In partnership with the teenage fashion magazine, Teen Vogue, L.e.i. recently announced their “L.e.i. Model Citizen Campaign”. The junior fashion apparel brand, now exclusive to Wal-Mart, is looking for three teen role models to be featured in its next advertising campaign, each of whom embody the “life, intelligence and energy” that defines the L.e.i. brand.
In addition to inviting girls between the ages of 15 and 21 to shoot a video about why they should be an L.e.i. Model Citizen, the company will also host events in Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Aspiring “model citizens” will be able to upload their video presentations to the campaign’s web site, and grand prize winners will be selected by a celebrity panel of judges. Notable names from the contemporary apparel industry include Teen Vogue editor Amy Astley, model Chanel Iman, and fashion designer Rachel Roy. Following the announcement of ten finalists, a public vote will take place between March 25th and April 6th 2010.
Because of their partnership with Fashion Delivers, this longstanding icon of the junior clothing apparel industry will also invite participants to “pay it fashion forward” by encouraging girls to donate products for the charity. A $50 Wal-Mart gift card will be awarded to the first 25 girls who donate jeans at the events, and all participants will be urged to spread the word about the L.e.i. contest on Facebook and Twitter. This exciting campaign promises to be a model that other fashion clothing wholesale brands will follow for years to come.
In addition to appearing in the L.e.i. 2010 ad campaign, the grand-prize winner will also receive a $100,000 scholarship, an internship at Teen Vogue, a complete L.ei. wardrobe and a fashion makeover. But perhaps the most enticing reason for teens to enter is the chance to attend Teen Vogue’s Young Hollywood party.
Tags: Contemporary Apparel, Fashion Clothing Wholesale, Junior Clothing Apparel, Junior Fashion Apparel
Styles have changed a lot over the past fifty years, but athletic apparel and sportswear has remained a steady part of women’s wardrobes, most notably in trendy junior fashion. The only thing that’s changed is where we wear athletic clothing and what we call it.
If you came of age in the 1970’s, you might have called your “tennies” to the gym, but only to the gym, but as soon as the 80’s began, so did the athletic boom. Before long, jogging shorts, tennis shoes, and workout tops were a part of every woman’s wardrobe, and they were worn everywhere. Remember when women wore running shoes and socks with a business suit? It was a contemporary apparel trend most were glad to see go away.
Then came the movie “Flashdance” and the danskin/hip-hop look, complete with ripped t-shirts, leg warmers and stretch pants.
Today’s wholesale fashion apparel buyers are still cashing in on the sporty look, but now it has many faces. Some trends just seem to hang on forever, like leggings, Converse “Chuck Taylor” All-Stars. Even though the athletic look has been toned down a little this decade, these styles continue to play an important role in junior fashion apparel.
But the more interesting story here is the way top designers have interpreted athletic apparel and worked it into even some of the highest priced couture items. Sweatshirt fabric, platform sneakers, athletic-inspired jackets and yoga pants have all made their way, in some form, onto the runways of Paris and Milan, and into wholesale boutique clothing showrooms, such as Fashion Spot LA, for decades.
Perhaps it is the comfort-factor that attracts even the best dressed people to athletic wear, but it is a trend that doesn’t seem to be going away. Junior fashion apparel is more influenced by the sporty look than others, with most teen stores focusing on hooded sweatshirts, sweatpants and yoga pants as anchors to their fall collections.
Even the Juicy Couture brand has cashed in on the popularity of their signature tracksuits for children and teens, and sneaker companies have learned that sneaks can come in every pattern, color and texture under the sun. Now, if we could just start working out as often as it looks like we do, we’d all be in great shape!
Tags: Contempo, Junior Fashion Apparel, Trendy Junior Fashion, Wholesale Boutique Clothing, Wholesale Fashion Apparel
The art of being “Elegant” is defined differently by everyone; hence the phrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” For some, elegance can be the sheer simplicity of making something beautiful appear effortless, and for others it can be a glitzy and glamorous ensemble. But for the contemporary apparel buyer, such as Fashion Spot LA, it means knowing a few secrets of the trade. For an elegant retail collection, it all comes down to knowing your customer, what she wants, and what she doesn’t.
Elegance is an abstract concept to most people, and few people can really pull it off, but wholesale boutique clothing owners know that they are not just buying clothing; they are setting a standard of tastefulness for their clientele. And beyond that, they are showing them – through their collection of clothing and accessories – how to look elegant. In short, to a wholesale clothing apparel buyer, elegance is the art of “pulling it all together.”
While everyone has their own definition of elegance, here are some of the tips I’ve picked up after spending several years as a junior clothing apparel buyer.
1. No big flowery prints on dresses
2. No fluorescent or overly bright colored clothing
3. Fabric should be appealing to the eye- stay away from polyester – please.
4. Keep it simple – no excessive sparkles, beads or embellishments on everyday clothes
5. Make sure your blacks match other blacks and your whites other whites.
6. No unnecessary zippers or buttons on sleeves, bodices and shoulders
7. Wear clothes that fit. Something too small or too large is almost always inappropriate
8. Whatever you do, wear clean clothes, and don’t be afraid to iron them when needed
9. When something gets faded, permanently stained or ripped, get it out of your closet
10. Perhaps most important of all – if something doesn’t flatter your figure, don’t wear it just because it’s trendy.
As you can see, elegance in junior fashion apparel is not about changing innate sense of style. In fact, it’s more about what not to do than anything else. Beyond that, elegance is a state of mind.
Tags: Contemporary Apparel, Junior Clothing Apparel, Junior Fashion Apparel, Wholesale Boutique Clothing, Wholesale Clothing Apparel
Teens have a surprising amount of buying power when it comes to fashion, even during the recession. As a result, junior apparel buyers are still placing decent sized orders for the holiday season. Perhaps it is because the price of entry into the trendy junior fashion market is still so low, but what really keeps it going is the pressure teens are under to keep up with what their friends are wearing. After all, no teenage girl wants to stand out in a crowd.
With so much of their inspiration coming from television, movies and magazines, it doesn’t sound difficult to predict the next trend, but it may be trickier than you think. Teenagers are still balancing their need to be different with their need to fit in, but they also want to be trendsetters themselves. This can be impossible to accomplish unless you do a lot of shopping and a lot of buying.
Let’s take a look at some junior fashion apparel trends and what makes them each unique.
* EMO: Also known as “emotional” style is the most extreme form of teen fashion at the moment. Girls are often shocked when one of their friends “goes Emo”. Similar to the punk trends of the eighties, Emo is all about extremes. Bright colors balanced with jet black, Zelda hairdos, pencil thin jeans with a studded belt, facial piercings and of course, black kohl eyeliner.
* Gothic, or “Goth” as it is more commonly known, is more about black than anything else. Slick black hair, black eye makeup, black nails, chunky heels and metal details are everywhere in a Goth group. Add some fishnets, a short skirt, Doc Martens and some face whitener and you’re good to go.
* Hip-Hop is a style that speaks of the streets. Even suburban teens are attracted to trendy junior fashions like baggy pants, t-shirts and body hugging “Flashdance” tanks. And don’t forget the cap. Hip-Hop can be more loosely interpreted than some other styles, and its definitely less predictable than Goth or Emo.
Other styles, like Bohemian, Prep and Jock are less individualistic and more label-conscious; definitely for people who want to fit in with the crowd. While less exciting for the wholesale fashion apparel buyer, such as Fashion Spot LA, these groups account for the vast majority of teens.
Tags: Junior Apparel Buyers, Junior Fashion Apparel, Trendy Junior Fashion, Wholesale Fashion Apparel
Only Prada can take what the rest of the world considers tacky and make it work in a new collection. Case in point: Prada’s recent spring show in Milan. The inspiration? Sketchy references to crumbling Italian hotels with checkered floors, seaside postcards, clear plastics and raw edges, all blended together in a unique twist that only Prada could pull off successfully.
Even the runway itself was crafted to evoke the saturated tones of a seaside hotel, with a classical façade running the length of the runway. Then came the models sporting fly-away cropped jackets worn over long white tees with Bermudas. A mélange of clear plastic platform sandals, floral mini-shifts, floaty halter tops and souvenir postcard scenes printed on jackets gave a playful new perspective to Prada’s collection without losing the proper couturier look.
For wholesale fashion apparel buyers, the show was a refreshing twist on well established fabrics and styles, and may provide junior fashion apparel buyers’ new fodder for how they merchandise their collections this spring. If nothing else, it may precipitate orders of clear plastic footwear from wholesale fashion buyers looking to cash in on the Prada look.
Trendy junior fashions for spring 2010 may include grey florals and blue-hued postcard scenes, as well as layered spring looks that incorporate Bermudas with platform sandals. Also, look for a return of the halter top, paired with jangly chandelier-style beads. The look is raw and edgy, yet feminine; tacky and superfluous yet grounded. Overall, for junior clothing wholesale buyers, such as Fashion Spot LA, Prada has done it again!
Tags: Junior Apparel, Junior Clothing Wholesale, Junior Fashion Apparel, Wholesale Fashion Apparel
The popular social media game “What to Wear” is currently running in beta on Facebook, so you can expect to see it gain traction among teens and young women. In fact, it is expected to become so popular among teenage girls that many junior fashion apparel buyers look forward to using the application as a way to test the popularity of new junior fashion trends.
In honor of Fashion Week, the game will feature clothing and accessories from five hot designers, including Jane Marvel handbags, Selima Salaun’s eyewear, Lily Pulitzer apparel, Vanessa Noel footwear, and Colette Malouf’s jewelry and hair accessories. Players will purchase virtual goods to create the perfect outfit, and then their “friends” can vote on which player’s “outfit” is the most stylish.
The concept was created by social network game developers, Large Animal Games, in conjunction with PLUS Media. Since its Facebook debut on June 15th, “What to Wear” has generated 27 million engagements, and other social media sites will follow suit, including a mobile application for the iPhone. Since it is a proprietary system, the game can be played across multiple social networks.
As the game gains users and new designers are incorporated, expect wholesale junior fashion outlets to keep close tabs on what people are voting for. It should be a fairly accurate indicator of which trends will influence junior clothing apparel and accessories purchases next year. In addition, it will help women get a preview of how to put outfits together using some of the newer pieces being shown by top designers.
Another Facebook fashion trend is being marketed by Status King, a company that makes t-shirts that allow you to print a custom status message on it. Each t-shirt shows your picture, your status message, how long ago you “updated” it, and Facebook’s signature “what are you doing right now?” box, just as it looks on the web site. The Status King app for allows your friends to vote on the “best status” for a given week, with the winner receiving a free shirt. Hmmm…. Is this just another way to promote social media networking, or could it be the next trendy junior fashion? Look for clothing that you see advertised through these channels at Fashion Spot LA.
Tags: Junior Clothing Apparel, Junior Fashion Apparel, Trendy Junior Fashion, Wholesale Junior Fashion