Kanye West Admits $13 Million Loss on Fashion Industry

Kanye West's recent radio interview on 'Sway in the Morning' sparked some controversy regarding his aggressiveness on the topic of fashion. 

When asked, "Why don't you do it yourself?" (regarding the self-production of a clothing line), Kanye repeatedly yelled "You ain't got the answers Sway!". Clearly, frustration built up and I believe it was quite ignorant of Sway to ask Kanye why he couldn't just start from scratch and build a whole empire in fashion by himself. The whole interview was a little bit too ignorant for my liking. Kanye is a talented and knowledgeable rapper, but even his knowledge wouldn't be sufficient enough to run a whole brand. Think about the aspects behind it all. Design, production, finances, marketing. The list goes on.

When I look at Kanye, I see somebody who doesn't want to restrict themselves to one career. He wants to be wholly involved in any aspect of the arts that allows him to express his creativity. As a rapper, Kanye is going to be looked at as a monetary idol in the fashion industry. His "relevancy", as he puts it, can sell millions. However, Kanye is not a full-time designer. He simply cannot put in all his energy into a fashion line. $13 million is what it took for Kanye to invest in his designs and try to conquer the industry.

I believe Kanye has the creative mindset to produce a killer line. I really do. I admire the passion he brings to the table when discussing fashion. He knows what he's talking about and I can see him going far, bringing uniqueness and originality to the forefront of his designs. I think he does need to understand that as a musician, the larger corporations are always going to "marginalise" him. Any brand within LVMH that works with him will probably not meet his expectations. Kanye wants to be the supreme ruler and have the utmost control over decisions but that's simply not going to happen.

What I'd like to see is a Kanye x Margiela collaboration. Now that would make fashion history.

Consistency is needed for Kanye to become a well-established name in fashion. When he debuted his Spring 2012 RTW collection, I was actually rather impressed. I loved the combination of the rough beats on the catwalk combined with a raw, powerful aesthetic. The clothes were heavy. Leather, fur and lots of glamour.

Daring cuts and random splashes of colour. Did some of the looks look too unpolished? Yes. He wasn't going to get it all right in the first go but if he finds a way to balance his ego with the industry, we could potentially be looking at some genius pieces in the future.

Styled to Rock US: Rihanna Goes Stateside!

When the news broke that Rihanna was launching a reality TV show for upcoming designers, I almost wanted to slap myself to make sure I was reading correctly.

I was an avid fan of the Sky One series, featuring the beloved Henry Holland. What I admired most about the show was the feeling of authenticity displayed throughout the storyline of pressured designers struggling to beat the clock and conquer their inner fears.

There's definitely something special about Styled to Rock... it doesn't rely on heavily-scripted dialogue and focuses more on the natural occurrence of events in the design room. My initial reaction to hearing that a US version of Styled to Rock was in production? I thought it was going to be fake, fake and more fake. I don't know about you but in my opinion, US-produced reality shows have never given me a particularly "real" vibe and I know a lot about reality television. Thankfully, I was proved wrong. Yes, the budget for this series definitely seems to be (cough) a lot higher than the UK series, yet the overall structure and feel of the show is almost the same, if not a lot more realistic.

Pharrell Williams, Erin Wasson and Mel Ottenberg are the main panelists. What a genius collaboration. With Pharrell's down-to-Earth personality and compassionate advice, the dynamic between the contestants and panelists is definitely more positive. Mel and Erin believe in tough love. Understandable considering these contestants entered the competition to grasp the cut-throat nature of the industry.

With the prize of $100,000 and a contract to be part of Rihanna's style team at stake, seeing these ordinary people compete to fulfil their dream is heartening. To see raw talent manifest itself into beautiful designs worn by upscale celebrity clients is 100% worth watching.

One of my favourites is Sergio. A contestant who was actually entered late in the competition but proved his unbeatable skill by winning two challenges in a row. In the latest episode, his design for Miley Cyrus was absolutely gorgeous. The combination of a floaty, white blouse compared with a rough, biker-chic patent leather skirt fit the brief incredibly well. You could see where Hollywood met downtown club.

Another talented favourite of mine is Autumn. Her motif whilst designing is her unconventional use of zippers. I wish I could have included images of her work but surprisingly, they don't seem to be posted anywhere! She hasn't won a challenge yet but her vision is so inspiring to me. The way she takes a minor detail such as a zip and uses it to replace hemlines or normal forms of stitching creates a beautiful aesthetic.

Styled to Rock US airs on Bravo TV at 8/7c on Fridays. If you're not in the US, I'd suggest watching the episodes on www.delishows.com.

Rihanna for River Island: A/W 2013 Review

Naturally, after the first Rihanna for River Island collection, I was definitely hesitant to purchase anything from this one. I still can't believe how terrible the first one was, if I'm honest.

Well, this collection definitely isn't amazing and it's not worth obsessing over, in my opinion. I can see Rihanna's fan base buying a lot of the items for the sake of buying them, however. I suppose celebrity status will always conquer merchandise, no matter what it looks like.

Personally, I've bought 2 items from the collection and I'm questioning one of them now...

G4Life Sweat Dress- £50.00

I'm pretty content with my sweat dress purchase. It seems like that incredibly warm jumper that'll always get worn on blustery Winter days. Paired with cable knit tights and heeled ankle boots, I don't think this is a bad item from the collection. It makes a statement without being too loud.

G4Life Cropped Sweatshirt- £35.00

Although I bought this, the sweatshirt is definitely nothing special. Maybe if paired with high-waisted acid wash jeans, I'll change my mind.

Aside from these items, there was quite a few items that just weren't realistically wearable to the average British girl or woman. Somehow, I just can't see myself walking around the streets of London in these glossy trousers, can you? Now, if Rihanna walked around in these... she'd somehow make it onto a "best dressed" list. Why? She's Rihanna. Rihanna can pull off anything, quite literally.

High-shine coated trousers- £50.00

One item I will give Rihanna props for is the tan stiletto boots in her range. They're so tough and rebel-chic. Rather on the expensive side, but I suppose you wouldn't expect anything less.

Suede stiletto boots- £120.00

Overall, Rihanna's new collection is definitely better, but still doesn't have enough appeal to me. The items still all seem like things Rihanna would wear. Although that's the idea, successful celebrity collections have always intertwined personal style with subtleness. The neon yellows, PVC and the lack of pretty much anything that isn't cropped can definitely be off-putting for your average shopper in River Island. Definitely a hit and miss collection.

NY Fashion Week: T by Alexander Wang S/S 2014 Review + Personal Update!

Where on Earth have I been?

New York Fashion Week has officially come to an end and I feel like I've completely missed all of it. I've been away for a while on internships and preparing for life at university but I can assure my readers that I am doing everything in my power to stay motivated to blog. I'm not exactly sure which direction to take with blogging but for now, it'll still remain a big interest of mine as there's nothing I love more than to review collections. My experience working for www.styleclone.com has also confirmed that this is one of many passions and I will continue to invest in it until I don't feel satisfied anymore. What I will say is this- seeing the views on this blog continually increase so rapidly is definitely the most motivating factor for me. Whoever you are, I genuinely appreciate you as I have a lot to learn in this sphere and it's going to take a hell of a lot to become a noted blogger.

Wang's Modern Wardrobe Staples  

As you may know, Alexander Wang will forever be one of my favourite designers. His unique mindset enables him to create the most statement pieces that don't even scream "statement". With this collection, I was pleasantly satisfied to see Wang stick to his simple and minimalist stance on clothing. As per usual, no print and no embellishment. It really is all about silhouette and fabric in Wang's collections.

The choice of rich red separates in a ribbed knit material is definitely shows Wang's ability to create wardrobe staples. Comfortability with edge, as the zips that aren't fully done almost personifies the average Wang girl... a bit mysterious but definitely not reserved. 

A boxy shirt with an unusual fabric that's almost similar to latex. Wang definitely loves to play around with dimensions as he creates this street-luxe ensemble. 

"Fetishism" and "Wang" are words often used interchangeably and now I understand why. The tightness of this dress on the model's figure is seductive. 

A utility jumpsuit that goes perfectly against the construction background. With Wang, there's no clear line to mark what is feminine or masculine. 

Outfit Of The Day: It's Alright As Long As It's Black Or White

A new blogging venture for me... outfit of the days. Perhaps, these are a little overdone? Well, I'm not doing street style (yet...) and I'm not making a huge deal out of photography. I want this to be as realistic as possible... a spontaneous photograph of my outfit for the day and where to get it. An idea of my taste and what I pair together for different occasions. If I like how it goes, I'll continue doing this and if any requests or questions are put forward, I'm more than happy to answer! 

I rarely look at trends and try and emulate them so it's unlikely that I will be doing "how to wear ___ trend" posts. However, if I find that I'm wearing something on the day or have some things in mind that fit a certain trend, whether it be catwalk-based or street-style based, I might put something together. 

(If I know something I'm wearing is still in store, I will definitely link it too!)

Instagram: @ManitaRughwani - similar photos and 'Outfit Of The Day' posts will be uploaded there too but the blog posts will have a bit of extra detail. 

Disclaimer: I have a bunch of insecurities. Probably more than Bridget Jones. 

Top- Primark
Skirt- H&M
Wedges- New Look
Sunglasses- Marc Jacobs

Today's outfit was for a 'How To Get In To Fashion' event hosted by GoThinkBig. Some lovely staff from Grazia magazine talked to about 20 of us young and eager beavers about their journeys and life and how they ended up where they are. It gave me so much confidence that I'm on the right track (touch wood). It's all about interning, connections and humbling yourself. In a tough industry, being complacent and cocky won't get you anywhere. If you come into a job or internship thinking you're above it, you pretty much won't get anywhere because people in fashion TALK and recommend left, right and centre! Those were some of the vital points I got from the event.

Really happy I went! I wanted to wear something fairly comfortable, yet stylish. Therefore, the plain black stretch top tucked into the lace skirt was perfect because it complimented my shape and didn't enhance my unforgiving curves, at times. The sandals were pretty comfortable too and I thought the metallic gold broke down the simplicity of the black and white.

Lipsy Panel Mini Tote Bag Review

The jewel of Lipsy's current handbag range is this tote bag with a nude, black and gold colour scheme.

The structure of the tote is very Céline-esque which is one of the features that drew me to the bag. Classically elegant and chic is what this bag screams with the gold metal detailing on the front of the bag. 

I didn't just buy this bag because of it's style, I bought it because I needed something practical and sturdy enough for my start at university this September. The space inside is enough for a laptop and some books, perfect!

The gold zip is ideal to keep everything securely tucked away. I tend to prefer zips than button details just for security and peace of mind.

I'm also keen on the limited patent fabric that the tote has. I find that excess amount of PVC adds a cheaper feel to an item but a little on the frame of the bag is a lovely touch.

The colours are perfect for all year round and the bag can be matched to many outfits which is something to look for when it comes to a handbag choice. Although we've been seeing a lot of neons and brights considering the summer weather, often they are hard to team up with outfits unless you're wearing something toned down.

This beauty is available for just £48.00 at Lipsy.

Giveaway Time! Win a £50 Spend!

Loyal readers, as you may know, I am currently writing content for www.styleclone.com and they have a fantastic giveaway! 

To enter, click here:

http://styleclone.com/23913/competition-win-50-spend-at-petasil-kids-shoes-fashioncompetition/

You have a great chance to win a £50 spend at Petasil shoes, a brand with a huge celebrity following. They sell stylish, yet comfortable and quality shoes for children.