Cheeky in a Courtney Allegra Bikini

When it comes to swimwear and 18-year olds, most of the time the big decision is which bikini bottoms to pair with which bikini top. However, when it comes to 18-year-old Courtney Allegra, the big question is which swimwear designs to launch this season.

At 18, Courtney Allegra has achieved more success in fashion that many designers who have dedicated their whole lives to the field. With her unique sense of style, paired with true design talent, it is no wonder that Courtney Allegra is fast becoming a household name for her sexy and fun swimwear that makes women feel good and look fabulous.

Designing fun and flirty swimwear that is inspired by all the beautiful places in the world, Courtney Allegra has her finger on the pulse of what fashionistas want in their swimsuit designs. Edgy and feminine style that never sacrifices comfort or quality! Each swimwear design by Allegra is a work of art that combines beautiful patterns, sexy cuts, and high quality fabrics, including modern and sophisticated metallics. All of Courtney Allegra’s designs are created in San Diego and made in Los Angeles, so they are true California girl wear!

Not only is Allegra an amazing designer, but she gives back to the community that gives to her with partnerships with many charitable organizations such as The Cancer Survivors Fashion Show, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Never Leave One Behind, just to name a few!

When it comes to swimwear this summer you could go with the run of the mill swimsuits that look the same year after year, or you could choose something with flair that shows off your style and is sure to turn heads, while keeping you comfortable and feeling amazing. The choice seems pretty clear: have fun and be cheeky in a Courtney Allegra Bikini!

Learn more about Courtney Allegra swimwear from her website.

Aspire Eyewear Celebrated Colors

Aspire Eyewear introduces the new “Celebrated” this season in three colors; Black Fade, Blue and Brown. 

The style is created with the same high-tech performance the brand is known for—offering its proprietary SDN-4 frames for superior lightness, thinness, flexibility, strength, shape memory and resistance to heat and UV exposure. 

Celebrated also features the brand’s revolutionary seamless hinge, eliminating the need for screws at the sensitive hinge-point. 

Aspire Eyewear is helping redefine the summer and how Labor Day weekend may be celebrated this year.  By the way, Labor Day is Monday, September 7, 2015 (46 days from when this post was written).  Never too early to start planning what you will be wearing to celebrate Labor Day weekend 2015.

May your holiday be unbreakable!

Learn more about bendable eyewear from Aspire here on the Fashion Blog.

Jennifer Morrison Lovely Braids

Jennifer Morrison shows off the summer's hottest hair trend - BRAIDS- in an exclusive photo shoot for BeautyCoach.com. The Once Upon A Time star models four beautiful braid looks perfect for every summer occasion, styled by Riawna Capri and Marissa Marino of NINE ZERO ONE salon in West Hollywood. Head to BeautyCoach.com for the latest trends in hair, beauty, fitness and more!

Photos courtesy of www.beautycoach.com.

Among other things, Jennifer Morrison is known for her roles as Emma Swan in the ABC adventure fantasy series Once Upon a Time and as Dr. Allison Cameron in House.  She also portrayed Zoey Pierson, one of Ted Mosby's love interests on How I Met Your Mother (season 6).

We are big fans of her acting.  Now we are huge fans of her hair.

Stitch Perfect Rustic Ugg

Stitch Perfect with the Women's Classic Short Rustic Weave from Ugg.

The beloved Classic Short silhouette gets chicly updated this season with artisanal leather stitching and contrasting binding. Finished with signature UGG® comfort, this boot features luxurious Twinface sheepskin and a lightweight, flexible outsole.


The sueded side of Twinface sheepskin is susceptible to staining and discoloration if worn in snow or rain. To ensure longevity, please handle with care.  This product contains real fur from Sheep or Lamb.  Fur Origin: Australia, UK, Ireland or United States.  Real Fur has been artificially dyed and treated By UGG® Australia; RN# 88276

This product is made in US, China, or Vietnam, varies by product
Use UGG® Australia Care Kit and follow their cleaning instructions.

ICE Crystal Jewelry Awards at FABB 2015

It was a jewelry design competition that showcased the brilliance of six Fashion Institute of Technology students. And Bo Won Hwang was victorious—with Preciosa Crystal Components supporting her from start to finish.

Hwang took top honors at the second annual ICE Crystal Jewelry Awards, held during the 26th annual Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball, or FABB, at Pier 60 in Manhattan on May 6. Czech Republic-based Preciosa supplied the crystal for each student’s extraordinarily ornate, highly embellished creations. The company underwrites the ICE Awards, whose name is an acronym for Innovation, Creativity, and Excellence. The competition was originally created through a partnership between Preciosa, FIT, and Accessories magazine.

Jana Klapkova, Preciosa’s Marketing Communications Manager, highlighted the importance of fostering young designers. “Our aim is to support new jewelry designers who are original, who have unusual or unique designs,” she said. “Their thoughts are fresh and we like to support this next generation of creative talent.”

So much so that Preciosa has been sponsoring the event for two years now. “The idea emerged five years ago,” noted Klapkova. “And we were fortunate to build a partnership with Sherie Dolinoy, publisher of Accessories Magazine, who helped us to make this happen.

“We always find new ways of designers using our crystals,” Klapkova continued, “because they can be used in ordinary ways—but we look for designs that use the crystals in extraordinary ways.

“The aim is being fulfilled because the young designers are very original,” she said. “And also we hope they are happy to work with our crystals and that they will remember this period of time when they become well-established companies.”

Hwang was announced as winner at the ICE Awards before an audience of 767 accessories executives, and will receive $1,200. Varuna Suraseranivong was named first runner-up, which came with a $600 prize.

The Preciosa-embellished designs of all six students—Hwang, Suraseranivong, Han Lin, Kyungrim Kim, Jia Zhu, and Yuan-Hsin Chang—were on display in sparkling cases at FABB. As a theme, each competitor picked a fall-winter 2015-16 trend specified by Accessories magazine, from “Dark Romance” to “Russian Charm.”

All of the student-designers are from FIT’s Jewelry Design undergraduate program. For the competition, each student is paired with a mentor from a jewelry marketer or manufacturer. The overarching goal of the competition and mentorships is to build relationships between a new crop of promising designers and these marketers.

And Hwang has gotten off to a good start. She is an intern at Haskell Jewels, and her mentor during the competition was Jackie Canzone, Vice President of Design at Haskell, which designs, markets and distributes costume jewelry and watches.

When asked of she was happy about the win, Hwang, who picked “Dark Romance” as her inspiration, said in her soft-spoken manner, “Of course.” She joked: “I think my mentor was more excited than me.”

For her part, Canzone said, “It was great because it’s not every day a student can actually have a piece of jewelry manufactured. They usually have to make it themselves, so it’s a different experience. It was fun working with her and to win was really exciting.”

“I think Preciosa and FIT did an awesome job of organizing, said Stephan Rubin, who is President of jewelry wholesaler Stephan & Co. and mentored Suraseranivong. “So much time and energy went into it…really well done. The entire process is fabulous—to encourage young, creative people in our industry, which we desperately need to keep going on and on. She’s awesome.”

“I’m so happy, the outcome is great,” said Suraseranivong, who went with “Russian Charm.” “My inspiration is purely Russian, from flower shapes to the colors,” she said, pointing to the red tassels adorning her necklace and earrings. “I tried to make all the jewelry textured, with golden thread embroidered on.” 

“There’s no reason that Preciosa can’t be the Swarovski of tomorrow,” said Kim’s mentor Tahseen Ali-Khan, Design Director/Partner at costume jewelry manufacturer AKA Mystique Accessories LLC, paying homage to the crystals that were used. “It’s wonderful for us to find designers,” she added.

Kim, who chose “Russian Charm,” said, “It was a good experience because I designed it and the company made the piece. It is really amazing.” 

At FIT, “We have the only curriculum in the world where the makers become designers and the designers become makers,” said Wendy Yothers, Chairperson of Jewelry Design at FIT’s School of Art and Design. “So all of our graduates know how things are put together and how to create and mine an idea.” Her colleague Michael Coan, head gemologist at FIT’s School of Art and Design, added, “Many times we combine the [design and production] process. This is a first-hand experience: that they’re able to work with the industry to create the pieces of work. In other words, it’s not a fanciful sketch; it’s a working sketch that will be developed.”

The students’ pieces—primarily necklaces, earrings, and bracelets—were voted on by numerous retailers, including Macy’s and Dillard’s. Salability of an item was kept in mind by the retailers, but they also realize it’s a competition, “so it has to be something really impressive with artistry,” Lauren Parker, editor-in-chief of Accessories magazine, noted of judging the creations.

Parker added that student competitors go on to get jobs in the industry.

“Basically it’s like ‘Project Runway,’” she said. “It’s a whole job interview, where they get to show their design skills, and work with the mentor, who gets to see not just how talented they are, but their work ethic. So some of them get scooped up!”

Lin, who worked in the “Dark Romance” realm with mentor Robin Regnier, Vice President of Merchandising at NES Costume, a designer, developer, marketer, and distributor of costume jewelry, said she tried to think of what “Dark Romance” is. For her, it came down to flowers and dark gray and black tones. “It also has a little bit of a feminine side,” she said.

Chang and Zhu both picked “Dark Romance.” Chang, who was paired with mentor Mandy Reiter, Co-owner of costume jewelry designer and manufacturer International Inspirations/Lux Accessories, noted, “The concept of my design is a garden at midnight, with roses that grew all over the walls and bloomed deep red flowers. When the midnight breeze came by, the vines trembled and the withered leaves and petals fell to the ground.”

Zhu worked with mentor Colette Pace, Vice President of Product Development/Design/Merchandising at Jams/Punch Fashions, a costume jewelry company with a house line and private-label partners. “The red stones in my design stand for the passion, the love, and the excitement of the Garden of Eden we are living in now,” Zhu stated. “But within all the excitement, there is always a black, mysterious snake within the soul, looking for a chance to draw out the sin and black romantic from deep inside you.”

Here, the student-mentor teams to which Preciosa supplied crystal:

Student: Bo Won Hwang

Mentor: Jackie Canzone, Vice President of Design at Haskell Jewels, which designs, markets and distributes of costume jewelry and watches.

Inspiration: “Dark Romance”

Student: Varuna Suraseranivong

Mentor: Stephan Rubin, President of jewelry wholesaler Stephan & Co.

Inspiration: “Russian Charm”

Student: Han Lin

Mentor: Robin Regnier, Vice President of Merchandising at NES Costume, a designer, developer, marketer, and distributor of costume jewelry.
Inspiration: “Dark Romance”

Student: Kyungrim Kim

Mentor: Tahseen Ali-Khan, Design Director/Partner, AKA Mystique Accessories LLC, a costume jewelry manufacturer.

Inspiration: “Russian Charm”

Student: Yuan-Hsin Chang

Mentor: Mandy Reiter, Co-owner, International Inspirations/Lux Accessories, a costume jewelry designer and manufacturer.

Inspiration: “Dark Romance”

Student: Jia Zhu

Mentor: Colette Pace, Vice President of Product Development/Design/Merchandising at Jams/Punch Fashions, a costume jewelry company with a house line and private-label partners.

Inspiration: “Dark Romance”

Thank you for taking the time to read our jewelry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Capri Pant Inventor Sonja De Lennart

Have you ever wondered, "who invented the capri pant?"

2015 will be the 70th anniversary of the world famous Capri pants, invented by fashion icon Sonja De Lennart.

In years where women were not allowed to wear Pants or anything sexy, where Harrods did not let women enter the store in pants, a German designer, Sonja de Lennart, had a dream, Freedom for women to dress sexy.

She is one of the few fashion designer who made History. 

Thank you Sonja de Lennart.

On 1000 sqm the National Textil Museum in Augsburg exhibits the entire work of Sonja de Lennart until September 30, 2015.

Exclusive pre opening took place on July 16, 2015 in Augsburg with honorable guests, stars and celebrities such as TV Actress, Uschi Glas, Erich Neureuther a.m.m.



The award-winning State Textile and Industry Museum Augsburg (tim) is the first state museum in Bavarian Swabia. The tim is an institution of the Free State of Bavaria. It was established by the City of Augsburg and the District of Swabia.

You may have interest in visiting the State Textile and Industry Museum Augsburg.

Learn more about fashion history here on Apparel Search.

Emmy Rossum Spotted Again in IVI Sunglasses

Emmy Rossum was photographed wearing IVI sunglasses while out in Beverly Hills yesterday. The "Shameless" actress accented her flirty floral dress with her IVI Daggerwing Sunglasses in Polished Black ($160.00, www.ivivision.com)! 

See more of Emmy Rossum wearing IVI sunglasses recently.

Racer-back Sports Bra with Lime Strap

Just in case you were curious as too which sports bra Alessandra Ambrosio was wearing under her Inca Tank top in our July 19th post.  Here it is worn by a fashion model.

SKU: 1000SBT-REE

Sports Bra - Reef with Navy Band & Lime Strap.

Slim straps and racer-back style coordinates with various tops. Built-in bra with removable pads for moderate support. Flat lock seams are both strong and sporty. Wear this Sporty Bra with matching Shorty Shorts for hot yoga, against contrasting colors for a cool mix and match look, or under a matching top for a post-workout iced latte.

You can purchase this sporty top at Prismsport.

Learn more about racer-back tops here on Apparel Search in the fashion terms section.

Chloe Grace Moretz in Bravado x Lucky Brand

Chloe Grace Moretz was photographed wearing a Bravado x Lucky Brand tee in Los Angeles yesterday.  

The Brain on Fire actress made a stylish exit from Barneys in The Rolling Stones Tongue Tee ($39.50, www.luckybrand.com).

Looks like she also enjoys Nike & the New York Yankees.

By the way, we don't know too much yet about the movie Brain of Fire.  As far as I know, it's a look at a young woman's rapid descent into insanity.  We are looking forward to learning more (and watching Chloe Grace Moretz perform).

Thank you for your interest in learn more about Chloe Grace Moretz and what she has been wearing.  The fashion blog tries to keep up with trendy people like Chloe.  If you see her wearing other stylish fashion items, please contact us at the Fashion Blog so we can possibly publish regarding her other outfits.

Ultimate Side Smoother

The beauty and slimming solutions from Wacoal.

The effects of lifting Wacoal

Smooth silhouette and tapered end up in seconds, are the tricks developed by Wacoal products.
The latest innovation of Wacoal is The Ultimate Side Smoother.

More than a bra, The Ultimate Side Smoother is a bra solution. It fades gracefully small unsightly creases that are visible on a women's arms and let themselves reveal when she puts on a dress or a shirt tight to the body, and then she begins to despair.
When we discover The Ultimate Side Smoother, one is immediately captivated by her look: Welcoming caps, soft and deep for generous breasts, in between the cups and between the cups and back, an unexpected crossover design responsible the ruthless efficiency of this magical bra.
Just tried, we realize the lifting effect of this beautiful bra. The breast is placed perfectly centered. And underarms, the cross effect of micro-fiber releases the birth of the arm while blurring the curves of our small beads.

You'll love it!

Wear it with an invisible panties or panty girdle also high design and effect guaranteed facelift over the curves of the hips, stomach and bulging buttocks. 

See more bras and lingerie from Wacoal here on the Fashion Blog.  You can also visit the Wacoal website for more.