Unless you have been living under a rock this morning, you have already heard that Kate Middleton and Prince William are engaged! I wish them all the happiness in the world and look forward to hearing more about their wedding plans in the months to come.  Of course, what I am most interested to hear about is what will she wear!?  

So Kate, on the chance that you come across this blog, I wanted to share my top 4 picks for the Liz Fields wedding dresses that I think would look the most amazing on you (because a girl’s gotta have choices).

1. The modern one-shoulder trend is at its peak right now; and with its silky organza draped bodice, beaded appliqué, and ruffle tulle embroidered skirt it would be hard not to feel like royalty in this gown, even if your name isn’t Kate Middleton.  

Liz Fields Bridal Gown Style 9100

2. Kate appears to be all about elegant sophistication, and an ease of style, luckily that’s exactly what Liz Fields bridal gowns are about as well!  In this dress, Kate can show off her figure with the fit and flare silhouette, and wow the on-looking crowds with the original 3-D accenting chiffon flower details. 

Liz Fields Bridal Gown Style 9105

3. Of course as the future Princess of England, you can’t go wrong with the classic ballgown silhouette!   This ballgown screams “Princess” with features such as a sweetheart neckline, a beaded corset bodice with hand-tufted skirt over a layer of embroidered lace, silky organza flowers, and rosettes throughout the gown.  

Liz Fields Bridal Gown Style 9108

4.  My final pick is more on the trendy side than the other three, but I have faith that Kate could pull it off without a hitch!  This bridal gown features a Square neckline, and pleated bodice with a show-stopping 3-D abstract floral embroidered skirt.  The Colored sash at waist enhances the silhouette and adds that extra pop of color.  With this bridal gown, Kate could either stick with the trendy black or choose a more traditional all white gown.   

Liz Fields Bridal Gown Style 9112

So those are my top choices, but I would love to know what yours are!  Visit www.lizfields.com and pick your favorite wedding dress for Kate to wear and leave a comment, there is nothing more fun than playing dress-up with a princess!

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Here at Liz Fields we are very excited about the newest trends that have turned up at Fashion Week this season. The trend we are most excited about though isn’t a style; it’s the trend towards designing for the real woman!  One wouldn’t think that would be such a big deal, but unfortunately we all know that it has been.  Of course, Liz Fields dresses have always been geared towards the real woman.  With dress sizes ranging up to size 28, and with larger bust sizes in all our dresses, our garments are meant to show off the female form, not to hide it or try to change it.  Fortunately for anyone who isn’t naturally a size zero, the rest of the fashion world is starting to agree.

One reason for the problem is thought to have been that designers were squeamish about the female form and therefore designed for women with more boyish features.  It has also been argued that a dress with fewer curves would look better on the hanger and be better for the overall presentation.  One anonymous designer back in 2006 was quoted as saying “For me as a designer, I would never knowingly use a model who was anorexic, but the simple fact is that we employ these girls as moving coat-hangers… We’re not looking for sex appeal or to hold a mirror up to the woman on the street, we’re trying to shift clothes to the store buyers, and I personally think that a slender figure is the best way to show them off.” What the point was of having a dress that looks great on the “hanger”, but not on you is anybody’s guess, but that’s how it was. Luckily, change seems to be coming!

Too Skinny!

V magazines first issue of 2010 sought to prove to the world that fashion doesn’t need to be restricted to smaller frames. By having two models, one smaller, and one “plus sized” posed next to each other in the exact same garments, readers could clearly see both girls looked beautiful. Some readers even commented that they preferred the fuller look.  Editor-in-chief of V magazine Stephen Gan commented that: “After all, plus-size models are really just normal-size people deemed “plus” by fashion’s extreme standards.”

No one wants to bash girls who are naturally a size zero, but the fact is that more and more designers are beginning to choose a variety of sized models to show off their looks, rather than the same physique over and over.  At the most recent fashion week shows designers like Miuccia Prada  and Marc Jacobs have started presenting styles intended to show off a fuller figure.  Marc Jacobs even went so far as to title his Vuitton show, “And God Created Woman,” after the 1956 Roger Vadim film starring Brigitte Bardot. His first outfit down the runway was featured on Leatita Castra, a curvy model and actress, and his last was featured on swimsuit legend 46-year old Elle Macpherson.  Marc Jacobs told reporters backstage at his Vuitton show in Paris on Wednesday: “This time, I set out to cast a variety of sexy women — younger, older, thin, and voluptuous, from every ethnic background.” The Vuitton show seemed to make the woman’s body the point, rather than an unfortunate side effect.

Bar Rafaeli

Laetitia Costa

Elle McPherson

Tell us what you think about the new runway trends! Is the ban on unhealthy models beginning to have an effect on the future fashion coming our way?

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The 82nd Annual Academy Awards were last Sunday, yet another reason for Actresses to spend days and weeks planning their perfect (or not so perfect) look.

To me to the actresses who were most successful in pulling off their looks were the ones who knew their own bodies and how best to flatter them.  I think that some actresses get so excited about wearing a big name designer’s dress that they overlook the fact that It might not look right on their figure.

Take Mo’Nique’s dress for example. She is dressing with intelligence and awareness of her own body. She knows she has a voluptuous figure, so she consistently chooses dresses which accentuate her curves and trim her waistline. Asymmetric draping is the perfect slenderizing strategy!

Mo'Nique Academy Awards 2010

Some people commented that Sandra Bullock ignored the fashion trends for this season, and I say that’s OKAY because she looked great.  Bullock wore a silver metallic, fitted gown adorned with embroidered flowers. She commented to Women’s Wear Daily that her stepdaughter had helped her choose her dress only the day before! Somehow while others were hemming and hawing for weeks, and reserving entire collections in their name so that there would be no double dress mishaps, Sandra finds a dress in the last minute that is both elegant, and flattering to her figure!

Sandra Bullock Academy Awards 2010

I wasn’t entirely certain what to think about Zoe Saldana’s dress. On one hand the bottom is fun and unique; on the other hand, that’s a lot of look. In the end though, it seems to me this is a case of someone being too in love with the dress to notice that it didn’t really do anything for her.

Zoe Saldana Academy Awards 2010

Sarah Jessica Parker was another one who was the talk of the town.  I’ve seen her on both the best and worst dressed lists so far. To me again it’s a question of knowing what looks good. Sure Channel Haute Couture sound fabulous, but not really if it’s shapeless and gives you no figure.

Sarah Jessica Parker Academy Awards 2010

I’ll end with my favorite dress of the night, Rachel McAdams.  This dress looked like it was made for her and her alone. Not only was it perfect for her figure, but it also did a beautiful job of giving a nod towards the spring fabric trends for this season with its brushed and water color inspired fabric effects.

Rachel McAdams Academy Awards 2010

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Below is an interview with Bridal and Special Occasion Designer Liz Fields which was published on PromAdvice.com .  I hope you enjoy it and be sure to check out PromAdvice.com which is a great division of FIDM (Liz Fields’ fashion school!)

February 09, 2010

Fields of Dreams

We chatted with FIDM Grad and bridal and special occasion designer Liz Fields, who’s making women’s dreams come true with deeply fabulous bridal and special occasion dresses. Here’s what she had to say about her evening gowns, FIDM education, and accessorizing a formal look. –Angel

How did you get into the bridal industry?

LF: Growing up, my father created a database computer program for a big name in the special occasion industry and it spread from company to company. He became a fixture in these company’s factories, bringing me to work with him where I would be left with the designers to play and sketch.

Which celebrity would you love to design a gown for?

LF: Sophia Loren – past or present, she embodies class, elegance, and sex appeal for me. If I could dress all women, they would all dress in a way that makes them feel like Sophia Loren. I think that she proves that you do not have to be stick-thin to be attractive. She is a curvaceous, real Sophia lorenwoman. What a beauty!

How has your FIDM education helped in your field?

LF: I am really proud of my FIDM education. I really believe that I owe my my understanding of garment construction and fit to Ms. Fischer, my patternmaking teacher. I also took a lot away as far as flat sketching and communication to sewers and factories. When you work with overseas factories, the communication through language can have its barriers but if you understand how to communicate what you want through sketching then you are all set!

What makes your designs stand out from other bridal and bridesmaids gowns?

LF: I have a really romantic, sensitive sense of style and I love clean lines and historic details, which I think give most of my gowns a vintage look with a modern twist. All of the dresses and gowns are offered in sizes 0-28.

Why are your bridesmaids gowns also suitable for Prom?

LF: I design my bridesmaid dresses without thinking of them as bridesmaid dresses. First I design the dresses that my friends would want to wear, then I tweak them to make them more compatible for different sizes and shapes. My dresses are moderately priced, and they are customizable with detachable details, choices of length, and choice of over 900 color combinations, which make them perfect for a Prom girl that is looking for something different. What can be more unique than customizing your own Prom dress?

What are the necessary accessories to complete a formal look?

LF: If you’re wearing a strapless gown, opt for a statement necklace and more understated earrings. You never want each piece to be a statement piece. If your dress has a lot of details, go with some drop earrings and skip the other jewelry, as to not distract from the beauty of your gown. If when you look in the mirror, your eyes do not focus anywhere but keep bouncing from item to item, you should probably take something off.

What else should customers know about Liz Fields?

LF: I am always accessible and plan to stay that way, whether it is through email (LizFields@LizFields.com), Facebook (Facebook.com/byLizFields) or Twitter (Twitter.com/byLizFields), women can always share stories and ask for tips.

Learn more about Liz Fields gowns and find out where you can buy your own for Prom at www.LizFields.com.

And check out this behind-the-scenes video of a Liz Fields photo shoot:

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If you are a Lady Gaga fan, or if you just enjoy being entertained by her extreme get-ups, then you have got to check out the article below from the UK.

A Designer by the name of Lu Wei Kang from Beijing has spent countless hours recreating Lady Gaga’s extreme outfits on Barbie dolls!

Whether you are an adoring fan or a critic, you’ll definitely get a kick out of this…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1250245/Lady-Gaga-gets-makeover–shes-turned-doll-devoted-fan.html

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Alexander McQueen has committed suicide this morning.  We have lost a fashion icon.  Stay tuned to my blog and I’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

“Alexander McQueen, one of fashion’s consummate inconoclasts and showmen, has committed suicide at age 40, a spokeswoman confirmed. “Mr. McQueen has been found dead at his house this morning,” she said, declining further comment. A statement from PPR, parent of Gucci Group and the McQueen company, is expected shortly. Circumstances of his death were not revealed and a spokesman declined comment. McQueen’s mother recently died and the designer was known to be extremely close to her, although it could not be learned whether this contributed to his death. McQueen burst onto the London fashion scene with a mix of aggression, energy and creativity that reinvigorated the city’s reputation and made his shows the hottest ticket in town.” – Courtesy of WWD online.

Update:

After it was announced Thursday that Alexander McQueen had died, the designer’s Twitter feed was removed, on which he revealed on Feb. 3 that his mother passed away the day before. A few days later he said, “Sunday evening been an F—-g awful week but my friends have been great, but now I have to some how [sic] pull myself together and finish with the…”

On Feb. 1, a couple of weeks after his Fall 2010 menswear show, he posted, “From heaven to hell and back again, life is a funny thing. Beauty can come from the most strangest of places even the most disgusting places.” A few minutes later, he posted: “Why people ignore the ugly things in life but within this they are missing the beauty that lies under the rotten fruit!!!!!!!!!!!!”

On Feb. 3, he tweeted that his mother had passed away the day before. “RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,” he said. And a few minutes later: “But life must go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

His last tweet, sometime after Feb. 7, said: “I’m here with my girl Annie Tinkerbell wishing Kerry the slag, happy birthday in NY, your [sic] 40 now girl time to slow it down we think.”

View Alexander McQueen’s last collection at style.com http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-AMCQUEEN

Become a fan of Liz Fields on Facebook for immediate updates and information!

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