Goodwill Fashion Expert—Bjorn Nasett

Eunice Walker Johnson, director and producer of Ebony Fashion Fair

I was thrilled when I heard the Milwaukee Art Museum was hosting an exhibit honoring the contributions of Ebony Fashion Fair brought not only to the world of design, but to the general public as well! Being able to see couture garments up close and personal is a rare treat for any fashion lover, and it’s a terrific learning experience in the art of fashion design for the uninitiated. The following is a press release detailing the exhibit, and the photographs are a representation of what the show has in store for the viewer. Thanks to the Milwaukee Art Museum for giving us this springtime gift, just when we need it most!

The Milwaukee Art Museum brings haute couture to the city in Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair. Open now through May 3, it is a story of vision, innovation and power told through the prism of iconic fashion from Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Valentino, Dior, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint-Laurent, Patrick Kelly and Emanuel Ungaro, among others.

Just about this time of year when the end of winter still seems like a long way off, I feel the need to see more color. Not only do I want to see color in the sleeping nature of the landscape, but I also want it in the choice and color of the garments I wear every day. It’s a no-brainer to wear color when the weather is bright and wonderful, but it seems more difficult to do it when the gray, black and brown of the sunless season takes over our closets too. A pop of color here and there during these bleak months can literally bring you happiness - I kid you not! There’s lots of ways to bring some color into the winter wardrobe. Case in point, I recently came across some photographs I took at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week a few years ago which illustrate the idea of color as an antidote to the cold-weather blues. These photos are from the 2012 Autumn/Winter Collection from fabulous fashion designer, Rebecca Minkoff. Her streetwise, wearable designs are realistic and that’s what I like about her take on style for today’s woman. Let’s take a look and discuss shall we?  

Unlike women’s fashions, men’s attire has changed little from the time when pants were invented. Men and boys have been sporting some type of pants, shirts and jackets for centuries. Their clothes were based less on attractiveness and more on practicality. As time went on subtle variations of these basic pieces were introduced and adapted to fit the modern male. As I approach my 14th season at Fashion Week in New York City, I thought I’d share with you some of the menswear fashion photographs I’ve taken there. These images help illustrate my point of the more things change, the more they stay the same; especially in the realm of male style. These photos are from different years, but they all share the autumn/winter themes which are still relevant today!

Opinions definitely run rampant out there on the subject of wearing of fur. While there are some who view wearing fur as a high-end luxury, others may reject it due to concerns of animal cruelty, and/or other moral objections. But, no matter how you feel about touting fur, there is definitely no denying the use of animal hides as some of the first materials available to ward off the cold and provide some comfort to our ancestors during the Prehistoric Age. The indigenous people of the Arctic Region and other cold-climate areas on the globe, such as Russia, Scandinavia and Japan, still rely on these skins for much of their clothing in the most practical of senses. Since I grew up in the country, at a young age I became familiar with furriers and others who legally made their living by hunting and trapping, so I understand both sides of the opinion spectrum when it comes to fur. However, today we’ll look past the debate and instead take a look at some of the runway shows featuring fur as part of their fashion statement. These days there are many faux (fake) furs which can give you the desired “fur” look you’re looking for, but without all reservations of wearing the real thing. So, no judgments here, this is simply a presentation of the ways in which fur was shown as part of a fashion collection by some of the featured designers at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.  

At the close of each year, anyone who has an opinion on fashion trends compiles an arbitrary list of those looks they thought sparked imagination, as well as others that possibly courted disaster. That’s not to say that people like me don’t have a great and profound appreciation for all the talented folks that make what we wear possible.  From designers, to manufacturers, to retailers, their passion for fashion just never seems to end. In just a few short weeks I will be haunting NYC once again for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Autumn and Winter Collections for 2015. As I pored over my own photographs that I snap twice a year, I definitely see trends that will stick around and those that were definitely dead on arrival. So, here’s a peek at my personal picks for ideas to get behind, and those you should avoid at all costs!

Here in the Midwest, it’s been on the mild side as far as winter temperatures go. But, as we all know that can change into blizzard conditions quickly! You know what else can change your winter look quickly? A great hat! When I’m attending Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC for the fall and winter collections, the focus is not always on accessories, but there were a few instances in certain shows that definitely illustrated just how much a hat can give an ensemble a little more personality - and even drama! This year there was everything from knit caps, to furry nods toward the North Pole. I thought it would be fun to look at a few of the hat tricks that designers used to complement the fashions that paraded down the runways this week. Let’s take a peek shall we?

For some of us the holidays are a hectic and sometimes stressful time of year. There are so many parties, celebrations, get-togethers and evenings out and about! Dressing up to attend any and all of these events can be a little challenging on many levels. Carving out time in our busy schedules and trying to fit it all in can leave even the most hardy holiday partier wondering what to wear to which occasion! Keeping your wardrobe simple, chic and festive throughout the endless parade of soirees shouldn’t be that hard at all. If you stick to a few of my simple tricks, you’ll always look party perfect in no time.  

When it comes to dressing for the holidays a lot of guys take the basic approach. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but wouldn’t it be great if we just took a little step out of our comfort zone and instead  stepped into the style zone? Basic does not have to mean boring, so if you’re a guy looking to kick it up a notch, or his mate wishing he would bring something a little more fashion-forward to the table, you might want to take a gander at some of the pictures I shot the menswear shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. These photos represent the merging of classic pieces with some modern male sensibilities.  

Now is the time of year for celebrations with friends and family. Don’t you just love those feasts where you put a little bit of everything onto your plate because there are so many tempting dishes on the table? Some people like to compartmentalize their food into neat little areas while others let the wonderful variety mingle together on their plate with no rhyme or reason. They’re the ones who just sort of mash it all together in the most zestful, adventurous way and enjoy every minute of it! Sometimes our approach to fashion and how we put ourselves together could be thought of in much the same way. Mixing and matching clothing items with abandon is an art in itself, but there are ways to incorporate more of the things you love into your everyday attire, as well as your holiday style!

Winter is knocking on doors all across the country.  For most of us this means pulling out the heavy-knit sweaters and parkas. But, what about those beautiful pieces of clothing that always look fabulous no matter what season it is? I’m talking about those blouses, skirts, dresses and blazers that really do their job fashion-wise on a day-to-day basis. Could it be possible to have pieces in your wardrobe that work year-round with just a few slight modifications? The answer of course is yes! I culled these lovely examples from a slew of photographs I took at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Twice a year top designers from here at home, as well as abroad show us their ideas. In my humble opinion, the following looks could be worn all-year-round depending on how they’re styled. Here, I went with black-and-white ensembles simply because this is a combination that always proves to be a fashion winner.