Prada is expanding beyond Italy--and not just with more stores. Their new project is called "Prada Made in...." Using the same luxury materials and skilled techniques that made the brand famous, Prada has gone to four very different countries to produce capsule collections based on the traditional clothing of the area. The project is inspired by Mario, who was a world traveler, always on the hunt for the most exotic, luxurious, and fantastic fabrics and materials. Each capsule collection is made in its respective country, by skilled artisans who use the traditional garment techniques.

"Prada Made in Scotland" is a collection of traditional tartan wool kilts. "Prada Made in India" is completely handmade, focusing on an ancient Indian embroidery technique called Chikan. The collection also includes ballerina flats, sandals, and handbags, all handmade with traditional weaving techniques. "Prada Made in Japan" is all denim, produced by Dova. All the jeans in this collection can be custom ordered in four different fabrics and seven different washes. Finally, "Prada Made in Peru" is a knitwear collection made using local alpaca wool in traditional workshops of the Peruvian "campesinos." Plans for additional "Made in" countries are in the works.

Prada has found a way to localize globalization, and to make the traditional current. "Prada Made In..." is forward-thinking, while honoring the past. For that it is Character Approved.

[Images: Prada]

Young believes it is his varied background that makes his designs sing. As he says on his website, "I understand the importance of physics and mechanism, as well as art and sculpture. We all work with the same fundamentals when you break it down; balance, volume, density and lines of force."

And certainly, his designs are unlike anything being made by his peers. Young's shoes and boots have a sleek aesthetic most frequently associated with Japanese designers. They are futuristic--if David Bowie were still performing as Ziggy Stardust, these would be his signature shoes. Young's shoes have fascinating cut-outs and architectural sculpting the likes of which you won't see many other places. These shoes are meant to be statement pieces; wear them with basic black and simple silhouettes to keep the shoes at the forefront.

Young creates the prototype for each design by hand, from stitch to finish, just like his uncle taught him--something few shoemakers do anymore. This attention to detail, combined with his background in engineering, makes Young's shoes feats of architecture that, in another designer's hands, might be physically impossible to create. Young's shoes are not only wearable, they are comfortable.

Raphael Young, your old world craftsmanship combined with your futuristic aesthetic make you Character Approved.

[Images: MissMeghan.com, Fashionising.com, StilettoSyndicate.com, anOthermag.com, UrbanMogulLife.com]

Designers usually say that making clothing for plus-sized women is too difficult; that slender women generally maintain more uniform proportions. Larger women gain weight in a variety of places and ways, making standard patterns nearly impossible to produce. Designers are slowly coming around though, using curvier models who don't necessarily wear a size 2. The shows at the latest New York Fashion Week had more busty models than those in recent memory. Saks Fifth Avenue also announced that they will carry a selection of larger sizes at their flagship store this fall.

With the Marc Jacobs plus-size line still at least a year out, we can only speculate as to what it will bring. I am betting it will resemble the more youthful Marc by Marc Jacobs line: bright colors, fun patterns, and flirty shapes. If the "Above Average" Marc Jacobs line does well, there is a good chance that other top labels--previously worried about the financial viability of a plus-size line--will follow suit. Marc Jacobs is a trendsetter in more than one way, and that is why the label is Character Approved.

[Image: ManikMag.com]