OFFICIAL RULES No purchase necessary; contest starts Nov 4, 2014 and ends on Nov 6 at 11:59PM. Eligibility requirements: US residents over the age of 18 with valid social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Void where prohibited. You may enter as many times as you wish. Winner will be chosen by COOL Creative inc and its affiliates based on: (a) quality of the photographs posted (b) number of likes and engagements (c) quality of the looks that the entrant put together .Winner will be notified through social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook or Twitter only. Winner must reply or contact @CoolCreativeinc via social media platforms or by emailing editor@thatscoolblog.com. Failure to contact @CoolCreativeinc or the editor at thatsCOOLblog.com by Nov 7 at 3:00PM will result in immediate disqualification. The COOL Cotton Giveaway is exclusively sponsored and managed by COOL Creative inc. and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Cotton Inc. or its affiliates. This contest is goverend by these official rules. By participating in the contest, each entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and understands that the results of the contest, as determined by Sponsor and its agents, are final in all respects. Winner will be required to sign a release and affidavit of eligibility. COOL Creative inc, its affiliates and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Cotton inc will not be held liable for any complications related to this contest.
PRIZES: One cotton item of your choice from the FabricOfOurLives.com Cotton shop. Maximum value is $250 including shipping fees. Special access to Cotton’s 24 Hour Fashion Show on November 7, 2014 in Miami, FL. Prize does not include any travel or hotel expenses.
The Louis Vuitton brand and its LV monogram are among the world's most valuable of its kind. In fact, it is the world's 29th most recognized and valuable brand. It's no wonder that the brand carries instant status power for those who wear it. Perhaps that helps explain why it is one of the most counterfeited brands in the world. Ironically, the signature monogram design was actually created to prevent counterfeit. (References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Vuitton#cite_)
As a part of their 160th anniversary celebration the house of LV has launched a brilliant collection and campaign enlisting some of the world's most skilled designers including: Karl Lagerfeld, Frank Gehry, Marc Newson, Rei Kawakubo, Cindy Sherman and Christian Louboutin. The ICONOCLASTS were asked to create original interpretations utilizing the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram design. The campaign includes behind-the-scenes videos showing the designers at work and a series of photo stories of their final pieces interpreted by 6 photographers.
The Iconoclasts
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN FOR LOUIS VUITTON
Legendary French shoe designer that created the iconic "red bottom" concept.
KARL LAGERFELD FOR LOUIS VUITTON
German fashion designer and iconic artist
most commonly known as the head creative director of Chanel.
CINDY SHERMAN FOR LOUIS VUITTON
Cindy Sherman is an American photographer and film maker who
is known for selling the most expensive photograph ever.
FRANK GEHRY FOR LOUIS VUITTON
Canadian-American architect known for creating some of the most
We recently spotted the collection at Bal Harbour Shoppes in Miami. Limited styles and quantities will be available throughout the world for the same price of a down-payment for a mid-sized home. If that's too rich for your blood, you can humor yourself by getting a glimpse of them (and perhaps even touch) at a local luxury department store (like Neimans, Saks or a flagship LV store) as if you were going to a museum… its worth the effort. #CertifiedCOOL
The woes of having a low cell phone battery has become a thing of the past with portable charges. Portable chargers are becoming one of the must-have items for people on-the-go. The problem is… they're not so portable when you're carrying a cute little purse or only have your back pocket to carry things in. The most stylish answer … QBracelet! The genius people at Qbracelet have developed an easy-to-carry portable charger to keep your phone charged in the most stylish way. This unisex designed bracelet actually looks like a modern piece of jewelry and is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Scroll down to the video below to see how it works.
Africa’s influence in fashion, business and innovation is growing. According to trending watch.com “…Africans are expecting brands to champion, support and cater to the identities they create for themselves.” The new Guinness ad highlights a society of “elegant” people in the Congo known as the Sapeurs. The video follows these trendsetters who believe in ‘putting more in, to get more out.’ What shapes their identity is not economic status, but creativity and respect expressed through fashion.
Beyoncé on the cover of L' Officiel Magazine
Singer Elle Varner rocks an african teacup dress on-set of video shoot
Solange in African inspired outfit on the cover of Complex magazine
Rihanna accessorizes with African bangles during her 2010 AMA performance
African Design Makes Waves:
As African-inspired prints & patterns are becoming more popular with fashion bloggers, trend-setting celebrities (like Beyonce & Rhianna), top stylists and designers; Africa is continues to make big waves in fashion and design.African Batik fabrics such as Dutch Wax prints (also known as Wax Hollandais), Ghanaian Kente cloth and Ankara, Kanga (a fabric from East Africa) have been worn down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. The Balenciaga collection for spring 2013 featured African fashion influenced by Dutch wax prints and Ankara. H&M included African elements in their 2012 collection developed by the designers of the Italian fashion label Marni. Recently Project Makowla launched an innovative new service that allows vendors to sell their African-inspired pieces and reach their consumers all over the world in a more direct manner. Now, people can have custom pieces based created with authentic African fabrics. The process is simple. Customers send photos of their favorite design, measurements and their choice of African fabric. A seamstress from West Africa or Ghana will then create the custom piece and ship it directly to the customer.
Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu is another example of the impact and cultural reach that Africa is making globally. Olowu was one of the first designers to collaborate with JCPenny and released a limited edition collection in the spring of 2013. Based in London, Olowu pulls influences from his London up-bringing as well as his Jamaican and Nigerian roots. FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, is just one of the many celebrities that have been seen in his head-turning designs.
Duro 2013 Collection for JCPenny
Another COOL movement, Africa is Now, goes beyond fashion and includes five themes to promote innovative solutions; Africa is Sharp, Urban, Tradition Reinvented, Resourceful and Transformed. As a part of the movement, the Indaba Project has been created to feature works in design, dècor and architecture across the continent. Rebranding Rwanda is is one of the projects in the works under this project.
Other projects
include developing art exhibitions and galleries in Dakar called Dak'Art. International artists are selected from all over the world with the aim of creating a global image. There is also a kickstarter campaign called BRCK which
developed the first mobile wifi device built for Africa’s most undeveloped regions.
There are so many more innovative African-influenced projects happening all over world. To get more information on these #Certified COOL and creative projects, you can
visit the official Design Indaba site. You can also get in on all the cultural vibes below with our style edit! Happy shopping and stay COOL.
THE SHOPPING BAG #CertifiedCOOL AFRICANA FASHION FINDS
The COOL dream team hit the beach to take on Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: Swim (#MBFWSWIM) and Swim Week 2015. The five days of fashion frenzy took place at the legendary Raleigh Hotel in the heart of South Beach.We're bringing you the coolest looks that graced the runway, hair and makeup trends from the artists' perspective and some of the best designer insights.
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
DAY 1: MESKITA
On Thursday, July 17, 2014, Swim Week opened to an exciting start as swimwear brand Meskita, debuted their 2015 collection at Soho Beach House. Sean Donaldson Hair of Miami Beach provided sultry beach hair and Sherilyn Segal directed the makeup. Music was provided by DJ Mad Linx. The collection featured statement-making cover-ups inspired by the designer's lingerie collection, signature crochet work and luxurious metallics.
With striking fabrics blowing in the wind, the crowd gasped as each look came down the runway. The collection was later accented with structured resort pieces inspired by business wear. Each model commanded the runway in her sleek pony and clean makeup.
Meskita gets a well-deserved #CertifiedCOOL.
About Meskita:
Alessandra Meskita is a Brazilian fashion designer. Her fashion and lifestyle line, MESKITA, includes ready to wear, resort, lingerie, swimwear, shoes and home accessories. In 2007, she began her fashion career working under French designer Christian Audigier. While working under Audigier for four years as his Global Creative Director, Meskita developed her use of traditional shapes and tailoring. Meskita then decided to take everything she learned and branch out to create her own clothing line, MESKITA, in 2012.
