Earlier this month, fashion enthusiasts from around the globe eagerly trekked through the slippery, slosh of snow all in an effort to attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Fashion Week should really be coined fashion month, since shows in London and Milan immediately followed, and the journey continues next week in Paris.
I consider myself a CEO (Chief Eternal Optimist) when it comes to the world of style and the professional woman. Although the demands are high and the challenges are great, I’m very optimistic there will be even more desirable options available to her in the near future.
This is one of the reasons why Fashion Week is so exciting! Talented designers pour their hearts, souls and savings into creating a collection of clothing and accessories that reflect an advanced vision of our world and how we might wish to present ourselves to it. It’s a wonderfully daunting undertaking and I, for one, am grateful to them.
As the business world continues to redefine appropriate workwear in every conservative, creative and casual environment, we, as career women, have an opportunity (and a responsibility) to take part, by getting a better understanding of the highly visual world we live in, its impact in the marketplace, how we wish to be viewed as professionals, and which fashions make us feel empowered on the job and otherwise.
Then…
We must speak up! There needs to be a better collaboration between professional women and fashion designers.
Educate fashion designers on what you want and need in your work wardrobe. Although they are gifted, they are not mind readers! I think we sometimes forget, fashion is a service business. As career women, we have a substantial impact on the economy. Tell them you want more affordable diffused lines to fit into your fashion budget – even CEO’s wish to look fiscally responsible in today’s open marketplace. Tell them you are unable to move comfortably in super short skirts, ultra sheer tops, heels that are too high, ill-fitting pieces, etcetera. Designers want you to wear their creations.
In today’s competitive marketplace, both designers and the professional woman need each other in order for us all to successfully share our talents with the world.
It must be a collaborative, joint effort to work!
In the meantime, as fashion week/month continues, I remain steadfast on my mission to discover fresh cuts, innovative prints, reimagined materials, eye-catching colors…the list goes on and on… ie. inspirational looks and trends that can be decoded to truly work for today’s dynamic professionals. Here’s your front row seat to a few of my favorite Fall 2014 Collections so far…
SLIDESHOW
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Did you see any runway fashions that inspire you? What types of pieces would like to see more of from designers?
Image credit: All via Style.com including (top) streetstyle shot by photographer Tommy Ton. Graphics by Kristina Moore for Corporate Fashionista.