Lectura de sambata dimineata

Se pare ca ultimele doua saptamani s-au transformat in „‘tis the season to be sick”. Poate ca am avem primavara in suflet, dar nu ne tine de cald. Asa ca racim, tusim, facem febra, continuam sa ne infofolim, pana la primele raze de soare. Ziua de azi nu pare deloc incurajatoare, ploua, e gri si e frig. Va propun sa va faceti niste paine prajita cu miere, sa aveti langa un muffin si o cana de cafea, sa va acoperiti cu o patura moale si sa cititi…

Lunch with Natalie Massenet – “Net-a-Porter looks a lot like a glossy online fashion magazine but Mr Porter is largely black and white; more tabloid in tone; more vertically oriented; and features real men, role models who can also be style models, such as actor Steve McQueen and hotelier Andre Balazs, as well as lists of “essentials” every man needs.” Pe Financial Times.

Mr. Porter to test men’s urge to shop online – “The debut of Mr Porter, the biggest ever launch of a men’s luxury-goods website, will be closely watched by the fashion industry to see whether there are enough active male shoppers to support a fashion site… ‘We know there’s a demand for this,’ says Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet, ‘I don’t think shopping right now really appreciates the way men want to shop.’” In Wall Street Journal.

At Marc Jacobs, the show before the show – “‘Sometimes, I don’t know how we got from there to here,’ Mr. Duffy said, referring to the early days of his 27-year partnership with Mr. Jacobs, when the two of them constructed sets themselves and went around ‘with a tin cup’ to friends. ‘Nobody has any idea what it takes to do all this,’ he added.” In NY Times.

Tech pushes tradition into the 21st century – “Today the most audacious prints and jacquards are created by computers. Alexander McQueen used the technology for his dramatic ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ show in October 2009, and in his final collection of medieval-inspired jacquards… And during New York Fashion Week, many designers, including Narciso Rodriguez and Joseph Altuzarra, used computerized prints.” In NY Times.

Cinderella dreams, shoestring budget? No problem – “If consumers can rent a movie by mail, or wheels on a whim, why not a couture gown should the occasion strike? That’s the concept behind Rent the Runway, a website launched in November 2009 that promises to give ‘every woman the opportunity to be Cinderella for the night’.” In Wall Street Journal.

LVMH offers olive branch to Hermes – “Arnault struck a conciliatory note on Friday, arguing LVMH was best positioned to ensure the long-term survival of Hermès’ culture and business. ‘We can bring them a number of advantages both strategically and operationally without anything in return other than our presence as a shareholder.’” Pe Reuters.

Leading China’s voguish revolution – “China is shaping commerce, but Asia as a whole is inspiring aesthetics. There has been an ongoing East/West dialogue in fashion since Poiret in the Twenties, but it is again taking hold of the imagination in a manner not seen since the late Eighties.” In The Telegraph.

Manish Arora confirmed as Paco Rabanne creative director – “Manish Arora is the new creative director of Paco Rabanne, and will show his first collection for the label in October during Paris Fashion Week — for Spring 2012. He will also continue his colorful signature collection, which is also shown in Paris but sells mostly in his native India.” In Fashionologie.

„Less is more” is mattering most – “‘Why would you want to spend hundreds of thousands on a show when everybody’s on their BlackBerry and the clothes seem secondary… Intimacy, exclusivity and a chance to see the clothes: those are our priorities. We like exposure, but we want a more controlled exposure.’” In NY Times.

Mulberry designer Emma Hill has men’s accessories in the bag – “After a decade-long obsession with women’s ‘it’ bags, could men’s bags become the next powerhouse sellers for luxury brands? The likes of Brioni, Tom Ford and Zegna have recognised… an emerging market for men’s accessories.” Pe The Australian.

Online retailers discover the joy of journalism – “‘Mail-out magazines are a great way to create a shop floor for online retailers when they don’t have a physical space… Journalists have a different skill set. They know how to engage the readers, and engage communities of readers.’” In Financial Times.

Fairytales and furniture for Christian Lacroix – “Firstly, he has collaborated with the young, British author, Camilla Morton… by illustrating a fashion fantasy/fairytale… Equally romantic and fantastical will be Lacroix’s new furniture collection, which will be launched at the Milan Furniture Fair in April.” In The Telegraph.

CNN is back to covering fashion – “‘There is room for fashion in our coverage,’ Ms. Cho said… ‘Our viewers crave hard news. They want the headlines about Egypt. But we shouldn’t discount the fact there are other topics we can cover, and I don’t think it makes me any less of a journalist to cover fashion… Designers are thrilled to have CNN looking at them again.’” In NY Times.

What Harrods and Torres can do for Britain – “We do not have to stand helpless before people’s fear of foreigners. They can be persuaded. British businesses and universities have begun to make the case for a confident, forward-looking approach to the outside world. It is time the government did so too.” In Financial Times.

Women of Wang – “He’s built an approximately $25 million business on cool but benign day-into-night clothes for lithe, pragmatic downtown girls who all appear to work in galleries or PR… anything vaguely “creative.” Wang synthesized the street-style-blog-derived notion of looking like a “model off duty,” a louche fantasy of effortlessly sexy living if ever there was one.”In NY Magazine.

New star in the front row – “Vogue editors do not come along every day, except in China and India, where Western fashion magazines are new. Anna Wintour (American Vogue) and Franca Sozzani (Italian Vogue) have each held their jobs for 22 years; Alexandra Shulman, the chief of British Vogue, a little less. If anything, the cult of the editor has exploded in the last decade.” In NY Times.

The ‘in’ crowd – “Forget dictating the trends, these days brands are throwing the ball into the consumer’s court. Crowdsourcing – allowing your audience to decide on your product via social media, forums, and high-tech web customising programs – has become the buzz phrase in fashion.” In Financial Times.