Fashion Never Forgets. Adding a Weight to Your Shoulders. The ladies of Designing Women, Joan Collins and Grace Jones.

Fashion is a constant cycle. There isn’t much that is new or ground breaking, just revisited and redesigned. Eventually everything comes back. Even shoulder pads. Yes, those pillow like cushions worn to broaden your frame, add power to your suit and perhaps adding a cozier comfort to your shoulder to cry on. Sure there are those that might have a shoulder deficiency and require a little extra something. And of course there are the bold and the um, beautiful, that can pull this look off today and everyday . But for the general masses (and I am making an assumption here, prove me wrong, please) the thought of shoulder pads bring up images that make most say “Oh Hell NO!”. I, myself, love the gigantic shoulder, let it be a poof or a puff or a shoulder pad…or three. Seeing the broad shoulder beauties strutting their stuff down the runways as of late has gotten my shoulders doing the happy dance!

Now if this is a trend not for you or perhaps you are a “I lived it once not again” kind of gal I have a few suggestions for alternative uses for what you might consider a fashion faux pas.

1. Add a little something else where…give your girls a lift (you know what I’m saying), I would not suggest adding to your backside.

2. Knee pads…for all that scrubbing you do on your hands and knees or knee spins in your break-dance routines.

3. Pad out a dress form to fit your measurement needs.

4. Stuff the toes of shoes and hi-heels to help maintain the shape.

Love them or leave them? That’s for you to decide.

Women Making History: Andi Bakos of Nike

With a stint in Amsterdam working for Tommy Hilfiger as a product developer, Andi Bakos got her foot in the door working for Nike in Europe. Now this lady has the coveted title of Product Line Merchandiser at Nike World Headquarters.

As a Product Line Merchandiser, Andi leads the development of Nike apparel products. She is pretty much responsible for making products with the name of one of the world’s most popular brands 100% ready to hit the consumer aka all of us! And for this, we salute Andi Bakos of Nike as our last Women Making History honoree for Women’s History Month 2009!

Multi-colored printed Nike windbreaker and SPANDEX!

Windbreaker by Nike in Complex Mag

After the jump we take a look at some more of Andi’s fresh Nike pieces. She also hits us with a handwritten survey and tells of once moonlighting as a make-up artist for internet porn in LA via a Q&A!

Women Making History: Andi Bakos of Nike

Name: Andi Bakos aka Andi Belle
Title: Product Line Merchandiser at Nike World Headquarters
Age: 28
Sex: Female
Sign: Leo
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Animals: 2 Bengal cats

…and she has this BANANAS cheeseburger top!

Andi Bakos + Cheeseburger top

CHEESEBURGER!

Yep. This lady’s cool! Check out the handwritten survey below!

M.I.S.S. survey: Andi Bakos

Women Making History: Andi Bakos of Nike

Andi lookin’ flyyyy!

1. What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?

-Besides the radical women I’m related to-

Jackie & Joan Collins- for their over-the-top glamour worhship and for inspiring my weekly ladies-only gathering “Hollywood Wives Club”

Grace Jones- for being a living piece of art and a total individual

Leila Moss- for being a power blonde

2.  How did you get your start?

At my local fashion college.  It was super ghetto and I couldn’t wait to graduate.  Since then I haven’t strayed far from the fashion industry. I started out as a buyer for a boutique, moonlighted as a make-up artist for internet porn in LA. I ended up in Amsterdam working for Tommy Hilfiger as a product developer which helped get my foot in the door working for Nike in Europe.

3.  What’s your favorite piece of fashion that you’ve created?

In the late 90’s I combined a pair of giant jeans with plastic pillows and green feathers.  I wore them out, like during the day even. Raves were big back then.

More recently, my favorite project was a Capsule Collection called “La Force” that I worked on with my bff/designer extraordinaire, Kelly Wehner @ Nike. We did a pair of sublimated acid washed denim stirrup leggings that I love to pieces. It was one of the most coveted pieces from the Fall ‘08 collection.

LA Force Kit

4.  Who do you want to work with/dress in the future?

Personally, I have always fantasized about styling Jerri Blank, Amy Sedaris’ character from the show “Strangers With Candy”.

Really, I love working with designers or brands that are fearless and challenge the often conformist nature of fashion and trend.

5. What part of the apparel creation process is the most challenging and do you dislike the most?

I can’t say I dislike anything I do; I love my job so I feel super fortunate.  Working for a corporation is filled with challenges but without them life would be dull.

I think I’m making “…challenges…without them life would be dull…” my inspired statement!

US Women’s Indie Capsule Collection

…I’m still imagining Jerri Blank of Strangers With Candy decked-out in Nike! Perhaps in the US Women’s Indie Capsule Collection above? Vandals, Windrunners, AW77s, crews, t-shirts and accessories (notably, a fannypack).

Editorial from Missbehave Magazine

Above & Below: SOOOPER-HOTTT Editorial Pictures from Missbehave Magazine

Editorial from Missbehave Magazine

Lawdy, lawdy! Those shots are CANDY!

Below we have shots from a M.I.S.S. Crew shoot last May (2008) featuring the “Just Do It” tank and half-shirt!

M.I.S.S. Crew photo shoot, May 2008

M.I.S.S. Crew photo shoot, May 2008

The tops were made exclusively for Urban Outfitters and you can find the tank top here and the cropped-top here.

Tops: Nike / Pants & Nike Cortez: Vintage Nike, The Goods! / Earrings: Cubannie Links (A Women Making History 2009 Honoree!) / Production: Smoke & Mirrors Creative

Tops: Nike / Pants & Nike Cortez: Vintage Nike, The Goods! / Earrings: Cubannie Links (A Women Making History 2009 Honoree!) / Production: Smoke & Mirrors Creative

With Nike collections this hot, you know Andi is doing her job and doing it well! Keep your eye out for Andi’s pieces at a Nike peddler near you and in the pages of your favorite fashion magazine!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our Women Making History series. Tomorrow we bring you a final round-up, listing all the features we did throughout the series. As always, please leave your feedback! We love to hear what you think! We do this all for you!