A Validation!

Props to Ms Miumiu for seeing the fashion gentleman that is Gary Oldman!

(Gary closes the show, so cut to the end to see him)
A rocking good show even without the celebrities- I'm very impressed with Prada's creative vision because she works very hard to conceive and maintain a consistent image with each new season; something that I think very few other people (Marc Jacobs, Nicholas Ghesquiere) manage to do.

A Few Good Men

I’ve decided that for my first new post in half a year, I’m not going to talk about school and I’m not going to tell you how amazingly well my shorts turned out (project for my Intro to Sewing & Drafting). I’m not going to complain about Fashion Students and I’m not going to list the courses that I have next semester or how excited I am for them to begin. No, instead I’m going to post photos and inane commentary on stylish male celebrities.

I was inspired to make this post after seeing photos of Christopher Walken at LAX wearing a suit and black Uggs. Uggs! I once saw a businessman in the Pearson Air Canada First Class Lounge wearing a beautiful grey suit, paired with camel coloured Uggs and I wanted to hug his feet. I happen to be of the opinion that Uggs make feet look like little bears and are therefore undyingly cute. At this point in time the Ugg boot on women is pretty suburban, having saturated itself as a trend, therefore it’s reasonable for the Ugg-wearing trend to be passed on to the men. What I love about Christopher Walken wearing Uggs is the fact that he’s being honest with himself- it’s not masculine and it’s not particularly ‘cool’ to wear them, but damnit, he knows they’re comfortable and the perfect plane footwear!

Black Bears!

 So basically, I like men with the humour and the courage to wear things for themselves. I wouldn't say that my taste is revolutionary (definitely a Sartorialist bent in there), but I like when men have fun and wear colour! When I was working at American Eagle, a very chic Dutch woman and I were chatting as she picked out a polo shirt for her husband; I was very happy to see her choosing between the Royal Purple, the Orange or the Salmon Pink. They were, she told me, in their 70's but that didn't mean that they couldn't wear colour. In fact, she laughed, it was the exact opposite- old people had a duty to wear colour and brighten up their life! I liked the freedom and happiness she found in her approach to clothing- I mean, who doesn't smile at a fuschia pocket square or a forest-green pair of pants?

Lapo Elkann definitely derives joy from the way he dresses. He works hard, plays hard and embraces contrast:

Super rad accessories!

He looks like a boxer at his first fancy dinner party and yet still totally wears the suit- Lapo's clothing never wears him.

In my opinion, Gary Oldman has a similar approach to dressing in that there is nothing that is off-limits to him. Re-appropriation is the name of the game, and accessories are the main players:

Of course you wear a silk scarf from which to hang your sunglasses!

Artfully tousled hair

 And of course, you can't write anything about men's style without including Mr. Jude Law. You just can't. He does the slouchy, insouciant thing too well.

Men look really great in scarves- Jude knows this

I feel as though he takes clothing with a more typically 'female' silhouette, and uses them in the right way to give his style a little bit of an edge. I mean, menswear has been inspiring women for years, so why shouldn't it be the other way around?

AGAGAAGAGAYOUGAGAIGAGA

My love knows no bounds.

A Blog, Some Blogs, Many Blogs

There are many blogs out there that comment on/photograph/dissect/wax poetic about fashion, and some are terrible and some aren't. I really enjoy reading blogs because I think that there is more honesty and more personality that comes through- I like blogs where the writing is unpretentious and the photography is intimate.

http://www.thestylerookie.com/


http://seaofshoes.typepad.com/


http://karlascloset.blogspot.com/


http://luxirare.com/

http://www.pneumoniawhite.com/

At the moment, I'm finding Style.com a great read with their 'Future of Fashion' section. Every so often they post an interview with a member of the fashion community- the interview is long, the questions are great and the responses thoughtful. I really enjoy taking a closer look at the industry from a variety of different viewpoints, and I like that the text takes priority over images. If you're looking for something a little less frothy, more insightful, follow this link:
http://www.style.com/stylefile/category/the-future-of-fashion/

An Anthropologie Wishlist

The Acropora pencil skirt

The Night Moves chemise

The Slick Strap slingbacks

The Gunpowder boots

The Freya blouse

The backdrop the used for this shoot is very flattering- the lookbook shoot I was on last January chose not to use this colour, going for white instead, which I think was a mistake!

Mmmm

 

 

Hailee Steinfeld for Miu Miu, shot by Bruce Weber

Those shoes are absolutely fantastical and fantastic. Amazing.

Coco Rocha for Zac Posen Resort 2012

What stunning technique used on that blouse, contrasted with an elegant sheer front. Pat on the back, Zac Posen.

An Asian Thing that is Both Luxurious & Cultish, part I

In Asia the hunger for luxury items is gluttonous, and growing. East Asian countries have been happily chomping at the (Hermes) bit

According to Radha Chadha and Paul Husband in The Cult of the Luxury Brand; Inside Asia's Love Affair With Luxury, there are definite winners in the hearts and wallets of the Asian people; companies that score the highest both in terms of annual sales and in brand image scores. In Tokyo, Seoul or Shanghai you may be able to find just about every luxury brand imaginable (and their diffusion line and their design collaborations and their super rare/high visibility/highly unique/SUPER COOL pop-up stores), but there are a handful of brands that hold unwavering dominance and likability over all else. And I'm not kidding about the hordes of competitors that these 10 brands face within Asia- literally, there is not a luxury brand on earth that does not make some kind of appearance and, more often than not, have at least one store somewhere.

Take Hong Kong as an example; See By Chloe? Popular, well represented. Tsumori Chisato? Ditto. The RVCA x Opening Ceremony collaboration? Had it's launch party at Lane Crawford! And the same for the Jill Stuart line of cosmetics, Armani Fiori, The Row, Just Cavalli, Nicholas Kirkwood, A.P.C, Yohji Yamamoto x Propaganda eyewear and Tom Ford women's r2w. With such abundance one would think that sales would be more evenly spread across the brands, but "while Asia is a competitive market...consumers are more interested in the winners".

WHO ARE THESE 'WINNERS'?

Asia has LV FEVER and the only cure is MORE VUITTON COWBELL.
Hong Kong has 7 stores, China has 34 stores across 29 different cities, Japan has a whopping 54 stores, Tokyo alone has 11 Vuitton stores, Seoul has the grand number of 13.
 
There is serious money to be made, in my opinion, because these societies can be directed and told what to buy. Asian consumers are diligent, thorough and feel deeply legitimized by brand name goods. This is, obviously, a huge generalization and may come off as derogatory, which is not my intention. I only mean to suggest that there is much more of a collective culture in fashion; acting on trends is an inclination that is natural and good. In general, Asians demand quality and they expect high brand visibility (monograms, gleaming hardwear, a highly recognizable print or signature colour), as well as a strong brand history.

A Look at the (Mc) Queens of the Met Gala 2011

 I was fairly happy with the outfits chosen by most of the attendee's, finding the same kind of attitude towards dressing for the Costume Gala as one would do for the Oscars. There's a rampant conservatism amongst movie actors in their wardrobe picks that really shouldn't surprise me- actor's aren't inevitably stylish any more than they are nice, interesting or wise (but I will always bestow Cate Blanchett with all positive traits in the world).

I definitely was not impressed by many. I like my fashion icons to carry their gowns as an extension of their personality and of the occasion they're attending, while I think that most women just slip on a dress and call it a day. This concept goes far beyond the dress, of course, having everything to do with the woman herself. Two women could wear the same dress and only one able to pull it off, the other looking like a paper doll dressed by a pair of larger hands. It is a certain spark that allows the Cate's of the world stand out, while the Anne Hathaway's look 'dressed' and uncomfortable. (please let me clarify that this has nothing to do with money, or 'trendiness'- a plain, black dress looks bomb on Emma Watson, but tanks when it's worn by Anna Kendrick........it's a feeling, not an exact science!)

I could go on about this for a couple more paragraphs, bemoaning the fact that so few attendees were inspired by Alexander McQueen, that Anna Wintour wore Chanel and not McQueen, that nobody appeared to have done any research on the MASSES of AMAZING, EXUBERANT McQueen shows done throughout his career, but I'll end it here. Let's just look at what pleased, no?

Rihanna in Stella McCartney

I find the chain mail-like heaviness to the dress and the wraparound braids to be very reminiscent of McQueen, and so flattering for Rihanna.

Elle Fanning in Valentino

This kid can do no wrong! She looks like she genuinely has fun dressing up and trying new things.

Anna Dello Russo in Alexander McQueen

YES, Italian editor, wear a McQueen suit and pair it with an EGG HEADPIECE. Four for you for looking more dynamic, and better tailored, than the rest.

Doutzen Kroes in Giambattista Valli

She might be wearing red, but Doutzen actually looks like a breath of fresh air. She couldn't look healthier or more elegant.

Michelle Williams in Miu Miu

It's nice to see a designer be inspired by the work of another and to take that information and make it into something new and personal to them. The amount of raw energy and detail in McQueen clothing lends itself really well to the imaginations of other fashion talents, such as Miuccia Prada.

Ashley Olsen in Christian Dior

Ashley Olsen always looks good and always looks inspired at the Met Gala. I see that she's wearing detached peasants sleeves, but it computes as a 'couture-like addition to a classic black dress' and not 'expensive bar wench'. She inspires me to present the best version of myself to the world.

Thanks to Fabsugar, Bellasugar, Stylebistro, Socialitelife & Minor, a blog by Danyell Peterson for the use of the images on their sites. Copyright of the original photographers, designers & celebrities posted above.

A Hello to T

A couple of months ago I was hating on Alexander Wang for his namesake line. I was in Gravity Pope Tailored Goods last week however, and rediscovered the joy that is T by Alexander Wang. In grays, a range of nudes, black and white, T is a sexy, clingy line that maintains a casual feel- if you bought the entire range, you'd be ready for pretty much any occasion.
ESPECIALLY THIS DRESS

This doesn't fit the model that well at the bust, but believe me when I say it is surprisingly flattering, and looks great on most skin colours; I'm the same skin colour as Kate Winslet (sans tanner), and it makes a great contrast.










MMMMMM

MMMM

Sadly this photograph gives off somewhat of a prom photo kind of look, but this dress is amazing! I feel like it draws you in to touch her back- so many men would want to put their palm on the indentation of your lower spine.

An Eye for an Eye

With the options of wearing contacts so easily available, not every visually-impaired person chooses to wear glasses. I mean, I just recently found out that two good friends of mine actually have vision problems and wear lenses every day! This leads me to believe that those who wear glasses are doing so very consciously and are making some sort of statement. I'm surprised that I didn't realise this earlier because I firmly believe that everything we do to our physical self, we do to further promote our desired projection of 'self' to the world. We want to appear edgy/sexy/powerful/innocent and we learn how to convey that- why would glasses be the exception?

What I'm trying to figure out is, what is the message, exactly? It is so much more nuanced than a simple "glasses make you look smarter", because there is so much variety within the eyewear universe. I have a growing theory that people who wear glasses have a bit of a rebel spirit in them. They may not all realise it, but they do. They have the choice to keep their eyes unframed, and they deny the bridge of their nose the luxury of remaining uncluttered. They turn an astigmatism into an additional fashion statement. Whatever that is.

I love my glasses.

A Brief History of Space & Time, part 1.

As I've heard again and again, advertising isn't necessarily about selling you a product, but a lifestyle and a mindset. Apple commercials sell you on the idea that the Mac is the 'cool kid' computer, that it's a style choice that says so much more  about you than that you just prefer a white laptop. Dorito's ads don't just tell you about the new flavour, the new packaging, but it reminds you that it's there, to be bought and enjoyed. Same thing goes for luxe advertising campaigns. They may be larger, glossier and more expensive-looking than most, but similarly, it's all about keeping a firm presence in the mind of the consumer, present and potential. Some campaigns feature models that aren't even wearing the product; the clothing isn't even there on the ads- nudity, for some companies, makes a stronger statement about the brand image than their own clothing does.

So I've been amassing a collection of past ad campaigns (with help from The Style Registry) that have made an impact on me and have really stuck in my mind in the years since they were used. I looked at these ads and fully connected with the themes that they promoted, and I still appreciate them today.

LOUIS VUITTON:
Not only is LV a huge advertising presence in Hong Kong, they just do it well. Luxurious, textured...LV ads look fantastic in both glossy magazines and on huge billboards.

 

Louis Vuitton S/S 2004 (Mert & Marcus)

Louis Vuitton S/S 2006 (Mert & Marcus)

Louis Vuitton S/S 2007 (Mert & Marcus)

Louis Vuitton F/W 2007 (Mert & Marcus)

NARCISCO RODRIGUEZ:
What women out there doesn't want to look like Carmen Kass in this ad? They haven't altered the campaign in years, so they must know how effective it is.

DOLCE & GABBANA, D&G
I don't think anyone does an ensemble photoshoot like the crew behind D&G advertising. There's always a strong historical or cultural narrative, and such creativity! I used to put these ads up on my closet doors before I was even truely interested in fashion.

D&G, S/S 2005, (Steven Meisel)

Dolce & Gabbana, F/W 2006 (Steven Meisel)

Dolce & Gabbana, F/W 2006 (Steven Meisel)

Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2007 (Steven Klein)

Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2006 (Steven Meisel)

Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2004 (Steven Meisel)

 

Thanks to http://community.livejournal.com/styleregistry/ for their work in uploading all of these high quality images.