What's Next For Time Style & Design?

I don't have a Time Magazine subscription. In fact, I don't think I need one since I already have CNN, but I always make it a point to buy a copy only if it comes with the Time Style & Design supplement. I'm not someone who buys every fashion magazine in the newsstands. In fact I swore off some magazines after reading their poorly-written articles and seeing their unimaginative editorials. Time Style & Design, however, made me a loyal follower with their journalistic approach to delivering fashion news. Unfortunately, I won't be getting my hands on any future issues due to the bad economy.

Time Style & Design will be suspending publication indefinitely due to the downturn in the luxury market. Kate Betts, the magazine's editor, will stay on at Time while four staffers were laid off. “We'd hope to bring it back when the economy improves”, a spokeswoman said.

I hope they do bring it back. Every time I browse through its pages I always head down to The A-List first to see which bags or shoes are selling like pancakes in different cities around the world. After that I read through Notebook to see what's going on in the fashion industry. In fact I learned in this section the approximate cost for producing a Badgley Mischka runway show.

I remember writing a piece back in college about the presence of ethnic models and their impact in the fashion industry. If it wasn't for Ling Woo Liu's article (“Color Lines on the Catwalk”, Fall 2008), I wouldn't have gotten a stellar grade. I even referred to the magazine's write-up on Anna Wintour and Donna Karan when I was writing on women heading the fashion industry.

Time Style & Design is filled with information you wouldn't normally find on any fashion magazine. If I sticked to just browsing through these magazines then I wouldn't have found out about Shamina Talyarkhan and Victoria Brynner and how important they are to the fashion industry. I wouldn't have known who Joshua Spanier is and how he sold Britney Spears' Curious back in 2004 if it wasn't for Time Style & Design.

Without Time Style & Design, I wouldn't have known some of the biggest names in the industry that I love. They will be deeply missed until they resume publication.

A Huge Cover For Ash Stymest

OMFG! Ash Stymest is on the cover of Huge Magazine for October 2009. Well, I'm absolutely in love with this Englishman and I'm dying to get my hands on a copy of this magazine.

Is anybody in Japan willing to send me a copy? Oh please do..

Something Good To Come Out Of This Recession

This recession sure is giving me a headache. Instead of shopping for this season's must-haves, I end up saving most of my hard-earned cash for a rainy day. Not that saving money is a bad thing, but I would have loved to own this season's Armani poncho that looks a bit like a trench. Times like these I would rather use the money to buy three weeks worth of groceries. As much as it pains me, I would prefer wearing last season's clothes than end up looking like Ash Stymest on the September cover of Italian Vogue. If there's something good to come out of this recession its that designers are now launching affordable lines to generate profit. This is good news for me since I won't have to shop at thrift stores or save up in order to buy this season's must-haves by the year 2012.

If I were a girl I'd go gaga over Temperley London's dresses, but their prices will surely drive me crazy (and not in a good way). Who in their right mind would spend $1,795 on a cream silk minidress or $1,495 for a pleated raspberry dress? I would probably buy them if I happen to inherit a chain of hotels someday, but with my monthly income I'd rather spend my cash over at Debenham's. Good thing they're launching a lower-priced line for Spring 2010. Prices start at around $57, so I'm glad to hear I can finally get my hands on one of their tunic tops. Oh right, I'm not a girl..

Erin Wasson's LowLuv jewelry line are not made of exotic jewels yet they retail for $1,000. Shocking isn't it? Well, prices are set to come down and the metal-based pieces will range from $40 to $200. The collection will debut on Wasson's RVCA runway during New York Fashion Week (which also happens this week).

Versace also relaunches Versus, a lower-priced women's ready-to-wear line this September in Milan. Hopefully this will help generate income for the fashion powerhouse since their 13.4% losses during the first quarter of this year. If you can remember Versus unveiled a line of accessories last February designed by Christopher Kane.

Like I said, if there's one thing that came out of this frickin' recession its that designers are launching lines that are more "attainable". Hopefully these lines will continue once the economy improves, but I wish Bottega Veneta would join the bandwagon and launch a more affordable line together with their expensive collections.