Lectura de sambata dimineata

Treizeci si cinci de zile pline au zburat deja din noul an, iar pana acum numai lucruri frumoase s-au intamplat: am pus pe picioare proiecte, ma tin de rezolutii, nu mai spun „da, dar…”, visez licurici, buburuze, clatite cu inghetata si confetti colorate, soarele straluceste chiar daca e frig, si mi-am cumparat o fusta lunga de culoarea piersicilor. In plus, dintr-un motiv poate sentimental, definitely romantic, Februarie e una din lunile mele preferate, fara legatura cu Valentine’s Day. 🙂

Inainte sa va las sa cititi linkurile zilei, nu uitati ca in acest weekend are loc targul Absolutely Fabulous, merita sa trageti o fuga!

Retailers turn lunar new year into shopping spree – “‘Without question, we’re seeing a shift as years go by to more commercial activation around the major holidays… Retailers understand that it has worked for Christmas and it’ll probably work with Chinese New Year as well.’” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Meet Bill Cuningham, the original street style photographer – “Decades before The Sartorialist and Tommy Ton, Bill Cunningham was photographing street fashions. Now an incredible new documentary ‘Bill Cunningham New York’ tells his life story.” In The Telegraph.

Engaging the millenial: AR and the wired generation – “Millennials have grown up linked by BlackBerries, Androids, IPhones, computers, IPods, and video games. This is the generation of Wii, Facebook, Twitter, free downloads, access to just about everything. How do luxury brands engage these mindsets?” Pe Luxist.

What your legs say about you – „Hosiery used to be boring. Stylish women virtually dropped it in recent years, opting for bare legs and careful pedicures. But now, tights and stockings are exploding into fashion, with a rainbow of brilliant hues and eclectic patterns.” In Wall Street Journal.

A brand where storytelling is part of the design – „“I tried to capture some of the textures of the forest, of the mossy trees and the snakes and all that,” Ms. Uurasjarvi said, pulling out a cream-colored leather jacket with paillettes rippling across the chest. She then moved on to a sherbet-toned maxi-dress. “This is just a shock of color,” she said. “In the middle of the day, there are these vibrant rainbow colors in the sky right before the rain comes.” A camel-colored suede bolero sported a leopard-printed lining.” Pe NY Times.

Japan’s young generation closes „luxury” wallet – “As a result of its economic collapse, Japan’s per-head spending has radically declined – a trend that market researchers at Euromonitor think will continue – with the luxury market being particularly affected, having shrunk by 23 percent between 2006 and 2010.” In The Independent.

This old thing? Actually, it’s new – “‘People used to laugh at me when I tried to sell these kinds of clothes when I started’… said Alicia Estrada, 39, founder and chief executive of Stop Staring!… the pioneer in reproduction vintage clothing. ‘Now my clothes are sold in 40 countries and more than 1,000 boutiques.’” In NY Times.

Dipped in gold, China will be world’s top luxury market by 2020 – “Rising affluence after years of solid wealth creation, and a steady transition from a saving to a spending culture will see China become the world’s largest luxury goods market over the next decade.” Pe Reuters.

Jewelry: unzip the bling – “A tour of the Place Vendôme on ‘Jewelry day’ last week showed that there were two contrasting themes that echo the wider world: technology and nature. For high jewelry, made almost entirely by hand, technology is still part of the process, as computers are used to develop images and calculate geometric patterns.” Pe International Herald Tribune.

How Chanel sells itself in China –  “For prospective Chinese customers who missed seeing French actress Audrey Tautou in the 2009 film ‘Coco Before Chanel,’ the foundations of the House of Chanel may be as ambiguous as the brand name is in Mandarin — Xiang Nai Er, which means little more than ‘fragrant’ in English.” In Wall Street Journal.

A passion for fashion –  „We follow this designer in the run-up to his 2008 show at Bryant Park, complete with borrowed accessories and fully owned financial woes. As he chooses models and suffers a last-minute loss of his showroom (homelessness is a recurring theme), fashion industry notables pop up to pontificate and advise.” In NY Times.

Is it curtains for changing rooms? – “The problem is I can just never tell whether the outfits that look so alluring online will look good on me, because I can’t try them on. And I’m not alone… between 15 and 40 per cent of clothes (different stores have different rates) bought online are returned.” In The Independent.

The cat in the hat comes back – “The hat went the way of the dodo. Social historians are divided about the cause of the sartorial die-off, although an often repeated canard attributes it to President Kennedy and his rarely covered thatch of luxuriant hair.” In NY Times.