Well it is almost time for the grind to start, yet again. The London Edge is just around the corner to be followed by Pret-A-Porter, Premiere Classe, Who's Next, Fashion Week London, Fashion Week Milan and the star of the season, Fashion Week Paris. And yes, I did leave out all of the fashion salons state side. They are important and all of the European Boutique designers are going to make an appearance at Fashion Coterie. And after Paris, there will be the shows in the east.
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is important and should not be ignored. Every significant American designer will be there and we will pay hommage. But we also want to pay hommage to those who never get the invitations. They too are important in the world of fashion.
If you are interested in figuring out where every single show is taking place check out the site informat.com. If you can't find it there, it probably isn't going to happen. It is a great resource no matter if you are into design, textiles, accessories, etc. This is the bible.
I am expecting some somewhat schizophrenic collections. There have been mixed reports about the economy and its recovery. If times are getting better we are more willing to buy the avante garde piece. If times are leaner, we still want value and longevity. I think that we need to stay with the measured and reasoned choices of the past few seasons.
However, if we get beauty, innovation, style and fashion all wrapped up in one, I can go for that too. So, wait for our updates. We will be bringing them to you as they unfold.
a la prochaine
Debra
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fashion Before the Crash (and After)
While doing some editing of the fashion magazine collection I picked up the September 2008 issue of "W". As with all of the fashion mags, that is the issue everyone awaits with much anticipation. I was struck by the edginess of the collections. Not just those you expected to be edgy, but even the collections from designers who trend toward the more classic tailored looks. That made me wonder if somehow they sensed that a big change was coming to the world of fashion.
In a couple of weeks the new September issues will be hitting the newsstands along with the specialty collection magazines. It is easy to drop a couple of hundred dollars as you pick up French and Italian Vogue, The Collection, "V" and a couple of the other choice publications. Based on what was on the runways in the spring, the looks will be less edgy and more classic. These will be garments that will stand the test of time and be able to hang in your closet for a long time to come.
There are always the designers who go straight to the edge irrespective of what seems to be happening in the world of fashion. One of those designers is Rei Kawakubo of Commes Des Garcons. She is who she is and one thing is for sure. Rei will never hold back. She is going to take you straight to the edge and leave you there until you decide to turn back or take the leap. Others like Haider Ackermann and Anne Demulemeester gave you edge. However, it was a decidedly sophisticated edge. Many of the items in those collections will work in your closet for many years to come. Some items, like the Ackermann sculptured leather and wool vest will become iconic show pieces that cause people to stop you and ask "OMG where did you get that?!".
In 2008, even Carolina Herrera was on the soft side of edgy with many of the pieces in her collection. In 2010 she brings you back to the really softly tailored feminine side of her collection; and yes, even the Herrera sleeves are back. The Queen of Goth, Anne Demulemeester, was decidely on the edge in 2008. It was an edge I was willing to go to even though my friends did not understand my fascination with this very sophisticated Goth collection. In 2010 I have to say that there are pieces in her collection makeing it absolutely clear that she is the Queen of Goth. There are pieces in that collection that I would suggest to my 80 year old mother. There are a couple of long black coats that are absolutely stunning and in 2025 you could whip them out and take them for a spin around the block no problem.
So even though you are not like all of us here at the fashion project with more fashion magazines than you could ever imagine, you do have access to the 2008 and 2010 collections through www.style.com. Check them out when you get the chance. You will see the stark reality of the impact of the economic downturn on the collections the designers are opting to create and put on the runways.
These changes are a reaction to what we are willing to pay to put clothes on our backs. Three years ago I would not have hesitated to purchase a $4,500 Haider Ackermann vest. But now, even those who can afford to purchase luxury ready to wear want durable garments. By that I mean something that will stand the test of time. No wild colors, no strange cuts, no awkward drapes and certainly no strangely paired prints and plaids. We are talking classic lines, colors and accents to give the ensemble just the right "pop".
Even when times get better economically, people will be searching for value. Gone are the days when we were willing to drop $6,000 on and outfit. So the MSRP's may be droping in order to get retailers to place orders. No retailer is going to agree to continue to pay the mark down fees because they can't move the merchandise at full price.
So stay tuned. More to come on the fashion front regarding price and even what we, the average Jane, will pay to shop at places such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Macy's and even Target.
a la prochaine
Debra
In a couple of weeks the new September issues will be hitting the newsstands along with the specialty collection magazines. It is easy to drop a couple of hundred dollars as you pick up French and Italian Vogue, The Collection, "V" and a couple of the other choice publications. Based on what was on the runways in the spring, the looks will be less edgy and more classic. These will be garments that will stand the test of time and be able to hang in your closet for a long time to come.
There are always the designers who go straight to the edge irrespective of what seems to be happening in the world of fashion. One of those designers is Rei Kawakubo of Commes Des Garcons. She is who she is and one thing is for sure. Rei will never hold back. She is going to take you straight to the edge and leave you there until you decide to turn back or take the leap. Others like Haider Ackermann and Anne Demulemeester gave you edge. However, it was a decidedly sophisticated edge. Many of the items in those collections will work in your closet for many years to come. Some items, like the Ackermann sculptured leather and wool vest will become iconic show pieces that cause people to stop you and ask "OMG where did you get that?!".
In 2008, even Carolina Herrera was on the soft side of edgy with many of the pieces in her collection. In 2010 she brings you back to the really softly tailored feminine side of her collection; and yes, even the Herrera sleeves are back. The Queen of Goth, Anne Demulemeester, was decidely on the edge in 2008. It was an edge I was willing to go to even though my friends did not understand my fascination with this very sophisticated Goth collection. In 2010 I have to say that there are pieces in her collection makeing it absolutely clear that she is the Queen of Goth. There are pieces in that collection that I would suggest to my 80 year old mother. There are a couple of long black coats that are absolutely stunning and in 2025 you could whip them out and take them for a spin around the block no problem.
So even though you are not like all of us here at the fashion project with more fashion magazines than you could ever imagine, you do have access to the 2008 and 2010 collections through www.style.com. Check them out when you get the chance. You will see the stark reality of the impact of the economic downturn on the collections the designers are opting to create and put on the runways.
These changes are a reaction to what we are willing to pay to put clothes on our backs. Three years ago I would not have hesitated to purchase a $4,500 Haider Ackermann vest. But now, even those who can afford to purchase luxury ready to wear want durable garments. By that I mean something that will stand the test of time. No wild colors, no strange cuts, no awkward drapes and certainly no strangely paired prints and plaids. We are talking classic lines, colors and accents to give the ensemble just the right "pop".
Even when times get better economically, people will be searching for value. Gone are the days when we were willing to drop $6,000 on and outfit. So the MSRP's may be droping in order to get retailers to place orders. No retailer is going to agree to continue to pay the mark down fees because they can't move the merchandise at full price.
So stay tuned. More to come on the fashion front regarding price and even what we, the average Jane, will pay to shop at places such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Macy's and even Target.
a la prochaine
Debra
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Not my Favorite Movie
At least 10 people told me I really needed to see Sex in the City 2 as the fashion was great. That was true it was great. However, had I known it was an epic movie (in terms of length) I may have bowed out. It was colorful, opulent, warm and everything you would want to see. But as I looked at the scenery, I wasn't thinking Abu Dhabi. I was thinking Morocco; especially the beach scene. It just felt like Morocco.
I know that a lot of people think that the plot was weak and that it was a bit too over the top. I didn't go for the plot. I went to see what was being worn and to see if there was any attention at all to the cultural differences in the Middle East. Again, I was not disappointed.
However, I was a bit saddened at the manner in which the residents of 'Abu Dhabi' were portrayed. Yes it is a relatively conservative Islamic country. Yes, they do have different standards and moral codes than we do here in the States. And yes, women are less free to express themselves than we are here.
People kept talking about how awful it was that the women were wearing burqas. Well guess what? I didn't see a single burqa in that movie. I saw abayas; I saw veils and chadors, and even hijabs, but no burqas. Trust me, if you saw a burqa you would know it immediately. It totally covers a woman from head to toe and only her eyes and hands are visible.
The younger women are more expressive and they do tend to wear makeup and accessories that their mothers and grandmothers would not. That said, I think that ignoring the culture of a country in which you are a guest is rude and arrogant. The whole Samantha Jones scene with the Danish architect was totally out of line. To openly ignore the beliefs of your hosts and throw their taboos in their faces is so typically American. If you travel you see it first hand. We really believe that we have some unabridged right to do as we please no matter where we are.
I actually saw two movies depicting the lives of women in the Middle East yesterday. When I came home I watched The Stoning of Soraya M. It is about a young Iranian woman who was falsely accused of adultry and sentenced to death by stoning. It was a difficult movie to watch. I am sure it was an even more difficult movie to make. However, it was an important movie.
While I was outraged by the manner in which this woman was framed and tossed to an angry crowd by a sleazy husband who wanted her out of the way to marry a 14 year-old girl, I was not half as outraged as I was at the scene in Sex in the City 2. If you can't have enough respect for your hosts to obey their customs long enough to get through a lousy dinner date, then stay home. If you cannot attempt understand the cultrual differences between the United States and an Islamic country, then don't go.
We, Americans, don't have the best reputation abroad in terms of understanding other cultures and attempting to fit in. So while the stereotype was meant to be a put down of the beliefs in Abu Dhabi, the real stereotypical putdown was of the behavior of a sex-obsessed American woman who felt she had the right to behave however she pleased, irrespective of the wishes, laws, beliefs and moral codes of her hosts.
What does this have to do with fashion? Well there are some incredible Middle Eastern designers. So now, instead of a Sex in the City romp through a beautiful country where only one of 'the girls' even bothered to learn about the customs (Miranda Hobbes) there should be a documentary on Middle Eastern fashion designers and the real women of the Middle East.
Don't get me wrong. I do believe that women in the Middle East are repressed. I do believe that there is far too much emphasis on making women totally cover themselves. But guess what? That's not my call and I have no right to question their cultural or religious beliefs. We claim to be a country of tolerance. What I saw in that scene and a couple of others was total intolerance for a differnt way of life.
The thing that makes this planet so interesting is that we are not all the same. We live in different countries, we have different beliefs and we have a myriad of landscapes on which to play. My great-grandfather was born in France. His parents were from Morocco and Tunisia. Part of that world is in me. I embrace it and I honor it. I am also black in America and I honor that also.
While I do not practice Islam, there is a 90 percent probability that my ancestors did. While I would not choose to live the life of a woman in an extremist Islamic country, I would not dishonor any women who did find themselves living that life.
When in Morocco or Tunisia or Abu Dhabi or Saudi Arabia or Egypt a chador is an easy garment for me to don. It is simply a shawl that is expansive enough to cover my head (actually hair) and serve as a veil. I do not show my arms and legs and I do not show any cleavage. It is disrespectful. What would my great-great grandfather say? Why would I throw sand in his face? My beliefs are my own; but my behavior is on display for the entire world to see.
a la prochaine
Debra
I know that a lot of people think that the plot was weak and that it was a bit too over the top. I didn't go for the plot. I went to see what was being worn and to see if there was any attention at all to the cultural differences in the Middle East. Again, I was not disappointed.
However, I was a bit saddened at the manner in which the residents of 'Abu Dhabi' were portrayed. Yes it is a relatively conservative Islamic country. Yes, they do have different standards and moral codes than we do here in the States. And yes, women are less free to express themselves than we are here.
People kept talking about how awful it was that the women were wearing burqas. Well guess what? I didn't see a single burqa in that movie. I saw abayas; I saw veils and chadors, and even hijabs, but no burqas. Trust me, if you saw a burqa you would know it immediately. It totally covers a woman from head to toe and only her eyes and hands are visible.
The younger women are more expressive and they do tend to wear makeup and accessories that their mothers and grandmothers would not. That said, I think that ignoring the culture of a country in which you are a guest is rude and arrogant. The whole Samantha Jones scene with the Danish architect was totally out of line. To openly ignore the beliefs of your hosts and throw their taboos in their faces is so typically American. If you travel you see it first hand. We really believe that we have some unabridged right to do as we please no matter where we are.
I actually saw two movies depicting the lives of women in the Middle East yesterday. When I came home I watched The Stoning of Soraya M. It is about a young Iranian woman who was falsely accused of adultry and sentenced to death by stoning. It was a difficult movie to watch. I am sure it was an even more difficult movie to make. However, it was an important movie.
While I was outraged by the manner in which this woman was framed and tossed to an angry crowd by a sleazy husband who wanted her out of the way to marry a 14 year-old girl, I was not half as outraged as I was at the scene in Sex in the City 2. If you can't have enough respect for your hosts to obey their customs long enough to get through a lousy dinner date, then stay home. If you cannot attempt understand the cultrual differences between the United States and an Islamic country, then don't go.
We, Americans, don't have the best reputation abroad in terms of understanding other cultures and attempting to fit in. So while the stereotype was meant to be a put down of the beliefs in Abu Dhabi, the real stereotypical putdown was of the behavior of a sex-obsessed American woman who felt she had the right to behave however she pleased, irrespective of the wishes, laws, beliefs and moral codes of her hosts.
What does this have to do with fashion? Well there are some incredible Middle Eastern designers. So now, instead of a Sex in the City romp through a beautiful country where only one of 'the girls' even bothered to learn about the customs (Miranda Hobbes) there should be a documentary on Middle Eastern fashion designers and the real women of the Middle East.
Don't get me wrong. I do believe that women in the Middle East are repressed. I do believe that there is far too much emphasis on making women totally cover themselves. But guess what? That's not my call and I have no right to question their cultural or religious beliefs. We claim to be a country of tolerance. What I saw in that scene and a couple of others was total intolerance for a differnt way of life.
The thing that makes this planet so interesting is that we are not all the same. We live in different countries, we have different beliefs and we have a myriad of landscapes on which to play. My great-grandfather was born in France. His parents were from Morocco and Tunisia. Part of that world is in me. I embrace it and I honor it. I am also black in America and I honor that also.
While I do not practice Islam, there is a 90 percent probability that my ancestors did. While I would not choose to live the life of a woman in an extremist Islamic country, I would not dishonor any women who did find themselves living that life.
When in Morocco or Tunisia or Abu Dhabi or Saudi Arabia or Egypt a chador is an easy garment for me to don. It is simply a shawl that is expansive enough to cover my head (actually hair) and serve as a veil. I do not show my arms and legs and I do not show any cleavage. It is disrespectful. What would my great-great grandfather say? Why would I throw sand in his face? My beliefs are my own; but my behavior is on display for the entire world to see.
a la prochaine
Debra
Monday, July 5, 2010
Two Fashion Icons
If you were to hold court with the Queens of American Fashion, one designer sure to be in the room is Carolina Herrera. There isn’t a woman on the planet who would not want to wear one of her garments and feel really special.
The thing I really love about Ms. Herrera is that she never steps onto the runway at the end of a show looking bedraggled. Putting together a collection is a grueling process and it is sometimes a rush at the last minute to get it all pulled together. You would never know that watching Carolina Herrera acknowledge her guests. She is polished, poised and always radiant. It is almost as if she glows and her collections show it.
I must confess that before looking at the daywear, I went straight to the wedding collection. Even if you aren’t in the market for a wedding gown there is something about the look of a wedding dress and the images that are portrayed. I was not at all disappointed with the collection. No matter what your style; no matter what silhouette you are seeking you will find it in the collection. There is everything from the Princess and her court to that body conscious look that a bride of 30 would love to put on and be whisked away in.
But we are not here to chat about wedding gowns. We are here to chat about the fall collection (which will be in the stores before we know it). Again, I was not disappointed. Of course there were the camels and grays and this incredibly wonderful ruby color. Calling it red would be an injustice. It is rich and truly complements the grays and creams that are splashed on the garments. Her incredible use of color and texture is beyond description. And the cut of the garments is phenomenal. There are some of the most sumptuous trousers that I have seen in a while. They are cut to fit at the waist (none of this low-slung madness with 4 inch zippers). The legs are full and straight and that allows you to really see the drape of the fabric.
I could go on but with is the point. This is a collection you really need to view for yourself. If you are a real fashionista and a Carolina Herrera lover, it is time to scare up as much money as you can and grab a piece or two from this collection. It is timeless and unlike some clothing acquisitions these garments will not become passé, they will surely become vintage.
And now by contrast Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga is the other side of the coin. Rather than the classic fall look, he has given us something that seems light and fun. It is almost as if he was creating an all season collection. The blues, pale grays and whites go well with the garments he has designed. The look is young and fresh and there are even a couple of looks that a woman of my age would love to have in her closet.
With some of the looks I felt like I was back in the 60’s but not really. It was almost that futuristic Jetson’s feel. It was what we imagined the future would bring us as opposed to what actually arrived. But none the less, there is something classic in some of the looks. It is a blend of fun, ease and wearability (a fashion word that should be in the dictionary by now).
Again, you really need to look at this collection for yourself. A couple of my friends were stunned that I had good things to say about it. They see me as being more classic than edgy and more tailored than deconstructed. However, if they really look at the collection there is a great deal of tailoring in the pieces I would acquire. Check out the pale gray looks worn by Liya Kebede and Sasha Pivovarova. Those I would add to my closet in a heartbeat.
So ladies, get on the internet and look at these shows. The pre-fall collections are arriving in a couple of weeks. It is going to be a great season as we have returned to clothes that you can wear and keep in your closet for many years to come.
a la prochaine
Debra
The thing I really love about Ms. Herrera is that she never steps onto the runway at the end of a show looking bedraggled. Putting together a collection is a grueling process and it is sometimes a rush at the last minute to get it all pulled together. You would never know that watching Carolina Herrera acknowledge her guests. She is polished, poised and always radiant. It is almost as if she glows and her collections show it.
I must confess that before looking at the daywear, I went straight to the wedding collection. Even if you aren’t in the market for a wedding gown there is something about the look of a wedding dress and the images that are portrayed. I was not at all disappointed with the collection. No matter what your style; no matter what silhouette you are seeking you will find it in the collection. There is everything from the Princess and her court to that body conscious look that a bride of 30 would love to put on and be whisked away in.
But we are not here to chat about wedding gowns. We are here to chat about the fall collection (which will be in the stores before we know it). Again, I was not disappointed. Of course there were the camels and grays and this incredibly wonderful ruby color. Calling it red would be an injustice. It is rich and truly complements the grays and creams that are splashed on the garments. Her incredible use of color and texture is beyond description. And the cut of the garments is phenomenal. There are some of the most sumptuous trousers that I have seen in a while. They are cut to fit at the waist (none of this low-slung madness with 4 inch zippers). The legs are full and straight and that allows you to really see the drape of the fabric.
I could go on but with is the point. This is a collection you really need to view for yourself. If you are a real fashionista and a Carolina Herrera lover, it is time to scare up as much money as you can and grab a piece or two from this collection. It is timeless and unlike some clothing acquisitions these garments will not become passé, they will surely become vintage.
And now by contrast Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga is the other side of the coin. Rather than the classic fall look, he has given us something that seems light and fun. It is almost as if he was creating an all season collection. The blues, pale grays and whites go well with the garments he has designed. The look is young and fresh and there are even a couple of looks that a woman of my age would love to have in her closet.
With some of the looks I felt like I was back in the 60’s but not really. It was almost that futuristic Jetson’s feel. It was what we imagined the future would bring us as opposed to what actually arrived. But none the less, there is something classic in some of the looks. It is a blend of fun, ease and wearability (a fashion word that should be in the dictionary by now).
Again, you really need to look at this collection for yourself. A couple of my friends were stunned that I had good things to say about it. They see me as being more classic than edgy and more tailored than deconstructed. However, if they really look at the collection there is a great deal of tailoring in the pieces I would acquire. Check out the pale gray looks worn by Liya Kebede and Sasha Pivovarova. Those I would add to my closet in a heartbeat.
So ladies, get on the internet and look at these shows. The pre-fall collections are arriving in a couple of weeks. It is going to be a great season as we have returned to clothes that you can wear and keep in your closet for many years to come.
a la prochaine
Debra
Friday, July 2, 2010
I Have Not Forgotten
I have not forgotten that I promised to give you my take on the collections of Carolina Herrera and Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga. As usual, life sometimes gets in the way of all of your wonderful plans. I am once again back on track and will give you the 411 on those collections over the weekend. For now, I want to blog about something that really is important to me.
I was scanning some of my old magazines last evening and I ran across some photos of Christian LaCroix's last collection. I was really saddened that there may not be any collections to follow. It is not that he was one of my favorite designers; it is that he is a designer with his own style and an unmistakable talent for blending beauty and shock.
A few years ago I was looking for gifts for my brothers and my dad so I decided to pick up a few Christian LaCroix ties for them. It was one of the best times I had selecting gifts. Each tie was an incredible blend of color and patterns. So, mixing and matching with shirts ties and foulards was a pleasure.
I also got my dad this really pale yellow casual jacket to wear with jeans. I remember the sales associate asking me how old my father was. When I told him he was 80 he suggested different designers thinking that Mr. LaCroix would be too edgy for my dad. Well my dad is still wearing that jacket five years later and loves it.
It makes you wonder why it is okay for men, irrespective of age to wear garments that they really love; but when it comes to women the question of whether the garment is age appropriate always comes up. Maybe it is the general attitude about women and youth in this country. I don't see it so much in Europe. But here, there really is a tendency to stock the stores with clothing that is going to make grown women look totally inappropriate.
Once more, enter the game. If you are 45 and looking for a really great top to go with a pair of linen pants that you just purchased what is the section of the store that you will most likely be sent to in order to find this great top? Actually, it is a category of clothing. Those in the industry know these categories and religiously send women off to the appropriate sections of the store to find the '"age appropriate" garments.
A 45 year old woman shopping at Nordstrom would be sent to Narrative or Point of View, or if she is really edgy, Individualist or Savvy. But more than likely you are going to be sent off to Point of View or Narrative. If you go in looking well put together you be sent to Studio 121 or Collectors. But t.b.d. and via C are the exclusive domain of the 30 and under crowd.
The selections of the large commercial retail buyers are the one thing that has turned me into a boutique shopper. If I want a selection of great boutiques all in one place, I go to Saks. I just head up to the third floor and start looking around. It may be a different floor in your city so just go and check out the designer sportswear department. You are sure to find something that is really great.
I included all of the above to keep you from searching the paragraph with the question for the answer. The "category" of clothing for women 35 and up is called 'bridge'. To me it is a crazy name and an even crazier concept. What exactly are they 'bridging'? If I could rename everything it would be 'children’s', 'young adults', then "bridge" and next contemporary'.
But that is just me. My real goal, as you all know by now, is to get better choices and a wider range of options in the stores. Who would that hurt? It certainly would not hurt the designers, the retailers or the customers. Sounds like a win-win to me.
a la prochaine
Debra
I was scanning some of my old magazines last evening and I ran across some photos of Christian LaCroix's last collection. I was really saddened that there may not be any collections to follow. It is not that he was one of my favorite designers; it is that he is a designer with his own style and an unmistakable talent for blending beauty and shock.
A few years ago I was looking for gifts for my brothers and my dad so I decided to pick up a few Christian LaCroix ties for them. It was one of the best times I had selecting gifts. Each tie was an incredible blend of color and patterns. So, mixing and matching with shirts ties and foulards was a pleasure.
I also got my dad this really pale yellow casual jacket to wear with jeans. I remember the sales associate asking me how old my father was. When I told him he was 80 he suggested different designers thinking that Mr. LaCroix would be too edgy for my dad. Well my dad is still wearing that jacket five years later and loves it.
It makes you wonder why it is okay for men, irrespective of age to wear garments that they really love; but when it comes to women the question of whether the garment is age appropriate always comes up. Maybe it is the general attitude about women and youth in this country. I don't see it so much in Europe. But here, there really is a tendency to stock the stores with clothing that is going to make grown women look totally inappropriate.
Once more, enter the game. If you are 45 and looking for a really great top to go with a pair of linen pants that you just purchased what is the section of the store that you will most likely be sent to in order to find this great top? Actually, it is a category of clothing. Those in the industry know these categories and religiously send women off to the appropriate sections of the store to find the '"age appropriate" garments.
A 45 year old woman shopping at Nordstrom would be sent to Narrative or Point of View, or if she is really edgy, Individualist or Savvy. But more than likely you are going to be sent off to Point of View or Narrative. If you go in looking well put together you be sent to Studio 121 or Collectors. But t.b.d. and via C are the exclusive domain of the 30 and under crowd.
The selections of the large commercial retail buyers are the one thing that has turned me into a boutique shopper. If I want a selection of great boutiques all in one place, I go to Saks. I just head up to the third floor and start looking around. It may be a different floor in your city so just go and check out the designer sportswear department. You are sure to find something that is really great.
I included all of the above to keep you from searching the paragraph with the question for the answer. The "category" of clothing for women 35 and up is called 'bridge'. To me it is a crazy name and an even crazier concept. What exactly are they 'bridging'? If I could rename everything it would be 'children’s', 'young adults', then "bridge" and next contemporary'.
But that is just me. My real goal, as you all know by now, is to get better choices and a wider range of options in the stores. Who would that hurt? It certainly would not hurt the designers, the retailers or the customers. Sounds like a win-win to me.
a la prochaine
Debra
Monday, June 7, 2010
We Stand Corrected!!
When we make a mistake we will own up to it. We forgot about the celebrated Rick Owens. He too is a member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. And since we are California residents (if not natives) we should have been more vigilant about our rundown of American designers who have been certified by La Chambre Synidcale. So Mr. Owens, our apologies. We did not mean any disrespect. Your accomplishments have been and should be noted.
A friend called me and asked what the English translation for La Chambre Syndicale would be and it is really a trade union for haute couture or high fashion. It really allows these incredible designers to create and then La Chambre Syndicale regulates how they are reveiewed, how their brands are licensed and how they are shown each year. It is really to protect the designers. It prevents people like me from coming in and seeing something I really like and trying to knock it off.
Having said that, I would never knock off a designer's garment. First it is not legal. Second, it is unfair to the designer. Third, I would probably do a really bad job as I do not have the credentials to actually purchase a pattern or toile, and God knows that I cannot draw. Also, I am not in a postion to purchase a licensing agreement to put one or more of their designs into production. So every single designer on the planet is safe with me. I am not credentialed and I can't draw.
So that is a bit of additional information. I also wanted to pay homage to Yves Saint Laurent. Saturday, June 5, 2010 was the second anniversary of his passing. I am not sure if everyone is really aware of what a great artist we lost with his passing. I can't imagine the world of fashion had he not made his appearance at the age of 17. To arrive from Algeria with a stunning portfolio of sketches and bowl over Christian Dior tells you what an artist he was.
So on Saturday, June 5, 2010 I again played "Sous Le Vent" and drank a glass of wine in honor of the one designer who would have rendered me speechless in his presence. My sincerest wish is that he has found peace. No one deserves it more.
Okay, Valentino would have done the same thing to me but I still have a chance of meeting him again; that is if I work up the nerve.
Oh and by the way, Valentino's last name is Garavani.
a la prochaine
Debra
A friend called me and asked what the English translation for La Chambre Syndicale would be and it is really a trade union for haute couture or high fashion. It really allows these incredible designers to create and then La Chambre Syndicale regulates how they are reveiewed, how their brands are licensed and how they are shown each year. It is really to protect the designers. It prevents people like me from coming in and seeing something I really like and trying to knock it off.
Having said that, I would never knock off a designer's garment. First it is not legal. Second, it is unfair to the designer. Third, I would probably do a really bad job as I do not have the credentials to actually purchase a pattern or toile, and God knows that I cannot draw. Also, I am not in a postion to purchase a licensing agreement to put one or more of their designs into production. So every single designer on the planet is safe with me. I am not credentialed and I can't draw.
So that is a bit of additional information. I also wanted to pay homage to Yves Saint Laurent. Saturday, June 5, 2010 was the second anniversary of his passing. I am not sure if everyone is really aware of what a great artist we lost with his passing. I can't imagine the world of fashion had he not made his appearance at the age of 17. To arrive from Algeria with a stunning portfolio of sketches and bowl over Christian Dior tells you what an artist he was.
So on Saturday, June 5, 2010 I again played "Sous Le Vent" and drank a glass of wine in honor of the one designer who would have rendered me speechless in his presence. My sincerest wish is that he has found peace. No one deserves it more.
Okay, Valentino would have done the same thing to me but I still have a chance of meeting him again; that is if I work up the nerve.
Oh and by the way, Valentino's last name is Garavani.
a la prochaine
Debra
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Who Can Call Themself a Couture Designer
Okay here it is. You can call yourself a couturier if you are a fashion designer. However you cannot call yourself a couture designer unless La Chamber Syndicale de la Couture has certified you as such. Here are the requirements. To join the ranks of the elite houses who create haute couture you must create a minimum of 50 new and original designs (a combination of day and evening wear) for each collection and you must show two times per year. Additionally you must employ at least 20 fulltime technicians in at least one atelier (workshop).
So when people tell you that they are going to the couture shows that means that they are traveling to Paris in January or July. So if they are headed to New York, Milan, Barcelona, London or anywhere else the designer show they go to may indeed have been created by someone who has been certified by La Chambre Syndicale; but, it will be a luxury ready to wear show. As I indicated in the last post, the only American designer who is actually certified by La Chambre is Ralph Rucci. His label, Chado is not couture. It is luxury pret-a-porter (ready-to wear).
There are even requirement about how the garments are made in order to consider the garments couture. Remember the snooty Emily in the Devil Wears Prada waxing dreamily about about getting to go to Paris in the fall and getting to wear couture? Well I laughed because she would have missed the couture shows by three months. Not only that, if the clothes she was given were already made and crafted mostly by machine, and she had not had at least one fitting it is not a couture garment. Couture garments must be at least 50% hand crafted.
These garments are for the most part created for private clients and tend to be one of a kind. So if you have a dress maker and that dress maker selects and redesigns a pattern and then creates a garment exclusively for you, your garment is couture. Sadly, your dressmaker, unless certified by La Chambre Syndical, is not. So as incredible a designer as Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera or Donna Karan or Vera Wang or Calvin Klein may be, not one of them can elevate themselves to the ranks of the Couture; and they cannot claim to have couture houses.
That said, don't be discouraged. Those haute couture fashions do make their way to the ready to wear market. Designers flock to those shows in order to get inspiration. Some of them will even buy toiles or patterns, recut them or redesign them in some way and create their own designs for the ready to wear market. They can even get a licensing agreement to mass produce a design as-is.
And trust me, those couture designer are not crazy. They all design collections for the ready to wear shows and for the most part will have several labels at various price points in the market. The great ones actually design for several labels. They will also license a couture design to a manufacturer in order to put it in mass production.
So let's begin your fashion education and give you a glimpse of the types of questions you are going to find in the game the Fashion Project is creating. Name the three labels that Karl Lagerfeld currently oversees? Next, in addition to his own label, which design house does Jean Paul Gauthier run? Finally, upon the death of Christian Dior, who was selected to step in as the artistic director? Okay, one more; name the organization charged with the honor of safeguarding the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent.
How did you do on those? All of us with the Fashion Project are full of fashion factoids. For true fashionistas the game is going to be an incredible high. For those who love trivia, it will be the best and most stylish game on the planet. Stay tuned as we keep plugging away to get it off the ground. If you have any pull with any fashion photographers, we would love to hear from you. We need them to play with us to make this happen!
Mr. Lagerfeld oversees the collections created for Lagerfeld, Chanel and Fendi. He and Valentino are great friends and he would, on occasion, whip up a design or two for his buddy. And by the way, what is Valentino's last name?
Jean Paul Gauthier also oversees the collection created for Hermes. Sometimes I cannot even see Gauthier's influence in the Hermes collection. Maybe that is why he is so good and one of the past presidents of La Chambre Syndicale.
Upon the death of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent was elevated to oversee the design house. And his (YSL's) legacy is lovingly safeguarded by La Fondation Pierre Berge.
a la prochaine
Debra
So when people tell you that they are going to the couture shows that means that they are traveling to Paris in January or July. So if they are headed to New York, Milan, Barcelona, London or anywhere else the designer show they go to may indeed have been created by someone who has been certified by La Chambre Syndicale; but, it will be a luxury ready to wear show. As I indicated in the last post, the only American designer who is actually certified by La Chambre is Ralph Rucci. His label, Chado is not couture. It is luxury pret-a-porter (ready-to wear).
There are even requirement about how the garments are made in order to consider the garments couture. Remember the snooty Emily in the Devil Wears Prada waxing dreamily about about getting to go to Paris in the fall and getting to wear couture? Well I laughed because she would have missed the couture shows by three months. Not only that, if the clothes she was given were already made and crafted mostly by machine, and she had not had at least one fitting it is not a couture garment. Couture garments must be at least 50% hand crafted.
These garments are for the most part created for private clients and tend to be one of a kind. So if you have a dress maker and that dress maker selects and redesigns a pattern and then creates a garment exclusively for you, your garment is couture. Sadly, your dressmaker, unless certified by La Chambre Syndical, is not. So as incredible a designer as Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera or Donna Karan or Vera Wang or Calvin Klein may be, not one of them can elevate themselves to the ranks of the Couture; and they cannot claim to have couture houses.
That said, don't be discouraged. Those haute couture fashions do make their way to the ready to wear market. Designers flock to those shows in order to get inspiration. Some of them will even buy toiles or patterns, recut them or redesign them in some way and create their own designs for the ready to wear market. They can even get a licensing agreement to mass produce a design as-is.
And trust me, those couture designer are not crazy. They all design collections for the ready to wear shows and for the most part will have several labels at various price points in the market. The great ones actually design for several labels. They will also license a couture design to a manufacturer in order to put it in mass production.
So let's begin your fashion education and give you a glimpse of the types of questions you are going to find in the game the Fashion Project is creating. Name the three labels that Karl Lagerfeld currently oversees? Next, in addition to his own label, which design house does Jean Paul Gauthier run? Finally, upon the death of Christian Dior, who was selected to step in as the artistic director? Okay, one more; name the organization charged with the honor of safeguarding the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent.
How did you do on those? All of us with the Fashion Project are full of fashion factoids. For true fashionistas the game is going to be an incredible high. For those who love trivia, it will be the best and most stylish game on the planet. Stay tuned as we keep plugging away to get it off the ground. If you have any pull with any fashion photographers, we would love to hear from you. We need them to play with us to make this happen!
Mr. Lagerfeld oversees the collections created for Lagerfeld, Chanel and Fendi. He and Valentino are great friends and he would, on occasion, whip up a design or two for his buddy. And by the way, what is Valentino's last name?
Jean Paul Gauthier also oversees the collection created for Hermes. Sometimes I cannot even see Gauthier's influence in the Hermes collection. Maybe that is why he is so good and one of the past presidents of La Chambre Syndicale.
Upon the death of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent was elevated to oversee the design house. And his (YSL's) legacy is lovingly safeguarded by La Fondation Pierre Berge.
a la prochaine
Debra
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
