ALEXA CHUNG'S FASHION

British TV presenter Alexa Chung is quickly achieving style icon status with her easy and seemingly effortless tomboy style. She shares a video about her style adventures in NYC and how it differs from her hometown of London for Refinery 29.

http://www.refinery29.com/everywhere/news/fashion-news/limit/6/offset/6/

TOP FASHION TUMBLRS

Now that tumblr fever is sweeping the nation, many fashion related tumblr blogs are also making a big appearance. I found a list of recommended top 5 current fashion blogs on tumblr from Refinery 29, so indulge your fashion cravings and check these out!

1) http://shoelust.tumblr.com/


2) http://textbook.tumblr.com/

3) http://hellohellodesign.tumblr.com/

4) http://fuckyeahmenswear.tumblr.com/

5) http://theimpossiblecool.tumblr.com/

image source: http://www.refinery29.com/the-best-fashion-twitters-to-follow-now.php

And here's a bonus! This is one of my favorite fashion blogs to peruse: http://seaofshoes.com/

Enjoy!

FIRST ARMANI STORE IN CHINA

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani is entering the Chinese market with a new online store that opened Friday (11/26), and it is one of the first such initiatives in China by a major fashion brand.

This news is not only exciting for the global fashion market as a whole, but also personally exciting for myself, as a Chinese American, to know that brands like Armani are entering the Asian market.

"In view of the increasing enthusiasm for online shopping and the growing importance of the Chinese market, I have decided to open an Emporio Armani online store in China," said Armani.

And Armani was right about the Chinese enthusiasm for online shopping. In fact, online retail sales in China, which has the world's largest web population of at least 420 million, soared 117 percent last year to 39 billion dollars (29 billion euros), according to iResearch, a Beijing-based research firm.

DESIGNER WORLD AIDS SHIRTS

Project Runway Alum Mondo Guerra is partnering with online retailer Piperlime to raise money for AIDs research by designing two limited edition t-shirts to coincide with World AIDs Day.

For each shirt sold, $20 will be donated to amFAR, an organization that focuses on AIDS research.

One shirt shows a tree with a single heart hanging from a branch and the other features a colorful skull in the Day of the Dead theme that dominated Guerra's final collection on the TV show.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101130/ap_en_ot/us_fashion_mondo_guerra

SCARVES GALORE

Scarves are all the rage this year, but this simple accessory can quickly break the bank with all the colors, patterns, and styles available. So here is a simple DIY to make a scarf out of an old t-shirt!

Winter is just around the corner, and you know what that means: scarf season!

I’m going to show you how to make a fringed scarf from one t-shirt, all for $0 dollars. Eat your heart out, American Apparel.

What You Need:

1. An oversized, old, and/or unwanted t-shirt
2. A marker (or something to make marks with)
3. Scissors

How to Make the Fringe Scarf

Step 1:

Take the shirt of your choosing and turn it so the side you want to be visible is on the inside.

If you want to hide the decal or whatever, make sure the decal is on the outside and vice versa. However, I just want to make a note that if you use a shirt with a design on it, the design colors will probably become visible one way or another because the fringe will flip sometimes. So If you want a solid colored fringe scarf, use a shirt with no design on it.

Step 2:

Measure out about 10 or so inches and make a mark in the center of the shirt. Then make a mark on each side of the shirt about one inch above the bottom of each shirt sleeve. Connect all three dots in an arch-like shape (see above).

Step 3:

Cut off the shirt sleeves. (This makes it easier to cut out the scarf shape.)

Step 4:

Cut along the arched line you drew earlier and pull apart. (Make sure you cut both layers!) Put the bottom half aside (we will use it later).

Step 5:

Make a mark under the center of the neck hole and then measure about an inch away from both ends of the neck hole and make two other marks. After you make the marks, connect them by drawing another arch. (Don’t stress, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s going to be round no matter what.)

Step 6:

Cut along the arch line you drew and pull apart.

Step 7:

Starting at the center, cut a straight line until you get to about half an inch away from the top of the fabric. (Make sure you are cutting both the bottom and the top layers.) Then measure about 2 centimeters to the left or right and cut another line. Repeat this until you get the whole piece of fabric looking like the above picture.

Voila!

It should look something like this:

image sources: http://www.collegefashion.net/page/14/

LIVIN' A TEENAGE DREAM

For all you nail fanatics out there, your "teenage dream" is finally coming true! Katy Perry is teaming up with OPI nail polish to create her own line of nail polishes designed to showcase her unique style. Definitely not a stranger to nail art, Katy Perry is known to have crazy nail designs on the red carpet.

Shown below are Katy's past nail art as well as her new line of OPI nail polishes:

Image Source: http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/blogs/beauty/2010/10/katy-perry-and-opi-collaborate-on-a-new-nail-polish-collection.html

GO INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER COLLECTIVE FOR TARGET

I can't speak for everyone else, but for me, fashion does not mean styles that break the bank. That's why I love it when I hear about normally pricey designers teaming up with affordable chain stores in order to provide styles that are both stylin' and affordable. Therefore, I am very excited to declare that Target is jumping on this bandwagon!

In order to commemorate the fifth anniversary of its GO International line, Target will be launching a limited edition collection created by past designer collaborations.

This Designer Collective will consist of 34 pieces designed by 17 individual GO International Designers. Some of these big names include Zac Posen, Erin Fetherston, Rodarte, and Thakoon.

image source: http://www.collegefashion.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Past-Target-Go-International-Designs.jpg

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some of the readers out there), this line will only be including dresses. This special Designer Collective will only be available in Target stores for a limited time (March 13, 2011- April 10, 2011), so for all you style and price savvy shoppers out there, mark your calendars! I know I will.