Affordable Fashion Designers

Throughout history, fashion designers have been known to be the two “E’s”: expensive and

exclusive. However, more and more are either starting to understand they can reach a larger

audience by making the clothes affordable or the economy has force their hand to cut down the prices.

Either way “I love it”!

Companies like Target and now H&M are using their stores as an affordable fashion platform. Great designs are the essence of the Target brand. Target partners with world-class designers to offer amazing products at affordable prices. Target list of fashion designer have been Isaac Mizrahi, Alice Temperley, Erin Fetherston, and Mossimo (to name a few). And this list of designers will continue to get longer with the GO International™ an innovative program designed to provide affordable fashion created by emerging designers. GO International is an exciting way to deliver the latest style to their female customers at the prices they expect from Target. The next fashion designer was announced Dec. 4th, 2009, which is Rodarte.

According to Target’s press release, known for directional designs, intricate detailing and standout, red carpet dresses, Rodarte will launch an exclusive collection on Target.com/go and at most Target stores nationwide on December 20, 2009. The amazingly-priced collection of

women's apparel, belts and legwear, will be available through January 31, 2010.

Fashion designs at affordable prices. If you’re a single young woman who is in school like me, I love to go shopping, however I have to make sure I go to the right stores for the right price and still look fashionable. Several stores are creating a platform for designers to showcase their fashion line at affordable prices.

H&M. Jimmy Choo is now at selected H&M stores. His shoes are sexy and fashionable. According to H&M press release, this autumn, British accessory brand Jimmy Choo will bring its international glamour and covetable shoes and bags to selected H&M stores. The collection will be available from November 14 in around 200 stores across the world. It is the first time that H&M is collaborating with an accessories brand, and to celebrate Jimmy Choo will extend its design vision for this collection to women’s clothing to complement the accessories. Further exciting news is that this collaboration includes a men’s collection of shoes, bags and accessories.

Got experiment? ... Google does In this article it deals with an experiment of a Google product for a way to browse through news which will share advertising revenue with participating publishers. This is a significant shift for Google. This new product, Fast Flip, will cumulative content from 40 news organizations such as New York Times to Redbook, in screenshots that mimic flipping through a magazine. This is a constructive resource for my research because it shows another source of revenue for publishers, another way to reach target audiences & creating new ones who may have not know about the this particular publication but have an interest in it. This will slowly close the gap of what I don’t know that I don’t know with I didn’t know that but now that I do and have an interest let me research and follow up closely with this. This is interactivity because it will personalize the person’s interests and only show those. In some ways, this is similar to the MINE magazine; Time Warner Inc. did an experiment a couple of months ago customizing magazine to the reader’s interest. Also, I would use this in my future research project to see if viewers, users, or members (however you define “audience’) are adapting to this new interactive component of personalizing reading interest. Reminds me in many way of stepping on the door step of Web 3.0…maybe?

Of course, curiosity has struck and I venture to this new fast flip site. I want to see if it was appealing, user friendly, or useful? What are some of the interactive components, if it had any? My review is the verdict is still out; the site is user friendly and achieves its ultimate goal which is to be a news browser for publications. So far there are only 40 publications and yes they do appeal to me in some interest but publications especially magazines are specialize and the most common magazines I read on a continuous basis isn’t among the list. Obviously, this is an experiment and I can see how this will be a useful product in finding creditable articles relate to one’s personal interest. Was it appealing to me? In so ways, yes, however I enjoy the experience of tangible reading the magazine and physically turning the pages.

Defining my audience…who are my users?

In one of my graduate courses, we are reading several books, which are the following:

• Groundswell – by Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff • Be the Media: How to Create and Accelerate Your Message…Your

Way – Compiled by David Mathison • Writing for the Multi-Media and Web – by Timothy Garrand • The Informational Design Handbook – by Jenn and Ken

Visocky O’Grady

The books are giving foundational tools to guide us (Interactive Media Professionals) to understand the dynamics of social media, web design and content. One of the many themes the books have in common is the educating the reader to know who their audience, user, consumer, etc. is?

Taking from the stance of web designing for a particular company, the web designer knows the actual goal is to build a site, where users can access information whether that will lead them to a monetary transaction or informational usage. However before a template design can be made the web designer first have to ask the question: Who are my users? Who are the potential individuals visiting the site? So it is best to define the users before coming up with any web design concepts.

In Garrand’s book, Writing for the Interactive Media and Web provides an excellent job structuring the questions a company should ask themselves before going into the second phase which is coming up with ideas for a site. In the reading, it states:

• Information needs. What information or activities do the users want from your project?

• Research modes. How does your targeted user typically look for information? Do they like to search or browse? Do they need an online advisor tool that will allow the user to write answers to a series of questions and get advice? How will they want the information organized? What are their key information categories?

• Expertise. What does the typical user already know about the product or topic? Does there need to be a lot of background information, or can we move right into the main content?

• Technology. How will users generally access your information? Will they use a PDA, web phone, computer, etc? If a website, will they use broadband or dialup? Are the users sophisticated enough with the technology to allow advance features, or are they novices who will be easily confused?

• Culture & Language. What is the dominant culture and language of your users? Is there a significant minority of users from another culture? If so, you may need to create separate programs* for each, or at least create sections of your programs in another language.

These are just the tip of the iceberg questions companies should be asking and web designers asking out of the client their doing a website for. As a young professional in this industry, it is necessary to get in the habit of understanding and applying these concepts now, before I graduate. In this digital age, it’s not enough to know how to design a pretty website or to say I own a company. You need to know who your audience is because they have more power than people know.

Please stay tune to my blog postings, the next topic will be the Power of the Audience. I am in my infancy in the blog world, please leave comments and feedback on my blog posting. The books I mention in the blog are all available on Amazon.com, they are a must read in this industry.

*Programs meaning another strategy to reach those users, which may mean creating a different website.

One hour 12 minutes

Over the fall break I was able to embark on a journey, a journey in which once was a hard road before but one I needed to take as part of my healing. I went back home to participate in the Susan G. Komen breast cancer 5k walk. It was a cold Saturday morning in the foothills of North Carolina, I forgot how mountainous and crisp the air can be but was quickly reminded. As my friend and I arrived on Lenoir Rhyne University campus, cars were packed all over the place. We rush to meet with my mother’s twin sister and a really good friend of the family who is like a play mom to me, Vickie. Our team name was Dream Girls, dreaming of when the time will come that a cure will be found for this non-discriminating disease. As they were putting on their shirts, I was handed a piece of pink paper with words that stated “I celebrate Jeanetta Ford and Vickie Pope”. I pinned it on my shirt with pride because I never thought of celebrating my mother who fought breast cancer as hard as she could…don’t get me wrong I was proud of her but I was still engulf with my own pain of losing her that I never was capable of seeing it that way.

One hour and 12 minutes…I celebrated

And we’re off onto the race…

I didn’t realize how badly I was out of shape but I continue to truck along because in my mind I remembered all the pain my mother went through, so what I was going through don’t even compare…it was only temporary. I walked with my aunt as my friend and Vickie walked ahead. Even though we never spoke or talk about my mom during the walk, I know it was on both of our minds. The hardest part of the walk was getting to the one mile mark. I was thinking about all the times we as humans first begin something whether it’s a new job, a business, or a goal…the hardest part is the first couple of steps…getting through and trying to find your own pace, your own breathing techniques.

One hour and 12 minutes…cheering to victory

The little things along this race, which made me smile was seeing the young children, walking and cheering their parents and grandparents along. The cheerleaders from the

various surrounding schools and volunteers rooting us along with encouraging words “You can do it! You’re almost there…one more hill to go!” I couldn’t help but laugh, smile and press my way through the burning soles of my feet.

One hour and 12 minutes…I cross the finish line.

This was my first walk I ever participated in but it’s not my last… just the beginning. It started to become emotional seeing all the people walking and the signs on their backs of who they were walking for. People telling each other good job and giving high fives in the cool air. We were people from all different walks of life who came together for a common purpose.

One hour and 12 minutes…I will participate.

For me the breast cancer walk was just a catalyst of me giving my time to assist a well deserving organization. This week all the major networks along with other TV stations are coming together for a common purpose which is to spread the word of volunteerism across the country. With the First Lady, Michelle Obama spear heading this event asking the country to lean a helping hand to someone in need. I am in the process of finding an organization I can volunteer with and make a difference. I urge you to do the same.

One hour and 12 minutes…I made a difference.

Daily Burn – iPhone app I have been at this losing weight for awhile and hopefully this will be the year I will be successful and keep it off. My biggest problem with losing weight has been keeping a journal of what I eat and logging it. I start off good but then it goes downhill and I don’t continue.

Well, I believe I found a solution (or a tool that will aid me) to eating healthier…Daily Burn, a new iPhone application that will allow you to log in your food journal on the phone. But that’s not what makes this particular application stand apart from the rest, the uniqueness is the ability to scan the bar code on the package of food with the camera then you can place the item in the journal by selecting it, choose the serving size, and it will count the calories for you. SWEET!!!

This is a great benefit to use at the grocery store to make better and healthier options. So I know you’re thinking, what if the food I’m eating doesn’t have a bar code to scan, well you’re not out of luck. The application will allow you to type in the food and select it from the food database.

Below, I have enclosed some neat facts about this application, if you’re a health nut or interested in losing weight try this application out…I am. Also, I will give updates if the application is working for me, so please stay tune. I feel that if I blog about it then I really have to be accountable for losing the weight. Till next time….

This was pulled from www.fourhourworkweek.com, check it out for further information and to see the video.

1. DailyBurn’s FoodScanner is the first and only application that uses the iPhone’s camera to scan the UPC codes of foods and link them with full nutritional information (calories, macronutrients, etc.).

2. With a built-in database of more than 200,000 foods, it is the easiest way to accurately log what you eat during the day and keep an up-to-date calorie and

nutrient count. All information is automatically synced with DailyBurn’s sophisticated workout and nutrition-tracking web application.

3. You don’t have to use the new 3GS with auto-focus. It works accurately on all iPhones using the most accurate scanning technology for iPhone – Occipital’s Red Laser.

4. You can also track natural foods (not processed) by searching by name or brand.

Top 10 iPhone Apps for Graduate Students

QuickVoice Recorder This app automatically converts voice message to text. It’s like your very own personal assistant. You can record and send reminders, memos, ideas, personal messages, and observations, details of a meeting/interview or your week’s schedule.

Keeper Password and Data Vault This encrypted app keeps all your passwords secure and safe in one location, which you can access as often as you want.

Balance Balancing a check book can be hard, but not anymore. This new iPhone app automatically balances your account when a new item is entered into the budget application.

Readdle Storage Readdle gives users the ability to read business documents, books or other papers from their iPhone. It supports MS Word, Excel files, PDFs and TXTs. The latest version of this free app allows online business entrepreneurs to download and store up to 512Mb; no internet connection is needed to view documents later. Another improvement is the flash-based upload engine, allowing users to upload several documents simultaneously.

Mocha VNC Lite iPhone Through this app, users can access VNC servers. On the go entrepreneurs can access their Mac OSX or Windows PC and view all files and programs as if they were sitting in the office. It's a free, easy way to stay connected while away from the office.

Fring Small online business owners who make long distance calls should opt for Skype and its complementary iPhone app, Fring. E-commerce entrepreneurs can connect to their Skype VOIP account to make calls anywhere in the world. Busy businesspeople can participate in phone conferences on the go for free.

Cisco WebEx Meeting Centre You can join meetings via WebEx at any given point to keep in touch with your team. No matter where you are.

Pay Pal This app allows you to access your PayPal account right on your phone to pay bills, check account balances and make withdrawals.

PageOnce Personal Assistant With this free app and consequent free subscription for PageOnce.com, entrepreneurs can organize multiple web pages into a one display. As a result, the user has immediate access to their social sites, bank accounts, savings and more from one location.

Currency App Grants you access to up-to-date exchange rate info for over 90 currencies in over 100 countries.

Not Your Average Website

We have been accustom to visualize websites as a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network. A web site is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via the Internet or a private local area network.

The website design template is usually a web page document in plain text including hyperlinks, pictures, graphics, and some video embedded in the infrastructure. And we really like the bells and whistles of Flash animation.

But what about a non-traditional way of building a website? A way that still provides all the essential information and tools but package it a little differently.

Boone Oakley, an Ad agency, took a different approach of how they would present themselves on the web. Their website is on YouTube. It’s several videos which consist of hotspots creating a different experience for clients and potential future employees.

I must say a very clever idea!

Literally, watching the website as a viewer I’m clear on how they want me to see their company. They were able to add so much of their personality and their story in this way.

I can’t wait to see what will they come up with next?

This forces others, especially as an Interactive media graduate student, to think outside the box of new ways to market and brand.

OneWebDay (#owd09)

The Executive Director of OneWebDay stated “— we believe that the values of the Web – openness, opportunity, and participation, to name just a few, wil l play a major

role in how our global society solves its problems”.

This is one of the reasons of the event to show how the Web has empowered, enhanced, and contributed to the human network. In our iMedia class, each of us posted a YouTube video of how the internet has played important role in our lives or how the effects the internet has played in society (check out the link http://stories.onewebday.org/).

On campus, there is an event every Tuesday called “College Coffee” where a continental breakfast is served while organizations inform and bring about awareness to the campus. Today, the M.A. Interactive Media Class of 2010 made our mark on campus with OneWebDay. We surveyed a number of students on various questions to see what knowledge they had about the internet. The surveys were then calculated and several classmates told the audience if they were correct or not. What I got out of the OneWebDay event and the purpose of it was to bring knowledge to the community of Elon University of the history of the Web but more importantly the awareness that there is still a digital divide in the world because everyone doesn’t have access to the Web, which we take some much for granted.

The Web was created to share information, collective ideas, and consciousness ultimately creating numerous of voices throughout. If people are not allow this communicative tool then how will their voices be heard, how will their stories be shared amongst the rest of the world? This is what the Interactive Media (iMedia) program purpose is to equip us with the necessary tools to use as a vehicle to tell stories whether it’s our own or someone else with the interactive world.

Rent the Runway Rent the Runway is a new way to actually get couture designers pieces for a fraction of the cost. Since people can rent handbags, why not rent a dress to match? According to an article in NY Times, Rent the Runway is hoping to make high-end fashions much more accessible and almost as easy as renting a movie from Netflix. The rentals run $50 to $200 for a four-night loan and are shipped directly to the customer’s doorstep. After wearing the dress, you can put it into a prepaid envelope and drop it in the mail. Dry cleaning is included in the price, but damage insurance costs $5, and in the case of outright destruction of the dress, the renter is responsible for the full retail price.

Rent the Runway is a great site to rent designer dresses for events, which you normally can’t afford. However there are a few down sides to this site:

• The clothes are not catered to plus size women. The largest size was a 10. • The dresses are so beautiful; it would be very difficult to give them up.

Rent the Runway has only been in existence for maybe a month now, so hopefully, more designers will become part of this phenomenon. And hopefully, some of these designers will carry plus size clothing.

“WATER …WATER…CLEAR, CLEAR...WATER”

This was a l ittle tune my father used to sing after coming in the house from a working in yard drenched in sweat wanting a tall glass of water. He would always

tell my sister and me, water is good for you!

Later on in l ife, I realize what a true statement that was…water is very important to the body.

Top 10 Essential Reasons Why Water is Important to your Health:

• Serve as an appetite suppressant. It’s best to drink a glass of water before eating a meal because you won’t eat as much.

• Enhanced health. Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle.

• Increased energy, boost metabolism. Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle.

• Reduce the Risk of Cancer. Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer.

• A radiant complexion, keeps the skin hydrated. You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increase skin elasticity.

• Carries nutrients to every cell in your body. Your body fells very good that’s why you soul feels happy.

• Flushes out nasty toxins. Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks of water, your heart, for instance, need to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so are you.

• Combat ailments by drinking more water. In many cases, fatigue, headaches and back pain may be caused by dehydration.

• Lubricates your joints. Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.

• Better Productivity at Work. Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrate.

How much water should you drink?

According to WebMD.com stated:

How can you know if you’re getting enough water to keep your metabolism cranking at peak efficiency and your digestive system functioning? The formula used to be “one size fits all” -- eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. But that’s changed, experts say.

“It depends on your size and weight, and also on your activity level and where you live,” Nessler says. “In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.” For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day. If you’re living in a hot climate and exercising a lot, you’d be on the higher end of that range; if you’re in a cooler climate and mostly sedentary, you’d need less.

Another quick way to check: look in the bowl after you’ve gone to the bathroom. If your urine is clear or very light yellow and has little odor, you’re well hydrated. The darker and more aromatic your urine, the more dehydrated you are.

How can you build more water consumption into your day? Try these tips:

• Carry an insulated sports bottle with you and fill it up periodically. • Keep a glass of water on your desk at work. • Keep another glass next to your bed. Many of us wake up dehydrated first thing

in the morning. • Switch one glass of soda or cup of coffee for a glass of water. • Drink small amounts of water throughout the day. Six glasses all at once isn’t

good for you!