MAGAZINE
RAINE T H E
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
I S S U E
VOL 14
QUARTERLY
FASHION + ART = PASSION: MEET THE TOLEDOS! THE REALITY OF AMERICA’S TOP MODELS ALL THINGS WINE THE UNSTOPPABLE ADRIENNE BAILON AND JULISSA BERMUDEZ
THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW T H E
F A S H I O N
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L I F E S T Y L E
R E S O U R C E
F O R
C R E A T I V E
E N T R E P R E N E U R S
FA SHION TO L IV E F OR
A BRIDGE BETWEEN VEGAN AND LUXURY By Michelle Winters PHOTOS BY GUNAS
Not all vegan bags are built equally. Whereas many stray toward hemp weaves and boho flourishes, GUNAS’ line of leather-free satchels and totes can go from boardroom to downtown without skipping a beat. These convertible carryalls keep it simple with clean modern lines and urbane color palettes. Plus, they’re made entirely from Green guard/LEEDcertified, rescued manmade fabrics that are as cruelty-free as they are light on the earth. The fabulously progressive brand first debuted in 2010 at New York’s Nolcha Fashion Week. It quickly got recognized for its dedication to sustainable fashion. The eco-conscious brand soon earned a celebrity following, including the likes of Jenny McCarthy, Anne Hathaway, Emily Deschanel, Cameron Mathison and Sherri Shepherd. Responsible for the brand’s
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innovative designs is Sugandh G. Agrawal. A trained Industrial Designer by background, Sugandh eventfully combined her passions and pursued a life of design and sustainability that has spanned the globe. “I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. Art & Design has been a part of my life since early childhood. I came to the US to pursue my BFA in Industrial Design after which I got into the Appliance Industry. Having worked with brands such as Bosch, KitchenAid and JennAir I gained extensive experience with product development, materials and trends.” With bags being shipped all over the world, the brand’s popularity is on the rise, especially within the vegan/ vegetarian community. Gunas was born out of Sugandh’s great appreciation for the natural beauty around her. “I absolutely love animals and nature and have been
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an advocate for using our resources wisely.” Having grown up in India, Sugandh noted that with about 90% of the Indian population being vegetarian, India is one of the largest exporters of leather around the world. She became aware of the cruel conditions the animals go through since they are just treated as a commodity. However, it wasn’t until Sugandh began her Masters degree in Design Management at Pratt Institute in New York City that the idea and business plan for Gunas were formulated. After completing a thesis on sustainable fashion, Sugandh combined her passion for design and sustainability and created a product line that embodies the utmost quality and style. “I want to provide the luxury client with an alternative, low impact and cruelty-free products in the form of GUNAS.” www.gunasthebrand.com
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Sweater - Fred Perry; Shirt - UNTUCKit; Belt - Carhartt; Pants WeSC; Shoes - Dr. Martens; Scarf - C.P.Company; Hat - Wosley Photographer - Jason Jaskot ; Fashion Stylist - Renesstsa Olds ; Men's Grooming - Torrence Forde; Assistant Fashion Stylist - Asheley Reynolds; Models - David Schafer and Fernando Diniz For Q Models
T HE DISTIN G UIS HE D MA N
FA SHION TO L IV E F OR
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Coat - Cockpit USA; Shirt - UNTUCKit; Tie - Cockpit USA; Shoes - Topman; Watch - Maurice de Mauriac
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B AC K S TAG E PAS S
INDIE FASHION WEEKS MAKE A GRAND IMPRESSION By Tina Chen and Researched by Michelle Winters
As New York Fashion Week continues to reign supreme as the venue for established designers, other options are quickly becoming world renowned for their carefully curated shows of independent designers. Three stand out in particular: Nolcha Fashion Week, Vancouver Fashion Week and Brooklyn Fashion Week{end}. NOLCHA FASHION WEEK The award-winning Nolcha Fashion Week provides a handsome stage for independent designers to showcase their collection to a global audience. Fashion insiders, stylists, buyers, celebrities and media, all come together for jaw dropping presentations of international and local designers alike. A unique service that Nolcha provides is a personal team for each designer as well as expansive exposure via public relations, networking affairs, and buyer meetings.
Spring/Summer Couture collection at BKFW with beautiful detailed, draped pieces epitomizing her elegant flair. Her fabrics are polished and styled with elements of diversity in the colors of reds, browns and ravishing whites. The continued pace of beauty carries on with added images of actress Marilyn Monroe for admiration of the masses in America. Her series of modest robe attires represent sartorial elegance. Her collection of threaded gold, prominent floral prints and silken garments are stunning.
Adolfo Sanchez A Nolcha designer on the rise is Adolfo Sanchez. This innovative designer is aiming to make a name in high-end women’s fashion - channeling a sultry, poised look to his garments. Sanchez set his sights to empower women through his clothes by making them feel sexy but in a clean, confident look. His pieces display a tasteful seductiveness coupled with a sense of lush innocence.
VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK British Columbia’s Vancouver Fashion Week is deemed as the west coast’s most prestigious industry event. As Canada’s second largest fashion week, with a number of designers and media partners in North America – Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) showcases works of art, from the emerging to the established from all around the world. VFW strives to highlight budding, creative and magnetic talent every season while continuously attracting innovative designers, industry professionals, buyers, celebrities and scores of media each year.
BROOKLYN FASHION WEEK{END} Founded in conjunction with the Brooklyn Style Foundation,
Adolfo Sanchez Brooklyn Fashion Week{end} (BKFW) is presented during fashion week twice a year with a focus on helping young Brooklyn designers. BKFW has also partnered with Smarter® Clothing Project, an initiative that promotes eco-friendly USA manufacturing. Brooklyn Fashion Week{end} continues to grow its presence and now includes global emerging designers in its showcase. Exceptional international and local Brooklyn designers come together to present their collections to a diverse spectrum of socially conscious, influential, fashion forward men and women. Montaha Couture Kuwaiti fashion designer, Montaha Alajeel showcased her
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Ping He
Montaha Couture
Ping He A VFW highlight is Chinese designer, Ping He. Ping is a leading international fashion designer who worked under some of the most distinguished fashion houses including Alexander McQueen. Her touch of sophistication is embodied in her sleek garments and structural designs. For her Spring/Summer 13’ collection, she blended silhouettes of strength and femininity with ease, contrasting in softly draped sheers. Palettes of nude tones, light and dark gray, along with a bit of red to spice up the edge were offered in her showcase. Her fans have included big names such as Madonna and Uma Thurman and her designs show much depth with today’s modern woman in mind.
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B AC K S TAG E PAS S
Backstage pass FashInvest 2012 On December 11th at the world-renowned Fashion Institute of Technology, the worlds of Fashion and Finance collided on one day, under one room. From the creators of leading venture conference Early Stage East, the 3rd annual FashInvest Capital Conference brought together some of today's most promising start-ups and fast-growth companies in the Fashion, Fashion Tech, Retail and Branded Goods sectors. With only 8-minutes, 20+ emergining fashion-related companies pitched their business concepts to active financiers. For more information on FashInvest, visit fashinvest.org.
Early Stage East On October 4, 2012 at the Down Town Club in Philadelphia, the 15th anniversary Early Stage East (ESE) Venture Capital Conference was held to a room full of eager early-stage companies and top East Coast financiers. With the hopes of securing funding and cultivating new relationships, 25 emerging companies in the Internet, Social Media and Social Enterprise industries pitched their business ideas to over 100 venture capital and angel investors. In celebration of the milestone event, ESE awarded global education technology leader Blackboard with the Legendary Alumni Award for it's sky-rocketing growth and brand development over the last decade. As one of the first companies to present at the very first Early Stage East in 1989, Blackboard CEO Michael Chasen presented a a rousing keynote to the audience. ESE also celebrated regional entrepreneurship growth by honoring Philadelphia-based University City Science Center (UC) for it's commitment to the development of entrepreneurs and start-ups. University Science Center Dr. Steve Tang accepted the award on behalf of UC. For more information on Early Stage East, visit earlystageeast.org. TOP: (L TO R) DAVID FRESCHMAN, FOUNDER OF EARLY STAGE EAST AND MICHAEL CHASEN, FOUNDER OF BLACKBOARD. BOTTON: ESE CONFERENCE MATERIALS
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FRE S H FACE
Full Name: Ashley Turner Agency: Red Model Management NYC Height: 5’11 Age: 20 Hometown: Jersey City, NJ Fun Facts: I’m, Married to my high school sweetheart, I absolutely love animals, I’m African American, Portuguese, and British .
Photographed by Sam Devries; Styling by Pierre Mercier ; Clothing Sarine Marine; Makeup by Jessica Ochs for Yaby Cosmetics; Hair by Kazuto Shimomura; Models: Kelsey Lafferty and Ashley Turner, RED models www.rednyc.com
Full name: Kelsey Lafferty Agency: Red Model Management NYC Height: 5’8 Age: recently turned 20 Hometown: Landenberg, Pennsylvania Fun Facts: Studying Communications and Broadcast Journalism; would love to have to be a news correspondent for a major fashion/media company. In love with the Victoria’s Secret angels! Favorite food is dark chocolate and peanut butter.
All mannequin photographs are by WILLIAM PALMER