How to Wear Slip Dresses

Today the Luxe Models team tells you how to wear slip dresses, so you have all the advice you need to rock this fantastic spring/summer 2016 trend.

New trend

New York, London, Milan and Paris recently hosted their spring/summer 2016 Fashion Weeks. These events revealed that the modernised slip dress is set to be really big next year. The slinky, sexy, sophisticated style of gown appeared at some of the biggest shows of the season, including Celine, Calvin Klein and Givenchy, according to Vogue Magazine.

Luxe Models’ tips

But how can you pull off this extremely risqué trend? Here are five tips you can use to wear slip dresses with style and panache!

1) Pay attention to colour: Have you ever seen someone wearing a neon-pink slip dress? No you haven’t – ridiculously bold colours don’t work with this look. We’d suggest you opt for monochromatic tones, or darker shades such as scarlet and jade-green.

2) Find the right fit: These gowns are designed to hug all the right places and float down to the ground at the waist. This means it’s essential you find the right fit when you buy a slip dress, otherwise the garment could prove distinctly unflattering.

3) Avoid glaring accessories: This type of gown gleams in the sun and often boasts intricate lace patterns. Here we apply the less is more rule. Keep accessories minimal and modest to make sure you rock this look the way it’s meant to be rocked!

4) Keep legs bare: Can you imagine wearing a slip dress with black opaque tights? We’re shuddering just thinking about it, because this look just strikes too much of a constant. You should keep your legs bare when you don a slip dress, but if you absolutely have to wear tights, opt for sheer!

5) Be confident: Luxe Models’ golden rule of fashion makes yet another appearance. Slip dresses are the essence of sexy, so you need to team them with a good dollop of confidence to ensure you exude the appeal it takes to rock this look!

Try experimenting

Now you’ve got the fundamentals down, why don’t you indulge in a little experimentation? You can team a slip dress with glossy, statement heels and an ‘up do’ if you’re heading out for a night on the town. Alternatively you can pair it with a jacket and flats if you want a more toned down vibe – the slip dress is really versatile! 

What’s the Theme of the 2016 Met Ball?

Are you ready to get really, really excited? Luxe Models has learned that Vogue recently announced the theme for the 2016 Met Ball!

Event of the season

The film industry has the OSCARs. The music industry has the GRAMMY’s. The TV industry has the EMMY’S. The fashion industry has the Met Ball, an annual fundraising gala hosted by the iconic Vogue Magazine. OK it’s not an awards ceremony but it’s the fashion event of the season.

The event, which is organised by legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, has a theme every year. Last year’s theme was ‘China: Through the Looking Glass,’ and it was an absolute smash. It prompted a number of oriental-inspired creations including Rihanna’s over—sized, elaborately-patterned yellow frock, which (almost) had a longer train the Princess Diana’s wedding dress!

2016 Met Ball

Now we know the theme of the 2016 Met Ball. Here’s a clue; it’s sponsored by Apple, one of the largest tech firms in the world. Still no idea? The Independent reported that the theme of the 2016 Met Ball, and the exhibition the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute will hold after, will be ‘Manus x Machine: Fashion in the Age of Technology.’ 

We also know who’s going to host the event. According to Vogue global superstars such as Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Miuccia Prada, Karl Lagerfeld and Nicolas Ghesquiere will all co-chair the gala. As Apple is sponsoring the ball, they’ll be joined by the global tech firm's chief designer, Jonathan Ive.

Age of Technology

Meanwhile, the exhibition will explore the tradition of handmade haute couture and the advent of technology with machine-made fashion. The showcase will feature over 100 hand-made and ready to wear costumes, along with more innovative displays such as workshops designed to explain newer fashion production techniques such as 3D-printing. 

Commenting on the exhibition its curator, Andrew Bolton, said: "Traditionally, the distinction between the haute couture and prêt-à-porter was based on the handmade and the machine-made. But recently this distinction has become increasingly blurred as both disciplines have embraced the practices and techniques of the other.”

Get excited

See why we said you’d get really, really excited? With the theme Manus x Machine: Fashion in the Age of Technology, the 2016 Met Ball is set to light the world of fashion on fire. Its accompanying exhibition, meanwhile, will provide us with a fascinating exploration of how technology and style have evolved together throughout modern history. 

For more like this, be sure to stay in touch with Luxe Models on Ello. 

How to Pull Off a Jumpsuit

If you want to rock the latest trends, you need to embrace the 70s. With this in mind, Luxe Models reveals how to pull off a jumpsuit; one of the hottest style trends doing the rounds right now.

Back in style

Those of you who regularly read the Luxe Models blog will know that nothing stays out of style forever. What was once new and cool does fall out of favour. However eventually some designer gets nostalgic and they update the style to turn it into the season’s newest must-have item.

If you’ve been following the big spring/summer fashion weeks that recently took place in fashion capitals around the world, you’ll have noticed that the 70s are cool again. Everywhere you look designers are using 70s designs, colours and cuts to impart a touch of disco to their creations, which is why the jumpsuit has come roaring back into style.

Tips for jumpsuits

But jumpsuits are notoriously hard to pull off. How can you wear them without looking like you work at the local garage? Here are five tips you can use to look fabulous in a jumpsuit:

1) Think about size: This is vital when you’re buying any piece of clothing, but it’s especially important when you’re buying a jumpsuit. If you buy the wrong fit or size, it just won’t look right on your body!

2) Avoid patterns: It’s best to wear block-colour jumpsuits. This is because patterned jumpsuits, especially ones boasting loud, large prints, are extremely overpowering and detach from the simple, clean look a jumpsuit is supposed to convey.

3) Lightly accessorise: You shouldn’t opt for patterns but there’s nothing to suggest you can’t jazz up a jumpsuit with some accessories. Just keep it simple. We’d suggest you embrace the 70s and opt for a headscarf to really rock the look.

4) Don’t go clingy: Make sure you avoid materials such as spandex like the plague. If you wear a jumpsuit that’s made of something clingy it’ll show off all your lumps and bumps; a distinctly unflattering look!

5) Air confidence: A jumpsuit makes a really, really bold statement. It’s all or nothing – if you’re anything less than 100% confident when you don this 70s fashion staple, you won’t do the look justice.

Tread with caution

You don’t have to avoid jumpsuits. The revitalised 70s trend can make you look like a million dollars. However you should make sure you tread with caution. If you don’t follow these tips when you wear a jumpsuit, you might run the risk of looking like a reject from an Abba music video! 

For more like this, be sure to stay in touch with Luxe Models.

A Tribute to Ralph Lauren

At Luxe Models we want to take some time this week to mourn the (career) passing of one of the greatest names in fashion; Ralph Lauren. 

Building the brand

Ralph Lauren is most famous for building the fashion brand that bears his name, “Ralph Lauren,” from the ground up. The now-76 year old design genius first founded his company in 1968. Back then it was called “Polo Fashions,” and Lauren devoted it to popularising preppy style.

In 1972 he designed the brand’s now signature short-sleeved shirts, which boast a logo of a polo player. In 1989 Lauren released a knit sweater that featured the US flag and this was a game changer. In the years since, according to the BBC, Ralph Lauren became a symbol of old-school preppy American fashion, particularly noted for its colourful collared shirts and knit sweaters.

Stepping down

With a legacy like that, how do you know when it’s time to step down? Apparently Lauren decided that the time to step down has now come, as the Daily Mail has recently reported that he has announced that his retirement as the head of Ralph Lauren.

Yet he isn’t stepping aside completely. Reports have confirmed that Lauren will stick around to oversee the company's creative look and strategy. Considering the fact that this is the man who turned Ralph Lauren into a £5 billion business, they probably begged him to stay on in some form or another!

Lauren’s replacement

So now the obvious question is, who has Lauren hired to replace him? The designer revealed that Stefan Larsson, currently the global president of Gap’s Old Navy division, has been asked to step into his shoes. Under Larsson’s leadership, Old Navy’s sales increased 8% throughout 2014, turning the division into Gap’s largest business.

Lauren welcomed Larsson to the role, saying: “My job is to think always about the future of our company and how to move it forward. Stefan Larsson is exceptionally talented, and he will bring our company a fresh and exciting global perspective.”

Acknowledging greatness

With the passing of one fashion genius, comes the arrival of another. Luxe Models is sure that Larsson will do a fantastic job, but let’s take a moment to think of his predecessor. Ralph Lauren developed a brand which brought preppy American fashion into the global mainstream, and that’s no mean feat! 

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Do Celebrities Have the Power to Influence Politics?

With the US 2016 presidential election creeping every closer, this week Luxe Models thought we’d ask whether a few celebrity endorsements could swing the result.

Power of celebrity

Celebrities are aspirational figures. People look up to them, and the role model status of famous faces can translate into big bucks, as companies often hire celebrities to serve as the faces of their latest products. The most obvious one we can think of is Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. Since she was hired as the face of L’Oréal, she has generated attention, press and above all revenue for the beauty firm.

US election

So we know that celebrities have power, but do they have the power to influence who’s elected to government? We may be about to find out. Even though it’s over a year away, campaigning for the 2016 US presidential election has already begun. The presence of one man outrage-machine Donald Trump, who’s running to represent the Republican Party, has already made this contest one to watch!

Speaking of Republicans, they’ve managed to rack up a few celebrity endorsements so far, but we doubt they’ll do the GOP any good. Chuck Norris is the most famous person to endorse a Republican candidate so far. In contrast the Democrats have attracted heavy hitters including Beyoncé, Lena Dunham Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg and Kerry Washington.

Oprah effect

So if celebrities have the power to influence politics then as things stand, the Democrats look set to sweep the board in 2016. Yet how useful is the endorsement of a celebrity of Beyoncé’s calibre? This issue was recently analysed by the Guardian.

The article looked at a study that was conducted to determine how much of an effect Oprah’s endorsement of Barack Obama had on the 2008 election, which he won. It found that “Obama did better than expected in areas where more people subscribed to O magazine.” For any of you that didn’t already know, O is the personal magazine of Oprah Winfrey (yeah, she’s that awesome)!

Fame = influence

The study found that the more famous the celebrity, the more influence they had in the political arena. This isn’t surprising to us here at Luxe Models because it makes sense; people like Oprah Winfrey are trendsetters in everything that they do, why wouldn’t they be able to set political trends too? 

For more stories like this, be sure to stay in touch with Luxe Models. 

Five of the Best Celebrity Friendships Ever!

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato have finally put their ridiculous feud behind them. We’ve decided to celebrate this fantastic news here at Luxe Models by revealing the five best celebrity friendships ever!

Burying the hatchet

There’s nothing we love more here at Luxe Models than a famous friendship. Back in the late 00’s there was no better match than Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. They were both Disney stars, both fabulous and both ladies knew how to make a bold fashion statement. They had a bit of a falling out last year, but according to Movie TV Tech Geeks they made up last week, posting a selfie online to prove that this famous friendship is back on!

Famous pals

This heart-warming news got many of us at Luxe Models thinking about all the other headline-spinning famous friendships that have cropped up over the years. Here are five that we believe show the true value of friendship!

• Cox and Aniston: Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox met on the set of their hit show Friends in the 90s and never looked back. Since the wildly popular programme ended in 2004 Cox and Aniston have remained incredibly close, and Courtney even served as maid of honour at Jen’s wedding this year!

• Barrymore and Diaz: In the mould of Cox and Anniston, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz became friends when they starred in Charlie’s Angels together. Now they’re total besties, with Barrymore once commenting that "we spent every waking moment together for months and months – and years!" 

• Gomez and Swift: Selena Gomez’ bond with Taylor Swift has endured for years! The two media darlings have been friends since their earliest days, despite the fact that Gomez recently played Swift’s mortal enemy in the short for ‘Bad Blood!’

• Damon and Affleck: We just had to include at least one ‘bromance,’ and what better pair to pick than Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The two hunky A-listers have been friends since childhood, eventually writing and starring together in critically lauded Good Will Hunting, maintaining a strong-bond ever since.

• Beckham and Longoria: When Victoria Beckham and husband David upped sticks and moved out to L.A. in 2007, the former Spice Girl became fast friends with Eva Longoria. The Desperate Housewives star opened up about the relationship this year, with the Daily Mail reporting that Longoria said “we're best friends and have shares lots of life lessons together.”

Lasting friendship

With these examples to follow, Gomez and Lovato have a lot to live up to now that they’ve finally revived their epic friendship. As Cox, Anniston, Barrymore, Diaz, Gomez herself, Swift, Damon, Affleck, Beckham and Longoria have already shown, a Hollywood bond can last a lifetime!

For more stories like this, be sure to stay in touch with Luxe Models on Ello. 

An Apology to the People of Greece

Luxe Models wants to take the opportunity this week to issue an apology to the people of Greece. We’re so sorry you were invaded recently by the cast of Geordie Shore!

Mortal moments

Have you ever seen the Buzzfeed video, ‘Americans watch Geordie Shore for the first time?’ If you haven’t, get online and watch it now! During this hilarious clip, one observer noted that “this makes Jersey Shore look scripted” and that “it’s like Jersey Shore on steroids,” and they just about hit the nail on the head!

Since its launch in 2011, the ever-revolving cast of this hellish reality T V show have created a variety of “mortal moments,” that have shocked people around the UK. Binge drinking, stripping, flashing, sex, violence; absolutely nothing is off limits, and this might explain why the Jersey Shore knock off has aired for a total of ten seasons!

Tears, tantrums and turbulence

The Newcastle-based reality TV hit is due to enter its 11^th season, which will premiere on MTV at 10pm on 20^th October 2015. The new 10-episode run saw cast mates Gaz, Charlotte, Holly, Scotty T, Marnie, Aaron, Kyle, Nathan and Chloe fly off to Greece!

We kid you not; Digital Spy reported that the 11^th season would see the Geordie Shore cast spend time on the Greek Islands of Malia, Mykonos and Zante. Each island is a known party hotspot, attracting scores of British revellers every year (we’re sorry). We know how much the stars of this bonkers TV programme love to hit the floor and get “mortal,” so we can only imagine how all this turned out!

Yet we don’t have to imagine, as Holly spoke out on what to expect from season 11. She said that "we take Geordie Shore to colossal heights in this series. Expect more tears, tantrums and turbulence than ever before!" Chloe, who joined Geordie Shore in season 10, added that "series 10 was unreal, but series 11 is magnificent and I know that is a big word for us but I've got cleverer and my dancing is better and I'm actually alright looking."

Sorry Greece!

With tears, tantrums, turbulence and whatever Chloe was going on about on the horizon, it looks like things are going to get really ‘mortal’ on Geordie Shore! We know you’ve already had the dubious pleasure of hosting this rabble of weird crazy idiots, people of Greece, so all we can do is apologise and hope they didn’t cause too much trouble!

For more stories like this, be sure to stay in touch with Luxe Models on Ello. 

Taylor Swift, All is Forgiven!

The Luxe Models team has decided to forgive pop star Taylor Swift for trotting out her endless supply of celeb pals every chance she gets. Why? She recruited one of the best Friends ever to jam with the crowd at one of the latest shows on the 1989 World Tour!

Bad Blood with Taylor

She may be adorable, amazing and like, the nicest person on the planet, but Luxe Models has a little bit of ‘Bad Blood’ with Taylor Swift. We’re sick of her parading her truckload of famous friends at every available opportunity.

Apparently we weren’t the only ones who were tired of the side-show. Last week we reported that a writer called Lara Schoenals decided to create the Taylor Swift Parody you need to see. We have to admit that we re-watched it recently for the purposes of this article, and it’s freaking amazing!

Enter Phoebe Buffay

Yet as you might have guessed from the title of this article, Luxe Models has decided to forgive Taylor for bringing out her A-list ‘squad’ every chance she gets. The person who’s responsible for this remarkable turnaround? Lisa Kudrow a.k.a. Phoebe Buffay from Friends.

We have to make it crystal clear, we really love Phoebe. She was the off-beat, quirky one in Friends who was a hipster before the hipster even became a thing. The team at Luxe Models genuinely believe that Miss Buffay’s penchant for zany outfits teamed with wacky accessories kicked off a style movement that has gone on to conquer the world of fashion.

Smelly Cat ft. Taylor Swift

The kookiest of the Friends roster was also the voice behind fictional one hit wonder ‘Smelly Cat.’ This iconic jam took over the world back in the 90s and if we’re being completely honest, we still remember the words; it was that awesome! Do you see where we’re going with this?

Radio Times recently reported that Swift invited Kudrow on the stage at the Staples Centre in L.A. to perform a duet of ‘Smelly Cat.’ Honestly it makes sense; we all know how much T-Swizzle loves her felines! You need to watch this video. It’s so amazing that it’ll have you crying with laughter within seconds, as you suddenly remember just why you fell in love with the ‘Mine’ singer in the first place.

Coolest duet… ever

After this duet, we had no choice but to forgive her. A performance of this magnitude will surely go down in pop culture history as one of the coolest moments of all time. At this point, the ‘Shake It Off’ hit maker can do pretty much whatever she wants, we don’t care anymore! 

For more stories like this, be sure to follow Luxe Models on Ello. 

1D going in Own Direction

So, it’s the news Luxe Models have been dreading – the boys are splitting up. Heartbreakingly, One Direction – the biggest boy band in the world – are to go their separate ways in March for an indefinite break, to pursue solo careers.

Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan will go their separate ways, with 1D's publicists declining to comment on the reports, which first emerged on Sunday night (August 23).

Meeting

The band met up in London at the weekend for a talk, following Zayn Malik’s recent decision to leave and the news that Louis is to become a father later this year.

They were formed in 2010 on the X Factor, going on to finish second in the show, and they’ve gone on to dominate world music in terms of popularity and their huge number of tour appearances.

A source for 1D cited the boyband's "incredible" five-year run since their formation on The X Factor in 2010, adding: "They fully deserve to have at least a year to work on their own projects. There is absolutely no bad blood between them and they are all 100% behind the decision.

"It is definitely not a split and they fully intend to get back together at some time in the future. But for now it is the end and they go out on top as the world's most popular music act."

Nothing to do with Zayn

It’s believed that Zayn’s decision to leave has nothing to do with this decision, and the boys have been happy since he left.

"This was the plan with or without Zayn. In fact, the band have been making amazing music and been incredibly happy without Zayn," the insider claimed.

"Of course they would have preferred that he had stayed in the band, but they would have taken this extended hiatus even if he hadn't left."

Zayn caused an uproar on social media last week, having a Twitter spat with Calvin Harris and cancelling his planned house purchase with Perrie Edwards, one fourth of Little Mix.

Future

For the time being at least, we can enjoy 1D until next year as they will continue to work until March. Their final tour is set to be on October 31 at Sheffield Motorpoint Arena in what will finish their sell-out UK tour.

We expect a Take That-style comeback in a few years, maybe even as a five-piece, but only time will tell whether any of them can make it solo. It’s believed that Sony are desperate to sign Harry up. Hopefully they will all fare slightly better than Zayn seems to be without the other members of the band…

Which is your favourite 1D song? Digital Spy ranks their top 15.

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Celebrating African Fashion

We recently saw African Fashion Week take over London. LuxeModels digests what is undoubtedly one of the world’s best glimpses of African Fashion.

Held at the Olimpia, this year was the fifth edition of the event since its inception in 2011. As well as those, there have also been at least ten events on the back of it held by third-party organisers including The Mayor of London’s Black History Month celebrations and the annual Africa Centre Summer Festival.

African Fashion

Upcoming designers have the opportunity to prove themselves at the event, with talent, creativity, and output all on display through the open-to-the-public event.

“It’s a conscious decision we made,” AFWL’s creative director, Sola Oyebade once told THISDAY. “We don’t go for the big names. We try to give a platform to young designers and help push their products out there. We’ve had top designers approach us, but told them, no, this is not your market.”

And the 2015 event was themed ‘Apprentice and Skill Development’ – it saw a plethora of young, aspiring designers join some more well-known stylists including Taiwanese Aimme Ku, who is flying the flag for Africa-inspired fashion in her native Taipei City. Nigerian designer, Needlepoint, was a favourite from last year’s event and was also in attendance with her new range this year. And the winner of the Mercedes-Benz Best Designer in Africa, Mary Martin, made her bow on the AFWL catwalk this year.

Big Fashion Designers

Victoria Michaels is one of the most sought-after designers in Africa. Her repertoire includes advertisements for Hertz Rent-a-car, Vodafone, MTN, Nexcafe, Da-Vica and Bela-Aqua mineral water.

Noella Musunka is also an international model and the founder of Malaika, a non-profit organisation which is aimed lives in her native Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the build-up to the event, she told the press: “It feels really great to be chosen as the Brand Ambassador for a globally acclaimed proudly African event like the African Fashion Week London… I’m particularly excited to be part of this grand platform that showcases the original African creativity, style and talent.”

“This industry has the ability to put Africa on the world stage and can provide for countless job opportunities on the ground and abroad, from local factories to international shops. It is time for the world to see the amazing talent that lies within Africa.”

It is expected that the African Fashion Week will be even bigger next year, with designers from all over the world taking inspiration from African cultures into their collections.

For more stories like this, be sure to stay in touch with Luxe Models.