INTRO TO FASHION 101: MARIMEKKO

Founded in 1951, Marimekko--which mean's "Mary's dress"-- is a Finnish textile and design company that produces bold, graphic, brightly colored, printed textiles.

Left: Juhannustaika, designed by Aino-Maija Metsola 2008.Right: Nuppu, designed by Maija Louekari 2008

The distinctive prints are surprisingly versatile. In addition to clothing and shoes, you'll find that quentessential Marimekko patterns are often used for home decor, umbrellas...i've even seen a Marimekko inspired cake! The textiles were a favorite of Jackie Kennedy, who wore Marimekko dresses frequently during John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign.

H&M's "Marimekko collection will be joyfully fresh, like a vitamin injection". -Margareta van den Bosch, H&M's head of design.

Marimekko has not only withstood and transcended time, but it is enjoying a resurgence! Vogue featured Elizabeth Kendall's account of how a Marimekko dress inspired confidence during her tumultuos college years in the April 2008 issue. Manolo Blahnik used Marimekko prints in his Spring 2008 line and H&M has also collaborated with Marimekko to launch a line, check out a few pieces depicted on the slide above.

Blahnik Spring 2008 collection features Marimekko patterns, including the "Unikko" (red poppy pattern on left). Maija Isola created the pattern in 1964 in protest. Apparently, Marimekko’s founder, Armi Ratia, forbade floral patterns in Marimekko.

You can purchase Marimekko pieces in select stores throughout the United States. Click on the label below for vintage Intros to Fashion 101, TextStyles and Style Collaborations posts!

Update: Look out for Marimekko for Avon! Marimekko's Unikko pattern will be used on a number of limited edition Avon beauty products to be launched at the end of 2008.

INTRO TO FASHION 101: HERVE LEGER

Known for his body concious silouhettes, Hervé Léger*--who honed his craft under the tutelage of Karl Lagerfeld, with whom he designed swimwear for Fendi and Chanel--has a knack for accentuating a woman's curves while resculpting and remoulding the rest. Léger is often compared to Azzedine Alaia because of the uninterrupted line and body-hugging fit of his dresses.

The woman that he designs for is "fed up with the vagaries of fashion; she does not give a damn about trends, she refuses to be a feminine clothes hanger". - Hervé Léger

His signature "bender" dresses, which are enjoying a resurgence (see the slide and pic below), are composed of hand-stitched elastic bandages and are as elegant in their simplicity as they were serendipitous in their origin. Two days before he was to show his collection in February 1989, he spotted a roll of seam-binding made from Lurex, Lycra and Elasticine lying on the floor. He began winding it round a wooden mannequin and the bender dress was born.

Kim Kardashian is a big fan of Léger's bender dress!

The New York Post reports that BCBGMAXAZRIA GROUP plans to show their Hervé Léger by Max Azria ready-to-wear collection during Fall 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This will mark the first time since the mid-nineties that the collection will be presented on the runway, and the first time ever that it will be shown in New York. The collection was originally shown in Paris. Read more here. Hervé Léger is available at four eponymous boutiques located on Paris’ legendary rue Cambon, New York’s Madison Avenue, Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and in Las Vegas.

* He is known today as Hervé L. Leroux due in large part to conflicts with directors at BCBG which owned nearly all of his company and had the rights to his name!

Click on the label below for vintage Fashion 101 posts!

Thanks to UK reader, Thuy Anh, for the Hervé Léger by Max Azria tip!

INTRO TO FASHION 101: AMSALE

Ethiopian native, Amsale Aberra, has made an indelible mark on the coutoure wedding gown business...

...and like most designers, she was inspired to create because she recognized a need--in her personal life--and fulfilled said need with her own resourcefulness.

Amsale was prompted to design a wedding dress for her 1985 nuptials, because the dearth of simple, sophisticated gowns (after all, it was the '80's--simple, sophisticated elegance was not really en vogue at that time!) left her frustrated.

"Growing up in Ethiopia, I always made my own clothes, mainly from necessity. I never thought about being a fashion designer. People talked about being seamstresses, but never fashion designers."

Amsale has come a long way from Addis Ababa--and from placing ads for custom-made dresses in the back of bridal magazines.

Amsale's appearance on Oprah.

Today this Fashion Institute of Technology-trained designer dynamo, who has worked under the tutelage of Have Bernard, is a favorite of Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Angela Bassett, and Salma Hayek. Her brand is as recognizable, and respected as Vera Wang's.

Amsale's four lines include: Bridal, Christos, Kenneth Pool and the recently launched line of coutoure eveningwear.

In addition to designing, Amsale is the face of the MKX, Lincoln's latest luxury auto.

Check out a couple of gown's from Amsale's most recent lines:

Spring 2007

Spring 2006

Check out vintage Fashion 101 posts here!

INTRO TO FASHION 101: AZZEDINE ALAIA

I firmly believe that one should know their history in order to get a better sense of purpose...how can you fully appreciate where you're going, if you don't know where you're coming from?

That ideaology is especially true of fashion...today's fashions are really just yesterday's recycled, refreshed and revamped trends.

Let's start with Azzedine Alaia--not just because his name begins with an "A"--but because his timeless influence on fashion is undeniable. Today's tunics and tights mirror this icon's signature style.

"This evening, time does not exist for me."- Azzedine Alaia

Alaia is a Tunisian fashion designer who worked under the tutelage of Dior and Guy Laroche before completing his first pret-a-porter collection for Charles Jourdan in the 1970’s.

Known for his body conscious dresses—many featuring a scooped neck, dark colors and zippers— Alaia’s clothes requires a certain presence of mind and body of the wearer. He is called the "King of Cling" for a reason! The emphasis on the body is a carryover from his years as a sculptor.

This is the FRONT of the dress!

Alaia has a knack for meticulous attention to detail, a fondness for lycra, a penchant for amazonian models, a love of basic black and solids (and did I mention his fondness for lycra?).

He has achieved enough critical acclaim such that he shows his collections whenever he wants, irrespective of the global fashion week schedule! Alaia’s clout was solidified by his solo exhibition at the Guggenheim in 2000.

Alaia’s many muses include: Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Karolina Kurkova, Natalia Vodianova, Iman, and allegedly--Janice Dickinson.

Alaia joined the Prada Group in 2000 and still designs, from his Paris studio, today.