Lectura de sambata dimineata

The days are long, but the years are short.

A inceput numaratoarea inversa spre Craciun, dragele mele fete, si as zice ca va gasiti in cel mai bun moment pentru a va evalua anul care a trecut.  De ce sa mai asteptati inca o 30 de zile?

Daca o faceti acum, mai aveti inca 30 de zile in care sa bifati din lucrurile pe care le aveati pe lista – din cap, din suflet, de pe hartie:  sa cititi o carte, sa mergeti la un concert de muzica clasica, sa plantati o floare, sa gatiti un fel nou de mancare, sa renuntati la dulciuri, sa va intalniti cu cea mai draga prietena, sa va inchideti laptopul in fiecare seara la ora 8, let it go (whatever IT is!), sa zambiti, sa va schimbati cerceii, sa purtati tocuri, sa purtati o rochie, sa va luati vitaminele, sa beti apa, sa va platiti facturile restante, sa faceti o asigurare de viata, sa fiti mature, sa fiti copilaroase, sa va cumparati o portjartiera, sa faceti ordine pe birou, sa va lasati de fumat, sa donati sange, sa aveti rabdare in trafic, sa imbratisati pe cineva, sa beti un ceai in liniste, sa scrieti o carte… Voi ce (mai) aveti pe lista?

Sfatul meu? Nu ca mi l-ati fi cerut or anything, dar daca tot sunteti aici…  Cultivati-va. Nu neaparat in sensul de eruditie (desi este minunata) si in nici un caz cu emfaza. Faceti cate ceva, in fiecare zi, pentru ca sa fiti mandre de voi peste ceva timp. Descoperiti-va o pasiune, exersati-va creativitatea, exersati-va empatia, bunatatea, generozitatea sau umanitatea, incepeti sa fiti cine va doriti voi cel mai mult sa fiti.  Faceti lucrurile astea cu discretie, nu va laudati cu ele pe vreun blog sau pe Facebook (asa devin doar laudarosenie, si se duce naibii toata treaba). Evolutia sau imbunatatirea va fi cu atat mai frumos si bine observata, cu cat nu este batatoare la ochi. Vorba cantecului, „and trust me on the sunscreen”.

Si pentru ca saptamana trecuta nu am avut timp sa postez recomandari de lectura, ma voi revansa astazi, cu mai multe. Enjoy!

Heel highs times tweets? – “The 1920s notion of a “hemline index,” in which the economist George Taylor posited that skirt lengths rise and fall in relation to the economy, suggests that fashion is socially determined. In a modern twist, a report about the direction of high heels, issued by I.B.M., proposes that fashion can now be determined through social media.” In NY Times.

Anatomy of a Maison – “In the Medieval age, the sight of a towering spire signalled a city of splendour. Today, it is cathedrals of retailing that indicate metropolitan status in the global pecking order. The December 3 opening, not of another Louis Vuitton store – there are already 460 of those worldwide – but of a much grander Louis Vuitton ‘Maison’ (of which there are just 13) proves Sydney must be a very smart town indeed.” In AFR.

Fashion’s new frontier for social media – “The fashion industry is quickly learning that men and women engage and shop differently in the digital sphere. Brands and retailers such as Coach, Mr Porter, Gilt Man, Ben Minkoff, John Varvatos and Ermenegildo Zegna have spent a lot of time studying the differences between the ways men and women approach fashion, tapping into their male audiences with a host of initiatives they feel will resonate best with their target consumer.” In WWD.

Don we now our gay apparel – „There are many ways to approach Christmas party dressing. The first, and my favorite, is simply not to attend any parties over the festive season. But presupposing that you are less antisocial than me, I’m going to discuss three possibilities—with the caveat that the holidays are riven with all sorts of seemingly insoluble wardrobe challenges.” In Wall Street Journal.

A new frontier for big brands – “In Paris, at 23 Place Vendôme next year, Louis Vuitton will open the first boutique dedicated to its fine jewellery. It is a significant move for the industry… As is usual with Louis Vuitton, a decision by the world’s most successful luxury brand to make a decisive step into a new market is a signal of shifts in the industry… But expectations are that jewellery’s switch from a predominantly craft market to a new frontier for big brands is under way.” In Financial Times.

How the uncertain economy is changing the definition of luxury – “With the emergence of new wealthy consumers from the BRIC countries and the economic downturn for most nations outside of the BRIC superfecta in the past few years, luxury has taken on a multitude of new meanings. No longer does it exclusively equate to expensive products that are mostly of French or Swiss origins.” In Forbes.

The insider’s outsider – „Dries Van Noten has built a booming business much to the envy of the fashion industry. How an idiosyncratic Belgian designer with particular notions about the way men and women should dress is quietly beating the big corporate conglomerates at their own game.” In WSJ Magazine.

Abraham Moon: the name on everybody’s lips and labels – “Over the past few years everyone from Ralph Lauren to Dolce & Gabbana has descended on the place… The thing that draws them is a 174-year-old woollen mill in a sprawl of sooty Victorian stone buildings either side of the Netherfield Road. There etched on to a black vitreous panel by the entrance are the words Abm Moon & Sons Ltd.” In The Telegraph.

Future classic – „How does a storied French accessories house go about designing a new iconic look?  For Bruno Frisoni of Roger Vivier it’s taken four years and a lot of geometry.” In WSJ Magazine.

World’s biggest brands invest in The Fancy – „“The Fancy, one of the consumer facing projects under the thingd umbrella, has secured a $10 million round of financing at a valuation north of $100 million. Interestingly, the big bucks don’t come from a typical venture investor, but from a new lead investor PPR, the $16 billion French multi-national run by Francois Henri-Pinault, which owns the globe’s biggest fashion brands… The Fancy is about visual discovery and has become a natural home for fashion brands, which see a high level of engagement from tastemakers around their goods.” In BetaBeat.

Putting the hot back in hotel – „A lobby full of trendsetters can make a hotel chic, but luring them in is easier said than done. W Hotels is looking to Jenné Lombardo, a fashion insider, to help it recapture cutting-edge cachet in the fashion industry. ” In Wall Street Journal.

Elle Macpherson: the brains behind The Body – “Macpherson insists that the financial revelation that struck in her early-to-mid twenties was her own, unprompted by some agent… . It came, she says, after ‘working for Sports Illustrated for so many years, and recognising that working for a business in which I did not have a profit share was not attractive’.” In The Telegraph.

Soap, shampoo, toothpaste: pitching the gift of  hygiene – „Packaged gift sets of personal-care products such as shampoos and toothpaste are increasingly being sold as accessible luxuries—and an easy present for your cousin or dog walker. ” In Wall Street Journal.

They shoot fashion, don’t they? – „“The fascination with the spectacle of fashion that McQueen (amongst other designers) brought to the catwalk arena lies at the purposeful core and messages of the exhibition. If one may doubt the intentions behind exhibiting clothes and photos related to the current phenomenon that is the catwalk fashion show, the clever irony of such a display is certainly not lost on those that see the mirroring value and critique of celebrity and glamour in the same way that Pollack or McQueen did.” In Huffington Post.

J’s Crew – „As its men’s empire expands, the co-branding pioneer rolls with a growing gang of special outfitters. Feeling more like individual boutiques than J. Crew’s integrated stores, the spaces are stylized, site-specific environments. They are filled with not only the brand’s merchandise but antique furniture, inspiration books plucked from the designer’s offices and exclusive collaborations with little-known labels. ” In Wall Street Journal.