Lectura din dimineata de weekend

„Fashion has changed so much in my lifetime.  Today, I find myself at the collections asking, „Who are all these people?”  They appear to come from anywhere and everywhere, and ninety percent seem to be uninvited hangers-on. Sometimes I think I’m the last remaining person who goes to the show for the pleasure of seeing the clothes, rather than desperately wanting to be there for the social side – which is the part of things I have always had to be dragged to, kicking and screaming. And everyone has an opinion!  Before the television interviewers and film cameras came along, people kept themselves to themselves. But now, when they turn up to fashion shows, all they want to do is talk and talk. Or be filmed answering inane questions.

Everyone has a cell phone or camera, including all the models getting  ready behind the scenes, so everyone knows exactly what’s happening in real time. There are no secrets anymore – everything has been texted, tweeted, or emailed all over the world before the show has begun.

I guess I am pretty critical of fashion and always concerned about whether something is well made. The first thing I do in the showroom when I go back to look at a collection is to turn whatever I’m looking at inside out. Designers like Peter Coping at Nina Ricci, Marco Zanini at Rochas and particularly Marc Jacobs always think about the inside of a garment, which is something I rarely found in England where the finishing was dreadful and most designers seemed content with any old lining. However, I was fascinated to read that Alexander McQueen liked having things sewn inside his clothing to give it a backstory in much the same way a nineteen-century gentleman would have a lock of a prostitute’s hair sewn into his jacket as a memento or trophy.”

Cu astfel de vignete – si multe altele: despre pictoriale in Bahamas si Rusia, despre relatii si pisici, despre Anna Wintour, Bruce Weber si Norman Parkinson, despre supe vietnameze si sampanie, despre parul ei roscat si cat de putin machiaj foloseste –  este populata „Grace”. Daca v-ati propus sa dedicati cateva rafturi de biblioteca unor volume despre lumea modei, copertile oranj aprins ale autobiografiei lui Grace Coddington ar trebui sa se gaseasca intre celelalte carti, mai serioase – o puteti castiga daca participati la concursul de pe blog.

Iar pentru ca vara se apropie – cu miros de iarba verde si bujori roz, cu racoarea piscinelor turcoaz si a dupa-amiezelor bleu, cu dimineti cu lumina aurie si seri indigo – va lansez o invitatie la culoare. Sambata urmatoare, 18 mai, dau intalnire in Stefanel Concept Store sfioaselor a caror garderoba contine 50 de nuante de bej si gri, nenumarate camasi albe si foarte, foarte, foarte mult negru, celor a caror dulap este un curcubeu, fara ca de fapt sa stie ce nuante le avantajeaza, dar mai ales celor care inca cred ca negrul este cea mai eleganta culoare si, bonus!, se asorteaza cu oricare alta!

La „Cum sa nu mai porti negru” o sa descoperiti, printre altele, care este paleta de culori care va infrumuseteaza (fie ca sunteti bruneta, satena, blonda, roscata sau cu suvite de diferite culori),  cu ce culori puteti inlocui negrul, cate nuante puteti purta intr-o tinuta fara sa aratati ca o sorcova, cum sa folositi culorile pentru a parea mai supla si mai inalta, ce spun culorile  voastre preferate despre starea voastra de spirit, dar mai ales care sunt pasii pe care ii puteti face pentru a va imbraca mai rar in negru. Am si un un cadou pentru voi – fiecare primeste un paletar cu peste 50 de combinatii de culori 😉  Pentru ca locurile sunt limitate la 20, daca vreti sa participati trimiteti-mi un mesaj la office(at)imagematters(punct).ro.

Si pentru ca diminetile sunt mai delicioase cu cafea si companie, haideti sa si citim ceva…

Chanel no. 5, the scent of a century –  „A perfume that embodies every major avant-garde movement since the First World War? It’s a mighty claim, yet one that a new exhibition, which opened last weekend in Paris, is happy to promulgate. Entitled Culture Chanel, the exhibition is actually a pretty serious attempt to demonstrate how Chanel No 5 stands at the fragrant intersection between art, music, fashion, design and the dramatic social changes after 1918. „In The Telegraph.

Punk without the down and dirty – „The entire exhibition ignores any negative aspects of punk like svastikas or drugs. Even the hair comes through as identical frizzy wigs, like uninspired Afros. How could Andrew Bolton, the brilliant and cerebral museum curator, whose blockbuster shows have included the Alexander McQueen retrospective and last year’s fusion of Elsa Schiaparelli with Miuccia Prada, have made punk seem so dull?” In NY Times.

The money shot – „There’s no picture of the moment when everything changed for Kevin Systrom. But if there were, it would look something like this: A lanky, very tall, dark-haired man in his late 20s sits on a bench at the Caltrain commuter station in Palo Alto, California. A sepia tone and weathered patina might underscore the mood of weighty contemplation.”In Vanity Fair

Dresses that remember when –„Many of Ms. Herrera’s prints, including most in this capsule collection, are inspired by casual moments during her travels—think of them as very stylish snapshots. Her  new printed frocks are both postcard and love letters.”In Wall Street Journal.

The most powerful woman at Conde Nast – „Bright’s title is chief administrative officer, but a more fitting one might be consigliere to CEO Chuck Townsend. The recent appointment of Vogue editor Anna Wintour to artistic director, the staging of multibrand events at Art Basel in Miami Beach last December and hiring of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Patty Newburger as vp, special projects all point to an effort to elevate the corporate identity.”In AdWeek.

The coolest new magazine, System – „Out this week, it covers the connection between the fashion industry and contemporary culture—and its first cover features former Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière.”In Daily Beast.

Dress decoded – „Dress codes were invented to give clear sartorial direction, but these days, it can be anyone’s guess. Good for rule breakers, not so much for the rest of us. Men, in particular, can have a tough time. ” In Wall Street Journal.

Some retailers say more about their clothing’s origin – „With fair-trade coffee and organic fruit now standard on grocery shelves, consumers concerned with working conditions, environmental issues and outsourcing are increasingly demanding similar accountability for their T-shirts.  And some retailers are doing what was once unthinkable, handing over information about exactly how, and where, their products were made. „In NY Times.

Anthony gets fashion assist from Brooklyn stylist  – „With Williams-Webb’s assistance, Anthony has become the latest in a long line of fashionable New York athletes that includes Joe Namath, famous for his fur coats, and Walt Frazier, champion of the fedora. Anthony favors custom-made suits, vintage jackets and high-end cargo pants, a look that has caught on among his peers in professional sports. „In NY Times.

Suzy Menkes sounds off on the Met Gala, fashion’s „circus” of fashion bloggers – „She was surprised that so many readers interpreted her piece as a negative appraisal of bloggers and professed that she didn’t realize that the people peacocking outside Lincoln Center were, in fact, bloggers. “To be a blogger, you’ve got to be quite dedicated, you’ve got to be quite literate—I’m not sure if you’d be parading around the way people are.”In The Daily Beast.

Perfect pairing – „Each week through June 4, Mr. Porter – the top-notch men’s e-tailer – will feature will unveil an exclusive capsule collection, drawing both from cult labels and established designers such as Raf Simons.” In T Magazine.

The next generation of personal shoppers – „Personal shoppers are no longer just a privilege enjoyed by ladies with envy-inducing retail budgets. A picky customer puts four services to the test.”In Wall Street Journal.

At Yahoo, fashion goes beyond the hoodie – „For some employees at Yahoo’s offices in Sunnyvale, New York City and elsewhere, style has graduated from the laid-back look associated with Internet startups to a more polished presentation.”In Wall Street Journal.