Lectura de sambata dimineata

Am in fata un weekend perfect: incarcat de soare si caldura (chiar daca in zori de zi a plouat torential), cu o dimineata presarata cu parfum de trandafiri de gradina si gust de capsuni, pahare reci de limonada roz, plimbari printr-un parc si ales asternuturi in carouri si flori, pentru ca dupa-amiezele sa insemne tenis, mult alb, carti si muzica in urechi, iar serile se termina cu inghetata, stralucire de lumanari, pisici pufoase si Marele Gatsby.

Intre toate astea, ne scufundam cateva minute si in lumea modei…

Serving an ace on the courts – „How is a designer to gain „style cut-through” in a sport in which you are essentially trying to create something that looks good from all angles (even the indelicate ones), at all paces, in all weathers?” In Wall Street Journal.

In the money! – “The changes are more profound than just strong sales figures, which, in the end, will be counterbalanced by weak numbers from other regions and financial fears about the euro zone. Italian fashion is undergoing the change from successful family-owned brands to multinational conglomerates.” In International Herald Tribune.

The prom dress is moving into the designer league –  (felicitari Mariei Luciei Hohan!) „Caroline and Philippa McCully, identical twin sisters who grew up shuttling between Lattingtown, N.Y., and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, are also wearing Yves Saint Laurent Tribute sandals to their prom at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn. They both ordered custom dresses online from Maria Lucia Hohan, costing $709 and $860 respectively and paid for by their father.” In NY Times.

The house that loafers built – “The chairman and CEO of Tod’s has made the Gommino, as the loafer is called, as iconic as Hermes’ Birkin bag or Chanel’s tweed jacket… Mr. Della Valle runs Tod’s, Hogan (famous for its sneakers), Roger Vivier and Fay (a ready to wear label). He also owns a significant interest in the American retail chain Saks Fifth Avenue.” In Forbes.com

World of Alice Temperley, fashion designer – „This year she is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her label, Temperley London. The company produces four collections a year, sold in four stand-alone stores in London, New York, Los Angeles and Dubai, and an additional 300 stores in 37 countries.” In The Telegraph.

Olympics ahoy! – “Love of sport was once seen as the male equivalent of a woman’s passion for fashion. But now sport itself — riding, tennis or fencing — is the heart of fashion. The Olympics next year seem to have energized Milan men’s wear for spring/summer 2012.” In NY Times.

Goodbye, size zero; hello, normality! – „Size zero could be banished to the back of the closet under plans to encourage future Alexander McQueens to design clothes for real women. UK fashion students will have to use size 18 mannequins under a government-backed proposal to be unveiled next month.” In The Independent. 

Meet the blogger who’s doing battle with a fashion giant – „Rachel Kane’s legal fight with Forever 21 has overtones of David vs. Goliath. Only in this version, David has a domain name instead of a slingshot and Goliath is wearing pegged jeans and a bedazzled fedora.” In Forbes.com

The serious business  of pretty pink things – “Pink. Plastic. These adjectives aren’t usually applied to fashionable jewelry. But Tarina Tarantino has changed that. With stores in Milan, Los Angeles and New York, she is the haute designer of playful jewelry for grown women.” In Wall Street Journal.

Bargains on flash sale sites serve a long-range view – “Flash sale Web sites, a thriving e-commerce trend to promote limited-time sales, started as a way for brands to unload excess inventory… But now they have become something else: a way to advertise and find new customers, many of whom visit the sites of the brands and buy full-price merchandise soon after the sales.” In NY Times.

The joys of vintage – „An old dress worn right will evoke a film, a photograph, or a painting. An old dress that suits your anatomy will make your body sing, curving over your hips, cupping your breasts, encircling your waist in a way that only amazingly cut and sewn fabric can.” In The Telegraph.

One green bottle: meet the brains and noses behind Chanel no.19 – „It is well-known, after all, that it is the multi-billion pound fragrance arm that drives a brand, over and above the more rarefied fashion and even accessories, even though the privately owned house of Chanel does rather well with these, too. Polge, in charge of Parfums Chanel since 1979, is the brains behind Coco, Coco Mademoiselle, Allure, Chance and the Les Exclusifs series, to name just a few.” In The Independent.