Mr. Shannon's Desk

Dynamic industry, dynamic solutions Given the dynamism of the apparel industry, there’s a need for dynamic solutions as well. One company in New York has sought to do its part by promoting textile recycling. Wearable Collections, founded in 2004 by Adam Baruchowitz, provides New York City residents with bins to recycle unwanted clothing, shoes and household textiles. Baruchowitz jumped on the opportunity to redirect residents’ clothing waste after learning from a 2004 study that nearly 400 pounds of textiles end up in New York’s waste stream. “As humans, we are more reactive than proactive,” Mr. Baruchowitz said in an interview....

GET BACK TO BASICS With a minimalist style, you and your closet should have one main goal: get back to basics. Much like a capsule wardrobe, minimalist pieces might be basics for some, but the wardrobe workhorses for you. Think thick sweaters, straight-leg black jeans, crisp button-ups and ankle boots.   THROW SHAPES TOGETHER When it comes to picking out silhouettes for your minimalist wardrobe, look to these main shapes: box cuts (perfect for tops and sweaters), shift and A-line (for dresses and skirts) and straight silhouettes (for your pants and jeans!). Items without extra frills, like ruffles or embroidery,...

Few garments have created such controversy as the hoodie . From its association with youth driven communities, iconic sports players and the runways of Paris, the hooded sweatshirt is one of our most iconic wardrobe staples. It’s design has barley changed over the last 80 years. The blank canvas has appealed over the generations, as different walks of life adopted the hoodie as a symbol for music, innovation and rebellion. 1930s: Invention In the 1930s American clothing manufactures began experimenting with fabrics traditionally used in undergarment mills to create what we now know as the hoodie. The apparel company now...

The time of year has arrived! The madness of Black Friday is coming up and this means that many of you are preparing for the ultimate struggle: shopping for some of the best deals of the year without being injured, yelled at, or just severely annoyed in the process of doing so. There is something about Black Friday that makes many shoppers seem to forget general rules of common etiquette. While there may be some great deals you simply MUST get your hands on this holiday season, it is important to remember that material items aren’t really worth possibly losing...

  What is a Trend?   The word “trend” was first used in the financial industry to describe shifts in the markets. Since its origin, the word expanded beyond finances and is now applied to a number of subjects. It can be a traditional leather jacket, but it can vary with different colors or details. The style of the jacket might even take on a different fabric, length or cut. A fad, on the other hand, becomes popular but does not progress beyond its initial purpose. Trends reappear in different geographical locations over different periods in time. For example, the unisex...

Everyone wants a piece of the indie pie. Millennials are very different from past generations in many ways, including having a different mindset of entering corporate America. They are giving up the 9-5 work life opting for entrepreneurship and pursuing the dream of creating their own businesses. Customer loyalty and exposure of a brand are very easy to acquire compared to past years thanks to social media and the support of communities and their local government. One would think companies would see these indie brands as competition and fight to buy out those businesses, but they are taking a different...

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine company implemented a company-wide 85 percent all-black dress code. There were two key reasons behind this decision. The first was a branding reason: some of the business units already had this policy in place, and best marketing practices suggest that coherence and consistency are essential in how a brand presents itself to the outside world. So black is now a company-wide color and the team reflects a unified look and feel to partners and vendors. The second reason is that black, really, makes everyone look amazing. Coco Chanel, one of my style...

So what is MONOKHROME? You like the name, don'tcha? We certainly do! Here, allow me to explain... monoKhrome is where my heart is. It's where my partner Shannon's heart is. I live a very "minimalist" life and as you would expect, I dress as such too. Black is my happy color (and yes, I know it's not "officially" a color) Nevertheless, on any given day you can see me in All-Black-Everything while running errands or at the office. If it's a party I'm attending you'll see me in All-White-Everything. Don't get me wrong, colors are seriously fun, but I absolutely fawn over the...