SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA

Who would have known that these could be interesting times for the culture of fashion? While reading Scout Holiday, one of my favourite blogs (it always makes me think of a little lost city with its beautiful simplicity and exquisite treasures/reflections), I stumbled upon several images taken from a publication called “Encens”. Sadly, I don’t know much about it and wasn’t able to find a copy in London but I still felt compelled to write about these photos. In this shoot, the photographer and stylist have managed to breathe new life into vintage elements of the eighties genre: the clothes, accessories, makeup, setting and light. They have captured the essence of a long gone era with intelligent sympathy denuded of sentimentality. There’s a taste of authenticity about this shoot and the styling and photography have been created with an impressive sense of inside knowledge.

Looking at other “Encens” fashion stories which appealed to my eye (on The Fashion Spot), I realized that I had found an aesthetically covetable magazine which has probably successfully carved a niche for itself with its rare quality of being able to communicate its influences accurately. A niche where its fashion editor is free to art direct with strong individual creativity, unlike other publications which have often been reduced to a formula.
This is the beginning of a love affair. Only one small problem, where do I buy it?

All images: The Fashion Spot

GOING GREEN

Happiness last week was buying a selection of good magazines, the latest Alexander McCall Smith’s book “Tea Time for the Traditionally Built” and spending my weekend lying on the grass in the Cotswolds was the perfect way to enjoy them. I love waking up on a sunny morning knowing that my day will include spending quality time with my boy, books, magazines, good food and the countryside. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be warm and outside at the same time! We took the lazy option and decided to avoid injecting strenuous activity into our three days at Cowley Manor: no vigorous sweaty aerobic workout in the hotel gym or 55 acres of private land surrounding us. No. Not for us. The task of negotiating our way through self-indulgent treats ranging from a massage to excessive consumption of sweets while watching films seemed much more appealing.
Here’s a closer look at the surroundings and a few images of what I wore.

A lot of my friends have ridiculed Twitter recently. Why the intense dislike? My own personal attempt has been minor but I can certainly see the advantages of using this 140 characters long news update service, notably when used by organizations. While a lot of people will feel the need to reflect their daily life as it is lived (quite often tedious but at least mercifully brief) others will use these updates to provide potent news coverage or simply professional bulletins. Real time nuggets of information during the New York, Milan, London and Paris fashion weeks created a real buzz.
Are you using Twitter?

All pictures taken by me or M

NO QUESTIONS ASKED

Work, life and a mini trip to the countryside meant that my blog was momentarily incapacitated last week. Did you miss me?
I returned to London last night to find numerous baffling and hostile accounts of CNN’s “Revealed” show. I thought that this brief study of Carine Roitfeld and her world was incredibly successful in explaining what it is that she does and providing a gloriously lucid and comprehensible portrait of French Vogue’s Editor in Chief. The three part program immediately prompted arguments and debates among fashion bloggers disgruntled at the lack of newsworthy scandal, gossip or detailed insight into her personal and professional life. Fashion illuminated in all its perversity! When one of the principal actors in the industry gets interviewed, controversy is only to be expected. But most comments I read on the subject were completely beside the point! The first thing I’m keen to point out is that CNN’s goal was to provide an introduction to Carine Roitfeld’s life, a coherent interview and breakdown of her job and this was achieved concisely and with great clarity. A lot of you seem to have lost sight of why shows like “Revealed” are created: to offer a condensed account of a person to the masses. What I watched was an entertaining, interesting, uncomplicated and warm introduction to one of the world’s most stylish woman. A tangible glimpse into another world. The cameras followed her during fashion week, mingling with other high profile fashion characters, at a shoot with Demarchelier (April 2009 editorial). She was also filmed in her Paris apartment and office discussing the early stages of her career before joining Vogue as well as her attitude towards motherhood and family obligations. I found it reassuring to see that her rare authenticity and quiet force of nature were so apparent, showing us that her philosophy is firmly rooted in reality despite evolving in a circle of frivolity. The normally chronic disconnection between the powerful and the rest of us seemed less acute in the presence of Roitfeld thank to her innate ability to reveal her genuine and somehow warm character. Anyway, this is a great interview with a far-sighted woman who commands the most interesting current photographers, stylists and designers and as a result has made French Vogue into an eminent pleasure ground.

Picture: Hedi Slimane

GET REAL

Paris fashion week is over. There has been the usual enthusiastic noises and applause for certain brands from those who only see what they want to see when it comes to the objects of their blinkered idolization.
It is a pity that Isabel Marant did not get more attention. Her collection was confident, sensuous, seamless and proved that she is on top of her game. She showed looks with a contemporary and rock n’ roll rhythm, leaving her more ethnic hippie influences behind. The lines are easy, cool and wearable. These are clothes that I want to wear every day, infused with a street attitude and remarkable energy. With all the heavily tailored pieces we have seen recently, her world is like a parallel universe in which everything is a little bit more casual and fresh, with less drama. Little snapshots in real-time of what girls love: grey sweatshirts, masculine oversized charcoal tweed coats, studded ankle boots, leopard-print coats, fur coats with three quarter length sleeves, little bouclé jackets in the style of Chanel, slouchy sheer t-shirts. Marant also introduced several pieces with the unavoidable Balmain touch, the sculptured shoulder. A small malfunction in an otherwise perfect show! Like Chloé, the pieces were quite grounded in reality and merged masculine and feminine touches to achieve a spirited movement and aesthetic. And you know what? Her strategy is effective. I loved it.
If you’re in London, go and see the Gerhard Richter exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I went last Saturday and absolutely adored his blurry photographic paintings.
I've just finished watching American Graffiti and was not prepared for the blandness. I was expecting so much more!

FASHION INFATUATION

What is it with fashion week? How can I love it so much and at the same time have thoughts of escape and new horizons when I have to talk about it?
Keeping up with the shows always ends up becoming a frenzied choreographic act which sometimes saps my energy, making me wonder about the nonsensical nature of the theatricality on display! Fashion seems to speak a distinct language, with its transitory and fleeting trends, a rapidity of movement which demands equal rapidity of execution (think Top Shop), it has its own social reality accompanied by a capricious power over others. But despite all this, ever since I discovered my mother’s wardrobe as a child and inquisitively watched her put together the most beautiful outfits, fashion has become an irresistible passion. The shows are an intoxicating experience which often transport me to a timeless and fragrant space, a spectacle sometimes so alienating that 70% of it just remains a fantasy. I’m always aware that there is a radical separation between the beautiful dreams born from creative imaginations and the materialisation of these dreams into daily life. In recent years, I’ve discovered that the key to it all is to approach this circus as a spectator capable of taking a step back instead of immersing yourself completely. Like an amateur detective, you need a speed of perception allowing you to distinguish which pieces will best translate into the streets and sales, you need to find the accessible element. I love deciphering the influences behind collections, recognising the ideas and essence of a show, finding timeless treasures. The bombardment of colours, textures and cuts on the senses is an unqualified pleasure. Fashion is a fascinating spectacle in transition: it’s always been about change, the constant unravelling of the new, individuality and the inventive in any direction. But often its effect is the reverse and encourages conformity. How many fashion editors, stylists, models etc were recently seen wearing Balmain’s structured shoulder jackets? So many that Christophe Decarnin is successfully perpetuating uniformity!
Anyway, now that shows are over I can go back to more normal activities (finishing to watch Ugly Betty season 3, reading “The Magician’s Assistant” and calling my sister two or three times a day – ha ha ha).

Photo: I'm not sure where it comes from. I saved it a long time ago without making a note of the photographer or stylist. 

FRANCESCO SCOGNAMIGLIO

I’ve been the victim of a hideous cold all week forcing me to experience infuriating sleepless nights (extremely blocked up nose) and constant coughing. I’ve relieved the boredom of 6 successive evenings at home by watching countless episodes of Ugly Betty on Surfthechannel.com, devouring Stephenie Meyer’s “Breaking dawn” and occasionally indulging in a rant about feeling shit. A heady brew!
While compulsively reading blogs yesterday, I came across Francesco Scognamiglio’s work on Dazed Digital. I don’t know anything about this designer except that the display of his slightly unreal fantasy world left me feeling strangely satisfied. A visual treat. But as I looked at his highly sculptural/architectural creations I wondered whether he was trying to alienate buyers. How many people in this generally sluggish retail environment would consider buying his pieces? And how relevant are they? Or maybe it’s beside the point? You can feel that Scognamiglio has a sound knowledge of couture and tailoring: he experiments with extreme shapes and constructions, pushing the severe lines to the edge and playing with origami-like folds and ruffles. I was instantly seduced by the predominantly daring clothes (despite the fact that they’re aren’t exactly wearer friendly) and loved the theatricality of the show. It definitely has its own merits. The emphasis here is on the creativity and quality that embodies the sense of Italian fashion. His fierce aesthetic may not be commercially successful (unless he tones down his penchant for flamboyance) but I’m intrigued by his surrealist and futuristic propositions. I love the decadent and dynamic effects of the pieces and the fact that his luxurious exuberance may seem at odds with the current economic climate. It’s refreshing. The accessories are beautiful too. Look at the gorgeous costume jewellery, belts, gloves, shoes and hats!

All photos: Style.com

MODERN NOMADS

The dust has settled on Milan fashion week. I didn’t have specific expectations but never imagined that the only noteworthy show would turn out to be Missoni!
With its formidable knitwear heritage and the brand’s deeply traditional roots and formula, it was great to see Missoni following a new modern path. This was a crucial collection representing a new language for the company, a clear turning point in its history. The signature patterns continue to reverberate in most of the pieces but there is a new sense of freedom, as if all the undesirable restrictions of the past have been eradicated and replaced by a more quirky edginess woven through the colour palette, exceptional styling and multi-layered elements. I found the entire collection surprisingly accomplished. I loved the leg warmers, leggings, cropped mohair cardigans, long chunky cardigans, the almost floor length scarves, the hooded scarves and cardigan scarves all knitwear focused in various weaves and weights. And the layers, lots of layers! Missoni’s statement with its injection of craftsmanship is enchanting and irresistible. The models looked like contemporary city tuaregs and nomads, reflecting the influence of a complicated tapestry of people and cultures. The outfits were evocative of the regal, formidable desert warriors and nomadic life. The richly sophisticated designs in cool blues, a variety of grey, muted beige, and taupe offer innumerable possibilities as desirable separated pieces, all fluid and highly adaptable. I saw this collection as a triumphant success marked by creativity, individuality and confidence. Missoni has forced out all my old prejudices with its newly acquired unconventional panache! Masterful.

By the way, am I the only one who felt disappointed by Balenciaga’s latest collection? And Balmain was a grotesque regurgitation of previous pieces, only more 80s, more disco and more euro-trash accessorized by “Scream” era Michael Jackson boots!

All pictures: Style.com and cultprairie.livejournal.com