Lack of fashion at AMA's

What did you think about the overall fashions at the American Music Awards tonight? I must admit that I wasn't all that impressed. While this isn't the most formal of all the award shows, it is still an opportunity to have fun with your outfit and get creative with your clothes. I thought most of the stage outfits especially were somewhat cheesy and the artists in the audience didn't do much for me either. I saw a lot of short black/white dresses on the red carpet, nothing special. I wonder why everyone looked so bland? Perhaps it had to do with the absence of Gaga?

If you think differently, give me your top choices for the show. Perhaps I have overlooked a few well-dressed people...?

Q&A with Maria Teresa Sampedro

Maria Teresa Sampedro is currently a senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She will be graduating in December 2010 with her BA in International Trade and Marketing. However, Maria is a very busy person outside of school. She is a Consultant in Training and Coordinator at the New York office for a prominent fashion forecasting company based in Paris and is the Managing Editor for Serial Magazine - which will debut its first issue in January 2011. Maria spoke with me via Skype last evening as I interviewed her about her work, her future and the fashion trends for Spring 2011.

ALV: So Maria, what all does your job entail?

MTS: I specialize in youth culture fashion and beauty trends, specifically what's going on within youth subcultures. I have to be aware of and up to date on trends related to fashion, design, music etc. and then relay and interpret those trends to our clients. Each client needs to use those trends in different ways, so I help to tailor specific trends to all of our different customers. I also speak fluent Spanish, so I sometimes work with clients specifically from South America and Central America as well.

ALV: What do you see happening with the Spring 2011 fashion trends?

MTS: We will be seeing more of the 'return to basic/heritage' story that we have been, along with a mix of late 90s 'raver' glam but with less grunge. There will be a lot of futuristic shapes and silhouettes with natural fabrications and tones; and poppy will be a major color for the season.

ALV: What about street style?

MTS: The 'dandy' look will continue but with a softer, more minimal touch. Think: thin oxfords and penny loafers, pastel cardigans, pony-tails, wooden clogs, high-water pants (for men and women), mismatched patterns, happy socks and cat eye sunglasses. There will also be a counter trend that involves late 90s grunge.

ALV: After you graduate, where and what do you think you will be doing?

MTS: I will be staying at my current company and will continue to grow with the company and with Serial Magazine. Later on I also see myself taking a break and moving to Paris for a while. In the future I will probably be doing branding for record labels or working more with youth trends... I have lots of ideas!

Follow Maria on Twitter and check out her blog.

Maria described her 'dream outfit' for Spring 2011 to me. My illustration of that outfit is below.

Maria's wish list:

 - white cat eye glasses

- blue and poppy floral cardigan

- smiley face 90s T-shirt

- pink, green, yellow striped skirt

- happy ruffle socks

- brown leather peep toe wooden clogs

Inspiration

Well, I have finally added on the last section of my website, entitled 'inspiration.' Here I will post photos, art and collages of different images and items that I find to be personally inspiring or creative to me. Basically, I will use images I find in books, magazines, the internet, etc. to share with you. Everyone needs a little inspiration, and so I decided to create this new page to visually display my own inspirations and muses. To the right is just one example of a collage from a notebook of mine that inspires me. Images were taken from fashion magazines I had lying around. Enjoy!

Videos galore

Below is an example of a high quality 'behind the scenes' video of a July 2010 Terry Richardson shoot for W Magazine. W Magazine has made some really interesting advances in the way they connect with their audience via their website. Not only do they have written content, blogs and loads of photos, they also have many high quality videos. Some of the videos posted on the site are actually directed specifically for the site, while others are behind the scenes shots of photo shoots and screen tests. They have quite the archive going, with different categories consisting of fashion, art, runway and celebrities. The videos are free on W's website so that anyone can access them.

The behind the scenes videos on W's website are very well put together, often layered with music and text. I like the different aspect that the videos give to photo shoots. And after seeing the fashion spreads in the magazine for myself, I really appreciate seeing the video that was filmed along with them. I think it's an interesting idea that W pulls off so well. The other videos that are directed give another angle of perspective. These videos add an element of, and appreciation for, art that would otherwise not come across in their print magazine alone. Here is an example of one of these directed films, shot by well-known artist Alex Prager. It is currently featured on the home page of W's website.

I think that other magazines could take a cue from W and come up with related video content like they do. This is yet another way that magazines can utilize the internet while also giving their readers more in-depth content. It's a seamless way to connect print with digital and take readers along for the ride. Plus, these videos entice readers because they are free and because they give readers the feeling of being "insiders." By creating this new channel of consumption, W Magazine has really stepped ahead of other fashionable competitors.

Back to the drawing board

Nowness is a website that compiles interesting stories, photos, videos and other multimedia all in one place. The website's tagline is "daily exclusives for you to love," which I think sums up its mission pretty well. I often visit the site to watch videos and look through photos and, mainly, to gain inspiration. Their specific in-depth pieces are both interesting and informative. And in my opinion, the way in which the website presents its material is quite a unique platform. Recently, an entry from the beginning of September really caught my interest. It is titled, "Back to the drawing board," and it is a slideshow that consists of some text and photos of many different fashion designers' sketchbooks. According to Nowness, Hywel Davies "has compiled Fashion Designers’ Sketchbooks, a 208-page tome that collects the wonderfully revealing scrawls and illustrations of 50 top-flight fashion designers." The images on their website were taken from Davies' book (which came out September 29th). I found the images very intriguing and also inspiring. Being someone that comes from a designing background, I truly appreciate what Davies is trying to do and like to see how other designers go about their own creative process. I think it would be very beneficial to read his book and see all of the photos from the different designers, as the book includes some of the top names in the industry. The characteristics, colors and textures of the photos on Nowness completely pulled me in and made me want to take a closer look at Davies' book. Which designer's sketching style speaks to you?