The Scandalous Empress

Inspired by the spirit of Rome, the Fall 2015 couture collection for Valentino showcased designs worthy of a Roman Empress. 

The tunic dress styles, flowing fabrics and gilded jewelry were reminiscent of the controversial Empress Messalina.

Barbie Girl

She's one of the most recognizable fashion icons. She travels from the beach house, to the boardroom, to the operating room. She makes rocket science and landing on the moon look easy. Her name is known across the globe…Barbie. 

In recent years her name has become less known as the top choice of doll and more known as potentially spreading a negative body image message. However, the tide seems to be turning as people begin to recognize the fact that Barbie has promoted over 150 careers. Take a look at this amazing new commercial from Mattel. 

Not just about looking a certain way, Barbie shows that girls can do anything.

She even proved to be an inspiration from Moschino designer, Jeremy Scott, in a recent collection. 

Models sauntered down the runway in bubblegum pink and platinum wigs. The designer even played with the font of the iconic Barbie logo, but instead, plaster the designs with the Moschino name. 

The collection blended classic Barbie reference with Moschino details like the chain belts and cheeky accessories. 

If you can't picture yourself in head-to-toe pink a la Barbie, you can get a piece of the Moschino style with the Barbie collection that hit Net-a-Porter.com earlier this week. 

Fifty years after her debut, Barbie proves to be an everlasting icon and that this truly is a Barbie world.

The Art of Fashion

Is fashion art? Certain types of art can be in fashion, but is the reverse also true? These are just a couple of questions that swirl between the fashion and art worlds. 

Designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren decided to further the conversation with a recent couture collection for their Viktor & Rolf label. Canvases collapsed into multi-dimensional designs that were worn by the models on the runway. By the end of the show, these sculptural pieces adorned the walls of the gallery. 

The fabric of the skirts and gowns acted as the canvas for painterly interpretations of fine art. Instead of trims and standard stitched edges, the designs were trimmed in structural materials to serve as the frames of the art work. 

Not only artistic in their designs, Viktor and Rolf also produced the runway show as a type of performance art. They displayed the stages of putting on the piece and then removing it to hang on a gallery wall, which questions the point at which the fashion can become art. 

Is it more valuable as a garment on a couture runway, or does it only gain artistic value once it hangs on a wall in the museum? 

It's an interesting notion of not only how we treat fashion, but also how we view fine art. The collection certainly serves as a conversation starter for these thoughts and questions, but the answers remain to be seen.