant and pretty Work Wear

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Ralph Lauren SS’14

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Oscar de la Renta collection for Spring/Summer 2014

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Carolina Herrera Spring/Summer 2014

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Altuzarra collection for Spring/Summer 2014

Sexy and sober, this year’s fashion week’s collection had immense amount of innovation in the work wear department. 

Not only women but the look of men has also changed. They have started to ditch black and try new colors.  To get this look match EMPORIO ARMANI hounds tooth sweater with ASOS skinny fit suit jacket in mid grey.

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Men not in black

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Subtle selection

To create this look one needs river island Woven belt, Brown Buckle Satchel, DISQUARED 2 feather detailed fedora, ASOS slim chino with Turn-Up, ASOS Espadrilles With Tie Front, Fossil Heritage Leather Strap Watch and  Blue Long Sleeve Oxford Shirt

Close-Up Men – Formal Wear SS’14
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Close-Up Men – Formal Wear SS’14
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Also men can add colors in their work wear too.  Like this combo made from a tweed suit waist coat, Navy textured skinny tie with bar, white tailored fit shirt and selected hedge green three Paris Chinos. By adding colors one can make a boring formals look fresh and bright. What do you think about the renovated work wear for men and women?

Innovation in fashion industry processes : Smart Tailoring

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apparels, blog, business, colors, consumption, creative, fabric, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, leadtime, pattern, patterns, Siddhartha Upadhyaya, Smart, Supriya Ghurye, tailoring

For a very long time designers are trying to add new and green innovative elements to lure the customers. They are  also looking  to join the organic revolution taken up so fanatically by the fashion industry in large scale. Recently we were introduced with a concept which recycled milk and coffee beans and dairy products to produce fabrics. Now this new trend known as Direct Panel on Loom technology or smart tailoring is gaining its ground.

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Smart Tailoring-Eco friendly way to look good

Smart Tailoring to look fabulous as well
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Although Smart Tailoring is a not a new trend to the world as it was created earlier by an Indian designer Siddhartha Upadhyaya to increase the efficiency of fabric by as much as 15%.  Also the lead-time, which is the time taken to manufacture an article including queue time, set-up, time run time etc is reduced by at least 50%. This factor has considerably increased the allure of this newly innovated technology as more garments can be produced which equals to profit for the producers.

Saving time, Saving money
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It’s for this reason that this technique has become so popular that it out shined every other brain-stormed technique on the ramp of the recent held London Fashion Week.

Smart Tailoring on the runways
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Smart Tailoring attracting everyone
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When a loom is attached to a computer then the data such as its color, pattern or size gets registered into the computer on its own. After entering the information the loom does the math and estimates the exact number of pieces needed. Then rest of the work like weaving, fabric cutting and pattering can be done in a considerably lesser time. Not only does this method save energy by as much as 70-80 percent but it also reduces immense amount of waste.

That’s the reason the fashion world is so much in love with this new trend. What is your opinion? Will this be hot or not? Sound off in the comments section.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer, Sourcing and Manufacturing Consultant helping fashion brands to plan, design and develop new collections with small quantity garment manufacturing. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest Instagram

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Do it yourself fashion

Tags

1970's fashion, apparels, clothes, DIY, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion history, freelance fashion designer, garments, ideas, Punk, recycle clothes, upcycling fashion

Mismatching tops with skirts are old school, nowadays people are getting more and more creative with their needs. To make sure that a red purse looks ravishing with a sooth black dress one can use a little imagination and add colorful stones at the hem of the black dress. It’s due to these ideas that Do-It-Yourself trends are gaining popularity and also due to economic factors like re-usability and novelty but the prime factor is that it encourages wardrobe revamping.

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Revamping plain heels

For young people D-I-Y projects come to the rescue. They would clutch their glue and scissors, then look for inspiration on the internet.  The age group that is driven towards these projects are the young college students who find it hard to keep up with the changing patterns. In these projects people can update old clothing through simple tools and can change their total avatar with these alterations. For most of the people, love for D-I-Y starts when they see how creative the old clothes look, once they are transformed. To change the look of the old worn out jeans at the knee, grab a pair a scissors and rip off the other knee in the similar manner, thus starting a trend. Within one hour the new jeans has gone through the hell and back and later that can become the wearer’s signature outfit.

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Upscaling a table cloth

The term coined for this is upcycling and it’s not only about saving money, it’s also about getting the satisfaction that one can have from wearing their own designs. This feel good is worth a lot more than the money saved. It’s about those skill set that one acquires while designing.

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Drape from a boring shirt

These methods have gained a lot of popularity in the recent times thanks to buddy internet and YouTube. They originated in the 70’s, in the era of punk rebellion when opposite to the mainstream culture, the pop bands would wear shredded jeans and holed tee-shirts. The intent was to be classified as new and different, more like rebel, and with it stirred the love for DIY amidst young crowd.

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Punk in 70’s, DIY in its cradle

Do you think that D-I-Y clothes are creating more fashion awareness amongst people or are it just like other trends that pass without leaving any mark?