How The K-Pop Craze Is Taking Over Fashion Week

Parasite winning at the Oscars is one thing, the new much-hyped Filter track by BTS, is another. But nothing is quite like the overwhelming K-Pop hype at Fashion Week.

Some say that South Korean K-Pop stars are the world's biggest influencers, having the biggest pull on Instagram. Having the entire world going bananas for K-Pop, with bands selling out stadiums in just seconds, it makes sense that luxury fashion brands want their slice of the pie. With BTS wearing custom-made tour outfits designed by Kim Jones for Christian Dior, it’s likely their far-reaching appeal won’t stop anytime soon.

Are Korean celebrities becoming the next face of luxury fashion? G-Dragon was the first Korean musician to ever collaborate with Nike for limited edition sneakers, which sold out in a matter of seconds. The fashion ‘It Boy’ has been a Chanel ambassador, too, while Kai of the K-Pop group Exo is a muse for Gucci, too.

Case in point: Just yesterday, Lalisa Manoban, the star of the K-Pop group Blackpink, was in the front row of the Prada show today at Milan Fashion Week. The crowd went absolutely wild - far wilder than most fashion week scrums, stopping traffic more than any other celebrity.

                                Mother of the Bride Dresses

Why You Need To Look Out For Alexis Ren In 2020

The new decade is basically here and Alexis Ren is the dynamic star to know. Social media may have been how she got her big break in modeling, but since then, she's worked hard to make the most out of her career. She launched her own activewear line Ren Active and even competed on Dancing With the Stars alongside professional dancer Alan Bersten.

In 2019, Ren continued her streak in front of the camera by collaborating on music videos with Ed Sheeran and Kygo. With another roaring 20's on the horizon, fans can expect the 23-year-old to embark on more on-screen adventures. "I'm changing my career so drastically," she told Forbes earlier this year at the Revolve Awards. "It's been really amazing. I'm going into acting, which is going to be so fun and I'm excited for that transition."

The model and entrepreneur turned actress also explained that she's open to all opportunities that come her way. "My goal is to find more creative outlets for my art, whether that be acting, music or poetry." At the same time, she wants to focus on making a difference in the environment and coming up with innovative ways to make the world more sustainable. "I'm really invested in environmental work," she said. "Even though it's absolutely beautiful to work on your own accomplishments, none of it is going to matter if we don't protect the Earth. That's one of my priorities now because I want the younger kids of our generation to have a bright future."

Her ambition and confidence is unlike any other, but Ren mentioned that she couldn't have gotten to where she is today without her strong support system. This includes her family, friends and of course, boyfriend Noah Centineo. The duo made their red carpet debut in October for the UNNICEF Masquerade Ball. "When I doubt myself, having them to look towards is everything to me," Ren shared of her loved ones.

She added that her To All the Boys I've Loved Before love interest constantly keeps her going. "He inspires me in every single way, he's all of the above," Ren described of Centineo. "I've really grown so much as a human being in our relationship. He challenges me mentally, emotionally, in the work that I do and with my mental health. He's so evolved as a human being, so it's really amazing and makes me understand what a healthy relationship can look like. It's really beautiful."

The Clothing Rental App That Wants To End Fast Fashion

Brits purchase more clothing than any other European country, spending £2.7 billion ($3.5 billion) on fashion that they only wear once.

The founder of a fashion technology company called By Rotation is hoping to change consumer habits, and help the planet to boot.

U.K.-based, India-born and Singapore-raised Eshita Kabra came up with the idea when she was planning her honeymoon.

"I turned to social media for ideas on what to wear, and always saw influencers on social media wearing beautiful clothing—often only once—in idyllic settings. I started to wonder if these items were gifted from the brands themselves or bought just for the photo, and what would happen to them after."

Kabra didn't want to follow the footsteps of Rent the Runway, or China's YCloset, as she wanted to "build a sustainable community, rather than a cheaper alternative to dressing new."

By Rotation launched via a beta platform in April 2019, while 28-year-old Kabra was still working full time at a hedge fund.

Kabra says her company differs from players like Rent the Runway, or U.K. companies such as Girl Meets Dress, Front Row, and Our Closet, as they are the "U.K.'s first and only fashion rental app."

"We are a pure peer-to-peer fashion rental marketplace meaning we do not buy any inventory whatsoever unlike all the other businesses.

"Most of our peers focus on occasion wear and are for fashion-conscious females whereas we cater to a wide range of outfits and therefore prices."

Rentals range from £15 for a Reformation dress to £75 for a Birkin bag and the app is open to all genders.

But shifting mindsets about renting has been a "big part" of the challenge.

"We liken ourselves and give the examples of AirBnB, Uber and Vestiaire Collective to warm up and remind people how common the sharing and circular economies have become."

Kabra says her upbringing played a role in wanting to launch the brand.

"I was born in Rajasthan, a place known for its textile mills and craftsmanship; I grew up in Singapore, where our national hobby is shopping while repeatedly being taught the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and made to feel guilty about wasting water, and I live in the United Kingdom, where people are fashion-conscious and increasingly turning up the volume on sustainable causes.

"The same people have also embraced sharing economies such as Airbnb, Uber and Fat Llama—so why not fashion?"

In order to stay as sustainable as possible, the company doesn't buy in any inventory, which also poses another issue around sizing and style.

"We continue to invite and grow awareness within our community so we can have something on offer for everyone," Kabra says. "As we educate and shift perceptions on the importance of sharing via renting and therefore decreasing consumption, we encourage our community of Rotators to strive towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

"We regularly host and connect our community at our events where we discuss and debate important topics affecting climate change and the fashion industry."

Kabra plans to expand internationally, as well as launch partnerships with charities within the next two quarters. Since the beta launch, the app has already had more than 4,000 users sign up and completed 250-plus transactions.

"My ultimate ambition for By Rotation is to disrupt the fashion industry by bringing an end to low-quality fast fashion."

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This Season's Hottest Fashion Show Is The Moulin Rouge

If you're lucky enough to experience the Broadway show, Moulin Rouge, then you'll experience fashion taking center stage. From the nightclub dancers' intricate corsetry, to the mens' sequin suiting, to the gowns draping the peacocks of the Right Bank, the wardrobes are as central to the storytelling as the choreography, songs and high-octane sets. Many of the costumes, at the genius hands of costume designer Catherine Zuber, were inspired by those design houses staging runway shows today - John Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler, among them. I sat down with Ms. Zuber where we chatted influences behind the looks, and which designers inspire her most.

I'm always looking at what's happening on the runway - mainly in Paris and Milan. For example, there's a scene where suddenly we're in wealthy Paris - and those costumes the rich people were wearing, in mauve and pale pink tones - a lot of that was taken from the Dior collection from 2006. They had taken Belle Epoque visuals, pumped them up to another level, and it was quite inspiring. I don't always look at the current year, but I love to look at couture archives over the last 30 years. There are amazing moments where people are experimenting with taking things from the past and deconstructing and manipulating. John Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Christian Lacroix, Thierry Mugler, John Galliano - they're all amazing artists and it's so inspiring how they put colors together, the types of fabrics they use and how they reference the history of costume in such modern, dynamic ways.

The corsetry you see from those couture houses is just incredible. What Mcqueen does, what Mugler does with corsets - we really worked hard on those. The fitting has to be so precise and then for us, there's the added challenge of movement. We had to pay special attention to where the boning is, where it isn't, where the support is, where we put stretch, where we don't put anything. Each piece is fit to such precision. It was quite demanding, but incredibly satisfying in the end.

                                                                     

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The Best Dog Gear For Fall And Winter

As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, it is a sure sign that fall and winter are on their way. And for dog owners, that means it is time to start getting ready for the change in weather.

I have had active dogs for the past 20-plus years, and they love running through the deep snow where I live, but dogs in different locales have different needs come wintertime. In general, smaller and short-coated dogs need to worry more about a warmth, dogs walked during hunting season or after work in the earlier darkness need to worry about visibility and many dogs have to worry about their paws.

Some dogs can get away with a thin fleece sweater, but if your dog is especially sensitive to the cold or is going to be spending a lot of time outdoors (such as hiking or skiing in winter), the top of the line choice is the Powder Hound by Ruffwear. The hybrid construction combines synthetic insulation that packs in warmth and will still work even if it gets wet with active stretch fabrics to allow unlimited freedom of movement. This is important because this model completely covers the dog’s underbelly and the tops of its front legs, which most coats do not, and this prevents uncomfortable snow buildup that often occurs on the chest and underarms. It is lined with cozy fleece on the inside and comes in three colors and sizes, for dogs from XXS to XL.

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