Do you know your fashion?
Europe has given the world some of the greatest designers and clothes labels, both on the high street and the catwalk. We know our readers are stylish, cutting edge people impressing everyone with their stunningly attractive clothes! But do you know your Blahniks from your 'Boys Club'?
See how much of a fashionista you are with our quiz below.
Fashion in Spain
"Move over Armani, the Spanish are coming," is the rallying cry of modern-day European fashion. Both Mango and Zara have become huge brands by catering for young modern, urban women - or as they would say: 'la mujer joven, moderna y urbana.' Their clothes range from the sophisticated formal wear ('estilo formal y sofisticado' language fans) to 'estilo informal' and judging by their rapid expansion, they seem to have hit on the right formula with sales from Europe hitting the £270million mark.
Spanish designers are also becoming better known for their own exclusive clients. Armand Basi, for example, provides wardrobes for the James Bond films, and lists Kevin Spacey and Noel Gallagher among its clients. Last of all we can't forget the infamous Manolo Blahnik, whose shoe designs have New Yorker women swooning. Yes, it the must-have brand the girls wear in 'Sex And The City'! Did you know this Spanish-born guru was actually raised in England and used his multi-lingual skills to open shops in 14 different countries worldwide?
Keep up to date with all the latest from the Spanish fashion scene here
Useful phrases!
Where can I find a Camper shoe shop?
¿Dónde hay una zapatería Camper?
Can someone tell Noel Gallagher his Basi suit is ready?
¿Podría alguien decirle a Noel Gallagher que su traje Basi está listo?
Excuse me, what is the best fabric for a formal jacket?
¿Disculpe, cuál es el mejor material para una chaqueta de etiqueta?
These new Blahnik shoes are beautiful. I must have them!
Esos zapatos Blahnik nuevos son preciosos. ¡Tengo que comprarme unos!
Can you tell me what size these jeans are please?
¿Podría decirme qué talla son esos pantalones vaqueros?
Fashion in Germany
Forget the stereotypes of traditional German clothes or 'tracht' as they're known, the modern German fashion scene has led the way in well-cut, elegant designs for over twenty years. And let's not forget some of the most famous supermodels are German too: Claudia Schiffer, Nadja Auermann and Heidi Klum are all multi-lingual stars working across the globe. In fact, even the fashion magazine world would be very different without the groundbreaking work of photographers like Helmut Newton in 'Vogue,' 'Marie Claire' and 'Elle.'
Germany's capital Berlin is a renowned for pioneering catwalk trends and has brought us some of the world's most famous designers (a lot of whom provide lines for high street shops as well as expensive boutiques). There are few people more famous in fashion than Karl Lagerfeld who after working for Chloé, Krizia and Fendi in his early days, made his name as chief designer with Chanel. He has produced legendary pieces like the 'shower dress' with beaded water streaming down the front, a 'car dress' complete with a radiator grille and fender, and he never fails to grab headlines across Europe with his eccentric ideas. A celebrity in his own right, everyone wants to wear Karl's outfits; both Madonna and Kylie, for example, have had costumes made by him for recent world tours.
Have a peek at the very latest fashion coming from Berlin's catwalks here:
www.fashion-week-berlin.com/en
wordpress.com/tag/berlin-fashion-week
Useful phrases!
I simply must find the nearest Hugo Boss store; it's a fashion emergency!
Ich muss einfach den nächsten Hugo-Boss Laden finden, das ist ein Mode-Notfall!
I love your Karl Lagerfeld dress, Kylie, where can I find one in my size?
Kylie, ich liebe dein Karl Lagerfeld Kleid, wo kann ich eins in meiner Größe finden?
This cologne is heavenly, you simply must try it.
Dieses Rasierwasser riecht einfach himmlisch, du musst es mal probieren.
Claudia and Heidi are such jetsetters, we're all terribly jealous.
Claudia und Heidi sind solche Jetsetters, da sind wir alle furchtbar neidisch.
So Helmut said to me, "Can I take your picture for 'Vogue'?" and I said, "No, darling, it's too common."
Dann sagte Helmut zu mir, "Kann ich dich für Vogue fotographieren?" Da sagte ich, "Nein Schatzi, Vogue ist viel zu ordinär".
Fashion in France
From the couture style of Yves Saint Laurent to the experimental street style of André Courrèges, French fashion is renowned for its sophisticated designs and innovative touches. And the list of famous French designers is like a who's who of fashion itself: Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Pierre Cardin… it's like going Christmas shopping with the Beckhams!
French designers have created the staples of modern fashion we take for granted these days: for example, the 'little black dress' was a Chanel invention. And Givenchy created the Audrey Hepburn style that so many people – including Posh – seem to copy all the time. In the modern day though it is undoubtedly the infamous Jean-Paul Gaultier who steals the limelight. He currently designs for three collections: his own couture and ready-to-wear lines, as well as the newly relaunched clothing line for Hermès. Gaultier has also designed a number of the outfits worn by Marilyn Manson, Kylie and the French star Mylène Farmer, plus he has produced the wardrobe for films such as 'The Fifth Element'.
» Fancy a trip to fashion crazy Paris? See what you can find there now
» Want to learn more about the French fashion scene? Click here
Useful phrases!
You there in the hideous dress, can you direct me to the nearest Chanel shop please? You should go too by the way.
Eh vous, là, avec la robe affreuse, pouvez-vous m'indiquer où se trouve la boutique Chanel la plus proche, s'il vous plaît? À propos, je vous conseille d'y aller.
Does this Gaultier skirt suit me, or will my mates make fun of me?
Est-ce que cette jupe Gaultier me va bien? Ou bien est-ce que les copains vont se moquer se moi?
Now look here Mr Manson, black really isn't a good colour for you, and go easier on the eyeliner.
Écoutez, M. Manson. Le noir ne vous va pas du tout, et vous devriez avoir la main plus légère avec l'eye-liner.
What shall I wear with my little black dress to make it look more expensive than hers?
Qu'est-ce que je vais bien pouvoir mettre avec ma petite robe noire pour qu'elle ait l'air d'avoir coûté plus cher que la sienne?
Being this stylish and sophisticated is quite hard work you know, darling.
Atteindre un tel degré d'élégance et de sophistication demande beaucoup d'efforts, vous savez, ma chère.
Fashion in Italy
Be it clothes, perfume or shoes there are very few Italians who lack a sense of style, or who wouldn't compromise comfort for just the right image. Names like Versace, Prada, Bulgari and Armani are known throughout the world as some of the top fashion brands; and the top celebrities wear their clothes to every glamorous event.
It was actually someone called Count Giorgini who started the 'Italian Fashion' craze in 1951, when he organised a fashion show to be presented to an International audience in Florence. The designs were modeled by Italian nobility next to famous paintings and gave Italian fashion that unique sense of status, of demonstrating an eye for quality and taste.
And it is the city of Milan that not only embodies that spirit, but has also produced so many famous designers to become the fashion capital of the world. Milan's most famous son is Giogio Armani. He started from humble beginnings, working in a Milanese department store called La Rinascente – now he has one of the biggest clothing brands in the world. He suits defined the 80s and his jeans the 90s: he is living proof that you can make a career out of fashion!
» If you'd like to find out more about fashion in Italy click here
» If you want to study in Italy as well click here
Useful phrases!
I simply must have that new Versace outfit before Posh gets here.
Devo assolutamente avere il nuovo modello di Versace prima che arrivi Posh.
Milan has the best coffee houses; it's impossible to tire of shopping!
Milano é il centro della moda all'avanguardia, devo proprio andarci questo fine settimana!
Could you tell me the way to the new Bulgari boutique young man?
Giovanotto, potresti indicarmi come arrivare alla boutique di Bulgari?
One must always pack one's best shoes when visiting La Rinascente.
Bisogna sempre mettere in valigia le scarpe più belle per far visita alla Rinascente.
Dolce and Gabbana have brought high fashion to the high street like no one else!
Dolce e Gabbana hanno portato l'alta moda nelle strade come mai nessuno prima d'ora.
Alexa talks fashion!
Why it's Alexa Chung, host of T4 and fashion show 'Frock Me' talking to us about her love of European designer denim.
Hi, this is Alexa! My favourite clothes are definitely my Balenciaga jeans because they're the only ones that fit me; they're really skin-tight and no one else does that. I only actually own about three pairs of jeans but Ido love denim: I think denim waistcoats are always a good look over skanky dresses! A lot of jeans in the shops this season have come cut off, cut up, pegged or high waisted, but I think you can only wear them if you're prepared to be rock and roll!
You know jeans, especially the skinny look, have always been a big part of every youth tribe, but it took 70s New York punk band The Ramones to rev up denim's rock and roll status – even if they did dress a bit like The Fonz! Then in the 80s, 'teenage virgin' Brooke Shields said nothing came between her and her Calvins - the dirty thing. Boring old people were outraged but still bought loads of designer denim. The hypocrites! The 90s hip hop explosion and trend for no belts allowed 'prison chic' to make jeans bigger, baggier and badder than ever. But inside every baggy is a skinny trying to get out. Thanks to The Strokes and Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane, the skinny rocker look was born again in 2001.
Jobs in Fashion
Fancy getting in to the fashion industry then? Well we don't blame you, it's a profession packed full of glamour, creativity and overseas travel which would appeal to anyone. Question is, how do you get started? Of all the hundreds of jobs associated with fashion we've selected three (Stylist, Designer and Buyer) to explore further; we'll tell you the story of how people in fashion got their break, and how speaking more than one language helped them on their way.
Becoming a Stylist
As a stylist on TV shows, Annmarie O'Connor tells us all about her big break and how speaking French and Italian has helped her career. 'I started life as a freelance fashion writer, blogger and personal stylist. I actually got approached to work on TV as a result of one of the researchers reading my blog and liking my credentials. Since then, I've been styling fashion slots for a live magazine show which has a over a million viewers – it's a dream come true for me but it's pretty hectic. A lot of the clothes I get for the show are from high street or online retailers but when I deal with the larger fashion houses it's great to be able to speak both French and Italian. I really had to brush up on my Italian when talking to a buyer from Fendi recently and it made all the difference in getting what I wanted from them!'
Becoming a Buyer
This is a job that's all about spotting trends and negotiating a good price to get the right clothes for your brand. About a quarter of the job is travelling around the world seeking out the cutting edge of fashion but just as important is being able to communicate with a designer or supplier who has the clothes range you want. You won't always be dealing with big multinational companies full of English speakers – you might be speaking to a small local business. A lot of fashion colleges run courses to learn about the business behind fashion, and a lot of the bigger retail brands run internships where you can become a buyer's assistant. The key to being a good buyer though is an absolute love for fashion, where you're constantly observing what's happening on the street as much as the catwalk.
» Want to study fashion in a cool city like Berlin? Find out more here
» There are loads of courses you can get started in fashion, find out here
Becoming a Designer
Who better to illustrate how to get started as a designer than the infamous Yves Saint Laurent? This French icon's path to fashion superstardom should be an inspiration to anyone with a burning desire to get their sketchedideas into production. A fourteen-year-old Yves submitted three clothes sketches to a contest in Paris and even though he didn't win he took the opportunity to attend the ceremony and show off his designs to the assembled fashion industry. He made one particularly useful contact in Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Michel de Brunhoff. The next time Yves entered a fashion competition Brunhoff looked over the sketches and thought they were perfect designs for the Christian Dior label, going as far as to say the teenage Yves' work was of an equal standard to Dior's very own ideas! Dior hired Yves the next time they met although he made him work his way up through the ranks with mundane work before letting him loose as a full-time designer. At 21 he became head designer at the House of Dior and his first collection was a huge success catapulting him to international fame.
» Reckon you could be a top designer? This site has bags of info