ENGLAND

Well I'm sure Burberry is no new brand you have just heard now, and am almost positive anyone reading this blog knows that Burberry is an England designer. The company was founded in 1856 and is well known for the gabardine trench coat for both men and women and its famous beige/black grid line design. Another household fashion designer is John Galliano who has created one of the most fashionable and successful mens wear line. Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood are two other amazing designer from the English roots!



Along with amazing clothing, England is famously know for its luxury shoes, and designers like Alexander and Churchplay a huge role in England's luxury shoe success.

GREECE

After doing some research I found out that Greece is ranked one of the highest on the top 10 fashionable countries in the world!.. who knew!? .. don't get me wrong, I think Greece is beautiful and is on my bucket list of places to visit, but high in fashion, I honestly didn't see that coming!
After digging even further I found a few Greek designers that play a huge role to Greece's fashion!
The first designer is Andria Papadopoulu (definitely a Greek name)  and after looking at her website I can see why she is such a huge icon and has made a name in fashion! In the spirit of winter I looked mroe closely at her winter collection which is absolutely stunning. She combined an edgy-rock vibe with flowy, Greece-like gowns in her collection to make a really unique palette of clothing. Her Winter 2010 collection consists of colors of blacks, silver, gold, white, and metallics which are mixed well to create the perfect piece of clothing. For more info, and the Winter 2010 gallery visit: http://www.adria.gr/


Elena Vorrea is another great example of a Greek designer who is well known for designing beautiful gowns and dresses of all sorts.


And finally Makis Tselios who is well-known for his haute couture and  wedding dresses collection

AUSTRALIA

When people think of fashion, a country like Australia doesn't usually come to mind, this is mainly due tot he fact that larger, more fashion-driven countries over-shadow small ones like Australia! That's not to say, however, that Australia doesn't have a unique style of its own, which it clearly does. Similar to European fashion, it also has a modern approach and fashion-forward styles. The one main difference is that when comparing European fashion to that of Australian it can be said that Australia takes a more casual approach, as opposed to the hard-edge of European fashion.
Many of Australia's designers have been inspired by cultural influences. When I personally think of Australia I think of a laid-back lifestyle, with a lot of naturalistic qualities. A very tranquil place!
A more detailed look at three well-known Australian fashion designers are as follows:

Wayne Cooper:
http://www.waynecooper.com.au/
Wayne Cooper combines beautiful soft palette's with pops of bright colors into his designs. Creating a chic-edgy look with a mix of flowing subtlety.

Collette Dinnigan:
http://www.collettedinnigan.com.au/
Collete Fall/Winter 2010 collection is absolutely stunning. Integrating leather, and lace with a palette of black and dark blues creates an edgy rock-glam style that is absolutely gorgeous for this season!

 



Easton Pearson:
http://www.eastonpearson.com/home
No matter what season, Easton Pearson is all about those vibrant fun colors to lighten up anyone's mood. Easton is all about showing off beautiful tribal colors that is beyond any other designer known to date!

RUSSIA

With the cold winter months ahead, I thought it'd be a good idea to start looking at some winter trends that have lately made its way to the runways around the world. What better inspiration than the epitome of cold winter months-Russia! The whole "Tsar" period has become a trend in itself with large trench coats, military jackets in colors of military-green, black, and brown, and even aviator-style suits. 
Huge-name designers have caught on to this trend, some of which include; Lavin, Paul Smith, D&G, and Dries Van Noten.

The Max Mara collection is even taking military jackets and trench coats straight from the Russian military. It can't get more inspired than that!
Some other styles and trends making head-waves in the fashion world are knee-high boots, and fitted pants in military-inspired colors, perfect for those cold winter months!


When I was little and still living in Russia, I remember having to bundle up in many heavy layers and fur hats. Fur is huge in Russia, and has always been in order to stay warm, especially in harsh winter weather. It is such a huge cultural clothing item that has become very popular for this season as well! It adds a beautiful texture to any piece of clothing, and has a rich dimension to clothing!

MEXICO

Hola mis amigos! (apologies if I completely butchered the language)
Today I pulled out one of my fav. tops that I was going to wear; it's a white, empire-waits blouse with beautiful embroidery, and it totally made me think of Mexico! So I thought why not make that the topic for today!?..So here goes..
Mexican Textiles have been shown more and more recently, especially this summer. A combination of bright floral prints and flowy, peasant skirts show a unique mix that has lately been absent in the fashion scene. This is a more softer approach brought to the runway that I am actually a huge fan of.
Roberto Cavalli's Spring 2007 collection leaned more towards the "south of the border" theme, which I personally found very beautiful and unique. 

Detailed embroidery blouses and skirts add a folk feel that is perfect for spring/summer. I am personally a huge fan of emroidery and bright colours if it's done right and a good example of this is Prada, and the handbag they designed with bright orange trim and pops of colour that;s perfect for the summer months.

The Spring 2010 Couture Collection also showed many Mexican-inspired fashion, one that stood out the most was Jean Paul Gaultier; mostly for the beautiful, bold "sombrero-like" hats. There were also gauchos, striped peasant blankets, and spanish shawls. He even had a mariachi band!.. now who can top that !?

I posted a few of my favorite looks from Jean Paul Gaultier's spring 2010 collection, and the last one has Lady Gaga written all over it!

ITALY

..Dolce and Gabbana, Armani, Prada, Valentino, Versace.. need I say more?
These famous designers have become a household name all over the world. And what you may ask do they all have in common ?.. they are all Italian designers!
Italy is known very well for it's creative, fashion-forward designs. 
I went to Italy myself a few years ago, and just walking down the cobblestone streets you can see that every single person is dressed like they have their own personal stylists, whether it's sleek leather jackets, or knee-high boots..It can definitely be said Italy has style!
Let's take a closer look at Valentino for example. Born and raised in Italy he is the true definition of an Italian designer who creates versatile  looks that always have some Italy-based culture in it. 
While I was in Italy I got the privilege of visiting the Valentino shop in Milan, and just being in the presence of such couture gowns and beautiful shoes was truly something amazing! Sure the prices are a little up there, but just the expereience itself was something I won't forget!
Here are a few pics from the Valentino Resort Collection 2009:

And here are some more pictures from GUCCI, D&G, and Versace:

CHINA

China has a great influence on today's fashion, and the looks you see on the runway. Especially after the recession hit, more and more people tend to spend less on luxury goods and set sights to their home grown designers. Take for example, Luo Zheng, who was the first designer to bring out a Chinese fashion dress to Fashion Week in NY in 2009! Flowing, ethereal prints, and  gowns with Chinese silk stood out to viewers around the world. Luo Zheng compares her gowns to a blossoming flower, with soft pink, yellow, and lilac accents.

Stephane SOH, another amazing designer is known for her eccentric and embellished China-inspired coats and jackets. She mixes and edgy, modern style with a more classic, cultural-based one, and the result; some of the most beautiful pieces of clothing seeing on the runway yet.

These up and coming designers are making head-waves in the fashion world with their original pieces. It is amazing to see the impact these designers have on the fashion-world, and are taking it by storm.