Tuesday, October 27, 2020
These Celebrities Pulled Out the Most Stylish Merch to Encourage Their Fans to Vote
A-listers are pulling out all of the stops when it comes to voting merch for the 2020 election. We can't say we're surprised, since there's a lot at stake in this election, and we're happy to see so many celebrities stepping up to the plate and encouraging their fan bases to vote. Celebrities like Yara Shahidi and Mindy Kaling have been vocal on their social media platforms wearing stylish voting merch.
Gigi Hadid wore Prabal Gurung's "When We All Vote" tee for her first postbaby selfie, and she's not the only one to opt for a stylish yet powerful outfit. Mindy posted a picture in a yellow "We Will Win" sweatshirt from Meena Hariss's line Phenomenal to let her fans know she is voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Others like Billy Porter, Lizzo, and Julianne Moore went all out in outfits covered with the word "Vote." Lizzo wore a Christian Siriano "Vote" dress to the Billboard Awards, and Julianne Moore wore a long-sleeved version of the same dress! Keep reading to take a look at some of our favorite celeb voting-related style moments.
7 Handbag Trends You'll See Everywhere Next Spring
Unarguably the strangest Fashion Month that the fashion industry has ever seen has just wrapped, and in the midst of a global pandemic, designers soldiered on and gave us something to look forward to for spring/summer 2021 with some major handbag trends that make us want to fast forward through the last few months of 2020. Now, we're breaking down our favorites so you can add them to your wish list.
Practicality surfaced as a prominent theme with oversize carryalls and utilitarian water-bottle bags popping up on runways. From raffia covered to sleek leather cases, our favorite designers are reminding us to hydrate and go green! But green isn't the only color they're thinking of: bright fluorescent bags dominated the runway as highlighter accessories punctuated looks. Spring staple materials, straw and raffia took on the form of more structured picnic-basket-style straw bags and slouchy hobo styles. Street style fanny packs slung across the chest got a bit more elevated in leather, and we're excited to see the clutch is back!
Keep reading for the seven handbag trends we love for Spring 2020, or hop to your favorite below.
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Oversize Carryalls
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Utilitarian/Water-Bottle Bags
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Clutches, Not Handshakes
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Highlighter Colors
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Weave It Up! Straw, Nets, and Knits
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Cross-Chest
- Spring 2021 Bag Trend: Chunky Chains
I Thought Emily in Paris Might Be the New Generation's Sex and the City, but I Was Wrong
I have a love/hate relationship with the hit Netflix show Emily in Paris. On one hand, I binged the show in two days - that must mean something, right?! - but I couldn't help but get a little annoyed while watching it. The show's creator is Darren Star, the brains behind shows like Sex and the City, Younger, and Beverly Hills, 90210. So, I was expecting a lighthearted show along those lines. Emily in Paris follows a 20-something marketing executive from Chicago, played by Lily Collins, who moves to Paris after the company acquires a boutique French firm. With no real knowledge of the fashion industry, and without knowing any French (which is not as big of a deal as everyone is making it out to be in my eyes, especially with Google Translate), Emily decides to pack up and move to the romantic City of Light to follow her dreams. The episodes were short and enjoyable with predictable plot lines. The thing that threw me for a loop was the portrayal of the fashion industry.
It was almost comical to see how far removed the show was when it came to how marketing, fashion, and social media really work. Everything just kind of seemed to fall into Emily's lap because she's the "irresistible American girl."
It was almost comical to see how far removed the show was when it came to how marketing, fashion, and social media really work. Everything just kind of seemed to fall into Emily's lap because she's the "irresistible American girl." She wants to land a major account? Yep, of course, she will - and the owner will fall for her, naturally. Her boss fires her? No worries, because it doesn't really count, and she happens to find a way to get hired back in less than 24 hours by pulling together a fashion show. It's not that I have a problem with mindless television; in fact, most nights it's what I prefer after a long day of work. It was just a little perplexing to see the blatant inaccuracies.
Having worked in both fashion and marketing, I was hoping for a show that would offer a glimpse into what it's really like to work in these fields. Sure, I wasn't expecting it to be completely accurate or revolutionary, but the way she was made out to be a social media pro was a bit laughable. The fact that she's there to help teach her French colleagues about Instagram and then ends up being just so, well, bad at it left me scratching my head. I'm sure many social media editors would gladly chime in and agree that no, posting a picture of a sculpture with the caption "chiseled abs" or posting a selfie while eating a croissant (unless you're Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hagid) is not going to get you 20,000 likes. In fact,many people on Twitter felt the same way about her social media skills.
On another note, let's get into Emily's outfits, shall we? I was extremely excited for the *fashun* moments because producers had tapped Patricia Field as the show's costume designer. (ICYMI: she was in charge of the outfits in Sex and the City.) It felt like the show was aiming for major Carrie Bradshaw vibes with the character's love of mismatched prints and over-accessorizing, but it missed the mark for me. I didn't have any issue with any of the pieces Emily wears on the show, it was more about the sheer amount of items that are lumped together to create "a look." There's no shortage of amazing designers in the episodes, ranging from classic ones like Chanel and Marc Jacobs to newer ones like Ganni and Staud. There are plenty of pieces that I would gladly wear from the show, but the styling fell short.
The outfits make it seem like Emily is trying too hard, rather than it coming effortlessly as it seemed to for the fashion-loving characters of SATC. It felt like a 2005 episode of Gossip Girl, rather than something fresh and fun from 2020. For our generation, it's all about mixing high with low. Gone are the days of only dressing in full designer pieces to be considered "fashionable"; today's consumer is looking for a unique mix. Pair that designer bag with a chic blazer from a more affordable brand. It's more about attainable fashion, rather than being purely aspirational. If she had just tossed aside a belt, ditched a hat, or made a couple of simple swaps, I think the effect would have been more realistic. That being said, people were searching and shopping for some of the key pieces from the show because they definitely are cute, I just wish Emily had followed one of Coco Chanel's most famous quotes: "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off."
Another thing to note: the price points for most of the items she wears, even for a day at the office, are totally unaffordable. It seemed like all of a sudden once she arrives in Paris, Emily's entire wardrobe is bursting at the seams with one major designer after another - not very realistic.
It felt more like a kid playing dress-up than a woman with an innate sense of style.
"I feel that a lot of the designer items - the floral Off-White puffer in one of the last episodes, for example - are above the average price point someone might spend on a coat who has Lily's career in Chicago. I just wish more of the pieces felt attainable for young women," my colleague Sarah shared. "That being said, I do appreciate the fun print mixing and I hope that girls watching the show take Lily's clear confidence to mean that they can try wearing anything they like, as bold or eccentric as it may be." Hannah, our fashion director, described Emily's style best when she noted that it felt more like a kid playing dress-up than a woman with an innate sense of style.
Maybe the show is a hit because it provides a form of escapism - and in Paris, no less. Right now, I'll take any escape I can get, especially since I've been at home for the majority of this year, but this show was also harder to relate to. While Emily's outfits did fall short in my eyes, maybe I expected too much from all the hype surrounding the show before its release. Now that I know what Emily is actually like and what to expect, perhaps I won't find her style as off-putting in season two (because, yes, I would definitely watch another season!). Perhaps as Emily grows, we will see her style evolve too. In the meantime, she's proudly accepted that she's "ringarde," kitschy Eiffel Tower keychain and all. So, maybe we just have to accept that she's not Carrie Bradshaw either.
Here's Where Clare Crawley - and the Rest of the Bachelorettes - Get Their Dresses
It's safe to say that Clare Crawley's first two gowns on season 16 of The Bachelorette had us itching with some questions. Can we get the designer information puh-lease? Clare's season of the hit ABC series has everyone buzzing already as drama ensues, and her dresses live up to the excitement we all feel about what's to come.
As it turns out, both creations are by New York based couture designer Randi Rahm, who has dressed around 15 contestants and even two Bachelorette brides (Ashley Hebert and Rachel Lindsay) for their wedding days. Randi works closely with The Bachelorette stylist Cary Fetman on the collaboration process, but you're probably wondering whether the women themselves hand select their dresses, or Fetman gets the final say.
"I recall felling so proud and excited as a designer the first time I saw one of my gowns on TV. Who knew it would turn into such a long-standing relationship with the franchise?"
Randi was more than willing to weigh in and let us know how the wardrobe unfolds for the Bachelorettes she's dressed herself - which is really the majority of them! While the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the timeline of Clare Crawley's dressing approach in particular, giving Fetman and Rahm less time to pow-wow, the job got done on time, and Rahm has the pictures to prove it.
While she couldn't possibly name a favorite dress of hers that made it onto the show in history, she does recall her first feature on The Bachelor with pride: "The first gown of mine on an episode of the franchise was on a finale for The Bachelor. It was so long ago, but I recall feeling so excited and proud as a designer the first time I saw one of my gowns on TV. Who knew it would turn into such a long-standing relationship with the franchise - a nine year relationship!" she told POPSUGAR. Scroll down to find out everything you've ever wanted to know about the selection process for the dresses on The Bachelorette, then see some behind-the-scenes photos from Clare's season.
How do Bachelorettes Choose Their Gowns?
The Bachelorettes work with Cary Fetman and co-stylist Krystine Couch on their looks. As soon as the new Bachelorette is announced, designer Randi Rahm sends her a selection of dresses that she thinks are appropriate in style and taste. These dresses are also usually season-less, so they can be filmed in a variety of locations. Each gown you see throughout the season is, in fact, handpicked by the Bachelorette during the selection process, and customized to her liking far in advance.
"Even after the selection process, we go going back and forth daily to tweak the dresses in a timely manner so everything can have the beautiful end result you see on TV! The chatting is intense during the selection process and the fitting process, with tons of collaboration and communication," Rahm told POPSUGAR. For season 16, designer Randi Rahm talked with Cary a few times a day.
Where do the Bachelorettes Have Their Dress Fittings?
Fittings all take place in LA, so the Bachelorettes don't go into the atelier when they're being fitted for a Randi Rahm dress (her studio is in New York). However, Rahm has plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and images from the fitting process, proving that she's on hand to give her opinion at all times, even if it's done virtually.
Are Bachelorettes Allowed to Customize a Dress?
Yes! Randi Rahm has worked on plenty of custom outfits, but these are usually for more specific shoots, rather than just episodes. For example, a custom gown might be used for a commercial or promo. These gowns obviously have to be more thought out since, as Rahm says, "they set the tone for the whole season!"
Does the Bachelorette Get to Keep Her Dresses?
In the case of designer Randi Rahm, most dresses go back to her atelier after filming has wrapped. There have been times when the Bachelorette has kept a dress or two, but it's on occasion.
Do the Bachelorettes Pay For Their Dresses?
Nope! Since most of them are going back to the atelier after filming, they do not have to pay. Even if the Bachelorettes decide they do want to keep a dress, they still don't have to pay. Consider it a perk of being a Bachelorette!