Lectura de sambata dimineata

Re-innoire sufleteasca, nu doar de garderoba; multa culoare si pofta de viata; sa invatati cum sa fiti bune, nu doar frumoase si destepte. Sa traiti cu ochii larg deschisi; sa oferiti, nu doar sa luati. Less is more, mai putin cand e vorba de emotii. Cam asta va urez de Paste, ca sa fac nota discordanta cu urarile conventionale. Ah, da – si incercati sa nu mancati prea mult zilele astea 🙂

Asadar, linkurile zilei, iar primul nu „deschide” pagina intamplator…

How I regained my fashion senses – „After an initial panic – how will I know what is happening in the world? – I found myself asking: “Do I really care if Anna Dello Russo is wearing a cherry or a pear on her head today? Does it impact my life how many Céline luggage totes some blogger spotted on her way to work? Is my life complete now that I know so-and-so wore Oscar de la Renta and not Prada?” In Financial Times.

Eye on Shanghai, the fakes – “China is the world production center for counterfeit goods (it is estimated that 85 percent of the world’s imitations are made here). Foreign businesses are lobbying with the government to halt this black beast of a market, to deter significant dents in figures related to employment and gross national product. These are just some of the complex concerns at hand, alongside child labor and copyright infringement.” In Jing Daily.

Camouflaging price creeps – „Several stores have couched recent increases inside promotions, or nudged price tags up by a little under 10 percent, the point at which many shoppers’ radar picks up on the move. For example, at American Eagle Outfitters, the price of striped polo shirts was raised about a week ago to $34.50, up from $29.50. At Brooks Brothers, a wrinkle-free shirt is $88, up from $79.50 in January.” In NY Times.

Why designers love to dress pop music’s leading ladies – “A quick glance at red carpeted occasions explains why designers, while still happy to dress actors – from fledgling talent to veritable superstars – might find working with their musical counterparts more inspiring.” In The Independent.

Going with the flow of a long skirt – „Designer Rachel Roy, known for her feminine looks worn by the likes of Michelle Obama, gives advice on how to wear one of spring’s hottest new looks.” In Wall Street Journal.

Aquilano Rimondi out at Gianfranco Ferre – “When questioned about the designers’ fates at the label’s Fall 2011 show in February, Paris Group’s Abdulkader Sankari and his son Ahmed are said to have cut Aquilano and Rimondi loose in the face of weak sales figures. ‘Sales didn’t go well at all and the designers have already left.’” In Fashion Etc

Madame Gres as sculptor – „It would be a fair guess that the exhibition at the museum dedicated to the French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle will have a similar impact on the fashion world as last year’s Yves Saint Laurent Paris retrospective.” In NY Times.

Farewell to the fascinator? – „Easter bonnets might not be appropriate for anyone over the age of five, but with spring in the air and the wedding season upon us, the focus is on hats. Increasingly, they’re appealing to younger and more fashion-forward women who want to add drama to an oufit and realise that wearing a timid fascinator consisting of two limp feathers on a headband is beyond passé.” In Financial Times

Prada’s collections lands 48 covers – “Last season it was Miu Miu, specifically that one appliqued dress, that kept appearing on cover after cover. This season, Prada’s spring 2011 is sweeping the glossy covers… So far Prada’s colorful stripey bananas collection has seen 48 covers (that we’ve counted) and starred in countless editorials.” In Fashionista.

H&M’s Anne Sofie Johanssons on sustainable fashion and managing a team of 140 –  “Ann-Sofie Johansson started out at H&M working on the sales floor in 1987, became a design assistant in 1990, and by 2008 was head of design… Johansson answered questions from what it’s like to manage a team of over 140 designers… to her approach to sustainable fashion.” In Thread NY

This is what „parisienne” looks like – „THE perfect Parisian woman is an illusion, bien sûr. But learning to pretend to be one is a serious business that dates back centuries. It is an enterprise that continues to thrive with profitable how-to books like, “How to Become a Real Parisian,” “The Parisian Woman’s Guide to Style” and “All You Need to Be Impossibly French.” In NY Times.

Lunch with the FT: Francois Pinault –  “A self-made luxury goods magnate, Pinault is internationally acclaimed for his cutting-edge art collection… But in France he has never shaken off a reputation as something of a wide-boy who made his wealth through takeovers of ailing companies, aided by political friendships… ‘French people … look at Pinault as a pirate.’” In Financial Times.

Menswear formal acceptance – “Jeremy Langmead, editor in chief of the recently unveiled men’s retailing website Mr Porter, thinks the tailoring turnaround heralds a return to the desire for rules. ‘If you have parents who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, they already rejected all the rules where dressing was concerned. This is a new generation who is interested in learning how to tie a Windsor knot. You can’t rebel by wearing the clothes your dad wore.’” In Wall Street Journal.

Fit for a (future) king – “Oh, the missed opportunity! Does the royal family not care enough for the British tailoring industry to want to take this singular moment to promote it? After all, retail analysts Verdict are predicting the royal wedding could boost the UK economy by around £620m – and shouldn’t men’s wear get a piece of that?” In Financial Times.

Who makes the call t the mall, men or women? – „A longstanding marketing adage makes clear who holds most American households’ purse strings: Women control 80% or more of spending.  For at least two decades, this number has been a fixture of news articles, marketing websites and books about consumer behavior. And as with many oft-repeated statistics, no one is sure where it originated.” In Wall Street Journal.