Bobbi Brown’s next enterprise, an interesting initiative from Universal Standard, new appointments at Vogue, and more fashion news that caught our attention in April.

• Edward Enninful is taking over from Alexandra Shulman as editor-in-chief of British Vogue.
• Meanwhile, Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz has been replaced by Manuel Arnaut after only two issues at Vogue Arabia.
• Make-up pioneer Bobbi Brown has launched a concept shop featuring apparel, wellness products, and some beauty products that will appear in five different Lord & Taylor stores and also online.
• Starting this September, New York Fashion Week will go from an eight-day schedule to seven days of runway shows.
• With its University Fit Liberty programme, plus-size clothing brand Universal Standard is offering customers the opportunity to swap out previously purchased items of clothing for different sizes one year within originally purchasing them.
• Amazon has unveiled Echo Look, a camera meant to “help you look your best.” It gives feedback using Style Check, an app that uses an algorithm to compare and rate your outfit options.
• The “Irving Penn: Centennial” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is celebrating the work of the renowned photographer.

Fun Fashion Fact

It is said that the term “Canadian tuxedo” comes from the denim tuxedo jacket Levi’s made especially for Bing Crosby after he and a friend weren’t allowed to book a room at a Vancouver hotel because the actor was wearing a “dingy” denim jacket and jeans. Eventually he was recognized and they were allowed to stay the night. When Levi’s got word of the tale, they decided this wouldn’t happen again and created the special jacket for him.

Black-out means wearing black from head to toe, or almost wearing black from head to toe. I have some clients who like to dress this way in the Spring and Summer because they simply LOVE to wear black. In the Summer months, you can showcase skin wearing black-out, which reduces the expanse of black clothing on the body. You can also add dark grey, navy, black lace, shiny textures, flouncy silhouettes and metallics to the outfit to soften and brighten the vibe. 

The outfit on the left is warm weather black-out with a touch of grey. The outfit on the right is Summer black-out all the way. Personally, I’d have preferred the outfit on the right with metallic sandals and clutch. I’d have added white pearls to the outfit on the left to brighten things up.

There are countless ways to wear Spring and Summer black-out. To my eye, black-out looks best when there’s a range of textures and some movement in the outfit. That way the black looks less flat and more alive. Or even better, when you add hints of metallic and/or dark blue. Here are three ensembles to get the creative juices flowing. Note: each of the ensembles can be remixed with any of the pairs of shoes and either bag. The textured topper can be worn across all three looks. 

Wide Crops & Silk Top

Combine a pair of black wide cropped pants, culottes or jeans with a silky black top to create textural interest in the outfit. The shine of the black top makes a big difference. A silky cami layered over a black tee is a fun way to go. Finish off the look with metallic, navy or black footwear and bag. It’s by no means essential, but matching the bag with the footwear is an easy way to pull together your look. 

Dress & Textured Topper

Combine a black knitted or woven dress with a textured or patterned black and charcoal grey or navy topper. Finish off the look with metallic, navy or black footwear and bag. By all means wear flats with a dress. WHY NOT?

Flared Crops & Flouncy Lace

Combine a pair of trendy bottoms like black flared crops with a flouncy black top that has lace detailing. The flounces add movement to the outfit, which prevents the all-black vibe from looking lifeless. The lace adds textural interest. Finish off the look with metallic, navy or black footwear and bag. Navy nail polish is fun with the look. Tying a neckerchief to your bag is another way to go. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

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A new trend in fashion are brands that are building their entire identities around the materials they use. Racked has put together a list of labels that are putting their fabrics front and centre.

An interesting look at the design choices and philosophy of Marimekko, the famous Finnish brand.

From animal print to denim: why hotels are upping their bathrobe game.

Meet Mia Vespers, the 25-year-old designer turning vintage tapestries into modern outerwear.

According to The Guardian, tulle is getting a fashion makeover for 2017.

Fab Links from Our Members

This article caught Kerry’s attention after reading forum member Jenn’s #30Wears thread.

As most of us dress casually at least some of the time (and some do so practically all the time), but still want to look good, The Cat thought Brenda Kinsel’s post may be of interest.

Minimalist is loving Erica Bunker’s blog and outfits.

Jenni NZ is currently looking into the Kibbe types, and discovered interesting historical info going all the way back to the 1930s here.

After the “Clear Knee Mom Jeans”, Topshop is now selling “Moto Clear Plastic Straight Leg Jeans”. Suz is baffled, and wonders if these are the new sweatpant?

A pair of non-neutral shoes with matching bag made my must haves list for Spring and Summer 2017 because we haven’t seen non-neutral shoes make a fashion statement in a while. They look so fresh at the moment. I was in the mood for red shoes a few months ago and promptly added a pair of bright red loafers to my Spring and Summer footwear capsule. Coincidentally, they match a chain-strap crossbody bag I bought in Amsterdam a few years ago. The new loafers and bag also match a new floral scarf that I bought at J.Crew. Here are the items in a collection.

It can feel a little jarring to wear a pair of non-neutral shoes in an outfit, especially when they make a bold statement. That’s why pairing them with a bag or/and a scarf that picks up the colour of the shoes is an effective styling strategy. The repetition of the colour pulls the outfit together to create a cohesive whole. Pairing my red loafers with either the matching bag or scarf creates sufficient outfit harmony for me, although sometimes I combine all three items just for fun. 

Remember to create a “shoe-bag-scarf” complement when you’re having trouble incorporating bright footwear into an outfit. Or choose either a bag or a scarf to pair with the shoes. Of course, you can absolutely throw a pair of non-neutral shoes into an outfit without repeating the colour elsewhere in your look if you don’t find it jarring. But if your bright shoes are orphaned, creating a complement for them will probably do the trick.