The little black dress; simple, elegant, timeless. Once exclusively reserved for aristocrats. A garment for mourning in Victorian times. Elevated to mass-produced fashion necessity in the 1920’s. Its meaning has transformed over time. And yet, through time, this dress has consistently made a statement…

What is a brand? For most of us, it’s a line of apparel, a type of smartphone, or your favorite cereal. But a brand goes way beyond just products and extends to people. Some of you will remember the Apple ad that showcased a Bill Gates type (guy in a jacket and tie, looking dull and corporate) against a Steve Jobs type (hip, casual, smart). You get the point…

If you watched Meryl Streep’s take on legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour in “The Devil Wears Prada,” you’ll remember the scene where her character Amanda Priestly schools the naïve Andy (played by Ann Hathaway) on the value of fashion.Andy makes the mistake of giggling when Miranda can’t decide between two seemingly identical belts. The powerful editor says, “You go to your closet and you select that lumpy, loose sweater because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but…