Lectura de sambata dimineata

„Clothes matter: we care abut what we wear, and not caring is usually a sign of depression, madness or the resignation to our imminent death.

I don’t believe people who tell me that they are not interested in clothes or what they wear. I think they mean that they are not interested in fashion, and believe that following the trends is a waste of time. They look for comfort and a reasonable fit in the clothes they buy and that will do. But such an attitude lies on the surface. There is something shallow about asserting you don’t care about what you look like. Because in your heart of hearts you know it’s not true.

People want to look the best they can. They may not know how to find the clothes that fulfil this, they may regard th effort of doing so too daunting, they might be frightened of the necessary expense, they might argue that they have no occasion to wear such garments, or that they don’t go with their personalities. But it is simply untrue to say that if you take the average woman of average height and weight and income and wave a magic wand, fairy-godmother-style, and put her in a dress that makes her look beautiful, she will react with indifference. Only if she is clinically depressed. This average woman looks in the mirror and sees herself transformed. Sometimes it’s hard to live up to this person: the divide between the inside of your head with its private spaces, and how you are seen by others can be intimidating. But not because you don’t care. You care. We care about what we wear.”

Linda Grant, „In which a woman buys a pair of shoes”

Frumoasa introducere si explicatie, cuvinte care ma pun pe ganduri in weekendul asta ploios pe care il petrec acasa. Ma pun pe ganduri dupa experienta intalnirii a cateva zeci de femei, de toate varstele, la cursurile din tara. In ciuda tuturor diferentelor dintre ele, un lucru aveau in comun: dorinta de a fi mai frumoase cu ajutorul vesmintelor si certitudinea ca vor descoperi cum sa faca acest lucru impreuna cu mine.

Oh well, ce invitatie minunata de a fi parte din viata cuiva, nu-i asa… 🙂 Le multumesc asadar acestor fete si femei…  iar pe restul (nehotarate, curioase, sfioase, nestiutoare) le astept la ultimele doua cursuri din vara aceasta, la Brasov (in 26-27 mai) si Sibiu (2 si 3 iunie). Just send me an email.

Iar acum repede, pana nu se opreste ploaia, va las sa cititi ceva interesant la cafea, iar eu fug sa vizitez colectia de costume a doamnei Adina Nanu:

The buying game – “A luxury handbag by Stella McCartney worth £600 ($960) is the prize in an online game to design the best virtual outfit featuring the accessory, using real items on sale in Matches, a real store. Players of a game created by Fantasy Shopper will pick the winner.” In The Economist.

At Met’s Fashion Benefit, stars honor 2 designers – “Walking through the displays of ugly-chic dresses and slightly surreal designs in a new Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition that compares the designers Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, many guests at this year’s ultimate fashion gala on Monday night observed some surprising similarities between two women whose work is separated by half a century.” In NY Times.

A love story that sparked a fashion empire – “Mention the name Missoni, and most think of a fashion empire that revolutionized textile patterns, spawned the no-bra look on the catwalks, and is now a global brand that designs everything from sweaters to sheets to hotels. But none of it would have happened had it not been for the 1948 London Olympics, where one kind of flame sparked another between Rosita Jelmini and Ottavio Missoni.” Pe Reuters.

Curating a courtyard of cool – “10 Corso Como is a global cool hunting zone—a Milan-based art gallery, design depot, bookshop, publishing house, eatery and hangout for the chic elite who traipse through Italy’s fashion and design center.” In Wall Street Journal.

Richard Collasse: sold on brand Japan – “For the last 27 years, Richard Collasse has been the head of Chanel in Japan — though this French luxury goods guru is a questing author, too.” In Japan Times.

Stephen Jones: why 2012 is the year of the hat – “These days, if you want to see hats, you have to hunt them out. You have to go to a wedding, to the races, or maybe to a night club.” In The Telegraph.

Markets to give France a grace period, analysts say – “Of all the changes that have hit Europe during its long-running debt and economic crisis, a power shift in France, where François Hollande is preparing to take over as the country’s first Socialist president in 17 years, may prove to be one of the most significant.” In NY Times.

Tom Ford on family, fashion and film -“‘In general, I am the most comfortable and happy that I have ever been in my entire life. I feel very satisfied. It doesn’t mean I want to die tomorrow or anything, but I feel very much myself,’ he said. Here, a recap of some of the many opinions he shared with Mallis during a 100-minute conversation in front of a sell-out crowd.” In WWD.

Pairing fashion sense with business sense – “The exercise was part of an unusual collaboration between New York University’s Stern School of Business and the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s two-year-old Fashion Incubator program, which gives emerging designer labels mentoring from established fashion executives and designers, networking opportunities and office space in New York’s garment district.” In WSJ

Francisco Costa – “For the last nine years, or 18 seasons, as women’s creative director at Calvin Klein Collection, 47-year-old Francisco Costa has simultaneously managed to preserve one of the most iconic brands in fashion—one that has proven to the world that Americans can be spare, chic, and sexy right alongside their European counterparts.”  In Interview.

The first IT bag – “Since Silvia Venturini Fendi designed the first Baguette bag in 1997 there have been around 1,000 versions. Here the brand’s creative director in charge of accessories tells Carola Long how it created a fashion frenzy.” In Financial Times.

Bags to riches: Anya Hindmarch – “Anya Hindmarch, an attractive woman and designer of desirable handbags and accessories, but one imbued with a political conviction as profound as the determination that has made her head of an expanding international business, with 54 shops worldwide and an annual turnover well in excess of £20 million.” In The Telegraph.