Sarah’s Fashion Journal

By Sarah Brewer

Entry #1 Women’s Wear Daily - October 15, 2010

Nars Adds Doors, Executives

The only place I have heard of Nars Cosmetics is when I casually walk by it whenever I am in Sephora, my favorite cosmetics store. Now that the store is expanding, people are starting to notice it as an independent cosmetics company. The business is planning on opening its !rst "agship boutique in Manhattan’s West Village sometime in spring 2011. They just launched a store in South Korea as well in the Galleria West Department Store in Seoul’s Apgujeong. Nars !rst entered Asia in 2002 in Hong Kong, which is the company’s fastest-growing markets. In Asia they are getting a new regional manager by the name of Jocelyn Leung. This will be a good move for Nars. Manhattan’s West Village will give Nars some good company. It’s a very popular shopping area in New York City. Nars I feel has been hidden in the US for a while since its shares the same cosmetics store (Sephora) as other brands like Clinique, Chanel, Sephora Brand, and many more.

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Nars Adds Doors, Executivesby JULIE NAUGHTONPosted FRIDAY OCTOBER 15, 2010From WWD ISSUE 10/15/2010

Nars Cosmetics Inc. is having a growth spurt. The cosmetics brand said this week that it will open its first flagship boutique in Manhattan’s West Village in spring 2011, and has just launched in South Korea. In South Korea, the brand has entered the Galleria West Department Store in Seoul’s Apgujeong district. The 400-square-foot space has black-and-white hand-brushed walls set against pure white stone flooring. Nars first entered Asia in 2002 in Hong Kong. At present, there are more than 41 doors in Asia, with plans to increase doors in 2011. Asia is one of Nars Cosmetics’ fastest- growing markets, said Louis Desazars, chief executive officer of Nars. In addition, Jocelyn Leung has been named regional managing director, Asia, effective immediately. In this new role, Leung will be responsible for overseeing all Asian markets and developing the presence of Nars throughout Asia. She will report to Jacqueline Anderson, executive director of international sales. Lisa Naftolin has been named executive director, creative brand development for Nars Cosmetics, effective immediately. Naftolin will report to Barbara Calcagni, vice president of global marketing.

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Entry #2 Wall Street Journal - November 27, 2010

Black Friday Sales Rise, But Only Slightly

According to ShopperTrak, Black Friday sales rose a little bit from a year ago, although more shoppers visited retail stores this year than last year. Sale’s increased by .3% to $10.7 billion. The reason for the increase was cause partly because of online-only promotions and discounts that were offered earlier in the month of November. Bill Martin states that, “the American shopper has adapted to the economic climate over the last couple of years and is possible spending more wisely as the holiday season begins.” By this he means, that yes the sales have risen, but that doesn’t stop shoppings from coming in after they have learned how to wisely spend their money. I de!nitely agree with this statement. I myself went out to take on other Black Friday shoppers with my mom, and I noticed the sales weren’t as good as they used to be, but we somehow spent less then we did last year.

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Black Friday Sales Rise, But Only SlightlyBy ELIZABETH HOLMES

Black Friday sales rose only slightly from a year ago even though more shoppers visited stores, retail traffic monitor ShopperTrak said Saturday, setting the stage for another uncertain holiday season for retailers.

Sales increased 0.3% to $10.7 billion, according to ShopperTrak, which installs monitoring devices in stores to gauge traffic. Traffic rose by 2.2%, ShopperTrak said.

The smaller than expected increase is due in part to discounts offered earlier in November as well as online-only promotions, ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin said. Traffic to stores was up over 6% for the first two weeks of November, an early boost that could affect retailers' performance in the coming weeks, he said.

Still, the total amount spent on the day after Thanksgiving set a record, and ShopperTrak didn't adjust its forecast for a 3.2% increase in sales this holiday season.

"The reality is we have a deal-driven consumer in 2010," Mr. Martin said in a release. "The American shopper has adapted to the economic climate over the last couple of years and is possibly spending more wisely as the holiday season begins."

Online sales rose 16% over last year, according to figures released Saturday by International Business Machines Corp.'s Coremetrics, which gathers data directly from the websites of over 500 U.S. retailers. The average value of an order rose to $190.80, an increase of 12%, or around $20, from last year.

Although much has been made about the role of cell phones in the new

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retail landscape, the share of people who use those devices to shop remains small. Only 5.6% of people logged onto a retailer's website using a mobile device, according to Coremetrics.

In a somewhat more optimistic reading than ShopperTrak's, market research firm NPD Group Inc. said retailers did a better job this Black Friday in getting people who visited their stores to leave with something in the shopping bag. The so-called rate of conversion rose by 4% over the prior-year period, NPD said, with 95% of shoppers in stores making a purchase.

"Retailers did a better job of luring consumers in with big deals and great savings," Marshal Cohen, NPD Group's chief industry analyst, said in a release.

Another positive indicator, according to NPD: the share of people who bought items for themselves rose, to 33% from 26%. Those purchases tend to be what is known as an impulse purchase, meaning something someone bought without advanced planning. That kind of spontaneity has been seen rarely in the choppy consumer recovery.

According to ShopperTrak, the Northeast and the Midwest regions of the country showed the strongest gains in sales, with 1.7% and 0.4% increases, respectively, over last year. The West posted no increase, while the South saw sales fall 0.3%.

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Entry #3 Vogue - November 2010

Straight From the Pages of November: The New Neutrals

This short article from the Vogue website explains that ‘you can make a big statement by dressing softly this season.’ By this they mean dressing in whites, beiges, and tan hues will make a statement for themselves while blending into any wardrobe. I feel this is a good look for the winter season. Although when I think of holiday parties I think of shimmering blacks, reds, and greens with some hints of gold and silver here and there, I feel this year lighter colors will be the trend for the holiday season.

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Straight From the Pages of November: The New Neutralswww.vogue.com/guides/straight-from-the-pages-of-november-neutrals/

Billowing, old-world luxe: White silk is deliciously aristocratic in an ironed-linen-sheets way, and the new approach to a favorite found in our November issue is equally alluring. You can make a big statement by dressing softly this season in whites, beiges, and tan hues that blend seamlessly into any wardrobe. Don't wait to incorporate it into your wardrobe, however, as winter is fast upon us. Shop the Issue with Vogue and Net-A-Porter now.

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Entry #4 Fashion Observations

Fashion Observations for Current Season

For fashion this fall season, something I’ve seen a lot of is fur, mainly for women though. My observations started around campus. During the warmer days I saw fur vests and tall boots with fur linings. As the days have gotten colder, I see a lot of fur jackets, long sleeved and third quarter sleeves. As my observations spread to downtown shoppers, business people, and tourists, I noticed a lot more fur jackets, or faux fur. One day while shopping downtown with some friends, we decided to walk into Forever 21. While in the store I counted at least 9 different styles of fur vests and jackets. I have never seen so much fur in Forever 21. Of course its faux fur. For men I am seeing a lot of leather jackets. Leather jackets have always been in fashion for me, but this year I’m seeing more then usual on the streets of Chicago. On campus I haven’t seen much of leather, but I have seen a lot of sport coats. While in the Levi’s store on Michigan Avenue, I noticed a lot of leather jacket styles. Although Levi’s is known for beautiful leather jackets, there were a lot more styles to chose from and a few more color options for mens and womens.

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Entry #5 Fashion Predictions

Fashion Predictions for Upcoming Season

For the spring 2011 season I feel like high waisted shorts will make a bigger

come back then last season. The reason I say this is because for the fall season I am

seeing a lot of high waisted pants with tucked in shirts and bold belts. So for spring I

just think that the pants will change into shorts.

Another trend I think we will see a lot of is over the knee boots with shorts.

Some looks might also add some tights, I’m seeing a lot of that this season as well.

For men I think dark wash jeans will be in style. Usually with the dark wash

jeans, a light colored shirt makes it more of a spring look. Men’s suits I feel will be

lighter with funner colors for ties, meaning brighter colors.

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Entry #6 Current Fashion Trends

Faux Fur/Fur vests and jackets are de!nitely a current fall fashion trend.

Dark colors with an accent of bright accessories is a trend this fall.

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-Men’s leather jackets are being seen a lot more all over town.

Women’s knee high boots are very popular this season!

- This new trend is called ‘Jeggings’ a mix of the words Jeans and Leggings.

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Entry #7 Past Fashion

-This picture represents the 90’s grunge fashion.

-This picture represents the 80’s womens fashion, with bright colors in clothing and make up

-This picture from the movie Grease, shows what some 50’s styles were like.

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Entry #8 Fabric and Color Trends

Fiber Name: Faux FurFiber Contents: PolyesterCountry of Origin: China or United States

Fiber Name: WoolFiber Contents: WoolCountry of Origin: Italy

Fiber Name: DenimFiber Contents: CottonCountry of Origin: United States

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Entry #10 Hellcats Fashion

A new show I recently watched was Hellcats. Its a cheerleading show, and I’m

honestly not a huge fan of it. Its very cliche and what you would expect out of a show

about cheerleading and personal drama. The fashion on the show is very laid back,

because its about regular college students. The only trend I can see that will come

out of this show is casual shirts and skinny jeans. Even though these trends are

already out there obviously, they might be worn by younger girls then usual since its

on the same channel as Gossip Girl, which has a very broad range of viewers.

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Entry #11 Tom Ford

I’m so obsessed with Tom Ford, its weird. I love his menswear collection, because it is so unique. My favorite Tom Ford red carpet moment was Glee producer Ryan Murphy at the 2010 Emmy Awards.

My recent obsession is his summer 2010 line. It’s such a fun mix of colors, patterns, and fabrics. My favorite look is this look. My favorite thing about this out!t is the black and white silk bow tie. I’m not really sure what type of retailer would include Tom Ford’s work, he is so unique with his designs. I feel like I might see this look in a Zara rare collection of some kind.

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Entry #12 Fashion Career Paths

Fashion Designer: The responsibility of a fashion designer is more than just sketching out ideas on a pad of sketchbook paper. They need to be up to date on current and future fashion trends. Working with different colors and fabrics is also a big part of their job. As a designer, you need to attend and run the !ttings for the models, review fabric and color samples, !t and trim work, and much more.

Buyer: Some of the jobs of a fashion buyer include, researching trends to predict which styles of clothing will be popular in future seasons. This includes a lot of traveling for very experienced buyers. They travel to gather informations on designer collections and international trends. Other buyers just go to local stores, trade fairs, and stores where they have information on local trends.

Stylist: A fashion stylist is someone that picks out clothing based on requirements for the media they are styling for, such as editorial features, print, television, advertising, music videos, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models, or any other public !gures.

Fashion Event Planner: Some of the duties that they are required to do are obviously !nd a place to hold the show, reserve the place, and !gure out the terms and dates for the event. Determining the lighting, music, and staging needs are quite important. Assemble the merchandise that is being shown, and trying to !gure out the order. Hire the models and supervise the rehearsals. Figure out advertising and tickets is another huge task. I feel the most important is get backstage help, there is no way one person can manage all of this at once! Finding sponsors is really important. Someone I would maybe want to do someday is handle the publicity, like setting up interviews with the designers and/or models.

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Entry #13 Fashion DONTS

-Sandals with socks is an obvious fashion don’t, simply because it isn’t attractive.

-Skirt over jeans...yuck. Especially when the jeans are baggy. I feel like if you want to pull this look off, you need the perfect skirt with a pair of jeggings, other than that, either wear the skirt or the jeans.

-Shirts that are too small, are obviously a fashion don’t. This goes for men as well!

- When you want to wear jean on jean out!ts, make sure the washes look good together, otherwise, this is a fashion don’t for me

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Entry #14 Possible Fashion Careers

Fashion Stylist: I feel like a fashion stylist career would be a good !t for me because I’m good with layering the right colors and the right fabrics together. I’m also good at accessorizing. I know what styles of clothes look good on certain bodies. (ex: if you want to look taller and slimmer, wear patterns that go vertical.)

Fashion Buyer: I feel like this job would be a good !t, because I love to travel and I would make sure I didn’t have set plans so I was able to travel. I’m good at researching current and future trends, and also past trends to see if any of the trends might come back. I’m a people person, and I feel thats a must for any career.

Showroom Salesperson: This would be a good job for me because I’m good at selling an item to someone. I love meeting new people and I can start up a conversation with almost anyone. I’m hardworking and I do good in a fast paced environment. I work well under pressure, and I feel showroom people are under a lot of pressure trying to please clients.

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