Lectura de sambata dimineata

In fiecare an, nu stiu cum se face, dar primavara ne ia prin surprindere. La fel cum te face sa tresari un coup de foudre („thunderbolt city!”, cum zice o cunostinta de-a mea) sau o pala brusca de vant care iti ridica fusta. In cazul meu, surpriza a venit pentru ca am muncit prea mult, iar cand in sfarsit am ridicat ochii din laptop, cand am iesit din mall-uri si sali de conferinta, am descoperit ca afara pomii incep sa inverzeasca, copiii inalta zmeie, bunicii se plimba de mana prin parcuri, iar terasele se umplu de femei cu ochelari de soare.

Nah, si ce e de facut, daca nu sa ne bucuram? Sa lasam evaluarea de garderoba pentru primul weekend ploios (sper sa fie urmatorul, pentru ca plec la Iasi, tin si acolo un curs de stil – si btw, mai exista cateva locuri libere!), sa ne imbracam multicolor si in fuste, sa ne ridicam parul in cocuri, sa revenim la balerini si la picioare goale, sa citim pe o banca, sa trecem in fuga pe la Ab Fab maine (in fuga, pentru ca vremea e mult prea frumoasa), sa ne indragostim!

V-am pregatit si cateva ceva de citit, aproape ca uitasem de asta din cauza soarelui si cafelei, ambele perfecte in dimineata asta…

The body language of designers – “The way in which a designer appears at the end of their show can often attract as much attention as the collection itself. Body language is a non-verbal way of communicating with the rest of the world – according to psychologists, human communication is 20% verbal and as much as 80% non-verbal.” In AnOther.

The beleagured art of fashion criticism – “There was a time when fashion designers feared the critics who populated the front rows of their fashion shows. A bad review could mean a collection was ignored by the fashion magazines. Stores might turn elsewhere for the clothes to fill their racks next season.” In The Star.

The fairest of them all – „A series of Hollywood films based on classic tales is putting fairy tale fashion in the spotlight. The grand, bullion-encrusted capes shown for autumn/winter at Dolce & Gabbana, Versace’s slinky chainmail evening dresses and the ravaged rococo ballgowns at Giles in London could slip seamlessly into these films, give or take a smattering of medieval-inspired embroidery and the odd hint of armour.” In Financial Times.

Relevance proves its worth – “Stefano Pilati has given his last showfor Yves Saint Laurent, a seven-year journey of triumphs and flops that ended on Monday evening with a respectful ovation led by his boss, François-Henri Pinault, chairman of PPR. Mr. Pinault stood between his wife, the actress Salma Hayek, and the YSL muse extraordinaire, Catherine Deneuve.” In International Herald Tribune.

A decade of elegance for gifted Elbaz at Lanvin – “How good it was to see Alber Elbaz celebrating his 10th anniversary at the helm of Lanvin. If ever proof were needed that, long term, the loudest noise is made by the most talented designers, and that their skill is more important than any slick marketing and/or money-spinning licensing and accessories, it lies here.” In The Independent.

Italy tax twists throws luxury market in disarray – „Jeweller Mattia Cielo opened his exclusive boutique on top Italian luxury street Via Montenapoleone last October, only to see the flow of clients peter out after the government curbed the use of cash. So when Rome bowed to pressure and scrapped the 1,000-euro ($1,300) limit on cash use by foreigners after only eight weeks, Cielo uncorked a bottle of champagne in celebration.” Pe Reuters.

The skins he lives in – “Given that he grew up with a tannery in his backyard, it’s not surprising that Ethan Koh has made a career out of leather… Mr. Koh is the fourth generation of a family that has been working with leather since the 1900s, when his great-grandfather picked up exotic-skin tanning from the British, erstwhile rulers of Singapore.” In Wall Street Journal.

Is JCPenney’s makeover the future of retailing? – “Ron Johnson’s latest undertaking has the makings of a perfect business school case study. As the new CEO of J.C. Penney he’s charged with transforming an aging department store chain with lagging market share.” In HBS Working Knowledge.

Franca Sozzani – “Franca Sozzani, the powerhouse behind Italian Vogue, has made a singular mark on the world of fashion over the last 30 years. After serving as an editor at both Vogue Bambini and the influential Italian fashion magazine Lei, Sozzani took over Italian Vogue in 1987, and has transformed the magazine into a platform for celebrating the power of the image and of photography.” In Interview

The closet question: who would wear this stuff? – “Yes, ‘Fashion Star’ is another competition show for up-and-coming designers, but a couple of twists set it apart. The biggest is that it puts front and center the question any layman has when peering into the high-fashion world: ‘Who besides a supermodel would ever wear this stuff?’” In NY Times.

The reality of „Fashion Star” – “Fashion and entertainment is nothing new.But add commerce into the mix and you’ve got the novel ingredients for “Fashion Star,” the latest entry in the fashion-reality genre that made its debut on NBC Tuesday. Unlike some of its predecessors, this show landed with a concept that was compelling — too bad the clothes weren’t.” In WWD.