Patrick Ian Hartley's Face Corsets

British artist-designer Patrick Ian Hartley makes what he calls "face corsets," an apt descriptor for what's essentially custom neck art in carefully molded leather, silk, and PVC — a lot of PVC. And you thought 17th-century ruffs were the height of neck art.



Naturally, Lady Gaga is a client, as well as heaps of other musicians looking for something a little exotic to wear in their music videos. Haute magazines, too, are stampeding to Hartley's studio, hunting for that certain something to help their editorials stand out — literally stand out, like the partial exoskeletons you see here. They may look uncomfortable, but stiletto heels probably also looked uncomfortable, before they were everywhere.

Finally, a Trailer for the Unauthorized Yves Saint Laurent Biopic

Saint Laurent, the biopic we've been breathlessly posting about, has finally popped out a trailer. (This is separate from a concurrent film, Yves Saint Laurent, which seems to be a more anodyne look at his early years at Dior.) And judging from fleeting glimpses of Gaspard Ulliel as the young to middle-aged designer and Louis Garrel as his forbidden boytoy Jacques de Bascher, the final feature film, when it hits French theaters in September, is going to be full of all le smoking hot sex scenes you could ask for — nay, demand.

The trailer has been a long time coming, as the film already premiered at Cannes (competing for the Palme d'Or prize). And it isn't subtitled, but you don't need to know French to recognize on-screen sizzle, even if it is a little melodramatic. Willem Dafoe (as Andy Warhol) and Léa Seydoux (as Saint Laurent's muse, Loulou de la Falaise) will no doubt balance out the histrionics. Indeed, the fact that it isn't authorized — by the brand in its current state — suggests that a fair amount artistic license has been utilized. All the sexier!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W441yvk2xj0

The Caveman & the Modernist>Rectangle Shoes

Czech designer Maria Nina Vaclavek came up with her striking Rectangle shoes — resembling early Margiela — through a novel approach. "The caveman hunted down an animal, skinned it and wrapped the leather — still raw and warm — around his foot, tightened it with bast," she says. "The leather adapts to the shape of the user's foot. I found this technology very interesting and decided to work with it further." They may look restrictive, but she says they're quite comfortable. They are open-toed after all. Plus, could anything be less comfortable than the modern stiletto?

SHEKHAR RAHATE>Haute Couture

Exotic fabrics, intricate details, and ornate colors are the elements that Indian-American fashion designer Shekhar Rahate masterfully blends together to orchestrate his collection of haute couture gowns. The Rahate Collection encompasses the beauty and elegance of high-fashion frock by combining a variety of styles and fabrics from form-fitting to free-flowing to multi-patterned.

His fashion goals are to accentuate a woman’s silhouette while allowing her to move with comfort and grace. The Rahate Collection of luxurious gowns not only define haute couture perfection, but also carries with it the attention-grabbing appeal of the Red Carpet. His unique gowns have already appeared at the Golden Globes , Grammy’s , Emmys, Oscars, and the Cannes Film Festival.

Rahate's display of women's formal wear and headpieces at the 2012 International Fashion Supermodel (IFSM) event in Hollywood topped off a Halloween-themed celebrity-clad event that was broadcast to millions of viewers in the United States and China. Rahate also regularly participates in the New York Fashion Week (NYFW). He presented his new collection at the Couture Fashion Week during NYFW 2012 where it was well received.

Rahate has more than 15 years of experience in the fashion industry and received his training at the Dubai Beams International Fashion School. His runway shows have crossed the fashion globe from Los Angeles to San Francisco to New York City, as well as overseas to Germany, Switzerland, India and France.

Rahate’s creations have garnered numerous accolades in the fashion arena including:

            •           Fashion Couturier of the Year Award – Los Angeles County Sheriff's Indo-American Advisory Council, April 2012

            •           Versace Award for Global Excellence in Fashion – Global Independence Day Gala, US Asia Business Forum, September 2012

            •           Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Medal for outstanding services and achievements in regard to role of global Indians in the international arena – NRI Welfare Society of India in London, 2012 / 2013 .

In addition, Rahate also receive a Crystal Ball Award as a Visionary Designer from Dr. Laura Wilhelm this year.

Rahate is also no stranger to the political arena as he designed Hollywood Haute Couture dresses for the 2013 Inauguration of United States President Barack Obama. In addition, he is the only designer in history ever to show at the prestigious United Nations General Assembly Hall where 450 delegates from across 192 nations witnessed his work.

His gowns have also been worn by countless prominent figures such as Maria Amor, Madame Chair M.C. Townsend, Bambou Ada (Adrienne) Diagne, actress Vanessa Williams, actress Michelle Romano, as well as “Miss Asia Pacific”, “Miss World”, and “Miss Universe”.

Rahate recently received his Ph.D. in sociology with a concentration in film, television, and video . He serves as the Regional Director for both the Northern California and Southern California Miss India beauty pageants.

The Rahate Collection by Shekhar Rahate

Website

www.shekharrahate.com

e-mail

shekhar@shekharrahate.com

Showroom

9163 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA  90069

Offices

468 North Camden Drive, Suite #244, Beverly Hills, CA  90210

Contact number

001-650-207-6933

WILLS LIFESTYLE INDIA FASHION WEEK'A/W-2014

WILLS LIFESTYLE INDIA FASHION WEEK'A/W-2014

Myoho by Kiran & Meghna - WLIFW A/W 2014

Myoho by Kiran and Meghna presented Soul Souk. Beautiful yet simple flora motifs and a design sensibility inspired by the breathtaking beautiful aesthetics of Morocco. Clean silhouettes and bold colors like persian blue, sindoor red and slate black-all come together at play to concoct an overall sensation of yogic serenity and grass-root aesthetics.

Beyond the Cold by Rajdeep Ranawat - A/W 2014

The Fall Winter 2014 collection by Rajdeep Ranawat inspires from cold forests where myths are born and legends are created. Where civilizations have thrived and then withered away into oblivion. It captures the possibility of the blurred lines between imagination and reality.

By generating diverse digital and embroidered pieces the collection tells innovative stories and deliver powerful ideas of fortress once beautified by the wild imagination of human talent and creativity and their eventual downfall to the wilderness. Creating garments in classic free flowing silhouettes Rajdeep Ranawat tries to graphically capture a sense of degenerating mosaics and lost handcrafted artifact; crumbling architectural structures over run by the forest, of treasures lost and parchments dissipated.

Using pure fabrics like silk crepe, silk georgettes, organza and chandheri, the collection reflects its inspiration through its fabric treatment.

The colour story of the garments strives to create the winter mood for the collection. Seeking a dialogue with harmony between the embroidered and the digital, between the professionalism in his design and the familiarity in the treatment given, between the variety of styles and uniqueness of identities; Beyond the Cold is based in the variety and versatility of Rajdeep Ranawat's resources and skills, the spontaneity of ideas and the heterogeneity of our Indian craftsmen, knowing that every garment is unique and singular.

Winter Rose ' AW 2014 by Nalandda Bhandari

The Winter Rose Girl is a healthy girl, pink and fresh, confident in her personality and loves to dress up!

TANA-BANA by Paromita Banerjee - Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week A/W 2014