Mahoney Fashion

Archive for April, 2011

The Vuitton name has carved out one of the world’s strongest niches. Their handbags are classic, sheik, elegant, timeless, and any other positive word you could dream of attaching. The Louis Vuitton name is no stranger to fashion enthusiasts around the world. And since the mid 1800s, many people have been well aware of their overall presence and influence on subsequent style.

In 2008, the name Louis Vuitton is synonymous with high fashion. And most of their stardom has to do with the classic handbags they sell, but they also offer shoes and other accessories.

Louis Vuitton came onto the scene in Paris circa 1854. The brand started primarily as a developer of high-end, handcrafted leather luggage. Shortly thereafter, their handcrafted handbags quickly became a huge hit with many of the women in France.

It only took a few decades before the Vuitton name was known all throughout Europe. Throughout his life, Louis was a huge hit in the fashion world. And this is evidenced by the many ventures he undertook, all of which panned out brilliantly.

In 1860, Louis relocated his company to the town of Asni?res, where he would be met with open arms. He moved again in 1885, and opened his first store in London, England. He kept advancing on his brand’s name, and in 1888, he unleashed the new “Damier Pattern” on the world, which is now considered to be the Louis Vuitton standard.

The bag’s design is a checkerboard of dark and light brown boxes, which makes for a very unique and now classic look. Soon after the release of this bag, Vuitton crafted the Monogram Canvas in 1896, yet another icon in the Vuitton line.

The line of handbags was originally created in 12 classic styles. But over time, Vuitton decided to add to his classic canvas, and in 1924, he added the Keepall in three separate sizes, and the Noe handbag in 1932. Because of the high cost of his handbags, many replicators have begun a lucrative market.

The cost of making a genuine Vuitton handbag, both in time and expenses, has meant that the price qualifies it as a strict luxury item. Even in the early 1900s, Vuitton’s bags were expensive to scale. With the replica industry, cheaper parts and labor produce lesser bags with the same name that sale for a fraction of the cost.

From the inception of Vuitton’s first luggage line, to the newest edition of the handbag, the LV name is one of luxury and quality. The unmistakable craftsmanship and use of fine quality materials will forever set a Vuitton bag apart from any competitors. The history of this company isn’t as storied as most. Their ups and downs haven’t been as pronounced. The leather bags have always been big sellers, and Vuitton managed to keep his company operating well enough to be met with gentle hands after his passing.

The luxury line Fendi develops some of the most in-demand fashions of the day, including expensive handbags adorned by some of the world’s most famous celebrities. Like most reputable fashion lines, however, Fendi didn’t automatically start out with their merchandise flying off the shelves. It took hard work, dedication, and a little bit of luck before this brand stood out above the competitors.

A lot of the fashion moguls in 2009 have been around for a long time, and while Fendi doesn’t set any records for being the oldest around, they are pushing close to a century in age, starting out in 1925 when Edoardo and Adele Fendi married in del Plebiscito, Italy, and decided to start up a leather goods store.

The tiny shop produced very trendy and expensive bags for the time, working with high-quality material and professional craftsmen. The workmanship made them an instant success in their respective territory, but the rest of the rest of the world wasn’t so eager to buy the bags.

As word got around the province in Italy that Fendi was the new “in” design, the couple decided to capitalize on the success and expand their operation. They opened a larger shop in the town of Veneto, and when their items proved to be a success there, the Fendi’s started working in expensive furs to expand their line. Before long, they moved their operation to the heart of Italy, Rome, and it wasn’t long until the whole of Western Europe was privy to the Fendi line.

Women of the day were instantly drawn to the unique and cutting-edge designs of the line. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, the brand exploded throughout the region, enabling the first couture line to be released in 1966 to very high praise. By that time, Fendi had a new designer, Karl Lagerfield, who took the brand to the international market where the success never slowed down.

During the late 1970s, Fendi started to show up attached to some of New York’s Upper East Side well-to-do women. Soon after the buzz in the Big Apple peaked, Fendi expanded to the west coast, mainly California, where the starlets of the 1980s were all too happy to run with the trendy style.

The furs and handbags were gigantic international sellers, even being one of the highest priced names in fashion. This prompted Fendi to delve into other accessories, including shoes and dresses.

In the years that followed, Fendi further expanded on their still-growing success. Once a brand primarily for women, they even started developing some items for the fashion-conscious men of the day, including ties and jeans.

Other Fendi items included lighters, pens, hats, gloves, sunglasses, and updated versions of their classic furs and handbags. In 2009, Fendi is still one of the world’s most recognizable fashion brands, and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down.

Foodies from all over the globe flock to Spain to try the local cuisine. Spain has influenced the entire world in terms of what and how people eat. Other than French, Spanish cuisine is the world’s most recognizable; and by sheer numbers, the most popular.

In the lush area of San Sebastian, Spain, the Arzak restaurant gives diners a gastronomical experience they won’t soon forget. Arzak is a three-star Michelin rated restaurant that specializes in Basque cooking. Basque refers to the Basque people and includes local meats and fish usually grilled over hot coals. The technique also uses a wide array of pungent spices and sheep’s milk cheeses.

Arzak gets it name from head chef and founder Juan Mari Arzak, a celebrated chef who’s been cooking and compelling food critics for decades. The restaurant is a family-run business, and Arzak’s daughter now shares in the cooking duties. The building is located on the outskirts of San Sebastian and the dining room is spread out over two floors. You get a look and feel of old world Spain as soon as you arrive at Arzak.

The roadside tavern in which the restaurant is located is over 110-years-old. The Basque style of cooking implemented within is known as “groundbreaking Spanish,” and the chef presents all the dishes in a unique fashion.

You can find very fresh and local dishes like the seared white tuna, fresh figs, hyperfresh eggs, and even in-house-made truffle oil. There’s also a fresh selection of oysters served daily, as well as local foie gras, crayfish, squid, stuffed sweet peppers, fish mousse, pheasant, orange flan, and much more. The three-star Michelin rating the restaurant received in 1989 is still with it today. 20 years of excellence in the restaurant business is not only uncommon – it’s a downright anomaly. Many patrons frequent this local restaurant and newcomers make the trek every year in the thousands to try some of the wonderful Basque cooking at Arzak.

Other than the old-style feel and new-wave recipes in Arzak, the vintage cellars are also a huge draw to this quaint Spanish location. The cellars promise to be a journey all their own, featuring a wealth of French and Spanish wines with fascinating selections from the Golan Heights collection and from Porto. There’s a room dedicated to champagne and sparkling wine, and for the cigar enthusiast, the cigar room has a selection of smokes from Mexico, the Canary Islands, and even Cuba.

There’s a lot to be said for a restaurant that has been in business so long using the same formula. While other upstarts try to grasp your attention with hydrogen-laced foods and gold-wrapped appetizers, Arzak presents a straightforward menu with wonderful regional selections. Instead of hiring one of the hotshot chefs from around the world to share the duties, Juan enlisted his daughter to keep the tradition going. The menu prices have modernized, however, but the overall ambiance has not. Arzak remains one of Spain’s finest restaurants.