Industry Icon: Miroslava Duma

Ever-stylish Russian “It” Girl, Mira Duma is a 25 year-old former editor at Harper’s Bazaar Russia.  Her father is a Russian senator and she is one of the four girls respectively called “the Russian mafia” in the fashion world.  Mira and her comrades show the world what Russian style is all about these days and that it is a force to be reckoned with.  Prior to the 1990s, the Soviet Union was a fashion-free country, not allowing fashion boutiques or magazines.  When the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991, everything changed.

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Mira states first-hand:

It was something in the air that you felt and realised: significant 

changes are coming. I grew up with the understanding that inexpensive 

and staid dress was the right choice for me. I didn't know what it 

was to be 'an instrument of propaganda' but I remember thinking, 

'Why does it have to be like that?' I was too young to know the 

political implications but it was something rebellious deep inside 

of me. The department stores had such limited stocks of clothes - I was 

a huge fan of the Hollywood golden age, so I got my fashion fix 

watching movies featuring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and 

Marilyn Monroe (fashion.telegraph.co.uk).

Now today with Mira and her fashion gang of peers, Russia is definitely an up-and-coming fashion capital.  She has become a staple at Fashion Weeks around the globe and is a favourite of bloggers Scott Schuman, Garance Dore, and Tommy Ton.

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She currently is a freelance writer, collaborating with magazines such as OK Magazine (Russia), Tatler, and Glamour (Russia).  She also is the founder of the style website Buro 24/7 that deals with fashion, art, architecture, cinema, music, and style.  Mira and Tommy Ton shot a campaign for the store Symphony in the Dubai Mall for Spring/Summer 2012.

Her favourite designers include, Vika Gazinskaya, Marni, Chanel, Phoebe Philo, Raf Simons, Ostwald Helgason, and Proenza Schouler.

She was recently in the Louis Vuitton “Small is Beautiful” autumn 2012 mini campaign for their cross-body bag alongside fellow bloggers Elin Kling and Hanneli Mustaparta.

Industry Icon: Jenna Lyons

"Fashion can change who you are and how you feel, and that can be magical" – J. Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons (guardian.co.uk)

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The geek chic heroine of fashion known as Jenna Lyons is an anoamaly of a new order.  For twenty years she has worked hard at J. Crew from an assistant of an assistant all the way up to her current position as president and creative director of the company.  She helped grow the brand into a billion dollar company with serious fashion cred (guardian.co.uk).  Jenna has inspired legions of women to reignite their love of getting dressed in the morning.  Through her signature dark-rimmed glasses, centre-part hairstyle, and flair for mixing colour, texture, and pattern, she is truly inspiring.

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It seems like such a long time ago that Jenna was having a hard time at school, being picked on constantly due to her long and lanky stature, crooked teeth, and overall lack of confidence.  This brought herself to be very introverted and what garnered her to gain this incredible love for fashion.  Due to her height and lack of clothes readily available to her, she took a sewing class and made herself a long, narrow skirt printed in watermelons.  This was a breakthrough moment for her.  After her grandmother bought her a sewing machine and a subscription to Vogue one Christmas, that was it Jenna says.  Parsons in New York City is where she chose to earn her degree and soon went on to work for a company that she would help grow by 170 percent.  Of this, Jenna says, “Amazing things happen when you’re having fun doing something you love” (glamour.com).

It is therefore no wonder she was awarded one of the coveted Woman of the Year awards by Glamour magazine for 2012.

Industry Icon: Helen Gurley Brown

“Good girls go to heaven.  Bad girls go everywhere.”

– Helen Gurley Brown

One of the most successful and provocative magazine editors ever, Helen Gurley Brown went from a small-town girl to becoming the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years.

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She had to start working very early in life due to her father dying when she was 10, and her sister getting polio shortly thereafter.  She began as a secretary at an advertising agency until her employer recognized her writing skills and hired her on as a copywriter.  She was one of the only women in the business and was generally disregarded by the men.

Brown went on to publish a book in 1962 entitled Sex and the Single Girl in 1962.  The book encouraged women to become financially independent and sexually liberated.  Brown wanted them to experience pleasure in sex and work on their own terms.  The book went on to influence shows such as Sex and the City and Mad Men.

newyorker.com

In 1965, she became editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan.  The magazine was dying and so Hearst Publishing decided to go with Brown because she could bring a fresh focus to the magazine.  She brought forth a new direction of women’s sexual freedom and was a great advocate for the sexual revolution.  Brown targeted women 18-34 who wanted to achieve on their own.  She believed that women should have it all.  Some people saw her ideas as objectifying women, but she saw it more as a way of liberating women.  Either way, Cosmopolitan quickly turned around to have a 100% sell-through (businessoffashion.com).

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Cosmopolitan continues to thrive today, including articles on relationships, sex, health, careers, self-improvement, and fashion.

Industry Icon: Alexander Wang

Tawainese-American designer, Alexander Wang, was born and raised in California, moving to New York City when he was 18 to pursue his dreams of becoming a fashion designer at Parsons School of Design.  He ended up dropping out in his second year to work on designing his first collection, consisting mainly of knits.  In 2007, his first women’s ready-to-wear collection was released to much praise, and had over 200 stores carrying his products.  In 2011, he opened his first flagship store in SoHo and has since then expanded to stores in Asia.  He has also moved onto his own e-commerce, with his online store selling many of his creations. (alexanderwang.com).

From top-left, clockwise: blog.youheshe.com, alexanderwang.com, alexanderwang.com, Fashion Wire Press

Wang’s inspiration came from the model-off-duty look.  He was fascinated by all the girls coming to and from the shows and how they wore their tight jeans, with oversize t-shirts tucked in.  From there, he created his line of t-shirts with his T by Alexander Wang line.  The T line also features other very sporty looks, while his ready-to-wear collection is luxurious, with more intricacies.

Alexander Wang clothes are very French chic and rock grunge, with an industrial overtone.  He likes the look of putting on a t-shirt, that maybe you even slept in and just got up and went out of the house in.  He has created many it-items, such as the Rocco bag, the Freja booties, and the Donna hobo bag.

He has formed somewhat of a cult following, stylish girls walking around New York City decked out in Alexander Wang clothes, have been labeled “wangsters.”  Anna Wintour has been a huge supporter of Alex from the very beginning and pushed him into the spotlight because she knew he had what it takes to go big.  Many celebrities have been drawn to his designs, and even have been included in his advertisements, including Azealia Banks, Diplo, and Die Antwoord.

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In 2010 he came out with his men’s T by Alexander Wang collection (one of my personal favourites) to cater to another demographic, once he had conquered the women’s division.  Here, Wang was influenced by skateboarders and basketball players on the courts in NYC, and their style, which he incorporated in his street-savvy men’s line.  From there he moved onto his men’s ready-to-wear collection, and more recently, his line of accessories for men.

This young designer has already made such a stamp on the fashion industry, so we’ll have to keep a lookout for what he has planned for the future of his ever-expanding business.

In his short time as a designer, Alex has received such prestigious awards as:

-       2008: Recipient of the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund

-       2009: Swarovski Womenswear Designer of the Year

-       2009: Swiss Textiles Award

-       2010: Swarovski Accessories Designer of the Year

-       2011: GQ Best Designer of the Year

-       2011: CFDA Best Accessory Designer

(alexanderwang.com)

Industry Icon: Nicola Formichetti

“One of the most influential creative forces working in fashion today” (business of fashion)

If you don’t know the name already – you should!  Lady Gaga’s superstar stylist and collaborator Nicola Formichetti is the epitome of high-fashion mixed with avant garde and darkism.  The 35 year old, Japanese/Italian mixed Formichetti has an impressive roster under his belt.  Some of his other work and achievements:

·      DIESEL artistic director

·      MUGLER artistic director (recently left his position for the brand)

·      Vogue Hommes Japan fashion director

·      Uniqlo fashion director

·      Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator 2010 winner (britishfashionawards.com)

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Formichetti was born in Japan, grew up in Rome and Tokyo, and moved to London to go to school.  He became heavily involved in the London nightlife and street fashions.  Dazed & Confused picked him up and he became its creative director in 2008.  Working for the magazine led to others such as V, Another Magazine, Arena Homme +, and Harper’s Bazaar US.  He has also worked with fashion brands such as Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh, Prada, Topman, and H&M.

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He also has an obsession with pandas, and therefore created his line of panda-influenced and heavily characterized products under the Nicopanda label.  He sells everything from zombie panda rings to phone cases to t-shirts.  The name came from his friends calling him Nico Panda due to the fact that he is half-Asian, was a little chubby, and had a beard – basically resembling a bear.  Even though the latter two circumstances have definitely changed, the name stuck and Nicola capitalized on such and branded himself as Nicopanda!