Article Interviews
International Vision: Hermann Plank for Peter Kent Handbags
By: Christina Silvestri
For Phoenix Fashion Week
Sleek design, bold color, Italian leather and fine craftsmanship—all things that define design label, Peter Kent Handbags.
Here in North America, we have Hermann Plank to thank for bringing this one-of-a-kind designer to the States, and specifically, right here to Phoenix.
The story begins in September 2006, when his wife and he discovered the design brilliance of the esteemed South American designer of Peter Kent Handbags, Hector Neer, when traveling in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Upon returning to the States, Mrs. Plank was stopped by a passerby to compliment and inquire as to where she got such a beautiful bag.
Then it clicked.
Grounded in the backgrounds of marketing and entrepreneurship, Plank paired his business savvy work ethic with his wife’s fashion ingenuity and approached Scottsdale boutiques to carry the Peter Kent label.
Before they even reached the doorstep of one Scottsdale boutique, the boutique owner came running out and quite literally attacked Mrs. Plank, dressed chicly in black, to inquire about her lime green Peter Kent bag, according to Plank, Advisory Board Member at Phoenix Fashion Week.
In just two weeks time, Plank became the marketing representative and importer for Peter Kent Handbags for the United States. In 2007, he contacted Phoenix Fashion Week, and received an eager response, giving the brand a “growing and coming out of infancy” establishment.
Plank defines the style of Peter Kent as “casual elegance, gothic design with a modern twist that exhibits a clean line, beautiful soft leather and a timeless design.”
Each Peter Kent bag is looked upon as an individual artistic masterpiece.
You will be able to meet Hermann Plank and experience the Peter Kent Handbag collection on the runway during Phoenix Fashion Week, September 30 – October 2, 2010.
Visit mypeterkent.com for the Peter Kent story, and peterkent.tv to view video clips and pictures from previous fashion shows.
Phoenix Fashion Week Becomes A Stepping Stone for Havasu Students
By: Chi-Lan Vuong
For Phoenix Fashion Week
Last month, 22 Lake Havasu High School students saw their dreams become reality during Havasu’s first ever fashion week.
January 18-23, LHHS juniors and seniors unveiled their talents on the runway alongside designers from Phoenix Fashion Week, San Francisco and four boutiques on Havasu’s Main Street.
When Brian Hill, Executive Director at Phoenix Fashion Week, found out about Havausu’s fashion week, he jumped right in.
“I’ve known for a fact that there are a ton of high school-age fashionistas that want to have a career in fashion, but they don’t have the experience,” Hill said in a Havasu News article. “We saw that there was a total opportunity to go and give real world experience.”
Phoenix Fashion Week teamed up with Deb Strother, LHHS’s fashion and merchandising teacher, to put on the event.
LHHS students strut down the runway at Grace Arts Live Theater wearing designs from Phoenix Fashion Week’s 2009 line-up, Black Russian Label, The Angry One, Bella Bijoux and Briana Linea.
“[Havasu fashion week] was very fun,” Briana Hartsock from Briana Linea Fashions said in a phone interview. “The girls were very sweet.”
Briana added a word of advice to all aspiring fashion designers: always have a good attitude and work hard, and remember to ask questions and learn from other designers.
Since Havasu fashion week, these fashion-loving students are one step closer to becoming established designers.
Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see their designs on Phoenix Fashion Week’s runway.
Green On a Bigger Scale
By: Emily Timm
For Phoenix Fashion Week
“What do you think of when you think EcoDiva?” Taryn Hipwell asked at Phoenix Fashion Week’s AZFashion MeetUp in January.
Hipwell works to answer that question for us every day on her website, EcoDivasTV.com.
She launched EcoDivazTV.com last year. Since then, the site has transformed into a media house full of all things fashionable and all things green.
“I feel like my whole life has been this random segway from one random thing to the next,” Hipwell said in a phone interview. “Now it all makes sense and comes together […] I feel like this is my niche.”
In February, Hipwell and EcoDivasTV.com hosted a workshop at the Sundance Film Festival. The main project, featured at EcoDivas’ Green Lodge, encouraged VIP Sundance goers to upcycle their clothing.
Hipwell collected vintage sweaters and fabric swatches from high-end designers in LA. After cutting numbers and letters out of the swatches, she taught celebrities, musicians and other A-list celebs how to sew the two together. The majority of people sewed their nickname or their initials into the sweaters.
“A lot of the guys, especially, were really into it!” Hipwell said.
Although people are catching on to the greenwashing trend quickly, Hipwell says the real support is going to come from established and trusted companies. Most of today’s green clothing lines and companies are still young.
Hipwell dreams that big companies and clothing lines will go green and sponsor green events. This transformation would truly kick this young business into one with a great deal of influence.
Ready to go green? Hipwell suggests making one simple green change in your life and making it a habit. Once you start, you’ll be surprised how easy it is!
BLAQUE is the new BLACK
Author: Jacqueline Valle
As lovely as it is to envision yourself dressed in high-end fashion walking down the streets of New York City, let’s be real. With the economy today, those dreams and hopes are dormant while we gain financial stability. But do not fret, there is a way to dress stylish and look fabulous with affordable clothing.
Blaque label, a successful clothing line that started up in Los Angeles, is a luxurious and chic collection that looks perfect with your favorite pair of over-the-top shoes, giving it that edgy look.
Designers Kathy Lee and Vanessa Lee, who attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, were on a trip to Paris and Italy when they noticed the beauty of European fashion. They then decided to create a line that was inspired by high-end European fashion, yet would be reasonably priced for those fashionistas who glance through the likes of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.
The name was drawn out from the concept that the “black label part” of a designers collection is intended to be the most desirable, or expensive, part of the production. They believe that these types of designs should be accessible to everyone.
“The secret to a true fashionista is that you do not have to have a lot of money, it’s how to take something small and make it into something greater” Lee said.
Lee draws her inspiration from everyday things: traveling, food, art or just people that take their sense of style and exude confidence in the way they wear it. Some fashionists that the Lee pair admire are Mary-Kate Olsen, Victoria Beckham and Rachel Zoe.
“The most influential fashion is personified through everyday people,” Lee added later. “It can be the hipster in the lower east side of Manhattan to the elegant couple on via condotti.”
While this line is only a year old, the company is growing quickly. Currently, Blaque label is showcased in Patricia Field, South Moon Under, Searle NYC and other high-end boutiques. Blaque label is in the process of having their collections sold at Bloomingdale’s as well.
There is nothing like inexpensive chic luxury to make you feel truly like a trendsetter.
You will be able to meet Kathy Lee and experience Blaque on the runway during Phoenix Fashion Week, October 1 – 3, 2009.