Zappos loves an entrepreneurial spirit. That’s how we came to be in the first place! With our Emerging Designer program, we’ve given up-and-coming designers a platform to showcase their passion and talent on a nationwide scale. 

That’s why when Alison, our trend manager, and Karrie, one of our buyers, got approached to be on the show All On The Line, we knew it was the perfect fit. The show guides struggling fashion designers onto the road of commercial success. The aspiring designers get a chance to share their creative vision in a make-or-break presentation to real buyers. With so much at stake, their dreams really are “on the line”.

We had the exciting opportunity to ask Joe Zee, Creative Director of ELLE magazine and host of All on The Line, a few questions. Read on to delve into his lifelong love of fashion and of course get some of his expert advice on what’s hot this season!

What was the biggest influence that motivated you to pursue a career in fashion?

JZ: I loved the visual imagery and the stories that fashion photography told and the general makeup of fashion magazines. I loved how clothes could define your mood and your personality.
  

As someone who is constantly surrounded by fashion in every facet of your career, where do you personally find the most creative inspiration outside of your normal day-to-day routine?
JZ: Mostly pop culture. I am a huge pop culture fanatic and love and am intrigued by things that are immensely popular whether it's books, movies, art or music.
 

What was the best piece of style advice anyone has ever given you?
JZ: To be genuine. Being authentic and exactly who you are has been able to afford me certain opportunities because that's what fashion should ultimately be: a true expression of yourself.

What are your top 5 fashion essentials for this fall (women)?
JZ:

*a statement coat
*a peplum dress
*riding boots
*a pantsuit
*something in a ‘60s inspired optic print

Which fall/winter trend are you most excited about and why?
JZ: Winter White. I think its looks incredibly fresh right now and I love that it shatters the rule of white after Labor Day.

With holiday party season just around the corner, what are some of your party fashion faves?
JZ: Festive colors. I love fun colors around the holiday season. It's such a cheery season that wearing something fun makes me smile even more.

If you could have your pick of any super power to have, which would you choose and why?
JZ: To be invisible. Sometimes I think it would be fun to just be a fly on the wall and being invisible would allow me to do that.

Alison Callaway, Brooke Rodd, Karrie Meiklereid and Joe Zee

In tonight’s episode of All On The Line, our very own Alison and Karrie evaluate a capsule collection designed exclusively for Zappos by Brooke Rodd. What does Zappos think of her beach-inspired designs? Tune in tonight at 9PM on the Sundance Channel!

And, last but certainly not least: Click HERE for a chance to win a $1,000 Zappos Gift Card!

Do you think you have an excellent eye for style? Does dressing yourself in perfectly-coordinated outfits a natural talent that you possess? Well, we have the contest just for you lovely fashionistas!

Introducing the Eye for Style weekly giveaway, a new Zappos Facebook app where you can use your stylistic eye to win hot looks!

Each contest begins on Monday morning (12:00am PST), when we present a featured Zappos product. It's your job to find the perfect match for it, creating an awe-inspiring look. Each item can only be picked by one person, so show up early to get the best selection!

At the end of the week, our panel of style experts will pick a winner to receive a gift certificate equal to the amount of both items. May the best stylist win!

Be on the lookout for Shanice's winning t-shirt design available exclusively on Zappos.com this March!

As you may remember, Zappos recently teamed up with C&C California and College Fashionista for The Ultimate T-Shirt Design Contest. The judges have made their decision, and the winning design belongs to Shanice White, a design student from Virginia.

Needless to say, Shanice was very excited to have one of her designs come to life!

“When I found out I won, I was speechless! I entered the contest and didn’t really think that I would even become one of the finalists, much less win, so it was very exciting. Winning was also very humbling. I am very grateful of the support I got from friends, family, classmates and the Fashion Department at VCU. As a Design student, you only think about the day that one of your designs is put into production, and to have this opportunity to have one of my designs produced and sold is really extraordinary. When I think about it, it’s almost unreal! My hope is that when people wear my shirt, they feel comfortable, cool, and stress-free. I want my shirt to be something that anyone can incorporate into their wardrobe, regardless of their personal style.” says Shanice

We asked our talented winner a couple of questions to learn more about her own personal style and what inspired her C&C California creation.

Your winning t-shirt design is so casual-chic; what or who was your biggest inspiration for the overall design?

SW: When I was designing, my main inspirations were the people I envisioned wearing it, meaning I had both the C&C California customer and the College Fashionista customer in mind. I wanted to design something that reflected the laid-back attitude of the C&C California brand, and something that was also interesting enough to appeal to the College Fashionista set. Essentially, I wanted to design something that would fit easily into C&C California’s existing line. I saw that they were using a lot of stripes and I wanted to incorporate stripes into my design, just in a different way. I played around with the direction of the stripes and decided to break them up with a solid shape.

Are you in the fashion design industry or go to school for it?

SW: Yes, I am currently a senior in the Fashion Design Department at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. I’m graduating in May!

Who are your top 3 fashion icons?

SW: When I think about fashion icons, it’s not solely about clothes to me. It’s about the overall attitude of the person. While they don’t have a blatant influence on the way that I dress, I still find the following people very inspiring.

-Missy Elliot. She’s fearless in everything that she does, be it fashion, music, video concepts, etc. She’s amazing, and she’s from Virginia!

- Grace Jones. I love her androgynous look and very striking appearance.

- Frida Kahlo. Aside from being an amazing artist, she embraced both masculine and feminine styles during a time when that wasn’t really acceptable for women.

What do you love about the C&C California brand?

SW: I love so many things about C&C California! I love how easy to wear and versatile the clothes are. I also really like the fact that they are updated basics. Everyone needs simple sweaters, t-shirts and dresses in their wardrobe, and C&C provides these essentials, but with a little twist. I also love that a lot of their garments are produced in the United States.

Everyone has their wardrobe staples. What are your absolute clothing essentials that you can’t live without?

SW: I like to keep it casual.

- dark, skinny denim jeans

- a brown lace-up bootie for the fall and a classic loafer for the spring

- sweaters of all types: cardigans, vintage, turtleneck. I love them all!

- some sort of hat or patterned scarf (for turbans!)

- subtle jewelry

I am so excited for the first day of “12 Days of Zappos”! You can enter to win up to THREE items from Zappos.com EVERY DAY from now until December 23^rd!

It’s simple. Just follow me on Twitter (@ZapposStyle) and tweet using #12daysofzappos. The more tweets we get, the more goodies we unlock for a chance to win up to three fabulous gifts from Zappos! It’s like a party—the more, the merrier! A lucky winner will be announced at 9 AM PST every day during the 12 days. Good luck!

P.S:  If you’d like to ask me your style-related questions, you can tweet me @ZapposStyle! Be sure to use #12daysofzappos for your chance to win!

The search for the coolest custom tee is officially on! Zappos.com has partnered with C&C California and fashion blog site College Fashionista for “The Ultimate T-Shirt Design Contest”.

The winning design will become the official College Fashionista x C&C California tee sold exclusively on C&C California’s website and Zappos.com!

The t-shirt designs will be judged by a panel of fashion industry insiders including C&C Designer Yuchin Mao, the Dean of SCAD Michael Fink, designer and reality TV star Whitney Port, Teen Vogue’s Fashion Market Editor Mary Kate Steinmiller, Zappos.com clothing buyer Jarett  Antoque, and Erica Domesek, Founder of the DIY blog “P.S. I Made This”.

Get those creative juices flowing and good luck!

Have you ever dreamed of rubbing elbows with the most stylish influencers during New York Fashion Week? How about attending a fabulous fashion show alongside the hottest celebs?

Enter the Zappos Couture Fashion Show Sweepstakes for a chance to win two tickets for the Tibi, Rachel Roy and Badgley Mischka fashion shows during NYC Fashion Week!

Airfare, hotel and a $1,000 giftcard for couture.zappos.com are all included to make your wildest fashion dreams come true! The contest runs until August 20^th.

Click HERE for more details and to enter. Good luck fashionistas!

Share your passion for fab footwear by designing your very own shoe! Steve Madden is conducting a “Sole Search” powered by Zappos.com and is looking for the next hot shoe design! Draw a sketch, use a graphics software or choose our Entry Editor to design your masterpiece. Three lucky winners will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly to Las Vegas and then to New York City where they will have a chance to pitch their shoe design to America’s most successful shoe designer, Steve Madden himself!
Click here to enter!

No need to find your brain, your heart, or courage… you’ll discover all three when you correctly guess the number of ruby red stones adorning these one-of-a-kind Stuart Weitzman shoes! Correctly guess the amount of ruby red stones on the pair of ruby shoes and win a Stuart Weitzman shoe wardrobe with a value of $1000 faster than you can click your heels together three times!

Start counting now!

For full contest rules, go here .