カテゴリー別アーカイブ: fashion

Wedding season is just around the corner, and designers who are beloved by the stars now have lines accessible to brides everywhere! Check out these three new bridal launches:

Christian Siriano for Kleinfeld Bridal

Stars love the Project Runway alum’s sculptural tailored silhouettes on the red carpet, and now that impeccable fit available exclusively at Kleinfeld (you know, of Say Yes to the Dress fame). The collection contains 27 looks and runs between $3,500 to $10,000.

“I think wedding dresses are very different now,” Siriano tells PeopleStyle. “Some girls grow up and the only time they’ve seen an evening gown is at prom or at a wedding.” But thanks to social media and the ubiquity of red carpet fashion online, “It’s very different now. The idea of a non-traditional wedding dress is much more relevant,” he says. So among the ultra-glam gowns, Siriano created a sexy one-piece, a white suit and a bunch of unique wedding dresses.

“We also have so many women now who want to wear jumpsuits or pants or a suit and want to feel sexy in a totally different way, especially for destination weddings,” he says. “For a lot of brides, if they’re traveling, they aren’t really in the mood to wear a gown. That’s why we did the suiting.”

Jenny Packham for David’s Bridal

After launching successful collaborations with Zac Posen and Vera Wang, the brand teamed up with British designer Jenny Packham for the Fall 2016 season. Wonder by Jenny Packham is available in sizes 0 to 26, this season is inspired by “the belle époque era of the early 1900s,” Packham says. “The dresses are delicate with light beading and understated, flowing silhouettes alongside more contemporary structured shapes, elegantly exposed backs, and geometric embellishments for a modern bride.”

Packham has dressed stars like Adele, Blake Lively and Angelina Jolie. Kate Middleton is a huge fan of Packham, wearing more than six looks by the designer in the past four years. She’s even worn one dress three times! Her David’s Bridal collection runs from $800 to $1,500 for bridal gowns, and she has other evening looks for under $300 (perfect for bridesmaids!).

The classic brand has expanded its bridal line to 10 styles, including ballet flats and wedge sandals. The beloved Nudist sandal will come in four different heel heights (for those of us who admittedly can’t dancing in 4 1/2-inch heels). There are two unique options for customization of the shoes: Brides can add Swarovski crystals in clear, white or a pale aqua, for that “Something Blue, and have the sock lining of the shoe printed with their married name or wedding date.

Also see: http://www.queeniewedding.co.uk/lace-wedding-dresses

Francesca Kearns first started making dresses at 19 for Liverpool girls wanting glam one-off creations for a night out.

But more than a decade later, the designer is now a mum-of-one and her customers have grown up too, so she’s decided it’s time to take her label in a new direction.

Alongside the going out dresses, Francesca has launched a new bridal collection.

“A lot of our customers have been coming to me since I started so we’ve got to know each other quite closely over the years and I’ve been there for different milestones in their lives,” she explains. “They’re now at that age where they’re thinking about getting married and so I started being asked if we did dresses for brides and bridesmaids.

“At first I wasn’t sure, it’s such a big responsibility, but in the end I thought why not? It gives me a chance to go to the next level creatively and make someone’s dream dress.”

The 31-year-old from West Derby made her first wedding gown for a London fashion blogger and couldn’t have hoped for a better response.

“I’ve made clothes for her before, but she said she’d looked everywhere in London for short wedding dresses uk and they were either over-the-top expensive or designers just wouldn’t do it,” she says. “We did and she was so happy with the dress and the service, we were really proud of it. We thought, why can’t we do this for everyone?”

Francesca now has a sample collection of 15 styles from which brides-to-be can choose features to create their own unique gown.

“We invite our customers to book in, try on some samples and then decide exactly what features they like so their dresses can be made just for them. No two dresses should ever be the same. Lots of girls now are seeing dresses on Pinterest and social media and they want them but can’t find them in bridal shops, so I can help them have the special dress they’ve got in their mind.”

Long-standing relationships with customers means there’s already a feeling of trust, which is all-important in wedding preparations.

“They know they can rely on us, and their dress will be perfect at the end of it,” she says. “And they feel comfortable at every fitting to speak to me and tell me what they want or don’t want, so we get it just right.

“It’s amazing for me to see girls I’ve know for years getting married and to be a part of that. It’s a lovely experience and an honour for me to know that, out of all the thousands of dresses they could have chosen, they want me to make theirs.”

Being in the Metquarter, in the heart of the city centre shops, means Francesca gets plenty of new customers too.

“We’ve opened the bridal studio upstairs from our regular shop, so it’s easy for girls to come in for appointments and it means I can be in two places at once: either in the shop if a customer comes in and wants to speak to me, or upstairs in the studio where all our vintage bridesmaid dresses uk are made by a team of pattern cutters and machinists.”

With both collections now side-by-side, Francesca says she’s working non-stop. “But it’s what I love to do and I can’t imagine anything else.”

Although she has a long-term partner and 18-month-old daughter Petra, she’s not had first hand experience of wedding planning herself yet.

“I think I’d have to make my own dress, though, otherwise I’d be like a traitor to myself,” she laughs. “I do think I’ll be very demanding if it happens, I don’t think my seamstresses will be too happy with me!”

Had enough of anarkalis? Why not try the straight-cut, slim, ankle-length kurta with palazzos to make a style statement this summer?

You can never go wrong with the humble kurta if you want to make a bold or elegant fashion statement. It can be adapted to any style — traditional or contemporary. The slim-fit, straight-cut, ankle-length kurta, teamed with palazzos, is a trendy style that has made a comeback on the fashion scene. They are ideal for that casual, summery look. There are various interpretations of this style, from textiles to designs, in which prints range from traditional to graphic motifs.

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Fashion designer, Deepika Govind says though this style is the flavour of the season, it is by no means new, and that every summer, women like to experiment with this look. “Tunics with palazzos are age-old styles, coming from Pakistan, Punjab, Delhi and Lucknow.” How you design these kurtas, she adds, is dependent on interpretation and implementation.

W for Woman, for example, has invented a fashionable term, the stiletto kurta as part of their Spring-Summer collection. The kurta combines traditional and Western styles to enhance the look. Sreyashee Halder, head designer at W, says “The stiletto kurta is a slim fit ankle length kurta that may additionally have a side vertical contrast colour blocking giving the wearer a lean and long feel.” Deepika agrees that these kurtas look slim and smart. “They have a clean and not dowdy look, meant for the young, urban Indian woman. They are also helpful for women on the plump side.”

Sreyashee adds these kurtas can be worn for any occasion, whether casual or semi-casual: “The way to select the perfect style for any occasion is by its fabrics, colours and value additions or embellishments and how one would like to dress for that particular occasion.”

Writer Prajwala Hegde says straight kurtas and palazzos are a perfect fusion of traditional and western wear. “They look chic, have an understated elegance and help you pull off that sophisticated look effortlessly. The trendy motifs on stiletto kurtas add to the charm of the outfit, which sure will make heads turn!”

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Audrina Patridge is expecting a little princess, so it’s fitting that her pregnancy style is super glorious. The 30-year-old The Hills alum and life partner Corey Bohan, 34 went to the dispatch of style and magnificence LaPalme magazine’s spring 2016 issue at The Room Hollywood Friday.

Patridge wore a sparkling, two-conditioned, gold hung scaled down dress with hung off-the-shoulder sleeves, Excellence and the Mammoth style. She combined the look with pointed white pumps, pearl light fixture hoops, a gold grasp and a brilliant arm ornament.

At the gathering, Patridge additionally hung out with kindred spread star Mario Lopez, 42, and LaPalme’s innovative executive, Derek Warburton.

Related: http://www.queeniewedding.co.uk/wedding-dresses

“Fun night the previous evening!” she composed on Instagram Saturday.

Weeks back, she showcased her infant knock in a hot photograph shoot for LaPalme, which was styled by Warburton. The mother to-be wore various bend embracing cheap bridesmaid dresses uk, and additionally high as can be heels.

Patridge and Bohan got occupied with November and uncovered a month later that they are expecting their first tyke together. She will be the second The Slopes alum to end up a mother, after Kristin Cavallari, 29, who has three children with spouse and NFL player Jay Cutler, 32.

“God has an arrangement for us, and despite the fact that it is all event so quick, I am sure that I’m prepared to be a mother!” Patridge composed on her website.

From that point forward, she’s archived her pregnancy and developing gut on online networking. The swimsuit cherishing star even showcased her child knock at the shoreline amid a sentimental excursion.

Patridge uncovered for the current week they are expecting a child young lady and shared photographs of her uncover gathering.

“Corey and I can hardly wait to meet our child young lady, and we can’t thank you enough for your backing. It really implies the world!” she said. “Presently, onto the name. We are interested in recommendations!”

She has said she and Bohan plan to marry after their youngster is conceived.

On 11 March 2016, several web sites published photos of Sasha and Malia Obama at their first White House state dinner, along with the claim that the romantica bridesmaid dresses worn by the first two First Daughters were worth about $20,000 each:

Malia, 17, who was seated next to Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels and actress Sandra Oh, wore a strapless faille gown with crystal beading from the pre-fall 2015 collection. The 100 percent silk piece is no longer available for purchase, but it originally retailed for $17,990. The embellished piece didn’t need any more bling, so she went without jewelry. Malia blew out her hair in loose waves and had a subtle cat eye and nude lips.

While Malia went for a more classic, elegant look, her younger sister added a young, fresh flair. Also in Naeem Khan, Sasha chose a look from the Indian-American designer’s resort 2016 collection, a gown embroidered with allover threadwork, beading, and appliqué, accentuated by a fitted bodice and ball skirt. The 14-year-old complemented the red, black, and sheer piece, which retails for $19,990, by styling her hair in Dutch braids and tying a thin ribbon around her neck as a choker.

Some publications used the price of the mermaid wedding dresses to criticize the Obama administration, while othersfalsely claimed that taxpayers bought and paid for the dresses worn by Sasha and Malia:

Wisdom often brings humility, but apparently, both the Obamas and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau disagree.

According to the U.K. Daily Mail, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama let their daughters Malia and Sasha wear $20,000 gowns to a posh state dinner event at the White House with Trudeau last Thursday.

This disgusting disrespect for American tax-payers needs to be spread everywhere. Obama’s shameful waste must be exposed now.

While it’s true that Sasha and Malia Obama wore two princess wedding dresses worth about $40,000 to a state dinner at the White House, American taxpayers didn’t pick up the tab. In 2014, Michelle Obama’s press secretary Joanna Rosholm said that the First Lady’s (and, by extension, the First Daughters’) gowns are generally paid for for out of pocket, although dresses are occasionally donated:

“Mrs. Obama pays for her clothing. For official events of public or historic significance, such as a state visit, the first lady’s clothes may be given as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government. They are then stored by the National Archives.”

The Washington Post reported in 2011 that the First Lady’s personal assistant buys many of her wedding dresses london at discounted prices:

“(Michelle Obama’s personal assistant Meredith Koop’s) responsibilities include advising the first lady on her wardrobe and acting on her behalf in arranging for purchases, including considering the best offered price and buying on discount if discounts are available,” said Kristina Schake, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama.

The issue of clothing is one that bedevils many First Families. While Presidential spouses are expected to dress extravagantly for state functions, they receive no salary or clothing allowance, taxpayer-funded or otherwise.

How many among us recognize the name of Yolande Betbeze Fox, the Alabama beauty who died recently at the age of 87? Fox blazed quite a trail through American culture when, as Miss America of 1951, she refused to reign in a bathing suit. The swimsuit-maker sponsoring the pageant was not pleased. Educated in a convent in Mobile, Fox championed a certain propriety in dress. She found the idea of parading half-naked around America most distasteful. Fox moved on to become a prominent progressive activist in New York and Washington, D.C. She knew at the age of 22 that no one would take her seriously in a bathing suit. You wonder how Fox would respond to a convoluted feminist debate, one side of which holds that women should be taken seriously no matter how they dress. It’s been expanded to condemn high-school dress codes — arguing they are sexist because they force the girls to de-emphasize their breasts, legs and rear ends. A kind of “body shaming,” if you will.

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If the girls’ fashion choices arouse the boys, it’s the boys’ problem. This argument has some teeth, though only baby teeth. It’s true that the sternest dress codes apply to the girls, but that’s because the boys are already mostly covered up. Many such dress codes do include the boys. Arkansas, for example, bans showing underwear or revealing the crack of one’s butt. The fact remains that in most professions, the fully clothed man projects more authority than the woman flashing her flesh. It’s sad to see smart women on serious news shows exposing their arms, their lower thighs and often their cleavage — while the men’s dignity and paunch are protected in tailoring. Have you ever seen a male commentator wearing shorts? Many professional women have spoken resentfully of the pressures to dress seductively for TV. So why would any branch of feminism egg on high-school girls to voluntarily do to themselves what their older sisters and mothers are fighting against? One wishes the allegedly serious media (The Atlantic and The Nation) would stop playing the dope by feeding an academic feminism that goes inert at the street level. Again, it’s the notion that the boys have no business salivating at the nipples popping out of a girl’s spandex T-shirt. A female student at Woodford County High School in Versailles, Kentucky, was sent home for wearing a tight, low-cut T-shirt and jeans straining at the seams. Rather than help her to change into something a bit more modest, her mother, Stacie Dunn, posted the picture of her badly dressed daughter online. It went viral, we are stunned to learn. We forgot, the boys and men are not supposed to ogle. It’s their fault. But one might ask Dunn’s daughter whether she wore circulation-constricting jeans and a tight tank top to school because they are comfortable.

Now, school administrators should be ultra-careful about not letting boys who misbehave off the hook. And when calling out a student for inappropriate wedding gowns, they should do so with quiet sensitivity. The girls, meanwhile, might look to their cool older sisters for direction. A style writer observing the innovative summer dress of 20-somethings in hipster Brooklyn noted, “There is nary a spaghetti strap or strappy stiletto to be found.” High-school girls from South Orange, New Jersey, have launched a highly successful #IAmMoreThanADistraction campaign on Twitter. Too bad Miss America of 1951 was born too soon to turn her famous line into a hashtag:

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A close friend of mine is in the process of planning her second wedding. It’s an exciting time for the couple and, even as an onlooker, I’ve gotten caught up in the elation of their positive life change. They have already begun combining lives, bank accounts and furniture. I’m thrilled for her as the two of them are overjoyed to have found one another and eager to get started on their journey as a couple.

But, unlike her first engagement experience over twenty-five years ago, the current excitement isn’t so much overtaken by invitations, the caterer or the bachelorette party. Now, she is laser focused on the actual depth as to what’s taking place — something more tangible and understood. She is fixated on the upcoming marriage, rather than the wedding. The concept of marriage rings differently to her now than it did years before. With the experience that comes with this not being her first rodeo, there is a definite distinction between this particular trip down the aisle and her first one.

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Most of my friends, like me, are in their forties. There have been a few who have divorced and gone on to remarry. What has struck me is how very different the emotional spectrum is for second weddings when compared to the first. There are aspects and emotions tied in to a second wedding that do not exist during the first one. Of course, the joy, the anticipation, the love — each is present both times. The thrill that a couple has upon embarking on a shared new life encompasses the upcoming event. I’ve become enlightened as I’ve observed other friends’ second marriages come to fruition. What comes with second marriage territory is also a safe reluctance and hesitance, stemming from the unspoken fear of another failed marriage. A smart preponderance that wasn’t as pronounced during the first engagement.

But now, with my friend’s upcoming big day, I can’t help but notice the biggest difference between this one and her first one: she is now doing this as a full-fledged grown-up — with a honed adult outlook and perception. At her first wedding she was in her early twenties and just beginning her adult years. Now, a generation later, she’s not far from retirement. Her older daughter is about the same age she was when she was a first-time bride. Even friends’ and family’s expectations of the bride and groom’s new life, when compared to the first time, are in a different package. And I think that’s exactly how it should be.

Because she is not the same person.

She is now armed with invaluable wisdom gained from age and her first marriage. And, though she did not request it, she has an awareness she gets to bring with her from her first marriage into her new one.

Some may refer to it as baggage. I prefer to see it as education.

Her more than two decades’ worth of life experience is a huge benefit she didn’t get to take into marriage #1. She has expressed to me how her vantage point of life — and marriage — has sharpened over so many years. With her maturity and knowledge taken from decades of married life, she is able to see — much more clearly this time around — the enormity of planning a committed life together. She now knows what’s at stake. Because of this, she has said she feels more trepidation than the first time. Her nerves overtake her on some days because, in her own words, the first time she took her vows she was in “doe-eyed, ignorant bliss”. Regardless, she is not without delight and is certainly ecstatic about what is to come. This veteran of marriage is going in wiser, informed and well-seasoned. She’s aware of the necessity of communication in a healthy union and the existence of peaks and valleys. Marriage is big. It’s hard work and, at times, that fact doesn’t absorb until it’s too late. Sadly, sometimes it takes a broken marriage for that specific actuality to be realized.

Back in 1993, when I was planning my own wedding and overly consumed with details, my mom would occasionally remind me, “A wedding does not a marriage make.” A wedding — a culmination of decisions encompassing the flowers and the band, or even the gifts for the bridesmaids — does not dictate the quality of what’s to play out: the marriage. Some of this insight comes with sophistication of years accrued. A mindset not yet fully baked at a young age.

Within my group of friends, we all got married a few years out of college. We were in our twenties, pursuing our careers in their infancies, and, not only did none of us have any kids yet, we didn’t have much of anything else either. Owning a home wasn’t in the near future; renting was our only viable option. None of us had much, if anything, in terms of assets. We were post-college but still far from the independence of established adults. Within our marriages, the only foundation we had to build on as a couple was our mutual love for one another and budding careers. We were starting from scratch together. It was an adventure and what most of us viewed as the start of “real” adulthood. I now see this as a lovely bonding situation implicit in young, first marriages. When two people marry young, are just starting out, and their lives have barely taken off, the foundation is built together.

The second time around is often in strong contrast to that — the two separate foundations have already solidified. Each person must, hopefully as seamlessly as possible, find a way to assimilate into the other’s already-rooted life. There can be challenges not found in first marriages- stepchildren, ex-spouses and financial issues with which to be dealt. Logistics abound.

In most first marriages — when the wedding takes place relatively young — there are typically a multitude of “firsts” shared with one’s spouse: first job, first home and shared children.

The firsts in a second marriage are on a level quite different than the firsts in original marriages, but they exist nonetheless. And that’s been part of the beauty of watching my friend planning her life with her fiancé. Although they both have long-established careers, own their respective homes and have children — those firsts have taken already taken place years prior — the two of them have a whole world of firsts to be discovered together. And they are excitedly planning many new experiences and looking forward to a future by their new partner’s side — a definite first.

I’m extremely happy for her. A second marriage might be seen by some as bittersweet given the obvious fact that the first one didn’t work out. No one goes into a marriage expecting to see its end. As the ideal would be for every marriage to thrive and stay intact, sometimes it’s just not possible. My friend has taken the unforeseen path of Plan B and, like many other second marriages, has an added bonus: she will get to take advantage of the lessons of previous experience, reap the benefits of it and soak up the rewards in her new, joyous, adult life.

Also see: vintage bridesmaid dresses

For most Taylor Swift fans, the news that she would be maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding didn’t come as much of a surprise. The singer values friendship, gorgeous dresses, and heartfelt speeches more than anyone — the only real shock was that she hadn’t been maid of honor a dozen times before. And when the first photos of Swift at Britany Maack and Ben LaManna’s wedding came out a few weeks back, there was no question in anyone’s minds that the star wasn’t a perfect choice for the occasion. But it’s Swift’s maid of honor speech for Maack, which you can hear in a new video, that makes it 100 percent clear — the singer was pretty much born to play this role.

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Posted by Maack on Sunday, the video showcases every aspect of the recent wedding, from the rehearsal dinner to the ceremony to the music-filled reception. Swift is far from its star — most of the attention is paid to bride Maack and groom LaManna, as it should be — but she’s featured throughout. There’s footage of her arriving at the rehearsal dinner, dancing with kids, and helping get Maack ready in her dress, but the main event is, of course, her maid of honor speech.

Although the entire speech isn’t shown, the clips that are are moving and sweet. Speaking about LaManna, whom both Swift and Maack met as children, Swift can be heard saying, “He would chase her and pursue her through middle school and junior high and high school, and their paths would diverge, and then come back together, and it would be so magically unpredictable but at the same time, so incredibly fated, just like the best love stories are.”

T.Swift talking about love stories? No surprise there. Yet the sweetest part of the speech comes when she speaks about about her friendship with Maack. “My favorite accomplishment of my entire life is that everything in my life has changed except for me and Britany,” Swift says in the video. “She was my partner in crime at Brownies sleep-away camp, and she was my date to the Grammys.”

Awww. It really is nice to see that Swift and her childhood BFF have stayed close through the years, and that they were able to come together for such a special occasion. Swift herself says in the clip that she’s “overjoyed” for Maack, because she and the rest of the bride’s friends “know that the best parts of your love story are yet to come.”

Leave it to Swift to knock the maid of honor speech out of the part. But apparently, that’s not the only arena in which she killed during the wedding; the video shows a brief snippet of her taking the stage and singing a song, although, sadly, viewers can’t hear what it is. Perhaps it was a personalized version of “Shake It Off”? Or “You Are In Love,” her song for Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff? Or maybe (and probably most likely), it was something new and original, and fans will just have to wait and see if it ever gets released to the public? Fingers crossed.

Check out the adorable video below to see Swift and her friends celebrating what clearly was an absolutely beautiful night for all.

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Historically, fashion shows were put in place to set the tone of the upcoming season. Buyers, press and consumers looked on as the extravagant designs would trickle down onto the high street, losing a hint of eccentricity but gaining that all important dose of practicality.

But that could all be about to change. The idea of the style ‘season’ – dictated by the fashion weeks and runways – is fast becoming outdated in an era where Instagram is a daily catwalk.

Social media is steadily pushing us into a culture of immediate gratification, consumers are no longer interested in waiting for the slow trickle down from runway to high street, and with the innumerable selfies, blogs and #ootd posts, the fashion industry just can’t keep up.

Some luxury brands are trying to get on board with the digital age. Burberry’s chief creative and chief executive officer, Christopher Bailey, announced plans to ignore the seasons. Instead, the brand will have two annual shows, after which the collections will be immediately available.

Source: QueenieWedding

While this no doubt caters for the modern customer, it’s a huge deviation from the traditional model of fashion consumption.

Burberry’s latest collection shown at London Fashion Week (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

It’s not only the consumer side that’s undergoing an online reinvention. The fashion weeks themselves are being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the digital age. Kanye West’s opening of New York Fashion Week was watched by a staggering 20 million people via live stream, while London Fashion Week shows are apparently broadcast to 60 outdoor locations around the UK.

By exhibiting to a wider audience, the fashion weeks are forgoing their exclusivity. The “don’t you wish you were here” appeal is lost, because everybody is there. An estimated 35 million people will have watched the LFW shows by the end of the event, and none of them will have had to wait for an invite.

Almost at the exact same time as Burberry, menswear brand Ada + Nik went seasonless. As for the reasons why, not every country has the same yearly calendar.

One of the brand’s designers Nik Thakkar said: “We’ve made the brand trans-seasonal. The British winter is the Australian summer – we can’t be putting out a global brand without being inclusive.”

The fact that Ada + Nik did the same thing at the same time as Burberry isn’t a coincidence.

“The timing was natural,” Thakkar said. “The industry is going through a seismic shift, so the decision was proactive, not reactive.”

In terms of the growing trend toward immediacy – or the #IWWIWWIWI (I want what I want when I want it) culture, as it’s now been dubbed.

Thakkar said: “The fashion industry is crashing, but style will always remain.”

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He believes that people can showcase their personal style through social media, without having to wait for the industry to give its verdict on what’s ‘in’.

“Our biggest moments are when we have a runway show or unveil a product. It makes sense to be able to sell something on that day,” he added.

The downside to the influx of social media? Narcissism. Although platforms such as Instagram show off a much more varied take on style, they also encourage what Thakkar calls The Kylie Jenner Complex.

Fashion becomes less about expression and more about numbers. The people with most “likes” are the most successful, but not necessarily the most authentic. Essentially, it’s a popularity contest, and this phenomenon could stifle the creative minds whose selfies aren’t quite on point.

For this year’s Grammys look, Taylor Swift went higher, barer, brighter. The Atelier Versace coral and fuchsia two-piece highlighted assets that Swift has lately become known for showcasing (and why not). The bandeau crop-top — a Swift signature — exposed her taut torso while a high slit, floor-length bubble skirt opened to reveal exposed legs in matching short-shorts (like the ones she wore throughout her 1989 tour).

Billboard spoke exclusively with Donatella Versace about the inspiration behind Swift’s bold sexy look.

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What were you drawing from when you designed this look?

I was thinking about color blocking, which seems like a very simple idea. But this is pure couture. The complexity is in choosing the right colors, and then cut and fit to create the power and drama.

How did you and Swift collaborate on it?

She wanted a look that was young, sexy and fresh, as she is, totally reflecting her character. It was a pleasure to create this look for her. Taylor’s gown is the perfect example of how bold color can create such an incredible effect.

What’s your philosophy about color on the red carpet?

I love playing with color on the red carpet. For me, color is so important to capture a woman’s character and her power. How boring would the world be if we all dressed in dull colors? I’m Italian, I love passion and energy.

What kind of liberties can you take on the Grammys red carpet that you can’t for the Oscars?

My name is Versace — when did I ever play by the rules? Every time we create an Atelier Versace red-carpet gown, it is a unique reflection of the woman wearing it. I’m not thinking about the rules, but about the woman who is wearing the gown. I want them to look their absolute best, shining brighter than they’ve ever shone before. The red carpet is such an important moment for any star, when all the eyes of the world are on them.

Still, there must be a difference, even ever so slight?

On the Grammys red carpet, I’m able to push for particular styles, a more rock ‘n’ roll mood, and for the Oscars, I tend to design for the character the actors play in the movie as well as for the actors themselves. It’s my responsibility to give them perfection, and it is something I take very seriously. That is why when the icons of the world walk the red carpet, they wear Atelier Versace.

What is it like having Swift wear your design?

I’m very proud of this dress. Taylor is such an inspiration. She has become one of the biggest icons in the world in such a short time by being totally herself.

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