A fictional feature written by myself, one outcome among others of my ongoing studies in fashion in creative London. A think piece about theatre in fashion and Couture's meanings in present society. /C.
'Robe à la française', a well-established term of the fashion dictionary, as sure as door frames have now lost all of their past magnificent width. 'En MODE SUISSE' has potential for being next on the list.
Officially presenting its first edition in spring 2012, the Swiss platform has never stopped since then to play a pivotal role as bridge builder between fashion designers and schools, the textile industry, retail market, media and other fashion-related industry players. Last edition in mind, the 9th that happened in Zurich last February 8, 2016. Sleek and clean.
Developing in a context of serious changes for the fashion industry – God knows if it augurs good or not – Yannick Aellen, founder of MODE SUISSE, anticipated it all before the fashion collapse even started. Boys and girls walking side by side, boycotting fast-fashion for quality – MODE SUISSE and its designers are as cool as the '90s nostalgia reaching its peak at the moment.
'Breaking it easy' as does designer Claudia Zuber – unveiling its collections' concepts with thought-provoking quotes on her website – MONOCHROME caught attention by enhancing subtlety and precision. Bold in its way, deconstructed lines are to be read, not looked at, and fabrics carefully matched.
MODE SUISSE regular huber egloff, whose both designers Raul Egloff and Andreas Huber met at Akris, keeps its pole position as cool kid in the clique: encouraging comfortable clothes, the pre couture brand's identity is strong, providing timelessness to contemporary fashion with unexpected contrasts in cut and fabrics. Parisian chic with a dash of punk tomboy Britishness, their a/w 2016 collection spreads out some glitter as well – they have that VETEMENTS aura, coming from the unknown and instantly arousing keen interest.
Worldwide reputed for its lace savoir-faire, the Swiss fashion sphere announces high expectations, in all modesty says the cliché. After Akris and Bally, Julien Zigerli – today one of the most regarded Swiss fashion designers internationally – crosses the ocean to launch a new collaboration with the multi-talented sustainable worried label enSoie, no later than this week, on Thursday, March 24, in L.A. Delusion? Or promise of Swiss fashion grandeur? /C.
For more: C.’s Fashion Diary on http://www.c-point.ch/
There is a light to be found in Thomas Moore 500 years old envisioned Utopia. What regards fashion at least. Sad reality is that it is barely impossible for the following countries – Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – to enter the international fashion scene.
Who actually would think ‘fashion’ when Poland’s history is synonym of communism, babushka and…potatoes?
Fair enough.
West Wing of Somerset House, 7:11pm on a Saturday. ‘FASHION UTOPIAS’ black on white against the wall. Major letters for an underestimated part of the fashion industry. 4 countries – Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – all determined to make some room for their new generation of designers – to mention that the 3rd wave already took off.
While one has no Slav fashion references, Rihanna and Justin Bieber do. They wear ‘Local heroes’, ‘Monochromeldn’, polish brands getting global therefore cool. Czech Republic saw a massive growth these last two years: now is the time where it is all starting. Supporting local designers – refusing to promote the ones designing out of the local industry – strictly using real fur and skin, recycling for some, up cycling for others, Katarina Kral, Czech fashion activist and designer, sees the point in producing sustainable fashion – perhaps not that animal friendly though.
The main issue faced by all of the 4 countries are “brands with privileged connections”, mentioned Paulina Latham, Head of Events and Visual Art at the Polish Cultural Institute London. Chanel, Versace, McQueen, well established gigantesque fashion companies indeed, also because money made it possible. No governmental support for the #V4fashion. Here you are. Due to the end of communism, textiles exportation literally died; it has all to be taught again – Czech Republic, the basic but missing white shirt apparently. Filling the gap between factories and themselves, designers have to learn how to reconnect.
For the 5th time the International Fashion Showcase merges designers and curators from 24 countries, presenting the best of fashion designers’ new generations, “transforming Somerset House into a collective vision of the ultimate ideal world”. According to Pavel Ivancic – curator of the Czech Republic exhibition and director of UMPRUM’s Fashion Department – if Slav natives cannot afford the local fashion, Western countries can. Taste will not be considered as an excuse for not embracing the Eastern fashion; even Gaultier rises above the horizon. /C.
Credits and more on C.’s Fashion Diary http://www.c-point.ch/
Liberty, ‘the chosen resort of the artistic shopper’
Until February 28th 2016 the London Fashion and Textile Museum is hosting over 150 garments, textiles and objects paying homage to the British established retailer and originator of key trends in fashion history for now 140 years: Liberty London.
Meant to supply fashionable goods from the Far East, the originally warehouse was founded in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty willing to create new fashion rather than to follow the existing styles. Strongly influenced by its collaborations, particularly with the protagonists of the Art Nouveau movement, the Liberty look entwines historic and artistic dressing – Oscar Wilde’s quote in the headline as proof of it. Symbol also of exoticism, Liberty has sourced items from other countries, including the kimono, which provided the basis for dressing gowns.
No matter the fashion period, from 1920s’ silk brocade evening coat to Jimmy Choo contemporary pumps, via the jazzy 60s but also nostalgic 70s silk trouser suit by designer Bernard Nevill, Liberty’s exhibition is showcasing the store’s premium features: the handcrafted feel and embroideries.
Not afraid to look back at its archives, Liberty has that sense of avant-garde by realising the potential of returning trends. Its archetypal floral print, produced for the first time before the First World War, still innovates in the areas of retailing and decorative arts. Since ever promoting through collaborations – from Arthur Silver of Silver Studio to Jean Muir, Cacharel, Yves Saint Laurent and Vivienne Westwood – the Eastern Bazaar drew, and still does, established design houses and new talents alike, spreading its unique tradition across every sub-sectors of the fashion industry.
Delightful not only for the eye, the exhibition informs and educates as well as inspires visitors, so has done Liberty ever since its birth 140 years old ago. /C.
YSL’s fashion built a significant relationship to art, particularly through the homage collections to Mondrian and Serge Poliakoff (1965), later to Picasso (1979). The Mondrian print “block[ed] out the new proportions“, unveiling much more leg. Picasso and cubism represented “the permanence of classicism and breath-taking imagination“. Willing to dress the bodies “that would ascend the barricades in 1968“, Saint Laurent also found inspiration in Pop Art movements.
Even if the period following the Neo-plasticism and Pop Art years did not have their “spectacular intensity“, according to the American press and buyers, YSL’s ‘Opera Les Ballets Russes’ Autumn/Winter 1976 couture collection was a revolution.
Inspired by Diaghilev’s ‘Les Ballets Russes’, it exploded “of expressionist, bright colors and voluptuous curves“, while paying a profound attention to detail, leaving behind the thin lines and pale nuances of neoclassical figures.
As an Avant-garde “art form“ rather than a proper art movement, Diaghilev’s artistic collective originated, firstly in couture, the 20th century fashion. La Belle Epoque belonging to History, theatre inspired fashion announced modernism by creating living pieces of art. Costumes appeared in the fashion world, subtlety unifying the sublime and grotesque of a society about to live the roaring ‘20s, follow-up to the First World War.
Bakst’s use of colour and new materials still have an impact on current fashion brands, such as Erdem (2010) who designed a scarf inspired by the Ballets Russes’s patterns, and more recently Etro (2015).
Since Paul Poiret, fashion designers have been seeking creative collaborations with artists. By the 1990s, the dialogue between art and fashion continued that ‘Les Ballets Russes’ had already started: to loosen the distinction between high and low culture. Fashion ever appealed by the prestige of fine arts, art realized fashion’s provocative aura, therefore started to consider it as a central concern from the 20th century on. /C.
Saint Laurent SS16 collection gave a new twist to romanticism: women are moody, girls with attitude will blossom down the streets next spring, no matter if strange, tough or glamorously punk. Named ‘Romantic Rebellion’, this trend is all about “material composition and textural amplification“. Florals are around the corner but “against dark grounds, either smudged, packed, placed, outlined or distorted“.
The Saint Laurent girl is not ashamed by the word ‘sexuality’. Underwear turns outerwear for SS16, reminding of the lingerie-inspired styles in the 1995s. The Future Chic of Gernreich’s no bra bra’ “dismisses the idea of the dress as the foundation of the wardrobe“; so will do romanticism next year.
All the fashion capitals joined the Romantic Rebellion, promoting the hard/soft duality through texture and silhouette.
SS16 envisions nothing but re-invest nostalgia, signified of the early years of the 21st century fashion, “veiled in a cloud of nostalgia for styles past“. See-through clothing already went that far; there is no innovation. Alike Rudi Gernreich’s ‘no bra bra’ in 1965, SS16 ‘Romantic Rebellion’ draws simple lines on silhouettes, while conveying a more ambiguous societal message. As “more youthful point of view to the New Romanticism“, Romantic Rebellion brings out little girls among professionally determined modern women, an undeniable reminiscence of Courrèges’ ‘coup de maître’ in fashion history. Referring to the anxiety of “the end of twentieth century [where] fashion became increasingly spectacular“ and conceptual, contradictions and ambiguity are strong signifiers of the 20th century as fashion started to “negotiate and theatricalise the shifting ideas and ideals of the century“– McQueen as ‘chef de file’.
SS16 trendy association of dressed up and incomplete garment could denote the uneasy relationship to present capitalist consumerism. The post-internet era has blurred the boundaries between privacy and public: intimates become key pieces counterbalanced by loose but rigid materials, such as leather, fur, velvet, mesh and glazed surfaces, among others. Black’s predominance winks at the Punk movement’s history, similarly endorsing a process of both self-creation and self-destruction.
Flesh as the only left thing to control, skin has become the new fabric. Influenced by technology’s hyper-fast pace, the 2016 Romantic Rebel woman naively dreams of re-connecting with the world outside.
Mirroring not only the tortured psychedelic years of Monsieur Saint Laurent, last ready-to-wear SS16 show venue promoted a multifaceted ‘perfect imperfection’. Grunge princesses revisited femininity. Predominant short dresses draw a comfortable 2015’s lifestyle, while long ones speak for an insecure social climate. Present European situation being not flourishing, Saint Laurent’s amazons go not with the flow but impose their own. Taking shelter in Glastonbury festival nostalgia, models share a rebel gaze. History matches Hedi Slimane’s injected aesthetics into Yves Saint Laurent’s heritage, i.e. music and youth subculture.
Slimane has kept the Saint Laurent house based on the concepts of evidence and desirability, therefore dressing women with wearable and laid-back clothes. He looked back at the minimal aesthetics of the 1994s, Calvin Klein announcing The Emperor New Clothes, i.e. the return of the slip dress.
With Vionnet in mind, Hedi materialized freedom through garment’s ease of movement. However, Saint Laurent’s neck and head free slip dresses have gone grunge. Playing on ambiguity, Hedi dressed up girls, if not children, while exposing at the same time off duty women. Slightly suggesting porn, Saint Laurent’s woman assumed her sexuality moving back from fashion’s ever-traditional representations of impossible beauty to the ‘heroin chic’ polemic. Convinced that “the shoes set up the tone and attitude“, Slimane’s wellies are actually pointing at the disconnection he wanted from couture. Black blazers as well as leather jackets are key pieces. Hedi Slimane updated the formers “with the nervous look of a 1930s tux“, i.e. it “now has its ‘grain de poudre’ “.
Translating the age of innocence, Hedi Slimane has followed YSL’s steps. The displaced centre of gravity to the one or both bare shoulders re-joins YSL’s flou dressmaking expressing “the meaning of the material“, which has to flow over the body. SS16’s designs project through the fabric the individual’s narrative of escaping from the present. Slightly chaotic, Saint Laurent SS16 hyperrealism brings back hedonism, a 70s and 80s fashion perspective, in order perhaps to counterbalance 3D fashion design’s perfection. Undeniably pointing at women’s bodies – seemingly still a societal concern – Saint Laurent’s skinny androgynous ideal breaks as well the gender binary. Today punk heroines, women want to be inspired by and for the real life. /C.
London Fashion Weekend 2015: behind the beautiful some consciousness
As soon as London Fashion Weekend arrives, fashionistas rush up. This big pop-up offers a large choice of clothing, from designer concession to vintage and affordable pieces. Newly at the Saatchi Gallery, the event not only pushes to consumption, as much enjoyable as it can be, but also innovates thanks to designers who care for our planet.
Jewellery artist Victoria van Holthe might deeply move the soul if animals do count. TADA & TOY is the brand she founded, not on her own though, Tansy Aspinall sharing her interest in fashion and conservation. The londoner brand supports indeed The Aspinall Foundation saving species from extinction. 5% of all sales while 25% of sales in the Charity Collection are donated directly to the Foundation. Noble. That's the new fashion. Consciously beautiful.
Contradictions happen every time, everywhere. On the ground floor, fur appeals. No need to repeat the strong and wealthy aura every woman dreams of and finds in that soft and luxurious fabric. A contradiction between two levels. Nothing outrageous for most of the visitors but definitely for the ones who take the time to think. Progress within the fashion industry brought the supply to faux fur. For no reason?
Voices of the fashion industry take part in the London Fashion Weekend, making the whole (a lot) less superficial. David Downton being the one who depicted the sector honestly and truly. Emma Elwick-Bates, current fashion editor at Vogue US, explored the comparison between the Big Apple and London, sacred Holy Grail of fashion most creative forms. Sleek and commercial is New York clothing. Fantastic set design “create that special moment“ in London and Paris Fashion Week. Anya Hindmarch unveiled her trick behind her last collection for Spring Summer 2016: some hallucination experience after starring at objects, becoming what they never were.
These panels, moderated by the freelance fashion stylist and Harper's Bazaar contributing editor Martha Ward, pushed forward a human nature that too often tends to be forgotten, if not denied, in that big bad world.
AW15-16 Fashion proving a Modern Redefinition of Masculinity
While gender boundaries are getting exploded, men make actually (good) use of it. They wear eyeshadow for Ann Demeulemeester last AW15 collection – back to the rockstars in a way, and that's fine because Johnny's eyeliner have more than sex appeal. They also wear holed knitwear at the Chi's position, by Craig Green – as if the males weren't originally sensitive enough, one pierces the shield right in the middle. At least, Yohji Yamamoto made them dirty, bearded – back to the primitive roots.
Nice for the (over) weaker sex though. Menswear, womenswear, nobody cares anymore. Women enjoy male clothing and men keep updated and dress...“feminine“. This goes without forgetting that eroticism is not exclusively a girls' stuff: transparency unveils the males, how delightful.
Like everything else in the present era, REDEFINITION is the motto. "In an ideal world, masculinity wouldn't exist" (Huffington Post). American designer Rick Owen likes the ambiguity created by the two sexes, male/female. He is “satisfied with two“. Such an ambiguity has to be observed on the runway last February. The connection to the body from the clothes has surely evolved: it is not obvious anymore. That is why fashion writer Angelo Flaccavento justifies an “automatic switch between the two sexes“. There is for men no “real androgyny“, no “real effeminate“ aura, according to him.
Is masculinity in crisis then? Considered as a social construction by some, natural by others, one thing is sure: men are continually asked to prove their masculinity...by being strong, tough, violent, successful, pissing in public, among other (absurd) stereotypes.
The world is wounded. Women are wounded. MEN are wounded. And words are missing. “Be a man“, “Grow some balls“, “Stop with your emotions“, “Don't cry“, seem to have been way too much told to boys in their childhood. So much that it restricted them. The everyday life refuses to value any kind of HIS feminization. The situation has completely reversed in the fashion industry for a while now. What does that mean? Are men starting their acceptation as sensitive human beings via some non spoken communication, as they are gently but surely getting used to the words that have been for too long refused to them? Perhaps.
Feminism might have killed macho men for good. So, let them be who (the hell) they want to be and assert originality. It appears that they are removing the stereotype mask and becoming what was more than once expected: aesthetes. To one or another feminist heroine: content?
Music Festivals & History: clothes had something to say
Did you know that the origin of the most famous present music festivals find their roots in the Pythian Games, in Ancient Greece? Variating from athletic to musical type, those competitions were held in honor of Apollo. The live music scene evolved since then, relative to it clothing did the same. Between image and meaning, it spoke for itself. Is it still the case?
Britannia's love for music festivals – From Jazz to Blues, to Jazz and Blues, to Rock'n'roll, Psychedelia and co.
LOOKING FOR FREEDOM is definitely the motto that remained through the ages of the festival's history. It has always been about being alive by cutting from the life that one leads. According to jazz musician Terry Lightfoot, “Jazz festivals were among the first, if not the first“.
It offered an escape from convention when a British aristocrat, Lord Montague started in 1956 a yearly jazz festival that became really successful. However, music festivals did not always spread peace and love like the hippie movement sincerely did. 1960 saw a first glimpse of the anarchic potential of the festival's culture with the Riot of Beaulieu jazz festival in the Hampshire. The British youth engaged in serious political movement, assuringly willing to save the world. Huge social gatherings started as Blues festivals slowly replaced Jazz: the same minds pretty determined that the world would not go forward at that time. Music festivals had become synonym of youth, music and politic mixed altogether. A time of development and change followed in the mid-60s, as the live musical scene began to see flowers everywhere. The buzz of hippies was on. Folk music was mainstream, revolutionary ideas equally. Britain bored its youth during those years. A Victorian Britain kind of – everyone wearing bowler hats. A transition needed then to happen, from people who wore suits to the ones in jeans. Queen Victoria was finally gone! And the music flooded from that place. Everything seemed in a process of awakening. No barriers, no security, the festival's police by the time was run by the Hells Angels; thousands of people in the same green area, the situation was unreal. Woodstock changed a lot of things, the Isle of Wight's perhaps more. All of the festivals were free, as people could not afford it in the other case. However, the whole experience changed in August 3 1969, leaving space for the commercial era of live music. The first edition of the Isle of Wight Festival certainly triumphed musically while also ringing the changes: there must be a better way of doing festivals.
Despite the magical aura and honest belief of Glatonsbury's festival-goers in changing the world, the tone was shifting in the mid- to late 70s. More rock, more punk, and more political festivals. The British youth of the early 80s fought the oppression, resist to Thatcher's politic by... “PARTYING“. Aware of the increasingly growth of unemployment and an uncaring society, they unified by the music. Renewing the festival experience, the post-punk urban Peace Convoy collective rather left peace and love for anger and resentment. It went then to a scary stuff, pretty ugly at The Battle of Beanfield where brutal riot police happened. Still illegal, the new age travelers and ravers of the 90s made dance music mainstream. Quickly becoming expensive, unreliable and seedy, the acid house's movement, sometimes absolutely rubbish sometimes awesome, brought new British legislation. The UK dramatically changed from what it was to what it became.
Since 2002, no one would get to Glatonsbury for free anymore. The Isle of Wight's anarchy is over. Festivals have been obliged to get serious regarding security. They have been domesticated and ceased to be frightening as they were. Everything became codified, even if live music remained precious.
As the song writer Billy Bragg said, “you can download the music but you cannot download the experience“.
Festival Clothing – An evolution where image has shadowed the music itself
Boho Chic seems to be the must, the number one of the 21st century festival culture – proving below that there is no need to limit to the boho hippy stuff for festivals. In spite of inspiring from the hippie movement, it looks less sincere more calculated. Not to say that the past history of festival clothing was without any superficial traits. As clothes have always carried messages, the present situation does not provide convincing evidence of it. What has now replaced the all bright and awakening blooming process of the hippie movement? And that community's feeling at the Stonehenge Festival? Not the festivals only appear to have been domesticated through history, but also the different styles. Hippie-bohemian-urban-chic, what does that mean? Does it prove anything? Like the claim of everyone's right to freedom, for instance. Has the all “be yourself“ experience of festival history left the field for good? In a society – talking for Europe and the USA especially – where one gets what it wants, if not everything, there is nothing left to prove or fight for.
Festivals now are nothing else than an appearance's matter, involving the best dressed female and male, i.e. to admit human skin as new fabric.
Zalando.ch – hashtag IAMREADY4FESTIVALS – offers the possibility to win tickets for the Lollapalooza Festival in Berlin next September 12-13. Pick the stuffs you like, the dreams festival-goers had a long time before you and anticipate what could happen tomorrow. Clothes played their role, play yours.
Thomas Sabo launches its first fragrance “Eau de Karma“: too wise?
Mountain of Happiness, Garden of Love or Sea of Harmony? No choice needed with the new fragrance of Thomas Sabo "Eau de Karma".
Its simple concept, Karma in a bottle, should slow down the hectic everyday life by allowing its wearer an inner contemplation.
Bringing body, spirit and soul together, its precious essences draw on the spiritual symbolism of traditional East Asian teachings. Hiding lotus flower scent in its heart, this fragrance soothes the aura, not without forgetting to let sensuality flow along the skin – Garden of Love. Amber, cedar and musk form its fond – Sea of Harmony – putting forward a positive energy and joie de vivre through the Mountain of Happiness and its fruity-floral head note, comprising freesia, apple and black current.
Following Thomas Sabo's 2014 Karma Beads collection the launch of such a fragrance – on September 18th – not only seems logical but deepening that philosophy with a sensual dimension. The German jewellery brand, particularly willing to fulfil its clients' expectation, treasured its sophisticated fluid with a similar design: an exquisite silver cap in the form of an Om bead and the stone of love – rose quartz – delicately rolling inside transferring positive energy always. Eye-catching!
Fair enough with the story around and about this surely refreshing and source of well-being ladies' fragrance. How honorable from Thomas Sabo to offering a way of escape from reality. However, regarding the strength and powerful character present in its previous silver jewellery collections, some rock'n'roll vibes could be missing, the girly rose everything being perhaps "too much".
Wondering how the brand would define its male counterpart...maybe a darker fluid, plus a more thrilling spirit behind its story. By drawing a comparison between the universe revealed by the fragrance and the SS15 Karma Beads collection video campaign starring Georgia May Jagger, one could notice that absence of a playful woman, hungry for living life at its fullest. For pushing the boundaries of the self-knowledge counts as much as the peace of mind in the circle of life, doesn't it?
Latest “Just married“? At Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvit's wedding, obviously. An opportunity to jump at in order to look back at the royal brides dresses' history. Curiosity always wins.
What childhood surely taught us is that Prince Charming awaits for all of us to love with a great “L“, and have intelligent children, if possible a handsome boy and a beautiful girl. Fairytales, such daydreams (and baffling lies by the way)! That is why watching all of these princesses and queens walking down the aisle side by side with a copy of Ken (sometimes not exactly) feels good, firmly believing that the best is yet to come. Hopefully.
White dresses always and forever. White is understandable, but who stated the dress as the wedding's uniform? A quick historical revision needed.
The white dress has been made famous by the Queen Victoria in the 19th century. In Western cultures, this is “how we do“. However, it is well known that the Eastern brides choose more often the colour red, symbolizing auspiciousness. As Dr Joanna Marschner, senior curator at Historic Royal Palaces, explains, weddings have been a political tool and gowns strong message givers, even the simplest dress. Representing money and privilege, white was in the 18th and 19th centuries a sign of status and wealth, and still is in Edwina Ehrman's words, curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Victoria, already queen when she married, commissioned Honiton lace (Devon, England), which was not meaningless: by wearing such a dress, “she was actually shouted loud about things that Britain was really good at“ (Joanna Marschner).
Victoria & Albert Museum's “Wedding Dresses 1775-2014 exhibition“
After 1840, begin of The Victorian Wedding era, weddings became more commercialized and gowns less imposing, men's clothes darker from the early 1860s. Following, The Artistic Styles period (1900-1930) which featured high fashion, but also appealed to artistic and less conventional women, i.e. women expressing their individuality through their clothes. Shades of white and cream remained popular, but pastel and metallic colours stood out as fashion alternatives. From the 40s to the 60s, time of the Second World War, brides' dresses had to be practical. From Austerity to New Look. In 1960 the wedding dress got formal, even if the economy was increasing, and women liberating from political and sexual regulations. Hats were added to the silhouette as a youthful alternative, and some even wore their dress again after the wedding – the cool kids of yesterday. Then came Nostalgia, Romance and the Modern Age (1970-1990), where most of the brides chose designers, so dresses based more on fantasy than fashion and that had little use after the ceremony. Refreshing the whole situation in 1990, Vera Wang revitalized/helped to the link between bridal wear and fashion: traditional within a contemporary style. A Fresh Approach until the start of the 21st century: weddings' locations becoming exotic, designers tried to create suitable dresses for different climates and environments. Mostly important, the choice of the dress had to reflect the bride's taste, faith or the traditions of her family's country of origin. Since 2000, the bridal market did not cease to increase: The New Century and The Celebrity Wedding (2000-present) time has come. The introduction of civil partnership ceremonies boosted the British wedding industry and represented an encouragement for a number of designers to offer bridal wear. “The perfect wedding“ ideal has been set. Bridal magazines are here to help.
Zalando's graphic designer recreated the most beautiful brides' dresses of the royal history. How unexpected! Dresses only. Will be one day an off the beaten track royal bride? Daring to marry in suit/tuxedo? Media would endorse. On the spot. They inevitably had an influence on the choice of the dresses by the royal brides, indeed. From puffy and showy, it went to simplicity and minimalism – a catwalk thing perhaps.
In Virginia Bates' opinion, antique fashion expert, the Western brides-to-be all want to rise from the ranks today. Ironically, it always ends by the tragicomic question: “don't you have it in white or cream?“. Enough said.
However, what cannot be denied is the thoroughness present in every dress; they all share a quality of uniqueness, resplendent through precious pearls, lace and embroidery, without forgetting the tiara. Gowns' length belonging perhaps to some princesses and queens' gentle competition, kind of a “who'll dare to wear the longest one“.
Just think of the tuxedo thing, Baby Charlotte... /C.
“Almost reaching another planet. Plus another soul“
One could easily think that fashion has no place neither beside Jeff Koons' Gazing Ball nor Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans. It is an opinion after all. I am for the other side, and firmly believe that fashion should be considered as a kind of art - perhaps not as much artistic as the Mona Lisa. What is fashion then, if not exactly ART? Thinking piece ahead.
LADY GAGA sang “Looking good and feeling fine“ in Fashion!, and she was right. No doubt that without clothes, and all the clique with it, fashion would not be fashion anymore. Nothing is logical in life but here, please. “...feeling fine“ has then to be put forward.
To feel. Significations do not miss, right? The fact is that a feeling comes from the body, either from the mind or the flesh. Both imply a state of mind, though. Art does the same. So the Beautiful has only to be admired? Yes/No. And the Ugly rejected? No/Yes. It goes actually far beyond the surface. So does Fashion.
Therefore, in my opinion:
Fashion is a subculture of the gigantesque ART universe.
Some might react with a demonstrative “WTF“ while others could immediately agree. The choice is yours - fortunately. I develop. If it happened that I felt the need to write this thinking piece, my Instagram account is the one to blame. As deeply interested in fashion, I still share artistic inspirations. What for? Sensitive to fashion AND art, my unique professional life goal is to become a fashion editor in order to share concepts and perceptions to those open-minded and willing to step into my world. To do so, I inevitably need to THINK. Both art and fashion, as mentioned earlier, engage that thinking process (by me at least). Here I am, answering the question I once raised.
Shinerock London talks extinction, evolution and alluring femininity
At the very least bold to associate these three concepts, all the more as they are destined for your neck. It is not a secret anymore (for a long time already!) that audacity is the key of success, particularly in the present fashion industry. This is the magic trick, on silk and cashmere, that the British label Shinerock London has to offer, besides dinosaurs' skeletons and sexy legs.
Still looking back at yesterday, while opening up new horizons, Shinerock London luxury scarves mean traditional and contemporary. Its founder and creative director Catherine Shinerock - by the way an ex-stylist for the late great Alexander McQueen (that alone!) - uses watercolor painting and digital vector line drawing as techniques.
The collection's name “Evolution & Grace“ inspires strength and good manners, perhaps as much as the Shinerock London girl does. Scarves, neckerchiefs, pocket squares, for all tastes and moods being satisfied. Not only bold in its inspirations - from golden dinosaur's skeleton Extinction to red and pink Kisses on a night blue silky background - the brand could make you blush with its Sexy Legs Gold and Blush scarves. Moreover, lovely rings can be add for styling any neckerchief.
In a society where pop icons - Cyrus, Knowles, Kardashian, to name but a few - are ready to do anything for attention, indirectly spreading the word “Dress your daughters like pole dancers“ (according to PORTER magazine), choose the nostalgia of a temporary trip, back in a time where all was about suggestion, reveal and seduction.
Play then with Shinerock London timeless elegance, catching up to the times by hanging current concerns around your neck.
Enough to engage in a serious discussion...on a date.
Dress your neck with kekkai androgynous scarves for summer 2015
Please, warmly welcome the first collection of the British luxury scarves brand kekkai. Androgynous, bold, and seductive, high quality is surely valued by the two sisters Yvonne-Demitra and Emily, who founded this art project in 2014. Between silk and cashmere, to choose is definitely difficult, the patterns' range being eclectic:
wild flowers reminiscing the designers' summer holidays in Ibiza, ancient South American and European treasures, even bizarre 3D women curves.
Not only dressing up both men and women's neck, kekkai plays with art. Architectural visualization technology is used as pattern-making technique, indeed.
Sounding pretty exotic, the name's brand is full of surprises. kekkai as a noun means a force field or a shield, but also a pocket universe, spiritual or otherwise. Should then those audacious scarves protect more than our delicate skin only, and inspire to both genders confidence and spunk. No doubt that the whole collection is synonym of elegance. However, the kekkai woman seems slightly nonchalant, all in all, her rebel spirit dreaming perhaps of rock'n'roll summery horizons.
What about the kekkai male face? It would be interesting to see how men would tame the brand's idiosyncrasy and audacity. One point for Curiosity.
Next season, Swiss boys aim HIGH: the moon, the sun, the entire galaxy in sight. They are going to shine, not bright like a diamond please, even much better than that: reflection being their watchword, nonchalant attitude plus electrifying pieces suffice. Put your sunglasses on, girls!
Caring about ecology, Adrian Reber worked with recycled fabrics only, evolving throughout his A/W15 collection from raw materials (woolen, knit, fur) to futuristic metal pieces, still associated with some rests of the human's past: fur tails as accessory for the most reckless or knit scarves for those willing to stay more conventional. Sandro Marzo and Julian Zigerli seem to have spread the word: the former playing with a sure value, silver space astronaut jumpsuit inspired, the latter daring brighter bronze shades, thermal blanket in mind perhaps. Freezing will not be allowed this winter with such boys: bringing us to the moon or, why not, reaching for the sun, their reflection(s) will keep us warm.
On the other hand, forget the very soft landing and fear the return of (pseudo) bad boys. Thank God, right? HEAD Genève mastered the point and revealed rounded lines, expressing strength and self-confidence nevertheless. Killer look models meet Miss Nonchalance, just because they know how much it makes them attractive as can be. Next season will not take off minimalism, neither colours nor shapes regarding.
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Have a look at MODE SUISSE Youtube channel and C.’s Fashion Diary for more looks.
MODE SUISSE is definitely full of surprises. Replacing intimacy, POWER seems to be the appropriate watchword for this edition. Plunge into it via the following selection of looks, in order to clearly imagine what it was all about.
Amplitude has definitely to be first mentioned, the body asking for more than only some space. Even in Sara Vidas' collection, however skirts get shorter and crop tops coyly emerge, materials do not smother the skin. Moreover, one is not allowed to accuse Claudia Bertini's mass of layering with making the whole heavy: the designer opted for soft colours and fluid lines with her eyes open. On the other hand, stf (Schweizerische Textilefachschule) assumes its dichotomy white/black, overdoing it by all in white looks putting forwards purity, surface and simplicity, while finding inspiration in The Renaissance on the other (obscure) side. Still in a dark mood, a different one though, huber egloff empowers the woman's silhouette, fleeing lots of sexist clichés by presenting past and future interlinked through marriages between both textures and clothing codes. Flirting with sportswear, La Cri does not neglect anything, but knows how to bring out the IN-Girl, sneakers on obviously.
