your mind is made of matchsticks

"Don't be too nice, not even to me, because you'll lose. You have to beat your way through." sagsagjsdadfsgagsagasgssgada-Grace Coddington


Another season is done and what a dramatic one it was!

Anywho,
Hopefully that the Marni x H&M collaboration brought the brand a little more recognition and introduced many people to a different aesthetic. Not everyone can pull off a Marni item, it takes a very special type of person to make the pieces work and when they do, it's bloody brilliant. Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, (Prada for the fashion world) will always take precedence in Italian fashion, they have commercial appeal. Marni, along with its founder and designer, Consuelo Castiglioni, has always taken a backseat during MFW, often overlooked by the bigger houses. Marni shows are always a little out there, often being described as "quirky" or "funky", whichever way you look at it, you can't help but admire the boldness, the unusual mixes of patterns and shapes, and the somewhat odd but interesting details. Got to give it to Consuelo, who always leave people somewhat scratching their heads a little (here it was "Wow, are those really wooden animal jewelry pieces I just saw?"). Sometimes the collection takes a while to digest, but isn't it always cool when fashion makes you think a little?

This particular collection definitely shows Consuelo's design capabilities. She showed that she can design with great thought and constraint while still staying true to her brand. That is what we admire in certain designers, they are able to subtly introduce new ideas and the audience doesn't feel like they're looking at something completely different OR looking at the SAME silhouettes and designs season after season. This time we are introduced to a Marni woman who is still able to be all those fun adjectives usually used to describe her but this season she's a little more refined and carries a quiet air of sophistication.

The standout models from this runway are Katya Riabynikina with Metropolitan Paris and Janice Alida with Ford, whose makeover we saw for the first time on the Marni runway, the shorter and darker hair brings out her features a lot more than the long sandy blond hair she had before, plus she seems to have developed a whole new modeling attitude.

Have a good one!

these days of dust

"Personally, I think there is too much fashion in the world." 
                                 asdgdsfsdagasg  -Dries Van Noten

I do find myself agreeing Mr. Van Noten. Like everything else, there are always pros and cons. As someone who completely grew up outside of the fashion world, I found my way in through the internet, and I am extremely grateful for all the fashion knowledge I've been able to obtain over the past decade, but as time goes on I find myself getting weary of this. It's a good thing that fashion has become so accessible to people all over the world, we can all go to style.com or nowfashion to instantly see the season's trends. Oooohh there's the word: trends, really does make me cringe. I feel as if everything in fashion has somewhat become a big "trend", all the street-style blogs, new fashion magazines, multitudes of agencies, another collection launch, being pulled in every which direction. Too many things and thoughts are becoming all muddled together and it's becoming difficult to pay attention to the details and to the quality, both of which should be timeless. The internet has given me a great platform to pursue my fashion career and I hope it does the same for anyone else who truly appreciates the creative process of the industry. I think it's time to slow down a little, take the time to create beautiful collections, thought-provoking editorials, and properly fostering the models, instead of all constantly chasing for the next "big thing". That's my tidbit for the day!

Looking to 2013 already...
I've seen a goodbit from New York, a sprinkle from London, and a few from Milan. My real excitement lies in Paris, eager to see what Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane will do for their respective houses.

First off, I want to say WELCOME BACK FRAU JIL SANDER!
I'd assume it's always a happy thing to return to the label that bears your name. The S/S 2013 Women's RTW was very much like the Men's, very back to basics, classic Jil Sander shapes and cuts, a "Reset to Zero" as she coined it. The collection was a breath of fresh air. No gimmicks, no overproduction, just clean, simple, well crafted garments. The color combinations and dash of shiny paillettes at the end made it modern and interesting. Let's take a look here-

 

 

 

 

 

The hair and makeup, accessories (those clutches are quite nice!), and casting were all added elements that made this one cohesive thought of a collection. Standout faces from this particular runway are Juliana from Ford and Iris from Next.

I'm going to save one more from Milan and then onto Paris!!

i heard there was a secret chord

"Designers are artists, and one must interpret what they want."

fasdgsdagsdagsagsdgsagsdgsadgsagdsgsadgsagsdagsdagsad-Madame Cecile

For a while it seemed the world of fashion slowed down for bit. It was a nice break and I found myself delving into the archives. And now the madness begins all over again. The industry sure likes to throw everything out at once. Suddenly there's resort collections, new campaigns, menswear, and couture right around the corner. There's going to be some major adjustment after all this designer musical chairs business. The industry seems to be heading more and more into "business" territory. I hope those on the business side will not let money over-trump the essence of fashion and be mindful of the creative process.

I can't believe we are already looking at 2013 collections (let's hope those pesky end of the world rumors don't hold true so all these new looks can be worn!)

On to Menswear Spring/Summer 2013...

Carven

Andrea Pompilio

Christopher Shannon

E.Tautz

James Long

Jonathan Saunders

J.W. Anderson

Nicole Farhi

A good start. Menswear always interest me because it really pushes the bounds of the basics in a man's closet. I really had to edit down the looks. There were many other points I've been meaning to say but I'm a little frazzled at the moment. Hopefully I can articulate myself in due time. I'm going to provide more of a commentary for certain other shows, I'm sure some of you know exactly which ones I'm talking about!

Have a splendid one.

and the history books forgot about us

"I don't want to show my clothes, I want to show my attitude, my past, present, and future. I use memories and future visions and try to place them in today's world."

sagdj;sakgjs;jgsk;lagjds;klagjklsajgskljgksljgdsklajgd-Raf Simons

I'm sure we all know by now about the departure of Raf Simons at Jil Sander. Another season, another shock. I like how the fashion industry always wait until the most unassuming moments to spring these little nuggets of news on us. naturally, today has been all things Jil Sander/Raf Simons related. You can't go to any fashion website without being hit with the waves of emotional images. there are countless pictures, quotes, or memories reflecting what a bittersweet show Jil Sander Fall 2012 was. I have the utmost respect for Mr. Simons and I only hope he goes on to do bigger and better things (hopefully it will include a namesake women's label as well as the continuation of his men's line...must happen please). He was a perfect fit for the Jil Sander label. I appreciate his quiet and modest approach to design, never looking for attention for himself, only to redefine minimalism with his unique and modern vision. It always takes a special kind of woman to pull of a Jil Sander look by Raf. He is also what made me interested in menswear and made me recognize the full worth of the simplicity of basic colors and shapes. Some of his work i personally think are the best and most memorable ones. He changed Jil Sander into a fashion favorite and hopefully this will continue when Jil Sander herself returns to the label.

About the show itself-
it couldn't have been a better final goodbye collection. Beautiful and perfect from the setup to the makeup to the soundtrack and of course the clothes themselves. It was so basic and delicate but also strong and innovative. So classically elegant and modern. It felt more like a spring collection, with its happier notes of renewal/rebirth undertones rather than the usual somber ones of fall.











sigh....I just want to post it all. There wasn't one element in the show that I didn't like. Nothing during fashion week even matters anymore. It's all jilsanderrafsimons archives for a while. I'm going to miss those beautiful campaigns and collabs with Willy and Clement. SO MANY THOUGHTS. i feel like kinga right now, must hold back those tears.



"It was a show worthy of the standing ovation it received. Raf Simons may be the designer that the house of Jil Sander let go, but he is clearly also the same designer that any fashion house would be lucky to have at their creative helm." -Hamish Bowles



Amour,
a sad Tor