2013 Black Friday

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Have a wonderful thanksgiving with your family and friends!

To those who are working today, thank you for your time and service!
To those who have to go in to work early for Black Friday, thank you for your time and service as well!
To everyone else, enjoy your time with your family friend, enjoy your wonderful meals and stay safe during black Friday!

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This year Black Friday is starting early online and in stores. Some online retail stores has started off the week with “PRE-BLACK FRIDAY” deals, and others are planning on opening at 6pm or 8pm.

List of opening hours: http://www.blackfriday.fm/hours

Deals:

Aldo:  Extra 30% off
Forever 21:  Free shipping over $30 | Sales: 50% off | BF: Starts @ $5
H&M: Up to 70% off
Sephora: DEALTOPIA -$10
TOPMAN: Up to  30% off
TOPSHOP: Up to 30% off
ZaRA: Up to 50% off on selected items
Urban Outfitters: Under $50, $30, $20
EM Cosmestics (Michelle Phan): $10 off $20 off $50 off based on amount bought

Know what you’re wearing

I have come across two articles about two popular fashion retail brands that are shocking to the consumers.  Who would have known? Truth is finally told!

Abercombie & Fitch (A&F) – A brand that is only for “attractive and cool” people

WATCH: http://retelly.com/lol/abercrombie–fitch-prank

UGGs- the comfortable boots that gives warmth that comes from sheep. However, the sheeps are not treated well.

READ: http://www.business2community.com/branding/uggs-uggly-reputation-0681270

When supporting a certain brand we should always know how the products are made, and what kind of market that particular brand is targeting! Is the product made of recycled materials? Non harming animals? Is the target market for everyone? Not a discriminating brand? Also, know how humane the brand is as well as as knowing their morals.

Photographer Spotlight #1

Imprint’s first photographer spotlight is born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is known as “2013’s emerging photographer,” through Fashion Awards MD; Christopher March.

Christopher March is a talented male photographer who specializes in beauty, fashion, editorial, lifestyle, head shots, and commercial/promotional photography. He began his career in 2011 and was able to gain clients such as Goodyear Operation Home front, CBS Watch! Magazine, The Soundgarden, and many more.  Prior to starting his career, Christopher had the opportunity to  gain more knowledge about the business of photography and the technical aspects of photography by being an assistant for a established professional photographer within the area.

Christopher March has grown a lot as a photographer through out the years and is a well known within the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan district area.  He has gained a lot of clients, and had the opportunity to work with Arthur Jones, Baltimore Ravens player #97. His fashion editorial work has also been published in Vogue It, Harford Magazine and Seek.Me Magazine. 

I have had the opportunity to work with Christopher this past summer  in his studio for a fashion editorial  that is recently published in Seek. Me Magazine (Issue 9); entitled, “Modern Twist.”  Christopher is a very down to earth and easy going guy who knows what he is doing.  He uses a lot of technical skills in his work. During our shoot he did a lot of different lighting techniques with the various looks, and all of them came out amazing.  I was very satisfied with the outcome of the shoot, and was honor that I had the opportunity to work with him and be apart of his amazing portfolio. I am looking forward to be able to work with him again on another project and see what technical skills he will bring forth to the shoot!

Christopher March is making his imprint in the industry day by day. His growth and talents as a photographer can be clearly seen in his portfolio! Check him out and like his FB page!

Website: http://www.chrismarchphotography.com/
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-March-Photography/197445746932102

All photos are by Christopher March Photography.

The anticipated debut! 11/14/13

Those who are customers of H&M, will know that Parisian designer, Isabel Marant will be launching her H&M collaboration collection tomorrow; Thursday November 14, 2013 in selected stores.

Those who have heard of Isabel Marant, she is mainly a designer for female clothing that has a mix of urban attitude, boho elegance and rock ‘n’ roll spirit in her collections.

With her collaboration with H&M, this is Isabel’s first time creating and launching her line for men!  The collection will consists of clothing and accessories that are inspired from Isabel’s signature pieces; her French allure to the collection!

For more information: http://www.hm.com/us/isabel-marant
http://www.isabelmarant.com/en/

Who will DOMINATE?

This years America’s Next Top Model went for a new route, the first cycle with both genders; girls and guys! ANTM Cycle 20 aka “ANTM 2.0!”

Tonight at 8pm is the season FINALE part 1! Where the THREE finalists that consist of  2 guys against 1 girl; Jourdan, Cory, and Marvin.

Tyra has given special titles for these 3 finalist to allow their fans to support them through social media.  Since the last cycle of ANTM  (Cycle 19) , social media has played a huge factor for the models along with the challenge scores and judges scores on the photo-shoots.  The titles are; “Sunrise Smize” for Jourdan, “Booch Blue” for Marvin, and “Fierce Fuchsia” for the androgynous male model; Cory.

Who will be ANTM Cycle 20’s winner? A girl or a guy? Will the female models still dominate despite having guys trying to win the title? Or will a guy take the title as the first male model of ANTM? We will see what happens tonight in part 1 of the FINALE!

Hint: The eliminated models will make a comeback appearance in this episode. What are their roles for the three finalists?

Its all Ears

Having extra set of ears on ones head has been a fashion trend lately.

These extra ears are no other than animal ears such as cats or bunny ears. They are stylish and cute I must say! [ chuckles] These ears can be found on knits, beanies, snap-back hats, and fedoras for both males and females; mainly for the females (some are unisex like the beanies and snap-backs).

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This cute fashion trend started in Asia (Korean and Japanese Fashion) I discovered these hats with ears through various K-POP artists, and was able to purchase a snap-back and beanie online via Ebay or Yesstyle.com. YouTube celebrity make-up guru; Michelle Phan also own a beanie with ears as well, and is one of her favorite fashion finds that she has shared with her viewers and fans.

These hats are comfortable to wear, stylish and cute!

These hats can be found for at affordable and reasonable price on Ebay!

PIN IT!

Have you heard of Pinterest before?

No?!? Where have you been? If yes, kudos to you! ^.^v

For those who have never heard of Pinterest, it is a content sharing service website that allows anyone to digitally pin images and videos onto a designated pin board (like an album).

So why is this site worth your time to check it out or know about? Well, Pinterest is a useful site for anyone especially those in the fashion industry. It allows models, photographers, designers and etc. to pin inspirations, their works to share with others, create mood boards for potential shoots and so forth.

Pinterest is a great and useful tool when it comes to inspirations and mood boards! No hassle of saving and printing the images, rather digitally pin an image from a site and have it saved in a designated pinboard where you can access and look at again.

I use this site to pin inspirations, poses to study from, hairstyles, fashion, and to create mood boards as well.

Check it out! http://www.pinterest.com/
My Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tngo4k3/boards/

The “M.C Hammer Pants” of Today

Remember M.C Hammer from the 90’s? If so, I am sure you all remember the pants he wore as well; which everyone calls “M.C Hammer Pants.” The actual name for those pants are harem pants/ harem trousers. Harem pants are loose or baggy trousers that fits closely at the ankle.  According to Merriam- Webster; harem pants originated from the Muslim countries with its resemblances to women’s traditional attire.

 This fashion trend failed to caught on in 1800’s  in the Western Culture as well as French designer;  Paul Poiret’s attempt to bring the style back in 1909 (Source: Yahoo’s History of Harem Pants). The first introductions were for the female, but Hip-Hop artist, M.C Hammer brought the style for both genders.  The style did some-what caught on better than previous attempts but faded away.  In 2009,  European retailers such as Zara and TOP SHOP tried to revive the style for women as well, but also failed. However, in Asian countries such as Korea and Japan; harem pants is one of their known fashion trends that is worn  by both male and females. The style of being loose and tight at the ankle is kept the same, but with modern changes of prints and variation of shape styles. For example, Korean male artist, PSY;  he sports harem pants in his music videos and live performances.

TODAY, (2013) harem pants are being revived and making its imprint in the fashion industry and can be seen not only on the runways, on dancers/performers, celebrities, and gradually on the retail store’s racks such as Forever 21, Zara, TOP SHOP, and more. Harem pants now comes in many variations of shapes and styles for both genders with prints/patterns, colors and color blocking , and fabrics. 

For those who know me and see me often, they know I LOVE and own a couple of harem pants! I discovered harem pants in December of 2010 when  I did a photo-shoot with photographer; Matthew Vita of Xita Productions. The wardrobe he provided for me consisted mainly of Asian fashions, and harem pants were one of garments! I found the pants interesting at a first sight, and when I wore them for them, it was really comfortable and I fell in love with them as well as wanted some for my closet.

During that time, harem pants were rare to find, so I bought the pants  through an Korean fashion online store called, Yesstyle; which Matthew also got the pants from as well.  I own  about 5 pairs of harem pants all with various kind of styles; the typical black colored, one that layered with faux-leather, a short cut harem, one that is tight fitted with strings, and one really big and loose harem. Harem pants are great, and I love them! Comfortable and easy to wear! Harem pants can be dress up or down and for any occasion. (Depends on its style of course!)  A MUST HAVE!

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Sources:
Yahoo’s History of Harem: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-history-harem-pants-5544233.html?cat=46
Merriam-Webster: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harem%20pants

Portable & Convenient!

To models, photographers, designers/stylists-

During on-location shoots aren’t you tired of having to search for a place to change? Tired of having to change in the car or uncomfortable places?  Not to mention, having to be extra careful with not damaging or getting the wardrobe dirty.

Well, I have a solution to the on-set changing problems!  A portable changing room that is convenient and easy to handle. Easy to open and close, and takes up little space when folded up into a circle just like light reflector.

I purchased a portable changing room last month for my fashion editorial shoot in Roosevelt Island, NY.  I am glad that I bought one because I didn’t want to waste time finding a bathroom to change nor did I want to change in a random corner and risk getting the wardrobe dirty. I was able to pop open the portable changing tent and changed clothes easily as changing in an actual changing room.  The tent was very convenient, and I didn’t have to waste time to walk across the street to change or having assistants to help change, and I didn’t have to get the wardrobe dirty.  Everything ran smoothly with having the tent, and all the wardrobe was put back neatly without having leafs or dirt attached.

I highly recommend this product for any photographer, models, designer/stylists who mainly shoot on location because it’s convenient and saves that time and hassle of finding a place to change as well as being able to change comfortably without being afraid of flashing or mooning innocent bystanders passing by. [chuckles]

There are many portable changing room / pop up tents to choose from that can be purchased online.  I purchased the tent on ebay for $36.90. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Portable-Pop-Up-Dressing-Room-Model-Changing-Fitting-Tent-Outdoor-Camping-/370836786667?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5657984deb

More Information on product:

POP-UP to be a large Dressing Room – Folded to be a Mat

Portable POP-UP dressing room is the best protection for privacy anytime or anywhere. It is a convenient way to change in public places, such as a beach, park, pool, etc. If you need to have your model dressed for the wonderful portraiture or costume photography, you really can’t miss this amazing kit! It is excellent for home and commercial usage.

• Brand new and ready to ship.
• Black Color Superior Polyester for more opaque and privacy.
• Durable and flexible Steel Frame for easy pop-up and portable storage.
• Built-in entrance with Zipper expediently in and out.
• Non-roof Design for better ventilation and larger room to dress up.
• Non-bottom Design can keep the room clean and no need to take off your shoes to get in.
• Three Sandbags can be filled with sand or other heavy stuff to avoid this room being blown down by strong wind.
• Folded Four Side into One can be used as a 73-3/4in. x 36in. Outdoor Mat.
• 73-3/4in. height and 36in. width large dressing rooms.
• Folded to 23in. diameter in carrying case.

Specification:

• Color: Black
• Material: Polyester + Steel
• Pop-up Dimension: 36in.(L) x 36in.(W) x 73-3/4in.(H)
• Storage Dimension: 23in.(Diam) x 1in.(H)
• Sandbag Size: 15in.(L) x 10 1/2in.(W)

Package Include:

• 1x Pop-up Dressing Room
• 1x Carrying Case

Team CSC – Clothiers of Choice

As a male model in the Washington -Baltimore metropolitan area, I have had the honor and privilege to work with Christopher Schafer Clothier. A custom men’s and women’s tailor  business founded in 2010, specializing in custom suits, shirts, tuxedos, sport coats, skirts, pants, and ties. CSC is known as Baltimore’s “Best tailor” by City Paper in 2009 & 2012 , Fashion Awards MD (2012 & 2013), and Baltimore Magazine in 2010.

Christopher Schafer Clothier  is on the rise and growing strong, as well as making their own imprint in the industry. CSC is  a team of four clothiers; Christopher Schafer, Derrick King, Christopher Rondo, and the latest addition ; Seth Schafer.  CSC’s goal is to create a  well-fitted custom-tailored suits that will make any gentlemen or women to look his or her best for any occasion. The team takes pride in their work and always make sure the details are perfect and have the best fit possible.  “We will take the time with you to design the best clothing that you have ever owned” – CSC

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View Images of the CSC Gents: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.333526560050778.75184.133497860053650&type=3

CSC Women Line: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.304386129631488.69599.133497860053650&type=3

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My experiences working with CSC were great! I always look forward to working with them, and each opportunity I had to wear one of the suits for a runway show or photo-shoot, I felt great and didn’t want to take it off. I am sure many of the fellow models who has worked with CSC will say the same. The suits were definitely well-fitted and very comfortable to be in! I was very impressed when I first wore one of the suits, the fitting was spot on after I was carefully and accurately measured. Also, the suits I wore complemented my look well, even when I had platinum blonde hair.  [chuckles] The team will definitely make sure everything fits well and is presentable with every details before being presented.

Each CSC suits are very unique  with its detailing and style, and the suits are also named! For instance, CSC’s grey double breasted suit is named, “The Cary Grant;” after the Hollywood Actor.  Another unique quality of CSC’s suits is that some of the suits are very versatile in appearance. How? I had the privilege to wear the (Awesome) three piece navy blue suit, and each time that I wore that suit or any other model wore that same suit, it looked different. Why? It’s because how the suit is styled along with how it complements the person who wears it.

I highly, highly recommend any gentlemen as well as any ladies to go to Christopher Schafer Clothier to have their very own custom-tailor attire made for their business attire or for any special occasion! During your consulting with a clothier, you’ll be presented with tons of patterns and fabrics samples to choose from to create and design your very own garment. The CSC team will make sure you’re 100% satisfied before leaving their studio!

CSC is located in Fells Point , Baltimore area and is open on Monday through Saturdays.

CSC is currently having a special this November, where anyone who recommends a friend that makes a purchase, the recommender will receive a free custom shirt! More information : https://www.facebook.com/events/758855767474763/

Christopher Schafer Clothier
1400 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
Phone: (410) 404- 5131 | E-mail: crc@christopherschafer.com
http://www.christopherschafer.com/  https://www.facebook.com/christopherschaferclothier