Lectura din dimineata de weekend

A mai ramas doar o saptamana pana la cursul meu de stil. A fost primul gand cu care m-am trezit de dimineata, intrebandu-ma apoi ce fel de femei voi cunoaste sambata urmatoare: ce povesti voi afla, ce istorii mi se vor impartasi, ce garderobe vom deschide, ce stiluri voi descoperi, ce fizionomii imi vor zambi…

Urmatorul gand a inflorit, la fel ca coronitele cu flori pe care le-am primit si probat de curand (si pe care imi doresc sa le vad purtate de cat mai multe fete si femei, indiferent de comentariile pe care le-ar naste!), in momentul in care imi beam cafeaua, deschisesem o carte si gasisem acest paragraf:

„Clothes as text, clothes as narration, clothes as a story. Clothes as the story of our lives. And if you were to gather together all the clothes you have ever owned in all your life, each baby shoe and winter coat and wedding dress, you would have your autobiography. You could wear, once more, your own life in all its stages […]

As if the textile itself has memory, formed as it does out of its intimate closeness with our bodies, a coat or a dress or a pair of trousers is a witness to the fact that once we went for a job interview or on a hot date. Or that we got married. The dress was there with us, it’s proof of who we once were. The clothes we wear, they comfort and protect us, they allow us to be who we want to be. They tell others what we want them to hear. We come to understand whether or not we can depend on them. There is the loyal comrade which, whenever we put it on, behaves just the same as it ever does; it reliably is the same from wearing to wearing. I’m here for you, it says. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this day together and I won’t let you down.

And there are those fickle acquaintances that sparkled at a party a month ago and now, released from the wardrobe, in a fit of pique insist on being too tight or weirdly having changed colour into a shade that doesn’t suit you. Or taking the sudden appearance of that shopping catastrophe, the mistake.

Do our ways of looking at ourselves change, or does the actual dress change? I sometimes wonder if it’s not the latter. If they do not really have secret lives of their own, snuggled together on hangers or folded in drawers, gossiping about you behind your back and those loyal retainers speaking up in defence. Or so I do hope.”

Gandul era despre legaturile secrete pe care le vor face femeile – intre garderobele lor si deciziile lor de viata, intre conturul lor fizic si zambetul sau incruntarea din oglinda, intre haina de pe umeras si o emotie traita… Nu stiu ce ganduri aveti voi in dimineata asta de duminica, dar daca vreti sa va lamuriti cum stau lucrurile cu voi si garderoba voastra, stiti cu ce sa incepeti. Cu un curs de stil, sambata urmatoare 🙂

The glamorous fashion brands you’ve never heard of – “Ever heard of Au Départ? How about Belber or Herbert Levine? You will soon. Believe it or not, they’re all quite old. And primed for a renaissance under the gentle wake-up call of French entrepreneur Arnaud de Lummen. He calls them his sleeping beauties.” In Forbes.

What if the internet turns out to be the saviour of High Street? – „“Almost everyone agrees that e-tailing is slaughtering retailing. But what if the internet could help preserve the high street? That’s the vision of José Neves, a 38-year-old Portuguese geek-meets-chic entrepreneur who set up farfetch.com, a virtual market-place for upmarket boutiques across the world.” In The Telegraph.

The fashion piece that got away – „Still regret that dress you didn’t buy last season? There is hope on the horizon. Websites selling still-stylish clothing from the not-too-distant past are at your service.” In Wall Street Journal.

The Style Police with designs on Aussie men – “It is no empty boast that Mr Porter has changed the look of the Aussie bloke, whether it is the urban fanatics trawling late night for Lanvin or Saint Laurent, or the men of the Never Never – off the Birdsville Track or at Yulara, out by Uluru – or even those on Lord Howe Island who like a bit of James Perse for the cool of an evening.” In Australian Financial Review.

Azzedine Alaïa: longer and shaping up for a big year – “This is going to be a big year for Mr. Alaïa. In September, the Musée Galliera in Paris will reopen after a renovation with an Alaïa retrospective. Olivier Saillard, the director of the museum, is the curator.” In NY Times.

Are Mulberry victims of their own success? – “As Mulberry issues a second profit warning after slower than expected trading since Christmas, could the problem lie with consumers not being able to keep up with the British label’s limitless output of must have handbags?” In The Telegraph.

A modest proposal – „From movies to fashion, the stereotype of the Italian woman has wavered between a Madonna and a whore. The first look is about innocence, sweetness and femininity; the other a full-on, sexed-up vision, as seen in scoop-bust, skintight clothes, amply displayed on television by the “protégées” of Silvio Berlusconi. But out of Italy has come a fashion miracle: a look that suddenly puts “la moda da puttana” (“hooker chic”) right out of vogue.” In T Magazine.

Sweet and low-down heel – „Even without punky hardware, low heels—despite their associations with more staid looks—have developed a cool cachet, simply by zigging while other shoes zag. After so many seasons of aggressive platform shoes, these new single-sole, lower-heel silhouettes are a palate cleanser.” In Wall Street Journal.

Mencyclopedia: Lou Dalton – “Dalton, along with Howell, is one of the very few female designers of men’s clothes. She established her label in 2005, and presents whimsically themed, beautifully made collections. This summer’s is heavy on cycling kit references – lots of mesh and shorts, thankfully not always combined – as well as baseball shirts, panelled tailoring and a particularly fetching plum-toned mac.” In The Telegraph.

The shoe must go on – “Owning a pair of Scheers involves more than just a casual afternoon visit to the store. Customers must come to Vienna for several fittings and consultations for their first pair, which take six months to make.” In WSJ Magazine.