Third Wave Fashion

Fashion Icon: Solange Knowles

Anyone who has a sister knows that it can be hard to define yourself - especially if your older sister is Beyoncé. We think Solange Knowles has made her own mark as a singer, songwriter, actress, DJ, and fashion icon.

She’s been interested in singing and dancing since a young age; she even began writing her own songs when she was nine. Before releasing her own solo albums, Solange was a backup dancer for her sister’s group, Destiny’s Child. On top of her solo hits, Solange has also has also ventured into acting (if you were a true Bring It On fan, you might remember her in the third Bring It On: All or Nothing)!

The now DJ/model has also broken into the fashion scene. Both Solange and Beyonce model for their family’s clothing line, House of Deréon. In 2008, she was an ambassador for the contemporary Armani line, Armani Jeans. She has also been Vogue.com’s guest blogger for their “Today I’m Wearing” series.

It was recently released that Solange will be the new face of Madewell for their fall campaign. We think this might have something to do with her being BFF’s with J. Crew creative director, Jenna Lyons… and of course her awesome and eclectic style. For a sneak peak at the Madewell photo shoot check out this video!

Fashion Icon Friday: Jenna Lyons

Jenna Lyons proves that you truly can work your way up to the top. J. Crew’s creative director started at the company about 20 years ago as an assistant to someone’s assistant; now she is the one responsible for turning the prepster brand into a fashion-forward multimillion dollar mass retailer. Did you know they were the official partner of the CFDA this year? That’s impressive!

Jenna moved to New York in 1987 to study at Parsons School of Design. After graduating, she worked briefly at Donna Karan before switching over to J.Crew, and the rest is history. Jenna has grown with J.Crew from a small mom and pop company, to the international retailer it is today. Teaming up with CEO Mickey Drexler, together they have found the perfect balance of creative and commerical that draws millions into J.Crew. “Jenna’s Picks,” items handpicked by her, widely influence shoppers who are inspired by her mix-and-match style.

In an interview with Business of Fashion, Jenna talks about how she makes decisions that have gotten her and the company to where they are today: “Ultimately, fashion is all about gut anyway—there’s no science to what this should look like or that should look like or how many times you can redraw that or resketch that or redo that catalogue cover. The fact of the matter is, either it grabs you or it doesn’t.”

She’s not just fashion-forward, but also a forward thinker—and we love that.