Celebrate Memorial Day with American Fashion Designers

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Celebrate Memorial Day in style and take an extra 20% off all the American Designers at eFashionHouse.com. We owe a lot to the European influence when it comes to fashion. Yet, the American Designers produce an image we call, "Home." People like Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Melie Bianco and Elaine Turner pave the way for upcoming American fashion influence.

Designers like Tano Bags, BCBG, Coach, Dooney & Bourke and Brighton bring a sense of American style and unique image to their collections. We honor all the American Designers this season and celebrate with them for Memorial Day 2008.

Whether you are looking for a new handbag, wallet, tote or leather shoulder bag, you can find a perfect American Designer Handbag for an unbeatable price. But don't lose sight of the true meaning of Memorial Day. We celebrate in honor of many people who have died in military service protecting our country. It's really about honoring our heros.

Yes, we are addicted to fashion, and we admire the creative design process. We are always seeking a bargain, and we shop online for the best deals we can find. So, get ready for Memorial Day with a celebration of American Designers at an additional 20% off, and remember our heros who lived their lives to make America our home.

MORE ABOUT Memorial Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed in 2008 on May 26). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. It is also traditionally viewed as the beginning of summer by many, for many schools are dismissed around Memorial Day.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. US Eastern time. Another tradition is to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers place a U.S. flag upon each gravesite located in a National Cemetery.

Many politicians and community leaders give speeches at community gatherings on Memorial Day.In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, family gatherings, and sporting events. Some Americans also view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. The national Click it or ticket campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for auto accidents and other safety related incidents. The USAF "101 Critical days of summer" begin on this day as well. Some Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen.

Flags flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day 2006.Memorial Day formerly occurred on May 30, and some, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), advocate returning to this fixed date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address, "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

Decoration Day, c. 1900. "You bet I'm goin' to be a soldier, too, like my Uncle David, when I grow up."According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.

The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the birthplace because it observed the day on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter, and because it is likely that the friendship of General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who led the call for the day to be observed each year and helped spread the event nationwide, was a key factor in its growth.

General Logan had been impressed by the way the South honored their dead with a special day and decided the Union needed a similar day. Reportedly, Logan said that it was most fitting; that the ancients, especially the Greeks, had honored their dead, particularly their heroes, by chaplets of laurel and flowers, and that he intended to issue an order designating a day for decorating the grave of every soldier in the land, and if he could he would have made it a holiday.

Logan had been the principal speaker in a citywide memorial observation on April 29, 1866, at a cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois, an event that likely gave him the idea to make it a national holiday. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization, Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance of this day.

Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were very few veterans of the Union Army who lived in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882, but did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967 . On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend and for the first time recognized Columbus Day as a federal holiday. The holidays included Washington's Birthday (which evolved into Presidents' Day), Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971 . After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply at the state level, all fifty states adopted the measure within a few years, although Veterans Day was eventually changed back to its traditional date. Ironically, most corporate businesses no longer close on Columbus Day or Veterans Day, and an increasing number are staying open on President's Day as well. The holiday has endured as one where most businesses stay closed because it marks the beginning of the "summer vacation season" (similar to neighboring Canada's Victoria Day, which occurs on the prior Monday).

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Marc by Marc Jacobs Handbags - Appealing To Fashion Forward Celebrities

Victoria Becham for Marc Jacobs

By Sheila Nelson

Marc Jacobs handbags are known for being very versatile, and chic. Added to the Marc Jacobs International line in 2000, Jacobs handbags have since become one of the most coveted products available. Marc Jacobs handbags are commonly made from soft calfskin and feature signature details, such as polished gold metal hardware and buckles, and they instantly glam up any outfit. Marc Jacobs handbags are produced with the finest materials in order to present a high quality handbag.

Marc Jacobs handbags are also known for their fashion forward edginess and defining grunge look which is startling but also pleasing to many women. Jacobs' edgy creations have appealed to the hip, youthful and trendsetting crowd since the 1990s, which has made him a legend among fashion forward celebrities. Super models Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell were willing to walk his first runway show free of charge. Even as Jacobs' handbag line swelled in popularity, Marc by Marc Jacobs handbags maintained Jacobs' singular style and continued to display a sophistication that never swayed with changing trends.

Marc Jacobs handbags come in a range of materials from classic leather to modern linen. The more notable Marc by Marc Jacobs handbags are the leather patchwork or quilted designs that are usually outfitted with gold fittings and accessories. Some of Jacobs handbag designs utilize all kinds of leather such as ostrich and others for the more particular consumers. Jacobs usually have designs for each season, and they appeal to all kinds of women. Jacobs handbag designs are also very casual and are made in refreshing colors.

Jacobs defines himself for his excellence in design and his eye for fashion forward style. With bold colors and striking styles, Marc Jacobs handbags are made for women who pride themselves on distinction. Jacobs continue to create and gain supporters and fans for his highly sought after Marc by Marc Jacobs brand, which includes his prestigious handbag collection. Jacobs was the youngest artist to be awarded The Council of Fashion Designer's of America's (CFDA), Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent, a Nobel Prize of the fashion industry. Marc Jacobs has made an excellent name for him and continues down the path of success in the fashion industry.

Marc Jacobs' original handbags are shipped directly from Italy and come with an elegant dust bag. Marc by Marc Jacobs handbags can be found at major high end department stores and online at eFashionHouse.com.

New York Fashion Week: Coming this fall: a season of versatility

DESIGNERS OFFER LESS-OSTENTATIOUS, ACCESSIBLE CLOTHING FOR SOPHISTICATED WOMEN

By Donna Kato, Mercury News

Peter Som Canary Chantilly lace T-shirt, plum ombre plaid satin swag skirt.
(Richard Drew / Associated Press)

Carolina Herrera Corduroy double-breasted vest, embroidered blouse, suede riding pants and corduroy fedora. (Bebeto Matthews / AP)

Marc by Marc Jacobs Yellow track dress with pin worn with gray painted beret, black jeweled sunglasses, smoke wristlet purse and cubist bracelet. (Seth Wenig / AP)

Zac Posen Red and black embroidered dress. (Kathy Willens / AP)

Vera Wang felt jacket with felt jabot over short-sleeve coat with bias stone silk chiffon drape-neck top and silk gauze skirt. (Richard Drew/ AP)

NEW YORK - Early on during Fashion Week, mass retailer Gap presented its fall collection by new designer Patrick Robinson on models posed on a raised platform. The press, buyers and stylists walked around the staged area to get a close look at the anorak jackets, slim-fit cargo pants, chunky sweaters and henleys the Bay Area-based company plans to offer six months from now.

It wasn't high fashion, and the prices are sure to be far, far less than the average cost of a skirt offered by most of the 100-plus designers who showed this season. But after a week's worth of ready-to-wear collections, the significance of the Gap's presentation became apparent: It underscored the intersection of fashion and economic reality, reflecting the current mood among most of us wondering if a recession is about to hit and whether we should save instead of spend. It's also another example of the pairing of accessible fashion with established designers.

For the Gap, the show introduced Robinson, who was the designer behind Perry Ellis, Anne Klein and most recently, Paco Rabanne. His name alone will bring in style-savvy customers who now think of the Gap only for casual wear and basics. There wasn't a specific direction that emerged from the fall collections this season. The message was one of individuality for the woman who wants to look sleek. With jackets, vests, skirts and trousers overtaking the runways, next fall will mean versatility for those confident enough to mix up proportions and try new shapes. "There's definitely more of a sportswear than a couture influence this fall," says Tom Julian, longtime fashion analyst and director of trends for McCann Erickson, a global advertising agency. Women are less inclined to be ostentatious and more willing to buy if something looks like a good investment, has versatility and might do for more than a season or two.

While certain luxury goods are still selling well, according to retail analysts, the willy-nilly spending on It bags and high-end labels of the moment has slowed, adding pressure on designers to offer just the right items for fall. "Fashion has been increasingly dressing up for the past several seasons and is in the feminine frame of mind," says June Rau, Nordstrom's fashion director for the western region. "Women will take certain pieces they're familiar with and work it into their wardrobe." The overall aesthetic is "polished and precisely put together," she adds, and what will make a jacket or a skirt look fresh is a color choice, a winter floral print or a fuller, boxier shape.

American designers seem to have decided on a more practical approach for fall, what with all the basic black, bundled silhouettes and traditional, winter fabrics. Much of it was richly sophisticated, as if they realized that there was more substance to courting a woman rather than an ingenue. Rather than showy gold glitz, it was a warm, mustard-gold shade that prevailed on runways. Marc Jacobs, whose runway ensembles at first glance always appear odd and unwearable (cocoon-shaped coats with ballooning backs, belted below the hips? Long knicker-shorts with dropped crotches?), remains the most-watched American designer. For the first time, his slot was the last show of the week this season, and except for a color pallette that included winter pastels, his clothes were unlike anything seen all week.

The coats were at once long and lean, voluminous and complicated. The evening gowns were melancholy and slinky. And once you got past the tricorn hats and lust-inducing handbags, there were sweaters and pants and jackets that could be construed as . . . classics. While frivolity was scarce on most runways, there were still plenty of fanciful and luxe touches. Metallic jacquards showed up in the collections of Vera Wang and Angel Sanchez. Fringe swung from bags, boots, skirts and vests at Zac Posen, Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson. Fur and feathers were flying on the catwalks of Badgley Mischka, Monique Lhuillier, Naeem Khan and Behnaz Sarafpour.

Themes and designer inspirations were made apparent at many shows. Michael Kors, whose signature is luxury American sportswear, sent his models out in oversized specs and "Mad Men" fedoras, wearing coats and belted shifts that would look grand on Eva Marie Saint. A huntress theme at Carolina Herrera translated to autumnal colors of squash, pumpkin, China blue and brown along with tattersall plaid. Riding jackets, capes and feathered hats were aristocratic touches that made the point. Diane von Furstenberg related an entire story for her collection, starting with a muse who sews diamonds into the hem of her dress to flee from Berlin to Shanghai, then moves on to the art deco glam of New York. No era is specified in her program notes, but the clothes had a touches of the 1920s, '30s and '40s in the form of flapper dresses, belted jackets and loose-fitting trousers.

The Bay Area has reason to proudly proclaim designers Peter Som, Derek Lam and sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte as its own. Their presentations each season have become must-attends by influential magazine and newspaper editors and top retailers. Som had one of the best shows of the week with a collection that was both dreamy and practical. A blue and black metalassé full skirt and fitted black washed patent leather jacket was fresh and edgy for a designer who usually sticks to pretty. Among his best pieces were side-draped dresses and skirts.

This is Som's debut collection for Bill Blass, and he captured the late designer's essence with a number of trouser suits, cocktail dresses, gala gowns and substantial ruffles. Also noted were a few Som-ish touches in the playful details, prints and color combinations. Lam took inspiration from Isak Dinesen, the pen name of Karen von Blixen-Finecke who wrote "Out of Africa" in 1937. His collection played with proportion, serving up elegant suits and layering that flowed from one garment into another. While the dark tones and tailoring could have been too heavy, the clothes were lively, with movement and drama. In just a few seasons, Rodarte has become one of the top draws during Fashion Week with meticulously constructed garments that come close to couture. The designers Mulleavy, who now live in Pasadena but grew up in Capitola, offered more of the stringy, webby knit separates and ethereal ballerina frocks that they did for this spring. While the dancer dresses were confections of froth, it was the gorgeous, airy knits that will be coveted for closets this fall.

Getting a Handle on Louboutin

from Women's Wear Daily

PARIS — Christian Louboutin is outfitting his business with a new platform of controlled growth. Key legs of the plan include a concerted push into handbags, a rollout of boutiques and more aggressive protection of the brand's trademarks, especially Louboutin's signature red soles. In an exclusive interview, Louboutin and Alexis Mourot, his chief operating officer and general manager, outlined a plan that includes:

- Building handbags, which represents less than 5 percent of sales today, to 20 percent of the business in three years.

- Expanding the company's network of freestanding stores to 36 locations in the next three years, up from nine at present.

- Trimming wholesale distribution worldwide to give the brand maximum exposure in the best doors.

In recent years, Louboutin's growth has been explosive and the designer — known for an exacting, hands-on approach to design and quality control — tapped Mourot from Marc Jacobs International to exert a tighter grip on various aspects of the business, from the supply chain and distribution to brand management.

Retail sales of Louboutin products reached 170 million euros, or $248.2 million, last year, according to Mourot, and revenues have been advancing in excess of 40 percent annually.

"The only thing that stops our growth is our production capacity," said Louboutin, dressed in a striped blazer and vivid orange corduroy pants. Mourot said he's streamlined the order-taking process, and negotiated a "number-one priority" status with all the brand's factories in Italy. "It's great to have a good product, but it's even better to have great products delivered earlier and better," he said.

On the distribution front, Mourot has been weeding out smaller doors in the U.S. and Japan, particularly apparel-driven boutiques where designer footwear gets little prominence.

"The sell-through is always better when you're well represented and when you're not mixed with the clothes," Louboutin explained. "And when we're in a shoe salon, we want to be the best one with the best representation."

Wholesale represents 88 percent of revenues, a proportion that will change as Louboutin boutiques, both company-owned and with retail partners, open up around the world. Coming this year are new locations in Las Vegas; South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif.; London; Jakarta, Indonesia; Singapore, and either Beijing or Shanghai, plus a second store in Moscow and a third in Paris.

Mourot said he envisions up to 10 stores in the U.S., "but no more." An agreement with Hong Kong-based Pedder Group calls for 12 stores in the next four years in the Asian region, excluding Japan.

At present, the U.S. accounts for 52 percent of Louboutin's sales; Europe, the Middle East and Russia, 30 percent, and Asia and Japan, 18 percent.

Louboutin introduced handbags about two years ago, and has even collaborated with a local graffiti artist on some styles. Recently, however, he assembled a dedicated team of designers, merchandisers and production experts to build the business and respond to growing demand from customers, especially for daytime styles.

Part one of his fall 2008 collection includes a range of functional bags — some with built-in pocketbooks, others with intricate passementerie embroideries — along with jewel-like evening clutches and pouches with chain handles. A coin-purse-style clasp with two heel-to-heel stilettos is a signature feature on many styles.

Mourot and Louboutin said existing stores would be expanded or reconfigured to better display the expanded bag ranges.

As for trademark protection, Mourot declined to give specifics on recent cases, citing confidentiality agreements, but he vowed to become more vigilant in protecting the Louboutin trademark, with the red soles now recognized worldwide as the designer's property.

And, while it's fast approaching big-league status, Louboutin's company retains an informal and familial atmosphere — his headquarters a jumble of separate offices, showrooms and ateliers on Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau that ensures a constant game of "Where's Christian?" Louboutin said he's keen to keep things that way: "It's still a very young adventure."