A fashion designer friend of mine once said that designing clothes is like any other form of product design, but with fabric. There is a lot of calculated measures and decisions that go into the construction of a garment so that it will fit the curves of the human form. And what better way to illustrate this point than by showing a video of the making of Chanel's iconic little black jacket.

Before Chanel, women's fashion consisted of corsets, long, full skirts, feathered hats, bright colors, and plush, heavy fabrics. Women were treated like and dressed like ornaments. Chanel came in and redefined women's fashion by introducing menswear-inspired pieces like trousers, jersey fabric, and of course, the little black jacket. She wanted the modern woman to be free and comfortable and she made sure every cut, stitch, and seam did just that. Doesn't seem so revolutionary now, but considering the fact that this occured not too long after the turn of the century, her vision was pretty trailblazing. Excuse me as I dork out here, but this video is what true fashion is all about. This is why true designers deserve recognition. With every calculated proportion, measure, and stitch, they bring a vision to life and create something out of nothing. And the truly talented ones, like Chanel, can create something that changes the way people think. 

Whenever any major designer decides to collaborate with H&M, there is always a major buzz going on within the fashion industry. From both a legal and business perspective, these collaborations have proven to be a smart branding strategy for high-end or lesser known designers who are trying to introduce their line to a wider audience.  In this instance, the fashion house is one of my personal favorites. Over the years, I have splurged quite a bit on Maison Martin Margiela itself and look forward to giving my wallet a rest with its affordable H&M line. However, because many don't take to the avant-garde aesthetic Margiela is known for, I admit I was curious to see how the brand was going to translate its particular high-fashion point of view to a fast-fashion mass audience. After reviewing the recently released images from the ad campaign, I am even more excited about getting my hands on the final product (specifically preying on the clear wedge boots, jackets, that awesome red dress, and the jewelry). Check out the beautiful line, which will be available in stores on November 15. 

Images Courtesy of Fashionologie

It was a major surprise when Chanel revealed that it was going to have Brad Pitt star as the new face for the No. 5 ad campaign. I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not a new cologne for men. Brad Pitt will be the face of history's most iconic scent for women.

Why? After decades of choosing famous actresses like Nicole Kidman and Marilyn Monroe, we aren't so sure. Despite the surprised reactions, Chanel seems to be confident in its move, as indicated with the following statement:

"No. 5 is the most iconic fragrance of our time, and Brad Pitt is the most iconic actor of our time. To keep a legend fresh, you always have to change its point of view. It is the first time we've had a man speaking about a women's fragrance. We think very much that the perfume is a seduction between a man, a woman and the perfume. No. 5 is our leading fragrance, and we are willing to make the investment to keep it on that level."

The brand has just released the first of the No. 5 footage with the famous actor. And while I'm a fan of both Chanel and Brad Pitt, I'm still trying to reconcile the collaboration. What do you think of the film? Dreamy or cheesy? 

In covering fashion at TFG, I truly aim to offer our readers all styles and points-of-view. Nevertheless, I do have my go-to favorite designers whose aesthetics just capture everything that I personally seek out in my fashion. One of them happens to be Haider Ackermann. Amidst the expected frenzy that came with Slimane's and Simons's ready-to-wear debuts, I personally believe Haider Ackermann presented the strongest spring collection from start to finish, head to toe.

The tailoring and layering were masterful. The mix of heavy fabrics with lush and ethereal textures, genius. The styling, impeccable. His ability to balance the masculine with the feminine and the avant-garde with the practical made each piece truly timeless. Ackermann chose to remain subtle in his color palette. “I just didn’t want this violence of brights or this orgy of colors,” he said. “I just wanted to be very calm. It was serene.” Indeed, it was such a beautiful collection that I decided to share video footage of the entire show and allow our readers to take in the work of this truly poetic designer. Just try to remain patient through the models' decidedly slow-motion strut. 

Like many women, even the mention of "Paris" conjures up images of all things romantic and beautiful. Paris during fashion week takes it to a whole new sartorial fairy-tale-level. Throughout PFW, we saw a general restraint in color across the board and more of an emphasis on tailoring and texture. That's not to say there weren't splashes of bright hues and prints to signal the upcoming spring season. Check out our favorite looks. 

Akris

Alexander McQueen

Ann Demeulemeester

Anthony Vaccarello

Balenciaga

Balmain

Celine

Chalayan

Chanel

Chloe

Costume National

Dries Van Noten

Elie Saab

Givenchy

Haider Ackermann

Isabel Marant

Lanvin

Maison Martin Margiela

Miu Miu

Nina Ricci

Rick Owens

Roland Mouret

Stella McCartney

Valentino

Photos Courtesy of WWD

Beginning a reign at two of the most historic and revered French fashion houses is an endeavor that I am not sure I would personally want to take on. Honoring the aesthetic of a line's origins to please the snarkiest of fashion historians while infusing it with a fresh perspective to gain the interest of a new generation of jaded consumers is no easy task. Nevertheless, Hedi Slimane took on the challenge at Yves Saint Laurent and Raf Simons embraced the opportunity at Christian Dior. Both presented solid collections at Paris Fashion Week with some looks we really loved. If there was a point of constructive criticism from us, it would be that Simons may have steered a bit too far away from Dior's origins while Slimane stuck a little too closely to YSL's roots. Nevertheless, we know these are two of the most talented designers out there that can handle carrying on the sartorial torch. A good beginning for Slimane and Simons. We continue to look forward to the future. And while we normally like to share one favorite look from each collection, we thought these two debuts justified full video clips. Take a look and tell us what you think. Did Slimane and Simons meet the challenge at Saint Laurent and Christian Dior? Do you agree with our assessment? More PFW coverage to come.

Slimane's Saint Laurent Spring 2013

Simons's Christian Dior Spring 2013

Fashion season has already moved on to Paris and we here at TFG wanted to sum up London and Milan with our favorite looks. We must admit, we were a bit underwhelmed. We will even dare to say that the designers that presented at NYFW outshined those presenting during both LFW and MFW. Perhaps it's our national pride. Or perhaps the fruits of the CFDA's labor are beginning to show itself as it continues to nurture the development of high-caliber designers that can compete with the best of Europe through its Incubator and Vogue Fashion Fund programs. With a roster that includes Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, Cushnie et Ochs, and Bibhu Mohapatra, we will venture to guess that it's more the later. Nevertheless, Europe is still the center of fashion and we loved many of the looks that came down the runways. Here are our favorites from London and Milan. 

Peter Pilotto

Jil Sander

Tom Ford

Mary Katrantzou

Sass & Bide

Bottega Veneta

Gucci

Marni

Versace

Photos Courtesy of WWD

NYFW came to an end on Thursday and we are excited to recap the week and share our favorite looks. Bibhu Mohapatra blew us away with a stunning collection full of print and and color. We were particularly drawn to his mastery with lace. Wes Gordon, Narciso Rodriguez, and Proenza Schouler presented collections that epitomized their own distinct aesthetic, but with truly timeless pieces from start to finish. Calvin Klein was true to form with beautiful geometric bodices and crips whites. Donna Karan had a soft energy flowing through the collection while maintaining her modern point of view. J.Mendel mixed his signature ethereal gowns with more tailored pieces and floral prints. Marc Jacobs epitomized what he coined as "brutal simplicity" with a conservative, black-and-white collection that showed brilliant restraint. Marchesa's India-inspired aesthetic manifested itself in a beautiful array of luxe gowns. And Zac Posen's art-deco inspired lines, tulle and satin fabrics and mermaid cuts tugged at our sartorial heartstrings.

Bibhu Mohapatra

Wes Gordon

Narciso Rodriguez

Proenza Schouler

Donna Karan

Donna Karan

J. Mendel

Marc Jacobs

Marchesa

Zac Posen

Photos Courtesy of WWD

The weekend was even more exciting at NYFW and we here at TFG couldn't get enough of the amazing collections. Alexander Wang's use of clean lines coupled with texture gave each futuristic look a stunning feminine strength. Prabal Gurung produced his best collection yet with white, red, and black as the dominating colors. Altuzarra mastered layering with pieces that had almost a bohemian touch, yet were somehow still polished. Victoria Beckham surprised us with a beautiful collection of body-con dresses. Monique Lhuillier was true to form in her signature use of lace. Edun epitomized effortless style and if you can't get enough of color, be sure to check out Diane von Furstenberg's entire collection. Check out our favorite looks. 

Alexander Wang

Prabal Gurung

Altuzarra

Victoria Beckham

Monique Lhuillier

Edun

Diane Von Furstenberg

Photos Courtesy of WWD

Thursday and Friday at NYFW brought more sartorial masterpieces our way. Honor proved to us that ethereal can be both casual and accessible with a beautifully soft collection infused with modern touches. Rag and Bone's cool layered ensembles show us that spring doesn't have to be defined by florals. Cushnie et Ochs presented a beautiful collection marked with their signature cut-outs and feminine edge. Infused into their black and white color palette were striking strokes of bright blues and purple that really caught our eye. Most surprising of all was Helmut Lang's use of color. We absolutely loved the collection and their modern take on the spring season. Jason Wu's entire line mastered the art of balancing feminine frills with masculine touches. Like Peter Som, both designers were not afraid to play with texture and juxtapose soft fabrics with edgy leather (another personal favorite). Check out our favorite looks.

Honor

Rag and Bone

Cushnie et Ochs

Helmut Lang

Jason Wu

Peter Som

Photos Courtesy of WWD