Lectura de sambata dimineata

Nu mi s-a mai intamplat de mult timp sa traiesc paradoxuri legate de timp. In saptamana care a trecut am avut atat de mult de lucru, atatea ganduri si emotii, incat am trait senzatia ca timpul s-a contractat: „imposibil sa fi fost 5 zile, poate vreo 2 si jumatate…”

Ieri, in schimb, timpul s-a dilatat brusc, cand mi-am dat seama ca: am implinit varsta perfecta si potrivita pentru etapa in care sunt in viata; anul care a trecut mi-a adus in viata numai oameni frumosi, cu suflete mari care m-au imbogatit; ca toate urarile pe care le-am primit au fost facute din inima si ca nu exista nici un motiv pentru care ele nu s-ar putea implini (ceva mai problematica cina la lumina lumanarilor cu Clive Owen, dar anyway… cautam inlocuitor 🙂 ); ca de fapt viata e simpla si usoara, atunci cand nu te bucuri de prezent si de ceea ce ai, in loc sa te frustrezi din cauza a ceea ce nu poti obtine.

Ce am scris suna foarte a discurs de Oscar, cand de fapt vroiam doar sa va spun „merci” – ca imi cititi blogul, ca ma lasati sa intru in viata voastra, ca m-ati urat (aici lista e lunga, incep cu mama si tata, Oriana, Andreea, Ioana, Alex, Lucia, Ana Maria – vezi poza?, Carmen B si Carmen G, Alina, Daniela, multe Ane, Mihaele, Cristine, cateva Roxane, plus Laura, Adina, Paula, Ina, Rodica, ma opresc aici…) ca mi-ati adus flori, trimis fotografii si emailuri, samd. Iar pentru ca discursul sa sune mai convingator, voila! mi-am pregatit si rochia…

Without further ado, castigatorii de saptamana aceasta sunt:

The top 10 on the runway – “A top 10 list from the Spring 2011 shows. Milan and Paris dominate the list, as they do the world of fashion and luxury production, but the highlights include both fashion’s heavyweights and some surprises.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Spring, fashion’s operatic season – “The season was the powerful game changer that retailers and editors have been hoping for — if only to give customers a new reason to shop. The longer skirt lengths and more forgiving jacket cuts with looser shoulders.. are easier to wear, and sell.” In NY Times.

Gap rebrands itself into oblivion – “After dominating the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gap has dropped its iconic logo in favor of something that looks like it cost $17 from an old Microsoft Word clipart gallery.” Pe Brand Channel.

Web-bargain luxury comes to Japan – „For decades, the model for selling luxury imported goods in Japan has been simple: plush surroundings, attentive service—and the „Japan premium.” Taking advantage of the luxury-goods appetite and high incomes of Japanese consumers, foreign high-end retailers have been able to charge much more than in other markets for the same goods.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Real women elbows girls off the catwalk – “Designers no longer want to show underage girls who are not yet women… There is a move back towards mature, confident women, who are afraid of nothing and who are comfortable in what they are wearing.” Pe AFP.

Runway, then shop doorways – „ONLY in Paris can you find an H & M store designed by Jean Nouvel. Even a fast-fashion retailer needs to dress up a little when parking a flagship on the Champs-Élysées, as H & M did this week.” In NY Times.

Behind the brand: the golden fleece – „UGG Australia has a tangled history that includes trademark disputes and the appropriation of a national industry. Yet with first-quarter revenue of $100 million, the polarizing footwear company is sitting pretty.” In WSJ Magazine.

Giles Deacon’s Ungaro debut – “Deacon, who became creative director of this grand French fashion house in spring this year, said he wanted to take it back to its distinctly French roots – and he has done just that.” In The Independent.

Call it a victory for maturity – “It’s worth keeping in mind that Azzedine Alaïa and Karl Lagerfeld are doing some of their best work past age 70… Indeed, maturity in fashion, as Hussein Chalayan suggested, ‘is knowing exactly what you need and doing it really well.’” Tot pe NY Times.

The world most powerful women – „They are heads of state and first ladies, bankers and cultural icons, CEOs and athletes. A fresh look at power and creative influence.” Lista anuala publicata de Forbes.

On message and on the screen – “This kind of cerebral and visual imagination makes a Hussein Chalayan fashion movie an ideal way of transmitting the designer’s thoughts and feelings in a poetic, but practical, way.” In NY Times.

Optimistic feeling as rich buyers return – “Optimism is in the air at fashion houses Christian Dior and Lanvin… Consumption is back in Europe… and the market has picked up again in Russia. There was a time when our affluent clients did not want to spend, but now it is over.” Scrie Reuters…

In bloom: Miu Miu comes of age – „“After living in Prada’s shadow for years, the label is finding that its moves to carve out an independent identity have paid off… [Sales at Miu Miu] have more than doubled in the past four years.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Women designers and the quiet revolution – “From Phoebe Philo at Céline to Stella McCartney to Hannah MacGibbon at Chloé, women designers are at the forefront of fashion right now… When women design clothes for women, they do it differently. For women, clothes are not just seen, they are felt from the inside.” In The Guardian Weekend.