ALEXA

I have been promising for awhile now to introduce you to Alexa - one of my favorite models who i consult. Not more needs to be said: enjoy the pictures and styling and photography by moi : Melanie Wadsworth - Prisoner of Candy! Enjoy and thank you everybody ...

MAKE IT WORK

SHORT

Not the biggest fan of Olivier Zahm; especially after the comment he made about fashion bloggers, but I do think that Purple magazines blog is worth a peek right now. Regardless of his now infamous "Kill All Bloggers" foot in mouth statement or more likely ... cheap shot for more press which makes Olivier easy to "unlike", Purple's blog did a nice job at capturing one of my favorite designers, John Galliano. They successfully presented his Spring 2011 collection with a breathtaking selection of photos. It's difficult for me to pick a favorite, but once again, as I've seen at MBFW, it seems that Galliano is also showing the much talked about new "look" for Spring 2011: the neutral, sheer, ethereal and glittery designs (in addition to "headgear") that just SCREAMS beauty and romanticism. Of course, Galliano doesn't disappoint - even though he pops alot of wildly colored ensembles in the mix - the most successful pieces; in my opinion, are : the neutral, sheer, ethereal and glittery ones. Did I mention - neutral, sheer, ethereal and glittery twice? Oh well, shame on me, but I believe these garments are noteworthy of the most praise and for most of the fashion designers for Spring 2010, stand out as favorites amongst the fashion community.
I was very interested in the photograph of the rear side of one of the models walking backstage ... seems as if after all Terry Richardson does have alot in common with Olivier Zahm. I suppose I would have to ask Terry to get those pics back that he took of me in my short skirt walking up the stairs in one of the clubs we both frequented in the East Village, circa 1994. Only my outfit wasn't sheer just short and most definetly NOT ethereal.

MILLINARY 2011

Hi everyone ... I am going to be talking about 2011 Spring Millinery: which means HATS ! Always a fan of head gear, I believe it completes an outfit - just as much as lipstick completes the face. So, i am going to indulge you in a few great sites that show the wonderful collection of Spring 2011 hats ... that are so very artistic as well as vintage inspired. I would recommend all of you at least once try to sport a becoming hat this fall season. START NOW!!! ... why wait? So, these are the designer links and articles i have put together for you to take a look at for inspiration. The first one is a great selection of looks at the Spring 2011 designers collections: This is a great slide show in forbes magazine and next is fab sugar - who shows some very cool looks. Of course, there's the one (and only) hat genius who always comes through - his collections are flawless: this season, last season - it doesn't matter - he is the master of millinery and is philip treacy. His hats are so beautiful - fine art in my eyes so breathtaking they make me cringe! I only dream to own one of his amazing creations. This seasons Project Runway did a challenge including his hats: can you imagine starting your clothes design based on head gear? It's very difficult ... to me anything adorning my head comes at the end of an outfit. It is difficult to create an outfit to go with the hat - it seems backwards and certainly quite a difficult task for those designers. I want to include some Amazon links to this post that can possibly inspire the "weak minded", no pun included, to wear HATS !!

I want to note that i sometimes call hats, "head -gear".To me the term SCREAMS ... protective head WEAR !! Some religions believe that keeping the head open is important to spiritual enlightenment, while others feel that the head should be protected, so as not to draw negative attention to the face and the crown of the head which are considered sacred. Although i am spiritual, i don't adhere to many spiritual "laws". But, i guess i am a bit prone to the idea of covering the head, i don't think much about it really it just seems to come naturally to me. The picture i have added to end this millinery post is a "head gear" design that i made for very favorite client of mine, who was always open to trying ideas WAY before their time. So, enjoy & get those hats on !!!

                Ashley Nevins " WARRIOR" 2007, Copyright Melanie Wadsworth

MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK - Spring 2010

Hello fashionistas ... so it's MBFW - Spring 2010 collection time !!! I must admit i haven't been paying much attention ... oops. But, i will give you some links to some good sites with pretty good information about what's happening. Here are the things that i have been interested in so far. There's blog.idelli.com that has been pretty good at following each day at the shows - so check that out. I like their piece about Project Runways cast and this seasons contestants designs - sorry i missed that. I was interested in Nicole Miller's collection - understated but beautifully crafted. Of course Tony Wang has tons to say - i loved Besoni - OMG ... would wear each and every one of those gorgeous creations!!! Another good site to follow is of course, is MBFW - the home of all the "BIG NEWS" !!

One other fashion designer that took me by surprise was William Tempest his spring collection was ethereal and easy for anyone to accessorize with opposite elements to make a BIG fashion statement !!! I have included a photo below that i styled for Ashley Nevins, one of my clients - it reminds me a bit of his spring looks - only this dress was a deconstructed garment and there was nothing deconstructed about Mr. Tempest's looks. His collection was perfectly constructed. Use contrasting  elements like one bold jewelry piece or very chunky shoes to make this look more modern. It has a nice feel to it for Spring 2010 and the very light washed out makeup totally works. 
   
Ashley Nevins, NYC, 2005, Copyright Melanie Wadsworth.                                            

COLORS FOR FALL

Trend Watch | Jul 26, 2010 06:56 AM 102

Fall 2010's Top Color Trends

By: Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi

We're not sure when the whole wide world of Fashion gets the annual "memo" about what colors will take the runways by storm, but season after season, the big tonal trends do shine through. Like everyone else, we love fall colors best...partly because the shades go deep and dark, or alternately, bold and bright. But this fall introduced a few unexpected contenders in the color category: Along with rich purple, mixed olive tones, and more burnished metallics, soft classic camel made a comeback and so did the brightest red. To get you on the right color wheel, we've rounded up the six fall color trends to start bringing into your own closet...September is, afterall, just one little month away.

1. Camel—If you're not sure if you have any camel in your fall/winter wardrobe, now's the time to stock up. Gucci, Chloé, and Dries all paid homage to fashion's most decadent neutral. We recommend a camel blazer or overcoat, just like Dries and Michael Kors did.

2. Rich Purple—Gem tones reigned supreme for fall/winter 2010, but the deep purple and plum colors that lit up the fall runways of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Burberry, and Oscar de la Renta dazzled us most.

3. Modern Metallic—When designers remind us they love metallics, let's just say they're preaching to the choir. In little skirts, tailored blazers, and floor-length dresses, silver, gold, and soft copper all returned the runways for fall in a big way, thanks to Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and Moschino. And we love every bit of it.

4. Mixed Olives—Building on the military trend that began a few seasons ago, all shades of olive greens, browns, and fatigues had a surprise impact for the fall season. Burberry Prorsum lead the charge with Jill Stuart and Rag & Bone all turning out their own delicious helpings of mixed olives.

5. Pale Blue—The dark horse of fall 2010's color trends, pale blue really caught our attention not only because it seemed unexpected for the cold season, but because it had an icy-cool modernity that seems incredibly chic right now. Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, and Marc Jacobs all delivered a cool-blue spell worth catching.

6. Bright Red—Give us a bright red blazer or day-dress any day! And this fall, designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Jill Stuart, and Yigal Azrouel all revisited this classic red-hot shade in a fresh new way.

I'm sorry i couldn't include the fabulous photos of this article, my scanner is on the fritz due to liquids being very close to the danger zone ( i will never learn - ha!)- please go to my favorite site for the photos of this post at refinery29 - enjoy the magic - i poured over these fabulous creations and my enduring fashion spirit is so excited seeing all of these amazing looks and anxious to try some new ideas for fall ...

P.S. i was just given TWO sewing machines - lord have mercy - i am in heaven - awww!!!

VIVIENNE

Hello there ... a very good friend of mine gave me this book that you see on the amazon pic that i included for this blog.
 
As we all know ... Vivienne Westwood is the queen of british fashion designers . We fashionistas admire her so much that i felt i should create a blog solely for her highness. We all know that Vivienne started her notoriety with Malcolm McClaren and the Sex Pistols... blah - blah. But what i found fascinating about this book and the history of her designs starting in 1964, was how much all of her designs from way back then to now conform to todays looks ... in other words Viviennes designs truly erases the concept "trend" and has created her own rules; a design asthetic that most designers cannot do because her fashion is not about time or trends, but about consistency.  So, that being said you could also say that her fashion transend time. And that is a rare in a fashion designer- indeed! You have got to applaud her for that - if you do in fact purchase this book you will see what i am talking about - her fashion designs from the 60's till today all speak Vivienne ; her designs from the 60's can be worn today and look very fresh and fashion forward. SO, check out the book if you'd like to see what i am talking about . 

This image to the left is in her book. I scanned it so you can see the image of her design in collaboration with Tracy Emin - one of my all time fav fine artist. I too am a fine artist and being a fashion consultant as well , the subject matter of most of my work has been about fashion and how images of fashion bring out certain emotions in me. This beautifully composed image with type scribbled on it is a fusing of two like minded souls. Enjoy and savor the career of the high priestess Vivienne Westwood ...this is Prisoner of Candy signing out - remember the message and the messenger !! Next time you see me posting Alexa (as promised)one of my very special and beloved clients who i completely transformed into a - downtown NY hipster but with a distinctive style that is all her own ... till then -

FACEBOOK and other stuff ...

SO are we all on the same page today ? Hope so because i have some interesting news in the fashion world. But, before we get into that - let's look at the amazon pics i have for choesn for you. A poster, a book and magazine.  The poster is in memory of the late A. McQueen, who was so gifted and is so sincerely missed amongst the fashion community. The facebook marketing book is a great manual on how to market your business via: FACEBOOK. If you have a business and already have a business page on FB now - hurray for you! If not, i recommend you do so - Facebook is recognized universally and creating a page on Facebook will help your business in a myriad of ways. If you need more info on this please get in touch with me. Besides being a fashion consultant, i am the president of the company Spirapex that specializes in developing, marketing and creating social networking tools for businesses via the internet- my email is Spirapex - my blog, website anf FB page are in the works as we speak so stayed tuned till further notice. Continuing on the subject of Facebook you can view my fashion consulting business page on FB by clicking this link: http://facebook.com/spirapex . When you visit my page please click the "like" button. Alot of times i talk about reviews of other fashion websites that you might not get here on my blog. If your'e on facebook and want some current interesting fashion news and cool websites to check out then join my facebook page. 

Onto the last pic i have chosen for you from Amazon. It's a special collectors issue of Purple magazine. The reason i selected this magazine is because i am taking the high road and promoting a magazine that has just recently endured alot of uproar within the fashion community. I honestly feel that supporting the magazine despite the big hulla bulu, shows that although i disagree about the comments made towards fashion bloggers, etc., i have no ill will against Purple magazine. Olivier Zahm of Purple magazine who was quoted in a video at a recent fashion show, wanting to kill all bloggers ... especially fashion bloggers !!! In the video clip, Terry Richardson (long time friend of mine and great guy) pokes his head out from beside Olivier when he makes the statement about bloggers and looks quite shocked and a bit confused as to why Olivier would say such a thing. As far as i'm concerned, fashion blogs are like mini online fashion magazines and cater to those of us who spend alot of time on the internet and find it hard to catch a moment to read a magazine. They also serve the purpose of providing the inside scoop in the fashion world that you might not otherwise find in a magazine and of course they provide a forum for followers to express their own opinions about a particular topic. Perhaps he feels that fashion bloggers are his competition and that's why he said such derogatory comments about us. I think that for Olivier to say something so mean spirited towards fashion bloggers, (who take alot of their material from fashion mags), will hurt his business in the long run. I believe that fashion bloggers are about a 1/4 of his business. Do you think Olivier Zahm cut off his nose to spite his face ? Perhaps he did ... watch the video on Tony Wangs fashion blog http://postfashionism.com/2010/kill-all-the-bloggers/ to decide for yourself.

THINGS YOU HAVE TO HAVE?

Hi everyone ... it's very hot in New York : 100 degrees and 100% humidity to match ... i certainly enjoy all the places i go during the day that have air- conditioning, but at the same time, i prefer to be natural at home, w/o artificial air. Sure i am sweating like crazy but it's a great way to lose weight lol - not that i need to lose weight, but i think that its better for our bodies to stay in sync with the temperature and be hot and sweat like your'e supposed to. So on to the fashion stuff , beginning with my Amazon pics for this week - and why i like them: which completly pertains to weather too, because you can wear these things about town in the heat. I love all of these pieces - they are delicious and if you have alot of money - buy them all - they are so awesome ! If you have money and alot of bills and debt - like myself (i have just let you know my personal secret - lips sealed) - I would go for ONE of the items : i really like the Missoni platforms (i seriously am DYING for these) or i might go for the dress ... BUT, then again the Gucci bag really is an investment piece ... i don't know - now i'm confusing myself ... so forget what i'm saying about this and lets get to the subject at hand : "things you have to have" or which may also be refered to as ... impulse buying !!!! Ta - da !!!! i am going to present you with some items that may make you feel like you HAVE to have them or maybe not - but for me ; all the items i am blogging about below could slip into that HAVE to have it category. Always remember though; like i have mentioned in an earlier post, that the most expensive items that you crave can wait a week or two - because in most cases you will find something that you like just as much and for less money : so remember that ... and i am saying this to myself now too, not just you - ok?

So here are my impulse items - all of which i want dearly but feel obliged to give you the heads up on what you might be able to find cheaper - unless you don't give a shit and want to wear Versace NOW because your bank account is limitless - so if you are in that category : god bless you, but this blog will probably not be your cup of tea.
I want to quickly point something out that is a philosophy that i embrace, which pertains to feeling comfortable with what you are wearing. This comes up alot when i am working with a client and i cut out this little   photo on the top of my collection of images to the left to illustrate the subject.
It's a bit difficult to read the type next to the black and white photo. The woman in the picture is PAM HOGG and she is singing "MY WAY" by Sid Vicious, in the year 1993 ... This image struck me as being not only an icon photo of a beautiful woman - but as an amazing example of a woman who is comfortable in what she wears - doesn't she look fierce? And she is starting her own fashion line - the tiny images of the fashion models to the right of her photo, which look pretty incredible - i would love to wear her creations. To me, as a fashion consultant and stylist what makes me feel really successful is when i can help a client to feel comfortable with what they are wearing and really "OWN" their look. A good fashion style only works when it matches who you are as a person. I am very open minded in my "look", but not everyone can or would look good wearing what i wear and i would be the first to advise them not to. I can help a client discover a look if they don't have one and i can also polish up a clients look - if they already do. So, that's whati wanted to say about being comfortable with what you are wearing. OK - under Pam, to the far left is a metallic bootie sandal - Christopher Kane's for Versus, who pays tribute to Gianni Versace - there is no price on these babies which means CRAVE them but look for something like it, my advice: Forever 21 - I swear by Forever 21, i can only see you rolling your eyes but i buy online there all the time; especially their shoes - DO IT! And then you will thank me ...
OK the gold necklace is gorgeous - love it !! It would make a simple tee and jeans look amazing ... pull the hair up real high on the head and smack on the great sunglasses below it and then put on the jeweled cuff to the left: bingo - you have got a great look going - i can't figure out what type of shoe to wear with this outfit so just go barefoot for now ( ha !). The necklace is expensive and the sunglasses and cuff are not. Unfortunately, i couldn't remember where i got the pics for the necklace and sunglasses (i cut out alot of things from magazines) but you can definetly find a necklace like this without too much trouble and spend less than $50.00 - this particular one was way more than that. The sunglasses weren't more han $30.00, sorry - but i don't know who made them, but i like them cuz they are wayfarer looking with a twist - but if you can't find them anywhere, any wayfarer type looking sunglasses still look fresh and red is always a nice color choice and flatters anyone. Now for the cuff bracelet - you could spend alot of money on this - but why would you if you can get it at H & M for $9.95?
H & M ... is a fashionista paradise although they need better online services (i haven't had much success on H & M online) but if you live in the suburbs you might find some good digs - in the the city H & M stores - pphfff !!! They are always out of merchandise - i swear i think the employees must take all the good stuff before the store opens everyday - it doesn't matter what time you get there or what day you get there - you can never find what you saw in their ads in magazines at H & M. That's why i'm so big on shopping online - you can usually get a larger assortment of clothes and accessories than what you would find in the stores and most of the time they have exclusive online merchandise and sales - that you cannot get in the actual store ... so sign up for your favorite stores online emails and check their inventory regularly. My next blog in fact will have something to do with online shopping and tips and so forth - so i'll get more in depth on that subject soon. So back to the photos i have provided you with - the last two things left are the hair combs and the mesh dress. I'm not going to do a whole outfit on these two items - i wanted to discuss them singularly. I'll start with the hair combs ... hair combs: my god what a concept !!!!Especially decorative hair combs ! These are very lovely peacock green feathered ones that you can find also at H & M for $3.95 each!. I feel like i'm in the dark ages when it comes to hair combs because my hair is wildly curly and i never know what to do with them at all !!! ... But, one day i saw alittle hair comb with a purple rose on it amongst my collection of hair & scarf accessories and decided to shove it on the top of my twisted upsweep hairdo and i was very pleased. It was the perfect little accent ... if you have more manageable hair i'm sure you've figured other ways to wear hair combs, so you probably think i'm nuts - but i really feel so much better now that i have discovered a way to wear them and i will be experimenting more on other ways to use them - so, go out and get your hair combs ladies and get some that are bold, exciting and colorful ! Last but not least, i am going to discuss the gorgeous dark orange and oh so delicate mohair lace dress by Missoni. It's got a pretty steep price tag - $2,630.00 but the craftsmanship is so impeccable that if i had made this dress - i would probably sell it for that amount of money because of the time that it would spend to make it. You could buy a mesh dress today - and there are alot of mesh/lace types of tunics and dresses out now - for a much lower price than this one - but, you won't get the quality - that's undeniable. In any case whether you want to invest in a beautiful mesh dresss like Missoni's or find another equally appealing version thats less expensive, i really think this type of layered statement is really modern and versatile and something you need to have now. You can literally just throw it on top of another outfit and transform your look completely. Don't be silly and put it top of anything with structure in it, for example ; a tailored shirt, skirt or dress - it will look dumb, ok? This kind of layered dress will only work with equally unstructered garments. A full dress slip, camisole & a half slip or leggings, a bodysuit and my favorite: a catsuit. Imagine an amazing black catsuit with this mesh lace dress on top ! How great would that look ! Then stick two HUGE feathered combs in your hair on both sides of your head like an opened hat - make sure your hair is slicked back tight on the sides already & fastened sleekly in the back - a high ponytail or ballerina bun. Forget jewelry - the dress is your jewelry and shove on a pair of really funked up bootie peeptoes or platform pump high heels (black and metallic would be nice or patent leather red with embelishments ... limitless possibilities on the shoe color and pattern - get creative!) and you are so good to go!! I also have some bohemian and glam ideas and a whole host of variations that you could rock with this layered mesh dress - but i won't list them all; what i will say is that this is a tunic/dress you should have NOW ... it's perfect for the summer season and will work right into the colder months - so whats not to like about that? So are these items i've shown you .... things you have to have ? I'll leave that decision up to you ... till then - au revoir mon amie's ...

Where it started ...

First let me just explain my amazon pics/links: as a fashion consultant i am HYPER vigilant on whats cool - i don't have to really work on it - it's a sixth sense thingy - just like anyone else who has a talent for something ....
So i picked these selections for you to check out NOW - i do them every BLOG. SO .... I was born in NY and eating was important. Then there were dolls. (loved dressing them up) and I am also a vintage toy collector and the there WAS Bloomingdales! My mom, aunt and grandmother would take my sister and I to Bloomies. We went shopping weekly and when we did, we all bought lots of clothes. So on i went, shopping away at the department stores and boutiques with the ladies of the family and it continued that way for many years. Then, as a teen i started denying my first love : food. My fashion addiction took first place and in order to look good in my clothes i wanted to be THIN. So, i stopped eating, became anorexic. I decided the most perfect thing for me to do next was: become a model. I started modeling in the city with Click agency at about 17 yrs. of age. Modeling was great in the beginning and i felt on top of the world. But after graduating from high school , i really wanted to study art. So, i continued to model part-time and I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology to study fashion illustration and merchandising. The modeling stopped eventually as i started landing jobs in the fashion and art business... So, that's basically the beginning - the shopping, the modeling and the fashion art school, fast forward 25+ years and here i am today - a fashion consultant, fine artist and skinny bitch who wears nice clothes....

PRISONER OF CANDY

Hello everyone ... i am melanie the Prisoner of Candy - please join me blogging about my life as a fashion stylist, consultant and all around "fashionista" ... yes thats right "fashionista" - i live, breathe and eat fashion - always on my mind - forever unforgiving but also very insightful - let me bring you on a journey from begining to NOW - my blog - to end all blogs - Prisoner of Candy is watching YOU!