Biz Buzz: Weekly Round-Up

Biz Buzz keeps its fabulously accessorized ear to the ground to provide breaking fashion news coverage.

Film legend, as well as fashion and beauty icon, Elizabeth Taylor passed away Wednesday at the age of 79. She was famous for films such as “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Cleopatra” and “Father of the Bride” and for the sultry glamour she radiated in her youth. As she grew older, she became known for her over-the-top looks. She was also the first celebrity to have a successful celebrity fragrance, White Diamonds.

Elizabeth Taylor

The CFDA nominations were announced last week. Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs are the nominees for Womenswear Designer of the Year. Other honorees include Phoebe Philo of Céline, who is set to receive the International Award, and Lady Gaga, who will receive the Fashion Icon Award.

Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Lady Gaga, courtesy of NY Magazine

Designer drama! In the wake of the John Galliano’s dismissal from Dior following his anti-Semetic outburst in a Parisian restaurant, many of his fellow designers have been weighing in on the situation. Isaac Mizrahi didn’t hold back with his comments. “It can’t be tolerated,” Mizrahi told New York Magazine. “I never really liked what he did so much. I hope he doesn’t work again.”

Isaac Mizrahi, courtesy of NY Magazine

In the aftermath of the devastation in Japan, the fashion world has been working to provide aid to the suffering: Uniqlo donated $17 million in aid and another $8.6 million in clothes to the relief effort, and also set up clothing donation bins in some of their stores; designers like Tory Burch and Kate Spade have created merchandise that will have 100% of their profits going to Japan; and Forever 21 donated 100% of their sales on January 18 to the relief effort.

Tadashi Yanai, founder and president of Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, courtesy of Forbes.com

Check out this gorgeous commercial for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle fragrance, starring Keira Knightley.

-Julie Kosin

Cuse Closet: Don't Let the Weather Stop Fashion

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

Upon opening my eyes this morning the first thing I glimpsed was a patch of snow clinging to the hill behind my apartment. But did this stop me from wearing wildly impractical shoes? Of course not! Though I will never cheat on a test and am usually too scared to jaywalk, I have no problem with breaking fashion rules. Ok, I may have been cursing myself a bit for wearing them, while chasing the Slocum heights bus, but sometimes sacrifices must be made fiercedom (and for the record I did make it to bus!).

Pink shirt- Alice Roi

Black dress worn as shirt- Macy's

Grey Tulip Skirt - Uniqlo

Black ankle boots - Ash brand bought this summer while in Barcelona

-Emily Montgomery

Cuse Closet: Dressers Block

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

I’m sure you, darling readers, are much more decisive in your dressing that I could ever hope to be. There are many mornings when I find myself standing in a heap of clothes (also invariably cursing) with no idea what to wear. It’s not that I don’t try to plan ahead. Often times before crashing (at around 2:30 AM if I’m lucky), I’ll leave a couple things that seem like they’d work together in a pile on my floor. Unfortunately, in the words of Ida Maria “What’s easy in the night is always such a bite in the morning light (oh ho ho hooo).”

Tuesday, I set out a pink and gold button down and denim shirt dress that I thought would make a lovely mélange of utilitarian worker and femme, but come Wednesday morning, I found myself wanting to wear something more streamlined and put together (the antithesis of how I felt at the time). After going through to many outfit changes and briefly wishing I could reference another Ida Maria song (“I like you so much better when you’re naked”) I settled on this mostly black-ensemble, threw on my also black raincoat, and was finally out the door.

Black Dress worn as a shirt- Macy’s

Military inspired highwaisted skirt- bought at Zara this summer while in Madrid

Shrunken faux leather jacket- Uniqlo

Green and Black Gingham scarf worn as belt- Gifted to me by my Great Aunt during last year’s blizzard

Tights- Hue

Shoes- My senior prom shoes

-Emily Montgomery

Fierce+Foreign: The jumper dress is feeling French

Fierce+Foreign draws on the fashion experiences of SU students studying abroad.

Mademoiselles, here's a fashion staple worth investing in this winter - the jumper dress. 

I've seen French girls wear it with tall leather boots and a chic knitted beret. My personal favorite is a comfy cowl neck dress that encapsulates the effortless French style that fashionistas in the world yearns for.

Yellow cowl neck dress from Benetton's Winter 2009 collection.

Why is the cowl neck dress so... français? 

Well first, let me give you a quick DL on how our peers dress across the pond. French style doesn't scream for attention; the color scheme usually spans the many shades of black, in other words, just black. 

Even in warmer temperatures, the French don't reveal too much skin, and American girls here are often told that wearing short shorts will immediately expose you as a foreigner. There's no oh-la-la factor, no head-turning pink hair, gaudy jewelry and other eccentricities. French style is like a soft-spoken lady.

Almost every guy wears a pea coat and scarf, which unfortunately is something of an anomaly in the US. The cut is always of prime importance, as it must hug the body where it should. One does not necessarily have to look neat. In fact, one of the most attractive aspects of French style is its effortless, disheveled comfort. I still can't figure out how French mademoiselles make a messy ponytail look so good! 

Banana Republic cowl neck dress for $98.

Yours truly prefers a cowl neck over turtle neck because it's more fluid and doesn't give you that rigid neck brace feeling. It's a sleek look that transitions effortlessly from an outfit for the daily grind to a night out on the town. Cinch your waist with a thin belt in a contrasting color. If you choose a neutral colored dress then pair it with bright colored pantyhose. 

Get inspiration from the chic but pricey dresses from Anthropologie and Banana Republic. I've scowled the web and found the best price to be Uniqlo, a line of sweater dresses of their trademark ROYGBIV colors for $49. 

The key is to choose one that's short and sweet, 'less you want to look like a school teacher.

- by Jenny Cheng 

Cuse Closet: Pointed-toe therapy

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there. 

Today's closet: Elton Wong

The cold air is starting to fill our lungs and fuel my love for fashion. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons for dressing. While we’ve seen a lot of features on how women work fashion on campus, I believe that men can work it too.

Elton Wong hitting campus in his fitted, fabulous ensemble of neutrals.

On gloomy days, my favorite pointed-toe shoes are my mood uplift. They’re very comfortable. If I could wear them everyday, I would, but it would be unfair to my other shoes. I think every man on campus should get a pair of nice shoes, something more than just for casual walking.  

As a lover of the skinny jean, I think these shoes are the skinny’s best friend. The pants I chose today have a slight pattern to them, which gives them more personality than a pair of boring gray pants. The shoes and the pants together are a match made in fashion heaven.

For me, the best kind of shirt to match with any outfit is a classic v-neck tee. Since the ensemble is so simple, I often include a scarf to make the outfit more put together. 

I think everyone needs a circle scarf in his or her wardrobe – it’s pure genius. It can be worn so many different ways and can keep you warm too! I have no accessories, no special colors, but this outfit is wearable for many occasions. 

If the weather isn’t going to be fierce, well I better make sure my outfit is.  

Circle Scarf: American Apparel
Black V-neck Tshirt: American Apparel  
Gray Pattern Skinny Pants: Uniqlo 
Pointed-toe Shoes: Topman