Lectura de sambata dimineata

Faza ieri: pus pe Facebook fotografia acestor pantofi glittering de aurii ce sunt, cu legenda „Ii vreau. Acum”.  Nu numai ca poza cu pricina a primit zeci de like-uri, dar a dat nastere unei discutii despre puterea atractiei. Nu a seductiei (desi si asta ar fi putut fi discutata avand in vedere the said shoes) , ci despre cum intra lucrurile, oamenii si evenimentele in viata noastra atunci cand ni le dorim cu adevarat.

Pe acelasi principiu, pe la inceputul lui septembrie ma gandeam: ” hmmm vreau multe proiecte, vreau varietate, vreau sa cunosc oameni noi…”  Si pentru ca universul e generos si ne da exact ceea ce ne dorim (vezi si proverbul cu ai grija ce iti doresti… dar trebuie sa si muncesti ca sa primesti), calendarul meu de lucru mai e putin si explodeaza: weekendul urmator tin cursul meu de stil (mai sunt 2 locuri libere, girls!), am trei proiecte diferite in derulare cu Baneasa Shopping City (care implica si stilism, si consultanta, si organizare), pregatesc un training si un manual de imagine profesionala pentru o banca, voi face buying si PR pentru un magazin care inca nu s-a deschis dar care va fi spectaculos-fabulos cand se va deschide … si mai e putin si vine Craciunul…

Asadar… Dream big, fetelor. Aim high. Work for it. Ask and wish for it. Be patient. La un moment dat, se va intampla, acel ceva sau cineva pe care il doriti apare. Astea fiind spuse, let’s crack on with the show, sa trecem la citit.

Prabal Gurung: the red carpet’s new darling – “You may not recognise the name, but we’re sure you will have seen one of Prabal Gurung’s designs before. The New York based designer has slipped under the radar for a few years now, but he is finally having his moment in the limelight… It has only been in the last twelve months that celebrities have been clambering over themselves to wear Gurung on the red carpet.” In The Telegraph.

The discreet charm of Akris – „“Perhaps it is Kriemler’s understated, reluctant approach to anything overt or loud—fashionable or otherwise—that attracts women as powerful and talented as Condoleezza Rice, Angelina Jolie, Susan Sarandon and Nicole Kidman to his clothes… Kriemler works extensively with artisans from Akris’s hometown of St. Gallen. The town is renown in the business for its skilled craftsmanship in linen, cotton and embroidered fabrics, and has long been a focus for fashion houses including Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Giorgio Armani. Akris has proper form and heritage, too.” In Wall Street Journal.

Retail site raids a big closet – „Since its debut in February, Moda Operandi, the online retailer that sells designer clothes right off the runway, has become a surprise competitor on the lucrative trunk-show circuit. Now the site is becoming a competitor to traditional department stores and magazines for personnel, as well. Roopal Patel, a longtime executive in the fashion offices of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, will join Moda Operandi this month as its fashion director. And Taylor Tomasi Hill, formerly the style and accessories director of Marie Claire, will become its artistic director.” In NY Times.

Oscar de la Renta cu launch F-commerce – “Oscar de la Renta is the first luxury brand to launch a Facebook commerce, or F-commerce, initiative contained entirely on the social medium where it has over 283,000 followers… It is the first to offer a commerce experience from beginning to end without leaving Facebook. In fact, the whole transaction can be done either on a tab on the brand’s page or, if the user prefers, without even leaving his or her newsfeed.” In WWD.

A sweeping winter statement– „Several fashion labels went long for the women’s overcoats in their Fall/Winter 2011 collections. Long as in way below the knees. In the more extreme versions, the coats approach or reach floor-length.  The coats are dramatic, in a regal, Victorian-era way, even sweeping. ” In Wall Street Journal.

Three ways digital innovation can make luxury brands exclusive again – “Luxury brand marketing must preserve exclusivity — on that we can agree. But successful luxury brand marketing today must also put the ‘e’ in experience… Luxury consumers in this economy are more interested in whether a luxury product is ‘worth it,’ and that all depends on the experience. While protecting brand exclusivity is a viable concern, such digital and new media tools offer inestimable opportunities to market luxury brand experiences.” Pe Mashable.

Gareth Pugh: his dark materials – “‘She’s very beautiful. But she looks like she might kill you,’ says Gareth Pugh of model Alla Kostromichova, the lovely if admittedly somewhat intimidating face of his soon-to-launch, limited-edition line of make-up and accessories, designed in collaboration with Mac. And that just about sums up not only the designer’s aesthetic more broadly, but also this latest venture.” In The Independent.

The great pantyhose debate –  „L’eggs is gearing up for a profitable 2012 with a new brand strategy (by repositioning the traditional women’s hosiery as smoothing undergarments meant to increase confidence) that hopes to hook a whole new generation.” In Forbes.

From sci-fi to bows: a shoe maverick – „”That, to me now, seems like the new new,” he says. He predicts platform shoes will disappear from runway shows in another season. Finding the new new is essential to Mr. Kirkwood, whose goal in life is frankly stated on his Facebook page: to be „the next Christian Louboutin.” In Wall Street Journal.

Upcoming Zappos iPad app mimics a fashion magazine – “The new black this fall: Retailers producing content alongside their products, like an online version of a glossy fashion magazine. Zappos expects to launch its first attempt at recreating the catalog experience on the iPad in early December, just in time for the holidays… Instead of being generally available in iTunes, the Zappos app will be found on Apple’s Newsstand, which organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions for those who use iOS 5. It will be free; a new edition will appear monthly.” In All Things Digital.

PPR set to buy menswear brand Brioni – “PPR, the French luxury goods group, has confirmed it will acquire Brioni, the Italian high end men’s wear group that has dressed Vladimir Putin and the fictional character James Bond in several movie outings. In a statement on Tuesday, PPR said it would be buying 100 per cent of the family owned group for an undisclosed sum… PPR is reorienting and expanding its business in two segments: luxury, which includes Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta; and lifestyle, which consists mainly of a majority stake in Puma, the German sportswear company.” In Financial Times.

Just relax, then buy more and pay more for it – „A recent study in the Journal of Marketing Research found that relaxed shoppers were willing to pay up to 15% more for goods than less-relaxed ones. After a few minutes of soothing music or a few sips of free cappuccino, your brain gets the message that there’s no reason to be on alert…” In Wall Street Journal.

The 3 musketeers of Conde Nast ride again – „“Graydon, Anna and David have their other projects, of course.For the last few years, these three have been targets of some whispered criticism in the media world: How much time do they actually devote to editing their magazines anymore? Are these editors, a combined 55 years into their jobs, starting to get a little bored? Are their best days behind them?  Apparently not. The three are having career years — or at least years that should go down as All-Star seasons on their Hall of Fame plaques.” In WWD.

A fashion designer’s second act – „“When Hedi Slimane stepped down as artistic director at Dior Homme in 2007, Fashion Wire Daily summed up his tenure this way: ‘Slimane leaves Dior with the well-earned reputation as the single most influential men’s designer this century, the most copied of his peers and the only one to achieve the status of a rock star.’… But Mr. Slimane seems to have left fashion behind with nary a second thought, reinventing himself as a photographer in the past few years, one who has produced an array of strikingly intimate portraits, nearly all of them black and white.” In NY Times.