[av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/beanies.png' attachment='2802' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='on-hover' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff']Feeling cold is one of (if not the) most frustrating, irritating, mood killers out there. Can you really have an enjoyable time parading the beaches of the english riviera shaking in your "Wellies" every time a mean gust of wind blows (which is basically every 40 seconds...)? My wonderful friends, Luke (you know our awesome culture editor) and I headed to Exmouth for a day at the beach and found that beanies made much more sense than bikinis (especially for Luke! :) ) We tested the cashmere Beanies (made in Nepal) from Warm Me and were really taken at how cozy a simple hat can make you feel. A perfect example why investing in quality is important. Stay tuned for tomorrow's article, were I am spotlighting why this brand is special and how they are improving our world hand-knit beanie at a time![/av_image][av_heading tag='h5' padding='10' heading='Feeling cold is one of (if not the) most frustrating, irritating, mood killers out there. Can you really have an enjoyable time parading the beaches of the English Riviera shaking in your wellies every time a mean gust of wind blows (which is basically every 40 seconds...)? My wonderful friends, Luke (you know our awesome culture editor) and I headed to Exmouth for a day at the beach and found that beanies made much more sense than bikinis (especially for Luke! :) ) We tested the cashmere Beanies (made in Nepal) from Warm Me and were really taken at how cozy a simple hat can make you feel. A perfect example why investing in quality is important. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s article, were I am spotlighting why this brand is special and how they are improving our world one hand-knit beanie at a time!' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='22' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_hr class='default' height='50' shadow='no-shadow' position='center' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_border_color='' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' icon_select='yes' custom_icon_color='' icon='ue808'][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4022.jpg' attachment='2778' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4024.jpg' attachment='2779' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4031.jpg' attachment='2780' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4034.jpg' attachment='2781' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4076.jpg' attachment='2784' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4060.jpg' attachment='2783' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4055.jpg' attachment='2782' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4083.jpg' attachment='2785' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4147.jpg' attachment='2791' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4127.jpg' attachment='2790' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4119.jpg' attachment='2789' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4106.jpg' attachment='2788' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4156.jpg' attachment='2792' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4104.jpg' attachment='2787' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4168.jpg' attachment='2795' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4088.jpg' attachment='2786' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4195.jpg' attachment='2798' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4208.jpg' attachment='2800' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_image src='http://www.modernmelange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4189.jpg' attachment='2797' attachment_size='full' align='center' animation='no-animation' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff'][/av_image][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='']**Photos taken by Nina Van Volkinburg and all photos belong to Modern Melange**[/av_textblock][av_social_share 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"The True Cost" of Fast Fashion
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For those who know me, they all have heard me blabber on and on why fast-fashion is killing (has killed?) the fashion industry, obliterating our environment, and completely ignoring basic human rights for millions of workers. Today 1 out of 6 people in the world work for the garment industry and most of these human beings are suffering from poverty, illness from toxins, and social inequalities and I am so pleased that these major issues are finally being highlighted in the brand new documentary “The True Cost”. Shot in 13 countries, from the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to the cotton fields in Texas, the film asks us directly: Who pays the price, as we proudly display our bargain find of jeans under £10?
The Director Andrew Morgan began this project after the tragedy of the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse where more than 1,100 factory workers were killed and thousands more severely injured. The outsourced factory manufactured clothing for brands including Primark, Walmart, Benetton, and Mango. Morgan states, “The day I read about the [collapse], I looked down and realized I had never thought about where clothes come from.”
That is the case for most of us.
Some are drawn to a piece because it is “cute”, others because of the reasonable price point, others because they can. Why buy 1 pair of jeans when you can buy 2 for 1!?… When an item is only £5.00 there is no shame to throw it away and buy a new one right..? Most fast-fashion strategies are built for their clothing to be disposable, like a piece of gum or a used tissue. Zara products are designed to be worn no more than 10 times and then discarded (McAfee, Sjoman, & Dessain, 2004).
80 billion pieces of clothing is purchased globally each year- that is 400% more than only a decade ago. (10 years ago!?) and of course our disposal is growing exponentially as well. (And this is currently happening albeit the fragile state of our environment -scarce resources, polluting, deforestation, genetic manipulation of agriculture, ect) Oh my… In the UK alone, more than 1,000,000,000 kg of textile is sent to landfill every year (Waste Online, 2008) and is continuously rising, due to our obsession with the cheap and chic.
The film explores these issues through interviews with fashion designers, factory workers and managers, cotton farmers, and academics on Western consumption habits and sustainability, ultimately analyzing this "perfectly engineered nightmare" that feeds shoppers' insatiable appetites and starves those who create them.
"When you grow up looking only at a store window and only thinking about your side of the equation, it leads to a very dangerous set of effects,” says Morgan and I am confident that those who view this documentary will consider twice before purchasing another oh-so-cute £3 t-shirt. However, I fear that those who should view this film the most, such as some street style bloggers who do anything for a like or the fashion haul you tubers (just google fashion haul), won’t be interested.
But what about those that can’t afford more than a £3 shirt? I argue it’s not so much the price, but the mentality (although instead of buying 10 £3 shirts a year buy 2 quality ones?) I agree with documentary, in that it is fundamentally wrong to buy a new piece of clothing for each occasion, storm the shops to buy as much as possible on Black Friday, or go on a weekly “haul” for clothes and replace the perfectly fine clothes in your closet. We must consider the “true cost” of every purchase- on the price of other human beings and of the environment. Every purchase we make, we vote. We hold massive power as consumers.
Do we want to support a deadly fast-fashion industry or do we want to support fair-trade, craftsmanship, high quality design and innovation? The choice really is ours.
Fashion is meant to be appreciated and cherished. Isn't it incredible when clothing lasts? Like when you are wearing shoes which belonged to your mom when she was your age or a skirt your grandma wore in the 60's? When I look into my closet I want to be reminded of happy memories and crafted tailoring associated with each piece- not the pain and suffering of those who created my dress, jeans, or shirts.
“The True Cost” is a must watch for all- not only those concerned about fashion. It is now out in theaters worldwide, on video on demand and iTunes. Watch now!
...Itsy Bitsy KIINI Bikini
Guys. We are almost there! Summer is almost here! Just a few more exams, a few more essays, a few more work hours to push through and we’ve made it! The sun is already shining into the late hours and the espadrilles and sandals are lined up at my front door ready for a stroll. For me, one of the best parts of summer is heading to the beach. The sand between your toes and rhythmic eternal hymn of the sea, the soft breeze through your hair. At the beach you just feel so free and at one with nature and you can just recharge and reboot your own personal battery! Of course the beach is also the best opportunity to sport your finest swimwear (opposed to the University pool I am used to - chlorine and tile simply isn't as glamorous…)
So allow me to introduce: KIINI! Officially, they are my absolute favorite bikini brand- they claim to “unleash superpowers such as extreme positivity”. How can one really say no? These crocheted pieces are not only chic and lively, they are handmade and thus support artisans and quality craftsmanship (YAY!) ! The shaping flatters the body without the complete annoyance of “push up cushions” and wearing it you can feel a surge of youth and a free spirit (you may have the uncanny urge to engage in cartwheeling, water balloon fights, sand castle building, and hula hooping…)
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KIINI bikinis are ideal for the modern bohemian as each piece is unique and has its own personality, and they have already graced the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar so I think we can be assured of the credibility.
Just a warning: If you want to wear one of these bad boys before summer vacation, be sure to pre-order NOW for them to be ready by mid-July!
*All images found on Kiini.com
First Ladies Luncheon 2015
Saturday last week, I had the tremendous honor to take part in The First Ladies Luncheon, held at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. The experience was, to say the least, one of the most inspiring events I had the privilege to attend as it brought together exceptional women from all industries, all over the world to fight AIDS.
In attendance were role models and change agents: The First Lady of Austria Margit Fischer, Editor and Chief of Italian Vogue Franca Sozzani, former political turned corporate leader Susanne Riess, renowned photographer Ellen von Unwerth, entertainers including Paula Abdul, Kelly Osbourne, Dita von Teese, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dagmar Koller and of course keynote speaker Charlize Theron. These are only a handful of the attendees who came together, to combat this heart wrenching and development hindering disease.
Jean Paul Gautier for Life Ball 2015
I’m so sorry for the long pause! This has been the most stressful week: Monday I just flew back from Vienna after an incredible weekend at the 23rd Life Ball to a less exciting student reality filled with essays, end of term exams and 3am highlighting sessions. As I do have a break between studying, I wanted to desperately share some photos from Jean Paul Gautier’s charity fashion show for the Life Ball.
However, I want to first state the fashion show, speeches, musical performances by artists such as Mary J. Blige and Madcon, are a part of the Life Ball held annually at the Wiener Rathaus once a year. It is a spectacular event, but it is the result of the evening, which is so remarkable. The event, started by real life superhero Gary Keszler, not only spreads the message of tolerance and awareness around the world, but it literally helps save countless lives through it's ticket sales and donations. Joined by notable foundations such as amFAR, Fashion 4 Development, The Global Fund, and The Clinton Foundation it is paving the way to an HIV-free generation.
We sometimes are blinded by the flashing lights of paparazzi and the costumes of the red carpet but we need to remind ourselves it is this fight against this monstrous disease we are part of and we must all continue to work together to conquer. {Stay tuned for an in depth article outlining the impact of the Life Ball and what I learned while attending the First Ladies Lunch with keynote speaker Charlize Theron on her Africa Outreach Program.} As for now, have a look at Gautier's creations which have made our world a little brighter, a little happier, and perhaps even a little more accepting (note his renowned gender bending references!)
Divided into themes including the Viennese Secession, Goldfinger, Femme Fatale, and Rainbow Skittles, celebrities such as Dita von Teese, Paula Abdul, Ellen von Unwerth (!!!) Carmen Electra and woman of the moment Conchita Wurst, glided down the runway while model exceptions such as Anna Cleveland (the daughter of Dali Muse Pat Cleveland, and also interesting to note a magical nymph princess from a far away land) fluttered down the stage similar to her performance at last season’s Giles show.
The show included Gautier's signature elements of the corset, gender bending silhouettes, and humorous extravagance translated to the theme of the Life Ball- this year Gold: Ver Sacrum. His references modernized Gustav Klimt's painted muses and the secession movement as demonstrated through the big afro-like hair and byzantine metals and art and craft movement prints.
Feeling Bubbly with Dior
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My first impression of the Dior Cruise 2016 show was that the spectacular venue of the Palais Bulles overshadowed a fine, but not spectacular collection. The location of breathtaking ocean views and out of this world architecture lingered in my mind, while the presented less eclectic clothes seemed not to compete for attention. But here I am 2 days later, still contemplating about this New New Look and I admit I was too quick to judge. What Raf Simons is doing to the Dior silhouette is revolutionary (similar to Hedi Slimane’s take on Saint Laurent) and I apologize for not appreciating his vision immediately.
While I stand my ground that this cruise collection was fine- not great- compared to Raf’s previous symphony like collections (for example the Fall 2014 Couture) it did flourish with 3D technological textures, architectural structure, op-art cues, and juvenile plaids all brought to life with the ease and freedom engulfing the South of France and it’s long time history of creatives.
Antti Lovag, architect of Pierre Cardin’s Palais Bulles envisioned his work for all the ”joueurs et aventuriers," players and adventurers and this concept was clearly communicated through the cropped proportions, childlike smocks, knit onesies, picnic blanket checks and metallic patchworks and crochets. Wouldn't you say that Cannes and Saint Tropez are the playgrounds for kids at heart? :) I loved the 1920’s bathing suit silhouettes, swinging pleats, and the fur collage in a netted dress.
The checks which debuted the show reminded me of something a young Bardot would wear walking the streets (barefoot of course) and had an organic vintage feel to it, opposed to the finale look (save for the short hemline) which used laser cut technology to create captivating mesh for the skirt emphasizing the growing influence of technology on fashion.
Combining the new and the old was the return of the Bar silhouette - first full-sleeved and waist synched layered onto taffeta shorts pockets peeking out- and the iconic Bar pantsuit’s tradition protested by the pairing of flip-flops.
Also, Dior’s classic femme fleur was displayed through glittering, crystal covered florals while layers of net and knit, informed us that the sophisticated, hair in a beehive girly girl of Dior has long departed. The physically uncomfortable constraint of Dior's original dresses are also in the past, with Raf still showing poetic shape but now prioritizing ease and freedom.
When looking at accessories, we saw the fur stola, pointed 18th century booties, Roger Vivier influenced heels, leather flip-flops, and a sea of handbags where some seemed eerily familiar to a Louis Vuitton Alma or a Chanel Boy bag.
While the Palais Bulles will be forever remembered and will continue to influence designers throughout, this Cruise Collection will be celebrated and will sizzle and shine throughout it's season, but like all good things, fade like a hot summer’s day- but that’s only natural.
That’s fashion baby.
*All images courtesy of Dior
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Jacquemus Curates E-Commerce
Simon Porter Jacquemus, one of France's freshest young designers (he was recently shortlisted for the prestigious LVMH prize) is changing the game by translating unconventional, progressive design into retail-friendly pieces. While he continues to shock and push boundaries of silhouette and aesthetic on the runway, his more conventional interpretations are reaching major commercial success at Opening Ceremony, La Garçonne, Shopbop and as of today, Jacquemus’s own E-Commerce store.
(Impersonal) flat-lay, gridded squares formatted on a white background are no where to be seen.
They are replaced by full- width gorgeous raw images of the clothing being worn by the model actually doing something )as a human not a doll)- communicating an emotion, a story. On first glance it looks like some unapologetically cool "Normcore" kid’s Tumblr page of vintagy snaps taken from his last trip to the beach.
As someone who has always fostered a personal relationship to his customers through imagery(please look on his Instagram!!) it almost comes as no surprise that this e-tailer creates a space that is comfortable, visually compelling and does not feel like an online "shop".
His love for the sea and beaches is reflected in his SS15 collection and the coastal imagery floods the website leaving at least potential customers, pinteresters, and the general connoisseur of beauty and the un-photoshopped very, very satisfied.
Is this the future of online shopping? To create an experience, generate an emotion, present shopping as art? I hope so.
Check out the website at http://jacquemus.com/
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*All images from Jacquemus.com
Louis Vuitton x Palm Springs
The Resort collection attendee is 1) very privileged and 2) very jet-lagged: on Monday we saw Chanel present in Seoul, next week we head to Nice for Dior, Rome for Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana in Portofino, and London for Versace Versus. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's discuss yesterday’s Louis Vuitton Cruise collection shown in Palm Springs. Venue: Bob Hope’s $25 million Space ship mansion designed by John Lautner, which seemed to fit in perfectly in the out of this world moonscape Southern California setting. The location carried the melody of the collection which echoed the fantasy of the desert and a futuristic character.
So- lets get right to it shall we?
Most outstanding were the intricate details of each piece, which I think was shown well through the diverse prints. We saw rich stained glass patterns reminding me of something very Valentino, and bubbly paisley jumping out at us. Organic tribal prints evoked the tranquil spirit of the Cahuilla Native Americans (along with fringes and tanned leather dresses) which juxtaposed with the harsh, cold, industrial prints of linked chains seemingly inspired by Urs Fisher. Chains were also made 3-D and tied around the waist of models. Don't these concept make us think of oppression- on one hand a group of people oppressed and on the other hand chains literally restricting us- but the models break them loose as shown through the revealing naked patch of the belly emphasizing that these aren't models- they are warriors!
Aha! So now we have discovered the theme of the show. I would argue Pseudo Female Warrior aesthetics all mixed together throughout history. We have the Native American, as discussed above, we see medieval references of metallic shoulder pads and jackets (shining armor?), romantic Edwardian-style dresses, nylon quilted duster coats, worn by the typical 1950s American housewives, the 70’s jumpsuit, and sci-fi space rangers ready to battle it out with their chunky boots and Tevas shoes and backpacks ready for anything. No one can combine and redefine so many time periods into one collection and make each historical references feel so modern as Nicolas Ghesquiere.
Returning to a more literal note- this cruise collection substituted the A-line mini skirt with itsy-bitsy hot pants, experimented with both rigid and flimsy collars, and took textures to a new galaxy. Ghesquiere played with Studio 59 like color blocked sequins, patinated leathers, dramatic, glossy snakeskin, and perforated lambskin. Also, the silhouette combined hard-as-concrete architectural structure and lines with frothy pants and skirts, two opposing forces sometimes zipped together literally enforcing that jumpsuit image.
However the zipper moment belonged rightfully to the red floor grazing masterpiece in crimson leather, with it’s ruffled neckline and LV monogram cutouts. Provocative. California Cool. Grunge. Wild West. Strong. Why make a night gown out of chiffon if one can use leather?
If anything justifies transporting 550 guests to the middle of the desert, Ghesquiere’s idyllic vision on Resort 2016 takes the cake.
The Warriors:
Chanel Resort 2016: Heart and Seoul
Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet- Rudyard Kipling
Nothing could aestethicgally prove this statement more wrong than Chanel’s youngest Resort 2016 collection aptly named: Paris-Seoul. The merger of Korean sophistication and poise with Parisienne nonchalance pumped K(arl)-Pop through our veins leaving us psyched for a colorful, digital, media driven future.
The 15 Must-Knows:
- The spectacle was held at the renowned Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) designed by Zaha Hadid. The room itself reminded me of the waiting room before the gates of Pop Culture heaven where the POP! emerged from the 2 and 3- dimensional spots were used as seats, lamps, and decoration and were thus influenced by a hyper-minimal interpretation of Willy Wonka’s Land of Candy mixed with Damian Hirst spot paintings. Too far-fetched?
- The event coincided with the Met Gala celebrating “China: Through the Looking Glass” similar to last Métiers d’Art show in Salzburg which conflicted with the Victoria’s Secret show. (I would argue, one must always prioritize a Chanel show!)
- Why Seoul? The pop and youth culture is spreading around the world one Psy song at a time and is influencing art and film to the way we interact with technology. It has quickly risen as the fashion capital of Asia even attracting Chinese and Japanese travelers to it’s shores and is at the forefront in innovative design. And of course… it’s good business. It has engaged in incredible growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy with a growing upper and upper-middle class.
- Models were made up looking like manga kewpies with tiny dots below their pupils, big eyes and lips so bright you could possibly see them from space.
- Hair was pulled back and covered by "hats" of braided black hair, a reference to the Korean tonsorial tradition. For many, this was mistaken as a tribute to Minnie Mouse of Princess Leia…
- Class tweed ensembles wove Korean characters for "Chanel," and "Cambon" into a swirling pattern.
- The eye-catching print of the collection was the bright and busy motif of colored intersecting patchwork, which is a technique, Lagerfeld explained, is only found in Korea.
- Mother-of-pearl embroidery stitched on a black wrap dress was a reference to the decoration of traditional Korean wedding chests.
- The West’s interpretation of K-Pop’s sometimes bizarre, artificial, hyper-energetic over the top culture inspired the synthetic colors, the wide patent pants (the wider the better, also seen on men), and turquoise lace culottes.
- The collection lacked on accessories as the brand wants to emphasize the clothing to the easter market, but of course bags looking like pagoda were present. (Karl never refuses a bit of irony)
- The hanbok’ dress, a woman’s garment from the Korean peninsula influenced the silhouette of many dresses and skirts, in particular the masterpiece of the finale- with a high empire like waist.
- The collection burst with tangy oranges and corals, fuchsias, violets, and cooling celadons and mint greens, which bled into signature tweeds and textured cotton, as well as wispy fabrics including linen, organza, shantung and tulle.
- Of course there were pleated miniskirts and knee-length shorts reminding us of Korean school children uniforms.
- Collars were shown as flat, notched and folded contributing lifting the spirit of the tweed suit.
- As the venue foreshadowed, geometric design remained prominent with colored mathematical patchworks and rigid stripes balanced with delicate florals emphasizing traditional asian organic beauty and sophistication.
Alessandro Michele's New Gucci Girl
"Those who are truly contemporary are those who neither perfectly coincide with their time nor adapt to its demands…Contemporariness, then, is that relationship with time that adheres to it through a disconnection.”- Giorgio Agamben
As rare as a blue moon, somewhere between the hundreds of photographers, front row sun-glassed aficionados, bustling backstage professionals, nymph like models, blinding lights, thumping bass, click clack of heels, the “darlings” “fabulous”, and “oh my gods” - we experience a fashion moment. That moment was Day 1 at Milan Fashion Week and it belonged to newly appointed creative director Alessandro Michele and his revived Gucci Girl (who was desperately in need to be saved).
One could almost think the Gucci Girl has Benjamin Button syndrome - from Tom Ford’s unapologetic, provocative, sexed up glamazon to today’s wide-eyed and innocent teenage bookworm (whom we already adore!) This Gucci debutant is intelligent. She is poetic and romantic and is not afraid to write down her daydreams in her Moleskin journal. She cries at the heart wrenching stories of Austin and the Brontë sisters and if I didn't know better she is taking a year abroad from Milan to the English highlands (or prancing down the streets of Camden).
Miss Gucci is reserved and poised, and does not take selfies - her Instagram is filled with polaroid shots of said landscapes and candid pics of her equally cool friends (Lykke Li is definitely one of them). She is basically the ultimate rebel, who couldn't care less about the likes, the followers, and the “look at me attitude"- she has more interesting things to ponder.
Michele wore his heart on his sleeve and told an emotional story by creating a new identity which gave a lot of food for thought. Was it the Gucci identity? I’m not sure - but it was strong and targeted us good ole’ Gen Yers who have recently not identified with the more “mom” brand.
The soft, innocence of youth had a ‘Woodstockesque’ sense of freedom: floral printed chiffon dresses brushed through the atmosphere, long pleated metallic skirts were mismatched with sweater vests, delicate laces and sheer counteracted bold, clean cut androgynous suits cuffed by fur, which draped over billowy blouses welcoming the folklore theme.
The Gucci Girl’s accessories of oversize glasses, wooly hats and Parisian barrettes, fur lined Chewbacca-style slippers, and oh too lovely costume jewelry and broaches: all seemingly long lost treasures- maybe found again when rummaging through her grandmother’s attic. This is where the emotion comes in again - these items remind us of a long time long ago and have memories by fabulous women at fabulous occasions. These things (at the end of the day) may have been loved and cherished before (some dresses purposefully had creases) and in an industry so keen on pumping out NEW, NEW, NEW every 2 months (or shall I say weeks) the new vintage feel is welcome.
"What I am trying to do is to put something poetic into a powerful, iconic brand," explained Alessandro Michele backstage to Suzy Menkes.
With such poetry brings an air of melancholia, as the collection reflected upon the brands own (now wilted) youth, through classic Gucci references of leather loafers, the GG bags, the floral prints and reminded the audience that you cannot repeat your youth, but you can look back on it with a smile and a giggle and romanticize the good times.
And for us twenty somethings - facing a future of escalating debt, climate disasters, wars, inequality, unemployment - we are even more nostalgic about a time even before our existence. Just walk into H&M or if you are lucky enough to go to Coachella- the 70’s are everywhere and are an escape from today’s at times overwhelmingly bleak reality, so on behalf U30s:
Alessandro, thanks for the groovy vibes, the folklore, and for creating fashion which makes us feel something bloom in our hearts.
Mary Katrantzou: Arts and Crafts 2.0
Of all the ready to wear collections, Fall 2015's most accurate presentation of today's youth culture creative vibe was displayed on pink-foam covered runway from the great Mary Katrantzou.
The clothing combined the opposing forces of the Victorian age and of our hyper-modern digital society, which resulted in couture quality pieces tailored for the every day. The Victorian elements referenced specifically to the arts and crafts movement as seen by the rich ornamental patterns and organic shapes printed upon coats and dresses most decorative. Don’t you see these patterns being used for wallpaper, carpets, drapes, or upholstery?
The Arts and crafts movement is described aesthetically as somewhat medieval, poetic, and influenced predominantly by nature. What began in the late 1800’s, it was a counter movement to a world altering at the hands of the industrial revolution with all it’s soul-less machinery and factory systems. Traditional skills and values were being lost and the effects on nature and human relationships were seen as detrimental and unnatural. SO.
We fast forward about 120 years and are we not in that same place now, but in the digital revolution? We are placed even further away from nature and “tradition” due to our relationships with social media, instant access to information, and McDonaldization of… everything. The youth of today, well many us of the Generation Y and Z, are longing for the value added, real craftsmanship triggered by passion, and quality which is good, and does good (sustainability and fighting climate change are biggies).
Check out Blake Lively's online store to see what I mean at Preserve.
Mary gets this. She sees it and creates a glorious juxtaposition of the dated and the sci-fi, the maximalist prints and purist shaping, the organic prints with acidic colors. Just like me and my friends I suppose (who on our iPads) pin, tweet, ‘gram and ‘book “special” products not "Made in China" or clothing which costs less than a cappuccino, but the cool brands who create momentum from their imagination and inspiration- not profit margins.
The Greek native hit the mirrored nail on the head of society, reflecting the values of the creative youth in a manner of respecting the Horror Vacui and of William Morris (who is probably shaking a tail feather from above, seeing his arts and crafts work is still relevant and more importantly very in fashion).
Chanel Prêt -à- Porter FW1516
Whenever walking into the Grand Palais it is as if drifting into a beautiful dream - where separating the fantasy from the reality proves to be an utmost challenge. For the youngest Chanel Prêt -à- Porter show, Brasserie Gabrielle became the illustrious venue (inside another illustrious venue) for a collection (tailored to reality aka the mainstream luxury buyer) which allowed the audience to feel like flies on the wall, witnessing a very Parisian brunch.
The bar was of carved wood, the tables clothed in white. Starch collared waiters professionally scuttled about with silver platters, delivering cafe au laites prepared by Baptiste Giabiconi with care and an illuminating smile! ;)
Karl Lagerfeld explains, ”I wanted something very French, and what is more French than a brasserie? And it had to be done by someone like me, because if it were done by a French person it would look like a patriotic act.”
The Frenchness of Bordeaux and Bardot filled the atmosphere, but what I found more remarkable was the intense irony of the show. Here we see a real- life situation. A cafe, a brasserie. With waiters and coffee (… and eggs, and orange juice) It is real, it is authentic. The models, fitting into the cafe- society with a sophisticated intelligence (I felt they would have stimulating discussions about various art movements and their impacts on society...) strutted through the brasserie with relaxed ease and once reaching their booths, flicked through their iPhones, ordered melanges, and chatted with their comrades. As an audience, we were given a chance to witness the clothing in real life.
We didn't watch a show, we watched a lifestyle.
While the models were having a fun time, we were awestruck at this ingenious occasion, others instagramming away! But wait? Isn’t this is an everyday moment? Well, a moment staged as a multimillion dollar production, the vinyl colored mosaic reminding us that this is actually a fantasy. However, isn’t life a stage anyway? Honestly, don’t we all just observe and judge one another - especially in a cafe or a restaurant?
Oh look what she is wearing! I’ll just sneak a peak- “Point at the picture over there so when I look at her jacket it won’t be too obvious!”
We all do these things and it’s fantastic Karl magnified this situation of the everyday. And how funny, since many members of the affluent audience tend to especially look upon one another - so here I supposed we were caught in the act!
But I digress - looking at the clothing (just clothing, not accessories, venue, model whereabouts), I would describe them as wearable, practical, and as Suzy Menkes would describe them: “even dull and frumpy”. You are mistaken if you think Mr. Karl is losing his touch - these are the times we live in! The collection should be "more day-to-day and a little more dowdy” hence why the puffer jacket has made it’s way to Chanel.
Like most of his collections, Karl creates the new. New silhouettes, new materials- leading to new styles reflecting our times and changing the way we dress.
So without further ado- an ode to the new.
The Mosaic:
The floor of the Brasserie was directly morphed into the poised aprons and bags, thus repurposing ancient roman art for modern sartorialists. This of course is nothing new for the Chanel runway - see the Fall/ Winter Haute Couture Collection - but it is new for us consumers keen to experiment with wearing new material. Mosaics: the sparkle in the eye of interior decoration is now the marvel to the outside world.
The Apron:
Typically tying on an apron is like putting on a uniform for a job or to protect your “nice” clothing from an unwanted spill - that concept is set to be challenged! A nod to all of the garçons of all the Brasseries, the apron tastefully adds an extra layer, covering dresses, pants, and skirts in the most opulent and meticulously crafted fashion- from golden sequence to ruffles of chiffon!
The Bag-
Without fail, Lagerfeld delivers on creating an “It” bag which brings a smile to our faces, just like his sharp wit! We’ve seen bags as milk cartons and shopping baskets, hola-hoops and rubik’s-cubes. Today we are delighted with plates, menus and the Chanel jackets becoming our favorite accessories and are sure to become Instagram stars (in their own right).
The Puffer Jacket-
Continuing with the house’s quilted leather trademark, now the puffer jacket has also been transformed by the Chanel aesthetic. Outerwear typically seen as sporty and not particularly complex or fashionable, here receives an elegant renovation.
P.S - This mid-height, two-toned heel is predicted to be the singular must-have item of Fall/Winter - sure to be sold out soon!
P.S2 - If any collection would symbolize the entire purpose of Modern Melange here it was! If you are more interested in the coffee society, click here!