Stylist Spotlight- Couture Provocateur

Couture Provocateur is a styling house run by the fabulous designer and stylist Xaymara Rodriguez!! I have known this wonderful woman for some years now and I'm happy to see her branch out and get more into styling because every designer doesn't have that gift!! She has worked with television stars, up and comers in the music industry, and MTV Tres!! Xaymara's time is totally now!! Her website is coming soon but check out her work on Instagram @couture_provocateur or email her at info@coutureprovocateur.com 

The Price of Fashion

Hi Happy New Year!! It's my 1st post of the New Year and I'm excited.. I'm REALLY trying to get into this blogging thing for you all.. SO todays post is about the cost of custom pieces and how much $$ time it takes to make a piece. So many people come to me wanting a piece but they don't want to pay the right price for it. It gets on my nerves because of the following: 

 #1. I was some big name designer you'd pay no problem.

#2. So many designers lower their rates for a sale that people don't understand its true value; and lastly but not least. 

#3. Garments and product that is massed produced will 99.999999% of the time be less expensive because you are paying a bulk rate by the quantity that was ordered using fabric and what not that has been already paid for and put aside for this purpose etc. etc. 

For New Years Eve I made this fab sequin skirt and I want to share with you how much I would probably charge if I sold it to private clients outside of a collection price. Take note at the Price of Fashion....

This maxi skirt was inspired by a tutorial put up by Mimi G (www.MimiGStyle.com) So I started by making the pattern which after taking a few easy measurements took me about 20 mins to make. For pattern making I charge $30.00 p/hr (If less than a hour is used you are billed for one whole hour). 

Next I had to buy the fabric; The heavy sequin is $25 per yard. The skirt was lined and the lining fabric was $4 per yard. To find the amount of yardage needed I had to do the following math: length of the skirt in inches x 2 (front & back) / by the height of the roll of fabric (36'') = I came up with 3 yards of fabric needed. In total I spent $87.00 on fabric. I paid $1.00 for a yard of elastic. The total on fabric and supplies is $88.00 

I spent about 3.5 hours cutting fabric and sewing. I charge $20 an hour for cutting and sewing. That totals $70.00

So with no inflation this maxi sequin skirt would cost $188.00 if requested by a private client. Sequin is no easy fabric to work with nor is  it inexpensive so this is why for a custom sequin skirt it would be almost $200.00 

A lot of people might not say it's worth it but why is it not? It's custom made for you, made by a skilled hand with sourced fabric by your request. If my name was Galliano people wouldn't blink at spending $200.00 on a full length sequin skirt. I don't understand why so many people wont do the same for small business' and emerging fashion houses... 

What say you Fashion Lovers?

Fashionably Yours,

ImaniLia 

Stylist Spotlight.......

Today's Stylist Spotlight is L'Wren Scott! 

Photo Credit: NYMag

This beauty is the beautiful girlfriend of Rockstar Mick Jagger but is very much a stable woman on her own. She was 1st a model and now is is a great celebrity stylist. She doesn't let much get out about herself especially who she styles but I found out that she's great friends and has styled both Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker. 

L'Wren Scott has been a highly influential celebrity stylist since 2009, she contributed designs for Madonna to wear in her photo shoot with model Jesus Luz for W Magazine and in 2011, Scott styled actress Julia Roberts for a W Magazine shoot, alongside Tom Hanks.

She has also designed costumes for such films as Diabolique (1996 remake), Ocean's Thirteen, Eyes Wide Shut, as well as Shine a Light, a documentary by Martin Scorsese about The Rolling Stones, with Mick Jagger, with whom she has been romantically linked since 2001.

L'Wren Scott is also a designer and her first collection was Little Black Dress, launched in 2006. The collection presented an array of black dresses, including her now famous Headmistress dress worn by Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz and Amy Adams have all worn Scott's dress.

L'Wren in her famous Headmistress dress

In 2010, Scott collaborated with Lancôme to design a capsule collection for the 2010 holiday season featuring a lipstick in Scott's signature bordeaux color. The campaign was shot by photographer Mario Testino and featured model Daria Werbowy wearing an outfit designed by Scott. May 2011 saw the launch of Scott's first collection of handbags, named "Lula" after her mother. The line was launched at Barneys New York, with a personal appearance by Scott.

I love her because her style is tailored and sophisticated. She keeps it low key in her work and her personal life which I LOVE and aspire to be like!! I loathe that people want to damn near know your social security number before the know if they want to buy your clothes. ANNOYING!! 

Her latest work is with the store Bannana Republic & it's on sale NOW!! Check out some looks below... (Photos Curtosy of Bananna Republic) 

Check out BanannaRepublic.com for      shopping!!  

Look for her credits when you can find them.. He he.. 

Fashionably Yours, 

ImaniLia

Fashion Show Review: PARU PARU 2013 NY Charity Fashion Show

Wednesday Night I attended a pre fashion week show called PARU PARU. It was held at a BEAUTIFUL venue called We Work Lounge located at 154 Grand Street in China town. It was a charity fashion show put on by Dia Ates who  founded KALIBOTAN, a charitable foundation that aims to provide financial support to sustainable projects from other non-profits around the globe, as well as train students and young professionals in the process; while creating small manageable jobs in developing communities. The show was held to raise money for for the charity through fashion. Dia has a factory in the Philippines that produces her line as well as other budding designers in the industry. 

For me it sounded like a GREAT cause and a great place to meet new people as well as make connections for my own line. NO? 

Well it was a great cause BUT the production was a mess!! I was ready to leave as soon as I got there!! This is how you ruin a production: 

My guest & I got there about 8:10pmwhich was 10mins after the doors were supposed to open only to find out that they were not letting people in yet & that they were still running through the show!! A LIVE RUN THROUGH! No bueno!! I also found out that someone went out to buy a steamer at 7:45pm to steam the garments!! So my guest & I went across the street & had a drink to kill time.. 

Waiting for our drinks & Appitizers to kill      time. 

The house was FINALLY opened at 8:30 which was the original start of show time. Once we were let in there were seats avaiable but not to anyone that was there. The seats were ONLY for VIPs who arrived even later or some didn't arrive at all so we were all standing for an hour and 10 mins before the show began!! Yes you read that right.. The show began at 9:40pm I wis pissed!! & drinking up ALL the free wine I could until then!! 

 Free Drinks what EVERYONE LOVES!! 

Please leave the child wine tasting in the      privacy of your own home!! NOT CUTE!! 

On the sneak tip I found out from a server that we were waiting over an hr because they were backstage snapping pictures!! This is the dialogue transcript: 

Q: what exactly is going on behind the 

      black curtain? (@9:30pm) 

A: From Server- Their taking pics of the models in the clothes. 

I was appaled & offended!! Who does that? I feel like thats so unprofessional. Do you agree? 

So once the event finally started there was an intro video & then on to Fashion right!?.... Ummm NO The show organizer took the time to chat even more about the orgiznation & what not (because I honestly stopped listening).... I wouldn't have minded the added speech on top of the video if it wasn't 10pm... It's like I was supposed to be at my next event by this time!! During fashion week people don't wait around 2 hrs for anyone & no one would ask someone to. 

Once the fashion show finally started it was good. The 2 designers that presented before the organizer were good they had very wearable pieces. After the 1st 2 designers there was an intermission!! WTF!! After all the time I had to wait you want me to wait more? At this point I actually saw people leave... Which I totally understood!! When there are only 3 designers there should NEVER be an intermission for what!? So the show organizer who only designs for charity & gives everything a butterfly feel presented her beautiful gowns & the night was finally over!! I don't know how much they collected in donations for the event but it was about 11:30pm by the time all was said & done... I just wanted to get out of DODGE!! I will say that the MC Kevin Thomson was great!  Through all the waiting he kept everyone energized & laughing as well as the DJ that kept the tunes coming and people dancing in their place. 

See below for for pics of the designers pieces: 

Montego Travis Sylvester

www.iphoneogram.com/u/9183458

House of Rubi- Tenneh Wilkins

www.etsy.com/shop/HouseofRubi

www.HouseofRubi.com

Fashion Week is ALMOST Upon US!!

So tonight I'm headed to my 1st pre fashion week event and on the 14th I'll be participating in a show myself!! So stay tuned to the blog for reviews of all the fab events I'll be headed to!! :D 

Fashionably Yours, 

ImaniLia