Lectura din dimineata de weekend

A fost o saptamana turbata, cu traininguri corporate si evenimente de seara, cu un drum la Cluj si azi unul la Constanta, cu interviuri si personal shoppping. Ar trebui sa o scriu cu caps lock, dar ma abtin.

In cazul meu, primavara aduce cu ea nu doar soare, buna dispozitie si un suflu nou de energie, dar si rochii, culori, imprimeuri, lungimi noi, care dau femeilor care ma cauta scurte crize de panica, creaza mici drame vestimentare, le debusoleaza, dezorienteaza, deprima.

Unele dileme le rezolvam prin telefon sau la o discutie in fata dulapului. Pe altele, cele serioase, le rezolvam in timp, cu personal shopping, evaluare de garderoba, recomandari cromatice si de stil…

In sfarsit, pe cele care nu ma cunosc (inca) si nu ma pot suna sau pe cele care pur si simplu vor sa invete sa se imbrace frumos, bine, cu personalitate sau aplomb sau feminitate, le invit sa vina la cursurile mele. In Bucuresti sau in tara, aici gasiti detaliile.

Si pentru ca veni vorba de stil, am gasit in Harper’s Bazaar Guide to Personal Style urmatoarele paragrafe:

„A sense of rightness. That may be as good a definition of style as any. Much like listening to a great piece of music, bearing witness to style can take you to unexpected places. It’s a journey that could take you from the eccentricity of the late Isabella Blow and her penchant ofr lobster hats to the rigorous austerity of Wallis Simpson. Or from the edgy prettiness of Alexa Chung to the funky sleekness of Tory Burch. And no matter the exact spot, it leaves you satisfied with its internal logic.

If that sounds elusive, bear with me. Style is elusive. Sometimes it’s easier defined what it is not. It isnt’ the same as being well-dressed, which is a worthy but less exalted state that can be achieved via a personal stylist. It’s different from being chic, which, while a laudable and enviable trait, implies a certain severity and strictness (it is a french invention, after all).
Certain women – Katherine Hepburn and Coco Chanel come to mind – can sometimes posses both. More intriguingly still, style has nothing to do with conventional beauty. Diana Vreeland, the legendary fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar, was, even by her loved one’s estimation, a jolie-laide. Although great style can trick you into thinking otherwise. And while many fashionable women aren’t necesarilly stylish, stylish women always look fashionable somehow. Those like Chloe Sevigny, Kate Moss and the late Nan Kempner, who use fashion as their gateway to style, always keep in mind what flatters their bodies and don’t follow trends slavishly.”

PS:  Profit de ocazie ca sa anunt si castigatoarea concursului Books Express (pe care ar fi trebuit sa o anunt de vineri, but there you go, ziua mea nu are decat 24 de ore). Asadar, cartea despre Dior merge la …intrarea nr. 9 in concurs, Ioana Barbu –  felicitari Ioana, o sa iubesti si o sa apreciezi cartea asta! Te rog verifica-ti emailul in zilele urmatoare 🙂

Tuturor celorlalte va multumesc ca iubiti cartile si moda, pregatiti-va pentru urmatoarea carte, va fi o minune despre bijuterii!

And now, on with the show…

Paris Haute Couture: Olivier Saillard & Anne Zazzo – Nothing about the fashion industry makes us dream like haute couture does. Extremely precise yet outstandingly creative, this discipline oozes magic. Olivier Saillard – director of the renowned Musée Galliéra in Paris – and Anne Zazzo – art historian and curator – believe its evolution will only take it to new heights. Together, they have written a book and curated an exhibition (both titled Paris Haute Couture, supported by Swarovski) exploring its history from Poiret to Saint Laurent, and its fascinating prospective. In AnOther Magazine.

It’s Valentino’s name, but their vision – „Replacing any designer is like walking a tightrope; replacing Mr. Garavani is like walking on a thread. Ms. Chiuri and Mr. Piccioli have managed to do that better than anyone might have imagined,  and now Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli are coming into their own as the creative forces at Valentino.” In NY Times.

Costumed drama – „In Henry James’s 1881 novel Portrait of a Lady, the sagely demonic Madame Merle explains to the young heroine Isabel Archer that the soul is inseparable from clothes and acquisitions. Madame Merle’s assertion that you are what you own haunts the Metropolitan Museum’s exhibition Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity, which pairs antique dresses with pictures of the women who wore them.” In Financial Times.

Malene Birger: the Danish designer who;s making a killing – „Cult TV series aside, Malene Birger is one of Denmark’s greatest exports, and last month she celebrated ten years in business.” In The Independent.

When the pope is chosen, his tailors will be ready – „No matter who the next pope is, the papal tailors will be prepared: They’ve made three sets of vestments in sizes small, medium and large.” In NY Times.

A little spring in the coat – „To freshen up a wardrobe in the meantime: a bold spring coat or jacket. Coats in distinct patterns and hues were in the news earlier when Michelle Obama chose a checked Thom Browne coat, plus magenta and purple ones for her daughters for Inauguration Day. With spring approaching, designer Vanessa Bruno suggests branching out beyond basic pieces. ” In Wall Street Journal.

Snip, tuck – „Behind each fashion designer is an entire atelier’s worth of pattern-cutters, making the forms that become the frocks that make up the trends.  And behind those pattern-cutters is a brigade that is even more influential: a band of travelling cutting technicians. With a liberal snip here and an experimental tuck there, they create all manner of pleats, slits and folds. Bound to no brand, they hold international masterclasses, workshops and YouTube tutorials. And they are changing the way garments are made.” In Financial Times.

An intellectual fashion: Roksanda Ilincic – Roksanda Ilincic’s sense of elegance has made her into one of the most successful voices in the contemporary London fashion scene. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, she has quickly achieved considerable success, dressing such diverse icons as Björk, Lady Gaga, the Duchess of Cambridge and Michelle Obama. In Another Mag.

Flat out – „This summer you will be able to tell how on-trend a designer, department store or website is just by the choice of flat shoes they have on offer. Of course, astute buyers will have known for a while now that the smart money this coming season is on flats, of almost every color and shape.” In Wall Street Journal.