MM6 Maison Martin Margiela RTW Fall/Winter 2014

At first, I was set on reviewing the Michael Kors collection, but in all honesty I'm not so sure I'd have a lot to say about it. The collection was appealing in that it was very accessible but I thought I'd talk about a collection that I can never skip each year: Margiela's. 

The collection had a very clean and minimalist colour palette at first, with lots of white and black, as expected.  Staple items were everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Out of nowhere, a fiery red cable knit appeared with paper-thin white shorts. There literally are no conventions with Margiela. 

Visually, the splashes of burnt orange are just perfect, even when you only see a hint from the model's shorts underneath her oversized jacket. 

Now, the fabrics used were undoubtedly the most mind-blowing feature of the whole collection. We're talking bubble wrap. Yes, bubble wrap calmly used as a top and even understated in the sleeve details of a dress. Denim was also laminated and appeared very glossy, to give some of the looks an incredibly futuristic vibe. 

This is definitely a collection for risk-takers and people with a whole lot of confidence. 

Boxy shorts paired with a pristine white jacket. Such an effortless look, and I love the knee-length boots to match.

Here's what I was talking about... fiery red out of nowhere! Warm and stylish at the same time, especially with the unconventional paper-thin shorts.

This may not visually look too pleasing, but I do admire the innovative use of bubble wrap... you have to! The laminated, denim shorts are also great. I'm not sure of the black bandeau underneath but I guess there aren't too many options when you're working with translucent material. 

I really loved this outfit. One, because the fit of the jeans is so unusual... not skinny or flared. Two, I love the metallic effect that the fabric gives off. That structured, zipped top is so bad-ass, especially paired with those edgy jeans. 

Christian Siriano Fall/Winter 2014 + Personal Update

The Abandoned Blog 

Seeing F/W 2014 catwalks on social media sites has really made me nostalgic over blogging. Circumstances in the last few months have definitely stopped me from posting content because I hate delivering mediocre reviews that I myself aren't proud of. I honestly appreciate all the views I've accumulated over the year and I thank you all for continuing to support and read my articles. I can't abandon this platform I created for myself in 2012. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to get on here and share my opinions on fashion. To this day, I have barely made use of analytics or marketing tools. Having said that, I would love for this blog to grow in size and to develop as much as possible. Having personally encountered people that seem to have negative things to say about this platform is only a driving factor for me to continue to post content. I believe ambition is key in life and you will constantly have people that divert their insecurities in order to put down your work. It doesn't matter what you're doing, just make sure you continue to do what makes you happy and let nobody tell you that something is too big for you to achieve.

Back to Business: Christian Siriano

Now, back to the fun part. I decided to review Christian Siriano's collection as I love exploring designers that are new to me. Instead of going for Wang or Marc Jacobs first, I decided to take a look at this seriously talented designer as a few images of his collection caught my eye on Facebook.

The collection takes elegant to a whole new level. It celebrates the female body in such a demure, ladylike way. The transitioning between fabrics and colour is also a true work of art for such a young designer. 

By far, this is my favourite piece in the collection. The gold details are very unexpected but the rich pine green  certainly isn't. This is definitely red-carpet worthy as the lycra-like fabric will undoubtedly accentuate a small figure. 

A simple alpacca coat for the winter season. Oversized has definitely been on-trend in high fashion, as well as high street recently. It makes a change from the more fitted pea coats and peplum jackets.

This is a look I decided to pick because of its clean cut and simplicity. Monochrome will never go out of style, especially with the effortless, slouch trousers and the structured bag. 

This is definitely a visual manifestation of Siriano's talents. Clearly this is no average dress. I love the fitted bodice and the flared skirt, as well as the gothic-like blackness to this dress. 

This look definitely has a 60s feel to it, especially with the mid-length pleated skirt.  I adore the combination of olive green with black- two perfectly coordinated colours for fall. The skirt itself is very flattering and the sheen to the fabric easily makes this a transitional piece from day to night. This look is all about taking historical fashion and making it appealing to the women of today. Props to Siriano.

Photo credits: Jay Marroquin www.jaymarroquin.com

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.