Fashion in the city
by Uduak Oduok

SPRING/SUMMER 2005 BEST BETS

The San Francisco chapter of New York based Fashion Group International, Inc. held its annual panel review on the latest national and global fashion trends. The panel comprised of Tatiana Sorokko- Editor, Russian Vogue, Lisa Black-Design director for JD Fine, and East Bay Lingerie Manufacturer and Marsha Silberstein-Personal Shopper for Macy*s & Educator. Moderated by Christine Suppes, Editor-in-Chief and founder of Fashionlines.com, the panel eloquently and interestingly tackled three key questions:

What is the role of embellishments i.e. brooches in current trends?
They are the biggest trend now but Tatiana quoting Coco Chanel, "luxury is the opposite of vulgarity," pointed that when the end of the fashion lines such as GAP and Banana Republic begin to mass produce these embellishments, "it's time to move on in the fashion business."

What works that is glamorous and lady like?
Ethnogypsy and flamenco skirts introduced by Jean Paul Gautier are fun and push the envelope the way John Galliano or Christian Dior do. Arguably, however, its longevity is questionable as it targets the really young market or the very elegant haute couture client.