Fall 2010: Three English Women

Three English designers, all women, and all who first made their mark designing for Chloé, showed collections with a similar 'modern' vibe, but with varying degrees of success.
At Céline, Phoebe Philo described her look as “sharp, strict, reduced” which translated into workable separates which tried to harness the DNA of Celine — a bourgeois Parisian label that peaked in the 1970s. It was largely unremarkable, and underwhelming, even though the critics-who-don't-see have given it slobbering reviews, tails wagging. It seemed to me a watered-down follow-up from her wildly successful Spring show. In much the same key, Stella McCartney sent out graphic coats with notches and slits and sweaters and slacks quite plain and very clean, for her eponymous line. It has a 1960s vibe to it and is one of her better efforts. It's neat, humourous and stylish, though the cocktail numbers with satin mermaid trains looked suspect.I liked Hannah MacGibbon’s collection for Chloé most of all. I felt that it came closest to defining this season’s sensibility in a convincing style. Ms MacGibbon borrowed utilitarian masculine tailoring: The camel coat, the tan blouson, the butterscotch leather jacket, the herringbone tweeds and Prince of Wales checks, were taken from a British gent’s closet. The breezy wearability, however, was given her edge. She took that from the golden era of American sportswear (the 1970s), the days of early Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein — when racing to work while looking wholesomely sexy defined American glamour. Vogue used to call this look 'racy'. This collection wonderfully austere in another way: At just over 30 looks, this was one tightly edited collection, and I liked almost every look.

More Marlon Teixeira

Did you know that L'Officiel Hommes has an Italian edition? I didn't. Is it necessary? I'll leave you to ponder...

Marlon Teixeira, photographed by Milan Vukmirovic, of course.

Terry Richardson Shoots The Girls

"Uncle Terry was feeling frisky that day! I told him I had my period so I wanted to keep my underwear on, and he asked me to take my tampon out for him to play with. “I love tampons!” he said, in that psychotically upbeat way that temporarily convinces so many girls that what’s fun for Uncle Terry is fun for them. (I can just imagine him chirping, “Why don’t you wear these fairy wings while I fuck you in the ass? Wouldn’t that be like, so fun?” to some attenuated girl fresh off the boat from Eastern Europe. Either the man’s totally delusional, or he gets off on the fact that many of these things are not, in fact, very much fun for the girls.) I politely declined his offer to make tea out of my bloody cunt plug. It was then that he decided to just get naked.

Before I could say “whoa, whoa, whoa!” dude was wearing only his tattoos and waggling the biggest dick I’d ever seen dangerously close to my unclothed person (granted, I hadn’t seen very many yet). “Why don’t you take some pictures of me?” he asked. Um, sure." - Model "Jennifer"

(Source: The Gloss)
Read the complete confession: http://thegloss.com/fashion/terry-richardson-is-really-creepy-one-models-story/

Princess Aiko

Princess Aiko, born December 1, 2001, is not your average schoolgirl.
Last Tuesday, the princess, eight, came home (to the palace) from school in a state of anxiety, saying she had stomach pains.
She does not want to go back to school.
It was found that she, and other students in her class, had been "treated harshly" by boys in another class in Gakushuin Primary School in Shinjuku, Tokyo, the alma mater for most Japanese royals.
The imperial family is treated with deep reverence in the country, where Aiko's great-grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, was worshipped as a living god until World War II. Princess Aiko, daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako, is granddaughter to Emperor Akihito.
The little princess, it was said, had been frightened when a boy ran out of a classroom, which "must have reminded her of the rowdy behaviour of several boys in the past, who may have thrown things and made her uneasy". Another version says that just as she had returned from changing into her normal shoes from her school shoes, two boys approaching very suddenly nearly collided with her, which scared her.
Now, now, little precious...

Butt Plug

How chic is this?
Butt Magazine is a great accessory to go with a Chloe croco purse (an accessory with an accessory?!) and pinstripes/jeans... so French! I was introduced this wonderful pink men's magazine by my American friend, W, years ago and became an instant convert.
Thanks, W, for this and many other inspirations!

Burn After Reading

I've burnt my Ambre Fétiche candle down to nothing last night and am now thinking what candle should I use next. It's become quite a habit for me, this candle-burning and I now take a candle with me wherever I travel. It's the sphere of flickering light, the ball of warmth, the smell that's like a warm glow that's comforting after a long day that makes this an indispensible part of my winding down process.
I loved the Ambre Fétiche candle (I also have the perfume) created by the nose Isabelle Doyen together with Camille Goutal. Inspired by the idea of the harem, they made Annick Goutal Les Orientalistes — a trio of scents (Ambre Fétiche, Myrrhe Ardente and Encens Flamboyant) in 2007. Well, I love an oriental.
Ambre Fétiche has notes of frankincense, labdanum, styrax, benzoin, iris and vanilla, and smells syrupy, dense and a bit medicinal; There's a creamy candy note, rich sweetness, that's not dry. There's a lot of vanilla and labdanum and a touch of muskiness, but never gets “dirty” in that Serge Lutens way.

Another Month, Another Kate Cover

British Vogue, April 2010

Fall 2010: Hermès and Gareth Pugh

Meticulous tailoring seemed to be the point of the Hermès collection by Jean Paul Gaultier. I like it very much for showing the best workmanship in the lushest of materials — croco, leather, cashmere: Can you want anything more from the house that defines high luxury?
Mr Gaultier used the The Avengers as a starting point for this collection, but he could just as well have done without it, because the masculine Savile Row tailoring (such glossily beautiful hats and bags and the furled umbrellas!) effectively demonstrated classic Hermès values on their own, with no concessions to trendiness.An almost all-leather collection, it nonetheless felt brisk, and not leaden (the polished workmanship elevates and excites) despite showing more than 50 looks, and mostly with outerwear. It was slyly sexy, and a very adult outing.If you don't know what I mean by 'adult', it would be illuminating to compare Mr Gaultier’s show with Gareth Pugh’s, which similarly featured almost-all leather outfits. But without any finesse or fit, or feeling for luxury, Mr Pugh’s suits of leather looked as stiff as vinyl. I wonder at the fashion writers and bloggers who rave at this collection: Do they not see what is before their eyes? I find it frankly banal and childish, and if they fitted thus-awkwardly on models, is there hope for mere mortals? This young designer wanted to convey strength, but succeeded only in heavy, dour and forbiddingly dreary Darth Vader coat-dresses and pants-suits glazed like bus seats. This is the ‘minimalism/futurism’ of a banal computer game, the antithesis of adult clothes.

Ash: Electric Youth

I Love this Britney Spears T-shirt! 1.88m Shoe: 11

Weekend Reading List

I've have some very good things to read this weekend; They are all from one shelf at the National Library, so you can imagine all the treasures that lurk there unexplored. In no particular order:Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose, by Flannery O'Connor. She writes some of the most brilliant, nail-biting, rivetting short stories, and this collection of essays deals with various aspects of her craft, including her lecture notes on elements of a good short story, and writing fiction in general. It is very inspiring. Did you know she kept 40 peacocks in her backyard?
Another book that deals with words and English usuage, The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage by Kingsley Amis isn't comprehensive, but is nonetheless important, useful, sensible and besides, informed with a dry wit. Indexed in an alphabetical order, I'm already at 'P'. It is that entertaining, and well-written. Cleopatra's Nose is a collection of essays by Judith Thurman, all from the archives of her work at The New Yorker, including enlightening pieces on Diame Arbus, Richard Avedon, Elsa Schiaperalli, Cristobal Balenciaga, Nadine Gordimer and many more. It's a trove of useful information on all the subjects I'm interested in, so this is a find. Lastly, I'm reading Jane Austen's Letters, edited by Dierdre Le Faye (1995). It's fascinating, of course."If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing." - Kingsley Amis

Flowers Are Very Much Worn

"Flowers are very much worn, and fruit is still more the thing.
Elizabeth has a bunch of strawberries, and I have seen grapes, cherries, plums, and apricots. There are likewise almonds and raisins, French plums, and tamarinds at the grocers’, but I have never seen any of them in hats.
A plum or greengage would cost three shillings; cherries and grapes about five, I believe, but this is at some of the dearest shops. My aunt has told me of a very cheap one, near Walcot Church, to which I shall go in guest of something for you."
- Jane Austen, letter to Cassandra Austen, dated June 2 1799
"We have been to the cheap shop, and very cheap we found it, but there are only flowers made there, no fruit; and as I could get four or five very pretty sprigs of the former for the same money which would procure only one Orleans plum — in short, could get more for three or four shillings than I could have means of bringing home — I cannot decide on the fruit till I hear from you again. Besides, I cannot help thinking that it is more natural to have flowers grow out of the head than fruit. What do you think on that subject?"
- Jane Austen, letter to Cassandra Austen, dated June 11 1799

Fall 2010:Comme des Garçons

This really brought a smile to my face.
It's cute, isn't it, in an abstract stuffed toy kind of way, and within the framework of Rei Kawakubo's work, quite of a piece, and rather charming, in fact. This collection is hardly as 'defiant' nor as challenging as some critics have made it out to be.
Yes, the hunchbacked and protruding wadding is reminiscent of Ms Kawakubo's "lumps and bumps" collection of Spring 1997, but is it all that remarkable? The panniers and bustle, the idea of exaggeration, are at least as old as, if not older than, The Infanta Margarita, the iconic painting by Diego Velázquez (1660, bottom), don't forget, so let's just enjoy it for what it is, shall we?

He Said She Said

"Good fashion is knowing how to see yourself in the mirror; bad fashion is not seeing yourself at all in the mirror." Marie-Louise Bousquet (1887-1975)

Marie-Louise Bousquet was the bewigged Paris editor of Harper's Bazaar, and a hostess of one of mid-20th-century Paris's leading salons. Remembered as a tiny, wizened lady, she was endlessly gossipy and heavily made-up. Mrs Bousquet was also forever feuding with another octogenarian, Coco Chanel, who on the record referred to her as possessing 'the face of a monkey, the mouth of a sewer'. Isn't she lovely?Marie-Louise Bousquet sitting next to Carmel Snow at an Elsa Schiaparelli show in Paris, in February 1951. Photographer: Nat Farbman for Life

James Brady: "...Mrs Bousquet, who had the trembles, was the most picturesque of all (editors). During the Dior collection, Bazaar editor Nancy White stationed a gorgeous younger fashion editor named China Machado to keep the chain-smoking Marie-Louise from setting herself aflame. As the models pranced by, she fumbled a lighted cigarette down the bodice of her dress. Instantly, China was on her feet, beating at Marie-Louise's minimal bosom, trying to extinguish the smoldering as the old lady protested, "Au secours! Au secours! (To the rescue!) She molests me!""

Fall 2010: Balenciaga

What do you make of this?
Mining the self-consciously 'modern', Nicolas Ghesquière has sent out a real eye-opener. Mr Ghesquière has carved himself a niche (and created a cult whilst doing it) that marries futuristic cut-glass tailoring welded to old-school haute couture techniques and the rich fabric innovations that is the heritage of this label. In this collection, he again pursued a dynamic, streamlined wardrobe of the future, embellished with colour, texture and punch.>While it makes one sit up enthralled, one has to question the wearability of something seemingly inspired by the recycling bin: Jackets looked like discarded foam packing and, neon graphic prints looked like supermarket packaging, and the knits looked like bubble wrap. Even the shoes looked like something assembled from the rubbish heap, a plastic piece here, a vinyl patch there. The vision dazzles, but its relevance is intellectual, not pratical.Do you want to wear a piece of art, something that challenges and something that is intellectually stimulating, but isn't necessarily attractive, sensible or cosy?
What is fashion to you?

A Pair of Sunbirds

A pair of olive-backed sunbirds have decided to build a nest in the longkong tree on my balcony. They have been busily flying in and out for a week or so, with industry that is inspiring. Initially, I noticed that the floor around the longkong tree (well, a sapling in a blue glazed Vietnamese urn) was littered with bits of dirt and I thought it was from the overflow of my mother's vealous watering. I just swept it up. But it persisted: And day after day, got more untidy. And then I looked up and there in the top-most branches, almost hidden by the large leaves was what looked like a loop of furry, mud-speckled, bark-encrusted string. It's not pretty, and looked nothing like what you'd think a nest looks like.

But mother and I grew fond of the birds, and thrilled at the prospects of having the eggs and the baby birds in the coming month. We get worried when the winds blow the branches violently in the afternoons, lest the nest tumble down. I try not to get in the birds' way when I'm putting out or taking in the laundry. When I'm in sight, the birds make a U-turn in mid-air, 12 stories up, and hover at a distance, or swoop about, untill I go in, or out.

Every morning, over coffee, mother and I would talk about our sunbirds, and the progress of the nest-building; It has more shape now, like a straggly gourd, or a pouch with a clear opening in the belly for the mother bird to lay her eggs in.Mother left some coloured yarn out on the balcony railing and hung some on the branches "So that they won't need to fly so far to pick up those string and things".

So far, the birds have not picked the yarn out, only the breeze.

I've grown very fond of the rustling the birds make in the longkong, and I miss the sharp twitter and squeaks they make when at sunset, the sunbirds leave off nest-making and go and take their much-needed rest somewhere (I wonder where?).

I can't wait to see their blue-green eggs, and I can't wait to see the little ones appear and start to sing, and the drama of the feeding of the babies (will there be more to clean up after?).

I would be so sad when they leave!

He Said She Said

"To be modern in fashion is to be conscious of the things unfolding before you, not behind you, and to express those ideas as clearly and directly as possible." - Cathy Horyn

The term 'modernity' itself is problematic because it means many things to different people/fields. In art history, 'Modern' means 'after the Impressionists until (roughly) Pop', where artists (and architects) where primarily concerned with abstract form and the physical presence of the material in the piece (Pollock's paint splatters, Le Corbusier's untreated concrete), as opposed to a 'window' that offered a glimpse into another world, a fantasy. Let's apply this to the current fashion collections shall we?
As an example, at Balenciaga, the collection was about the physical properties of the clothes themselves, the way the material interacted with the wearer, the way the proportions and silhouette created shape. Dior, on the other hand, was suggestive of a mood, of a time period, and the show's main goal seemed to be conjuring up a fantasy of equestrianism. Dior's clothes were intended as a 'window' to transport the viewer/wearer elsewhere, whereas Balenciaga's clothes anchored you in the present.
On the other hand, Prada may be considered Post Modern, where the references to socialism and the Cold War era were self-conscious. Mrs Prada was exploring the relevance of these attitudes without romanticizing the period.