Fashion QR9

FASHION / RELIGION - Have you seen any women recently wearing a Niqab or Hijab? No, I am not talking about Conservative Muslim women. I am talking about women (of any ethnic background) wearing it as some kind of fashion statement. And an important point is you can now buy them in brand names like Calvin Klein and GAP. Like WTF? How did that happen? Well, its not so much that these brand name companies are getting into the business, its the fact they're making scarves/etc that can be used as such. First lets affiliate you with some of the fashion terms: A Hijab is basically a hood that is worn over your hair. A Niqab (or Niqaab) is a scarf you wear over your face. A full niqab covers everything but a slit for the eyes. There's also: Abaya - Covers you from head to toe except for the eyes, one large piece that looks very baggy. Usually found in Pakistan. Burqa - Like the Abaya, but it covers the eyes with semi-transparent fabric or a grille. More common in Afghanistan . Dupatta

FASHION - I really like David Dixon's fashion designs. They're simple, stylish and I can see wearing them on a day to day basis. They're sexy too. What I also like is his choice of models. He picks his models carefully, choosing not just ethnically diverse models, but also being careful to pick models who have more meat on their bones as opposed to the disgustingly thin. "I don't even think about it," admits Dixon. "It's not a conscious decision to cast women from various ethnicities. I pick the girls I like. I pick girls I think women can relate to." Its also smart business sense. "I get feedback from women who have a critical opinion. They want to see themselves in these clothes," says Dixon. They're more likely to buy the clothes they can see themselves wearing. Designer Mark Fast does the same thing. A couple weeks ago he insisted on having plus-size models for his 2010 spring fashion show... which drew a lot of media attention

FASHION - You know what a gaff is right? Its a mistake. Its a blooper. Its the outtake that usually doesn't make it into TV or magazine spreads. But unfortunately in the fashion world these gaffs do make the news, and in a silly way some people actually take them seriously. Like the two images to the right. You see, as an artistic / creative person myself, I would be totally embarrassed to make things that look so ridiculous. They can't be worn, they can't be taken seriously, they're barely even 'art' because they're not making a statement about anything. And the holes? What is the point of that? There's no statement there. Ripped blue jeans makes a fashion statement, but only if the rips are real. Fake rips are for poseurs. And then there's the 1/2 dress / 1/2 business suit... WTF is that? What a complete waste of fabric. Sometimes I swear Paris fashion designers are sniffing glue or something. They could be making fashion which actually helps peop

FASHION - Lindsay Lohan's latest fashion for Spring / Summer 2010 was unveiled on Sunday... and frankly, what brain-dead person would wear this crap? The brand is Emanuel Ungaro and the fashion itself was co-designed by Barcelona-born designer Estrella Archs, which is a funny way of saying Archs did most of the work. Lindsay Lohan is just the "artistic advisor". Ungaro has been a fashion house since 1965 and fashion designer/owner Emanuel Ungaro retired from the house in 2004 at the age of 71 and in 2005 the brand was sold. Esteban Cortazar was anointed the head designer... But pedigree aside, I'd say it still sucks. Its too... 1980s. And I realize some people think the 1980s is in vogue again, but frankly this is too much. I am beginning to think people are taking it too far. Its one thing to bring back the "good fashion" from the 1980s, but why would you bring back the crappy fashions too? Oh and there was WAAAAAY too much fuchsia and pink. Sorry, that is