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Art Culture Design Fashion Museums News NYC

Dreaming of Dior at Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum exhibit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams features more than 200 of Dior’s haute couture garments.

This exhibit at Brooklyn Museum opens with a timeline of Dior’s legacy, beginning with his early life and later walking through the different designers to take the helm of Dior in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Different collections, from the post-World War II era “New Look” to all-black cosmopolitan wear, are highlighted alongside historic texts and images of Christian Dior and his work between both France and New York. Other highlights later in the exhibit include some of Dior’s most elegant ball gowns and evening wear, an all-white display of the studio’s many toiles, or working garments, and a final atrium of floral and nature-inspired designs reminiscent of the elegance of the outdoors.

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams runs at Brooklyn Museum through February 20, 2022. brooklynmuseum.org

Categories
Book Club Fashion Featured

“Dior by Roger Vivier” Documents the Legacy of an Iconic Collaboration

Dior by Roger Vivier, House of Dior, Christian Dior
“Dior by Roger Vivier” by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Rizzoli, New York 2018.

DIOR BY ROGER VIVIER by shoe historian Elizabeth Semmelhack, is a stunningly crafted volume that details the seminal relationship between French footwear designer Roger Vivier and the House of Dior—and the unforgettable shoes born from the decade-long collaboration.

The designers’ paths began on their creative collision course when Christian Dior launched his first collection a mere two years after WWII ended and immediately caused a sensation. His designs completely eschewed the forced wartime thriftiness that characterized the fashion of the time. Dior came out blazing with billowing skirts featuring liberal amounts of fabric and emphasized waists—inadvertently causing a triumphant return to the expression and acknowledgement of the beauty of the female silhouette. When the editor of Harper’s Bazaar saw the collection, she promptly referred to it as the “New Look,” which took, and subsequently spawned generations of women clamoring for fashion’s return to glamour.

Evening Pumps in Satin; New Style heel, 1962.

To complement his new collection, Dior introduced an equally chic new line of high-heeled shoes that were designed to augment the lines of his clothes and highlight femininity. Dior’s insistence in creating entire outfits, from head to foot, had him relying on various shoemakers to design his footwear collections. While these designers included idols such as David Evins and André Perugia, he needed a cutting-edge designer who could dedicate himself to Dior. As serendipity had it, just a few years later a famous French fashion illustrator and Dior’s design studio director, Raymonde Zehnacker, arranged a meeting between Christian Dior and Roger Vivier. The rest, as they say, is design history! You can purchase the book at Rizzoli to learn the full story and peruse a fantastic photographic record featuring over 300 of Vivier’s dazzlingly beautiful shoes.

All images © Gérard Uféras.

House of Dior, Dior by Roger Vivier
Pump in kingfisher feathers; Choc heel, 1959.

 

 

Mule in embroidered tulle; high slender Louis XV heel covered in satin; Autumn–Winter 1958.
Categories
Culture Events Fashion Featured

Trend Report Tuesday: Golden Globes 2018 Red Carpet Recap

On Sunday, January 7, 2018, Seth Meyers hosted the 75th Golden Globes Awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The Golden Globes recognizes the best in the film and American television industry of this past year, 2017. You can find the complete list of winners from Sunday’s 75th Golden Globes Awards here.   

Some of the hottest and most glamorous in Hollywood showed up for this award show in a stunning – and bold – manner. This red carpet was rather memorable as actors and actresses took over the red carpet dressed in black standing up for the #TimesUp movement. This movement focuses on the present day issue of sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace and uses the slogan “Times Up” to start putting the foot down and do something about it. The Golden Globes was flooded with supporters of this movement and truly brought it to attention. Hollywood showed up wearing black in solidarity to the Times Up movement – and everything about the night was absolutely fabulous.

The red carpet was full of intense energy and killer gowns. Although the fashion atmosphere was alike, there were so many stars who dominated the all-black fashion and Downtown can’t get enough of our best-dressed list. Bravo ladies, for standing up for a better world and in a stylish demeanor.

Here are our favorite looks from Sunday night’s award ceremony red carpet. 

Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen

Photo courtesy of Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock via E! Online

Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent

Photo courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images via E! Online

Dakota Johnson in Gucci

Photo courtesy of George Pimentel/Getty Images via POPSUGAR

Kerry Washington in Prabal Gurung

Photo courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images via E! Online

Nicole Kidman in Givenchy

Photo courtesy of Tom & Lorenzo

Naomi Campbell in Jean Paul Gaultier

Photo courtesy of Rex via Marie Claire

Gal Gadot in Tom Ford

Photo courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images via E! Online

Margot Robbie in Gucci

Photo courtesy of Getty Images via POPSUGAR

Kristin Cavallari in Alex Perry

Photo courtesy of David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock via E! Online

Salma Hayek in Balenciaga and Ashley Judd in Elie Saab

Photo courtesy of Getty Images via POPSUGAR

Jessica Biel in Dior

Photo courtesy of Venturelli/WireImage via PEOPLE

Categories
Living

Best Makeup for a Summer Bride

Wedding season is in full swing and we know that looking the best you can is essential for the wedding of your dreams!

Summer weddings can be hot and sweaty along with your emotions all over the place, which is why finding the best products is important. There are so many options to choose from mascara to foundation and more. But what are the best products to use?

Here are Downtown Magazine’s best makeup products we recommend for a bride with a summer wedding.

Face Primer

Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs

Undercover Perfecting Coconut Face Primer
Marc Jacobs Beauty

Price: $44.00, available here

Foundation

Photo courtesy of Dior

DiorSkin Airflash Spray Foundation
Dior Beauty

Price: $62.00, available here

Concealer

Photo courtesy of NARS

Soft Matte Complete Concealer
NARS Cosmetics

Price: $30.00, available here

Blush

Photo courtesy of Urban Decay

Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush
Urban Decay

Price: $26.00, available here

Lipstick

Photo courtesy of Kat Von D

Studded Kiss Lipstick
Kat Von D Beauty

Price: $21.00, available here

Lip Gloss

Photo courtesy of Burberry

Burberry Kisses Gloss – Mallow Pink No.57
Burberry

Price: $29.00, available here

Fake Eyelashes

Photo courtesy of Battington Lashes

Harlow Lashes
Battington Lashes

Price: $28.00, available here

Mascara

Photo courtesy of Lancôme

Hypnôse Drama Waterproof
Lancôme

Price: $27.50, available here

Eye Liner

Photo courtesy of Stila

Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
Stila

Price: $22.00

Eye Shadow Palette

Photo courtesy of Smashbox

Full Exposure Palette
Smashbox

Price: $52.00 (+Deluxe sample of shadow primer to lock on for 24 hours), available here

Setting Spray

Photo courtesy of lilah b. 

Aglow Face Mist
lilah b.

Price: $48.00, available here

Makeup Remover

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover
Bobbi Brown

Price: $28.00, available here

Categories
Fashion

Dior teases consumers with its new fragrance campaign

Camille Rowe for Dior / Photo: Dior
Camille Rowe for Dior / Photo: Dior

As learned about in Luxury Daily, French fashion house Christian Dior is continuing to be an industry leader with its new campaign. Last week, Dior released a trailer for its latest campaign, as featuring a dramatic dance performance. This creative direction puts emphasis on Dior as a provider of both art and entertainment with its promotion, rather than traditional advertising.

Said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis, to Luxury Daily: “Advertising can be an effective tool for building brand awareness, triggering an initial engagement or if timed right it can generate transactions, but advertising is not necessarily the best medium for telling the brands story…A brand is built first and foremost by what it does, how it delivers its value.”

Becker continued: “A brand can amplify its efforts through effective storytelling, but creating content and sharing its domain expertise with the market, as well as with intimate conversation with individuals at scale through emerging platforms like Facebook messenger and chatbot.”

The Poison Club video from Dior mirrors a major motion picture, and was initially teased with a short trailer to get fans excited. The video stars model/actress Camille Rowe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re4icu2NXO8

 

Categories
Beauty

Summer 2016: 6 Makeup Products We Love

Just in time for summer, here are six makeup products that Downtown recommends:

1. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation: This foundation is revolutionary in its smooth, skin-like appearance and light to moderate coverage. The magic foundation comes in 12 different shades, so it is almost impossible not to find a shade that matches your skin tone. Once applied, the light foundation blends easily, so other people can barely tell you’re wearing makeup. This product is intended for women of all ages and skin types — there is a reason this foundation is called “magic.”

Available at Charlotte Tilbury, Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman, $44

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2. Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm: Dior Addict lip glow is a cult favorite for numerous reasons. The lipstick is not overpowering, and subtly blends in with your natural lip color. The reviver balm also does not leave your lips feeling dry or stained. Instead, the light pink product makes your lips soft and radiant all day long. This product is perfect for summer, when you don’t want something heavy and bold, just a subtle flush of natural color.

Available at Dior, Bergdorf Goodman, Macy’s and Sephora, $33

 

Lip Glow Image

3. No7 Airbrush Away Radiance Boosting Primer: This Primer does not coat your skin or clog your pores. Instead, the light diffusing primer evens out your complexion to leave skin looking smooth and radiant all day long. Although the primer is meant to be used underneath a foundation, this radiance boosting formula pairs well with a light bb cream or a tinted moisturizer for summer weather.

Available in Targets in September, $9.99

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The Estee Edit by Estee Lauder: 

4. The Edgiest Kohl Shadowstick: These shadowsticks, available in 10 different shades are as pretty in person as they are on Kendall Jenner. Jenner models the shadowstick on the Sephora website and displays the product’s versatility. The pearlized champagne color is perfect for a pale sweep of color across the lids and the darker shades create an easy smoky eye for summer nights. The color glides on smoothly and stays put throughout long hot days.

Product available for purchase at Sephora, $22

 

The-Estée-Edit-by-Estée-Lauder-The-Edgiest-Kohl-Shadowstick

5. Beam Team Hydrate + Glow: The beam team is a high-quality tinted moisturizer with a revolutionary twist. Underneath the cap is a highlighter perfect for emphasizing your cheekbones. The moisturizer is hydrating and the quality of the product is noticeable. Estee Lauder also just came out with a new darker shade of the Beam team that is excellent for summer to provide an extra bronze glow.

Available from Sephora, $50

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6. Glossier Haloscope: Haloscope is an exciting new product for highlighting. Haloscope is a combination of skincare and makeup, and provides the natural dewy glow women strive for. The outer halo of the Haloscope is infused with crystal extracts to provide shine, and the core is made of vitamin-rich moisturizes to create a hydrated dewy appearance. This Glossier product enhances the natural bronze from summer sun, while moisturizing and softening the skin.

Available from Glossier, $22PRIMARY_Halosocope_Product_TopazQuartz_02 (1)
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